.
W H A T . L I E S . B E L O W.....
.
Pine Ridge was once the kind of town people swore could survive anything.
Born during the height of the Black Hills gold rush in South Dakota, it began as a rough frontier settlement carved into the shadow of the mountain itself; a place of prospectors, saloons, churches, and shallow graves. When the gold dried up, Pine Ridge endured by turning deeper into the earth, transforming into a thriving mining town fueled by coal, iron, quarry stone, and the sprawling tunnel systems beneath the mountain. Families stayed for generations. Neighbors left their doors unlocked. The mine became the heartbeat of the town, humming day and night beneath the streets like something alive.
Then, in the winter of 1987, the mountain swallowed nearly half of Pine Ridge. One of the deepest mining shafts collapsed without warning, triggering a chain reaction beneath the town that tore entire streets apart. Homes, businesses, churches, and whole neighborhoods vanished into the earth beneath thousands of tons of stone and debris. Rescue crews claimed they heard voices echoing from tunnels long after anyone trapped below should have died. Some survivors stumbled back to the surface days later, burnt, delirious, and whispering about tunnels that did not exist on any map and things moving in the dark beyond the reach of their lantern light.
Within a year, much of Pine Ridge was abandoned and condemned. The surviving half of town was rebuilt farther from the mountain. Modern Pine Ridge grew along the outskirts, where ranch homes, diners, gas stations, and newer neighborhoods now stretch beneath endless South Dakota skies.
The official story blamed unstable tunnels and decades of reckless excavation beneath the town. The truth was buried much deeper. Long before prospectors arrived, the mountain already belonged to older things. Vampires lived hidden beneath Pine Ridge for generations, eventually building an entire underground settlement within the forgotten mining network beneath the newer half of town. Entire streets, chambers, and hidden halls exist below the surface, untouched by sunlight and unknown to most humans above. The werewolves guarded the forests and plains surrounding the Black Hills, keeping whatever lived deeper in the wilderness from wandering too close to civilization. And the witches, hidden among Pine Ridge’s oldest bloodlines, maintained ancient seals buried beneath the mountain to imprison something far worse below.
Now, nearly forty years later, Pine Ridge is beginning to thrive again. Wealthy investors have transformed the condemned half of town into a restored ghost town attraction built around old western folklore, abandoned streets, and guided quarry tours through the surviving mine shafts. Roads have been repaired. Businesses are reopening. New families, drifters, thrill-seekers, and descendants of former residents have started returning to the valley, drawn by cheap land and the strange charm of a town frozen in time. For the first time in decades, Pine Ridge feels alive again. But the town does not want to be disturbed.
The deeper tunnels beneath the mountain have started opening on their own. Mine elevators descend at impossible hours despite having no power connected to them. People vanish along quarry trails without tracks. Livestock are found drained of blood beyond ranch fences, while strange symbols appear carved into trees around the valley overnight. Worse still, the witches responsible for maintaining the ancient seals are dying one by one under increasingly unnatural circumstances.
The fragile balance that once kept Pine Ridge alive is beginning to fracture. Vampires hidden beneath the town grow restless as their underground sanctuary becomes threatened by expanding excavation. Werewolf packs become increasingly territorial as something in the wilderness drives them toward violence. Human residents begin noticing too much; strange noises, figures watching from the treeline at night, lantern lights drifting through the condemned streets long after closing hours. Rumors spread faster than the truth ever can, and fear settles over Pine Ridge like another layer of mountain fog.
Because something beneath the mountain is waking up. Older than the vampires. Older than the witches. Older, perhaps, than Pine Ridge itself. Whatever survived inside the collapsed mine in 1987 did not remain trapped there alone, and now the prison beneath the mountain is beginning to fail.
Pine Ridge was once the kind of town people swore could survive anything.
Born during the height of the Black Hills gold rush in South Dakota, it began as a rough frontier settlement carved into the shadow of the mountain itself; a place of prospectors, saloons, churches, and shallow graves. When the gold dried up, Pine Ridge endured by turning deeper into the earth, transforming into a thriving mining town fueled by coal, iron, quarry stone, and the sprawling tunnel systems beneath the mountain. Families stayed for generations. Neighbors left their doors unlocked. The mine became the heartbeat of the town, humming day and night beneath the streets like something alive.
Then, in the winter of 1987, the mountain swallowed nearly half of Pine Ridge. One of the deepest mining shafts collapsed without warning, triggering a chain reaction beneath the town that tore entire streets apart. Homes, businesses, churches, and whole neighborhoods vanished into the earth beneath thousands of tons of stone and debris. Rescue crews claimed they heard voices echoing from tunnels long after anyone trapped below should have died. Some survivors stumbled back to the surface days later, burnt, delirious, and whispering about tunnels that did not exist on any map and things moving in the dark beyond the reach of their lantern light.
Within a year, much of Pine Ridge was abandoned and condemned. The surviving half of town was rebuilt farther from the mountain. Modern Pine Ridge grew along the outskirts, where ranch homes, diners, gas stations, and newer neighborhoods now stretch beneath endless South Dakota skies.
The official story blamed unstable tunnels and decades of reckless excavation beneath the town. The truth was buried much deeper. Long before prospectors arrived, the mountain already belonged to older things. Vampires lived hidden beneath Pine Ridge for generations, eventually building an entire underground settlement within the forgotten mining network beneath the newer half of town. Entire streets, chambers, and hidden halls exist below the surface, untouched by sunlight and unknown to most humans above. The werewolves guarded the forests and plains surrounding the Black Hills, keeping whatever lived deeper in the wilderness from wandering too close to civilization. And the witches, hidden among Pine Ridge’s oldest bloodlines, maintained ancient seals buried beneath the mountain to imprison something far worse below.
Now, nearly forty years later, Pine Ridge is beginning to thrive again. Wealthy investors have transformed the condemned half of town into a restored ghost town attraction built around old western folklore, abandoned streets, and guided quarry tours through the surviving mine shafts. Roads have been repaired. Businesses are reopening. New families, drifters, thrill-seekers, and descendants of former residents have started returning to the valley, drawn by cheap land and the strange charm of a town frozen in time. For the first time in decades, Pine Ridge feels alive again. But the town does not want to be disturbed.
The deeper tunnels beneath the mountain have started opening on their own. Mine elevators descend at impossible hours despite having no power connected to them. People vanish along quarry trails without tracks. Livestock are found drained of blood beyond ranch fences, while strange symbols appear carved into trees around the valley overnight. Worse still, the witches responsible for maintaining the ancient seals are dying one by one under increasingly unnatural circumstances.
The fragile balance that once kept Pine Ridge alive is beginning to fracture. Vampires hidden beneath the town grow restless as their underground sanctuary becomes threatened by expanding excavation. Werewolf packs become increasingly territorial as something in the wilderness drives them toward violence. Human residents begin noticing too much; strange noises, figures watching from the treeline at night, lantern lights drifting through the condemned streets long after closing hours. Rumors spread faster than the truth ever can, and fear settles over Pine Ridge like another layer of mountain fog.
Because something beneath the mountain is waking up. Older than the vampires. Older than the witches. Older, perhaps, than Pine Ridge itself. Whatever survived inside the collapsed mine in 1987 did not remain trapped there alone, and now the prison beneath the mountain is beginning to fail.
.
F A C T I O N S.....
................................................................. ....T H E . C I T I Z E N S..... | . . S H E R I F F : ... dev sarkar .. | .. taken .. | .. @webboysurf M E M B E R S : ... human residents of pine ridge Most of Pine Ridge’s human population remains entirely unaware of the supernatural existence hidden beneath the town. To the average resident, the disappearances, strange animal attacks, and old ghost stories surrounding the mountain are nothing more than local folklore. Only a select few humans know the truth, and those individuals almost always belong to Pine Ridge’s oldest families. In most cases, that knowledge was not freely given. It was earned through usefulness, inherited through generations, or forced upon them through circumstance. The humans trusted with supernatural knowledge typically occupy important positions within the town itself; doctors, morticians, the sheriff, or local politicians. Their roles make them valuable enough to keep alive, but that protection comes with strict conditions. Most are heavily monitored, manipulated, blackmailed, or outright threatened into silence by one or more supernatural factions. Knowledge in Pine Ridge is treated as both privilege and liability. A small number of humans also serve as vampire thralls. Through repeated exposure to vampire blood, thralls gain heightened senses, faster reflexes, and extended lifespans. However, the bond is addictive and they are under the vampire's control. Without regular access to their sire’s blood, thralls experience severe physical and psychological withdrawal, making true independence nearly impossible. |
................................................................. .......T H E . C I R C L E..... | . . H I G H . P R I E S T E S S : ... sable pritchard .. | .. taken .. | .. @Mjolnir M E M B E R S : ... order of witches The witches of Pine Ridge practice a traditional form of magic rooted heavily in ritual work, natural elements, and spiritual balance. Their abilities are often enhanced through crystals, stones, herbs, and ancient spells, with different materials amplifying different forms of magic. Smaller spells, such as protection charms, minor healing, tracking, glamour magic, or minor emotional influence, can typically be performed with little preparation, especially if a witch carries enchanted crystals or talismans on their person. Larger workings, however, require preparation and ritual. Powerful spells often involve ritual circles, spoken incantations, candles, fires, sacrifices, or cauldrons depending on the nature of the magic being performed. Witches are considered the most unified and loyal faction within Pine Ridge. Their circle operates with strong internal structure, and betrayal among witches is extremely rare. Because of the usefulness of their magic, witches also hold significant influence over the supernatural balance within the town. They are capable of crafting enchanted jewelry that allows vampires protection from sunlight, as well as charms and talismans that help werewolves better regulate shifts, aggression, and emotional instability. As a result, witches often act as the political middle ground between factions. Their opinions carry considerable weight throughout Pine Ridge, and while they are deeply respected, many resent how much influence they hold over the town as a whole. |
................................................................. .........T H E . P A C K..... | . . A L P H A : ... warren boone .. | .. taken .. | .. @Sleepy Tani M E M B E R S : ... den of werewolves Werewolves in Pine Ridge are not solely bound to the full moon. While lunar cycles strengthen their instincts and make shifting easier, transformations can also be triggered by emotional instability. Strong negative emotions such as rage, grief, fear, or severe pain increase the likelihood of losing control, while positive emotions like love, joy, and calmness help stabilize both the wolf and the person carrying it. Emotional control is considered one of the most important skills within a pack. Unlike witches, werewolves can either be born or turned. Humans bitten must survive the painful first transformation and become part of the pack themselves. Many wolves believe their instincts naturally push them to protect, expand, and strengthen the pack through loyalty and connection. In wolf form, werewolves resemble massive direwolf-like creatures. While shifted, pack members share a telepathic link that functions similarly to a mental radio connection. Wolves can mute the bond themselves, though the Alpha can forcibly reopen the connection and exert limited control through it when necessary. Even unshifted, werewolves possess enhanced strength, speed, senses, durability, and slightly extended lifespans. Most packs function as close-knit families, with loyalty to the pack valued above almost everything else. |
................................................................. ........T H E . C O V E N..... | . . M A T R I A R C H : ... valeria carrington .. | .. taken .. | .. @BellMerchant M E M B E R S : ... clan of vampires Humans can be turned into vampires through a two-step process: first consuming vampire blood, then being completely drained of their own blood afterward. Once turned, vampires possess enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, senses, and durability far beyond human capability. They are also capable of using compulsion, a form of mental influence triggered through direct eye contact that allows them to manipulate memories, emotions, and behavior. Most vampires use compulsion while feeding, forcing humans to forget the encounter afterward. Werewolves are naturally immune to compulsion, while witches can create enchanted jewelry that protects the wearer from its effects. A vampire’s greatest weakness is sunlight. Direct exposure does not kill them instantly, but it causes severe burns, smoking skin, and painful welts that worsen over time and can only properly heal through feeding. A limited number of vampires possess enchanted jewelry crafted by the Circle that protects them from sunlight. Vampires also lack reflections and cannot enter private homes without first being invited inside. Garlic, however, is entirely myth. Some vampires keep human Thralls, though most consider the maintenance and dependency involved more trouble than it is worth. Of all the factions, vampires are the least loyal to one another and are often divided by ambition, status, and personal alliances. |
R U L E S.....
.
- Please DM @Sleepy Tani to discuss and apply for your character, and please include any subplots you have regarding your characters, before posting in the character section. Characters will be marked as reserved until the character sheet is uploaded.
- Strong, literate writers capable of consistently writing detailed posts around 500+ words minimum. Writers are required to maintain activity with at least one post per character every three weeks. Allowances are, of course, made for collab posts and IRL emergencies. Communication is key, just DM we can we can work stuff out. Your families, mental and physical health always come first. Again, we're looking for writers who are both reactive and proactive with plot development, character dynamics, and world interaction.
- We have a zero ghosting policy. If you are MIA and miss the posting deadline, I'll first reach out to you, but without a response in a given window of time, you could be removed from the RP. However, if you tell me you need to take a break and communicate, allowances within reason will always be made.
- We're looking for our writers to play multiple of different species and genders to keep the story as balanced as possible. I don't expect anyone to write as many characters as I or MJ do, frankly we're a little insane, but it is encouraged to have at least two characters. You don't have to make them all at once, ideas come and go.
- On that note, key roles like Alpha, Sire, Sherriff, and The Priestess, can expand. We have four placeholders, and we're looking for two other writers to fill the two open ones, but if they all fill up and people are looking to play more plot central and important roles, feel free to pitch your idea to me with your character application, or DM me to brainstorm.
- We will have a discord, I'll share the link as needed.
- This RP will be focused on heavy and mature settings, please understand your characters, especially the human characters, are not safe. Death can happen, and the possible for a human to be turned into a thrall, werewolf, or vampire could happen. These will always be cleared with the writer first, but so long as it makes sense to the story, it is a possibility.
1x Thank
