Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

[Sidetrack]

Borrowing obviousy from the creepy hotel thread and much of the text of the original post ...

 

imagine a tropical island (well, a small island group actually) stocked with weird characters. They should be strange in a Twin Peaks/X-Files kind of way with a tropical oddball twist- they can be possibly vaguely slightly mystical (but it should never be obviously magic), or they could be vaguely slightly high-tech (in a conspiracy sort of easily-mistaken-for-something-else way), international expat/ex-military/ex-mercenary, or whatever you like. Try to capture the character in a few sentences.

 

As a little background and flavor for the group:

 

Living isn't too rough, there is plenty of food to go around, provided you like papayas, coconuts, taro and roast pig; other vegetables are grown but a bit sporadically. A couple of aged ferry/cargo ships bring other goods... sometimes. The main island puts up a nice front for the brief tourist season mostly centered around whale watching, but things get weird and maybe even a little sinister the remainder of the year. Electricity is available on all but the smaller remote islands and cell phone service to most of the group.

 

There is a small town on the main island with a some cafes and small markets, hotels and hostels mostly owned by resident off-islanders. Town borders a large natural harbor that gets some commercial traffic (very large ships can't negotiate the narrow and shallow entrance though) and private sailors staying over for cyclone season. The airport services local traffic, bigger international flights have to connect from other nearby islands. In general it's a good place to tuck in and hide from the rest of the world, though it does get some outside interest from an Asian country lobbying for whaling rights and a wealthy church denomination that has a goal of converting the entire country.

 

There is a beautiful brand new church complete with basketball and tennis courts for every village even if none of the villagers attend it and a large modern k-12 school in the main town for children of members (churches of other denominations are also present on the island).

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The cultist

Not many people have met, or even know of Alexi but every once in a while an organic farming volunteer will wander in to town with a haunted look on their face. Their stories are pretty similar if a bit vague.

 

Answering an internet they came to the island Alexi's farm on a small outer island and were made to work long hours (it's always unclear what work was actually done). Alexi was careful to keep them and the villagers on the island separated by suggesting to each that the others didn't like them or were 'bad'. The volunteers complain of odd requests that they make him pizza or ice cream, but his kitchen wasn't stocked to make anything of the sort. Having had enough, the volunteers slip away on a a boat visiting the island. Alexi will make contact and urge them to come back so that he can help them with their 'psychological problems' and threaten to inform the volunteer coordinator of their early departure.

 

Ted, a charter skipper, seems to remember Alexi's name as someone that was kicked out of Hawaii for trying to start up a new age cult.

 

If the characters visit the island Alexi is never there, but there is a sweet older American lady named Mary, she originally arrived with Alexi and would really like to leave but doesn't have the money to go and is convinced that nobody back at home would want to see her. There isn't much evidence of a farm other than a small garden plot. Villagers will volunteer that the council once threw Alexi out, but mysteriously he is back and now and Alexi and the villager elders actively discourage anyone from visiting the island.

[AlHazred]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

A few members of the crew of a 17th-century galleon might make for good castaways, if they're time traveling (or updated).

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

Thanks AlHazred, and for the original thread as well. Haven't generated a great deal of response so I hope no one minds if I throw a few more character sketches up here:

 

The Ventriloquist

 

Spend enough time around the island and you'll need a haircut, that's when you look up Billy Snips. Billy spends a lot of his time at a beach camping resort that he runs with a couple of friends; they all met when they were circus performers.

As he gives you a trim, at whichever place he can find a chair to sit you down in, he'll regale you with tales of his days as a unicycle champion in his cockney rhyming slang. Just don't ask him about the ventriloquist act. If you do he'll become distracted, nervous and agitated, usually making a hasty exit exclaiming that "Topper is a very bad doll!"

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Bone Lady

 

She's beautiful and charming with such a lovely name, so why do people refer to her as "Anthrax" or simply "Thrax"?

 

Thrax's accent is hard to place, if asked she'll talk about the years she spent in Kowloon... or Rhodesia... or Fiji, etc... She owns a shop where she sells jewelry fashioned from exotic bone and is generally adorned with one piece or another. Said piece always looks organically mechanical in a clockwork sort of way, as if it it might be part of a larger device that-- nahhh, ridiculous! Which is exactly what she'll reply, with a wide-eyed indignant look, if you suggest it. Maybe she's protesting just a little too much though.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Old Hermit

 

He lives alone in a little shack near one of the capes, fishing and gathering fruit for himself. About sixty years old with gray hair, he seems to always have a six-day stubble, no matter what day it is. Within his shack, mounted on the walls, is one of the most extensive and varied collection of swords, daggers, knives, and other blades in the world. He speaks slowly, especially when he describes in minute detail the care that he takes in gutting a fish or the occasional rabbit. He rarely makes eye contact with visitors, though when he does he visibly starts to drool.

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Old Dutchman

 

He acts very young for an older guy, as if he had a new lease on life. Could have to do with his young wife, his true absolute love, or maybe it's being done with work, some bit of nonsense which he says felt like ten lifetimes of drudgery. Now he happily applies his executive skills to community projects like building and staffing the new greenhouse or the traditional sailing vakas that are crossing the Pacific, Polynesian-crewed (there's a sparkle in his eye when he talks about that one).

[IndianaJoe3]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Dealer

 

If you want drugs, you buy them from him. His stuff is high quality and potent, so be careful not to get hooked. Rumor has it that he has a plantation on one of the outer islands, worked by junkie slaves or even zombies.

[SKJAM!]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Major: Lives on a fairly large island out towards the fringe of the area, uninhabited except for himself and his mute manservant. The Major loves having visitors. He'll lay on an excellent dinner, show off his prize tracking dogs, display his enormous collection of the taxidermist's art (all hunted by himself)--quite the host. Just don't stay overnight, because the Major has a thing about going hunting first thing in the morning....

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

Mystery Ship

 

From time to time a large square rigged ship shows up in the harbor, it's modern enough in that the hull is painted white but there's no sign of modern equipment to be sighted on board. As a matter of fact there are no people to be seen aboard either, nor will anyone from the ship be found ashore. The characters will never see the ship move, still it never seems to stay in the same place, in the morning it may be just off town while in the afternoon it will be anchored further up the harbor or in one of the outer anchorages. The most explanation to be had from the locals is the name of the ship, Søren Larsen, everyone seems to be totally unconcerned with it.

 

A person may show up claiming to be a paying passenger looking to get out to the ship, if the characters attempt to hail it for them they will find the radio they use to be broken... the prospective passenger will wander off and not be seen again. The radio will need to be repaired, if it belongs to someone other than the characters the radio will be gone the next day and won't be replaced for quite a while.

[Susano]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Skeleton

 

It lies partially in and out of the water. The locals say it's just the remains of a whale that washed up years and years ago, but it's so long! Do whales really get that big? And the teeth! They remind one of a sperm whale's... except they're in both the top and the bottom of the jaw!

[Burrito Boy]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

Borrowing obviousy from the creepy hotel thread and much of the text of the original post ...

 

As a little background and flavor for the group:

 

There is a small town on the main island with a some cafes and small markets, hotels and hostels mostly owned by resident off-islanders.

 

 

Wouldn't it be creepy if the creepy hotel was on the creepy island?

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

Commodore Chester Beech

 

This man operates a passenger boat service around the smaller islands. His personality is basically the same as Capt. Clarence Oveur, but with a much less humorous edge.

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

That one guy

 

Mitch is in is his mid fifties and very congenial, he's got a hint of a southern drawl, or maybe a Midwest lilt... East coast? Anyway, Tim is there on business, if you ask him about it he'll start to tell you about his military background, which sounds impressive, but he'll catch himself and deferringly start telling stories about Israeli Defense Force Soldiers, or RoC Marines or other guys that he's worked with.

 

That Mick is a super nice guy, he's here on some kind of business.

 

He can sometimes be found doing shots of tequila with an Ex Army Ranger turned restaurateur, reminiscing about a mutual acquaintance that put a bullet in Che Guevara 's head.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

Todd Baker is a night concierge at one of the resort hotels. He's very congenial, friendly, and laid-back in his demeanor, and approaches his job with great professionalism. Occasionally, in conversation, he expresses personal knowledge of someone that he has no way of knowing. This can be anything from a trivial fact like someone's middle name to a profound secret like a history of medical malpractice. These comments are always made casually, though with whatever level of discretion is called for, including helping someone keep a dark secret. He charmingly deflects any questions about how he knows what he knows... though if pressed he can show physical evidence of the person revealing things to him that they have no memory of ever having done.

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

That one made me laugh out loud, I'm sitting here looking at this boat, Gladiator, as I read it. A perfect fit I think. Chester Beech definitely goes in my permanent population.

[tkdguy]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Barkeep and the Cannibals

 

There is a pub in the island, close to a village the original inhabitants built. The natives don't pay much attention to the tourists, generally minding their own business.

 

The atmosphere in the bar is generally jovial, but sometimes fights do break out. The manager is always somehow able to calm down the rowdy patrons and asks them to speak with them outside the bar. He returns after a few minutes, without the troublemakers.

 

A few patrons have heard a mufffled sound when the bartender is outside with the troublemakers. Some think it sounds like a pistol with a suppressor being discharged. Nobody has actually seen the bartender shoot the offenders, but the natives are always having a big feast later that night.

[薔薇語]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Lost Boy:

 

If one listens closely, they will hear the occasional mention of "the lost boy"; especially after particularly dreadful storms. His name is always brought up in good standing "thank heavens for him..." Its odd, though, if pressed the villages never speak of him to outsiders and will vehemently deny ever talking about him.

 

If the time should come up, though, that a soul should find themselves lost in the rain, maybe they will happen upon a small boy - no more than 11 in age. He is never close enough to talk to but he always seems to be just in sight and if you follow him, he always seems to know the way to get to to safety. Why he is there and who he is, though, is a secret. Maybe if you managed to get a good enough look, though, you can gleam something from his clothes.

 

La Rose

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

That one guy

 

Mitch is in is his mid fifties and very congenial, he's got a hint of a southern drawl, or maybe a Midwest lilt... East coast? Anyway, Tim is there on business, if you ask him about it he'll start to tell you about his military background, which sounds impressive, but he'll catch himself and deferringly start telling stories about Israeli Defense Force Soldiers, or RoC Marines or other guys that he's worked with.

 

That Mick is a super nice guy, he's here on some kind of business.

 

He can sometimes be found doing shots of tequila with an Ex Army Ranger turned restaurateur, reminiscing about a mutual acquaintance that put a bullet in Che Guevara 's head.

The sad thing is I didn't even catch it the first time I read it...

[Sidetrack]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The sad thing is I didn't even catch it the first time I read it...

 

That's the thing about Tom

[Susano]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

That's the thing about Tom

 

Guy sounds a devious as Candja

[Cygnia]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Tiki Bar

 

This is where the higher-end tourists (usually those on spring break with massive trust funds) like to party and get drunk at. High up on the cliffs, it has a perfect view overhead where the waves crash against the rocky shore. Sometimes, the occasional shark fin darts through the ocean's dark surface. Specializing in cocktails that make Trader Vic's look like a Starbucks, the bar has seen its fair share of mystery as pretty rich white women have occasionally disappeared from its walls (pretty non-rich native women have also disappeared, but no one ever mentions them if the media can help it). The tiki idol carved on the door frame represents Kauhuhu, if anyone ever bothered to ask...

[Susano]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Cave -- on one end of the island is a cave, that runs deep into the ground. The opening is low to the water and covered at high tide. Rumor has it that an octopus of immense size dwells within, and those foolish enough to go deep enough will find it.

[tkdguy]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

The Pirate

 

Nothing seems unusual about this barfly for the most part. He dresses, talks, and acts normally. But every so often, he thinks it's costume night at the bar. He comes dressed in a stereotypical pirate costume, complete with eyepatch, peg leg, and even a hook in place of a hand. And of course, he has a parrot on his shoulder, who sometimes poops on the pirate's shoulder in full view of the other patrons. He is visibly annoyed when he is told about his mistake, but he keeps talking like a pirate ("Shiver me timbers!") Anyone looking closely will notice that the peg leg and hook seem to actually replace a leg and a hand, although he isn't usually missing any limbs.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Help Me Populate A Creepy Island

 

Cliff Carpenter

 

Nobody's sure if it's his real name or not; he's a carpenter, and he lives next to a cliff, so maybe it's a nickname. His face and demeanor suggest that he's of advanced age, but he has a full head of black hair and is built like a Chippendale's dancer. Living on one of the larger "lesser" islands in the group, he takes on whatever carpentry work comes his way.

 

The thing is, visitors to his personal shop notice that about half the space is devoted to a project that he never seems to finish... nor does it ever get any larger, even though he's always adding to it and rarely if ever removes anything. Nobody's sure what it is; maybe it's a scaffold, maybe it's a small wooden vehicle, maybe it's a portable shed... when asked, he only says that "it's a surprise."