A reader participation story. The first story of Blood Opera, Father of Flies, began in October 2016 and concluded in December 2016. It was run on Twitter, Facebook, and Imgur. ====== Story One: Father of Flies ====== {{:y2016m10d28p1.jpg|}} An unnamed investigator finds themselves chained to a post in the woods after getting too close to discovering the horrific plans of their cousin, a power cultist. They've been left as a sacrifice to a spawn of [[Beelzebub]] known as the [[father_of_flies|Father of Flies]]- an inhuman mythos monster. They must find a way to escape. Fortunately, they remember that there is an abandoned camp ground nearby- once home to a terrible slaughter and long closed, it's now their only hope. With luck, they'll be able to find enough resources to escape the [[father_of_flies|Father of Flies]]. ===== Polls ===== **1:1. What is our fate?** * We are doomed. 0 votes. * We have a fighting chance. 4 votes. * We are the one who escapes. 6 vote. **1:2. A Monster stalks the woods. What skill saves us?** * Knowledge. 8 votes. * Blind Luck. 5 votes. * Endurance. 1 vote. **1:3. The Cult that we're escaping from has sent the Father of Flies after us. Why?** * We're from a rival cult. 3 votes. * We're an investigator. 6 votes. * It's a family matter. 6 vote. **1:4. We've set up an ambush for the monster hunting us. How do we feel about the beast?** * We fear it. 5 votes. * We pity it. 6 votes. * We loathe it. 4 vote. **1:5. The protective ward will keep us safe. What now??** * Wait this out. It'll be dawn soon. 2 votes. * Try to make a deal with the demon. 5 votes. * Start venting. It's not like the demon cares if we rant. 5 votes. ===== Bonus Questions ===== ==== Bonus 1:2 ==== Bonus question: The [[:father_of_flies|mythos monster]] that is hunting us is the soul of a cultist who saw the face of ineffable evil. While the cultist still has a passing resemblance to their old self, their appearance has been warped by their servitude to the dread masters. What does the ghost look like? This is an open ended question. We’ll amalgamate as many of the responses as we can. The resulting monster will be public domain. ---- Death By Mage- //Lanky and insect-like with traces of their humanoid face blended with the assumed form.// ---- Michelle- //Since it saw such evil, the eyes should reflect some sort of trauma. Whited out eyes, like cataracts almost, but more severe. Lips sewed shut because of the eternal servitude. That's all I got right now.// ---- Jordan J.- //Hrrrrrrm... Cultist was fairly sturdy in life, but their ghost is looking progressively more sickly/starved/unkempt--more like a slowly rotting body than an immortal imprint--the longer it pursues us, and something around their eyes is going hollow and beastly/demonic. Even the restless dead are meant to "sleep" eventually, and our pursuer has been "awake" for years now under extreme duress.// ---- Lynda F- //Thanks! Imagine if you will, a man who has begun to look like a lobster; spindly extra limbs, and long whisker-like antenna.// ---- Steven R- //I think he should have chains around his arms and ankles as well. Symbolizing his servitude. Or something to show that he can't get away// ==== Bonus 1:3. ==== The Father of Flies is a cultist who made a fatal mistake during a ritual, summoning Beezelbub instead of the Ancient God he'd intended. He is now bound in service to Beezelbub. What was his primary motivation for the ritual? * Obsessive thirst for knowledge. 7 votes. * Desperate concern for a loved one. 2 votes. * Self-loathing for his dark history. 1 vote. The top two scoring options will be amalgamated. ==== Bonus 1:4. ==== The leader of the cult who tried to sacrifice us is a cousin of ours- someone we knew well when we were young, but with whom we've grown distant. Even as kids, we thought they were a bit odd- little did we know that they were being groomed to inherit a dark occult lineage. It seems they've now embraced that lineage. What was our cousin's most annoying trait as a child? This is an open ended question. As much as possible, results will be synthesized together. The resulting character will be public domain. ---- Lynda F- //Refusal/inability to accept any point of view that differed from his/her own.// ---- Jordan J- //In hindsight you feel a little bad about how obnoxious you found his scaredy-cat tendencies as children. He always seemed to be afraid of his own shadow, flinched at silly things, didn't like going exploring with you past dinner time. What bothered you then that disturbs you more now is how upset he'd get when you swatted flies/mosquitoes/gnats, and how he refused to adventure with you in corners with too many cobwebs--said he didn't want to disturb someone's home. You used to think it was superstition, or a fussy excuse not to get dirty, or both. Now... well.// ---- Death By Mage- //Never stopped monologuing// ---- AMERICAN_METAL_HEAD- //the mask of darkness that they wore as a child was a bit odd ,but who new what really lied beneath the mask when we was children - ''tis was for the cult .....hell I don't know man..hope that helps sum More for annoying - I think maybe it is the annoying trait -talking to invisible or ghost 👻 friends they said to have , know one believed in at the time//
