Averno Township

The Averno Universe

Averno is a transmedia universe surrounding the fictional town of Averno, VA. The universe spans many forms of media; taking place in plays, musicals, novels, TV shows, comics, a podcast, short stories and more. The works are set over a course of 300 years, and follow many interconnecting stories about the “secrets, lies and history” that surround the town.

Averno was created by young playwright Morgan Smith (any pronouns), a 21 year old who had previously worked on projects such as Oceanborn. In an interview with Call Me Adam, Morgan stated that they created the universe with the intention of forming a safe space for all to express themselves, claiming “Teens have found comfort because we see what they need - stories that see them, that represent them, creators who genuinely care about them, and storytelling forms that are as unique to these times as the Gen-Z mindset is.”

This idea of a “safe haven” for teens gained traction in March of 2020 on TikTok, a popular social media app. Through a series of videos asking questions such as; "Do you get chills when you watch our videos? Do you see things in your head when you listen to our music? Do you feel like you've been to the places we show you, perhaps in a past life?", the official Averno account began to accrue a following. This following helped get the attention of Broadway Records, who reached out to the group with a triple record deal to produce three of their musical albums. Presently, the group has over 150,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.

On September 5th, 2020, Broadway Records released the first of the three albums. Willow, a musical about two couples and their stories surrounding a willow tree, rose to #8 on the Apple Music "Musicals" Chart, surpassing popular musical Beetlejuice. Since then, there have been approximately 500,000 streams of the album, with an average of 20,000 monthly listeners on the official Averno Spotify.

The Story of Averno

Summary

According to the official "Averno Bible" found on the Township Wiki:

"The story of Averno begins with Aster, a witch from the north who fled persecution with her daughter Iris and her bobcat, Clementine. The three of them arrived in Averno and built a cottage at the edge of the woods, where they hoped they would be safe. Unfortunately, a baptist preacher caught wind of this fact and came along and murdered Iris and Clementine. In her unholy rage and trauma, Aster was able to rip open a hole between the worlds and create a safe haven for all who needed it- the Forest.

The stories of Averno take place in three main locations- The Forest, the Town, and A New School, a privately funded liberal arts college that appeared out of nowhere in 1971.

In this town, the things in the woods aren’t the ones you need to fear.

Averno, VA was founded in 1695. In 1702, it was razed to the ground. In 1703, it was refounded- better. “Purer”.

Shadows lurk in the woods, ready and waiting. The eyes are always watching. Children disappear. Storefronts never change. There are always whispers.

Conspiracies and cults, sinners and saviors, Averno has it all. A love letter to southern gothic, the occult, and the seedy underbellies of seemingly peaceful towns everywhere, Averno is a sprawling map of the secrets that intertwine humanity, the horrors we inflict on each other, and the mysteries we can never unravel.

Welcome to Averno."

A New School

*Information taken from the Official Averno Bible*

"In the summer of 1971, an unknown private investor bought the land that used to house the Averno grain mill and the Holy House of God Cathedral. In the dead of night, a reconstruction of a 19th century castle was built. Seven letters arrived at the post office that Monday. Each day, the head of a new department of ANS arrived, picked up a letter, and disappeared Into the castle. On Sunday, the post office was closed. Nobody has met the head of the rumored seventh department, but on Monday, the final letter was gone."

A New School has seven departments, each with a unique course of study. Each department is housed in a different area of the school. Departments are self declared, although there is a test to determine what department(s) might be a good fit for each student. These departments are:

• Department of Creation and Destruction (DCD)
• Department of Cults and Mysteries (DCM)
• Department of Dead Languages (DDL)
• Department of Hidden Sequences (DHS)
• Department of Higher Powers (DHP)
• Department of Lost History (DLH)
• Department of Unconfirmed Existence* (DUE)

DCD

Summary

"Leftover from the time that A New School was a farmstead, at the edge of campus sits a barn and a silo. At least, that’s what they used to be, before the DCD got ahold of them. The Barn now functions as a remodeled live-in studio. On the top floor, in the old hayloft, students sleep in hammocks made by the textile students. One half of the barn has been replaced entirely with glass, and sunlight streams in on the visual artists. The other half, outfitted with high-speed internet, coffee makers, and enough cushy armchairs to house a small army, is home to the writers. If you listen closely you can always hear someone talking about their new idea, swearing because someone pointed out a plot hole, or trying desperately to convince their friend to beta read their new piece. Haphazard stacks of books creep up the walls, and art covers every available surface. The Creation Kids believe vehemently in reckless, boundless, and fearless creation as the only way to survive. Outside in the silo, the other half of the department can usually be found working on homemade recipes for explosives, demolishing test crash dummies, developing new formulations for jet fuel, or just blowing up a car because they can. There is beauty in destruction, they have found, poetry in the finality of it all. Out back is a garden, tended to carefully (and ferociously protected when the destruction kids accidentally set things on fire). The creation kids grow pomegranates and jasmine, chamomile and mint- somehow, anything will grow in this sticky, honeyed Virginia dirt. But, come rain or shine, at 5:30 all of the students have tea together in the back field, covered in paint and ink, soot and dust, and watch golden hour hit the rolling hills that sink down to the castle."

Key Colors

• Lavender
• Grass green
• Sunflower yellow

Subjects of Study

• Art
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Building

• Abandoned barn and silo

Motto

• "It's just life and death"

DCM

Summary

"At the edge of the woods, there is a cottage. Vaguely threatening classical music drips from cracked windows. A few girls sit on the grass, arguing about cryptography, or serial killers, or the Eleusinian Mysteries. Someone watches from an upstairs window. From the front, the cottage doesn’t look like it could possibly house an entire department- or stay standing. Painted dark blue and white, it is too tall to be stable, and it teeters spectacularly to the left. If you walk around to the back, you notice that it seems to be swallowed by the forest, trees and deep red clay dirt and moss creeping across the windows. Inside, students sprawl across maroon velvet couches, watching Buzzfeed Unsolved, cutting out articles for their conspiracy boards, arguing about who the Zodiac killer is, and doing forensic research for strictly scientific reasons.

Walking further into the building, the light dims, and a strange scent fills the air. Damp earth. Rust. Old water. There is always a disconcerting moment when the students realize they are underground, that the cottage winds its way down into the earth. The air is heavier down here. Lit by candles and torches, the students sleep in the underground maze, the roots of the cottage.

It is here that they talk about the darker mysteries."

Key Colors

• Garnet
• Prussian Blue

Subjects of Study

• Cryptography
• Criminology
• History
• Psychology

Building

• The Cottage

Motto

• "Consume"

DDL

Summary

"Housed in the abandoned Cracker Corp factory, the Department of Dead Languages is notorious on campus. As soon as you walk through the front door (torn off its hinges long ago) and into the cavernous building, with its towering walls of broken window panes and hasty scrawls in indecipherable languages, you are transported to another time. Some believe the languages of the dead were never meant to be spoken. That to form the words of a long-dead tongue is to invite ghosts onto your lips. The halls echo with Latin, Greek, Akkadian, signs written in Coptic and Sumerian directing you to the room filled with plush couches that serves as a dorm room, the kitchen with outdated technology that catches fire nearly every day, and the study library that is populated at all hours of the night. When the DDL was established, the students began speaking another language as well. A stranger, wilder one. No one knows where it came from, or really how they learned. It feels as though it has always been there. No signs direct you to the rooms where the most ancient languages are spoken and cast. Bronchoscopy, haruspicy, daphnomancy and augury- the languages that require no words. Students climb the fire escape to watch the sky, translate the language of storms, leaving words behind in favor of the deeper forms of knowing. The students of the DDL know that the gods are always talking. You just have to know how to listen."

Key Colors

• Dark Purple
• Cream

Subjects of Study

• Cryptography
• Linguistics
• Anthropology
• Classics

Building

• Abandoned Cracker Corp grain factory. Some parts have been remodeled. Others have never been touched. Exposed pipes, industrial lighting, and words scribbled on every available surface.

Motto

• "Vivant Linguae Mortuae"

DHS

Summary

"The Department of Hidden Sequences is bright. Too bright.

On top of the abandoned grain factory, there is a Birdcage. At least, that’s what the DHS students call it. A glass box, half rubix cube, half maze, with endlessly repeating geometric patterns that form the only code to navigating the twisting halls.

On the weekend, the Birdcage is a strobe beacon, music pulsing loud enough that you hear it in the DCM Cottage across campus. Students from the other departments steer clear unless they have a guide- they all know that there is a specific madness that lives in those halls, a madness made of numbers that promise answers and shapes that pretend to govern life. Students play music at all hours of the day, experimenting with how different time signatures affect their thought patterns. They code video games and trip on acid, comparing notes about the patterns they see. They get into heated arguments about QRNGS and theories of reality, bible numerology and the predictability of the universe.

From the double helix staircase to the fibonacci spiral that divides the dorms, the Department of Hidden Sequences is equal parts chaotic and measured. Its students are the same- cold and calculating, playful and mysterious. Sharp eyes and sharp words, trying to divine the secrets of the universe from the hidden patterns on the underside of the world."

Key Colors

• Chartreuse
• Royal Blue

Subjects of Study

• Mathematics
• Biology
• Music
• Code-Breaking

Building

• The Birdcage

Motto

• "Find the connection"

DHP

Summary

"The students of the Department of Higher Powers know there are older things in this world. Housed in a dome above the Holy House of God Cathedral, the students of the DHP are perpetually stuck halfway between this world and the next. From the antique surgical tools that hang on the wall to the jars of herbs that cover shelves that stretch to the ceiling, the DHP students are always reaching. From the ancient truths that sing inside our blood to the mysteries of what waits on the other side, there is a commonality found in accepting that we are not entirely in control. Students are witches and doctors, modern ascetics, dipping into the beyond with meditation and drugs, calling upon things that are too old to speak the languages of this world. Students burn incense as they compare notes on ancient religious texts, watching the ebb and flows of human belief. Paganism as the first religions to monotheism and the casting out of witches. The practice of herbalism- healer to witch to doctor. Speaking in tongues and consulting oracles. The wicked and divine, the sacred and profane, the students of the DHP want it all. And they’ll do anything to get it."

Key Colors

• Burgundy
• Gold

Subjects of Study

• Theology
• Medicine
• Witchcraft

Building

• Holy House of God Cathedral: Dome

Motto

• "Reach Higher"

DLH

Summary

"Housed in the body of Averno’s Holy House of God Cathedral (built 1707-1709, abandoned in 1761), the Department of Lost Histories is a Dark Academia dream. White marble floors that echo with the click of high heels. Endless books in mahogany bookshelves that stretch to the ceiling. Upon first examination, it feels almost museum-like. But when you look closer, you see the cracks in the facade. Students tucked away on armchairs, chugging two-day-old black coffee from cups with lipstick marks. Dark circles under eyes. Piles of books left out from frenzied searches in the early morning. The students of the DLH are time travelers and detectives, historians and madmen. The truth is out there. There are stories that have never been heard. There are voices that have been forgotten. There are places still to be discovered. Armed with red wine and a working knowledge of Latin, near-encyclopedic knowledge of art history and an obsession with abnormal psychology, the Lost Historians slip between the cracks in human knowledge, digging into a past more mysterious than we could ever know."

Key Colors

• Forest Green
• Dark Brown

Subjects of Study

• History
• English
• Literature
• Archaeology
• Anthropology

Building

• Holy House of God Cathedral (only first level). "They have a massive library, Beauty and the Beast style. The common rooms are littered with notes and papers and half-drunk coffee. The literature students sleep in the portion of the library that used to be the offices. No one knows if the history kids sleep."

Motto

• "Keep Looking"

DUE

Summary

"If you walk straight to the center of campus and fist bump the statue of Abraham Luther Lee Jr., you’ll find yourself in the tunnels that run beneath all of the school. These tunnels are the domain of the DUE. No one has ever really been able to confirm that they do, in fact exist, however rumor has it that beneath the old campus there are tunnels that house the seventh department. Consisting solely on a diet of mountain dew and kraft and mac and cheese, no one knows how the students of DUE survive. They venture out at night in dark hoodies, armed with EMF readers, d, and a constant theme song of the “spooky scary skeletons” dubstep remix. If anyone could confirm that they exist, they would be voted “department with the most crackhead energy”.

You cannot declare a major in this department. If you’re chosen, you disappear into one of the unmarked doors in the backs of closets, trapdoors in abandoned classrooms, or from anywhere in the gym, as there are never any witnesses. The DUE has one mission- to search for and obtain proof of the unexplainable.

Notable alumni purportedly include Goatman and the Jersey Devil (back when he still had a mullet)."

Key Colors

• Teal
• Umber

Subjects of Study

• Cryptozoology
• Mythology (demonology, etc.)
• Exploration (outer space, deep sea, etc)

Building

• The tunnels

Motto

• "I disrespect your bridge goatman!"

The Forest

The Forest is where the story of Averno starts and, according to creator Morgan Smith, will eventually end.

"The story of Averno began with the witch, Aster. After arriving with her daughter, Iris, she built a small cottage at the edge of the woods. A home, a place where they could escape their past. But Abraham Turner, an evangelical preacher from Richmond, made that impossible. He burned their cottage to the ground and murdered Iris. When he tried to come for Aster too, however, she felt something change in her. A rage, older than words can describe. She reached into the place beyond, ripped open the fabric between the worlds, and created a haven. The forest. A world between the worlds. This original rage, original trauma, is what created Averno. Aster wanted a place where girls, women, queer people, different people, could find home. Could find community. Could find a chosen family and a place where they belong."

Dreamspeak The children of the forest have their own language that they use to communicate. It has its own alphabet, as well as a sign language that is used concurrently with the spoken language. There is no direct translation of its name In English, but the closest equivalent would be "Dreamspeak".

"The first class of the Department of Dead Languages found Dreamspeak scrawled on the walls of the abandoned grain mill when they arrived. Over the course of the first semester, slowly but surely, the students began speaking It to each other. No one entirely understands how they know it, or how they learned it. Since then, Dreamspeak has echoed down the halls of the DDL as much as Latin or Greek."

The Town

Founding

The Town's story begins in 1702 when pastor and farmer Abram Turner moved to the area with wife Laura and daughter Sarah, displacing the previous residents who claimed to be "devil worshippers". He founded the Town in 1703 and mysteriously disappeared soon after.

"The same year, their cousins William and Coralee Turner moved to the town with their daughter, May. William Turner, also a pastor, advertised Averno as “God’s city”, selling shares in a church community and eventually founding the state’s first megachurch. In 1739, the church was taken over by his daughter May and her husband Charles, creating a rift in the clergy, most of whom didn’t want a woman in ministry. May took the megachurch in an interesting direction, claiming that God had told her that the Church’s mission was to make sure every member was literate. May founded a school and the town’s library, and eventually a publishing house which distributed the state’s first series of illustrated pocket bibles. However, tragedy struck in 1760, when May’s husband and twin daughters disappeared. Unable to cope with the loss of her entire family, May committed suicide in 1761. The sudden death of the leader of the church, publishing company, school, and library (in hindsight, a potentially risky choice) led to complete economic collapse of the town. By 1770, 80% of the town’s population moved to neighboring cities of Richmond and Williamsburg.

This led to a drastic rise in crime in the ghost town, and, following a kidnapping spree that resulted in 17 disappearances in the year of 1789, the US Federal Government requisitioned the now underpopulated land to build what would eventually become I-95S.

However, due to the rising political tensions, bureaucracy became extraordinarily slow, and the land lay vacant for decades as zoning restrictions were being processed. In 1861, all plans halted, and most of the town was destroyed in the Civil War. It took until 1914, for the land to be privately owned again, when the state Government began selling off its holdings to prevent financial collapse. It was, ironically, bought by the descendant of another Turner cousin, who had gotten rich buying and selling cheap southern land in the wake of reconstruction-era depression. However, due to the family ties, he chose not to resell, and instead to attempt to resettle the town. Hoping to capitalize on the ideals of the “new decade” and “moving forward” that were being advertised at the time, he chose to begin the town with the chic modern Art Deco and Neo Gothic looks that were all the rage in New York at the time. This fell flat, as it turns out the South was not, at the time, all that interested in emulating the North. While half the town exhibited the new age style, the second half of the town was styled with more typical colonial architecture. Construction finished in 1928, just in time for the Great Depression. While this was not good for most, the number of farmers going bankrupt and selling their properties meant that there was a decent market for marked-down housing, and by 1940 the population of the town grew to 1200."

Since then, the Turner family has played a pivotal role in the governing of Averno, boasting 6 judges, 11 mayors and 23 council members throughout the extended family. James Turner, the current town mayor, married into the family via wife Katherine Turner. They sired 7 children, with the youngest being born in 2012. Their names are Elijah, Benjamin, Cora, Beckett, Gwen, Callia, and Blaire. Wife Katherine was left to raise the children after James' mysterious disappearance.

Key Locations

File:Dolores Pie Shop .webp

Delores' Pie Shop

"You will never find a crisper crust than at Dolores' Pie Shop. Dolores is the kind of take-no-nonsense lady that seems like she might have been around forever, making pies and glaring at newcomers. Known around town for their Local Pie, Dolores' Pie Shop is the only place to go for a slice of pie or serving of gossip."

File:Al's Groceries PNG.webp

Al's Grocery

"Al's has the lowest prices you can find this side of I95s. The downside, however, is that it is humanly impossible to find a name brand anywhere within the store. From Red Twizzle Sticks to Pillowy Roasting Candy, you'll never pay top dollar here- but you also can't be entirely sure what's inside the package."

File:Roadkill Butchery.webp

Roadkill Cuts Butcher

"Owned and operated by town conspiracy theorist Big Eddie, you can find nearly any cut of meat at Roadkill Cuts. You might not want to ask where they got it, though."

File:Skyline dinner.webp

Skyline Diner

"Situated at the edge of town, Skyline Diner sits smack dab in between A New School, Averno, and the road out of town. While it looks like a retro themed diner, that's really just because it hasn't been remodeled in fifty years. Students from A New School often show up at odd hours of the night, ordering dino chicken Nuggets and Mountain Dew, not leaving until dawn when the first truckers show up."

The Creators

Concept Team

Morgan Smith - Creator

Morgan Smith (any pronouns) is a 21 year old writer, model, and activist, and social media influencer whose writings have been published in the US and internationally, winning over 20 national awards.

Writer of Oceanborn, an internet-famous musical called “sweeping and confident” by the New York Times, and Averno, a multimedia franchise including 15 plays and musicals, virtual reality, epic poetry, comic books, radio theatre, and a concept album, all in a massive interlocking storyline that explores the politicization of women’s bodies, Morgan’s writing is thoroughly entrenched in the mythic women of past and present.

They are an experiential storytelling designer, a fandom creator, a legislative advocate, a medieval history literature specialist, and an avid proponent of fairy-tale revolution. They have studied at Juilliard, Yale, MIT, and NYU.

More about them and their work can be found on their official website.

Jamie Frazier- Concept Design

Jamie Frazier (they/he), while also being a licensed birth doula and biological anthropologist, is also the head of concept design for the Averno Universe. They focus primarily on lore and world building, as well as editing content so it fits within the universe they have created. Pulled into Averno by partner Morgan Smith, they now work closely to expand this universe and tell the stories they're passionate about.

August Greenwood- Lead Composer

August “Auggie” Greenwood (he/they) is a singer, songwriter and actor based in Charleston SC, who at the young age of 16 has already written and published two full length musicals. The musicals are complete with script, soundtrack and score; all written and composed by them. His musicals are entitled “Antonia the Musical”, and “Two Maiden Ladies”, both boasting their own (true) historical stories.

In spring of 2020, August signed on to the Averno franchise, becoming a primary composer alongside good friend Sushi Soucy. They spent the entirety of summer 2020, at “Camp Averno” in Virginia writing and composing three musicals for the franchise; Willow, Bittersummer and Over and Out. The group was offered a triple record deal by Broadway Records. The first album, for Willow: a New Musical, was released in fall 2020 and became a massive hit; rising to #8 on the musical charts and garnering over 300,000 streams within a few weeks.

Sushi Soucy- Composer

Sushi Soucy (they/them) is a writer, singer, songwriter and composer known for musicals such as Sidekick of 2 Supers. In spring of 2020, they became a creator in the Averno franchise, writing new musical Over and Out to be produced by Broadway Records.

Lead Artists

Sophie Notbam- Lead Concept Artist for Bittersummer

Sophie is an 18 year old artist who has been drawing, painting, singing and performing "basically since she could walk". She was born in Austria but moved to Germany at age four, and spent a year abroad studying in Michigan in 2019. She's been active on her Instagram handle 'dropinart' for the past three years.

Alicia Selkirk- Lead Concept Artist for Willow and Composer

Alicia is an Australian filmmaker, playwrite, actor and composer. Alicia met creator Morgan Smith during the "Future Boradway Creators'' workshop they and August Greenwood held virtually during summer 2020. She eventually joined the Averno team and is now a composer and co-writer for some of the upcoming projects. She has been a performer for over 10 year, with her more recent theatre credits including Astrid in Spontaneous Human Combustion, Caroline in I and You, and Jane in Bumming With Jane and Fantine in Les Misérables.

Thea Fennell- Business Manager and Artist

Thea Fennel is an actress, artist, chemistry major, creator, cosplayer, former theater teacher, singer, stage manager and more. Raised in community theatre, she participates in both performing as well as the technical aspects of theatre. Thea mainly does typography and costume design for Averno, though she is a member of many projects.

"Averno is a project near and dear to her heart; as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, stories that are inclusive and diverse are so important, especially at this time of prevalent hate. She can be found sharing her art, stupid ideas, and jokes with the world at @tfennell42 on Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter."

Artists and Animators

Eva María López- Artist

Eva María Lópeza is a 20 year old illustrator and fine arts student who creates characters and using soft colors and watercolor.

Raquel Martínez- Artist

Raquel "Rei" Martínez is a self-taught digital artist from Spain. She primarily draws fantasy and female characters

Melissa van Dijk-Allen- Artist

Melissa van Dijk-Allen is a twenty-one year old freelance illustrator and student, based in Hamilton, Ontario. She is currently completing her studies at University, with the intent to receive her Bachelor’s in Clinical Psychology.

"From a young age, Melissa has always enjoyed the arts, both visual and performing. Her artwork is primarily found under her Instagram handle @melsewheres."

Shikhar Singhal- Artist

"Shikhar is a multifaceted creative, who studied architecture, and they also are self taught Graphic Designer, Illustrator and Writer, and pursue these passionately. They believe these artforms are interconnected and helps in personal growth of an Individual. Their main focus is to cultivate a community amongst folks from various fields to make better content and lead the world towards a sustainable creative community. They are a self taught Artist, and their primary area of interest has been visual and performative identity & communication. They strive for content that are self explanatory though open to various interpretations, inclusive and intersectional. People can find their art on instagram @thepalettesofshikhar where they share their spectrum of works, from traditional pen and paper artworks, to digital paintings; from monochromatic style to polychromatic works. They have dabbled into multiple art forms, from writing, to music, to artwork and incidentally finding their way to the world of Averno."

Hales Nichole- Set Designer & Artist

"Hales Nichole is a freshly twenty year old student based in Florida. Growing up she’s been and lived all over the south and is no stranger to change and moving, nor the inherent comfort of Forests in the south . Born to an Art and Computer teacher, creativity has always been a feature point in their life, she spent the majority of her childhood creating Worlds in her head, a childhood that has prepared her for the worldbuilding of Averno. Finding childhood solace in the world of theatre, the sport of Figure Skating, and science books, Hales has a wide variety of hobbies, interests, and skills, ranging anywhere from digital art to understanding the complexities of Neuroscience to learning Sign Language. Currently on the path of a Dual bachelors degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and Deaf Studies with a minor in Theatre. She can be found on the instagram @hxlxynxchxle_art where she posts portraits in a wide variety of styles and mediums, and set designs for her collection “Showbiz in a Shoebox”."

Renae Dower- Artist

"Renae Dower is a freelance concept/character designer and illustrator, who by day is also a project manager. She graduated from Roanoke College in 2014 with her Bachelors in Art. Renae holds a passion for most forms of creativity and art; she performs and is the performance director for City Modern Ensemble (modern ballet company). She creates backdrops, sets, costumes and clothing along with pottery and traditional painting and drawing. She is currently painting a mural for the City of Roanoke as well. When not creating, she enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, reading, hiking and cuddling with her two dachshunds."

August- Artist

"August is a 16 year old artist for the Averno Concept Team and helps out with certain social media accounts for Averno. Her main art account is @augustpot but it’s not really active. So go to her Averno account instead, @august.averno.ans. She is asexual/aromantic but can still surprising give pretty mediocre love advice. She’s an aspiring theatre actor but for now art will do. Her favorite fandoms are from musicals, cartoons, anime, and anything that isn’t something she doesn’t like. She hopes to continue to work on Averno for all the time it has to spare."

Rainbow Charrie- Artist

"Rainbow (He/Him) is a 23 years old French concept artist, currently living in the UK. After cultivating a love for watercolour for years, his main medium is now digital and he loves to draw buildings as much as characters; with a slight obsession with sketching birds. His art aims to be soft, with neutral or pastel colours and a profoundly cottagecore aesthetic. He started drawing seriously at the age of 10, but only very recently realised that he wanted to make it his career, and he is looking forward to start studying Concept Art at university this year. Having been the manager of a theatre company, Rainbow loves acting, singing, dancing, playing music, as well as photography, sewing, cosplay, and really any kind of art! The arts have always been a major part of his life and, as well as being a LGBTQ+ activist, the main thing going on in his life. He joined the Averno Concept Team in August 2020 and is extremely grateful and excited to be part of this adventure. Find him on Instagram: @ rainbow.charrie"

Martha- Artist

"Martha (@/daemonishy on instagram) is a 16 year-old artist from the UK working on the Averno team as a concept artist. She is a mostly self taught digital artist, but she will be studying both Fine Art and Graphic Communications at A levels in the hopes of working towards becoming a full-time Illustrator. She likes frogs, podcasts, dnd, drinking obscene amounts of instant coffee, and the found family trope."

Acorn- Artist

"Acorn is a 15 year old digital artist on the Averno team, mainly doing portraits but hoping to do a variety of other things in the future. Her art instagram handle is @witchofyore, where most of her digital art can be found. Besides creating art, she also enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her cat. Fun fact, she will always have candy or tea on hand. She started making art for fun, and then came across Averno through FBC. Working with Averno is like a dream come true, and she hopes to learn and grow together with everyone on the team."

Asteroid- Artist

"Asteroid is more or less 16 and currently a high school student although they want to go into the animation industry when they’re older. They’re an illustrator and animator on the Averno team and more of their work ranging from mini comics, animations, fanart for series they’ve enjoyed, illustrations, and sketches related to their webcomic that has yet to exist can be found on their decently active Instagram page @/arcaneasteroid. Their other interests include making pins and patches so their backpacks are harder to steal, caring for their hermit crabs who seem to only have one hobby and it’s knocking things over, writing stories so they may inflict them on other people, taking pictures of stuff that looks cool or old usually both, reading comics instead of working on their own that’s been in the same state for several weeks at this point, attempting to be bilingual, and growing plants on their windowsill that inevitably fall over so they have to vacuum dirt out of the carpet for what feels like the third time that week."

Charlie Hoopman- Artist

"Charlie Hoopman is an artist, animator, and writer as well as a amateur cosplayer and Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master. Charlie is young, 15, but has gone to camps at Digipen University and is hoping to get into csssa at cal arts next year. Hobbies include staring off into space, animal crossing, and painting renaissance inspired portraits. He has 2 brothers which he cares for very much and is available to talk to or view art at @reye.vern on Instagram."

Zoe/Toast- Artist

"Zoe (aka Toast) is a writer and artist. She was a theater kid for several years but now the closest she gets to acting is playing npcs and hoarding TikTok drafts. In her free time she enjoys re-watching the muppet movies on Disney+ and ranting. She does lots of research on different things and she works on a variety of different projects in Averno but you probably know her from the professors series but don’t worry you’ll be seeing and hearing more from her"

Orchid- Artist

"Orchid is an artist, singer and songwriter though she only does art in Averno! She's 13 and from Europe. Orchid spends most of her days reading and drawing, taking pictures and drinking tea."

Pidge- Artist

"Pidge is a teenage artist, beginning activist, and aspiring actor in the USA. They are a first level black belt in their style of karate, and help teach at their dojo. Running an account with their friends, they hope to gather enough funds to donate to their favorite charities. Their art has evolved over the many years they have been practicing, and have recently become a part of the animators team for Averno."

Makenna Catron- Artist

"Makenna, aka @blueberry_soda03 on Instagram, is a concept artist on the averno team. You may know her from the Gravity falls x Averno mini comic with bill cypher! Makenna hopes to make content the will make everybody happy!"

Morgan/Atlas- Animator

"Morgan is a young freelance artist and animator from Canada, specializing in 'sketchy' type animations and fantasy realism art, as well as an aspiring author."

Morri- Artist

"Morri is a teenage artist, writer and theatre actress. She loves reading books, listening to music and watching horror movies. She is trying to improve her drawing skill on instagram. She is 16. When she found Averno, she found her home. She loves being part of this family."

Cortis- Artist

"Cortis is a 14 year old Chilean artist who loves to draw. Aspiring for animation and illustration related careers. Lover of cats, coffee, musicals and mystery literature, she joined Averno as a part in the animatic and artistic related process."

Lexi/Autumn/Leek- Animator

"Lexi (who also goes by Leek or Autumn) is a high school student in the U.S. who also takes college classes to get an Associate’s in Fine Arts! Usually, when she’s not doing (or procrastinating) schoolwork she’s procrastinating working on art for her Instagram account (@autumnbonopoly). She really wants to be able to go to an art college in the future to major in animation. She loves theatre and video games, as well, even though she’s not the best at either. When she found Averno she was very confused at first but came to really love the town and people in it."

Maddy Carp- Animator

"MaddyCarp (aka Maddy) has been drawing her whole life. She has only recently dipped her toes in what we (humans) like to call writing and musical theatre. She overworks herself too often and is a ball of stress, when not falling for straight girls she likes to dream about being better at art and think of what she thinks a "Forest Hymn" animatic would look like. She is usually at school, though she finds it easy and spends most of class on the Averno discord. She loves doing lego sets for the "expert" level (which is 14-16 to get a hint of her age) and flexing on how in the second grade she got a letter from NASA."

Maxiety- Animator

"Maxiety is a young adult that animates and makes music in most of his free time if he’s not sleeping. Since he’s also a musical nerd, he’s joined the Averno team as an animator/artist in hopes to have some new experiences and meet cool people. He’s been part of the Smule musical community for over three years, most commonly known in the community for singing and acting as Jared Kleinman (from Dear Evan Hansen), and Jeremy Heere (from Be More Chill) in past musical groups often. One of his most viewed recordings on Smule is “Cecily Smith” by Will Connolly. You might also find him on TikTok and Instagram, both under the username: maxiety_ Lastly, his username is just a combination of Max and Anxiety."

Danni- Artist

"Danni, or Cherophobia/Kero on some platforms, is a young artist who works digitally and traditionally in a painterly western anime style often. They are a 15 year old sophomore in high-school and throughout middle-school and high-school they have been an online artist who streams, creates multiple comics, and has done commissioned artwork in the past. They can be found on Instagram at @danni_creatives and Deviantart at CH3ROP0B14."

Ginger- Artist & Animator

"Ginger is 15 going on 16 and a sophomore in high school in the US. Her goal? She has no idea. All she knows is that she wants to do something that'll leave a positive mark on the world. She is relatively new to Averno, and she joined because she loves everything art- from woodworking to theatre to musical instruments. Other than that, she loves animals, basketball, and nature and goes outside whenever she can. She has a crazy imagination and wants to make a place for herself that she can be proud of and call home, even if it's only for a little while. Ginger is quite the goofball, and loves making people laugh. Whenever the opportunity arises, she'll make a quick dad joke to lighten up the room. Ginger is not necessarily her real name, but it is what everyone who doesn't know her seems to call her. Eventually, she'll share her name with the world, just not yet. When she's not drawing, she is super busy with school work and procrastinating on her school work. Overall, Ginger is glad to be a part of Averno and is excited to see where it'll take her! You can find her @gingerbread.draws or @oz.averno.ans on instagram."

Izémrasen- Artist

"Izémrasen (ⵉⵣⴻⵎⵔⴰⵙⴻⵏ) is a Queer, Transmasculine Genderneutral, 22 year old, university student based in the UK. They are the newest concept artist in the Averno team. He is mixed race, half 3/4 Indigenous Amazigh and 1/4 Spanish Basque. He is also deaf/hard of hearing. In university he studies BA (Hons) Performing Arts & Filmography & is the LGBT+ Executive Officer for the university. Outside university he is an actor, multidisciplinary artist & activist. And outside all of his official uni and work stuff, he loves being a big anime & comic weeb, figure skating, skateboarding, playing basketball, cosplaying, play their ukulele, drawing, painting, annoying his friends with their collection of nerf guns, doing witchy stuff, writing songs and swimming. (If you want to check them out and their art, check out their Instagram @IZENEKO)"

Emily (Monstrously)- Animator

"Emily is an animator and creator who has been growing her audience under the name Monstrously. A gentle giant, she is blazing her own trail as a junior at Tennessee Technological University. She plans to study animation in Japan, and release a fully animated pilot by the time she graduates. Emily is excited to bring her skills to Averno, and is even more excited to meet other creatives such as herself."

Lukas- Artist & Mod

"Lukas is a 14 year old self taught artist, reigning from Minnesota. World building and the fantasy genre has always fascinated him, making it impossible for him to turn down the chance to join the Averno concept art team. He focuses on character art, unintentionally sticking to Bittersummer characters. Luke has grown up surrounded by the arts, creating for as long as he can remember. When not drawing, you can find him writing or playing music. Find his artworks @chmmiclly.lk on Instagram."

Sock- Artist

"Sock, James, Bill, Death, this individual doesn't understand fully the concept of names and how many one should have, and was given new names on such a regular basis that his original names have been lost to time. Along with all the names, he has a hoard of mysterious and curious things, all the way from exotic feathers to human teeth, which he adds to constantly and continuously. When it comes to art he's a speedy little demon and has the ability to write and bind a full comprehensible field guide in less than three weeks, while still managing to take enough breaks to get all his finals done. He is very short and at 5' tall he can fit into most cabinets and rarely loses a game of hide and seek. Sock joined Averno as a fan, when he was directed to the department of unconfirmed existence by an online quiz, and immediately started making unofficial art for the use of Averno's fanbase. He still can't believe he was noticed by Morgan and the concept team, but in hindsight it makes sense. He can be found @sock.averno.ans on Instagram, and that's about it."

Fro- Artist

"Una, or Fro, as she prefers to call herself, is a young female concept artist for Averno. Often struggling with computer crashes and lost art, she spends most her time screaming about random story boards and characters she suddenly thought of. Her dream is to one day join professional thespians, or start her own novel. She’s forever grateful for the joy Averno has brought to her life and the friends she’s been able to meet thanks to it!"

Musicians

Nalah Palmer- Violinist

Nalah Palmer (she/her) is a 17 year old composer, violinist and artist. She was the orchestrator for artist August Greenwood’s 2019 musical Two Maiden Ladies. She then signed on to the Averno franchise along with August and was the violinist for Willow: a New Musical, released by Broadway Records in fall 2020.

Alex "Fairything" Masse- Music Production

Alex Masse is a writer and musician from BC. She "pulls from her identity as a neurodivergent lesbian to create and influence her art". She writes poetry, prose, music, and more. Her writing has received two Scholastic Awards Gold Keys, and publication in various outlets. Her self-released EP, “A Year, Moonbound,” became available on all platforms in early August of 2020.

Robin "Thawney" Thorn- Music Production

Robin Thorn (they/them) is a 16 year old nonbinary composer, orchestrator, programmer, sound & light technician and creator of various other multimedia projects based in Essex , UK. They are a producer and musician for Averno, and they founded the Player Two media network. They are also studio manager and a sound engineer at Offtape Studios in London. You can find out more about them and their work on their website.

Press Team

Elodie Prigent- Social Media

Elodie (she/her) is a 17 year old manager on the press team. She runs several different social media accounts, is a teaching assistant for DCD, coordinates events and more. She says she "feels so connected to Averno thanks to representation and the community that it brings, especially as it is a light to so many young queer people".

Tessa Barcelo- Head of Professional Development

Jokingly called Mini-Morgan by the Averno team, Tessa is an award-winning composer, writer, singer, actress, and activist. Tessa sings and produces her own music in Massachusetts, and her music can be found on most streaming platforms. She has previously worked with Morgan as a teaching assistant for Future Broadway Creators, a month-long class teaching young writers how to write musicals. Tessa is a junior in high school and plans to move to New York to pursue songwriting. More can be found about her work on her website.

Jo Sergent- Marketing Strategy

Jo Sergent (they/them) is a young, nonbinary professional in NYC. They managed social media and photography for Broadway Crew and Isle of Shoals before COVID-19. Their career began with their research paper: "Social Media Marketing for Broadway via Twitter" being presented at the National Convention for Undergraduate Research in 2019.

Richard Eyler- Fanbassador

Richard Eyler is a musical theatre performer and influencer. His primary platform is YouTube, under the handle "okrickchard". His recent theatre credits include Jayson in “A Homosexual Hazard”, Tom in “23andus”, Hanschen Rilow in Spring Awakening, Mary Sunshine in Chicago and more.

Ella Villani- Mod & Social Media

Ella (she/her) is one of the mods for the Averno discord server, a platform in which all members of the fanbase can come together to talk, participate in events and more. She is also a theatre performer.

bee- Mod, Social Media, & Worldbuilding

bee (xe/xem) *lowercase intentional* is a high school student with chronic fatigue syndrome and suspected Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Xey are currently writing a politically charged novel, with heavy influence from xyr own life as a chronically ill, autistic, nonbinary person. bee does social media/marketing related work and dips their toes into worldbuilding also. Xyr job might be best described as misc.

Sam- Mod & Social Media

Sam (she/her) is a high school student and mod on the discord server. In addition to modding the server, she edits and reviews the Wikia, answers questions on tumblr, and runs the snapchat. Additionally, she assists with event planning and worldbuilding all while balancing a passion for both visual and performing arts.

Abigail- Mod & Website

Abigail is often mistaken for Greenwood, and yet they are of no relation. She is a mod on the discord server, but also a college student. She is studying biomedical engineering with a focus on devices such as prosthetics and hearing aids. Abigail also edits and runs the official Averno website.

Film and Photography

Cayden Larrossa

Cayden Larrosa (they/them) is a photography and graphic design major at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. They are also an avid filmmaker. They joined the Averno team in October 2020 to film a top-secret project for the franchise. Cayden has an extensive portfolio, most of which can be found on their website.

Averno Works

Averno has a variety of works spanning multiple genres and media. Although the franchise is primarily a horror franchise, many of the works are not. Averno media is all interconnected, but not chronologically.

Plays and Musicals

The Averno franchise currently has 15 plays and musicals lined up to be written and released. They have so far announced and teased 5.

• Willow
• Bittersummer
• Over and Out
• Shorebound
• Imaginary Friend

Willow

Summary

Willow is a musical set on the edge of the Forest surrounding the town of Averno. Its plot spans multiple generations, stories and characters, all centered around an old willow tree on Beatrice's farm. The Averno Bible summarizes the musical as:

"A tender and explosive story following 2 gay couples, a young girl, and her imaginary friend. Set In three different time periods (2006, 2011, and 2012), the stories are united by one thing: the willow tree all the girls meet underneath. With music by 16-year-old August Greenwood, an ensemble cast of women of all ages, Willow looks at the love that transcends all kinds of gaps, and the impressions we leave behind on our communities."

Plot

Note: there are 3 primary timelines in Willow and while this synopsis is organized in the order of the show, chronologically Cassia’s story is first and Meg’s story is last. This story deals with themes of cancer, substance abuse and death, and mentions of those will be marked with brackets on either side

2006: Cassia / Grace

2011: Beatrice / Adelaide

2012: Meg (and her imaginary friend)

On the old Anderson farm on the outskirts of Averno sits a willow tree so tall that when sitting beneath it, you can barely see the stars. If you asked Beatrice Anderson how long it had been there, she would probably just shrug- or say something about sticking your nose in other peoples beeswax. The willow was a part of the land, permanent and steady and a little mysterious, as all things are that grow without permission.

When we first meet the willow tree (1. Sweet Willow) it is surrounded by creatures less permanent,  though perhaps more mysterious than trees- Adelaide, Beatrice, Cassia, Grace, and Meg. They don’t know each other yet- but this summer, all of that will change.

Adelaide is a Good Southern Lady. She got her first job when she was 15, bringing coffee to the men in Averno’s only bank. By the time she was 20, she was a teller. She married a good man, Daniel, and got a  townhouse and had 4 lovely children. She worked hard for her whole life- they even saved enough to take a vacation to Majorca in ‘73. Her children went to great schools (except Amy) and settled down and had kids of their own (except Amy). When her husband died last year, it wasn’t a surprise to anyone. He had lived well, and they had had a good life together.

As she walks home from church one Sunday morning (2. Adelaide’s Path), she watches the flowers blooming. She remarks to herself that they’re late this year (as Daniel isn’t around to remark to), and then realizes something- she’s walked on this same path every year for 70 years. She knows when the magnolias are late for the season. And she has no one to tell. Suddenly she is angry- or at least, riled. She doesn’t know what she wants for the rest of her life, but it isn’t to talk to thin air about late-blooming magnolias. She wants- well, something. Something new. So she steps off the path.

And that is how she finds herself bumping into Beatrice while accidentally trespassing on the Anderson farm in her sensible heels.

Grace has known about the willow tree since she was 14. [At this point she’s lost count of how many empty whiskey bottles she’s hung from its branches. She comes to the tree to get trashed, occasionally yell at the moon, and often to yell at her girlfriend. It isn’t always clear who is to blame for the disastrous relationship, but tonight her girlfriend threatened to commit suicide if Grace didn’t stop drinking.] The cops were called, the parents roped in, and all in all, Grace is feeling more than a little done with humanity (3. Twister). She and her trusty bottle of whiskey are about to make a night of it- until she hears someone coming. She ducks behind the tree as Cassia enters. Cassia is one of the Wild Ones- the children who are stolen away out of abusive/ neglectful homes in Averno and brought to the forest where they are raised by the Shadow Mothers. The Wild Ones are the Lost Boys of the forest, living in clubhouses of rusted metal, drinking mugwort tea and hunting deer in the predawn light, wild. But every Wild One must make a choice when they become an adult- leave the forest or follow the path of (eventually) becoming a Shadow Mother. Cassia made her choice long ago- she stayed in the forest, raised the other children, stayed in the twilight zone of her late-teens for a hundred years. She should have become a Shadow Mother long ago, but she always told herself she could wait just one more summer. But tonight, she has made up her mind. It is time. She goes to the edge of the forest for one last glance at the stars- and runs into Grace (4. A Meeting Under the Willow Tree). Perhaps, Cassia thinks, death could wait one more night.

Meg first meets her imaginary friend while on a mission. It’s the beginning of spring, and, more importantly, the beginning of bullfrog season. Meg wanders onto the Anderson farm while following the winding creek that goes down the hill by her house. With her net and jar in hand, she is of single-minded focus, just a girl and her undying wish for a pet frog. But down beneath the willow tree, she finds more than tadpoles- a voice on the wind, a whisper through the trees, and Meg has made her first imaginary friend.

On her way home from church, Adelaide cannot decide whether or not to stop by the willow. She has been invited into a secret clubhouse by a woman who wears men’s pants and sits in the dirt like a child. A woman who makes Adelaide feel- confused. To stop at the willow tree would be a decision, a declaration, an admittance. But then she realizes- maybe that’s a choice she’s willing to make. Hell, maybe that’s a choice she WANTS to make. You can’t ask the universe for adventure and then say no when it shows up. When she gets to the willow tree, she finds two new chairs waiting- one of them occupied by Beatrice.

Cassia didn’t plan on meeting a pretty girl the day she was supposed to die. After a hundred years, she should know better than to allow herself to be weak like that. She is a ticking time bomb, she is dangerous- and she might be in love. Beneath the willow tree, she convinces herself of what she already knows- that if she lets herself fall for Grace, and, more importantly, if Grace falls for her, all that can come of it is pain (5. Selfish). But then Grace returns and asks if Cassia can sit with her a while, Cassia can’t say no.

Meg comes to the tree almost every day. She talks to her imaginary friend about everything- the books she’s reading, what she wants to do when she grows up, her babysitter, her pet frog, what it means to grow up. She promises she will bring her little sister to visit one day, when her parents finally let her.

Beatrice takes Adelaide around the farm, picking flowers, showing her the forests and the glades. (6. Dawn).

Grace asks Cassia to be her girlfriend.

Adelaide arrives at the tree early and gets a call from her doctor. When Beatrice arrives, she asks what’s wrong. Adelaide can’t bring herself to say (Selfish Reprise)

Grace knows something is going on with Cassia. Whenever she tries to kiss her, it’s like there’s a wall. Like if she kisses back, secrets will slip out. But in the end, it’s hard to argue when you’re so damn in love. At the peak of summer, they go down to pick raspberries by the base of the willow tree, and Grace thinks life can’t get much better (7. Lovers’ Quartet).

[Adelaide tells Beatrice about the cancer.]

Act Two:

Cassia sits beneath the willow tree. She can feel herself scattering, her memories slipping away, her mind fracturing and dissolving into the earth that has held her for so many years. Soon, she thinks she might not be able to hold on any longer. [But then Grace arrives- she is shaking, pale, clammy. Cassia doesn’t know what she took, but she took too much and suddenly, everything is wrong. Grace isn’t the one that is supposed to go. Cassia calls an ambulance.

Cassia and Grace meet up for the first time since Grace was released from the hospital. Cassia is furious. At first they just fight. Grace finally realizes how bad things are, and decides to go to rehab.]

Meg goes to the willow tree after fighting with her parents. They tell her that she needs to stop playing pretend, that she needs to grow up, that she’s too old to play pretend anymore. (8. Real to Me).

Beatrice paces back and forth beneath the willow tree. Living alone isn’t all that. Just because you’ve done something your whole life doesn’t mean it’s what you’re doomed to. When Adelaide arrives on her way home from church, she gets up the courage to ask Adelaide to move in with her. (9. Adelaide).

Grace returns from rehab and she looks better than she has in years. Her cheeks are fuller, her eyes are bright, she finally feels alive. Cassia, on the other hand, is dying. It’s been long enough now that she’s really not here anymore, but she’s afraid to go. (10. How to Let Go).

Cassia tells Grace. She finally tells her everything. About being stolen away from a home filled with shouts into a quiet forest. About growing up wild, running beneath the summer moon with her sisters, her family. About the Shadow mothers. About what Cassia must become.

There is a split scene- [Adelaide is in a hospital bed, while Cassia lays beneath the willow with her head in Grace’s lap. Beatrice and Grace console Adelaide and Cassia. As the moon rises in the sky, they slip away. As Cassia takes her last breath, a new star appears in the sky.] (11. I’m Here).

It’s fall. The willow is golden-orange and leaves gently drip down from it. Beatrice hasn’t come back since she buried Adelaide in the tree’s roots. She kneels down beneath the tree and places her hand on the moss. For a moment, it looks like she’s going to break down. Then, a little girl with rainbow sneakers and a butterfly backpack appears. Beatrice is bewildered as Meg babbles on at a mile a minute, showing off her jar of tadpoles. She is even more shocked when Meg climbs right up into Adelaide’s old chair. But when she asks Meg about it, Meg simply says:

“Oh! This is my imaginary friend’s chair. She said I could borrow it for a while.”

Beatrice looks up into the branches and smiles.

Song 12- Home.

Songs

1. Sweet Willow
2. Adelaide's Path
3. Twister
4. A Meeting Under the Willow Tree
5. Selfish
6. Dawn
7. Lovers' Quartet
8. Real to Me
9. Adelaide
10. How to Let Go
11. I'm Here
12. Home
13. How to Let Go (Christy Altomare)

Characters

Adelaide

Adelaide is one five main characters from the musical Willow. Adelaide is a Good Southern Lady who likes tea.

"Adelaide is a Good Southern Lady. She has always done what one Ought To Do. She got married at 15 to a respectable man. She got a respectable job at a bank. She had 4 lovely children. She’s had a reserved pew at church since she was 25. She even vacationed in Majorca once. But last year, after 62 years of marriage, her husband died. Her children are grown. And Adelaide has realized that she’s never really had an adventure. But all that changes one day on her way home from church, when Adelaide steps off the path—and wanders right on to Beatrice’s property."

While walking home from Church, Adelaide trips off the path and onto the Anderson Farm, where Beatrice finds her. The two fall in love over the summer, but sadly Adelaide is diagnosed with cancer. When she informs Beatrice, Adelaide is asked to move in with her onto Anderson Farm. Adelaide declines, stating that she doesn't think unmarried couples should live together. That night, Beatrice asks Adelaide to marry her. Adelaide accepts, and they get married. Then, Adelaide dies and she's buried under the willow tree. Her spirit remains there, and eventually becomes Meg's imaginary friend.

Beatrice

Beatrice is one of the five main characters from the musical Willow. Beatrice lives on a farm that borders the edge of The Forest.

"Beatrice takes no crap from nobody. While she was the baby of her family growing up, she very quickly had to become the adult of her home when her brothers moved away and her father died. She runs the Anderson farm alone, just as she has spent her life. She has never had a partner, and has never really even had a best friend. But as tough as she acts, when she sees Adelaide, she can't help but feel a little shy for the first time in her life. ⁠ On a Sunday afternoon, Beatrice finds Adelaide, who has tripped off the path next to the Anderson Farm. The two quickly fall in love over the summer and when Beatrice is informed of Adelaide's cancer diagnosis, she asks Adelaide to move in. When Adelaide declines, stating that she doesn't think unmarried couples should live together, Beatrice asks her to come back that evening under the willow tree and proposes. Adelaide accepts, and they get married. It might not be legally recognized, but it's enough for them. After Adelaide dies in the hospital, Beatrice buries her under the willow tree. Then its fall, and Beatrice returns to the willow for the first time since the burial, where a girl in rainbow sneakers and a butterfly backpack appears. Her name is Meg, and she talks a mile a minute while showing off her jar of tadpoles. Beatrice is shocked when Meg climbs into Adelaide's old chair, but when questioned Meg simply says “Oh! This is my imaginary friend’s chair. She said I could borrow it for a while.”. Beatrice looks up into the branches and smiles."

Cassia

"Cassia is one of the forest’s daughters—children rescued from abusive or neglectful homes, raised in the woods, wild and feral. She has been in the woods longer than she can remember, and while she hasn’t aged like a normal girl, she knows that her time on earth is coming to an end. She goes to the edge of the forest one night to clear her head, trying to ready herself for what’s about to happen. Instead of quiet contemplation, however, she happens across a girl with bright orange hair and a bottle of gin. Grace. Grace has a smile that feels like fire—warm and sharp and dangerous—and Cassia tells herself eternity can wait one more night."

Grace

Grace is one of the five main characters of the musical Willow. She meets Cassia in 2006 and they fall in love. She is also a major character in the musical Dream Boy.

Willow: "Instead of quiet contemplation, however, she happens across a girl with bright orange hair and a bottle of gin. Grace. Grace has a smile that feels like fire—warm and sharp and dangerous" Dream Boy: "...when he begins having visions, painting moments from the past, uncovering dark truths about Averno, it is up to his single mother, Grace, to protect him from the ancient power that has taken up residence in his mind."

"Grace is a disaster of a human. She has abused every substance known to man, she almost failed out of highschool, she's lost every friend and partner she's had, and when she meets Cassia she's just had a brutal breakup with her most recent girlfriend. But beyond all that, she is kind. Deeply, honestly kind."

Meg

"Meg is, to be quite honest, cooler than most of us could ever aspire to be. She has rainbow light-up sneakers and a butterfly backpack, and she goes to the willow tree to talk to her imaginary friend. Throughout the show, however, it becomes increasingly clear that her imaginary friend is talking back."

Bittersummer

Summary

A coming of age myth rooted in the folk music and deep woods of the South. Music is by Annalise Emerick, The Brother Brothers, and August Greenwood.

"Cam and Violet have been friends since childhood, even through the darker times, but as people grow things change. Both of them are worried at the prospect of drifting apart due to college, even with Dahlia and Quinn’s new arrival and friendship. Dahlia’s dream is to pursue art at MassArt, but the lack of financial aid, the weight of lifelong debt weighs heavy on her shoulders. Violet has fallen down a dark path with a shady producer with the promise of a happy future, but she knows very well that the future he swears he'll give her is not guaranteed. While the two girls are struggling, Cam is trying her best to support not only her girlfriend, Dahlia, but one of her best friends as well. While all this is going on, Quinn is slowly trying to piece together the lost and broken history of Averno while worrying about his first and only group of friends."

Plot

This story deals with themes of miscarriages and abusive relationships. Mentions of these topics will be marked with brackets on either side.

Cam and Violet have been best friends since they were three. The stealing each other’s Polly Pockets, wearing matching princess dresses on Halloween, getting chickenpox together kind of best friends. When they were five, Cam’s father built them a clubhouse at the edge of the woods- a little rickety, not quite waterproof, but theirs. Somewhere along the way, they started a tradition. Every Friday night, they met for sleepovers by the edge of the woods: all summer, every summer, through braces and fights, Supernatural obsessions and even through Violet’s parents’ breakup. Sophomore year of high school, Violet’s mom remarried. Her new stepfather was a pastor- all smiles at the congregation, but a mean drunk in the evenings. Her new stepsister Dahlia was only a month younger than her, all smiles and paint-stained jeans. They became best friends. And Cam and Dahlia? A little more than friends.

Now it is their last summer in Averno. In the fall, Cam will leave for MIT, but for now the three girls still meet every Friday for sleepovers, Polaroid cameras and sleeping bags in tow. On the first Friday of summer, Dahlia gets a call from the office of admissions at Massart- she has gotten off the waitlist. She’s going to art school and it’s only 15 minutes from Cam. Violet, a musician, is the only one left behind. It only takes a little convincing for her to agree to move in with them.

The following Friday, they run into a boy at the supermarket. Floppy-haired and nervous, his freshly pressed bagboy vest, bright nametag reading “Quinn”, and pink vans scream “new to town”. Violet takes pity on Quinn and invites him to their sleepover. Quinn song Cam is hesitant- it’s their last summer together, why bring in someone new now? Why mess up a good thing? But then he arrives with a bag of sugar-free marshmallows, stumbling over his own feet and making anime references and blushing every time he talks. It is like something has clicked into place. Their group is complete.

Summer stretches on, counted not in days but in trips to Angel Island, nights by the campfire, photoshoots and thrift shops and Polaroids on the clubhouse wall. But as sweet as the days are, they are also tinged by secrets. Violet meets a man at one of her shows- a producer. He says he can introduce her to people in the industry. [He gives her money and takes her to his hotel room. She doesn’t really want to, but she has no other options. She’s 18, she has no money, and she can’t stay in Averno. She does what she has to.]

It doesn’t go unnoticed. Matt, her stepfather, doesn’t take kindly to Violet breaking curfew. Dahlia tries to protect Violet, buffer her, but it doesn’t always work. Dahlia tells Cam what’s happening, and Cam flips out on Violet, telling her how risky and stupid she’s being. She doesn’t know the whole story, doesn’t know why Violet is staying out late and coming home with hickeys- she just knows it’s upsetting Dahlia. Violet and Cam don’t talk much anymore.

Cam and Dahlia, on the other hand, spend nearly every afternoon together. Dahlia paints in the late-afternoon sunlight, Cam reads Sappho and the Aeneid to her. Dahlia slips flowers in Cam’s book when she’s not looking, pressed between pages to find some quiet afternoon.

When Violet finds out she’s pregnant, she doesn’t know who to tell.

One Friday in the middle of summer, when the summer air is thick and the gnats buzz over puddles from last night’s rain, Dahlia gets a call from Massart. Her tuition is due in full, and her financial aid barely covers a quarter of it. Cam insists that they will figure something out. Quinn tries to cheer Dahlia up, and Cam pulls out a six pack of the nasty rose cider Dahlia likes.

That night they dance by the fire to bad 80’s music, a tacky multicolored disco ball casting shadows on the trees. Dahlia watches Cam, the way she’s so fearless about everything, but blushes the minute she tries to have a conversation with Dahlia. Tonight, with the firelight on her face, Dahlia thinks that no matter what happens, things will be okay. She slips her hand into Cams, and pulls her away into the trees.

Later that night, the chill has crept back into the air. Everyone’s asleep except Violet, who sits by the dying embers of the fire, the disco ball still spinning away. When she thinks she can’t take the quiet one moment longer, she wakes Quinn up and tells him she’s pregnant.

The next week, Quinn shows up with a letter he’s found while working at the archives. It’s from Sarah Turner, the daughter of the “founder” of the town- Abraham Turner. Over the following weeks, Quinn finds more letters and the pieces begin to come together. Aster- the witch in the woods. Abraham- The pastor who wants to “purify” Averno. Sarah- caught between the haunting songs of the forest and her family. She’s always believed her father- until she comes face to face with a witch. She leaves the forest different that day. Changed.

One afternoon, Quinn and Violet get to the sleepover early. They haven’t talked about the pregnancy since that night by the fire. Quinn doesn’t want to push- through their Great British Baking Show marathon and their trips to Averno’s only grocery store, he stays quiet. Listening. But today, she tells him she isn’t leaving for Boston with the girls. She’s going to wait a year, have the kid, then join them. But in the meantime, she wants to get an apartment with Quinn. If he wants. Of course, he does. He has never had a best friend before. He’s never had someone choose him before.

The next week, Quinn walks in on Cam and Violet fighting. Violet walks away, leaving Quinn and Cam alone. And suddenly, Quinn is Mad. Cam has had a best friend since she was three. She’s never known what it is to be alone, to have no one to call, to stay home every night. And before he can stop himself, he’s letting it all out, telling Cam that Violet doesn’t deserve all the crap Cam is giving her, that if Cam knew the truth, she would never say any of it, that- but then, just as quickly, the anger is gone. Quinn walks away. Cam is left alone.

Quinn arrives at the clubhouse early- he and Violet are supposed to meet up, go apartment hunting together online. She isn’t answering her phone.

Cam and Dahlia pull up, say that Violet is in the hospital. [She fell down the stairs. The other two girls don’t understand, but Quinn knows the truth.

The next week, Violet isn’t there. The silence is heavy. No one really wanted to come, but they knew if they didn’t it would feel too much like something was broken permanently.

No one can talk about the miscarriage.]

Dahlia and Cam are by the lake when Dahlia gets the call. She hasn’t received any additional financial aid. Cam runs through all the what-ifs in her head- what if she gets a job, what if her parents cover rent, what if they get a loan- but none of it works.

At their final sleepover of the summer, Cam and Violet are the first to arrive. They sit side by side in their old clubhouse. Cam doesn’t know how to talk about it, to say she was just trying to protect them, to protect them all. Violet doesn’t know how to tell Cam all the things she doesn’t know.

Dahlia arrives out of breath. Matt, Dahlia’s father, sent Violet’s mother’s to rehab. Violet can’t breathe. Her mom has been struggling for months now but she never thought- there’s nothing left between them and Dahlia’s dad now. And in that moment, she knows she has to tell them.

One day, Matt overheard Violet on the phone to Quinn. Heard them talking about the pregnancy. She was used to him shoving them around sometimes but…

When she woke up in the hospital, she knew what had happened.

Cam wants to go to the police and Dahlia wants to scream and Violet wants to sleep and mostly, they all just want to be safe. But they don’t have money and they have nowhere to go and Matt is waiting at home so Cam pulls out her secret weapon. The final letter, from the daughter of the man who “founded” the town.

The man who burned Aster’s home in the name of a God he thought he knew, who killed Aster’s daughter to save her from hell. And as Sarah watched her father, she knew now more surely than ever before that there was a devil. But she had nowhere to go and no other choice and her mother just hid whenever her father raised his voice but then suddenly there was Aster.

Aster held out her hand.

She said there was another way.

The forest would always protect her own.

Sarah and Aster disappeared into the wood. The very same forest where Cam, Violet, and Dahlia stand now.

Cam tells them the forest will take them, and somewhere deep inside, they know it’s true. They’ve grown up in the shadow of these oaks. The forest has always been there. It’s time to go home.

Quinn arrives to an empty clearing. He will never be able to say goodbye.

At the end of the summer, when the leaves are just beginning to turn, Quinn goes back to the clubhouse. Polaroids still hang on the walls. A note from Cam to Dahlia is pinned on the corkboard. He packs it all up into boxes, carefully wrapping up each photo, scribbled note, Cam’s rock collection and Dahlia’s art supply box. When he turns around, he notices Dahlia’s sketchbook in the hammock, a little bow tied around it.

There are hundreds of sketches inside. Hundreds of moments from their summer, smudged and inkstained, flower petals and receipts and a four leaf clover taped inside.

Quinn tucks the sketchbook in the last box. He shuts the trunk and drives away. Leaves drift down slowly. The clearing is empty.

Songs

Opening Song

1. Colorado
2. Time of Day
3. The Simple Life
4. The Sun and the Moon
5. This Love Won't Break Your Heart
6. Round and Round
7. Sidewalk Chalk
8. A Runner And A Singer
9. Summer Rain
10. Twinkling Lights

Characters

Cam

Cam is one of the main characters of Bittersummer. The child of two professors, Cam is scary smart and fiercely protective of her friends.

Cam and Violet have been best friends since they were three. Her dad built them a little clubhouse at the edge of the woods, where they had sleepovers every Friday night. When Violet's mom remarries, Cam falls for Violet's new stepsister, Dahlia. It is their last summer in Averno and Cam is leaving for MIT in the fall. For now, they still meet every Friday for their sleepovers.

Cam is one of the main characters of Bittersummer. Cam and Violet, have been friends since childhood, even through the darker times, but as people grow things change. Worried at the prospect of drifting apart due to college, even with Dahlia and Quinn’s new arrival and friendship, Cam and Violet's childhood bond may not actually last much longer. Cam is trying her best to support not only her girlfriend, Dahlia, but one of her best friends as well.

Dahlia

Dahlia is one of the main characters of Bittersummer. She is Violet's stepsister and she falls in love with Cam. She is cottagecore personified and a talented artist that aspires to leave Averno and go to the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. Dahlia was born to Matt, a pastor that was all smiles at the congregation, but a mean drunk in the evenings. Her mother left when she was young. When her father Matt marries Violet's mother, she meets her new stepsister Violet and gets vaulted into the plot of Bittersummer.

Violet

Violet is one of the main characters of Bittersummer. She is an accomplished musician, whipsmart debater, and baby witch that will do anything to get out of Averno. Violet and Cam have been best friends since they were three. Every Friday night they would meet for sleepovers at the edge of the woods. Through it all—even Violet's parent’s breakup—they were there. In her sophomore year of high school, Violet’s mom remarried. Her new stepfather Matt was a pastor, kind and happy at the congregation, but a mean drunk in the evenings. Her new stepsister Dahlia was a talented artist only a month younger than her. They became best friends. Now it’s their last summer in Averno. For now the three girls still meet every Friday for sleepovers. One Friday they Meet Quinn. Violet takes pity on him and invites him to their sleepovers. That’s when they know their group is complete

Quinn

It could be argued that Quinn Is the main character of the Averno Universe. While there is no single storyline, Quinn appears in more media than any other character. Quinn is "nerdy, comic-obsessed, socially awkward, quiet, and gayer than the fourth of July." He's new to Averno and starting at a New School in the fall. In the meantime, he works in the archives at the Averno Town Library and at Al’s Grocery

Backstory

Quinn was born by Willapa Bay in Washington. His mom was a very free-spirited, adventurous woman, and his dad was a pretty simple dude who just wanted to run a woodshop. His mom left when he was very young, and from then it was just Quinn and his dad, Sam. Sam was a good dad—he always tried his best. When Quinn got into fantasy novels, he started taking Quinn on long hikes in the mountains. He loved building things as a kid, so he always took Quinn to the shop. There was no shortage of love—but for Quinn, a nerdy, comic-obsessed, socially awkward, quiet, gay kid- the love was kind of the wrong language. But Quinn knew this was the only family he had, so he buckled down, made the best of it, never rebelled or tried to find something else. He always wanted to be a writer, had dreams about witches in the woods, always felt a call to something stranger, more magical. But he made do with the woodshop, applied to schools close to home, and did what was best for the family. Until one night, he gets this weird feeling, out of nowhere. The urge to just GO. He goes to the computer and sees an ad for A New School (the college in Averno). He applies on the spot. Six months later, he packs up and heads to Averno for a summer job at the town archives, beneath the library.

Character Overview

Quinn’s spent his whole life putting others first, never choosing adventures for himself. Averno is the first time he’s really chosen anything. Quinn has NEVER had friends before Averno. Not like, real friends. One of his biggest insecurities is that he just wasn’t destined to have a life worth remembering, that friends and adventures just aren’t in the cards for him. This is his whole arc in Bittersummer- his primary motivation is that he wants friends, but the root psychological thing there is that he wants to prove to himself that he is a person worthy of having friends. So in the end, Twinkling Lights is sort of him realizing that while it wasn’t the way he expected, he has completed that arc (the photographs and scrapbook are the physical, tangible evidence of the completion of that arc). He’s very much the “person at the very beginning of their life adventure” type- he isn’t naïve, he’s known loneliness and hardship, but this is really his life starting.

Arcana

Quinn is the subject of two of the Arcana poems, the Fool and the Hermit. The first chapter, The Fool, runs through Quinn's childhood and his journey to Averno.

Bittersummer

After arriving in Averno in the summer for an Archivist position at the Averno Town Library, Quinn quickly falls into a new friend group with Cam, Violet, and Dahlia. Over the summer, Quinn gains and loses the first friends he's ever had.

Live from Averno

Quinn is the co-host of the podcast Live From Averno alongside Will Shepard, another student at A New School. After the mysterious disappearances of his friends Cam, Violet and Dahlia, he befriends Will, and the two begin to uncover clues about the mysterious disappearances that continue to happen around the town of Averno

Over and Out

Over and Out is a musical written by Sushi Soucy and Morgan Smith set at A New School that centers around Solar, a student under the Department of Unconfirmed Existence, and their discovery and subsequent friendship of a mysterious unknown girl. Two songs from the musical have been teased, but much is unknown about it.

Summary

"Solar, a student at A New School, has never felt at home on planet Earth. They cling desperately to the hope of a world more mysterious than they can imagine- aliens, cryptids, and fairies around every corner. But when they climb to the roof one October night with a radio and a walkie talkie, it isn't aliens who answer- it's a girl.

The Department of Unconfirmed Existence: A chaotic land of Buzzfeed Unsolved marathons, Mountain Dew, Jersey Devil fan fiction, and circadian rhythms that would horrify med students. On the whole, the students of the DUE are a messy bunch- loud, unkempt, prone to sprinting into the night screaming about Mothman. They do it for the Vine, as it were. But Solar is different. They BELIEVE, in that fervent, fevered, sitting on your roof with a hand-radio kind of way. They believe in aliens, in cryptids, in conspiracies- probably in fairies too, but they wouldn’t admit that. Mostly, they believe that the world has to be more mysterious than we can see. That there must be something bigger. Something else. Every night, they go up on the roof with a shoddy radio and a walkie talkie and surf the frequencies, eating olives and doodling the constellations they see. It is their own quiet holy moment, always reaching into the night and praying to hear anything but silence.

And one night, they do. They hear a girl.

The two of them begin talking, their conversations only In the dead of night, except when they occasionally fall asleep and wake up to the blinding sunrise over the mountain. They talk about aliens and ghosts, the Forest, the school, everything except the one thing on both of their minds. Can they ever actually meet each other?"

Songs

• Nova Phone Home
• Cryptid Hunt

Characters

Solar

Solar is the main character of Over and Out, a musical set in A New School.

"Solar, a student at A New School, has never felt at home on planet Earth. They cling desperately to the hope of a world more mysterious than they can imagine- aliens, cryptids, and fairies around every corner. But when they climb to the roof one October night with a radio and a walkie talkie, it isn't aliens who answer- it's a girl."

Nova

Nova is a main character in Over and Out, a musical set in A New School.

Shorebound

"In the center of the Averno lakes sits an island shrouded in mist. The trees always seem to sway in an invisible breeze, and if you stare for long enough, you can almost convince yourself that you see a figure disappear into the water. Angel Island, home to a family of Wild Ones who are as comfortable beneath the black surface of the lake as they are in the heart of the Forest. Aiden comes to the edge of the lake every day, collecting stones in the shallows. One day, they come across something more mysterious than the glittering rocks and driftwood. A girl. A girl whose voice sounds like the deep woods and eyes seem older than the rest of her. A girl who chose to stay."

Imaginary Friend

Imaginary friend is a musical written and scored by Morgan Smith and Sushi Soucy. It follows the stories of Soren and Scarlett, two of the Wild Ones.

Description

"Scarlett is haunted by dreams. Soren is hunted by the voices of the dead. They are each others' everything—lifeline, tether, best friend, family. But a new voice begins calling to Soren, a shadow appears in Scarlett's dreams, and for the first time, they think they might not want to be tethered. They might want to give it all up. What happens to your lifeline when you're ready to let go?"

Podcasts

Live From Averno

Live From Averno is a live-written horror-fantasy podcast performed by Morgan Smith and Jamie Frazier.

"Quinn has a dark secret only three other people know. All of them are missing. Will is obsessed with true crime. She’s about to be at the epicenter of one. Together, they attempt to unravel the mysteries of Averno- but they aren’t the only ones trying to find the truth. You, my dear listener, are the final piece of the puzzle. We’ve been waiting for you."

Episodes

Welcome to Averno- Will and Quinn introduce themselves, tackle the history of the town of Averno as it relates to the recent disappearance of former mayor James Turner, and interview various townsfolk about other disappearances.

The Blaire Witch Child- After the spooky disappearance of the mayor (still yet unsolved?), Will and Quinn get back to basics and do some digging. They meet spooky children (Blaire Turner is maybe a ghost?), see awful art deco style, and read the town newsletter (thanks Calvin). Things end unexpectedly.

Stinkmonster- A Holiday Special- Quinn has been gone for a few days. The town is selling axes. Will can cry on command. It's the holidays, folks. Let's get weird.

Epic Poems

Arcana

"Stories are in our DNA- flowing, lyrical, unraveling themselves like a scroll or a flower. Arcana is a novel in verse. Some may call it an epic poem- this word is both wrong and right. The form of epic poetry was born before the advent of the novel- in its time, it was the only long-form story that existed. When Morgan began writing, they craved an epic poem that spoke of things that felt closer to my heart than war heroes and sailing. They wanted an epic that was still magic, but the kind of magic that was flawed, was angry, that made your heart pound. This is where Arcana was born. Instead of the “journey” of a hero moving from place to place (while stealing, killing, and colonizing) this story follows the journey of the Major Arcana of the tarot, all circling the same town. It weaves through themes of governmental power, the politicization of bodies, and growing up queer in a small town. Throughout all of it, however, it leaves space for joy and magic, so often left out of the stories of historically marginalized groups"

Summary

"Arcana follows the witches in the woods, girls growing up under the iron-fisted rule of small-town social order, a boy running away from one home and toward the next. It winds through a century in the same town, each chapter lyrically calling to the stories that come before, to its forebears, and simultaneously pushing back. Contained in these pages, in the heroic verse, are the stories Morgan wished for growing up. Stories of girls with terrifying powers, of kids with burdens too heavy to bear, of the things in the woods that call you home and the unknown that feels more familiar than your own home and the stories that have made you who you are. Each chapter is a different story, but as they progress and weave together, they form a complex tapestry of life in a small town."

Chapters

1. The Fool- Quinn
2. The Magician- Aster
3. The High Priestess- Scarlett
4. The Empress- The Forest
5. The Emperor
6. The Hierophant- The Pythons
7. The Lovers - Grace and Cassia
8. The Chariot- Poppy
9. Justice † or Strength ‡
10. The Hermit- Quinn
11. Wheel of Fortune
12. Strength † or Justice ‡
13. The Hanged Man- Teddy
14. Death- Teddy
15. Temperance
16. The Devil
17. The Tower
18. The Star
19. The Moon- Scarlett
20. The Sun
21. Judgement
22. The World

Film and TV

Gladiator

Premise

Gladiator is a written-for-TV rock music-musical set in and around the town of Averno.

"When no one is coming to save you, sometimes you have to save yourself."

It follows Shiloh as she searches for the truth behind her best friend Kaya's disappearance and ends up in the seedy underbelly of Averno's vigilante justice system. And coincidentally, a cult.

"Shiloh has always known about The Missing. The girls who disappear after parties, from bad marriages, from homes with so many kids that no one bats an eye when there’s one fewer. But when her best friend Kaya disappears and no one will listen, Shiloh must embark on a mission to the seedy underbelly of her town, revealing more and more of the dystopian undertones that haunt the idyllic town of Averno. Finding a world of cults and vigilantes, modern witches and girls with smiles as sharp as knives, Shiloh quickly learns that Averno is not what it seems. The deeper she sinks, the more complicated the web becomes. But even in the farthest reaches, she can’t find her friend. Instead, Shiloh finds her killer. What happened to the witches you couldn’t burn? They became the girls who are hunting you."

Characters

Shiloh

Kaya's best friend. After Kaya goes missing, she falls in with the cult while trying to seek revenge.

Kaya

Shiloh's best friend who goes missing.

Blaire

A member of the Pythons, a cult in Averno.

Soren

One of the Shadowlings, the children raised in the forest.

The Department

The Department is a live-action dark academia TV show set at A New School. It follows the stories of Will, Tinsley, Henley, Marlowe and Florence

Comics and Graphic Novels

Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver is a graphic novel set in The Forest. It tells the stories of the Wild Ones- the children rescued from abusive and neglectful homes, raised feral in the forest. There are many groups of them dispersed throughout the forest, but this story focuses on one family- Scarlett, Thea, Soren, Ever, Hayden, and Harper. They live in a never-neverland home built of wood and stolen scraps from the junkyard, an odd assortment of cottages and forts they affectionately call The Heap.

Characters

Scarlett

"Scarlett hasn’t always had a home. She spends her days drawing pictures of snails, hiding under her bed, and talking to the flowers on her wallpaper. But when the Shadow Mothers appear and whisk her away into the woods, she discovers a world she never believed possible- not even in her wildest dreams. She learns to walk between the worlds, to build a home for the other children of the woods, to survive through the darkest nights and weave a shimmering world of secrets, a world that will be her safe haven and her worst nightmare"

Scarlett is one of the children that is rescued by the Shadow Mothers. She grows up strong in the Forest- a little too strong, just as all the children do. They aren't quite superhuman, but they are closer to other realms than we are. Scarlett can walk freely in the dream realm, Soren can hear the dead, and Thea can heal anyone with just a few herbs and muttered words. Soren

"Soren is another one of the children in Scarlett's family. He is her best friend, her confidante, and her fiercest protector. But he is also driven more than a little mad by the voices of the dead inside his head. When the forest's children reach adulthood, they are given a choice- stay, become Shadows and Wanderers, or leave. Soren shocks Scarlett by deciding to leave- in order to get justice for the ghosts he's heard in his head for his whole life. The ghosts of people who have been murdered in Averno."

References

Category:Folk Musical Category:Averno Category:Averno Township Category:Multimedia Category:Plays Category:Musicals Category:Bittersummer Category:Horror Category:Witches Category:Theatre Category:Music Category:Female Category:Feminism Category:LGBTQ Category:Queer Category:Queer feminists Category:Queer actors

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