Halloween 2015

Halloween has its beginnings in the ancient Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtics carved Jack O' Lanterns out of turnips or beets and were carved to stave off unwanted visitors.

Here is a set of pumpkins that have set out well beyond their time adding to their dubious aspects.

This concludes my horror and otherwise themed month. Perhaps I will have other months with themed posts.

A Prelude to the Dunwich Horror

The Dunwich Horror is a horror novel written by H.P. Lovecraft. The Dunwich Horror is one of Lovecraft’s more petrifying stories and introduces the reader to the creature Yog-Sothoth a predecessor to Cthulhu. A detailed description of Yog-Sothoth will appear in an upcoming post.

“Gorgons and Hydras, and Chimaeras - dire stories of Celaeno and the Harpies - may reproduce themselves in the brain of superstition - but they were there before. They are transcripts, types - the archtypes are in us, and eternal. How else should the recital of that which we know in a waking sense to be false come to affect us all? Is it that we naturally conceive terror from such objects, considered in their capacity of being able to inflict upon us bodily injury? O, least of all! These terrors are of older standing. They date beyond body - or without the body, they would have been the same... That the kind of fear here treated is purely spiritual - that it is strong in proportion as it is objectless on earth, that it predominates in the period of our sinless infancy - are difficulties the solution of which might afford some probable insight into our ante-mundane condition, and a peep at least into the shadowland of pre-existence”.

Charles Lamb: Witches and Other Night-Fears

A Description of the Genie, Caschcasch

Caschcasch the genie was summoned by Maimoune the fairy to help in a dispute between her and another sprite. Caschcasch was hideous in appearance. He was dark as night, humped backed, had six horns on his head, had hands like claws. Not having seen the light of days for some time, when he was summoned, Caschcasch, came up from the depths of earth squinting.

The Adventures of Prince Camaralzaman and the Princess Badoura, Adventures of Sinbad the Sailor.

Three More Horror Novels by Howard Phillips Lovecraft that Will Make your Skin Crawl

It seems that I will most likely finish reading through my fall and early winters readings well before the start of winter, so I have added the following titles from H. P. Lovecraft to my reading list. The three titles are prefect for this time of the year and fit well into the theme for this month.

1. The Dunwich Horror
After reading a few of Lovecraft’s novels, you see how he plies his trade. Lovecraft is infatuated with words. He crams as many words as he can when describing his creatures, incantations, and his multi-dimensional super-natural spire of things. Lovecraft prose takes you on a literary roller-coaster ride, which on its down side, leaves you with an empty feeling in your stomach. A couple of quotes from this text will follow.

2. At the Mountains of Madness
3. Dreams in the Witch House

More work from H.P. Lovecraft for the taking.

Solo Dungeon Bash

Solo Dungeon Bash uses a 9 (width) by 10 rows deep square grid. Each row represents a new level. Each level gets more difficult as the odds of having to fight a monster of some sort grow with each level. On level one you a 1 out of 6 chance of having to fight and kill a monster. After level 3 you have a 4 out 6 chance of fighting a monster.

You start the game with 17 health, 1 attack die and 1 defense die. If your health reaches 0 you are dead and lose the game.

The turn sequence is as follows:

• Pick the next square and move into it. You can move into any square except for a square you have already moved into and don’t pick a square that will eventually block you in.
• Roll to determine the room contents
• If the room contains treasure add it to your treasure score. Treasure can be used to purchase weapons and amour or potions.
• If the room contains Potion add it to your treasure score. Treasure can be used to purchase weapons and amour or portions. Potions can be used to add health points.
• If the room contains a monster, you must fight to the death
• Take any or all the potions you have collected
• Exchange any treasure items

Monsters only have one health.

The fighting of a monster goes as such:

• Monster rolls an attack die, each roll of a 6 is a hit
• Player rolls defense die. Each 6 reduces the counts of hits. Remaining hits are subtracted from the player health
• Player rolls their attack die. Each 6 is a hit
• Monster rolls their defense die. Each 6 reduce the number of hits by 1. If there are nay remaining hits after deducting, the monster is dead

What will I need to play?

A 9 by 10 grid laid-out on a pad. There are four provided with the instructions; a pencil to keep track of health, potions, treasure, ETC statistics, and up to ten dice.

Malkariss the Ruler of the Pit

“Within the Kingdom of Malkariss the black-robed procession of rats halted before the statue of Malkariss. Nadaz, the purple robe rat, meekly approached the statue. Torch lights from the large wheeled-shaped chandelier illuminated the terrifying stone idol. Nadaz bowed his head and began to chant:

‘Malkariss, Ruler of the pit,

Lord of the deep and dark,

I am Nadaz, the Voice of the Host,

To which your servants hark.

Hear me, O Ruler of eternal night,

Whose eyes see all we do,

King of the void beneath the earth,

We bring our pleas to you.’ “

(Mattimeo, 53)

Captured

“I am Slagar the Cruel. You are my slaves now.” The silk mask sucked against his face as he spoke. “When I say walk, you walk. If I say run, you run. If I decide you may live, then you will live. If I take it in my head that you may not live, then I will see to it that you die.”

Mattimeo, an Introduction

It has been a while since I read anything from the Redwall collection. Mattimeo is the third volume in Brain Jacques’ Redwall series. The Redwall series give me fodder for future fantasy skirmishes and war games.

Novel Prelude:

“Slagar the Cruel, a demented fox, is determined to vanquish peaceable Redwall. Gathering his mercenary bands of rats, stoats, and weasels, he advances upon the abbey with a cunning scheme-rather than making courageous battles plans he will steal the children of Redwall from under their parents very noses. His prize captive will be Mattimeo, the headstrong son of Matthias, the fearless warrior mouse.

An Encounter with a Sea Monster

Sea monster or sea dragon, call it what you will; coming in close proximity with a creature like this on the high seas is enough to unnerve even the most resolute of men. The sea monster and the ship traveled parallel of one another for a good league or two in the pre-dawn hours without the other the wiser.

At dawns first light the ships lookout noticed the object and called for the mate on duty. The mate took out his telescope and took note that it was a sea creature of the sort, which is best to keep your distance from. Not wanting to draw attention to the ship, a more experienced officer would have veered off a few degrees at a time, but the mate ordered” hard to port”. The creature took notice of the abrupt movement and lunged toward the ship.

Whether the creature looked at the ship as challenger or a possible meal, the crew of the ship put all the sail they had to the wind and broke out the oars to gain as much distance from the creature. At this point the creature is very close and the ships only chance is to, after swinging to port, to face the sea dragon and fire its four port side cannon in hopes to decapitate the creature.

A Demented Lullaby Sung by a Duchess

“ And with that the Duchess began nursing her child again, singing a sort of lullaby to it as she did so, and giving it a violent shake at the end of every line”:

"Speak roughly to your little boy,

And beat him when he sneezes:

He only does it to annoy,

Because he knows it teases."

Chorus

(In which the cook and the baby joined):

"Wow! wow! wow!"

While the Duchess sang the second verse of the song, she kept tossing the baby violently up and down, and the poor little thing howled so, that Alice could hardly hear the words:

"I speak severely to my boy,

I beat him when he sneezes;

For he can thoroughly enjoy

The pepper when he pleases!"

Chorus.

"Wow! wow! wow!"

Chapter 6  Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Other Species of Dragons

Although this will not be my last post on dragons, this is will probably be my last post made under The Complete Book of Dragons tag. Other than the dragons that I have already made posts there are three other species of dragons that are mentioned in this wonderful book. The three other species are the Wyvern, Amphithere, and the Marsupial dragons.

Wyvern

Unlike other dragons the wyvern only has two legs. The wyvern is the largest form of dragon and is sufficiently large enough to carry away a large elephant in its claws. Adult wyvern’s can grow up to fifty feet long and up to twenty feet high. There coloration is anywhere from a muddy brown to a lime green. The wyvern will make its lair or nest in a rocky crag or in some occasions in a circular nest in sand dunes or grass lands. The wyverns were once found throughout the African continent and the Middle East.

Amphithere

There are two types of amphithere. The Mexican feathered and a furry North American amphithere. The amphithere is a fire breather and once was found along the west coasts of North and South America. The amphithere dragon can grow up to forty-five feet long and between five and ten feet high. They will nest or build their lairs among the reeds on lakeside of offshore islands.

Marsupial

The marsupial dragon is largely confined to southeastern Australia and can reach sizes up to twenty-five feet long and between fifteen and eighteen feet high. The text mentions that the marsupial dragon breathes blue smoke and does start brush fires to thrush out its prey. Its coloration is anywhere from a green to a greenish blue. The marsupial dragon, like other marsupials, carry their young in their pouch.

The Details of the Spider Trees

I finally completed the other Games Workshop’s spider tree just in time for this gruesome season.

Tree fungus Spider webs Birds head with yellow beak Pile of skulls Spiders Pile of paw bones

Spider webs Spider Tree fungus Pile of skulls

Imagine you are lost and are wandering around aimlessly in the forest. You see light up ahead and you come out to a clearing in the forest to see two dead trees with all their disturbing details. What is worse, you notice that several spiders residing on the trees seem to have taken notice of you. It is getting dark. Would you continue on in the forest or stay in the clearing? Your answers might prove to be revealing.

Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky

The original high definition, public domain image can be found here.

"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.”

Jabberwocky is nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll and is found in Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. The illustration is by Sir John Tenniel depicts some sort of beast, monster or dragon?

Monster Mentioned in Sinbad the Sailor’s Third Voyage

“The sun was setting when a loud noise aroused us, the door of the hall was violently burst open and a horrible giant entered. He was tall as a palm tree, and perfectly black, and had one eye, which flamed like burning coal in the middle of his forehead. His teeth were long and sharp and it grinned horribly, while his lower lip hung down upon his chest, and he had ears like elephants ears, which covered his shoulders, and nails like claws of some fierce bird. The prisoners were so horrified that stood stupefied as the monster picked up one of the prisoners and proceeded to eat him.”

With all the terror and the gore of it all there are no words to express the pure horror we felt of the event unfolding in front of us.

Posts for the Month of October

To celebrate the run-up to Halloween I have decided to make the month of October a theme month and will feature posts dedicated to all things creepy, horrifying and gruesome. I will be revisiting some of my earlier posts on these topics and will be making some new posts featuring monsters, horror, dragons, dudgeon crawl, and pumpkins.