Investigation Report

Weather: Clear and warm upon arrival, though a chill quickly descended as the night wore on, accompanied by occasional, light, almost ethereal rain. No wind.

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Upon arrival, the team cautiously ventured around the castle, exploring the eerie expanses of the Great Hall, Buttery, Eastern Lodgings, Kitchen and Yard, Chapel and Priest’s Lodging, Western Lodgings, and the imposing Motte and Keep. Every area felt thick with history and unease. We completed baseline tests and began strategizing for the evening’s investigation.

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Vigil 1: Eastern Lodgings

The atmosphere in the small, dimly lit room was heavy with an almost palpable darkness. We set up the K2 meters, cat balls, and EVP equipment. The word bank app hummed to life as we began the pendulum session, its eerie presence almost tangible. The moment Ros placed the EVP recorder in the corner of the room, the app immediately blurted out, “Take it away,” followed quickly by “Stop recording.” A chill ran down our spines.

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We proceeded with the human pendulum in the main lodgings area, with Sophie standing as the pendulum. The energy in the room shifted rapidly as we made contact with a spirit—a gentleman who didn’t belong to the castle or its grounds, nor was he connected to anyone present. He had met his fate in a tragic accident, though not in a car—he had been thrown from a horse-drawn carriage. The word “1826” lingered ominously in the air, confirming the spirit's time of death. With his departure, the atmosphere seemed to grow colder, and we shifted our focus to a child spirit.

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The pendulum’s movements became erratic and forceful, a clear sign of a younger presence. The word bank app flashed with “Undocumented death.” Violet, an eight-year-old girl, materialized, her voice trembling in the air. She spoke of a tragedy and the name “Thomas.” Her energy seemed to hang in the room like a shadow, the weight of her unspoken words pressing in on us. The word bank app spoke again: “Thomas,” followed by “Thomas has a secret.” Violet promised she would reveal this secret later, through the Ouija board.

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As she spoke, the room grew even darker, as if more spirits were gathering. Violet shared that she was not alone—there were other child spirits, and among them was Thomas. The word bank spoke the names “Billy” and “Omar,” followed by “9” and “2,” leaving us with an unsettling sense of unfinished business. Violet, however, refused to elaborate further before vanishing.

Next, we made contact with a powerful and imposing female spirit who identified herself as Lady Mary Howard. Her chilling confession sent shivers down our spines—she admitted to the brutal murders of her husbands and children, revealing no remorse for her deeds. She lingered in the shadows, still bound to the castle grounds, but refused to share where she now resides. With her departure, the room felt even heavier, like something dark had just left behind an oppressive energy.

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We then encountered a forceful male spirit whose presence was immediate and overpowering. His energy rattled the pendulum with startling intensity. When I asked him to soften his presence, his answers were terse and distant. He refused to tell us who he was, but his mood was undeniably angry. The word bank app revealed the names “Ryan” and “Thadeus,” followed by ominous phrases like “A summoning has begun,” “Lost their life,” and “Ryan is lurking in the prison, during blood moon phases.” The pendulum began swaying violently. The air felt electric. We asked if he was the cause of the strange movement, but he denied it. The word app spoke the name “Virginia” and the number “6.” Suddenly, the pendulum stopped dead in its tracks.

The atmosphere became suffocating, and as the word app eerily repeated “voice in the recording” and “poltergeist,” the pendulum once again began to sway—this time violently. The room became heavy with a dark, palpable energy. The pendulum moved in circular motions, faster and faster, its force unsettling. We decided to shut down the session, knowing we had pushed the limits of what we could handle.

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After a brief break, we made our way to the Great Hall and Battery, the night thick with anticipation.

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Vigil 2: Great Hall and Battery

In the Great Hall, a vast, echoing space that felt alive with whispers of the past, we set up the K2 meters, cat balls, and EVP equipment. The Rem Bear was placed close to the Battery entrance, a silent sentinel in the darkness. We split into two groups—one staying in the Great Hall, the other in the Battery.

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The tension was thick as we began our Ouija board session in the Great Hall. Meanwhile, the group in the Battery was calling out to the spirits with the spirit box. The air was charged with an unnerving energy. Suddenly, the Ouija board’s planchette began to rock back and forth, faintly at first, then with a sudden intensity. It was as if something unseen was trying to communicate. A spirit spoke through the word bank, spelling out an odd, cryptic name: “STEFPRIYUYV.” We tried asking if it was Stefanie or Stefan, but the planchette remained still, almost mocking us.

Then, the air around us seemed to explode with activity. Four or five loud bangs echoed from the far side of the castle grounds, shaking the very air we breathed. The word bank app spoke cryptically, “85 years old, STRIET.”

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As the group moved to the Battery, things escalated further. Gravel stones were thrown from three separate areas of the room, seemingly out of nowhere. The spirit box crackled to life, its chilling message saying, “The light will protect you,” followed by “Make them stop.” A live viewer commented they could hear humming, though no one else could. The word box then said, “You are mean,” and once again, more gravel was thrown. If you listen carefully to the live feed, the stones hit the floor just after the words, “You are mean.”

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The atmosphere felt oppressive, heavy with unseen eyes watching from the shadows. Ros stood where the stones had been thrown and dared the spirit to throw them again, but nothing moved. The tension in the room reached a peak when Ros left the Battery, only to hear the eerie humming sound once more. It echoed faintly, sending chills down our spines.

Back at the Ouija board, a spirit came through with a playful yet sinister energy. It spelled out “zozo” and then “rainbowing” across the board, its movements erratic and unpredictable. The air grew thick with tension, but no one felt overtly threatened—yet something about the spirit felt wrong. As the board continued to spell “goodbye” and “666,” we decided it was best to close the session. The K2 meters under the table flickered wildly, flashing to amber and red.

After a brief pause to calm our nerves, we ascended the hill to the Keep, the night growing darker and more oppressive with each step.

 

Vigil 3: The Keep and Motte

In the eerie, atmospheric room at the back of the Keep, where the air felt thick with the weight of centuries, we set up K2 meters and cat balls. The room buzzed with a strange energy, as if the walls themselves were watching us. We called out, our voices seeming to vanish into the darkness, unanswered.

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Some of the group wandered through the Keep, taking photos and calling out, while others resorted to the word bank and spirit box. The mood was heavy—like the air had been waiting for something to break it. Then, Ros decided to open the Ouija board again, and it wasn’t long before Violet came through once more. Her energy flooded the room, palpable and desperate. She confirmed her identity by spelling her name and age, matching what we had learned earlier.

Violet’s voice was quiet but urgent as she told us she was scared—Thomas was here. Her words felt like a warning, but we reassured her that Thomas could not hurt her now. When we asked about Thomas's secret, Violet’s words hit us like a cold, brutal slap. She revealed that her death, long thought to be an accident, was no such thing. She had been murdered—pushed from the Keep battlements by none other than Thomas.

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The room fell into a suffocating silence as Violet recounted her tragic fate. Thomas and her mother had been involved in an illicit affair, and when Violet discovered them, Thomas pushed her to silence her. Violet begged us to reveal the truth, to change history and let the world know that Thomas had killed her. Her mother had kept the secret, as had Thomas, and Violet’s death had been covered up, leaving her to wander the castle in torment. We asked Violet if she wanted to stay, but she refused. She wanted to move on, to find peace. Ros offered her help, and Violet agreed. With a final thank you and goodbye, she moved toward the light, her presence dissipating into the night.

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As the atmosphere shifted and the room grew lighter, Aidan suddenly began to feel ill, his stomach churning with an unseen force. We immediately saged him and left the area, returning to the Eastern Lodgings. Some of the group departed, feeling the night had come to an end, but a few remained, continuing the investigation. Colleen ventured into the small room alone, her eyes wide as she reported no further activity, just a heavy, oppressive emptiness. The energy had lifted.

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It was clear—our investigation was done.

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With quiet reverence, we packed up our equipment, said our thanks, and bid farewell to the spirits of Okehampton Castle. As we left, a sense of satisfaction hung in the air. We had uncovered secrets, and perhaps, just perhaps, given a little peace to the restless souls lingering in the castle’s dark corners.