All-Hallow's Evie

[grayman]

Happy Halloween, taffers.

 

Some light reading to set the mood of the day.

 

All-Hallow's Evie

 

On All-Hallow's Evie, All-Hallow's Eve Night,

The children 'neath blankets did shiver with fright.

Their parents on rooftops, ignoring the height,

All waving bright lanterns, All-Hallow's Eve Night.

 

Their voices were strong in the cold autumn air

As they called to their children, all young and all fair.

"The Scaries aren't nigh! The Ghosties aren't near!

We've lit all the lanterns. You've nothing to fear."

 

Alongside the town, way up high on a hill,

A brick-walled old boneyard is peacefully still.

Its residents resting, in Nightsleep they lay.

Their headstones, though quiet, had something to say.

 

Here lyes Our Dearie

Here lyes Our Son

Our Daughter, Our Husband, Our Wife, all as One

She misses her loved ones

He paid for his cryme

In Death we are equal, and rest for all Tyme

 

But All-Hallow's Evie, when it came around,

Gave Dearies a chance to arise from the ground.

So they slipped from their beds, and—not feeling the chill—

They gathered together, up high on the hill.

 

And they danced and they pranced and they stretched their old bones,

And they called to the children, all snug in their homes.

"We just have a short time to linger, to stay.

Won't you come out tonight? Won't you come out and play?"

 

But the parents were watchful, the parents up high.

They lifted their lanterns and sang to the sky.

"Our children are sleeping, dreams filling their heads.

You Ghosties aren't welcome. Go back to your beds."

 

So the rooftops were lit with a wavering light,

To ward off the Dearies, who swirled by in flight,

Looking for children to make it all right.

Looking for children, All-Hallow's Eve Night.

 

But what's this we see, near the boneyard's brick wall?

A roof of dark shadows, not lit up at all.

A chimney supporting a form, fast asleep.

A lantern lay broken, below in the street.

 

At a window all crooked, a face did appear.

The boy of the house, sadly sad this past year.

Wee Willie Grumplin wiped sleep from an eye,

And watched through the glass as the Dearies flew by.

 

The boneyard was swirling and twirling with glee,

As far and as wide as Wee Willie could see.

Then a Dearie sailed past, but came back in a blink.

It hovered a moment, and gave him a wink.

 

Wee Willie's mouth opened; he let out a cry.

He spied his Dear Mommy with his little eye.

"Oh, Willie," she sighed. "Come and join me out here.

I miss you so much, and there's nothing to fear."

 

He smiled at his Mommy and, crying, he said,

"I'm so glad that you're here but I thought you were dead."

The Dearie replied, flinging arms open wide,

"Do I look like I'm dead, do I look like I died?"

 

She twirled in the air. She handsprung away.

She did a quick jig, and to Willie did say,

"We'll dance and we'll sing and we'll play all night long.

You'll be back in your bed at the first sign of dawn."

 

So Willie climbed out and dropped over the wall,

A soft bed of Mommy arms breaking his fall.

The Dearie laughed sweetly, a wonderful sound,

And led Willie Grumplin off over the ground.

 

The Dearies all danced as they played Snakes and Knaves.

While Willie and Mommy played tag 'mongst the graves.

And Willie climbed headstones and dropped from them all,

A soft bed of Mommy arms breaking his fall.

 

But the Dearies grew tired of childless games.

So they yelled at the parents, and called them bad names.

And the Dearies turned Ghosties and they howled and they screamed.

And the Ghosties were nasty and scary and mean.

 

It's best that the children, asleep in their beds,

Weren't able to hear what the Bad Ghosties said.

"Is this how you treat us, your loved ones, now gone?

We only have moments before the new dawn."

 

But the parents stood tall, waving lanterns around,

'Til the first morning light touched the roofs of the town.

And the boneyard cried out, a most horrible sound,

And the Ghosties, now falling, wailed all the way down.

 

And the ground opened up, and its mouth opened wide,

And the Ghosties and Willie fell in, side by side.

But Willie felt nothing, felt nothing at all,

'Til a soft bed of Mommy arms cushioned his fall.

 

As daylight returned, all the lanterns were doused,

And the parents climbed down, down and into each house.

And the children, now free from their beds, shod their feets,

And they put on their clothes, and spilled into the streets.

 

And they played in the parks and they played in the stalls,

And they bounced rubber balls off the boneyard 's brick walls.

And they danced and they pranced and they played silly games,

And they called to each other and yelled silly names.

 

But no one spilled out of the old Grumplin home,

For Willie was missing, his Pa now alone.

A search turned up nothing, no signs of foul play.

So Pa Grumplin went home and just withered away.

 

Alongside the town, way up high on a hill,

A brick-walled old boneyard is peacefully still.

Its residents resting, in Nightsleep they lay.

Their headstones, though quiet, had something to say.

 

Here lyes a Mommy

Here lyes Her Son

Here lyes Her Husband

And now We are One

We sleep with our Dearies

We sing cheerful Rhyme

In Death We are happy, and play all the Tyme

[Melan]

I just put some pumpkin in the oven half an hour ago - coming along nicely...

[SeriousToni]

That's so nice! I want to take out the guitar and play along with the rhymes

[nbohr1more]

Excellent!

 

(Next year, Halloween Contest must happen...)

 

Every year I read about Hop-tu-Naa and dream about visiting Isle of Man to witness the most ancient form

of this celebration:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hop-tu-Naa

[Midnight]

I could give you a taste of what it's like, I live on the isle of man. It's pretty much the same as regular Halloween, but the children sing a Hop tu Naa song when accosting home owners for sweets. It's quite cute, and only slightly diminishes the creepy atmosphere of Halloween

 

I used to live in Castletown where there's an old building called the witches mill, and the quiet winter night accompanying Halloween is pretty spooky, especially when there's a full moon and a slight breeze to rustle dead leaves on trees.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Midnight

[Sir Taffsalot]

Probably not as good as grayman's but what the hell. Its something to help you get in to the Halloween spirit. Also there's a free candy apple for the first person who can work out which T2 FM this is inspired by.

 

It was all hallows eve and the stars they shone bright

Candles burnt brightly under silver moonlight

 

After feasting on candy, apples and other delights

people slept soundly throughout the night

 

As witches cackled and ghosts danced around graves

Werewolves howled and for blood vampires craved

 

As jack o lanterns stared on with a grin

A shadowy figure was prepared to commit sin

 

He jumped from rooftop to rooftop agile as a cat

Any noise he made was met with "Must've been rats."

 

He jumped down a chimney with his big sack

But this wasn't Santa it was Shadowy Jack

 

From shadow to shadow he made his way

Thowing loot in his sack that he'd sell the next day

 

As quicky as possible without making a sound

He searched every room until Bafford's sceptor he found

 

He looked at it sparkle in awe of his prize

unfortunately for Jack he just met his demise

 

As he looked down he saw a blade through his chest

A guard had snuck up behind Jack and he was now lifeless

 

"Every year we have to do this Dance," a voice said.

"Will you ever accept that you are now dead?"

 

"Ten years ago on All Hallows Eve"

"You tried to rob Bafford but you did not leave"

 

"You became careless and you paid a price so dear"

"Unless you accept your fate we'll do this again and I'll see you next year"

[Bikerdude]

II only wish I had thought about getting Dragon Claw redone for Halloween :-)

[SeriousToni]

@Sir T: Awesumm!!

Edited October 31, 2012 by SeriousToni

[Bikerdude]

In Death We are happy, and play all the Tyme

Oh dear, Poor Willie Grumplin. :-(

 

"Unless you accept your fate we'll do this again and I'll see you next year"

Thats brilliant SirT

[stumpy]

well at least I know why they have turnips instead of pumpkins in the isle-of-man it due to pumpkins originate from america and they wouldn't have existed 2000+ years ago. and if they want to stay traditional then they would use turnips, used sugarbeet myself once a few years ago when pumpkin wasn't available.

 

am guessing they no longer do the bit where they invite their ancestors into their house and talk to them, this would include getting their ancestors bones and giving them food and drink.

Edited November 1, 2012 by stumpy

[demagogue]

Happy Halloween everybody!

 

Edit: Sir_Taffs, I already guessed in the TTLG thread, but to repeat it here,

Schwaa's, aka Baddcog's, Bafford's Curse. It's 10 years ago & a haunted Bafford's Mansion.

 

[ungoliant]

am guessing they no longer do the bit where they invite their ancestors into their house and talk to them, this would include getting their ancestors bones and giving them food and drink.

That sounds more like a Dunmer ritual than Halloween, lol

[Sir Taffsalot]

Its inspired by yume no rosen which is for the thief appreciation contest

[AngelWolf]

Some Halloween fun with my fiance.

 

 

We watched The Ring and The Frighteners, then I went home and played Shalebridge Cradle on my parents big screen TV with surround sound and the lights off. Housesitting is like a mini vacation for me.

Those poems were great guys. You should make a recording of yourself reading them and combine it to game footage or a slideshow.

[AngelWolf]

I loved the line about the ghosts being our loved ones and ancestors who feel shunned. Brilliant!

 

I sometimes wish Komag's database could break missions into categories like horror themed, mansion, etc I need to go download that mission now. I'm a horror junkie.

[SeriousToni]

Some Halloween fun with my fiance.

Well, this guy is just sharing his life with us!

 

I'm a horror junkie.

Haha - same here! Have you already played the spooky Amnesia or the deadly Dead Space series??

[Bikerdude]

How this for a cool Halloween outfit -

 

Baby-controlled Aliens power loader costume wins Halloween

 

[AngelWolf]

 

Well, this guy is just sharing his life with us!

 

Haha - same here! Have you already played the spooky Amnesia or the deadly Dead Space series??

 

Well, dispite the differences I've had with this group, this was one of the places I came when things felt like they were spinning out of control. I got inspired by this project and had a great number of ideas as I was writing and learning. Now that my fiance is feeling better, I feel like sharing some of our artistic moments. We're both a bit theatrical.

 

I played Amnesia for a few hours and dug the atmosphere, but before it really hooked me The Walking Dead came on. When I went back to the computer, Dead Island had finished downloading and I decided to try it. And I got hooked on mashing zombie heads with a morning star while enjoying a nice tropical vacation as the edge of Hurricane Sandy blew gently against the house. As for Dead Space, I borrowed the Wii version from the library, but it had a scratch that caused it to lock up a few hours in. I'll probably check the PC version out one of these days, but I'm finding myself spending more time watching game design tutorials, reading old issues of Dungeon magazine for map ideas, and experimenting with Dark Radiant rather than actually playing games.

The best horror games I've played so far are the Silent Hill series, the Fatal Frame series, System Shock 2, and Alan Wake. Also scary but not as well known are Call of Cathulu: Dark corners of the earth, Clive Barkers Undying, and the Clock Tower series. All games best experinced with the lights off.