An alternate Season 4 reimagining where nothing goes the way it’s supposed to.

Hawkins, Indiana should’ve healed by now. Starcourt is gone, Billy is gone, the town is cracked but standing. Joyce and the kids never moved to California — which means when Hopper disappears, the people who love him are forced to face the truth in real time: something darker than the Russians is still moving beneath Hawkins.

And in 1986, that darkness starts waking up.

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✨ THE STORY YOU’RE PLAYING

Hawkins ‘86 is a character-driven, choice-based reimagining of Stranger Things Season 4.
It follows two parallel threads:

1. The New Threat Rising

Strange murders begin around town — bodies twisted, bones broken, eyes gone.
Eddie Munson is framed for the first death, but unlike canon, he survives, and your group helps hide him as the mystery deepens.

A psychic echo from the Upside Down is bleeding through, fast.
Vecna isn’t just killing — he’s hunting, marking people whose fears tie into the bigger story.

You’ll investigate:
• abandoned trailers
• the haunted Creel House
• the newly reopened Hawkins Lab
• woods, lakes, scrapyards, arcades, and hidden tunnels beneath town

Every choice affects who gets targeted next.

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2. The Personal Side — Your Characters

You and the other players step into the story as your own original characters, inserted naturally into the Hawkins friend group.

This includes:
• Steve Harrington’s love interest (Liza Moore — quiet, soft, brave, sees the real him)
• Eddie Munson’s love interest (your new OC, wild, loyal, misunderstood, his anchor during the chaos)
• original paths for each of your characters intertwined with the main cast
• new friendships, rivalries, and romances
• secrets tied to the Upside Down that only YOUR characters can unlock

Your characters fight beside the originals — not replacing them, but becoming essential.

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🔥 MAJOR DIFFERENCES FROM CANON
• Eddie does NOT die — he becomes a core fighter for the finale.
• Joyce and Will never leave Hawkins, so the Byers are directly involved.
• Hopper is still kidnapped, but the way he’s found changes based on player choices.
• Nancy/Jonathan tension is different; you can branch into new dynamics.
• Steve’s emotional arc is more central.
• Max’s storyline is changeable — her fate is not set.
• YOU decide how far Vecna’s plan succeeds or fails.

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🎮 GAMEPLAY STYLE
• Story-driven roleplay
• Branching choices
• Emotional relationships + horror mystery
• Player-led strategy in battles
• Group decisions that can save or doom characters
• Flashbacks, visions, Upside Down sequences, dreamscapes
• Fully reimagined finale where ANY character can be the hero

This is Stranger Things if you gave the characters new allies, new loves, new consequences — and the chance to rewrite who makes it out alive.

⭐ VBULLETIN ROLEPLAY SETUP — HAWKINS (SEASON 4 AU: BYERS NEVER MOVED)
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Below is the full structured list of forums/sub-forums for your RPG world — all canon locations + all AU adjustments.

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�� CATEGORY: HAWKINS, INDIANA
Small, ordinary town hiding extraordinary secrets.

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�� Neighborhoods & Home Areas

• Forest Hills Trailer Park
Where Eddie & Marley live. Woods, cheap lots, secrets.

• Byers House (Still in Hawkins)
Joyce, Jonathan, Will, and El living together.
Warm, cluttered, slightly chaotic — HQ for the core group.

• Wheeler Neighborhood
Two-story homes, manicured lawns, cul-de-sacs.

• Sinclair Home
Basketball hoop out front, family-oriented energy.

• The Moore House (Liza — Steve’s love interest)
Soft, cozy, quiet street; always smells like vanilla candles and old books.

• Henderson House
Dustin’s home base. Science projects everywhere.

• Buckley House
Robin’s quiet, slightly messy, music-filled home.

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�� Hawkins High School

Sub-forums:
• Main Hallways
• Cafeteria
• Gymnasium / Locker Rooms
• Library
• Science Wing
• English & Humanities Wing
• Art & Shop Classes
• Parking Lot
• The Hellfire Club Room (Drama room)

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�� Hawkins Middle School

For flashbacks, investigations, or late-night sneaking in.

Sub-forums:
• Empty Classrooms
• Lockers
• Old Science Wing
• AV Room
• Gym

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�� Town Locations

• Family Video
Steve & Robin’s job. VHS chaos, gossip central.

• The Arcade
Neon lights, sticky floors, 8-bit battles.

• Melvald’s General Store
Heart of old Hawkins. Supplies, groceries, rumors.

• Hawkins Public Library
Quiet, eerie, good for research threads.

• The Hideout Bar
Where Eddie performs with Corroded Coffin. Late-night rock.

• Rink-O-Mania
Still exists, but now near Hawkins since the Byers didn’t move.
Roller rink parties, 80s neon.

• Benny’s Burgers (Abandoned)
Rotting, overgrown, still full of bad energy.

• Hawkins Hospital
For Vecna victims, injuries, investigations.

• The Hawkins Cinema
80s movies, date nights, slow-burn scenes.

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☕ Hawkins Hangouts
• Lover’s Lake
• Skull Rock
• The Quarry
• The Picnic Tables (Group Meet Spot)
• Hawkins Community Pool (Closed)

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�� Woods & Outskirts

• Hawkins Forest Trail Network
Winding, dark, dangerous at night.

• The Clearing
Where the kids meet for secret talks.

• Abandoned Cabin
Good for hideouts or intense scenes.

• Mirkwood Path
Will-named forest path, spooky nostalgia.

• Rick Lipton’s Cabin
Tie-in to the plot, hidden location.

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��️ Restricted / High-Risk Areas

• Hawkins Lab (Destroyed Above, Active Below)
The military fenced it off but the underground is alive.

• Creel House
Broken windows, heavy vines, cursed atmosphere.
Vecna’s energy still lingers.

• The Byers Shed
Supernatural hotspot since season 1.

• Gate Sites
– Chrissy’s spot
– Eddie’s trailer
– Lover’s Lake water gate
– The Munson field
– Hawkins High gym hallway

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�� CATEGORY: THE UPSIDE DOWN
Your darker mirror world. Good for horror, combat, and plot missions.

Sub-forums:
• Upside Down Hawkins Lab
• The Red Forest
• Vine Tunnels
• Creel House Throne Room
• Watergate
• Dust Storm Plains
• Eddie’s Trailer (Corrupted)

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�� CATEGORY: SURROUNDING AREAS (Still Used in S4)

• Pennhurst Mental Hospital
Nancy & Robin’s infiltration place.

• The War Zone (Gun Store)
Weapon prep, chaotic energy.

• Boathouse
Jason, Lucas, chase scenes.

• Abandoned Motels
Seedy, eerie, perfect for hiding.

• Gas Stations & Road Stops
For NPC interactions or travel.

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�� CATEGORY: RUSSIAN PRISON — KAMCHATKA

(Still part of Hopper’s storyline even with Byers in Hawkins.)

Sub-forums:
• The Prison Yard
• Guard Stations
• Work Tunnels
• Monster Pit
• The Snow Fields