OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE @lacunafiction
I had seen threads about this (wip? Demo? Idk) float around here, but I hadnt checked them. Then, after the release, I ended up scrolling this thread and my interest was piqued - furthered by free part of the game. Still, I hesitated a little before buying it AND I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID OH MY THE END and ah, I am reduced to incoherent internal screeching 
So far only one playthrough completed, but oh man, what a playthrough.
Definitely the nightmare in chapter 8 was the creepiest thing Iād ever seen in a COG game. Itās my favourite part of Fernweh.
The scariest bit? Hmm, Iāve had manyā¦letās see:
- Fighting Twiggy. Okay, so he is no Kroganā¦
The Waitress get 3rd spot 
Lack of 
When I first played and didnāt know the waiter was a RO so just found him staring at my mc proper creepy and locked the doors in that one scene whilst he stared at the car lol
I donāt think he isā¦ but maybe Iām wrong. That would explain why so many people like such a creep 
Oooh, I like that surname. My āevilā MC is going to be Ivyā¦ as in Poison Ivyā¦
The only one that really creeped me out was the house fire in chapter 3, and that was mainly due to the MC being trapped. Iām more than slightly claustrophobic, and reading that scene left me feeling that way (that hard-to-breathe-throat-closing up-slightly panicky feeling). Usually itās hard to get me that creeped out when reading things (the scene in GoT when Jon was trapped under all those dead bodies did it, too), so kudos to @lacunafiction for being able to write something that got me feeling that way!
Naia, of course, resisted every time she could, right up to the point where she got enraged and it killed her, lol. I love stubborn characters.
W is indeed a secret RO. Whether or not it will end well is up in the air (my money is on ānoā).
I am glad that there is an option to be uneasily polite/tersely polite to W if you donāt accept the drink.
@EvilChani Stubborn characters are the best. I donāt think that the moderate/token/non-resistance scenes (Roz throughout and Laurel in the first nightmare) are half as scary as the fully-resistant scenes (Arthur in both nightmares and at the end, Laurel in the second nightmare and at the end).
Iām quite pleased by this reaction. 
Thank you so much for taking the time to read TFS. There are so many interesting theories and insights on this thread, including Returning Visitors who feel more like treasured residents of Fernweh to me. 
The foreshadowing and layers in Book One are really designed for replays, so I hope you enjoy discovering more, re-evaluating characters, and possibly questioning what you/your MC knows while visiting the town again and again. 
Not to mention you can switch things up based on your RO route.
I think I once had a few people ask me which pathway to follow first, but I never really could answerā¦
The most stark difference might be between Bās route compared to the others since you can feel more like an outsider while relating and sticking close to them without getting some of the past history. For instance, B canāt speak to Miltonās history in town or disposition, whereas the others can.
@E_RedMark On the other thread, an Old People of Fernwehās Club was created and they suggested ideas for cupcake flavors that might crop up in Book Two on a particular branch. But, yes, I promise there will be other ways to burn calories, probably some of which a few of you are especially looking forward to.
@ChiggerCat, @E_RedMark, and others! Oh, Iām like: 
at you all discussing the past flings or Exs. We will have to wait and see, but itās a great question, and I really like seeing your thoughts on who may have dated, uhm, not-dated-but-had-fun (?), or actually had a serious relationship. Itās suggested that R could have a reputation (is it true or not?) as a heart breaker. Iām sure some of you noticed Mrs. Dorranās reactions in Chapter 13? She reacts to whoever is seeing the MC off to the town line. Iām curious how you may have viewed her reaction as signs of support, disapproval, uncertainty, or something else.
The nightmare sections were some of my favorites to write because I wanted to try and convey the suspense a certain way; thank you both! Iām happy they were impactful and left an impression rather than simply being scary or discomfiting. I canāt wait for you see experience what I have planned in the future; weāre just getting started.
Oh, @Snowflower for me personally, I kind of got creeped out writing the mask variations for the tree creature and how it can change so drastically across playthroughs in horrifying ways. I think even the base mask has a sense of wrongness with how itās (poorly) mimicking a humanās face. 
Iām sure that you and a few others notice how it changes. Congrats on hunting down all those achievements too! 
Also, yes, as Uma (Snowflower) said: the W is most definitely a secret RO. 
Their path is meant to be, well, āhiddenā and take the reader a bit more effort to uncover since that perfectly fits with their air of mystery. Certain choices will net you more scenes with them in Book One (e.g. letting them write on your hand, inviting them inside the burnt house, seeking them out after visiting Ms. V, etc)
You all will be putting in some effort on this route; itās that way by design, but I (and the W) will reward both you and your continued, receptive interest.
(Edit: I realize Iām probably going to run out of likes if I go back through the thread, but please know Iām loving the conversation and learning more about your MCs/thoughts. 
)
Chin-ups in the room, or otherwise keeping MCās workout routine (if they have one)? Hitting the Fernweh gym with B? Tennis with R (because theyād totally play tennis)? A long walk with S? Jogging with J? A pickup sports game with everyone?
Interesting. These are what I found. Iām not sure thereās no disapproval or I might have miscomprehended it. XD
MC and B - supportive
MC and R - uncertain? (Mrs. Darron canāt believe her eyes based on what I read. It was definitely funny)
MC and S - supportive
MC and J - supportive (Playing matchmaker a bit in there)
MC and JR - worried and somehow supportive
Hmm, for me or my characters? For me it was probably the second dream - so much not-good stuff there; for my characters, specifically my fraidy-cat one, it was the worst near the end. By the time they all walked into the woods, she was sort of semi-comatose from fright and moving on automatic. The whole discovery/fight sequence felt like a dream. I have a feeling she may be semi-permanently disconnected from reality now - which should play into the story rather well! 
For me, it was what our grandfather was dealing with, thinking he was going mad at first and then being unable to help people.
Part that got me most on edge was Wafflesā introduction amusingly enough. Being in the creepy cabin near dark, hearing banging and then weird scratching on the door, not seeing anything through the peephole. Iām pretty sure if I was there I would have had a heart attack when she barked.
I think R might not be as interested in no strings attached hookups as one might think. In the scene in a forest when their pager rings, you can joke about it being a booty call and they get really offended by this comment. The following sentence was used: āAssumptions are something she/he has become accustomed to.ā This gives me the impression that theyāre not very fond of flings, or maybe even avoid them altogether, but people always assume that theyāre promiscuous because of the way they act and present themselves.
If in this scene you say instead āIs that one of your many admirers?ā, they react like this: āR evaluates your expression to determine that you are joking around and not being critical before she/he saucily winks at you to play along with your lighthearted comment.ā They react much more positively if theyāre sure youāre not implying that they sleep around a lot.
Am I the only one with a mind in the gutter who thought about a certain activity with our RO? 
I donāt think she meant that kind of activities
No, youāre not 
M has oneirokinesis confirmed??? 
donāt be evil donāt be evil donāt be evil donāt be evil
@Snowflower I like Oleander and had not thought of that name. I will make one MC, Belladonna, and another, Oleander. Thanks for the recommendation I also like your idea of the surname since it sounds distinguished. @EvilChani Ivyās name is perfect!
An honorable mention for what unsettled me would be the Catās Cradle room scene after the 1st nightmare. No, not because of Boris the catās sweet face, but because of that evil picture! I envisioned children (read this as dolls) tormenting the cats. I have this thing about dolls and clowns. Any horror film, story, whatever that have those freak me out. Not sure if anyone else found any of the subtle room changes or shifts to be unsettling? I think because they were subtle that it made my MCs question their state of mind more and increased my unease while remembering how the normal room is now creepy.
@furyleika Learning that about the grandfather made me feel so bad for him; he must have felt powerless and alone. What made me emotional was one entry where he writes how he is not used to being by himselfāit was in Chapter 6, I believe? The MC gets to read how he changed, but that really struck me when playing as Daisy who still has love for her grandfather because she has a big heart and tries to stay relatively positive. It made it clear to her that he didnāt want to pull away, but felt he had to and I agree that thatās scary.
I loved discovering that there was a secret/hidden RO. Not only that the W was not immediately obvious unless you selected the right choices. In speaking with a friend, she did not discover the W until her 3rd play through. It was so fun to message with her and she was oblivious to W other than the fact that there was this creepy waitress/waiter who seemed to appear a lot and behaved oddly. When she discovered W in playthrough 3, we had lots to talk about. These are the kind of things that make the story so replayable.
@resuri08 Those are good. I definitely agree that she is supportive of B and S going to the town line. But even before that, I think she was curious or assumed some stuff about the MC and Bee in an affectionate way. If you note she asked Daisy at check-in if she and B want 1 room or 2.
@Nemureru_Mori I appreciate your take on R and the evidence you presented. I had not seen the sentence your reference about the booty call, so your analysis may be spot on. This could also explain some of Rās comments that are cynical about optics or putting on a show. Maybe he has to deal with gossip since he is from a wealthy, visible family? Iām extra curious now.
About burning calories in ācreativeā ways, my mind went in that direction tooā¦
@ZealousImagination It wonāt let me quote your last line, but I hope so! The scenes where the MC is interested in W are certainly not as unnerving as when you express disdain or being cautious of W. Maybe he will have a soft spot for the MC? At least he doesnāt burn your tongue if you are neutral or polite; did anyone else get that??
Just me that thinks that W was kinda childish? If you turn down their offer for a drink after you come back from the wood (So by the car), and do not do it politely (so no instead of no please), they retaliate by giving you a hot coffee to burn your tongue on! Juvenile lol
Which suggest that the facade they are showing (Smirking, Winking, Smiley?) is fake. Beware for those who wanna kiss this Wolf 
in sheepās 
clothes 
I am HIGHLY convinced that W is one of the Fair Folk, Seelie Court, as opposed to Sore Loser which Iām convinced is one of the Fair Folk, Unseelie Court.
If Iām correct, you should trust neither of them without first bashing their skulls in with an iron rod.