conversations.from: system
conversations.value: ##I.
  
  "In an instant his world turned upside-down, quite literally. He was picked up between the Minotaur's horns and tossed high into the air. When he landed on the hard cold stone, he felt the animal's huge hooves come down on his chest. Every last breath seemed to be knocked out of him and he struggled to stay alive in the darkness."
  
  -T̲h̲e̲s̲e̲u̲s̲ ̲a̲n̲d̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲M̲i̲n̲o̲t̲a̲u̲r̲
  
  We all have something going on in life, things to appreciate, things to keep close, things to not let go of and toss aside into the hurricane of disaster and ruin which bellows about in the society domineered by what should be seen as right and real versus what really is real. A tidal, and quite colossal, effort to really cling toward those things and never let them go without any thoughts or regrets or anything. You won't let them go. You can't let them go. They're all you've got. These are interesting notes which coincide with the thoughts of one Remmie Delgado(1).
  
  And what better way than to think about the chaos of our world. We've always got something that we just don't want to let go of one day but, what we don't realize quite yet, is that we've already let go of this thing. This thought. Ideas or emotions which were once ever so prevalent lost to the tides of eternity without a paddle or vest, looking for a way to return to the same vessel which produced the spawn of thought, a record and testament to a past which was gone before we even knew it had occurred.
  
  A life which we've lost only enlightened for a moment... if only for a moment.
  
  We approach a group of many who went on to look at something new, a sight which had yet to be explored by anyone yet, a capability of fate and time which not even the great minds and explorers could ever deem to be their own footsteps. Even the great explorer Holloway couldn't even see such a sight, yet he was so vividly descriptive in his efforts to climb the tallest mountains. "Never met a mountain I couldn't climb.(2)"
  
  Yet, when I laid my eyes on the movie known as **re:The Navidson Record** I could really recognize that intensity of turmoil, the melancholy which painted a portrait of pain and misery. As the wise professor Gregory Wright spoke, "The emotions between this team of explorers (he called them explorers) flared to a point of such insanity that we really get a feeling for the team as a whole. They are not truly a sight of individual but more toward the human condition, showing us who we are.(3)"
  
  Yet this raised questions in the community: What is the Navidson Record? Why did these people decide to reply to it? And, more strangely, what happened to them?(4)
  
  -----------------------------------
  
  5 - Welcome to a game inspired by the book, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. The game's focus will primarily be horror, but you will also find that this will play with the structure of a game and ask the question: what really makes a storium game a storium game?
  
  I strongly encourage you all to have some grasp of the book, even though I am still working through the maze myself, as there will be references galore to the events there. The game will also play similar structures to the way that Danielewski did with his novel.
  
  For those of you who are going to play and know some things, a few ground rules:
  * The Navidson Record, as far as your character is aware, does not exist and shouldn't be mentioned unless brought up in the story.
  * You are here to investigate a house on Ash Tree Lane, where nothing strange has ever been reported until this year, the year 2015.
  * The book, House of Leaves, does not exist in this universe but, rather, seems to just be something people talk about in passing, like it is a ghost people wish existed.
  
  Now that some house cleaning is done, here are a few things to look for during character creation... things I require:
  * Your character is hired after a media frenzy, where a family of five has found a strange door in their house. You may be a journalist, a police officer, whatever it is, you're a hired group made to explore whatever is beyond that door.
  * Your character must have a phobia which they cope with, and you can either include this in the bio or in the commentary.
  * Please include any items you bring with your character into the house, either in comments or bio, so I know what you will have with you inside this place.
  * PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE feel free to make connections between your characters. I want to hear who knows who and what they do together. You don't need these connections, but it would be rather delightful to know you all got together at some point in life.
  
  If it feels I left something out, I will amend this document along with the appendices. Otherwise, I look forward to playing with you all.
  
  ----------------------------------------
  
  1 - Remmie Delgado's *Out in the Open Without Hope* (Phoenix: Big [House](http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/i-would-like-to-welcome-you.1094789/) 2016) pp. 122-128
  2 - A documentary which captured both Holloway and Wax, climbing through a range of mountains in New Mexico. Couldn't find the source for the video though, was just told this was the source after some curiosity. - Ed
  3 - Gregory Wright's *A Human Condition: Portrayal of the Self in re: The Navidson Record* (Seattle: Englightening Material 2016) p. 7
  4 - A question posed by New York Magazine's Holiday Weathers in her article *Join Us*(5) (2017)
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What do you do for a living? What makes *you* the qualified one to step into these halls compared to everyone else?
conversations.prefix: Who Are You?:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: What keeps you from falling into the worst of situations, stops the beasts growl from consuming you ever so slowly.
conversations.prefix: What makes you strong?:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What makes the beast that much more harder to fight though, when you gear the growl getting closer and closer, feeling the tinge of pain with remorse?
conversations.prefix: What makes you weak?:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Are you here for knowledge? Are you here for power? What will this get you? Fame? Recognition? There's something in it for everyone.
conversations.prefix: What will this do for you?:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A simple(6) [house](http://pathmegazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Wrong-Way-Turn-Back-Sign-K-7427.gif) on Ash Tree Lane.
conversations.prefix: Ash Tree Lane House:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: This was the introduction to re:The Navidson Record. People say you really understand the characters later on, but there was something truly revealing about each of them in these first five minutes of the film.
conversations.prefix: Getting Acquainted:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Many critics rave that the door in this scene was the first of many conflict inducing moments. People say this caused a big rift in members, conflicting interests piling among them.
conversations.prefix: The Door:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A strange drawing of mythical creatures and a house takes up a side wall of the children's bedroom. There might be more to this.
conversations.prefix: A drawing:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A film created by a famous photographer that you've never heard of. The film may prove to just be what it is: a film.
conversations.prefix: The Navidson Record:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: I specialize in rare books on the occult, but I pride myself on being well-read and well-stocked. Even if I don't have the book you're looking for, I know someone who does.
conversations.prefix: Antiquarian :
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: I've spent almost my entire life reading books of all sorts, and while I wouldn't pretend that my memory of them is perfect... it IS still pretty damn good all things considered. Overall though, what I do remember should be enough, and if it isn't... I know where to find the information that should help.
conversations.prefix: Knowledgeable:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: I know I'm getting on in years. You don't need to remind me. Though I do appreciate a helping hand with a heavy door here and a considerate shoulder to lean on... please don't overdo it. Most of the time I can handle myself just fine, but every now and then...
conversations.prefix: Old:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: I've never seen her before in my life. I have no idea who she is, and yet... there she is in my dreams... some poor young thing hung by the neck... pigtails and all... I don't know what to make of it. I highly doubt my answers lie in Mr. Navidson's strange house, but perhaps it might prove a distraction. These dreams certainly haven't been helping with my sleep at all.
conversations.prefix: The Dream:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: I've been looking for inspiration to write a novel, or perhaps a touching memoir of sorts... but I haven't been able to find much inspiration lately. Maybe this strange [house](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufAUonsYhVU) I keep hearing about will give me something to work with. At the very least it might drum up some business thanks to the obsessive interest people seem to take in it.
conversations.prefix: Write a Book:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Thoughts are your commodity and you peddle and pedal them endlessly, endlessly.
conversations.prefix: Philosopher:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Your mind can fold and bend into any shape, change colours, solve problems with ease.
conversations.prefix: Brilliant:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: vvvv
conversations.prefix: Anxious:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: xx
conversations.prefix: Solve Reality:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Whether combat, rescue, disaster or medical emergency, sometimes a professional is needed.
conversations.prefix: Crisis Specialist:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: When a situation is serious, an inherent focus is instrumental to cope and come out ahead.
conversations.prefix: Forced Focus:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Not claustrophobia but the debilitating fear of being buried, stuck or jammed in a way that inhibits movement or breathing.
conversations.prefix: Fear of confinement:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The camera is an extension of your voyeuristic philosophy, and in the meantime, get paid for a well-done job.
conversations.prefix: Freelance Camera Operator:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: For a freelance camera operator to get anywhere in life, one must always be on the lookout for action.
conversations.prefix: Observant:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The tough hours; the squabble of people and the terrible pay drills a deep hole.
conversations.prefix: Indifference:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're here to do your job and that's it. There's time for little else. There's no time to think of the Self.
conversations.prefix: Work:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Arno is an accomplished photojournalist for the Skeptic Magazine: *Unknown Realms*. 
conversations.prefix: Photojournalist:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Arno has definitely been characterized as stubborn, willful person when he sets his mind on something. 
conversations.prefix: Stubborn :
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Right from the start Arno made his intention to debunk ... *whatever* was happening at the house and document it. 
conversations.prefix: Debunk :
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: What struck me most about Arno's character was the air of world-weary wisdom he held about himself. As if he was an old soul trapped within someone too young. 
conversations.prefix: Wisdom:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You are a young college dropout who is trying to edge a career as a carpenter.
conversations.prefix: Carpenter:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: One of the things your father taught you was discipline.  It may not show at times, given your life so far, but anyone who's seen you at work will attest to your work ethic.
conversations.prefix: Discliplined:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You had so much potential.  But you wound up looking 
conversations.prefix: Addiction:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: temp
conversations.prefix: Prove Yourself:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Exploration is about more than just  seeing something new and slapping a label on it.  It's only when we're able to fully understand our experiences with the unknown - and the implications they hold for the rest of the world - that we can truly say we've discovered something.
conversations.prefix: The Philosopher Detective:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: I often tell people that I experience life in high definition. While my eyesight is no better than anyone else's, I seem to notice things that others don't.  If you've heard the saying "can't see the forest for the trees" then you'll have an idea of what I mean.  Only I can describe to you the patterns of the leaves, and I choose to reserve judgement about whether there's a forest until further information is gathered.
conversations.prefix: Detail-Focused:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: I want to believe. More than anything else, I long for a paradigm I can hang my mental hat on and depend upon.  Many of my habits have been formed around this deep desire as a way to protect  myself from being taken advantage of.  Resisting a plausible explanation is something I'm well practiced at, but all of my decisions take extra time and/or bandwidth because I am forced to weigh each option before having an idea of how to proceed.  
conversations.prefix: Indecisive due to Carefully Controlled Credulity:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Between the tools available to me as a philosopher and communication specialist, and those brought by the skeptics magazine, I intend to map out how each particular phenomenon is experienced by the people here and draw connections to how that lines up against the equipment readings. Capturing as much detail as possible for analysis and review is of the utmost importance to me. 
conversations.prefix: Bridging the Communicative Gap:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You entertain for a living. 
conversations.prefix: Artist:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You just want to see what happens next, really, little more than a hanger-on.
conversations.prefix: Spectator:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: There's a reason they let you into the house--you know how to talk your way around any kind of red tape.
conversations.prefix: Clever:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sometimes, you think you're a little--or a lot--smarter than you really are. It tends to get you in a lot of trouble. 
conversations.prefix: Hubris:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: What's going on? How is it happening? Who's behind it all? Is anyone? Your curious nature simply cannot be sated. 
conversations.prefix: Solve the Mystery:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: An equal amount of medical training, defensive tactics, rope rigging and mountaineering; someone has to make sure people don't fall, drown or shoot themselves in the foot.
conversations.prefix: Safety & Security:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A knack for looking over an area, determining various concerns and taking action to mitigate danger. An ounce of prevention...
conversations.prefix: Environmental Analysis:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Two packs a day results in poor endurance, a chronic cough and a tell-tale plume of smoke wherever he goes. 
conversations.prefix: Chain Smoker:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: This is the goal of being the team safety officer - everybody gets out alive and well.
conversations.prefix: Everyone Goes Home:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: A wordsmith of the internet, a writer who can churn out an article like no one's business. 
conversations.prefix: Blogger:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: To keep going in a sphere where everything is ephemeral, one must know how to keep up with--and overcome--every potential enemy or obstacle. In a cutthroat world, one *has* to stay sharp as a tack.
conversations.prefix: Sharp:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Everyone has a few downfalls, a few flaws, but me? Nah, I know what I'm doing, where I'm going, and nothing is going to stand in my way. 
  
  Except, maybe myself.
conversations.prefix: Hubris:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Who cares if it's all a big hoax, or if it's aliens, so long as it sells? People want to get their spines a-tingling, and whatever is going on here, I'm going to give the people what they want.
conversations.prefix: Sell the Story:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: "And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone." *The Prophet* Kahlil Gibran
  
  Your lineage is rooted in law enforcement. You're a cop. Your father was a cop. Your grandfather was a cop and his father was a cop. 
  
  You, to the best of your abilities, attempt to fulfill the duties of an Officer of the law with righteouness and integrity, but at times -most of the times- it's  just a comfortable job you happen to know the trappings of. Nothing more and nothing less.
conversations.prefix: Officer of the Law:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: "A dog was tossed a bone once, yet he didn't act out in elation or excitment. He waited and waited till he withered away from starvation. And that's  when they brought a steak to the dog." *Here Cometh the Wind* J. K. Easeting. 
  
  You never break under pressure. When the situation is tense or the moment dire you seem to maintain your composure; whereas others would break under the weight of their anxieties. 
conversations.prefix: Clarity Under Pressure:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: "I stood before a mirror,
  Yet, no image was reflected.
  I asked the mirror why I couldn’t see myself,
  The mirror replied, “You aren’t expected.” *Dirge of Eurydice: A Short Story* A.M. Rodriguez
  
  You dwell in memories. The bitter shackles of past mistakes bind your future and impede it from progressing forth. You are often caught lost daydreaming the "what if's" and "what have could been's" if you had chosen a different course. 
conversations.prefix: Lingering in the Past:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: "Where embers dwell so does the possibility of fire." - "*Coping with Death in the Digital Age*", L. Kaplan Tech & Gadgets, Pg 89, 2009.
  
  An oppurtunity has presented itself to rekindle a past relationship: be platonic or intimate. 
conversations.prefix: Rekindling the Flames:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You aren't the sort to take unnecessary risks, yet when the moment to impress someone presents itself ... well to hell with caution!
conversations.prefix: Bravado to Impress: