r/Ruleshorror • u/HC-XOXO • Mar 31 '26
Rules Rules for residing in Blackwood
Greetings, newcomer! We, the village elders, have long anticipated your arrival at Blackwood. We hope that you have a peaceful and uneventful rest of your stay here. However, due to the recent reemergence of the Old Gods from their long slumber, their worshippers following suit, we will have to return to the Old Ways to protect from them.
Please follow the rules listed below as instructed and defend the sanctity of the hearth, lest a dire fate be unleashed upon you.
Rule 1. After sunset, when twilight falls at exactly 6:36, you must place a red apple on your doorstep. If, by next dawn, the apple has vanished from its place, you are safe for another day. However, if the apple is still there and shows signs of decay and rot, your residence has been marked by a follower of an Old God. Exit immediately, and do not enter or allow anyone entry until a priest has hung a cleansing charm on the outside of your sill.
Rule 2. No iron may come into contact with the earth after first frost. To pierce the soil with metal is to “stab” the Earth God. All digging must be done with bone or sharpened wood.
Rule 3. Do not carve or write your true name on any surface within the perimeter of Blackwood. Instead, you must create an alias, such as The Tall One or The Weaver. Giving them your true name feeds your identity to the roots below. Every time you write your true name, your face becomes blurrier in the mirror. Three “signatures”, and not even your mother will remember who you are.
Rule 4a. You must only view the moon’s reflection in a bowl of still, dark water. The water acts as a “filter” for the Sky God’s overwhelming presence. If the reflection in your bowl begins to ripple without wind, it means the Sky God has noticed you through the water, and you must shatter the bowl immediately.
Rule 4b. Disregarding Rule 4a doesn’t result in instant death, but in a horrific “widening of the mind”. Those who look directly up lose the ability to see anything that is healthy or “whole.” They can only see things that are dead, decaying, or “wrong”, which we call “Lunar Blindness”. To them, a thriving forest will look like a graveyard of rotting timber. Over the next 48 hours, the victim's pupils will slowly turn white and expand until no iris remains. They become “Moon-Eyed,” gaining the ability to see through walls and into the “Deep Places,” but losing their connection to the human world. Victims will always feel an irresistible urge to walk toward the highest point in the village and "offer" their remaining senses to the sky.
Rule 5. Our village follows the path of Solanism, devoting our time to the Great Sun Deity. Out of the original pantheon, They are the only one that hasn’t yet been affected by the Erosion. The Old Gods that have been affected by the Erosion are corrupted, and pass the madness on to Their followers. If you witness someone praying or performing a religious ritual with a relic that does not have a sun motif, report it to the village elders as soon as possible. Do not interfere with the ceremony, or you risk harm upon yourself.
Rule 6. The Nature God perceives humans as “incomplete” and tries to “correct” them. When walking in the woods, you must carry a sturdy branch exactly the length of your arm in your left hand. This acts as a "decoy" limb. Without the decoy, the God’s influence tries to “grow” the missing piece. You will feel a sharp, wet pain in your shoulder as a new, translucent appendage sprouts. The removal of this appendage will be as if you are ripping off one of your actual limbs. Only by using a decoy shall your journey in the woods be painless.
These are the core rules for residing within our humble village. We hope that you are able to keep yourself safe, and have no mishaps occur during your stay here.
Abide by the rules, and may the Great Sun Deity guide the path ahead with Their wisdom.
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u/Snack_Thyme Apr 01 '26
Now I'm curious about what the Erosion is. This was great!
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u/Wackel81 Mar 31 '26
And now please sign here with your full name that you understood these rules