the machado family
unclaimed
those born into this family have a way with words. as in they both come to their minds and leave their mouths with ease. they can flip through a book, barely glancing, and be able to tell you every plot point. they can make you genuinely feel like you've been transported when they tell you a story. also, sometimes the things they write down come true.

the marcell family
unclaimed
the town historians. while they haven't been in the town long, they seem to know the answer to every question asked about it. even things not found in any old articles, as if they were able to talk to past residents or see visions of how things used to be...

the merrick family
claimed by enormous
the merricks trace their roots back to the late 1800s, when captain silas merrick settled in hellport after years of whaling and deep-sea trawling. he was known as a hard, weather beaten man who believed the sea was both a provider and a punisher. his motto, still repeated by his descendants, is "the sea provides, the sea takes." in october 1939, the merrick family vessel 'the eleanor gray' set out for what should have been a routine trip. she was captained by thomas merrick, grandson of silas, with a small crew of cousins and family friends. the boat was loaded heavy with cod and crab, and according to the logs, the sea was calm when they departed hellport. two nights later, a storm rolled in sudden and fast. locals said it was unlike anything they’d seen in years, lightning without rain, winds that howled in a strange, hollow tone. the eleanor gray never returned. days later, pieces of her hull washed up along widow’s bluff, but no bodies were found. rumor has it the eleanor gray had been cursed by a local coven due to thomas' ill-advised affair with one of their members.

the morrow family
unclaimed
the morrow family has been in hell since the early 1900s. they can be read about in the clockmaker's curse section of the lore page.

the mortimer family
unclaimed
known grave robbers in the early days of town, the mortimers dug up more than valuables. their descendants still bear strange ailments coughing up dirt, skin smelling faintly of embalming fluid. rumor has it they can’t step into consecrated ground without fainting. modern day mortimers have tried to repair their reputation but haven't quite escaped the whispers.

the naylor family
claimed by treen
deep connection with nature, they are often found outdoors talking to plants. they make wooden furniture and accessories, priding themselves in only taking wood from trees that are ready to be harvested... maybe the trees talk back?

the newby family
claimed by crumbls
the newby family has been in hell since the 1940s, and every family death in town has been dramatic and newsworthy. lightning strikes, car crashes, drownings, or freak accidents. a newby never has a gentle passing in bed. funerals are town events because people wait to hear how the latest newby death went down. some whisper they bargained to never fade away, only to exit life in spectacular fashion so that their names are never forgotten.

the nightingale family
unclaimed
the nightingale family insists they were in town before the town was even founded. some locals believe their lore claims. others think they're confused or just flat out lying for clout. every few years, a new nightingale child is born looking exactly like one already buried in the cemetery giving off rumors of reincarnation or resurrection magic. they all carry pocketwatches that don't tell time but do tick in reverse, claiming it's because something important is about to happen.

the nolen family
unclaimed
the town's unofficial entertainers, the nolens, have always run the costume shop and provide masks, wigs, and odd garments for parades. every generation, one nolen becomes a master impersonator, able to mimic anyone in town so convincingly that people can't tell the difference. some laugh it off as a party trick, others worry the family has "borrowed" more than just appearances.

the oak family
unclaimed
allegedly descended from funeral sculptors, the elvertons now maintain a statuary garden on the northern edge of hell, where each statue represents a family ancestor though some depict people still alive. visitors often experience odd emotional shifts near the marble figures, as though the statues "borrow" feelings to remain upright. it is whispered that no oak family member has been seen crying in over 70 years.

the osgood family
unclaimed
the osgood family always bear children in pairs, sometimes identical, sometimes uncanny opposites. in personal family lore, one twin is favored and the other forgotten. some say the forgotten twin always dies young, others that they simply disappear. their family reunions are unsettling, too many matching faces, speaking in sync and it can be overwhelming for outsiders to follow.

the penumbra family
unclaimed
once scholars and astronomers, the penumbras kept meticulous star charts that predict more than celestial events. their journals speak of deaths, storms, and disappearances. no penumbra has published publicly in decades, though town gossip swears they’re still tracking things best left untracked.

the pimm family
claimed by verus
there's a saying that wherever a pimm goes, the weather seems to follow their mood. sunny when they're cheerful, drizzle when they're glum, wind gusts when they're impatient. they throw notoriously chaotic picnics that can swing from downpours to rainbows in an afternoon. pimms insist they're perfectly normal they just attract the climate. the rumors might be a little exaggerated, and the truth might be closer to somewhere in the middle.

the pyre family
unclaimed
once firefighters, the pyre family were both praised and feared for their uncanny luck in surviving blazes. some said they fed the fires to keep their luck burning. after a suspicious string of arsons, the family name soured, and most pyres left town. the few who remain avoid talking about it, but hell kids dare each other to chant, “pyre, pyre, start the fire!” at pyres in public whenever they're around.

the quayle family
unclaimed
the quayle family can be read about in the lyla quayle section of the lore page.

the quick family
unclaimed
the quick clan are local ghosthunters and busters. they run "quick spectral removal" since the 1960s, a family business headquartered in a surprisingly well kept storefront just off main street in the downtown neighborhood. the quick family lean into order and procedure. they conduct intake interviews, hand out carbon copy receipts, and even have color-coded folders for phantoms, poltergeists and curses. the family as a whole has always been mysterious and sought after for parties and get togethers, in hopes they will tell stories of their family's history.

the rancourt family
unclaimed
the rancourts are french-american, full of artists, boxers, and hairdressers. the bernard's do not fit any french stereotype. they are loud, messy, and deeply beloved except for when they fight, which they do in shakespearean volume. their family has a book of debts and favors passed down through four generations. if you're in it, good or bad, you will hear about it. it is rumored that one rancourt uncle made a deal with the wrong local witch and now forgets his own name on tuesdays.

the rane family
unclaimed
molly rane was a widow with four children who came to town for a fresh start soon after the founding. she started taking care of others children to make ends meet, but children in her care ended up orphans with shocking regularity. this was genuinely no fault of her own, and trying to make the best of it, molly opened an orphanage. the townsfolk were unconvinced of her innocence, and unswayed by her good heart - often chanting rane, rane, go away until one night a drunkard took it too far, burning down the house beside the orphanage in which molly resided. molly perished, but rumor has it no child can be harmed on rane property, as molly is still protecting them.

the rodriguez family
unclaimed
the rodriguez family are most notable for knocking out the cresswell family from claiming spots in three different hell beauty pageants: 1965, 1982 and 2019. many towns people find them refreshing for putting an end to the cresswell egos those years, while some consider them to be just as bad fighting for those spots.

the ruggieri family
unclaimed
originally from italy, the ruggieris were once master pyrotechnicians (fireworks and more) until a misfired sky-burst in 1967 supposedly burned a constellation shaped scar into the air. now their descendants in hell still tinker with flame and color, but in smaller, odder ways including birthday candles that sing old songs, sparklers that whisper secrets and firecrackers that predict mild misfortunes. their yard glows faintly red on new year's eve, even when nothing's lit.

the russell family
claimed by dinosaucers
another that has been around since near the founding of the town. tony russell opened an ice house, that unfortunately was co-opted as the town morgue for a stint. while the original building has long been destroyed, descendants of tony rebuilt and have been running a true funeral home there for years, including dealing with whispers about being weird for their chosen profession.

the rutherfords family
unclaimed
a family of eternal optimists, the rutherfords feel like they walked out of the brady bunch. they're famous for over-decorating for every holiday, running a relentlessly cheerful lemonade stand every summer, and starting sing-alongs at town events. of course, beneath the sunshine smiles, the rutherfords gossip just as viciously as anyone else in hell, they just do it with perfect hair and a plate of cookies in hand.

the seguin family
unclaimed
the seguins have manned hell's lighthouses for as long as the town remembers. their name was whispered like a prayer by sailors and feared like a curse by the superstitious. while most lighthouse keepers guide ships through storms, the seguins are said to guide souls with their beams stretching further than lantern or flame should, cutting across ocean fog to call the lost back to shore.

the smith family
claimed by control
unlike most magical lineages in hell, the smiths reject ritual. their family legacy is one of unbinding, dedicated to destroying sigils, breaking enchantments and confusing cosmic order. they're the town's anti-coven, hired to undo what others dare not touch. some unbinding rituals have started to backfire. furniture rearranges itself, poltergeists latch on to their homes. they've done less work over the last two decades, with newer generations wanting to bring their work back to hell's forefront.

the stanford family
claimed by flowerpot
the town florists, who seem to have a connection to the flowers they sell. they are said to wilt, or even rebloom from death depending on the whims and moods of the family member handling them.

the sterling family
unclaimed
the sterlings are prominent silversmiths whose craftsmanship is unmatched and has been since the 1940s. their silverware never tarnishes and some believe the pieces retain memories of their possessors. there are tales of items that glow under moonlight, or softly hum when tragedy strikes nearby. their hell's cove workshop, "sterling & sons," is always immaculate and they're known to be an organized and particular family in town even when they work outside of the family business. each heirloom is cataloged with tales of its prior owners, and rumored enchantments. outsiders come seeking keepsakes... but seldom leave with just a trinket.

the stroud family
claimed by chresmos
the strouds own hell's only radio station (wel-333). their late night broadcasts are popular among insomniacs and shift workers, but sometimes the announcers slip into languages no one recognizes, or speak in voices that don’t belong to any stroud. the family claims it's just interference but when those broadcasts air, townsfolk often wake to find doors standing open or clocks reset to 3:33.

the tanner family
unclaimed
once wealthy, the tanners keep to their drafty stone manor on the outskirts of shady canyon. they're notorious for hiding half of their house behind locked doors, claiming the wings are unsafe, but locals swear candlelight glows in the boarded windows at night. every tanner child is raised on ghost stories, and many end up authors, painters, or playwrights obsessed with tragedy.

the thorn family
claimed by pulsing
the thorns are among the first families to have arrived in hell in the late 1910s. early ledgers list isaiah thorn as one of the signatories to hell's charter, and local legend claims his wife, miriam, was a healer who mixed herbs with stranger ingredients. when famine struck in 1914, the thorns led the now famous solstice offering in hellport on the beach, rallying townsfolk to give up personal possessions in a great fire. within a year, the town was thriving again and the thorn name became bound to hell's survival. the town of hell carries on this tradition every fall with the thorn family often organizing the event.

the tolliver family
unclaimed
the tolliver family has always loved the stage. they built hell's drama house downtown in the 1920s and have been tied to the theater ever since, either acting, directing, or funding productions. but with art comes ego, and the tollivers are as notorious for their offstage theatrics as for their performances. affairs between cast members, broken engagements, and shouting matches spilling out of rehearsals are regular town gossip. the tollivers' passion for drama has ensured their name endures but rarely for reasons they'd want!

the tolchuk family
unclaimed
this family is quiet, offbeat and known for their long, flat stares, the tolchuks run an unofficial "museum" of childhood imagination gone wrong. their basement is full of plush creatures, odd clay figurines, and unsettling dolls said to be former imaginary friends no longer in use. they claim it's a "retirement home" for abandoned companions. the youngest tolchuk, ari, is never seen without his oversized purple backpack which sometimes mumbles to itself when no one's watching.

the tyrelle family
unclaimed
old New York transplants who act like they’re royalty but have no actual claim to anything except a family tree that might've been forged on Etsy. They believe in prestige, legacy, and wine at lunch, and not one of them has worked a real job in decades. Their dramatic and scandal filled family chat is notorious for leaking to the public because someone screenshots everything. none admit to being the one, and no one learns their lesson by continuting to use the same group chat. they have an Annual in-fighting crisis on the patriarch's november birthday every year over who gets control of the "family ring" even though everyone knows it's a mood ring from a Cracker Barrel.

the usher family
unclaimed
usher family history is revealed in the hell casino information in the bluff's end buisness page. *the usher family has been tied to the langmore family since 1976 when gordon langmore and matrice usher wed. the families own the casino together and remain closeknit and guarded of their secrets.

the valonette family
unclaimed
the vallonettes have been fashion designers for over a century in hell. their clothes are one of a kind which is why owning a piece by them in town means you own something very valuable. sometimes, however, the clothes pose signs of awareness. some seem to tighten when worn by liars. others vibrate if it's owner is feeling particularly aroused. a jacket once stitched itself shut around a client and wouldn't come off without scissors. it is rumored in town that every design is made while a valonette is in a trace. some lore says that one vallonette was buried in a dress made just for the occasion, and it changed shape during the funeral.

the vargas family
claimed by slowdives
the vargases came to hell in the 1960s and established themselves through trucking. behind the scenes, their company doubled as a cover for drug shipments moving across state lines. several suspicious disappearances in the 1970s and 1980s were rumored to be "vargas business." the current generation keeps a lower profile, but locals still whisper their name whenever someone goes missing along streets within and just outside of hell.

the vernon family
claimed by spookgasm
every vernon has worked in hospitality, from innkeepers, hotel clerks, bartenders, etc. but their establishments always end in disaster. fires, floods, unexplained vanishings. town lore says the family is cursed to replay the same cycle over and over, build up, burn down, start again. the current vernons deny it all, but they've quietly begun renovating an abandoned lodge just outside hell because most business owners in town are too scared to hire them.

the viotto family
unclaimed
the viottos run a local extermination business, though no one can remember ever seeing them work. they wear matching jumpsuits, speak in radio buzz, and are always slightly damp. rumor is, they were once infected with something strange while working cleanup at a biotech plant. now, their family photos have one extra person no one can name and that "person" appears a little closer in every frame.

the walsh family
unclaimed
walsh family information can be found in the asher and dolly section of the lore page.

the ware family
unclaimed
ware family information can be found in the cursed well section of the lore page.

the waybright family
unclaimed
midnight swimmers and finders of lost things. waybrights pull back rings dropped off the pier, car keys, even a single shoe that means something. they keep a crate of "come-and-claim" on their porch; what isn't claimed goes to a storage unit where it is held forever until someone comes looking. the waybrights can't explain why their intuition tells them to look, but the family raises their young to see this ability as a gift, privilege and responsibility.

the wilkes family
unclaimed
the wilkes family is hell's very own gallagher family (shameless). martha and gene wilkes produced six kids who all grew up having to provide for themselves in hellport.

the winslow family
unclaimed
a rough and tumble crew of bikers and skateboarders who turned their hobbies into small businesses -- bike shops, repair garages, and event promotion. the winslows are reckless, charming, and perpetually broke. hellians joke that every winslow has a scar worth a story, and that if you want trouble, "just follow the wheels."

the wrenn family
unclaimed
this family raised carrier pigeons in the early 1900s. even after pigeon post fell out of use, the wrenns kept their birds, saying they were “messengers for the beyond.” neighbors say the pigeons sometimes land on their windowsills, cooing phrases in hushed voices — sounding eerily like the words of the departed. every wrenn funeral is marked by hundreds of black-feathered birds circling overhead.

the yarborough family
unclaimed
the yarboroughs are notorious in hell for their spectacularly bad luck in love. their name comes up whenever someone talks about messy divorces, runaway fiances, or broken engagements. the phrase "pulled a yarborough" is local slang for calling off a wedding at the last minute. family lore says the trouble started when josephine yarborough fled her wedding the morning of the ceremony, leaving her groom waiting at the alter. he never forgave her, and her descendants claimed a "curse" was set in motion. despite this, the family maintains a strange kind of charm! they're social, witty, and always present at public events. people like them, but nobody wants to date them. residents whisper that if a yarborough attends your wedding, the marriage is doomed. some couples "forget" to invite them to avoid bad luck. an old folk lore has residents and tourists daring each other to kiss under the willow trees by the yarborough house in shady canyon, which is said to "steal love" from whoever does it.

the zabel family
claimed by admiration
mechanics and tinkerers, the zabel family runs a scrapyard on the edge of town.