BALDWIN COUNTY

good luck.

a twisted, surreal county of 3 towns. those who enter forget the realities of the outside world. those who remain stay unaware of the irregularities. an ever-changing landscape, strange weather phenomena, and unusual wildlife. after an event shakes the county to its core, those most affected decide to seek both the truth and help from the outside world, as they learn why baldwin county is not on the map.

soroka, our protagonist. an energetic, easy-going, goofy guy who just wants to take life easy. grew up in an average household, him and his older half-brother, jude. soroka has always hated the way the palevsky parents favoured him over his brother- and thus, found himself growing closer to his brother than to his parents. he doesnt outright hate his parents, he likes them fine, but in an ultimatum, the choice would not be a hard one. he was bullied throughout school in spurts- it seems to bother him more now then when it was ongoing. everyone knows soroka, whether in a good or bad way. it scares him. he tries to use it to his advantage when he can, but he cant shake the urge to run away to where hardly anyone knows him. an art major at the local community college.

eden, new in town. a shy, quiet woman with a hidden rebellious streak. only moved to town a few years ago- yet cant recall much about where she once lived. gets babied a lot at home- and baldwin county being so outwardly dangerous doesnt seem to help that. she never feels sure if she wants to move back "home" or not; wherever home might be. does dumb youth shit- parties, drinks, etc, but is great at getting away with it. this doesnt mean she lacks responsibility- is a teen scout leader and takes her role very seriously. wants to be a professional chef.

enzo, the one cast aside. an unexpressive boy with a love for vintage comics and records. he can be blunt and not watch his words- though its not persay malicious. he stayed at home most of his life, tending to his younger sister, nadia. hes an amazing cook for his age and living independently is not a struggle for him. hes used to it, after all. both at home and in public, he often was in his little sisters shadow. hes intellectually brilliant, being that sort of kid who never seemed to pay attention but got solid grades. he has a soft spot for his 4 cats, all former strays.

hamza, the lover. a loving man who wears his heart on his sleeve and is, perhaps, a little too forgiving. has a strained and distant relationship with his younger brother, but doesnt like to talk about it. a popular streamer/artist online. does a bit of everything, and isnt sure where he wants to take his life. for now, he enjoys what he does, and it pays the bills, so hes not planning on stopping and takes it day by day. most of all, he wants to amount to something.

jude, the brother. a hippie stoner who practically lives in his rv. can get caught up in his own world from time to time, but a very typical older brother. not on good terms with his parents. they see each other rarely, and its usually because of something related to soroka. he holds no animosity to those who like them, but he quite dreads spending time with them. spends most of his time in the fringes of town in his rv, living an easy and carefree life. his rv (and the small camp around it) has become somewhat of a safe haven/escape to a lot of the younger people in the county.

kolya, the one left behind. a cowboy lover with the innate ability to be left alone for 15 minutes and come back with the wildest story youve ever heard of, with proof. was the butt end of a cruel joke as a kid from a former friend group, and its a sore spot all these years later. he does everything in his power to avoid them, contrasting his usually cheery and silly demeanor. rides horses (trick riding specifically) and is a sheep farmer. overcompensates for areas he feels he falls short. knows how to use a gun.

lucille ("lucy"), the one who knew him. they are here for chaos and jokes and there is nothing you can do to stop them. uses their intellect at choice moments to say the most raw, prophetic nonsense youve ever heard. they want to be a fashion designer. they were greatly influenced by a specific designer as a child, and even now love her work deeply. despite this, they arent afraid to get dirty. they own horses and chickens, and are particularly close to a hen named charlie. take their friends trailriding often. is kolyas neighbour, with their parents being friends for a very long time.

mateo, the child of the first. despite their colourful appearance, they hate being the center of attention. they live with their mom and aunt in a small apartment in the center of town. are very forgetful (though not intentionally). theyve always wanted to do something in the biology field, and have a noted interest in mortuary science. their fascination with the study of death and monsters may, in part, be due to the death of their father. he was the first to have gone missing since the monster incident. the one that made the townsfolk fear the outside world outright. they struggle with sleep- staying up late writing poetry and reading. they love the outdoors, and yearn to go on a romantic roadtrip with their lover (enzo) and travel the world they know is out there.

mona, the best friend. can come off a bit formal at first, but is not incapable of relaxing. puts high expectations on herself and tends to overcompensate. the type to be able to trudge through the mud with no issue and run through an entire forest only to come out unscathed and spotless. grew up in a loving, gentle household with her single father. her father loves her dearly and would be endlessly proud of her no matter what she did, but she wants to do him well so ends up being incredibly harsh on herself. has no siblings or cousins, however shes close enough to soroka that they might as well be siblings- monas father even referring to soroka as his "other child".

nadia, the favoured. the youngest of the group, and doesnt know most of the others very well. is a babysitter in her free time so most of the parents of young kids know her! a teachers pet, but not a snitch, and not a troublemaker. she has a loud voice which can bother people sometimes, but she finds making friends incredibly easy. very artsy, and makes most of her own clothes. was raised by her older brother, enzo, more than their parents. they worked a lot and werent around as much as they maybe wanted to. while nadia has a lot of friends, she finds she desires more deep, emotionally fulfilling friendships, as she feels theyre something she lacks. she wants to help brighten the atmosphere as best she can. things on this adventure will be dark, dreary, and uncertain. and she knows she can be loud, but if she can crack jokes until everyone cracks a smile, she will.

sofia, the one who saw too much. an unusual girl who accidentally spreads rumours because she thinks theyre true, and feels bad about it after. likes studying cryptozoology and the paranormal. she thinks everything that happens to her is some sort of sign. of what? who knows. she claims shes never seen the outside world. this is a lie. it was brief- just a short few-minute accidental wander out of the border. one of the few who understands how horrible baldwin county really is. loves the people, hates the place. shes convinced the monsters in the forest are proof her leaving was a mistake and that whatever she saw that day will come back and kill her for leaving. dedicated herself to learning about creatures because she has an obsessive need to know what she saw that day.