D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Ides

Continuing my syncretism of the Roman and Norse myths, I wanted something that covered several different concepts. Possibly one of the recognizable beings from Norse mythology are the Valkeries. These warrior women come down from Valhalla and take the honored dead back to Odin's hall to train for the final battle of Ragnarök.  They are central to Wagner's Ring Opera and have even made their way in places like the Marvel movies, Xena, and Charmed. But they are not particularly Roman.

Scandinavian women had far more freedoms than Roman women, who could not even leave their homes unescorted. So how do these fierce women warriors get reclassified in my Black Forest mythology? By combining similar creatures from both Roman and Germanic myths.

One of the first things that struck me when I first read the Deities & Demigods was how similar many creatures were across the myths and times. For example, take the Norse Valkeries and the Finnish Air Maidens.  One of the things I looked into was were they related. Rereading the Kalevala leads me to believe there is a connection, that the Air Maidens were the Valkeries for the Finns and Lapps. I also investigated the notion of the anthropomorphic representations of the various Scandinavian countries, ie Lady of the Mountains (Iceland). Ola Nordmann (Norway), Holger the Dane (Denmark), and Mother Svea (Sweden). This anthropomorphism reminds me of the Genus Loci we also see in Greek and Roman myths. 

Romans had psychopomps, which is the type of gods/goddess the Valkeries were. These include Hermes/Mercury, Charon, and even Hecate. But I have other plans for these sorts of creatures. Instead I want to look to other spirits that exist between the realms of mortals and gods. The Roman Nymphs and the Germanic Idis. 

These creatures are often depicted as lesser Goddesses. Linguistics have tried tying idis/ides to Deus for example with no real success. Nymphs are also depicted as the offspring of some god, goddess, or titan. Ides have also been described as the offspring of or the mothers of the jötunn.

There is just enough blurring of lines here between all of these creatures that they could, through many nights of campfire tales and bedtime stories, to get them to blend into one creature.

The Ides of these myths are Demigoddesses. Their task is to protect and guide heroes under the will of Unser Vater. They combine aspects of the nymphs, Idis, Valkeries and other local female divinities. 

IDES (Demi-Goddess of Protection and War)
Demigoddess

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 18" / 36" (with winged steed)
HIT POINTS: 90
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8/1d8 (sword)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Healing touch, Radiance
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Radiant aura
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%

SIZE: M (5'10")
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral (Good)
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All
SYMBOL: Glowing Sword
PLANE: Erde (Prime Material)

CLERIC/DRUID: 8th Level Cleric
FIGHTER: 10th Level Paladin
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 15 I:15 W: 16 D: 18 C: 18 CH: 20

Ides appear as warrior women in the peak of health. Looking upon them, they radiate power, strength, and divinity. There is no doubt of their divine lineage. Some sages claim they are the spirits of the brave who died in battle; others say they are the offspring of Jäger or Jägerin. Others still claim they are the spirits of the land, given life and purpose by the humans and gods around them.

The ides are good fighters who can attack twice per round with their long swords. Their radiant aura (which is why men say they are the daughters of Jäger) does damage to undead creatures and constructs at the rate of 1d8 per round to any within 30 ft. 

They are also healers, able to cast spells as an 8th-level cleric and they have the lay on hands abilities. They can heal with a touch for 2d6 hp of damage three (3) times per day. 

Their task is to aid heroes. They can help them in battles or heal them. The hero must enter the area where the ides resides. Each one is tied to a particular area that usually (but not always) is related to some natural feature of the land. So a valley, or the area near a lake. The ides also bring the spirits of the dead back to Himmel. It is rumored that an ides will help a brave warrior three times in their lifetime. When the third time is complete the next time they see the ides will be when they are taken to Himmel. 

They are nominally under the control of Unser Vater, but they can be summoned by the Goddesses Siege and Glücke. Under times of war, they can also be called by Jägerin.

When summoned by Jägerin, they become known as Die Kriegerin, the Goddess of War. At this time they can leave their areas and ride off on winged steeds to join in whatever battle they are needed. 

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter

This is another post for my RPG Blog Carnival Horrors, Gods, and Monsters.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Vampire Queen 10th Anniversary Edition

 Now, HERE is a treat and a perfect time of year for it. Friend of the Other Side Mark "The Mad Wizard" Taormino is back with another Kickstarter to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of his first, and maybe my favorite adventure of his, Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen.

Vampire Queen 5E and 10 Year Anniversary 1E Softcovers

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marktaormino/vampire-queen-5e-and-10-year-anniversary-1e-softcovers?ref=theotherside

At this point, do I need to tell you all about my love for all things Vampire Queen? No. I don't think so.

Do I need to tell you about how great Mark's Maximum Mayhem Adventures are? No. But just in case, they are great. Plus he runs a tight Kickstarter and ALWAYS gets his books out in time if not early.  I have not even gone too deep into his newest one and now this? Sign me up!

Ok so what do we have here?

There is the original OSR, overtly OSRIC, version of Hanging Coffins of the Vampire Queen with some new art. Additionally, there is now a 5e version as well. Which is great really. The first time I ran this was under 5e. 

So am I getting this? I think I was one of the first to pledge, to be honest. Given his usual track record I'll get this in a month or so. I can plan on running it next year for Halloween 10 years after I ran the first one. Perfect!

I am going to need a bigger box though.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 20

 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.

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Ritual (2017)

 Tonight is Folk Horror. I LOVE Folk Horror. The moodier, the better. 

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

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 19

 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. 

October Horror Movie Challenge: We Have a Ghost (2023)

 Today's theme is Clown. Gods, I fucking hate clowns. I really do.

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

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Clash of the Titans, Die Hüne

One of the many features this mythology shares with the Greek, Roman, Norse, and many, many other myths across the world is the idea of the Chaoskampf. This is idea that the gods (representing order) are a younger generation to the Titans or Giants that represent chaos. It is through this battle that order is brought to the universe. It is a deeply held idea and can be found in many mythologies in the world. It even makes it way into various D&D-related products.

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.

HÜNE VATER (Primordial Titan)
Intermediate God

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

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins

This is another post for my RPG Blog Carnival Horrors, Gods, and Monsters.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 18

 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.

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Green Knight (2021)

 Tonight's theme is "Underrated." I went back and thought through some of the underrated horror movies I knew of. The trouble is many of the movies that the mainstream considers "underrated" are already embraced by Horror fans.  For example, "Near Dark" always gets on these sorts of lists, but horror fan have sung the praises of that movie for so long, and so loudly I feel it really isn't an underrated movie. It gets the praise it deserves, at least from my point of view. Note to self, I have not watched "Near Dark" since a forever ago. Need to fix that.

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

Mail Call: Village on the Borderlands

 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.

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Meg 2 (2023)

Forgot to post this one last night. This is my entry for "Something Fishy."

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

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 17

 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.

Monstrous Mondays: D&DGII Alp

 Today is the Feast of Saint Gall (October 16), and anyone born three days prior (October 13) risks becoming an Alp.  Depending on who you ask, an Alp is an undead spirit, a crouching demon (a crouching spirit) like an incubus, something like a night hag, a satyr, or an elf. Or somehow all of the above.

"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

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins

This is another post for my RPG Blog Carnival Horrors, Gods, and Monsters.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 16

 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.

October Horror Movie Challenge: We Are the Night (2010) & Bit (2019)

Tonight's movie choices cover both "We Are the Weirdos Mister" and "Pretty Blood Suckers."

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. 

Bit (2019)

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

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 15

 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. 

October Horror Movie Challenge: Porno (2019)

 I am going to combine tonight's and tomorrow night's categories into one since the movies I have planned can work for either or both. So tonight I am going for one of the wild card categories "Best Gratuitous Nudity."  But I also wanted to pick something with a plot. 

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

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 14

 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.

October Horror Movie Challenge: El Conde (2023)

 Tonight's movie theme is "Inspired by True Events."  Typically this means a haunting or a local cryptid. But tonight I opted for something a little different.  

El Conde (2023)

So. Here is the premise of this one. Vampire Augusto Pinochet (yes. THAT Pinochet) is old and tired of living. So he has stopped feeding and has invited his five adult children to his hideout to pass on what is left of his wealth and die.

The trouble is no one trusts anyone else. His butler is having an affair with Pinochet's wife. She wants to become a vampire but Pinochet won't bite her. His children are greedy and are convinced their father is feeding again. 

One of his daughters has secretly hired a Nun to perform an exorcism on Pinochet. This nun, Carmen (played by Paula Luchsinger) is also a mathematical genius and comes to the estate under the guise of finding the lost money and properties of Augusto Pinochet. Trouble is Pinochet is falling in love with Carmen. So Pinochet begins to feed again.

All the while we hear the narration of the story from an English woman who seems to have some background with Pinochet. We learn near the end she is Margaret Thatcher and she is Pinochet's mother.

Carmen tries to exorcise Pinochet but fails. Instead, she falls prey to him and is turned. Which she seems to enjoy. The Butler turns his wife and Magaret Thatcher shows up to tell us what her part is in all of this.

The butler kills Carmen. Pinochet kills the butler and his wife. They eat the hearts of the three vampires and they become young again. Pinochet's children leave the island with what ever they can salvage from the home, not knowing that the real treasure was in his collection of rare books.

Not 100% sure what to make of this one. Strange flick, but it kept me engaged.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
Viewed: 16
First Time Views: 9

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: The Divine Twins

 This is really a fabulous October. We have five weekends, a full moon near Halloween, a Friday the Thirteenth (today) AND a total Solar Eclipse in some parts of the country tomorrow.  In celebration of tomorrow's solar/lunar event, I thought it would be good to discuss my God of the Sun and Goddess of the Moon, as well as other Divine Twins.

The Divine Twins in the Black Forest Mythos

The motif of the Divine Twins is one that comes up again and again in most religions and myths. Usually they are the children of the main sky God, and they serve complimentary functions. Other twins are heroes who have many adventures with the gods.

Jäger and Jägerin

These gods are my syncretized versions of the Roman Apollo and Diana with the Norse Freyr and Freyja. They are the gods of the Sun and Moon respectively. Their names mean "Hunters" to help stress the importance that hunting, more than war, is to these people. They also see these gods as Nature gods, so sometimes they are depicted with stag horns.  Curious note. The Norse and Germanic peoples of this time measured time in "Nights" not days. So these combined gods are both the stewards of time.

When needed, Jägerin can don the armor of war and gather Die Kriegerin, the Goddesses of war (much like the Valkyries).  They are also the patrons of the arts bringing music and poetry to the people. 

When the moon eclipses the sun, it is said that Jägerin has put up her shield to protect her and her brother in battle. 

JÄGER (God of the Sun, Music, Hunting)
Intermediate God

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 18" / 36"
HIT POINTS: 300
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8/2d8/2d8 + Fire
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Sunbolt
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Firey Aura
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%

SIZE: M (6' 2")
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All (mostly Good)
SYMBOL: Sun Disc or Bow
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: 10th Level Druid
FIGHTER: 20th Level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 20 I:18 W: 18 D: 20 C: 20 CH:20

Jäger is the god of the Sun but is not the sun. He rides his chariot across the sky, searching for the best game to hunt. His tales of his hunting prowess are matched only by tales of his amorous exploits. He is married to Liebhaberin, but both gods are free to choose other lovers as they see fit. He is the model of youth in his prime.

As the god of the sun he can cast any light, fire, or sun-based spell as a 10th-level spell caster and spells he can cast as a 10th-level Druid. His main weapon is his bow. He can fire three arrows per round each hitting a different target. If he chooses, each (or any) arrow can burst into flame for an additional 1d8 points of damage. Additionally he can fire a Sunbolt for 1d10 points of damage. He can also wreathe himself in the Aura of the Sun. This causes Blindness to any that look at him and 1d8 hp of damage to any with 5' of him every round.

He is often accompanied by a group of deathless hunters. These are men who died while hunting or who wished not to move on to their afterlife after death. They hunt in ghostly processions across the land. Anytime a person sees a falling star, they know a new hunter has joined Jäger's ghostly party. Each acts as 10th level fighter and are similar to spectres.

Additionally, he is the god, or rather patron of, music. When not hunting, he can be found singing or playing an instrument.

Animal: The hunting dog or stag
Rainment: (Head) a solar disc or a crown of antlers (Body) Simple hunting garments
Color(s): Yellow, Gold
Holy Days: Every day at sunrise and noon
Sacrifices: Animal sacrifice at sunset. Animals are then eaten by congregants.
Place of Worship: Any open space.

JÄGERIN (Goddess of the Moon, Poetry, Hunting, War)
Intermediate Goddess

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 18" / 36"
HIT POINTS: 300
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8/2d8/2d8 + Chill
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Moonbow
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Aura of Madness
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%

SIZE: M (6' 1")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All (mostly Good)
SYMBOL: Moon disc or Bow
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 20th Level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: 10th Level Witch
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 20 I:18 W: 18 D: 20 C: 20 CH:20

Jägerin is the Goddess of Moon, hunting, poetry, and war. she drives her chariot across the sky as does her brother. On the days of the Solar eclipse she is holding up her shield to protect him. On days of the Lunar eclipse he is providing her protection.

Like her twin brother, Jägerin can attack with a bow. Her arrows do 2d8 and can also add an extra 1d8 hp of chill damage. She can surround herself with an Aura of Madness, any who come within 10' of her will attack anyone else but her.  She can cast any spell relating to night or the moon as a caster of the 10th level and as a 10th-level Witch.

Jägerin also has a retinue of hunters with her. These wild women will run through the forest with her in a blood lust for the hunt. They are not dead, but they are no longer alive either. Each acts as a 7th-level fighter and can transform into an animal. Wolves are most common. When needed though, she can call on her Hunt and don the armor of war. These wild women are then known as Die Kriegerin, or the Goddesses of War.

Like her brother, Jägerin is also the patroness of the arts, in this case poetry. She is equally as lascivious as her brother. One tale is told how she boasted she could hunt and kill as many animals as a group of men hunting in the wood. The all agreed to set out in the morning to hunt and return by night fall. Jägerin spent the night having sex with all the hunters and making them too tired to hunt the next day. She was able to go to the wood and hunt at her leisure, easily beating all of them.

Animal: The hunting dog or stag
Rainment: (Head) a moon disc or a crown of antlers (Body) Simple hunting garments
Color(s): Yellow, Gold
Holy Days: Every moonrise
Sacrifices: Animal sacrifice after sunset. Animals are then eaten by congregants.
Place of Worship: Any open space.

Siege and Glücke

These are the Goddesses of Victory and Luck, respectively. 

SIEGE and GLÜCKE (Goddess of Victory and Luck)
Lesser Goddess

ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 18" / 36"
HIT POINTS: 150
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8/1d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Change Outcome
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Change Outcome
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%

SIZE: M (6' 0" and 5'19)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral (Siege) and Chaotic Neutral (Glücke)
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All
SYMBOL: Spear
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 10th Level Fighter (Siege)
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 10th Level Thief (Glücke)
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 16 I:18 W: 18 D: 20 C: 18 CH:18

These goddess are not worshipped in the strictest sense, but are called on often enough to grant favors to mortals. Siege is the Goddess of Victory; she represents success through skill and determination. Glücke is the Goddess of Luck; she represents success through luck and happenstance. 

Both Goddess can offer a boon to a mortal in the form of gift of Success. Mortal with this gift can re-roll any missed attack, ability check or saving throw and take the better of the two rolls. Most mortal only get this gift once in their lives. Others, such as the hero twins Magni and Muthi, get this boon often. 

Magni and Muthi

Magni and Muth are the Demigod hero twins of this myth. They are two fun and adventure-loving brothers whose tales are often used to teach moral lessons but also entertain. They typically begin with the brothers getting kicked out of their home because their mother (usually described as a hideously ugly witch but also described as the best cook in the world) is tired of them breaking things. The brothers devise a scheme to either get rich, get drunk, or find some maiden to bed. They often run afoul of some person in power, a barkeep, angry husband, father, and/or brothers. The more they try to solve their problems, the more (comical) trouble they get into. Magni is the Strongest Man alive, and there is nothing he can't lift or break. Muthi is the Bravest Warrior known, and he fears nothing, no man, demon, or god. Their tales will sometimes emphasize how much Magni is afraid of something or how something is too heavy for Muthi.

In the end, the brothers usually come out ahead. They get the money, the ale, and the girls and will be seen headed home, where their mother has made them a fantastic meal. They are mischievous but rarely evil. They only kill monsters and prefer to make fools out of human or divine opponents. 

It is said they are deeply in love with Siege and Glücke, but can't make up their minds about who is in love with whom.  

The only time the brothers fight each other is when they have their eyes on the same woman. And in these tales, the moral is always the same. While fighting each other, they lose the girl to someone else, and they return home to a scolding by their mother.

MAGNI and MUTHI
Demigods

ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 12" 
HIT POINTS: 110 (Magni), 120 (Muthi)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10/1d10/1d10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: M (6' 1" Magni) (5' 11" Muthi)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: NA
SYMBOL: NA
PLANE: Erde (Earth)

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 18th Level Fighter (Barbarian)
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 10th Level Thief
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
S: 25 (Magni) 18 (Muthi) I:10 W: 8 D: 18 C: 20 (Magni) 25 (Muthi) CH: 19

Magni and Muthi are twin brothers. They are not worshipped in the traditional sense but are demi-god heroes of these myths, and their stories are told to children (about how they fight monsters) to adults (how they stop evil people and their sexual exploits). 

Magni can add +7 to his to hit and damage rolls due to his strength. Muthi is unaffected by any sort of fear, mundane or magical. This also extends to giving him +3 against any save vs. magic.

Characters encountering Magni and Muthi will often find them "mid-scheme." That is whatever it was they were trying to do has already failed spectacularly, and now they are either running from the authorities or an angry husband/father/brother. 

--

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter

This is another post for my RPG Blog Carnival Horrors, Gods, and Monsters.

#Dungeon23 Tomb of the Vampire Queen, Level 10, Room 13

 The tomb on the left is also locked but has the regular chance of opening.  Inside, this tomb is set up to look like a living bedroom with the dwarven sarcophagi (five in total) designed to look like beds. There are 10 small chests of gems and gold, worth at least 500gp each (Type E x5), and three gold rings.  The party can take any of the chests of gold, but if the rings are touched it will summon the ghosts of the dead.

These are the spectres of a dwarven family. Three of these spectres has 6 HD, one has 8 HD and the last has 10 HD.

The specters are only interested in the rings. If the party leaves the tomb and leaves the rings behind the spectres will not follow.