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