You're just like anyone else, really. You get up, you go to work, you pay your bills, you see your friends. No one would ever consider you to be unusual or exceptional in any way, and they would be mostly right.

Mostly.

The past few years, something has been following you. You don't know what it is, what it wants, what it's capable of, or where it came from. Just that it's there.

In appearance, it may be mundane and commonplace, or perhaps it is bizarre and nightmarish. A person, or an animal, or some kind of strange creature. It never seems to show up in public, preferring to wait until you are alone, or rarely when you are with only one or two other people. Sometimes it is looking in through your bedroom window while you try to sleep. Sometimes it is standing alongside a quiet road as you drive home. Maybe it is among the trees during a pleasant walk through the woods. Or it might even be inside your home, watching from a dark corner.

Nothing about it seems to make sense. You spot it in places it shouldn't be- behind locked doors, on inaccessible rooftops. It never seems to arrive or depart, but neither does it appear or disappear while you are looking directly at it. Any movement seems to be done when you look away.

You've reacted as anyone would, of course. You've called the police, taken photos, even attacked it, all to no avail. Your friends and family might be sympathetic, or just think you to be crazy. But over time, you've realized that your stalker, or whatever it is, doesn't seem to have any malevolent intent. It simply watches, quietly, never speaking, never acting. While the visits aren't pleasant, they aren't harmful, either. You've simply become resigned to them, seeing them as a nuisance more than anything. You've done your best to move on, to lead a normal and happy life. 

And now life has led you to travel, by car, bus, or train. For business, for pleasure, for the thrill of travel- your reasons are your own. But for all of you, the destination is the same.

You have come to the town of Rainey, Iowa.

[hider= RAINEY, IA] The drive in is unimpressive, the little state road meandering off Interstate 35 clean and well-maintained. Looking out the window, there is little to see. No trees, no hills, only the endless fields of corn and soybeans behind a chainlink fence. Every once in a while, the monotony of fence and crops is broken by a gatehouse, a sign declaring entrance to property owned by Corbeau Agricultural Inc, a brief glimpse of gravel road. And then, as you continue on, the gatehouse and sign and road are all gone, replaced by yet more ranks of Corbeau's corn and soybeans.

You roll down the window, hoping for a little fresh air. You are met by the smell of Iowa in summer- grass clippings and ears of corn, a tinge of honest sweat. 

Gradually, Corbeau's fields come to an end, to be replaced by suburban homes. There's an odd mix of old and new- a split-level such as you might see in any town stands next to a carefully maintained Tudor, at least a hundred years old. Two old women stand out front talking, both turn and wave to you as you pass.

A sign rushes by on your left, carefully and freshly painted. WELCOME TO RAINEY, IOWA. IOWA'S FINE DINING CAPITAL. POPULATION 15,117.

The suburbs come to an end, to be replaced by light commercial lots. A bit peckish from your journey, you look around, hoping for a McDonald's, a Taco Bell, a Subway. Something quick and cheap before you come to the hotel. No fast food in sight, though you see Giovanni's Ristorante, Broussard's Cajun Cuisine, a place offering expensive molecular cooking, several more high-class eateries. The type of restaurants you might expect to see in a fashionable district of Chicago or Los Angeles, not a tiny Midwest town. Shaking your head, you look out the other window. You pass a few sprawling buildings- Rainey Community College. An office campus, once again bearing the sign of Corbeau Agricultural. 

And then, slowing down, you come to the downtown. You know what to expect from a Midwestern downtown- dour, sturdy brick buildings, right? There's a few of those, you notice as you bump along the brick streets. But the other buildings seem completely out of place, a mishmash of styles. The wrought iron balconies and stucco of many of them would be better suited to the French Quarter, while others seem like something designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. On the corner, a tall man wearing a green suit and an unbelievably broad smile waves to you. A very friendly town. 

There is only one hotel in town, the Hawkeye Inn, and you carefully park in the lot in back before bringing your luggage inside. Waiting at the reception counter, you idly look over the pamphlets beside the counter, advertising local attractions. The Midwest Voodoo Museum. Lake Hob and its legendary monster. The Anvillier Plantation and Cemetery. The Sauk Indian Mounds. And of course, dozens of fine eating establishments.

Your stomach growls as you see the last of those listed- it's been a long trip and you're much hungrier than you thought. Looking over the lobby, you see a small dining room and well-stocked bar. The fare seems simple, hamburgers and such- though a sign hastily assures you that the beef is Kobe. Sounds just like what you're after. A dinner just after checking in sounds good. 

After all, you might be here a while. [/hider]

[hider= CHARACTER SHEET]

Name:

Appearance: Either a photograph (no drawings, no anime) or a detailed description is acceptable.

Gender:

Age:

Occupation:

Place of Residence: The place from which your character comes. Anywhere but Rainey.

Bio: Your character's personal history. What has been notable events to them? How long have they been seeing their stalker and how did they first try to deal with it? And, of course, what brings them to Rainey?

Any other information you feel necessary is more than welcome. [/hider]

[hider= STALKER SHEET] 
Name: Shouldn't be its true name, but just whatever your character thinks of it as. Could be a horrifying name, a sarcastic one, or even a term of endearment.

Appearance: Have some fun here, and by all means be as detailed as possible. If you're artistically inclined, then by all means I'd love to see a picture of your creation. It could be a person or an animal (as long as something is "off" about them) or some kind of bizarre and strange monstrosity.

A note when creating stalkers: I greatly prefer original content. I [b]will[/b] happily reject a character that's a crib or ripoff of Slenderman, Killer BOB, the Rake, or the like. If you want to take a note from actual mythology, though, I'd at least willing to consider it. [/hider]

THE RULES

1. All rules of RPG apply. Be respectful, be polite. Disagreements are perfectly alright as long as they're made in a civil manner.
2. The GM's word applies. If you have questions about anything at all, feel free to PM me!
3. No back-to-back posting, I want everyone to put some thought into their posts, so please don't put up a reply to a post that's just minutes old.
4. Finally, of course, have fun!