2005 – NETHERWORLD Haunted House Year 9
Year 9 2005 featured 3 shows, Abomination, Terror on Tiki Island in 3D, and Slaughterhouse. In Abomination an aquatic warlord of the Dark Ones emerges from the ocean to lead monstrosities into battle! This show featured an incredibly complex creature suit, new massive animatronic monsters and a season that saw the success of the haunt continue to grow. The IAAPA entertainment expo was also in Atlanta this year and NETHERWORLD was able to open for the amusement industry and fellow haunters. Terror on Tiki Island in 3D featured amazing artwork that captured the beauty and horror of a lush tropical island gone mad, and Slaughterhouse explored the dark evil at work in the depths of a long abandoned meat packing facility.
ABOMINATION
From the foulest pits of the NETHERWORLD surge a horde of Huge Savage Monsters! Massive brutal things coursing with evil intelligence hunt humans and drag them away ALIVE, screaming into the darkness! Lead by a Nightmarish WARLORD, these things cannot be stopped, unless the books that summoned them are destroyed! Can they be defeated before the hideous ABOMINATION they serve infects all mankind?
Abomination-
Geoff Lachase – Initiate – Order of the Watchful Flame
Report on the Recent Activities At Whyshburg Burial Grounds
I was assigned by the Order, in the fall of 2004, to write a report on the recent supernatural occurrences in The Whyshburg Burial grounds, located near Atlanta Georgia, USA. (see more details of the location) After an exhaustive 10 month search of all available records, and an onsite surveillance of the grounds on 9 consecutive nights last October, I have discovered an extremely dangerous situation that could well mean the end of all life as we know it.
THE EVENTS OF LAST OCTOBER
We were already aware of the NETHERWORLD gateway located on the site, sealed by a natural spring until a few years ago. We were also aware of a powerful corporal supernatural entity called the Collector that had taken up residence on the property for several decades, clothed in the rotting flesh of the Necromancer that had summoned him. Apparently this entity had been collecting spiritual energy to open the dormant gateway and allow his masters into our world. Last Fall it succeeded and a great number of extremely dangerous beings entered this plane of existence.
This is when things got very interesting. Most of these beings were unable to survive here, and in a matter of days for some, and hours for others, they basically rotted away. Apparently the only reason the Collector had been able to remain on earth so long was his “cloak of flesh” i.e. the desiccated corpse he was inhabiting. The invasion we had all feared for so long had come to an end, with the invaders unable to survive.
But the Collector was far from finished. For many years he had dominated a local family, the Boswicks, and had used them as his servants. But the Boswicks had a deeper relationship with the unknown than we had previously guessed, and provided the Collector with the answer to his problem.
A DEEPER HISTORY OF THE BOSTWICKS
In 1915, Edwin Bostwick left the family mortuary business to live a life of exploration and adventure on the high seas. Apparently he had long been obsessed with “mermaids” and according to correspondences, claimed to have found one in Tahiti, and had taken it as his wife! This story could be easily dismissed as wild bragging, were it not for the events that were to follow. Several years later (1920) he returned to Whyshburg, with a strange young child and a mysterious book called the NECRONOMICON, sealed with an ancient wooden cover embossed in gold leaf. Edwin soon passed away from a sudden fever. The child was his son by “the Mermaid” and was very odd indeed. The book, filled with strange runes and summoning rituals was lost….hidden on the grounds by Edwin before his death.
The boy, known as Marcus, kept to himself most of the time, and grew to maturity amazingly robust and strong. Despite his intelligence and vigor, most of the townsfolk kept away from him, on account of the odd texture of his skin, and the oily sweat he constantly exuded.
In 1937 he married a second cousin, Martha, as was the custom in the area. They attempted to have children on numerous occasions, but most of the pregnancies ended in tragedy. Finally they had a set of twins. The girl, Ariel, was perfect, a joy to her mother. The boy, Caliban, was never seen in public, and kept locked away in an shuttered attic room.
By 1942 the fortunes of the Bostwicks had crashed and a mysterious benefactor arrived to bail them out of their financial woes. We now know this was the Collector in his mortal guise. Marcus clashed for dominance with the wealthy visitor, and fled Whyshburg late one night. We now know he has going through strange physical problems of his own, and was last seen, horribly disfigured, plunging into the ocean off the coast of Savannah GA, and presumed drowned.
Eventually the Collector came into the possession of the gold embossed NECRONOMICON, perhaps by torturing the spirit of Edwin Boswick….we may never know. It was by using the knowledge contained in the book, he was able to eventually open the NETHERWORLD gateway. Some say it is linked with another book of even greater power that exists in the NETHERWORLD, a book bound in writhing inhuman flesh.
But I digress…as to Ariel, she grew up lovely, talented and evil. Under the influence of the Collector she became an amoral murderess who derived satisfaction from the suffering of others. She is said to have had as many as 11 children, many who bore the same physical taints as her father. Her descendants now infest Whyshbrug, eager to serve the whims of the Dark Ones.
Caliban is an even stranger story. It is said that over time he grew to a massive size, and was completely unrecognizable as human. Even the Collector stayed away from the thing, except to transfer him to more secure quarters in the catacombs beneath Whyshburg in 1957. Even his family members who still tended and fed him, simply called him the ABOMINATION.
THE GROWING STORM
This brings us to the present, and the current danger before us. The Collector has realized that in order to survive in our world, his masters must have human hosts. It is only by inhabiting human corpses or by creating HYBRID children they can hope to invade this place.
Our sources indicate the Collector now serves Marcus, who has returned from the depths of the ocean to rule Whyshburg. No longer human at all, he is some sort of monstrous WARLORD, who serves the Dark Ones as a powerful living instrument of their will. They are preparing an invasion once more, and are bent on summoning an army of fell creatures set to ravage and destroy. Humans will be taken ALIVE, and spirited away to the NETHERWORLD for unspeakable purposes. Normally humans cannot survive the harsh conditions in other realms of existence, but the WARLORD has found a way around this it seems.
This swarm of evil creatures will be led by giant war beasts, beings of such might no army can stand before them. But the invaders must act swiftly, as even these powerful things can only survive in our world for a few days. But by far the most insidious weapon the WARLORD possesses is his son…the ABOMINATION. The flesh of this thing can take any form, and its HYBRID nature allows it to survive in both worlds. By infecting humans with its parasites, they can be controlled, and kept alive in the NETHERWORLD. This ABOMINATION is the cornerstone of their plan, the only way they can make permanent incursions into our world.
SUMMARY
I offer this report in the hope that the Order can find some way to defeat this growing evil. The only way they can be stopped is by destroying one or both of the books, or by killing the ABOMINATION. Both tasks I fear are beyond our means.
I await the judgment of the Elders, and their wisdom.
Geoff Lachase – Initiate – Order of the Watchful Flame
TERROR ON TIKI ISLAND
Shipwrecked on an island of mystery, you hear the sounds of drums in the darkness!
Ancient idols carved from volcanic rock glare from the shadows as you race through the jungle.
Wild animals and deadly head hunters stalk you at every turn!
At last you reach a massive Stone God lurking behind a bloodstained altar. The ritual can now begin…the sacrifice has arrived!
Nightmares Carved in the Living Rock!
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
What lurks in Mann’s abandoned meat processing plant?Local teens say that the place, long ago closed for selling tainted meat, still runs on moonless nights. Some believe an inbred tribe of cannibal squatters hides in the twisted corridors, packing their latest victims into cans for later feasting!
Bribing the old security guard, you creep into this monument of urban decay, eager to uncover the secrets of the place. And you never return!
Reviews from 2005
“The big daddy of haunted houses.”
– Gwinnett Daily Post
“I left Netherworld invigorated and inspired, realizing what can be possible through years of dedication, hard work and enthusiasm. Netherworld is the only haunted house I have visited that actually exceeds its reputation.”
– Brett Bertolino, Assistant Program Director for Operations & Special Events at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
“Netherworld is a paradise for anyone who likes to be frightened.”
– The Sentinel
“Netherworld has always had an eye for
extreme detail and is the home of an amazing collection of monsters and props sure to please any horror fan.”
– Key Atlanta Magazine
Ranked in the top 13 Haunted Houses in the country by AOL City Search 2005
Featured in Nickelodeon Magazine along with 5 other noteworthy haunts from around the country
“A way to celebrate all things scary on a grand scale.”
– Key Atlanta Magazine
“If you want to be scared this season, Netherworld is definitely the place to go.”
– Key Atlanta Magazine
“One of the best haunted houses ever created.”
– Where Atlanta Magazine
“The most chillingly authentic experience.”
– Gothic Beauty
“Netherworld leaves no gravestone unturned when it comes to creating a realistic experience.”
– Gothic Beauty
“A frightful surprise.”
– Gothic Beauty
“Full of thrills, chills, and absolute terror.”
– The Spotlight
“World famous!”
– INsite
“May be too intense for all but the bravest of thrill-seekers.”
– Gwinnett Daily Post
“The setup at Netherworld is so ingenious and the costumes are so exquisitely done that a few monsters are bound to make you scream.”
– The Emory Wheel
“The diversity of monsters and the creativity of its sets make it one to be revisited.”
– The Emory Wheel
“A heart-racing adventure.”
– The Emory Wheel
“A trip to Netherworld will certainly give you the chills.”
– The Emory Wheel
“Netherworld haunted house – it’s scary shit!”
– The Sting
“Stunning makeup and costuming.”
– The Technique
“A mainstay of the Halloween scene in the Atlanta area for years—and for good reason.”
– The Covington News
“High production values, enthusiastic performers and a changing line-up of three haunted attractions make it an excellent entertainment choice for the thrill-seeking Halloween enthusiast.”
– The Covington News
“Keeps even the more seasoned haunted house-goer on edge.”
– The Covington News
“Colossal monsters, wild special effects and intense actors are sure to scare the bravest of souls!”
– The Weekly
“Each year the Netherworld team produces an even more amazing show than the one before it.”
– The Weekly
“A unique experience into the realm of fear.”
– The Sentinel
“Spooks it up with movie-style special effects and elaborate scares for the Halloween season.”
– The Gwinnett Answer Book, AJC
“The famed haunted house is able to keep scaring the jeepers creepers out of Atlanta thrill-seekers every year.”
– AOL City Guide
“Last year’s Spirit of the Dead and the Purgatory-inspired Oblivion probably sparked a steep rise in nightlight sales around town.”
– AOL City Guide
“If you dare to go to Netherworld, bring a change of underwear!”
– Rampway Online, GSU’s online magazine
“A one-of-a-kind experience.”
– Rampway Online
“The Netherworld show is truly amazing…the best seasonal haunt I have seen.”
– Barrel O’ Fun
