I wanted to see which locations in the Grimm Lands people liked most and possibly why. Personally, I like the London Bridge (mainly because it trumped every idea I had for using the Three Blind Mice story), the Cross-Road Tree (something about it seemed very unique and intriguing), and lastly the Three "Little" Pig's living quarters (detailed in their character description in the back of the book).

I suppose I like the Land of Fear best. Although I am waiting still to run my kids through it, I have all kinds of ideas to freak them out. A series of enounters that will make THEM shudder, as well as plans to make them each face one of the other kids' greatest fear.

For me it's Spider-filled Rapunzel and her tower. It's so twisted and perverse, and sad, my absolute favorite. Also liked the hollow tree a lot.

GameBearOR said:

Would you mind sharing some of them....if you really have them that is! I thought Spider-filled Repunzel would be stupid at first, then I read into it and was rather stunned at the creativity.

Sure...

1) They enter the Land of Fear, which is forested unlike the GaAf - it is much more stark and chilling.

A fog begins to creep in, quickly becoming so dense that they can barely see each other. They hear the sound of other children giggling and running around them. They may choose to hold hands so they do not get separated. I will ask them how they plan to navigate. At one point they will each realize that the hand they have been holding is NOT that of one of their companions. Instead it is a strange child with a mask upon their face which looks like it has been cut out of human skin. This is Bog, Stink and Fetid, the Fear Children:

The Fear Children will run off giggling and disappear into the fog. Eventually the PCs will find each other. The point of this is to have isolated them all from each other so that when I begin to sew doubt later among them that one of them is not who they say they are, they will recall that they were separated at this point. I want to make them believe that one of the others has been replaced with a doppleganger. Our Bully's little sister (an NPC with Down's Syndrome) will still be missing, however.

2) They will make their way to the House of Shudders and find the Fear Children waiting for them:

They will be escorted into the home and to the Fearless King's audience chamber. Everything in the LOF is in black and white, like an old movie. I will play up the tension as they wait for the king, with music and description and unnerving items around the room, like this chair and statue:

until the King finally appears:

BOB - the only thing in color in the land. A very ordinary guy, friendly, easy to like. He will tell his tale and ask the kid's help teaching him to shudder. In return he will give them the 1st ring in their quest. He will feed them:

and give them rooms:

and they are free to explore the house.

3) encounters they will have. I won;t give descriptions, but here are the images: You can imagine...

and my favorite:

I plan to have one of the kids notice a bump in our Dreamer's hair. when she begins so check, this is what she will discover. How will they handle it? Will they dare to shut it off? What will happen if they do?

Also planned are a) a room filled with mannequins covered in plastic that they must go thru, playing up that some of them may be moving, b) I have asked each of them to tell me what their character's greatest fear is, so naturally they are expecting me to confront them with it. However I plan to confront each of them with one of the other kid's fears, which they must defeat. C) zombie attrack (maybe)

4) Ultimately they will locate the Bully's sister and teach the King to Shudder (I assume), but will have a very creepy, memorable experience doing it.

you should have NEVER taught me how to put pictures on here - heh

Oh....my....god. I'm so stealing your Power-Switch-on-the-head idea! That is so brilliant, and the encounter pictures you posted were amazing, how did you find them??? Did you look for pictures first, then come up with a story or vice-versa? I think my favorite pics here is the one with the 3 masked kids and the the silhouette of the man behind the glass. Great pictures though, if you have anymore for any themes, I'd love to see them in the reference pics thread.

Thanks LM! Well, I started with specific searches, like for foresst and old photos of kids, etc. Then I did searches for topics like "creepy" or "scary" or "haunted" and let them take me where they would. Having a general idea for what I wanted to happen I let pictures i found inspire me with ideas. Its time-consuming, but paid off. I searched on Google pictures, Flickr, and would also find images on a hosting ot blog site, which I would then look at closer for additional pics.

Yeah, I liked the shadow in the window too, and from that decided to make the house an old asylum. That particular event will be when one of them is startled awake in the night. They will see that image at their door. They may investigate and find nothing, or constantly see someone "just turning the corner," hallway after hallway if i need to lead them somewhere (or just away from the others to isolate them). I also loved that pic of the kitchen and the guy at the end, who they will see from behind and then he will quickly walk off to the left without them really seeing his face. They may search but will never find him. Just a creepy and unsettling little moment. They will keep wondering how significant it was.

The League of Witches and Warlocks. I am absoulutely delighted by the notions of all the different magicians, spellslingers, and sorcerers of The Grimm Land, many of whom most likely despise each other, sitting down to a nice civil cup of tea together.