satanicpanics | Horizon

Eddie’s domain is based heavily upon the fantasy novels that acted as his escape back home. That’s why the first thing you come across is a castle, almost constantly surrounded by mist. Does it look a bit Dracula? That’s by choice. Sometimes, you might even see a colony of bats fly past—not always by choice. A sleepy dragon is often seen curled around a turret.

Stroll on up and push open the heavy wooden doors, and what you’ll find is surprisingly bright and welcoming, though not without a few off-putting Eddie Munson touches. Suits of armor lines the walls, totally out of Eddie’s imagination and memory. There are suits that easily resemble your typical 15th century European plate armor, and other suits that are a bit more fantastical. There might even be a suit that looks a little like Darth Vader if you know what you’re looking for, and one that looks a bit a bit Tron-esque. Their heads turn to follow you when you pass.

That long hall leads to a large room, featuring a long wooden table and chairs. There’s a throne at the head of the table, and yes, that is Eddie’s spot, and banners bearing a logo that could launch a thousand merch drops. You may think this is for meals or meeting--no, this is for Dungeons and Dragons, keep up.

There is a dungeon, if you were wondering, and if you choose to brave the steps down, you’ll find one cell, locked with a heavy padlock. Still feeling brave? Squint through the darkness and you’ll see a sign: “Ill behaved dice”. Peek between the bars and you’ll find that, indeed, the cell houses a growing pile of d20s.

But maybe you don’t want to go into the castle. You have another option. There’s a path, merely a walkway trodden down over time, and if you follow it for long enough, you’ll find something a bit less grand and fantastical: a little trailer tucked into the trees. It’s nothing special, quietly settled nestled into the trees, humble and unassuming compared to the castle. There's an old van parked somewhere beside it, a 1979 Chevy Nomad, if you're good with cars.

If you should choose to enter it, you’ll find wood panel city. It's cluttered, but not messy, just cozy and lived in. The walls are littered with a collection of baseball caps and mugs that technically don't belong to Eddie, but he can't bring himself to erase them. Most of the time, it's warm and inviting. There are a stack of records beside the television: blues records, oddly enough, people like Muddy Waters, Albert King and Robert Johnson. Sometimes in the main room, the lights flicker. Less often, in the time it takes you to blink, you might think you spy a dark, grimy stain surrounded by vines on the ceiling above. But it’s probably just your eyes playing tricks on you, right?

Take about three steps to the right and you’ll reach Eddie’s bedroom, and it really doesn’t take an expert to tell that it is Eddie’s room. It’s piled to the ceiling with magazines, books, D&D manuals, guitars and amps, band posters and drawings taped to the walls, creates of tapes and albums, and half smoked cigarettes stubbed out in an ashtray by an unmade bed. Sure, it’s a little gross, but it’s comfortable.

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