This project has a few influences. It was first inspired by Shady Oaks SMP, because I was really intrigued by the story of the Netherite tools. How they changed hands, what people were willing to do to get their hands on one, the curse placed on Kindness (the Netherite sword) and the eerie things that set into motion. The server fizzled out as people got busy and stopped logging in, so I created Lost Flats to explore that kind of story on my own terms. A lot of the foundation of the setting and the story come from Shady Oaks: an isolated community of people being tested by strange, possibly cursed artifacts and how they make people behave.
Lately, I've been more inspired by Gravity Falls, because I've been listening to the commentary tracks while I do chores. It's quite cool to get insight into how it all fell together, and with me working the way I do, it got me excited about weaving together a fun and frightening mystery of my own. The balance Gravity Falls strikes between comedy, mystery and horror is also a big influence.
The center of the project is about a lonely desert town known as Lost Flats, populated by many strange things like werewolves and cryptids. A newcomer staggers out of the desert one day: an amnesiac witch with a strange grimoire. Within the grimoire and around town, there's whispers of scattered treasure, hidden places, strange and powerful forces. As these threads are pulled, the people of Lost Flats will be tested. Just what is everyone searching for, and what are they willing to do in their pursuits?
The newest face in town is called Woe, The Witch of Shadows - that's what's written in their grimoire, anyway. They're not terribly bothered about losing their memory, except for the fact that much of their grimoire is written in ciphers and codes that they can no longer understand. Even then, they don't mind having to puzzle it out. Throwing themself into solving the mysteries around town is exciting, and it's not like there's anything better for them to do. Among the youth of Lost Flats, Woe is living in a drastically different story.
Lestat was cursed into the shape of a black cat when he was small, and has been regarded as a bad omen by most of the town ever since. He and Woe are kindred spirits, with a mutual love of the macabre and edgy, so they gravitate towards each other pretty quickly. He's punchy and angry and carries a stiletto knife that he calls "Doomfang". He's not particularly interested in mysteries, but he's determined to stand by Woe's side no matter what.
Harley is a rebelleous and lonely werewolf. In her eyes, though Lost Flats is safer than the desert that surrounds it, it's less of a sanctuary and more of a prison. She's fascinated by Woe, who she sees as someone who's not so easily trapped like the rest of the town. When Woe starts looking for answers, Harley is happy to go with them, ill-advised as it is.
Shaw is Harley's grandfather, and the sheriff of Lost Flats. His primary concerns are keeping the town (and his granddaughter) safe and trying to piece together what happened to his son, who disappeared years ago. He's closer to the truth than most others in Lost Flats, but not by much.