The people of Norfork go about their day, most blissfully unaware of just how close they came to possession. Those who pick themselves up from the pavement or find themselves behind the wheel in the middle of the night shake their heads - the stress must really be getting to them.
They have other problems, after all - bigger than forgetting they had bought six dozen eggs, or hawking up a bit of black gunk.
Have you heard about the raves? In the tunnels? A recipe for disaster. And the new “community watch”? How were you supposed to feel safe? The Norfork liaison is out for herself, the old high school leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and the cops? Well, when’s the last time they helped more than hurt?
And so, a choice becomes clear: will we invest in ourselves? Or will we accept that this is life now - taking the City’s gifts alongside its curses?
(Content Warnings: police, urbanization)
PLAYERS
Sam Richardson (@Laggardson, He/him)
William White (@kwilliamwhite, They/them)
Jonas Newhouse (@jonasnewhouse, They/them)
Sam De Leve (@ChaiKovsky, They/them)
NPCs
Jillian Murphy (she/her) - Norfork City Liaison, and Kelly's hookup. White woman in her early 30s, broader build, kind of tall, red hair that’s just past the shoulder. Sharper facial features. Major character. Power. Played by William White.
Leilah Amund (she/her) - Woman with darker skin. Elio’s partner. Minor Character. Played by William White.
Dr. Roger Maricelli (they/them) - Doctor hired to treat magical injuries at the City hospital. Short person with a Mediterranean complexion, curly short brown hair, and small horns protruding from their temples. Major character. Touchstone. Played by Jonas Newhouse.
Perry Commonlaw (he/him) - Former proprietor of the failed "Hunter's Supply" in the Turntable Center. A craggy, shorter man in tennis shoes, loose jeans, and a polo shirt with a wide neck. A bald spot peeks through hair mid-transition between black and grey. Minor character. Played by Jonas Newhouse.
Tammana Hemming (she/her) - Egyptian woman with wavy dark brown hair and a mischievous smile. Member of the Myriad support group. Sphinx. Major character. Perspective. Played by Sam Darr.
Valentina (she/her) - Leader of the Agents of Dranja. On Earth, she presents as a tall white woman with long straight black hair and combat boots. Searching for something here in Norfork. Despises Nammi. Minor character. Played by Sam Darr.
Alexei Abramson (they/them) - A fairly small person with tattoos, a dozen various piercings, and a home-dyed purple pixie cut. Wheeler. Pippa of Anita. Major character. Perspective. Played by Sam de Leve.
Stanley Smithforshire (he/him) - Real estate developer. Minor character. Played by Sam de Leve.
Glymmer AKA Aina Steen (she/her) - A white woman with short curly brown hair. Dressed in a ribbed black tanktop and selvedge denim shorts. Colorful bright jacket with an image or intertwined roses on the back, and a pair of aviator sunglasses nestled in her hair. Major character. Power. Played by Sam Richardson.
Almos Sumati (he/him) - Werewolf. Damn good laywer. Dresses in an expensive blue suit that compliments his fur. Chooses to stay in wolf-form all the time. Helps organize the Norfork softball team. Trans-man. Single, in case anyone was wondering. Minor character. Played by Sam Richardson.
Anita Abramson (she/her) - Child of Alexei. Myriad, or some kind. Fan of Glymmer, and kind of over this whole thing.
Davey Wilkinson (he/him) - Fire Marshal for Norfork and friend of Alexei Abramson. Coaches little league.
Steven Bisque (he/him) - Assistant Fire Marshal for Norfork. Has a passion for the Dark Abbey, and pony-print memorabilia.
Carmichael (he/him) - Arch-vampire nightclub owner and socialite in The City. Kelly owes him, and he's here to collect.
ORGANIZATIONS
The City: A city founded near Norfork that has been aggressively expanding for the last 20 years. This faction includes the police force of the City, the City Council, and its various bureaucratic tentacles.
Norfork Town Council: An elected group of representatives that serves Norfork. Currently clinging to their role as bureaucratic arbiters, even as the City’s council attempts to cast them as a vestigial holdover. Colloquially referred to as “city council” (lowercase “c”), much to everyone’s consternation.
Norfork Parent’s Assemblage (N.P.A.): A group of mothers in Norfolk dedicated to improving the community of Norfork. They are often at odds with the City council. They are very powerful, but also often rife with internal conflict.
The Dread Ringers: A vampire “mob” led by the arch-vampire Carmichael. They run a network of clubs throughout the City. They have recently expanded into Norfork thanks to a combination of new construction and a “community watch”, which they use as a guise to carry out various unsavory activities.
Relegated Production Industries (R.P.I.): Officially, a City-backed construction management company. They have just developed the land inside of the Divot into a business park, where they are putting the finishing touches on their new headquarters. Unofficially… maybe something else.
The Star Society: A group of 15-20 amateur astronomers seeking out the clearest skies in Norfork. They are a mix of townies and City folk, but townies always know the best spots and for some reason
The City folk can’t seem to get images that are as clear from where they live…
The Dark Abbey: Fans of the
influencer and fashion vlogger Glymmer AKA Aina Steen. Treated very seriously. Meetups are usually by invitation only, and they’ve begun to hold raves in the derelict mining tunnels beneath Norfork. Their symbol looks like a little cartoony black castle.
Norfork Street Artists: A unofficial group of street artists that have been pushed underground after the City’s influence began to spread in Norfork. You can still find their elegant designs under the overpasses and in alleys, but it’s nothing like it once was.
The Midnight Bower: A drag and burlesque group in Norfork. Always in search of their next iconic performance.
Check out
“Kingdom” by Ben Robbins!
Pest Control is an actual-play tabletop horror RPG podcast produced in association with Queuetimes (
@_queuetimes). Our second season uses “Monster of the Week”, a Powered by the Apocalypse system by Michael Sands and Evil Hat Productions. You can pick up a copy
here.
Season two, “Norfork”, follows a trio of friends living in the edge-city of Norfork as the community adapts to the open presence of Myriads and the encroachment of The City.
What is Pest Control?
Pest Control is an actual-play horror tabletop show from AltHaven. Join Keeper Sam R, and players William, Jonas, and Sam D as they get lost in fantastical worlds featuring compelling characters, engaging story, and thrilling twists!
Season 1, "Fate", originally ran in 2019 as a livestream on the AltHaven (formerly Queuetimes) main YouTube channel. It uses the Monster of the Week game system. It follows a group of found-family monster Hunters as they set off on a journey across the United States, dealing with the creatures they encounter and drawing ever nearer to the end of the road...
Season 2, "Norfork", uses Monster of the Week as well as a mix of other indie tabletop role-playing games to tell the story of a world where everyone knows monsters exist, and a town that is slowly losing its identity to the enormous neighboring City.