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Minor lore: Radford (The Radford Horror and The Radford Horrors)

This page lists the minor legends, theories, procedures and background details raised in the two Radford arcs.

Anunnaki theory

Rutherford, the Pay n' Stay clerk, holds a cosmology in which the Anunnaki are spirits who created the universe to harvest its energy and who punish humanity. They can be glimpsed through peyote, ayahuasca and DMT, and he suggests they may be tormenting victims in a kind of hell. (Radford Horror 04) See Rutherford and DMT pipe.

Armory curse

The Pay n' Stay clerk tells the team that his father believed Radford was cursed because the local armory made the guncotton for the atom bomb. It is presented only as local legend. (Radford Horror 01) See Radford Arsenal.

Art Bell radio

The late-night paranormal radio program is playing at the Pay n' Stay desk in Radford Horror 01. In Radford Horror 02 the Biz finds Abe's Circuit City radio tuned to the same station, and Rita (as Howard) concludes that Abe's robbery was probably not about money. (Radford Horror 01, Radford Horror 02) See Abe's radio.

Bush Sr. dirty-work theory

Andre sets out Webster's likely belief: the earlier task force was George H. W. Bush Sr.'s political dirty-work unit, and the "alien stuff" is a cover. That leaves him puzzled why agents sent to a missing-persons case in Radford keep disappearing. (Radford Horrors 02) See Daniel Webster and George H. W. Bush.

Changeling

"Changeling" is the name the moth creature uses for Andrew, telling him "you have the understanding" and "you know the ones who made me". Later in the same episode Wilbur tells Andrew "You, of all people, you have to understand", and Andrew answers, "Neither are you." In Radford Horrors 04 Rita recalls that the moth called Andrew a changeling who is capable of understanding. (Radford Horror 07, Radford Horrors 04) See The Radford Moth.

Chimpanzees and John Travolta

Billy Thornton, the homeless man, complains that he was beaten up by chimpanzees and that John Travolta touched him inappropriately, adding that "they got me with their mind control ray". The players take the chimpanzee part seriously, recalling the earlier "space chimpanzees". (Radford Horrors 02, Radford Horrors 04) See Billy Thornton.

Curfew and community meeting

Molly announces a curfew starting that night and asks the team to speak at a community meeting at 4:30 p.m. at the church. The sheriff speaks first, then the FBI, then the priest. (Radford Horror 05) See Radford church and Molly Underhill.

Forces of silence

In a flashback, Mr. King tells Andrew that "the next master is coming" within a few years, and that the organization must open secular minds to "his truth and his laws" against "the forces of silence". The phrase refers to those who would cover up the influence of the cosmic. (Radford Horror 01) See Mr. King's organization and The Masters.

Good and bad aliens

Andrew spends an hour at the Pay n' Stay debating good and bad aliens with the clerk, each holding a competing theory. (Radford Horror 01) See Rutherford.

Koschei the Deathless

Yeltsin compares skinwalkers to Koschei the Deathless, the shapeshifting figure of Russian folklore, after the Biz explains that they mimic well but are not strategic, turn erratic and violent when confronted, and the older ones are more convincing than the new. (Radford Horrors 01) See Skinwalkers.

Local cryptids

When Huell asks the sheriff about oddities, he hears of UFO call-ins, Mothman, and a couple of Bigfoot people every summer. Dick asks about Wendigos, and Zack adds the Fairfax Bunny Man and the Wampus Cat. (Radford Horror 02) See Frank Roosevelt.

Los ricos tambien lloran and Russian Roseanne

In Moscow the Biz watches Russian-dubbed Los ricos también lloran (The Rich Also Cry) for about three hours with his guard, who sits at a little table crying, eating the borscht the Biz disliked. The soaps are the in-universe television of his captivity. (Radford Horrors 01) See Biz's guards.

Marblehead nuclear incident

In Radford Horrors 01, the team is reminded that a nuclear weapon was used on the Marblehead sea creature, the angel, in the aftermath of The Summer Service. See Marblehead and The Marblehead explosion. (Radford Horrors 01)

Rabies treatment protocol

Rabies treatment is immunoglobulin first, then weekly vaccines; the DFA test on the rat is run in Roanoke, and Andrew is told to expect a four-vaccine series if the rat tests positive. Andrew reacts badly to the shots. (Radford Horrors 02, Radford Horrors 03) See Rabid mouse and Field medical kit.

Radford old town flood

The old town is a colonial settlement that was flooded and abandoned. Its stone church survived the flood but burned during the fight with the moth. (Radford Horror 08) See Radford old town and mill.

Reported UFOs and night lights

Locals call the sheriff about UFOs and lights in the woods, while light aircraft out of Roanoke Airport fly at night. (Radford Horror 02) See Roanoke Airport.

Right to roam controversy

The diner waitress says gray vans began appearing a couple of months earlier around the "right to roam" fuss about the woods, possibly tied to the Safe Environment Fund and its fences. (Radford Horrors 04) See Safe Environment Fund and Gray van crew.

Tulpa

Kurt mentions "the Tulpa thing" as the one past job in which weird spiritual work may have worked, while tripping on the drive back. In Radford Horrors 03 the idea returns as his theory for Andrew's dream dad. (Radford Horror 03, Radford Horrors 03) See Andrew's alien dad.

Welding-glass protection

Even through a welding mask, the flashlight weapon's beam is blinding and leaves spots in the user's vision when Kurt tests it. (Radford Horror 08) See Flashlight weapon and Tinfoil welding mask.

Wilbur feels the creature's pain as physical agony without wounds, and his shoulders dislocate as he thrashes. Rita worries that killing the creature might harm him. (Radford Horror 07) See Wilbur Whateley.