The Cleburne Family Plot

It is often said that not only does the Cleburne family tree not have any branches it barely has more than a twisted root. The Cleburne's were long rumored to be descendants of the Clebsch bloodline, linked back to eldest son Gregor, whom had fled the Clebsch farm prior to the death of his family and Union soldiers held up there after the Battle of Bull Run. The Cleburne's changed their surname in the late 1930s to distant themselves from the stigma of the Clebsch name which had grown infamous from all the tales of Old Johanne haunting the Laurianne Cemetery and feral Gregor abducting women and children that passed through the woods.

Livestock handlers by trade, they had no trouble creating disgrace on their own. A more incestuous, murderous, vile group could not be found. Though not all fault is to be laid on their heads, as living on the same land as Johanne Clebsch farm inside the bounds of Laurianne Woods would twist even the most virtuous.

Much like their Clebsch ancestors, the Cleburne’s animals began to die. The family, ostracized from the local community, had no way of getting provisions and soon began to hunger. What they found though was that the Woods had a way of providing for its own. A steady supply of meat, human flesh, was right there for the taking.

A low hanging fruit ready to be picked from the vine, a lost traveler confused by the paths in Laurianne Woods.

In no time, the Cleburne’s cannibalistic ways had them craving their taboo meal to the point where nothing else would satisfy their growling bellies. The family began to change, becoming more evil and violent than before. Their minds poisoned, their bodies disfigured and corrupted to reflect the same.

What’s not known is whether the Cleburne’s changes were due to a combination of inbreeding and an extreme form of Kuru disease (an incurable degenerative neurological disorder caused by a prion found in humans) brought on by their cannibalism or something much deeper, leading back to Johanne Clebsch and his dark deals with the Woods. Be careful if your path takes you through the Cleburne family plot or you may end up staying in the woods forever.