History of Shadow Falls

  • 1866

    October

    The Founding of Shadow Falls

    Shadow Falls was founded in 1866 by a group of weary settlers led by Captain Nathaniel Blackwood, a former mariner seeking solace after his ship, the Aurora Dane, was shipwrecked and had claimed the lives of many of its passengers. Drawn by the mysterious beauty of the secluded coastal area, the survivors established the town on the shores of a natural harbor beneath the looming cliffs and nearby cascading waterfall that gave the settlement its name. The settlers quickly built a thriving fishing community, yet from its inception, Shadow Falls was shrouded in eerie legends and whispered tales of ghostly apparitions seen near the lighthouse, adding an enigmatic allure to the town's rugged charm.

  • 1867

    March

    The Vanishing Cattle

    The town’s livestock begins disappearing without a trace. No tracks or signs of struggle are found. The disappearances stop as suddenly as they began after a few weeks, but the mystery of what happened to the cattle remains unsolved.

  • 1871

    October

    The Signal Begins

    Despite the existence of radio waves still not being proven until the 1880s, a strange radio signal began broadcasting from a small island off the coast. Some of the local newspapers report that the strange, consistent sound can be heard only by exotic pets and certain individuals, driving pets and owners away from the area. All attempts to find the source of the strange sound have met with failure.

  • 1871

    November

    The Burning Light

    On a foggy night, an intense, unexplained light is seen emanating from the cliffs where the waterfall descends. The light is so bright that it illuminates the entire town, yet no source is found. The phenomenon lasts for three nights and then ceases.

  • 1878

    June

    The Phantom Footprints

    After a heavy rain, large, unidentifiable footprints appear in the muddy streets and along the shore. They are far larger than human footprints and lead to and from the water, disappearing near the cliffs. Despite extensive investigation, the origin of the footprints remains unknown.

  • 1883

    February

    The Silent Storm

    A severe storm hits Shadow Falls, but it is eerily silent. No wind howls, and even the usual town noises are muffled. The silence persists throughout the storm, leaving residents unnerved. When the storm passes, normal sounds return, but the experience is never forgotten.

  • 1889

    August

    The Shadow Phantom

    Residents report seeing a tall, shadowy figure roaming the outskirts of town at dusk. Descriptions suggest it is a man in Civil War clothing, but no one can approach it. It appears sporadically over several months before vanishing entirely.

    More reading
    The Shadow Phantom
  • 1894

    October

    The Ghostly Choir

    An ethereal choir sings from the cliffs above the town on Halloween night. The voices are hauntingly beautiful and seem to come from nowhere. Some residents claim to recognize old, long-deceased relatives among the voices. The singing stops at dawn and is never heard again.

  • 1899

    May

    The Unseen Wave

    A powerful, unseen force hits the shoreline, sending waves crashing into the town without any apparent cause. Boats are overturned, and docks are damaged. When the waters recede, strange symbols are etched into the sand, which no one can decipher.

  • 1902

    January

    The Midnight Snowfall

    Snow begins to fall at exactly midnight and stops at precisely one in the morning. The snow is unusual, sparkling with a faint, otherworldly glow. By sunrise, the snow has melted completely, leaving no trace except for a lingering feeling of unease among the townsfolk.

  • 1905

    April

    The Floating Lanterns

    Hundreds of lanterns are seen floating above the town, drifting silently from the sea towards the waterfall. They illuminate the night sky for hours before slowly ascending and disappearing into the clouds. No one claims to have released them, and their origin remains a mystery.

  • 1906

    September

    The Mirror Pool

    Overnight, the water in the town’s central pond becomes as reflective as a mirror, showing not only the surroundings but also strange, distorted images and faces that no one recognizes. The phenomenon lasts for a week before the pond returns to normal.

    More reading
    The Mirror Pool
  • 1910

    December

    The Vanishing Snowman

    After a rare heavy snowfall, children built a large snowman in the town square. The next morning, the snowman vanished, leaving behind a perfect circle of untouched snow where it stood. Footprints suggest it melted instantly, yet temperatures remained below freezing.

  • 1920

    July

    The Singing Stones

    Strange, melodious sounds are heard emanating from the rocks along the shoreline. The tones vary and seem almost like a song. Despite numerous attempts to record or understand the source, the sounds remain a mystery and cease after a month.

  • 1925

    May

    The Spectral Shipwreck

    On a foggy night, townsfolk witness what appears to be a shipwreck just off the coast. The next morning, there is no sign of any wreckage or survivors, and no ships are reported missing. The ghostly ship is seen again on several foggy nights before vanishing for good.

  • 1930

    October

    The Phantom Fair

    Days before Halloween, an entire carnival appears in a field outside of town. Rides, games, and lights are all operational, but the fair is eerily silent, with no workers present. By dawn, the fair has disappeared without a trace, leaving only flattened grass where it stood.

  • 1935

    August

    The Glowing Tide

    The ocean near Shadow Falls glows with a bright, phosphorescent light for several nights. The glow is so intense that it lights up the entire shoreline. Marine biologists are baffled as the glow vanishes as suddenly as it appeared, and no cause is ever identified.

  • 1940

    February

    The Echoing Voices

    Residents begin hearing their own voices echoing back to them, even when standing alone in quiet places. These echoes seem to carry on conversations or repeat thoughts the person hasn't yet expressed aloud. The phenomenon stops abruptly after a few weeks.

  • 1944

    June

    The Midnight Bloom

    At midnight, flowers of unknown species bloom all over the town, emitting a sweet, intoxicating fragrance. By morning, the flowers wither and disappear, leaving no seeds or remnants behind. Botanists are unable to identify the species or explain their sudden appearance.

  • 1950

    October

    The Whispering Fog

    A thick fog envelops Shadow Falls, and residents begin hearing whispers from within it. The whispers are soft, fragmented, and seem to be calling people by name. After three days, the fog lifts, and the whispers cease, leaving the town in an uneasy silence.

    More reading
    The Whispering Fog
  • 1951

    December

    The Shifting Shadows

    Shadows in the town start behaving unusually, moving independently of their sources and sometimes forming strange, ominous shapes. The phenomenon intensifies during the winter solstice and then gradually fades away, restoring normalcy to the town's shadows.

  • 1952

    June

    The Disappearance of the Lighthouse Keeper

    Sean Miller, the town's lighthouse keeper since 1905, vanished without a trace during a stormy night. His disappearance has never been solved.

  • 1960

    October

    The Phantom Ship

    Multiple residents report seeing a ghostly ship off the coast. It appears during a thick fog and vanishes as mysteriously as it appears. Attempts to track the ship or identify it prove fruitless.

  • 1966

    March

    The Time-Lost Traveler

    A disoriented man stumbles into town, claiming to be from 1866. He describes the town and its residents as they were a century ago with uncanny accuracy. After a few days, he disappears, leaving behind only an antique pocket watch engraved with the year 1866.

  • 1971

    July

    Mysterious Ethereal Figure

    The full moon over Shadow Falls cast an eerie, unnaturally bright light that revealed strange, glowing symbols etched into the cliffs and shoreline. As residents gathered in awe, an ethereal figure emerged from the sea, spoke in an unknown language, and vanished, leaving the town in a state of profound wonder and lingering unease.

  • 1978

    July

    The Vanishing Visitors

    A family of four vacationing in Shadow Falls disappears overnight from their rented beach house. Their belongings are left untouched, and no signs of a struggle are found. The case remains open.

  • 1983

    August

    The Whispering Woods

    Residents near the town’s forest begin hearing whispers at night. The voices are unintelligible but seem to come from deep within the woods. Explorations reveal nothing, but the phenomenon continues for months.

  • 1984

    June

    Radical Kids
    Life, Supernatural

    It's the summer of 1984, and something strange is brewing in the town of Shadow Falls. It starts with whispers—missing pets, strange lights in the woods, and a chilling hum that vibrates just below the threshold of hearing. While the adults dismiss it as local folklore, a group of kids, known locally as the Radical Kids Mystery Club, know better. Armed with walkie-talkies and a sense of adventure, they ride their bikes into a mystery that will challenge everything they thought they knew.

  • 1989

    December

    The Frozen Tide

    The sea off the coast of Shadow Falls inexplicably freezes solid overnight despite the relatively mild temperatures. The ice melts the following day, but marine life is found dead along the shore, adding to the mystery.

  • 1993

    August

    Lights Out

    Anna Losten reported an unsettling encounter in her home one night, claiming to have witnessed a shadowy figure that would materialize and vanish with the flick of a light switch. This bizarre phenomenon left her deeply disturbed, despite its brief duration.   (video by ponysmasher)

  • 1997

    June

    The Vanishing Lake

    Shadow Lake, a small body of water near the town, vanishes overnight. The lakebed is dry, and there is no evidence of where the water went. By the following week, the lake mysteriously refills, and life returns to normal, but the event is never explained.

    More reading
    The Vanishing Lake
  • 1999

    November

    The Singing Sands

    The beach sands begin emitting melodic sounds, akin to singing. Scientists hypothesize it might be due to unique wind patterns, but the phenomenon remains largely unexplained. It ceases after a few weeks, never to recur.

  • 2002

    June

    The Ghostly Procession

    On the night of the summer solstice, townsfolk witness a procession of spectral figures along the main street. They appear to be dressed in old-fashioned attire and vanish at midnight. Historical records later suggest these figures resemble early settlers.

  • 2007

    September

    The Radio Silence

    All radio, cellphone, and TV transmissions in and out of Shadow Falls cease for exactly 24 hours. Communication is restored without explanation, and no faults are found in the equipment. During the silence, many reported hearing faint, cryptic messages on their radios or cellphones.

  • 2010

    March

    Thalassophobia

    A camcorder was discovered washed up on the jetty at Shadow Falls. The last recording in the camcorder captured a chilling and inexplicable event that has baffled investigators and sparked a maelstrom of debate and speculation that continues to this day.   (Video by OtherWorld_VFX)

  • 2016

    October

    The Midnight Garden

    A mysterious, lush garden appears overnight in the town square. The plants are unlike any known species, glowing faintly in the dark. By morning, the garden vanishes without a trace, leaving only a lingering, sweet fragrance.

  • 2020

    January

    The Day of Shadows

    For an entire day, the town is covered in an unexplainable darkness, as if night has fallen at noon. Despite the absence of light, people can see as though in twilight. The phenomenon ends abruptly at midnight.

  • 2021

    July

    The Hidebehind

    Lost amidst the disorienting, whispering boughs of the Whispering Pines Forest, Jason, a lone backpacker, stumbled upon a small clearing and encountered a peculiar robed stranger. The encounter, as unexpected as it was unnerving, proved terrifying and added a deeper mystery within the heart of the ancient woods.   “The Hidebehind” | ALTER | by Parker Finn

  • 2023

    August

    Into the Woods

    Three young tourists--Natasha, Allan, and Jamie--ventured into the eerie Whispering Pines Forest to explore an abandoned cottage rumored to be haunted. Despite extensive searches, no trace of them was ever found, and the cottage remains a place of dread and mystery in Shadow Falls.

  • 2024

    13 September

    The Curse of Whispering Pines
    Metaphysical / Paranormal event

    The Remington brothers, seasoned hunters with a reputation for tackling the supernatural, teamed up with tabloid journalist Ethan Graves to investigate the mysterious disappearances near the old hunter's lodge in Whispering Pines.

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  • 2024

    22 September

    A Church with a View
    Metaphysical / Paranormal event

    Hunters Dean Remington and his brother, Sam, along with Ethan Graves, are joined by bestselling author Richard Raynland and the ghost of his son, Jon, as they investigate a recent murder at the Church of St. George.

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  • 2024

    17 October

    The Signal
    Metaphysical / Paranormal event

    Hunters Dean Remington and his brother, Sam, along with Barry Rhodes and Ethan Graves, joined up with members of Hunters United Guild (HUG) to investigate a strange signal emanating from an island off the coast of Shadow Falls.

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  • 2024

    25 October

    This Strange Old House
    Metaphysical / Paranormal event

    A week before Founders Day and Halloween, bestselling author Richard Raynland has asked the hunters to help investigate the many strange events happening at Blackwood Manor, a home he had recently inherited from his deceased uncle, Christopher Blackwood.