The air in Platteville hums with a frequency not readily perceived. It’s a resonance, a subtle thrumming born from the convergence of ley lines and a geological anomaly known, locally, as the Obsidian Bloom.
Founded in 1856 by Silas Blackwood, a cartographer obsessed with the intersection of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers, Platteville wasn't built on fertile land or abundant resources. It was built on a whisper, a legend passed down through generations of Blackwood families: the legend of the Bloom.
“The Bloom,” according to Blackwood’s journals, is not a flower in the conventional sense. It’s a manifestation of concentrated geological energy, a place where the earth’s memory is amplified. He believed it held the key to understanding the planet's origins, a 'harmonic anchor' if you will. His initial surveys were wildly inaccurate, charting rivers that shifted with impossible speed and landmarks that vanished without a trace. Later researchers attributed this to the Bloom's influence, a distortion of spatial perception.
Elias Blackwood, Silas’s son, attempted to establish a permanent observatory near the Bloom's epicenter. He recorded strange optical phenomena, including shimmering mirages and distorted reflections. His instruments malfunctioned consistently, leading to his eventual abandonment of the project, convinced he was witnessing a 'temporal bleed'.
Date: 1868
Local residents began reporting 'echoes' – fragments of sounds and images from the past, experienced primarily during periods of heightened atmospheric pressure. These echoes were often tied to specific locations near the Bloom, particularly the old Blackwood estate.
Date: 1922
The Platteville Institute for Anomalous Research (PIR) was established, funded by a mysterious benefactor known only as 'Silas’. The PIR focused on documenting and analyzing the Bloom's effects, employing a team of scientists, linguists, and historians.
Date: 1977
A period of intense seismic activity coincided with a dramatic increase in reported echo frequency and intensity. Several PIR researchers went missing, their last known communications filled with frantic warnings about a 'growing silence' within the Bloom.
Date: 2015
The Blackwood family remains deeply intertwined with Platteville. Descendants still reside within the old Blackwood estate, a crumbling gothic structure at the edge of town. Locals whisper that the house itself is sensitive to the Bloom’s energy, exhibiting strange temperature fluctuations and occasional, inexplicable movements. Rumors persist that Silas Blackwood didn't simply record the Bloom; he *absorbed* it, becoming a conduit for its influence. The Blackwood estate now serves as a research facility, run by the current generation of Blackwoods, who continue to study the Bloom's effects and its potential for unlocking forgotten knowledge.
“It’s not about control,” says Dr. Alistair Blackwood, the current director. “It’s about understanding. The Bloom is a mirror, reflecting the past, the present, and perhaps… the future.”