Chapter Concept: The County of Terror (Part 2)
Hey, this is the second part of the chapter, I couldn't fit the whole chapter in a single post as it's over the character limit.
Mark Hawkes was a child who carried a heavy burden. At just 14 years old, he had spent most of his life battling depression, a constant weight that made each day a struggle. His parents did their best to support him, but the sadness that gripped him was profound, often pulling him into a dark abyss. There was one thing, however, that provided him with a sense of comfort and escape—his laptop. It was more than a device; it was his coping mechanism, his gateway to a world where he could write the life he wished he had.
The laptop was his sanctuary. It wasn't fancy—just a basic model with a cracked corner and a misplaced Intel sticker. But to Mark, it was the key to his imagination. He would write for hours, crafting stories of adventure and happiness, creating worlds where he could live free from the sadness that plagued him.
"A good life is an adventurous one; it has ups and downs, good and happy moments but also bad and distressing ones, with encounters with good people like my friends, and bad people like serial killers..."
The words were his therapy, a way to process his feelings and create a space where he felt safe.
One day, everything changed. Mark was kidnapped, pulled from his home by a man with a sinister intent. The ordeal led to a high-speed chase on a deserted highway. In the chaos, the kidnapper's car crashed, giving Mark a fleeting chance at freedom. He fled the wreckage, running toward a police car where an officer called to him, urging him to take cover. But the other officers, in the confusion, didn't see the kid. In a tragic twist, they opened fire, striking Mark down. The pain was sharp, like a burning dagger piercing his chest. He fell to the ground, and everything went black.
Yet, that wasn't the end. Mark awoke on a cold, grey concrete floor, floating in a void. The world around him was broken and distorted, as if someone had shattered reality. He felt the cold seep into his bones and looked around, disoriented. On the edge of the platform where he lay, he saw his old, dusty laptop. It was a familiar sight in an unfamiliar world. Instinctively, he crawled to it, his fingers tracing the crack in the corner. He opened it and began to write, his hands moving with a sense of urgency.
The longer he wrote, the more he remembered his life. He remembered the warmth of his friends' laughter, the joy of playing games together, the feeling of safety his laptop had always provided. Mark poured his heart into the stories, crafting a perfect life, one where he was happy and free from pain. Time became fluid, and he lost track of how long he wrote. He grew older, but his determination to finish his story never wavered.
When he finally completed his tale, the door across him opened. It was the key to his escape, the gateway to the life he had written. Mark stood, feeling the weight of his years, knowing that this door could lead him to the happiness he had always desired. But as he reached for the handle, the door split into two. Each branch led to a different version of himself. One was the boy who had suffered, who longed for happiness. The other was something darker, a reflection of the pain and anger that had grown within him.
The second Mark was a monster—a killer with a cruel grin and eyes devoid of compassion. He represented everything Mark had feared, the embodiment of the violence and suffering that had marked his end. The two Marks stood at the crossroads, each vying for control. The boy who wrote stories of hope and the monster who embraced the darkness.
He was 14 when he entered The Wrecked Mind, and his age doubled when he left it, but was all of this worth it?
Perk: Crisis
Your terrible life back in reality has changed the way you treat other people.
Being 12/13/14 meters from a survivor unhooking someone else or performing a Rush Vault, you benefit from the following effects:
- Increases your Vaulting speed by 15/20/25 % the next time you vault a Window.
- Damaging any healthy Survivors will give them the Mangled and Haemorrhage Status Effect .
- Crisis has a 40/35/30 seconds cooldown.
Perk: Scourge Hook: Empty Soul
You have gone through so much, you're not human anymore.
At the start of the Trial, 4 Random Hooks as well the 4 Basement Hooks are changed into Scourge Hooks:
- The Auras of Scourge Hooks are revealed to you in white.
Whenever a Survivor is hooked onto a Scourge Hook, the following effect applies when you are farther than 24 meters from the hooked Survivor:
- The Auras of every Survivor is visible for 3/4/5 seconds.
Perk: Mental Hazard
You would know, your mental health wasn't at its greatest, in fact, it was at its worst.
- When a survivor misses a Skill Check while repairing a Generator suffers from the Oblivious Status Effect for 12/16/20 seconds.
Weapon: Concrete and Rebar
Concrete and Rebar is the Primary Weapon of The Protagonist.
A piece of concrete and rebar forming a big sledge hammer, it was ripped straight out of a police station's walls.
Power: Mind Weaver
Mark taps into his twisted psyche, unleashing a psychic wave that disrupts survivors' senses and movements.
Active Ability: Mind Distortion
Press the Power Button to activate Mind Distortion.
For the next 24 seconds survivors within a 48 meter radius experience disorientation.
Mind Distortion has a cooldown of 12 seconds.
- Skill Checks become irregular, appearing in random places.
- The environment will slightly sway and distort.
- Survivors will slowly begin gaining Dissociation
(100% insanity in 80 seconds. 1.25% gain every second)
While Mind Distortion is active, press the Active Ability Button to activate Unseen Usurper.
- If there are Survivors within the radius and none of them are not looking at The Protagonist receives a 12% Haste Status Effect until the Survivors reveal him.
- Survivors hit during Unseen Usurper will become afflicted with Dissociation.
(+15%)
Special Affliction: Dissociation
Dissociation is damaging to a Survivor’s mental health, worsening over time. The more time Survivors spend in the radius of Mind Distortion the more Dissociation builds, or if hit by the Killer while Mind Distortion is active.
Dissociation I:
Survivors with Dissociation will start losing their grip on reality, causing them to hallucinate and lose trust on what is real.
As symptoms worsen, the trial will begin to distort. Ghostly hallucinations of other Survivors and the Killer flicker in and out of reality. Skill Checks will become irregular, occasionally reversing, moving, or pausing. The sound of the terror radius may fade in and out. Survivors at 50% Dissociation or more will be randomly highlighted by Killer Instinct if within 48 meters.
(Note - At 10% Dissociated, skill checks have a 10% chance of being irregular. 20% dissociated = skill checks 20% being irregular, and so on.)
Dissociation II: Insanity
At full Dissociation, Survivors reach Insanity. They lose track of their goals, preventing them from moving forward. Insanity affects Survivors with the Incapacitated and Oblivious Status Effect.
Special Interaction: Reality Fragments
Survivors can remove Dissociated Status from themselves by holding Reality Fragments. Each trial, 3 glowing white rifts spawn. Reality Fragments rotate and shake within the rift which takes 5 seconds to grab.
Survivors can retrieve a fragment from the rift, rooting their mind, and reducing the symptoms of insanity over time, and prevent gaining Dissociation. Retrieving a fragment will cause the rift to close.
If a survivor is hit while holding a fragment, the fragment will shatter, reappearing in a new rift.
All Reality Fragments are highlighted to insane Survivors in white.
(Note - there are only 3 fragments so not all of them are available at once. A limited resource survivors have to fight over)
(Note - Going from Insanity to fully normal takes 120 seconds. This means holding a crystal for: 120 seconds brings you to 0%, 60 seconds brings you to 50%, 30 seconds brings you to 75%.)
(Removes Dissociation at 0.83% every second)
Ice Cream Cup
Cookies and Chips was Mark's favorite flavour, he would eat in this little cup.
- Grants +50% bonus bloodpoints for actions while Mind Weaver is activated.
USB Drive
It's empty, Mark never used it.
- Increases the duration of Mind Distortion by 2 seconds.
Poison Oak
For an unknown reason poison oaks suddenly started growing from Mark's front yard one day.
- Skill Checks are 10% more likely to be irregular.
Dog Food
The two dogs that lived in Mark's home would eat this, expensive but healthy.
- If revealed by a survivor in Unseen Usurper, a 2% Haste Status Effect lingers until Mind Distortion ends.
Small Peanuts Packet
Small sized peanuts packets that Mark loved which were sold in his school cafeteria.
- Survivors revealing The Protagonist scream, revealing their location.
WIFI Router
It was faulty, would turn off multiple times bothering Mark.
- Increases the Mind Distortion duration by 4 seconds.
School Backpack
This was pretty expensive for him, at least it went through good use.
- The cooldown of Mind Distortion is reduced by 2 seconds.
Guava Juice Box
Mark loved guava juice, but he doesn't need to drink anymore, he's dead.
- The radius is Mind Distortion is increased by 8 meters.
Door Knob
A round door knob belonging to Mark's bedroom door.
- During Mind Distortion The Protagonist breaks Breakable Walls and Pallets and performs a vault action 15% faster.
Action Book
A book Mark's friend recommended to him.
- If a survivor is downed while Mind Distortion is activated and gets hooked, they will be inflicted with the Incapacitated Status Effect for 20 seconds upon being unhooked.
Metal Fragments
Part of his laptop, it has fallen multiple times yet it still works.
- If revealed by a survivor in Unseen Usurper, an extra 4% Haste Status Effect lingers until Mind Distortion ends.
Building Blocks
Mark wanted to become an Architect when he grew up, but he didn't have any chances.
- Inside buildings The Protagonist gets an extra 4% Haste Status Effect .
- If the Trial takes place in an indoor map The Protagonist gets an extra 2% Haste Status Effect instead.
Manuscript Pages
He wanted to be a writer, well, not really, he only thought because he was sure he couldn't become one.
- Increases the randomness of Skill Check placements during Mind Distortion by 75%.
Prescription Pills
Antidepressants used to help the mental health of people.
- Grants +100% bonus bloodpoints for actions while Mind Weaver is activated.
Toy Mag
It's for a toy gun Mark had, now it is stained and dusty, left to rot.
- Being Stunned or Blinded will automatically recharge Mind Distortion.
Plastic Flashlight
Mark's favorite flashlight, it's sturdy and bright, he took good care of it.
- Survivor Auras are revealed until the power is deactivated, but they can only be seen within a 8 metres radius.
Baseball Cap
It says "Please Be Patient, Im Autistic". Down here Mark doesn't need social skills anymore.
- Survivor Auras are revealed for 2 seconds instead of Killer Instinct.
Peanuts Packet
It's the best peanuts in Liminal County.
- The Protagonist gets a 6% Haste Status Effect if Survivors are looking at him.
Shattered Skull
Mark had accidents while growing up, but this one was the worst.
- In a 100 metres radius from a Generator, the Skill Checks spins 0.5% faster, each meter closer from the Generator 0.5% is added until the Skill Checks are spinning 50% faster.
Scratched Eyeball
It's just a scratch, a simple surgery would fix it.
- The Protagonist gets a 24% Haste Status Effect when not being stared by survivors.
- Survivors that had just revealed The Protagonist suffer from Exposed Status Effect for 8 seconds.
Rodrigo Duarte was a dedicated medical professional, known for his meticulous attention to detail and a calming presence that put even the most anxious patients at ease. He had spent years at North Valleyview Hospital, working in various departments, but he had found his calling in the morgue. The quiet, methodical work suited him, allowing him to focus on his tasks without distraction. Rodrigo often volunteered for the late shifts, preferring the tranquility of night over the bustling chaos of the day.
On this particular evening, Rodrigo was tasked with sorting through a collection of old medical supplies and paperwork. He had spent hours organizing files and labeling boxes, finally deciding to take the items down to the morgue for proper storage. The hospital was nearly empty at this hour, with only a skeleton crew keeping the facility running. As he entered the elevator, he noticed a subtle flicker in the lights, but he dismissed it as a minor electrical issue. Elevators in old hospitals often had their quirks, he thought.
The flickering grew more pronounced as the elevator descended. Rodrigo's nerves tensed slightly, but he kept his composure, expecting the doors to open at any moment. However, when they finally slid open, he was greeted not by the familiar sterile tiles of the hospital basement, but by a long, dimly lit hallway that stretched into darkness. There was only one door at the end, with a flickering light casting eerie shadows on the walls. Rodrigo's heart raced, but he pressed on, determined to complete his task.
As he walked down the hallway, the air grew colder, and the silence became oppressive. Rodrigo felt a sense of unease, as if he were being watched. Each step echoed, amplifying the emptiness that surrounded him. When he reached the door, he hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorknob. A part of him wanted to turn back, to return to the relative safety of the elevator. But he knew he had to see what was on the other side.
The morgue was shrouded in darkness, the usual sterile white replaced by deep shadows. As Rodrigo stepped inside, a thick black fog surged forward, enveloping him. It was cold and dense, pressing against his skin like a suffocating blanket. Panic set in, and he stumbled backward, but the fog pulled him deeper, swallowing him whole. The last thing he saw before the darkness consumed him was the faint outline of the morgue's examination tables, distorted and blurred by the swirling mist.
When the fog cleared, Rodrigo found himself in an unfamiliar landscape. The sterile walls and tiled floors were gone, replaced by an eerie forest with towering trees and a pervasive sense of dread. The distant cries of unknown creatures echoed through the air, and Rodrigo knew he was far from the safety of North Valleyview Hospital. The Entity's realm had claimed him, and he had no idea how to return.
Rodrigo Duarte, once a skilled medical professional, was now a survivor in a nightmarish world. His instincts as a caretaker and problem-solver would be put to the ultimate test. As he navigated the dark forest, he could only hope that his skills and determination would be enough to survive the horrors that awaited him. He was no longer sorting through medical supplies in a hospital morgue; he was fighting for his life in a realm where death was never far away.
Perk: Charisma
Your natural charisma inspires those around you.
- When in the Killer's Terror Radius , negative status effects are 12/18/24 % less efficient for every survivor.
- Hex Totems are 25% less effective with you.
Perk: Emergency
You are quick to help those in need- and flee if necessary.
- Healing a survivor in the dying state causes you both to break into a sprint of 150% base speed for 3 seconds.
- Causes Exhausted Status Effect only on you for 120/100/80 seconds
Perk: Pulmonology
Your expertize in the lungs and other various organs of the human body gives you an advantage.
- Any perks that causes Exhausted Status Effect will cause its effect to disappear 10/20/30 % faster.
The Killer cannot inflict you with Exhausted.
All the parts of the chapter: