Introduction
by the author and creator: |
It seems the ‘classic ghost-story’ is a little harder to define than some would think. The recent success of Eastern horror has also brought much success to the supernatural section of the video store, while expanding the established mechanisms of the genre. So, are there any traits, either old or new, which can help define a work as a ‘classic ghost story’? It was this very question that inspired me to create The Lost Crown: a ghosthunting adventure. I’ve always been a fan of the ghost story, whether old or new, believing that something ‘unexplainable’ surrounds us, influences us and, if we are lucky, scares us into realising there really are ‘more things in heaven and earth’ than the absolute sceptics would like us to believe. |
|
Some case files have seen members faint from fear, vomit through nerves or run screaming from the scene, others have resulted in utter boredom, damp clothes and over indulging on the tea. Either way, the experience has been an interesting one, to say the least. My adventures with www.thishauntedland.co.uk provided much food for thought, all of which I have poured into my latest game... |
Behind
the scenes: The making of the game....
As a one-man-band game writer/creator, the challenge has
been to create an entire game world, then populate it with myths, legends
and ghosts! Throw in a little murder, mayhem and deception and you have
the screenplay for The Lost Crown, but realising the world has been the
greatest task. Many of the locations, you will explore, are real places,
augmented, decorated or transformed to serve as the fictional town of
Saxton, in Anglia. Many months were spent seeking appropriate locations
in which to shoot, film or record, with Polperro and Looe (on Cornwall’s
coast) proving more than up to the task. It has been a pleasure to exhibit
my home in such a way, although I’m sure some would question my
motives, and bring to life what has been a true labour of love, and an
epic task for one dedicated individual. Polperro is a quaint, small, traditional fishing village
on Cornwall’s South-East coast. It boasts an ancient harbour, complete
with hand built rock walls, famous smugglers pubs and Innes, a tunnel
or two, as well as haunted caves and eerie winding back streets and lanes.
The town offered, to me, the perfect tableau in which to suggest that
the past, present, and even future, can collide, mix, merge and manifest
themselves right before our eyes. I have always been interested in archaeology,
especially from the time of the Anglo Saxons and Bronze Age, believing
that many treasures are still waiting to be found in our haunted landscape. |
|
|
|
|
Part of my
aim, when creating The Lost Crown, was to present a melancholy, pastoral
lament. A world that is both recognisable, but invisibly threatened by
'progress' and time itself. Perhaps I fear the landscape itself, something
which I like to feel I know and love, could become a ghost of its former
self, under-appreciated by modernity. Populating the town of Saxton, and aiding you in your
quest to find The Lost Crown, are the characters themselves. My aim, when
creating the characters and writing their scripts, was to present a peculiar,
almost sinister, group of individuals, each with their own back-stories
and agendas. Many of the Saxton folk are not what they seem, with dual
identities, to be uncovered by gamers as they progress through the story. |
From working class white witches to snotty archaeology professors, my hope is that the characters capture some essence of what makes a genuine English eccentric; both interesting in life as well as highly likely to become famous ghosts, once they have passed. Chatting, observing and learning from these characters is essential to move the play forward, but I hope no-one ever feels too bewildered by Saxton’s strange inhabitants. The Ghost, the phantom, the wraith and the lost soul. Of course, I can hardly round off this text regarding
‘characters’ without mentioning the ghosts! Oh, and what a
mixture they are! Unlike my previous games, I wanted to give the Lost
Crown’s spooks some motivation, requests and undying personality.
On many of the paranormal investigations, carried out as research for
the project, I have been ‘introduced’ to many distinctive
personalities; some are mischievous, some are cheerful... but many are
sad, lonely, isolated or lost. I have yet to decide whether these characters
are genuine souls, or just the fancies of self-confessed ‘psychics’
or fiction writers, like myself. Either way, ghost personalities are a
treat to write for, so The Lost Crown has been a pleasure to populate
with supernatural characters and phenomena. |
There are no grey ladies, headless horsemen or rattling chains to be found in The Lost Crown. Instead, you can expect to find phantom wartime evacuees, a lost troop of train track workers, tree spirits and envious, evil crows; a gothic collection of characters, both old and new. Some of these spirits require help or information, whereas others will settle for the player’s death! Introducing these entities has, without doubt, been my favourite aspect of the production. I’m hoping my explorations into the ‘otherside’ shine through the fiction, reminding you that much of the game is based on real stories, folk tales and fact. As a research job, I couldn’t ask for something more enlightening, but I am not too proud to admit that I have been scared (almost to panic) by some of the events witnessed. |
|
Nearing the final node – and really quite nervous – I experienced what I can only describe as ‘the moving shadow’, a form, made out of blackness itself, which seemed to advance through the grave yard. The night was very still, weather-wise, the trees did not move, and no clouds were passing the moon, yet a large black void was moving towards me, and the camera. Was it a person, come to question my activities? Or, perhaps an inquisitive goth, interested in the paranormal? Sadly not. My efforts to communicate with the shape, from a simple ‘hello’, to a nervy ‘oi, what’s the problem’ went unanswered. The darkness was still approaching, and I had no idea what it was, or what it wanted with me. A quick stab of adrenaline induced panic, so I abandoned my equipment, and sought the lockable gates of the church porch. For a few moments I wondered whether the rather feeble looking iron gates were the best defence, as I stared out into the landscape. |
Then it hit me! Not a flying rock, globule of ectoplasm or frightful twig effigy. No, I was suddenly struck by how foolish I felt. Here’s me, a paranormal investigator, and ghost enthusiast, running away from, perhaps, the one thing that I’d been seeking all this time! Why oh why does the suggestion of the ‘other’ scare us so much? Well, I didn’t stick around, sorry to say, instead I packed up my goodies and got myself back to the comforting lights of town and a late night beer (or two!). I was relieved to have got everything I needed for the game sequence, but felt rather silly that I was scared so easily. The next morning, with the last evening’s events a blurry memory, I got to work on my precious graveyard footage. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to find.... 1: Much of the audio material was crackling with
unexplainable interference. It goes without saying that there are, probably, many explanations for what happened in the church yard, that mid-summer night, but I’ll have to leave any decisions up to you, because, mid-way through the screenplay, you too will be wandering around that churchyard, at midnight! Jonathan Boakes |
Copyright
© 2010 Darkling Room : http://www.darklingroom.co.uk |