Dewayne Hollow – Introduction

Introduction to a world, with a role-playing game and a collection of stories.

Dear reader,

This is an introduction to the world of Dewayne Hollow, a place that only exists in my mind, or should I say, in an alternate reality of human history. If you are reading me on your computer, you will see a section dedicated to it on my website. If you are reading through the app or via the newsletter, you will receive posts about it, so let me guide you. Dewayne Hollow is both a collection of short stories and a role playing-game. The short stories written for Dewayne Hollow belong to my usual universe, mixing dark literary fiction, horror, and slowly shifting back to my very early roots as a writer, dark fantasy. So, I hope you will enjoy the trip to this charming and spooky little place.

Text, design, and concepts © Saint-Lazare & Jennifer Gori

Dewayne Hollow, a Timeline

The universe of Dewayne Hollow consists of three campaigns of a role-playing game, and of stories, set in the most contemporary period of the chronology.

1558. Religious divisions and power struggles consume Europe. Religious orders no longer know which saints to turn to as the reign of a Catholic queen in England draws to a close.
In the countryside, the blows of fate no longer concern God, but are blamed on witchcraft and devilry, and a whiff of witch trials rises in towns. The priests tinker with the foundations of rites that will become those of exorcism. Dark is the season, and in this atmosphere, rumors spread around a small fishing village in the southeast of the country, named Dewayne Hollow.

Prints start travelling around Europe about the arrival of the four riders of the Apocalypse. Letters from local witnesses mention the mysterious disappearance of villagers and livestock. A prophecy talks about something evil that would have emerged from a crevice in the nearby woods, something even more ominous than the creatures of local folklore. Some notables decide to take matters into their own hands and call for outside help. Unfortunately, not all souls will be saved.

1768. English gentlemen devote themselves to urban planning and the benefits of public bathing. A new town emerges on the coast, on the ruins of the strange village of Dewayne Hollow, where its inhabitants vanished two centuries ago. Welcome to Dashcombe, a new, fashionable resort with ambitious architectural and intellectual projects, such as a university. All the elite gather there, but behind the parties and debauchery, power struggles are at work. There are talks of a strange cult, of occult architecture, and of a wicked connection to the world of fairies and demons. Alliances and plots are not relegated to our world, and a shadow looms over the Age of Enlightenment. Will the evil lurking around a crevice in the nearby woods finally be banished?

Near future. Despite a gloomy geopolitical climate, the start of the academic year at the prestigious Dashcombe University promises to be in keeping with its reputation as a haven of dark academia. No one pays attention to the numerous disappearances happening in the thriving and restless city: homeless people, animals, and students coming out of over-drunk parties. However, something unnatural keeps lurking in the city's many waterways, and the animals' behavior is most unusual. Everything seems to converge on the Dewayne Hollow neighbourhood, built on a village with a mythical past. This is where the narrator of the stories, Jolene, resides to complete her dissertation. That is, if she can avoid the many strange distractions around her, including (but not limited to) centuries-old secrets, witches, an artificial intelligence project coveted by a secret cult, and the gathering of mythological gods and creatures. A magic wind is rising from the hidden corners of history, as the town is once again the theatre of supernatural events, maybe for the last time; fate could be written in blood on the final exam’s syllabus.

Dewayne Hollow, the Stories

The short stories of the Dewayne Hollow universe take place in the Near Future period of the timeline (with a few exceptions). To help readers, especially those reading on the app, here is a small content directory to help you make the most of your immersion in this strange world.

The Dewayne Hollow Collection

Note: the collection, due to its connected stories, can be considered a serial.

The collection is narrated by Jolene Ducasse, a final-year history student specializing in occult architecture at the prestigious Dashcombe University. She also works at the reception desk of the Dashcombe city museum, the Le Bone Gallery & Museum. In the first story, she moves to the historic Dewayne Hollow neighborhood, to the home of her lecturer Dymphnia who has gone to teach abroad, to look after her two cats, Hawsmoor and Boullée. There, thanks to the tumultuous love life of her neighbor Howard, she discovers that a whole strange world is hidden behind the appearances of the university town: disturbing disappearances, animals with bizarre behavior, and above all, something predatory...

This first story, “13 Canal Street”, is divided into 4 parts:

The second story, “Satori”, explores Jolene’s student life at Dashcombe University, where she is confronted with the disappearance of one of her classmates.

In the third story, “The Devil and the Silence”, Jolene witnesses another disappearance, this time that of an art gallery owner, and discovers strange things hidden in ASMR and street art.

In the fourth story, “Saint Entropy”, Jolene discovers that the evil at work in the town of Dashcombe is more insidious and dangerous than she thought.¹

In the fifth story, “The Curvature Of The Circle”, Jolene discovers new and strange allies, while the machinations of Howard and his friends become ominous.

COMING SOON

The sixth story, “Dos And Don’ts”, allows Jolene to unmask some enemies and devise a plan of action.

COMING SOON

Things are accelerating in the seventh story (title to come).

COMING SOON

In the eighth and final story, “Mary Has A Little LLMB”, it’s time to end things.

COMING SOON

Independent stories (but useful for the pleasure of reading)

A time travel story that follows the adventures of a likeable (and useful) character by Dewayne Hollow, the resourceful Bevil Kottow.

More to come?

Dewayne Hollow, the Game

The LitRPG part of Dewayne Hollow is currently in development. It is based on one of the most popular RPG systems in the world, the one of Dungeons & Dragons. In this post, you will get a sneak peek of the game design.

The Three Campaigns

Dewayne Hollow: Dark Origins

Set in the 1558 part of the chronology, this campaign immerses the players in an atmosphere of historical dark fantasy, which mixes horror and mystery. The playable characters will go to the small town to investigate supernatural events and crimes, meeting friends, foes, and especially creatures from both European folklore and my imagination.

Some of the virtual cards of the playable characters.

Dewayne Hollow: Georgian Conspiracy

Set in the 1758 part of the chronology, this campaign will introduce intrigue, between Bridgerton and early Gothic fiction. Beta testing coming soon.

Dewayne Hollow: Class of Doomsday

Set in the near future part of the chronology, and in the settings of the collection of short stories, it blends modernity with horror, and dark fantasy. Coming soon.

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The creation of this game would not have been possible without the work of Jennifer Gori, who provided accurate historical information and inspiration, unearthed historically correct artworks, and helped with the design.

We are currently looking to connect with professional illustrators to get custom visuals created, so if you are an artist or know artists wishing to work on a game concept, you can contact me.

Actually, there are many ways to help, in addition to the beta testing. It includes setting up a fundraising to develop the game, networking with publishers and game professionals, or even just providing your support and feedback. Don’t hesitate to leave me a comment (or several!) to tell me what you think about Dewayne Hollow at large, both the universe, the fiction stories, and the game. It is always great to hear from you.

Thank you again for reading. With all my skeletal love,

Saint-Lazare

1. You should read the independant story ‘A Very Resourceful Boy’ in parallel with this one.