Emotions leave powerful imprints on reality as the bodies they were wrenched from degrade into a stain; sometimes the emotions are so strong that they are able to bind a soul to a place, person, or object. Ancient places are often collectors of such phenomenon whether in fiction or non, steeped in the sorrow and joy of countless life forms across countless eons. There are locations in Melias that mirror our own in this manner and why wouldn’t they? Would not a home be haunted by a lonely widower? Or a grieving child visited by his late mother’s spirit? Going further, could not portals to other planes be opened?

Poezslav Manor is one such a place, a place buried in history. Genesis, a Cleric and Hero of Melias, is hired by the owner of the manor to investigate some strange occurrences within the estate before a large Gala- the first of the season. The fun of Manor Poezslav is that it is known in elite, wealthy circles for being haunted. In fact, that’s what makes the price so right for the owner. But as of late, the occurrences in the manor went from cheeky to downright horrifying.

Genesis investigates the Manor and the surrounding grounds, finding clues to Manor Poezslav’s bizarre past, discovering ghastly clues along with artifacts and knowledge utterly sibylline in nature. As her investigation wears on, Genesis delves deep into the bowels of Poezslav, deeper than any of its owners have ever dared; determined to unravel all of its covetous secrets.

As a rule, I hate the pure horror genre. I used to be an avid fan when I was a child (that tells you a lot, don’t it), but as I grew older, I realized that was the problem.  I was a child. Horror never satisfied me. All I saw was just victims getting splattered, and then an unsatisfying ending typically implying another film, or one that illustrates the monster/antagonist getting away to commit more murders. At other times, the “point” of the horror movie, or story was to simply kill all the protagonists. Lazy. Uninspired. Boring. Enraging. So instead…

Elemental horror places Genesis into Manor Poezlav, a hostile paranormal environment, and she will be able respond whenever there is danger, not possible in most versions of classic, pure-genre horror. In addition to her incredible prowess as a warrior, both in technique and physicality, Genesis, like all Clerics in Melias, channel powerful spells called hymns- songs derived from places of raw willpower and faith that manipulate the ether to a desired end. Most of the time, Clerics act as exorcists, banishing malicious spirits from the physical plane, or smashing the undead. The hymns aid to that end, either strengthening the Cleric, or weakening their foes.

Is she invulnerable? Will she be in danger? Will she be challenged? Absolutely. Genesis is human. She bleeds, needs to eat, drink, and sleep, and can die like you or me. Poezslav, and all of its horrors, will test her mind and body to their very limits and then some. But is this just some dumbass horror story with a hair-in-the-face ghoul haunting an antique mirror?

HA! Go rent a movie if your looking for that tripe.