Hope Falls (Campaign)

Hope Falls was a campaign that ran for 8 sessions, from March to June of 2021. It followed a number of students, almost all of them inhuman, over the course of roughly 24 hours, which starts with a fire at school and only gets more intense from there.

Player Characters

 * Arcadia (The Leshy):
 * CeeCee (The Swarm Speaker):
 * Nell (The Unicorn):
 * Max (The Immortal):
 * Summer (The Galathea): A golem created to replace Vincent Stark's daughter by the same name -- post-canon, Summer changes her name to Autumn.

Session Notes
Courtesy of S., there were extensive notes taken during sessions. Those will be posted here, with some elaborations/additions.

Session 1
CeeCee hears whispers about Arcadia in a fire.


 * Mrs. Kelvin does a chemistry experiment...
 * Arcadia encourages Fire Spirit to grow.
 * Fire comes at Summer, but she isn’t burned.
 * Fire!!!
 * CeeCee is trapped inside while trying to steal from Arcadia’s backpack.
 * Arcadia and Nell, and Max run back in to save CeeCee.
 * Max runs in to save CeeCee and breaks a window to escape. (I Believe in You - Nell)
 * The fire blows back towards Arcadia and Nell; they run.

End:


 * Nell and Arcadia are sprawled on the hallway floor.
 * Summer is waiting with class outside.
 * CeeCee and Max just escaped out the chemistry class window.
 * Fire is still growing. (this is not the prophecy fire)

Session 2
CeeCee hears whispers about Max in a fire…
 * Arcadia and Nell escape the school. ( rebellious excitable, enthusiastic teenage fire! burning down the school!)
 * Summer is going to have a party at Darren’s place. Max is trying to ask her out.
 * Darren and Max and CeeCee and Summer get into a fight.
 * Meanwhile, Arcadia and Nell are tending to each other’s wounds.
 * School is definitely burning down.
 * Summer’s and CeeCee’s parents can’t get through to pick them up.
 * Max, Kyle, and Andrew start driving away, and take the old abandoned road.
 * The car crashes, Max dies, but not. (Kyle is dazed; Andrew is in very bad shape.)
 * Summer sees the car go down the path and goes to check it out, smashes windshield to get to Andrew.
 * Kyle and Summer-carrying-Andrew leave down a small path, leaving Max’s dead body behind.
 * CeeCee is walking down the road and Not Comforting parents.

Session 3
CeeCee hears whispers about Darren finding Summer’s body during a party…


 * Summer brings Andrew back to the school/ambulance, leaving Kyle behind (crying and high) in the forest.
 * Summer talks to her dad, who wants to make sure she leaves the area and doesn’t get caught, via the old path.
 * Max revives while Summer is walking by again.
 * They walk off together. Max talks to Summer about his immortality. They part ways when they reach the road.
 * Arcadia and Nell go to the arcade. Arcadia sees CeeCee on the TV coverage of the fire and calls them.
 * CeeCee finds their parents on the road. The car is stuck.
 * Arcadia hot…talks? a car. Arcadia and Nell pick up CeeCee.
 * Arcadia lies about her intent to bring the car back; Nell talks to Arcadia about lying. (Relationship ▼)
 * A helicopter is taking students away from the school in very small groups.
 * Darren and Summer talk about moving the party to Summer’s.
 * Max tries to call Andrew, whose phone is still in the wrecked car.
 * When Arcadia parks the car, Nell stalks away into the forest, ignoring Arcadia calling after her.
 * CeeCee texts Summer: (coffin)(eyes)

Session 4
CeeCee hears whispers of Kyle cornering/bullying unicorn!Nell…


 * CeeCee tells Arcadia that a unicorn is in trouble. Arcadia gazes at CeeCee and sees moths. They go into the forest to try to help Nell.
 * Nell finds the car and returns Max’s call, will drop Andrew’s phone off at an address.
 * Kyle returns and accuses Nell of having done something to Max’s body, threatens Nell with a slingshot.
 * Summer and Darren meet up, have sex.
 * Darren has invited his friends over for a party. Summer texts Max about the change of venue.
 * Max calls back and is put on speakerphone. Kyle is very confused and antagonistic.
 * Nell turns to run away. Kyle shoots Nell.
 * Nell calls out for help. Arcadia shows up and attacks Kyle. Kyle falls into Nell’s lap, dying.
 * Nell heals Kyle, though she is also very hurt.
 * Nell tells Kyle that he can be a better person, she believes in him, he doesn’t have to do drugs anymore, and passes out.
 * Max has been listening to this whole thing on the phone and starts driving over.
 * Max arrives, starts towards Nell. Kyle is confused and wants to go to the party. They leave.
 * Arcadia interrogates CeeCee about their weirdness. Arcadia heals Nell. They argue.
 * Summer is wondering where Max is. Darren talks about kicking Max’s ass.
 * Max arrives at the party. Darren and Max go outside to fight.
 * As the fight escalates, Summer steps in and *throws*/knocks out Darren. Summer runs to her room.

Session 5
CeeCee hears whispers of Amanda opening a door at Summer’s house, gasping, and running away crying.*


 * Max goes to check on Summer. (Kyle is getting drunk.) Summer calls Max a loser. Max leaves and sees Melanie. :(
 * Summer calls her dad, who can hear the party in the background. Summer confesses to throwing Darren.
 * Arcadia, CeeCee and Nell have an… interesting conversation on the way back to the arcade.
 * Arcadia gets a text from the Fire Spirit at kitchen in the arcade (failed gaze) and starts running back.
 * Nell turns into a unicorn to help them get back quickly.
 * Summer goes down to apologize to Darren. Darren acts like nothing happened, then comes to his senses,
 * Darren comments that things have been different since summer. Summer appeals to their ‘old relationship’ and they reconcile.
 * Max sees Summer and Darren reenter together. Max wonders why Summer is so weird and gets an impression of magic in the house.
 * Max follows it down to the basement and explores. Max breaks into a locked cabinet. (Amanda is approaching the basement.)
 * Max finds spare Summer parts (including a head!) and a spellbook. Amanda opens the basement door, glimpses this and runs away.
 * Max goes into Darkest Self and throws the head on the floor, where it shatters.
 * Max ransacks the basement and steals a photo of 16yo Summer, remembering that Summer asked if the not-dying was magic.
 * Arcadia turns on CeeCee (while riding on Nell!) and CeeCee gets embarrassed.
 * As they arrive at the arcade, Arcadia runs into the kitchen and uses the fire extinguisher on the Fire Spirit and KILLS IT. D:
 * Except not: the kitchen bursts into flames.
 * CeeCee tells Nell that This Is The Fire. Nell runs in for Arcadia.
 * Arcadia argues with the Fire Spirit (who just wants to be friends!) and sprays it again.
 * Arcadia calls CeeCee useless as Nell tries to pull Arcadia to safety.
 * CeeCee darkens as the door jams and they are trapped in the kitchen with the fire.

Session 6
*CeeCee hears whispers of Arcadia running, hoofbeats, darkness, beams of light...*


 * As Max leaves the party, Max gets into a fight with Darren’s football friends and loses.
 * Max drives away and thinks about the photo and Nell as a ‘supernatural’ person.
 * Max calls Arcadia to find Nell. Arcadia hangs up on him puts Max on speakerphone.
 * Darren leaves and is intercepted by Genevieve.
 * Summer mingles. Melanie tells Summer about someone crying in the bathroom (Amanda).
 * Summer tells Amanda that she’s with Darren, and hopes that Amanda isn’t too upset even though they had kissed.
 * Amanda is upset and confused, looks around the bathroom, and asks what’s happened to Summer (imposter!).
 * Amanda runs for the basement. Summer tries to stop her.
 * Darren is in the basement and has found a Summer arm. Amanda and Darren confront Summer. Summer claims it’s art.
 * Summer coaxes Darren and Amanda into a side room and locks them in. (When her dad gets home, he can fix it?)
 * Arcadia has been holding back the sprinklers so they don’t hurt the arcade machines.
 * The sprinkler/water spirits are *very* excited as Arcadia lets them go.
 * The Fire Spirit sends a gif of Terminator “I’ll be back.”
 * Max arrives and asks Nell about the photo. CeeCee tells Max that Summer is a golem.
 * Arcadia and Nell go to check on the machines while CeeCee and Max have ice cream.
 * Arcadia apologizes and Nell forgives them.
 * ETA: The owner of the arcade shows up.

Session 7
*CeeCee hears whispers of two Summers: one at the pool with her friends in summertime and discarded parts of the other.*


 * CeeCee and Max are talking and getting high.
 * CeeCee to Summer: :women_with_bunny_ears_partying: :woman_gesturing_no: :woman_gesturing_ok:
 * Summer tries to wind the party down, claiming her dad is almost home. Genevieve wants to find Darren first, but ends up leaving with one of the football players.
 * Summer’s dad, Vincent, gets home. Summer tells him about Darren and Amanda in the basement. Summer says it was scary, and Vincent realizes she actually has feelings.
 * Summer is worried that Darren won’t like her anymore; they belong together.
 * The owner of the arcade confronts Arcadia, says the arcade is closed.
 * He asks Arcadia and her friends to leave, while he tinkers with Arcadia’s machine. Arcadia lashes out and tells her machine to not open its panels for him before she leaves.
 * Nell confronts Max and CeeCee about the drugs on their way out.
 * Guy in parking lot accuses the group of stealing his car (Burning Asphalt).
 * Arcadia offers CeeCee a ride home (in Burning Asphalt). CeeCee hands their phone to Guy (after making him drop it by dispersing into moths and back). Arcadia reaches out to the phone to fry it. The phone blares K-pop as it dies.
 * Max leaves in his car and goes back to Summer’s. Summer answers the door and notices the picture in Max’s pocket.
 * Vincent comes up and tries to grab the photo. Max strikes back. Summer snaps Max’s neck and carries his body inside, but “it’s okay, he comes back”!
 * He’s laid on the couch, ‘sleeping’ with a blanket.
 * Vincent asks if she can really trust Max with this secret and demands that Summer cleans this up. Summer suggests that Vincent does the magic (for Darren and Amanda) on Max too.
 * Vincent doesn’t trust the magic will work on Max, but if he can trust Summer to take care of it…  Summer ties Max to a chair.
 * Arcadia, CeeCee and Nell leave for CeeCee’s in Burning Asphalt.
 * Nell gives CeeCee an anti-drug talk. Arcadia is very exasperated, sends an undermining text and asks about the (running, hoofbeats) prophecy.
 * Also: CeeCee: “They’re going to throw away not!Summer.” (but not until summer…?) Arcadia convinces CeeCee to be more clear in their texts.
 * New CeeCee text to Summer: “they’re going to find her and they’re going to throw you away” (Summer continues ignoring the texts.)
 * CeeCee invites the others in, offers food/drink, points at the movies, tries to have a slumber party.
 * *Montage of the slumber party. Timelapse of Summer looking after Max’s body with the glow of magic in the background.*

Session 8
(Note: Because this episode ends on a relative cliffhanger with multiple characters in peril, a number of events in it are not considered cannon to the HSU. They are just presented here as a record of events.)

*CeeCee hears whispers of bulldozers/construction at and around the (former) arcade.*


 * Before dawn of the next day: Max transitions from dead to sleeping. Summer continues watching sleeping-not-dead Max.
 * Arcadia tries to sneak out while CeeCee is watching a mothman documentary and Nell is sleeping. Arcadia screams as they step on something, alerting the others.
 * Arcadia lies again! Nell gives them a disappointed look and calls them out about it.
 * CeeCee to Arcadia and Nell: :space_invader: :deciduous_tree: :carpentry_saw:
 * The arcade is going to be bulldozed! Arcadia goes to the arcade (via skateboard).
 * CeeCee’s parents come in and say that the parents have organized a temporary homeschool system and they will be hosting homeroom.
 * Max wakes up. “Did you kill me?” “Yeah. You were misbehaving.”
 * Summer finds out that Max was in the basement and talked to all the other PCs about her photo. They all know that she’s a golem.
 * Summer is upset that ‘a bunch of people that are not good at keeping secrets’ know her secret. Max reveals that the others ‘know things’.
 * Max promises not to tell anyone else, swearing on his life. Summer is not amused. They talk and bond.
 * Vincent comes back up. Summer says everything’s fine. Vincent reveals another Summer. (!!!)
 * PC!Summer is confused. Vincent attacks Max with magic, immobilizing him. PC!Summer hugs Vincent and asks him to explain and not hurt Max.
 * Vincent thinks Summer cares too much, but he’s ‘fixed it’. Summer says she’s been trying to be the best daughter she can be and will he really give up his ‘only daughter’?
 * New!Summer is learning how to ‘human’ and tries to take Summer away at Vincent’s command. Summer won’t let go of Vincent until she realizes that she’s hurting him.
 * Summer -> Darkest Self
 * Vincent asks Summer to come down to the basement (for disassembly). Max calls out and tells Summer he loves her. Summer returns his love and asks him to remember her.
 * Arcadia arrives at the arcade. There’s only one car in the parking lot (not the owner’s).
 * She breaks into the arcade and communes with the alarms. She encounters a man in a suit (insurance guy). Arcadia knocks him out with her skateboard.
 * CeeCee and Nell follow Arcadia, when CeeCee senses Summer’s impending doom. CeeCee asks Nell to protect Arcadia, disperses into moths and flies off.
 * Nell arrives at the arcade. Arcadia asks Nell to watch over insurance guy and goes to search the office. She finds a note about a meeting at 7am. (Current time: ~6:45am)
 * Arcadia runs out and tells Nell they have to leave *now*. (A security camera has seen everything. Arcadia tells it to destroy the evidence.)
 * Jacob (the owner) arrives as they reach the forest and finds the broken door. (Arcadia and Nell run into something worse)
 * CeeCee arrives to see Summer being led down to the basement, with new!Summer guarding Max. They fly in through an upstairs window (Summer’s room) and steals an earring.
 * Max breaks free and grabs Summer. Summer just stands there. Vincent tells her to come along. Max pleads with her (using a string). Summer says goodbye to her dad.
 * Vincent nods to new!Summer and goes downstairs. New!Summer activates into warrior!mode and attacks Max. They run away and into the forest (going to Max’s spot). CeeCee is flying above.
 * Next time: Nell and Arcadia run into something worse.