Mark Experience

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From the collection of letters of hunter Reina Caraway, to their partner (redacted; currently active) 

Hey Love, 

How’s my bar doing? I trust you haven’t run it into the ground. At least, not yet. I hope things are going well, and that you’re well too. I miss you and the Lounge every day. I miss coming in and slowly turning all the lights on, one by one. I miss seeing all the folks come in, and hearing all their stories. But that’s why I had to do what I did. I wanted to have my own stories to tell. And now I do! You wouldn’t believe what we’ve found out here. 
I think we’re starting to finally piece together what’s happening here in Eden’s Grove. I mean, it was always strange here, but now the amount of monsters in town is constantly rising. There must be something here that’s attracting them. And I’m going to figure out what it is. We’re close, we just need more time. So, I know this isn’t fair, and I am sorry. But I hope you can keep holding down the fort for me? Thanks in advance! I hope to hear from you soon. I really miss your letters. 

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An excerpt from the sermon notes of Father Seraphiel, Head Priest of Angelic Choir Communion. 

“There are some who claim there is no god present in Eden’s Grove. They say that, due to the monsters in the shadows, or the shifting woods, that there is no hand of divinity upon Eden’s Grove. But brothers and sisters, I say there is no place more divine. When the forest rearranges in the night, when mysterious lights dance in the sky, and when abominations stalk our streets, that is not the absence of the divine. That is the overflow. Eden’s Grove is drowning in the divine. It is everywhere you look. It fills our town’s air. It moves in the water of the lake. It is on the mountain, and underneath the streets. You see it in our homes. And yes, it is even in our church. So remember when you take up arms, and when you smite monsters in the name of our sacred purpose, that you do it standing on hallowed ground.” 

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A record of physical disturbances in Eden’s Grove in the past month.
  -  The forest outside of Eden’s Grove is constantly rearranging. Hunters have found a few loopholes in this spatial disturbance, and certain landmarks always lead to certain places. It is unclear why this happens. 
  -  For one whole week, Main Street was mirrored. Buildings on the left were on the right and visa versa. Street signs were also reversed, as if in a mirror. Citizens of Eden’s Grove did not seem to notice this phenomenon. No other effects were recorded. 
  -  One day, certain hunters could no longer see leaves. The hunters that this affected were seemingly random, with no connection between race, gender, religion, or any other subgroup. They just stopped seeing leaves. These hunters reported that they could see leaves again once they had slept. 
  -  A lamppost was bent and twisted by an unseen entity. There appears to be no other effects on the environment. Angry Monster? Possibly, but unlikely. 
  -  A house collapsed in the middle of the night. The house had no connection to was structurally sound, and there were no monsters in the area. It is unclear what led to the house’s collapse. 

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Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner Do not enter the diner

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“Eden’s Grove, while appearing to be a normal town on the surface, is unequivocally one of the most dangerous places on the planet. This is due in part to the physical threat the monsters that are drawn here pose, but the hunters who have come to Eden’s Grove have also reported psychological and physical effects as well. This is obviously of great interest to my research. 
Many hunters have told me about finding lost comrades in the woods. These hunters have always been reported missing for some time, usually months earlier, though sometimes weeks. Regardless of when they disappeared, most are assumed dead when they are found. And this is a reasonable assumption, not many can survive in those woods for long. It would be better if they had been dead. These Missing hunters have been found in the woods driven completely insane. As of now, all we know is that they all suffer from some form of mental corruption, and in some cases, physical as well. They react aggressively to the presence of others, lashing out at monsters, animals, and even former loved ones. Despite their apparent insanity and feral nature, reports say that they have also been sighted using complicated weapons, such as guns and even traps they have prepared. This is an illuminating tidbit of information, as it suggests the madness is targeted at certain areas of the mind or personality, leaving things such as advanced motor control and engineering untouched. This would suggest that it is caused by some kind of monster or magic, as disease or natural insanity are rarely so specific. Additionally, as the mental corruption spreads, physical corruption begins to develop as well.
My notes on this bit are inconclusive, but I get the feeling I already know a source of evidence for this particular phenomenon. In terms of monsters corrupting hunters, it’s not unheard of by any means. Werewolves, Vampires, and the undead are classic examples of this. Although, whatever this is appears to be something different, as the hunters are not changing into the aforementioned creatures. Until I have access to more specimens, it is too hard to say whether or not this will be helpful. Maybe I can get some samples the next time I step out...” 

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Fairy circles have been known to exchange children in the night. They will spirit away a young human infant, leaving behind a creature called a changeling in their place. What a changeling is, and its purpose, is a subject of debate. In some stories, changelings are beings made out of wood, designed to look identical to the human child they replace. Some changelings are made so perfectly, even they do not know that they are the replacement. Some argue that if the changeling is completely identical, down to the last memory and freckle, that the child is, for all intensive purposes, THE child. It becomes a Schrodinger's cat of sorts. As no one knows if the child is a replacement or not, they could be considered to be both. Anyone could be considered both. But someone does know the truth. Somewhere, the fairies responsible for these doppelgangers do know. And somewhere, they’re carving more wood into the shape of small, smiling babies. 

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The forest outside of Eden’s Grove is a notoriously dangerous place. Not only due to its large population of monsters, but because of the packs of hunters that prowl through it as well. Some hunters, when it is late, and they’ve had a too much to drink, tell stories of hunters that never come out of the woods. Taken by frenzy and bloodlust, they wander the forest and streets by night, hunting anything that cross their path. When teams of Hunters come across each other in the woods, some have established systems of checking the sanity and reason of others. These tests vary, some are riddles, some are finishing quotes from movies or plays. Some carry more involved tests, like mazes or logic puzzles. But obsentibly their goals are the same. Too many have come across someone they believed to be a brother in arms and found themselves at the end of a weapon. There is a debate among hunters about what to do with those who have gone mad in the forest, but as of yet there is no solution. 

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An excerpt recovered from the notes of (redacted; due to threats).  

A: Subject is larger than average human.  
B: Yeah it’s a big scary monster. Go figure.  
A: Subject covered in thick, downy substance like fuzz.  
B: Have you pet this? It’s really soft.  
A: Please focus.  
B: I am, this is important.  
A: Its softness is not a valuable asset.  
B: Says you.  
A: Continuing. Subject has highly developed brain and eyes, but otherwise most organs have been destroyed by bullets.  
B: Lots of super gross bullet wounds in this thing.  
A: The record will note that the Subject was aggravated.  
B: Probably because someone was shooting at it.  
A: Moving on. The Subject’s extremities all end in long, sharp talons.  
B: Don’t just move past that.  
A: I am going to.  
B: The record will show that the talons are real dope.  
A: The record will not show that.  
B: It’s too late. It’s in there and hella accurate.  
A: Let’s just begin test one please.  
B: Beginning test one now. Please bring in the instruments.  

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An excerpt from the letters of hunter (information redacted; now deceased), to their fiance (information redacted; currently active) 

(redacted) dearest, this lake bothers me. As confusing as the forest is, or how unnerving the town can be at night, none of it compares to the horrors that lay under that green mirrors surface. Whether or not you had asked me to do this, I think I eventually would have. Someone should watch this water, it might as well be me. I have seen such abominations come from this water. Horrible, fantastical creatures that I never would have thought existed. You once told me that the true horror of Eden’s Grove isn’t from the monsters but from ourselves. I believed you then. I wanted to believe you. There was a beautiful self righteousness to what you said. A grim reminder that while hunting monsters, we take care not to become them. That we hold ourselves to a higher, gentler standard. But whatever we are capable of, I wonder if it really compares at all to what’s happening here. Eden’s grove may be the heart of something more terrible than we ever suspected. No, that’s not right, is it Love? Perhaps just more terrible than I suspected. You were always so clever...

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An Excerpt from Henry’s Notes and Supernatural Encyclopedia... 

Creature: Fresno Nightcrawlers, named based on their first sighting in the city of Fresno. I’ve personally never been, and don’t plan on visiting any time in the future. What is truly interesting is that this sighting was declared to be a hoax, which raises the question of if these creatures are what inspired the hoax, or the other way around. 

Appearance: The Nightcrawlers are small, bipedal creatures with little features to distinguish them. Simply a single head with a pair of eyes and legs that are uncomfortably close to a humans. I do not know how they eat or drink, and I am not sure if I want to know. Unlike the other wildlife in Eden’s Grove, I have seen these particular beasts with my own eyes, and I do not care for them. The way they stare is unnerving, and I don’t like how they run. 

Behavior: Nightcrawlers act almost exclusively as nuisances. They come out at night which suggests to me they may be nocturnal, and spend their time running about, getting into garbage cans and generally making a mess of things. They mostly travel in packs or herds, and those found alone are almost always found by a larger group, even when captured and moved to a new location. Perhaps they have some way of communicating that we are not aware of? If this is the case, do they have a queen like some insect species or do they behave closer to wolves or cattle? Discovering if and how they communicate would be extremely beneficial, as we could be able to take advantage of this ability, as the unique features of our surrounding area make communication difficult. 

Notes: Most Hunters don’t bother with them at this point. They’re pests, and that is all. No matter how may we kill, their numbers remain undaunted. Those that hunt for the sport of it have long since moved on to more dangerous prey, as the Nightcrawlers don’t really put up a fight, even in large groups. There’s no sport in their slaughter and nothing to gain, so for the most part they’re ignored. They make odd squeaks and noises by flexing some sort of muscle, despite dissection I admit I don’t fully grasp how. Attempts at capturing more specimens have been unsuccessful, and they kick me a lot which has dissuaded future attempts. Overall I find these things gross, frankly.

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