I recently ran a Twitter poll that asked followers to vote on the theme of the next Mysterious Monday article. Of the choices presented, historically themed story seeds that focused on Charleston, SC was the clear winner. Therefore, I give to you, five new plot hooks that are inspired by my own local history. If you’d like to get involved in these polls, please follow me on Twitter.

 The Old City Jail in Downtown Charleston boasts a plethora of ghosts stories from its founding to its closing. Investigators have been contacted by Mr. Epstein, a wealthy merchant with a nearby business who claims to have witnessed several ghost sightings inside his business in recent weeks. He strongly feels they are related to the prison in some way, but he’s unclear how they are connected. Can the investigators connect the dots?

 When in Charleston, one should visit Pogan’s Porch for a meal. Investigators, while on vacation, have decided to have a group dinner at Pogan’s Porch to celebrate the successful completion of a recent case; why not, they deserve it! Late in the evening while the celebration continues, one of the investigators catches a glimpse of a semi-ethereal woman walking through the restaurant. This is Zoe St. Armand, she haunts the location as it was her former home up until the late 1940s. The restaurant staff is used to Zoe’s ghost, but in recent months she has gone from being very passive to being more aggressive. The owners seem to have no idea why the change in her demeanor, but maybe it has something to do with recent renovations in this olde building. Investigators are asked to help find the cause of her aggression or to simply get rid of the ghost, once they sober up that is.

 Every historical city has a variety of ghost walks and tours available for the tourists, but one must be very careful about which tour to take. Investigators, always looking for an opportunity to learn more about the supernatural, have elected to participate in one of Charleston’s famous walking ghost tours through downtown Charleston. They meet at the assembly point and begin their tour with a very charismatic and knowledgeable guide. While the tours are normally informative and a little spooky, this tour is far from the usual experience. Well past dark, the small tour group passes the Circular Congregational Church graveyard. It is here that the tour guide points out hooded figures that can be seen near the center of graveyard holding what appears to be lanterns. As the tour group gawks at what must be a theatric display, one of the hooded figures turns and points to the tour group. The hooded individuals drop their lanterns and fan out moving towards the tour group with surprising speed. A chase is afoot! What has the tour group witnessed?

 Charleston, for better or for worse, will always be connected to the Atlantic slave trade of the past. The pain and torment of thousands of souls that were brought to America, via Charleston, have left their impression and residual energy on the city. Rumors abound that many former slaves haunt historic homes and even Gadsden’s Wharf, the site of their arrival in Charleston. Keepers could easily and respectfully, use these rumored sightings as the premise of a scenario. Place in any time period, a new warehousing complex is slated to be built on the site of Gadsden’s Wharf; the groundbreaking is in two days. Investigators are called in to investigate why a paranormal happening is being reported by construction workers as they were staging their equipment in preparation for the groundbreaking. Workers have reported seeing the ghosts of men, women, and children wandering aimlessly through the area. Can investigators figure out what the cause is and how to remedy the situation before the harmless sightings turn dangerous as the groundbreaking approaches?

 It’s reasonable that spirits stay in our world for one reason or another, this next idea is taken from a local legend that a woman who once walked nightly to meet her husband at the train and guide them home in the dark. Following his accidental death more than 100 years ago while logging, it is said even in death she continues to travel the same route every night looking for her husband. Locals report seeing a green glowing lantern orb on what is locally known as “Light Road”. Investigators are called in to research this “Light Road” only after several auto accidents occurred over a span of six months. Each accident occurred on the 15th of each month; passengers who survived reported seeing the green orb moving towards their stopped car. As the orb got within 50 feet of the car, the headlights illuminated a female figure in an old style dress, watching in disbelief, the woman advanced to 20 feet in front of the car. This is when witnesses report that she smiles a toothy grin and something described as black butterflies erupt from her open mouth. In those cases with surviving witnesses, they report that everyone in the car was terrified and the driver in each case, floored the gas pedal and drove the car headlong into a nearby drainage ditch.

What more Mysterious Monday articles like this or even darker? Comment below and let us know. Don’t forget to participate in our Twitter polls too. Better yet, become a Patron! See that banner below? Click it to learn more.

If you’re in need of investigator images, check out our Investigator Images: A Curated List of Yearbooks For Call of Cthulhu

~ Modoc

Follow Modoc on G+ or on Twitter at @DM_Modoc
Join our Discord
We’re now on Facebook!