The next tomb belongs to Gwent Morgenstjernen. Recorded as Chief Engineer on the tomb.
In this tomb there the remains of a female dwarf, along with several books that have rotted away.
There is a sheet of gold with dwarven rooms carved on it. The sheet of gold is worth 1,000 gp. The dwarven rune detail her efforts to mine and extract necronium. The party does not have the means to do this here, but taken to an alchemist and weapons maker they could. This is worth 2,500 XP.
.jpg "The Ritual (2017)")
I have been on a Scandinavian Folk Horror kick for a bit here with movies like Draug (2018), Midsommar (2019), Pathfinder (2007) (though not really horror), and of course, Häxan (1922).
This one covers a type of film I refer to as "The Walk." This type of movie usually has the protagonists going from point A to B with all the horrors in between.
In this one, our group of four American adventurers are trekking across Sweden and run into scary stuff.
This one is fun but honestly a little bit predictable. Lots of scary dark, creepy locals, cults that didn't die out like they were supposed to, crazy visions. All the great things about Folk Horror.
Lots of great references to Norse mythology. Though I watched this the same night as the Marvel Loki series and it was quite the contrast. I guess I could have added in the last handful of Ragnarok episodes for a full Norse mythology night.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 23
First Time Views: 15
Moving on clockwise the next tomb belongs to Terk Morgenstjernen, according to his memorial stone, he was a mineral expert.
Terk's tomb is heavy and it is soon obvious why, it is lined with lead.
Inside Terk's tomb are lumps of violet-black stone streaked with purple. This is raw, unprocessed Necronium ore. In it's raw form Necronium is dangerous (thus the lead) and will attract undead. In it's processed form as Necronium metal, aka Dwarven Black Silver, it is an effective tool against undead.
If the party takes the necronium with them, it is worth 100,000 gp total. But carrying this much not in a lead chest or magical bag will attract undead. There is a 1 in 6 chance every turn that an undead monster will find the party. This is in addition to any other wandering monster rolls that may occur.
There are no instructions on how to process this ore.
So today I am going really broad with this one and going with "Clowing around" and the movie is "We Have a Ghost" from 2023. It stars David Harbour (from Stranger Things) as "Ernest," a ghost that has been haunting a house in Chicago for 50 years. The Presleys move in and son Kevin (Jahi Winston) is less than thrilled. That is until he films Ernest on his cell phone. The video is discovered by his brother Fulton (Niles Fitch) and father Frank (Anthony Mackie). They upload it to YouTube and go viral.
Now Ernest is the most popular ghost in the world. But since he can't talk it is up to Kevin to find out who he really is.
Also wanting answers is former CIA agent turned horror writer Dr. Leslie Monroe, played by the always fantastic Tig Notaro. I want to praise this cast here. Tig is always great, so my expectations of her are high, and she meets them here. Though she is not as sarcastic here as she is in real life or as when she is playing Denise "Jett" Reno on Star Trek: Discovery. Anthony Mackie is great. I have seen him do action (Marvel) and sci-fi (Altered Carbon), to see him do comedy is really fun. But the stand out is David Harbour as the ghost Ernest/Randy. He has the most physical humor and NO lines. He has to express everything with just his face and he does a great job of it. It is practically mime to be honest. Thus my Clown connection.
The movie itself is not great. BUT it is fun and a good little ghost story.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 22
First Time Views: 14
I am not here to debate such profound insights. I am here to say how this manifests within my syncretized mythos.
Die Hüne
Die Hüne are the Titans and the Giants of both myths. Primordial beings of great power that the gods defeated but still trouble them. In this myth, the Gods fought Die Hüne and brought order out of chaos. These are not just giants and titans. These creatures are the demons of this mythology. They are beings of primordial chaos.
In my mind, they combine giant, elemental, and demon. The Gigantes of Greek myth (not AD&D) were more monstrous creatures. The jötunn of Norse myth likewise were more demonic. As time passes, these titans and jötunn become more human-looking until we have something like the giants of D&D.
My goal with Die Hüne is to return to those older, more monstrous giants. Given that this mythology is half-Roman, these people will have been familiar with some of the tales of Goliath, the Anakim, and others from Jewish mythology. So maybe some of those tales entered into their thinking.
For these monsters I can use my write-ups for the Jötunn and my classifications of Die Hüne from previous posts.
Hüne Vater
Hüne Vater is the father of the current generation of the Gods. He killed his father and was, in turn defeated by his own son. He is the leader of Die Hüne. Before his defeat, he cursed the gods and all humankind with death. In Proto-Indo-European myths, he is the Archdemon. He sits imprisoned in exile.
This is a complex figure. He combines aspects of both the Roman Saturn and the Norse Surtr. He is the leader of the Primordial Chaos beings. If anything, he represents the future which is death. Surtr plays an important role in the Norse Ragnarök. Saturn/Chronus is often depicted as an old man with a scythe or sickle, an image that gives us both the anthropomorphized Father Time and Death. This why my Hüne Vater curses gods and mankind alike with old age and death. The gods have their apples to protect them.
He is a destroyer. He killed his own father (Großvater) and impregnates his mother (Großmutter) to bring about the Hüne and the new generation of gods. He would also have aspects of Satan and Angra Mainyu. He is chaos, fire, and destruction. He wants nothing more than to destroy everything.
ARMOR CLASS: -7
MOVE: 36"
HIT POINTS: 300
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d10/2d10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Aura of the Inferno
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Blinding Defense
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
SIZE: L (25")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: Any Evil
SYMBOL: An open flame
PLANE: Hölle
CLERIC/DRUID: 5th level Druid
FIGHTER: 15th level Fighter (Barbarian)
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 25 I: 14 W: 15 D: 18 C: 25 CH: 10
Hüne Vater is the father of the Hüne (Titans) and the first generation of Gods. He is chaos incarnate and is the element of fire. He lives only to destroy everything around him. He was defeated by the gods under the leadership of Unser Vater. He is imprisoned in Hölle where he is guarded by the gods Hüter (Protector of the Dead) and Helga (The Ghost Queen), and a myriad of monsters.
It is said that Hüne Vater created the sky and the Earth out of his parents, but this was not an intentional act of creation but one that happened due to his own destructive influences. Later Unser Vater would bring order to the universe.
If free from his prison, he can attack with two massive fists. He is surrounded by an aura of flame that can do 2d8 hp of damage to anyone within 60' of him. Once every three turns, he can also fly into a berserker-like rage and make two additional attacks.
Hüne Vater is not worshipped in the traditional sense. Berserkers call on him for their murderous rampage. He can be the patron for Chaotic Evil Warlocks. These warlocks are given access to any fire-based druid spell.
Großvater & Großmutter
Großvater and Großmutter are the names given to the quasi-anthropomorphic manifestation of the Father Sky and Mother Earth of the Die Hüne (the Titans/Jötunn). Großvater was destroyed by his son Vater Hüne to make the night sky. Großmutter never fully recovered from her attack by Vater Hüne and is now still, but not dead. She ceded most of her power to her daughter Mutter Natur.
Links
Moving left to right in a clockwise fashion, the party enters the first tomb.
These tombs are largely intact. This appears to be the tomb of a dwarven miner. This tomb bares the name of "Clan Morgenstjernen" and this is the tomb of Stig Morgenstjernen. It says here he was the alchemist of the clan.
Looking into his sarcophagus, there is no treasure but rather a large stone tablet. On this, carved in dwarven runes are six names of the Morgenstjernen clan. In addition to Stig there is Terk, Gwent, Siln, the clan leader Ferner, and someone listed as his son Sharis Val.
There is also a note that Stig is the one who learned the secrets of Necronium, also called Dwarven Black Silver.
There is nothing else.
But there is one movie, while not 100% horror, has plenty of horror elements. 2021's The Green Knight.
This is a rewatch for me. I wanted to go back and look for more horror elements, and they were there.
The story is largely the one of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." We have seen this on film before as Gawain and the Green Knight (1973) and the better, more memorable one Sword of the Valiant (1984), starring Miles O'Keeffe as Gawain and Sean Connery as The Green Knight. Watching 1984 movie alongside the 2021 one the horror elements are far more pronounced. An aside. The character of Gawain was played by Liam Neeson in the 1981 Joun Boorman epic Excalibur. The character has had some great portrayals. Dev Patel is a worthy contender to the list of actors as well.
The movie has ghosts, unkillable knights, magic, murders, and an underlying current of Pagan horror that can't be ignored. I enjoyed the movie so much the first time I saw it I bought the RPG for it before I was done.
The movie was produced/leased by A24 who gave us "Ex Machina" (2015), "The Witch" (2016), "Midsommar", "The Lighthouse" (2019), "X" and "Pearl" (2022). So there is a pedigree here as well.
This is an old tale, so no really need to go into detail. The Green Knight challenges the Knights of the Round table. They are two cowardly to try him. Gawain steps up and beheads him. The Knight puts back on his head and says in one year it will be Gawain's turn.
Some added features include Gawain's mother being a witch. Erin Kellyman (from Willow) is here as Winifred who is a ghost in this tale.
The movie ends differently than others of this tale with the Green Knight claiming Gawain's head afterall.
It was a fun flick.
The RPG is not bad. Some interesting ideas, but not one I see myself playing much.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 21
First Time Views: 13
It's Tuesday, and that means time to see what the postman delivered to me. This week it is a Kickstarter delivery from Mark Taormino and Dark Wizard Games.
An introductory adventure to his Maximum Mayhem series of over-the-top AD&D 1st Ed/OSRIC adventures. This one is an homage to both the Village of Hommelt and the Keep on the Borderlands.
Mark knows how to write a fun adventure and he runs a great Kickstarter too.
I have run many of his adventures over the years. Sometimes with AD&D, often with D&D 5e and once with Castles & Crusades. But what I really want to do is run them all as a campaign using the Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy rules.
The adventures run from 1st to 14th level, just like OSE-Advanced and I think it would be a lot of fun.
And there is more on the way! Mark is going to bring us the 10th Anniversary of Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen for both 1st Ed and 5e! Really looking forward to it.
A while back, in 2019, I watched The Meg. It was fun and I do enjoy a giant monster movie. Plus I enjoy a good Jason Statham. I get the feeling he doesn't take himself all that seriously and knows his movies are really just big cartoons. The Meg 2 is no different.
It is five years later and Jonas Taylor (Statham) is back fighting eco-crimes and working with some of the folks from the last movie including a captured Meg.
They are all working on a research station, Mana One, researching the Trench. On a routine dive, they observe more Megs but more importantly, they find an undersea base. A very high-tech one in fact. Long story short they discover their institute's tech is being used to fund an illegal mining operation worth billions in rare Earth metals.
Jonas and his team are picked off one by one by the sea monsters while trying to get to the base, it is a horror movie after all.
They manage to discover who sabotaged the subs back at Mana One and discover who is behind it all. With the base compromised they head to the closest land they can reach, Fun Island, a tourist resort. The Megs, some of the swimming reptiles, and a giant octopus have followed them. There is a lot of carnage of vacationers and the mercenaries sent to stop Taylor and his survivors.
There is a completely ridiculous sequence where Statham is battling three megs on a jet ski with some homemade explosives. I'll never complain about Jaws 2 again.
The movie is silly and over-the-top action and some horror and completely fun.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 20
First Time Views: 13
Continuing down the corridor there is a small flight of stairs going down. These lead to a grand chamber with several grand-looking tombs. The iconography on these tombs indicates they all belong to the same dwarven family.
The center of this chamber features a tall (8') statue of the Soul Father, the patron god of all dwarves. The statue looks like it has been hacked with weapons as if someone tried to destroy it, but failed.
Note: The necromantic aura that pervades this level is absent here. In fact, upon entering this area the party feels better.
There are six tombs here.
"Alp" is related to the old German word for Elf and Alf. It is believed they could cause nightmares in the form of "Alpdruck" (literally 'elf-oppression') or "Alptraum" ('elf-dream') and even a form of bewitchment, "der alp trieget mich" ('the elf is deceiving me'). They were believed to do the bidding of witches.
This is all fine for folklore, stories, myths, and legends. But for a monster for AD&D I need to categorize somehow (remember my first rule) AND be a monster that these hypothetical people would have feared (Rule #4).
So what sort of monster is the Alp that fits into AD&D and reflects a monster people would have feared.
ALP
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 18" / 24"
HIT DICE: 6+6 (33 hp)
% IN LAIR: 0%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 Claw or Energy Drain / Suffocate
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Energy Drain, Suffocate
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapon to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: S (3-4')
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
The Alp is a type of undead fae. It appears to be a small imp-like creature, but it is invisible most times. It enters a home to feed on sleeping people inside. It sits on the chest of a victim and suffocates them. This attack drains 1 point of Constitution per night. Anyone brought down to 0 Con dies with no chance of resurrection. If a cleric can stop these attacks, usually via an Exorcism or Holy Word spell, they can restore the victims' constitution (a Restoration spell).
The alp's attack is so similar to that of an incubus or a night hag that it is difficult to determine what creature is actually attacking the victim.
These creatures can only be attacked while they are feeding. They are turned as Wraiths. Those drained by the Alp will return as Wraiths. They are not controlled by the Alp and have their own agendas. As undead, they are immune to Charm, Hold, and Sleep spells. They can be warded off with holy symbols and take damage from holy water. Wearing a holy symbol or draping one over a bedpost will deter their attacks.
During the daylight hours, an alp can disguise itself as a normal animal, albeit with a cruel and unsavory mien. It can change into a cat, dog, pig, or small horse. All these animals will have a patch of white fur on them. It can be attacked like this, but it will typically avoid these attacks and run away. Any animal that takes more than the average amount of damage and does not die is often suspected of being an alp. It can attack with a claw for 1d4 hp of damage when pressed. Regardless of their form or time of day, the alp moves fast and can also fly.
People born on October 13th can always see these creatures, even when they are invisible. They are also the ones most likely to be targeted by these creatures.
A house with a guardian spirit, such as a Brownie, will keep these creatures at bay. It is believed that the Alp was initially related to the Brownie in life.
Links
This crypt on the right has an open door.
Entering this room everyone in the party will need to make saving throws vs. magic. Any that fail can't enter the room at all. No amount of compelling will allow them in. Those who make the save can enter the room, but they take 1d8 points of damage if they enter the room.
In this room is a mirror, it is the source of the fear and damage.
The mirror has captured the dying essences of many of the dwarven killed here by the Vampire Queen and her minions.
The mirror is worth 4,000 GP, but 40,000 GP to a collector or a necromancer. To get it out though the party will need to put it in a lead or Necromium (explained later) box or a bag of holding.
Both are vampire movies featuring a group of women vampires in worlds where male vampires are not welcome.
Both movies had a solid "Lost Boys" meets "The Craft" vibe.
We Are the Night (2010)
A German flick originally titled "Wir sind die Nacht" focuses on street thief Lena (played by Karoline Herfurth) who pickpockets a Russian pimp being watched by the police, in particular Tom, played by Sense8's Max Riemelt. Lena stumbles onto a rave and is spotted by vampire Louise (who we saw in the opening, killing an entire plane of people) and her vampire friends Charlotte and Nora. Lena is bitten by Louise and spends the next day transforming into a vampire herself.
Lena seeks them out, angry about what they have done to her, and they drag her to the Russian pimps where he hunger takes over and she kills and feeds on the pimps. Awash with power Lena begins to enjoy her vampire existence. Shopping, driving fast cars, walking on walls, and learning the rules of being a vampire. The big ones are sunlight can kill them and never turn a man. All the male vampires were killed years ago because of all the trouble they caused.
Still investigating the pimps, and now their murders, is cop Tom. He met Lena before, and knows she is connected somehow.
The cops connect the murders of the pimp to the women, not knowing they are vampires. They go in to arrest them and are of course they are wiped out. Tom sees Lena and keeps following her. Nora is killed. They get to a safe house but Louise locks them in so she can die in the sun. Lena and Charlotte fight it out over Tom. Lena manages to kill Charlotte, but not before she shoots Tom. The movie ends and we suspect that Lena turned him.
Not a bad flick really. Lots of scenes of Lena and her new vampire family enjoying their new powers and lots of feeding on people. What you want in a vampire movie really.
This one is newer and follows a similar formula. This time we have Laurel played by Supergirl actress Nicole Maines. A girl from Oregon visiting her brother in LA. Her first night in town she gets invited to an after-hours party and is bit by vampire Izzy (Zolee Griggs) a member of Duke's (Diana Hopper) vampire group (Roya and Frog). Again we learn that they are never supposed to turn men into vampires. They spend their time killing various rapists, internet shitlords, and other assholes.
We do learn there is at least still one male vampire, Vlad Castaneda, known as the Master. We get a flashback of Duke back when she was turned in the 1970s by Vlad. Side note, I love the 70s and 80s sequences. Honestly, by the end of the first half you are rooting for the vampires here.
Laurel feeds on a guy trying to kill Duke's coven, but doesn't feed again.
This comes to a head when upset her friend from home Andy tries to kill himself, she feeds on her brother. Heading back to Duke she tries to get them to help her which they wont. So she releases the first bride who then revives the Master. We learn that Duke had been using the Master's power to subtly influence the other girls. The Master then rips out Duke's heart. Laurel comes back and sets the Master on fire and the other girls (Izzy, Rora, and Frog) chip in. They kill the Master and put Duke into the hole.
I am glad to see Nicole Maines in something other than Supergirl. She is a good actress and I am looking forward to seeing her in more.
Both movies were fun and it leads me to think there might be more in this genre.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 19
First Time Views: 12
The next tomb is on the left.
This tomb looks completely normal. Inside the sarcophagus is a dead, near-mummified dwarf.
Around its neck are four amulets. These amulets provide +1 protection against all attacks from demons. +1 to AC (or -1 to their hits) and +1 bonus to all saves from demonic attacks.
There is also 1,000 GP in a small chest hidden in the foot end of the coffin.
Porno (2019)
It's 1992 and Abe, Chaz, Ricky, Todd, and Jeff work in a movie theatre. Their boss, Mr. Pike, is over the top Christian and prays with his staff every night. It's Friday and they get to watch whatever movie they want. Well...between A League of Their Own and Encino Man. While cleaning up a crazy homeless man breaks in and crashes through a previously hidden door. The staff follows him and find another theatre, abandoned in the 1970s that showed adult films. Here they find a film canister and decide to watch it.
The movie they find is some sort of "art house" porno with a beautiful dark-haired woman who walks around the art film completely naked. The movie shuts off and then the strangness starts. The kids begin to see the woman everywhere in the theater. They find all sorts of occult paraphernalia. They find a picture of the old man, he used to own this theatre.
They discover that Mr. Pike has a camera set up to film women in the bathroom. We learn that Ricky was sent to a "Pray Away the Gay" camp. Abe is a perv, and Jeff is an addict. The demon, a succubus, kills Mr. Pike, causes Jeff's nuts to explode, and then opens a portal and drags Todd with her.
Todd, Abe, and Jeff end up in another dimension, leaving Chaz and Riky behind.
Chaz and Ricky figure out how to stop the demon. They lure the demon out with Ricky doing a striptease, and trap it back in the movie.
So for gratuitous nudity. The demon spends the entire movie nude. There are a lot of dicks on the screen and we see a couple having sex (twice). Ricky has sex with the demon in both male and female form. So yeah, I think it counts.
Some other nice touches, the only people that ever swear are the demons. Everyone's perversion is exposed (oddly except for Chaz's, not sure if her "listening to the Cure" is really enough) and used to good effect here.
It reminds me of a lot of different succubi movies I have seen here before. It was fun and way over-the-top gore.
Katelyn Pearce was our demon and is listed as "Lilith." She has no lines in the movie at all, but still has a commanding presence in the movie.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 17
First Time Views: 10
Moving down there is another room on the right.
This room is empty. A secret door in the floor hides a small lead book box. Inside is a book on hunting and killing vampires. Reading this book grants a permanent +1 to hit and damage when hunting vampires.
