This is a sort of ghost story from 1907. It’s also how I intend to cheat slightly for the 30 monsters in May thing on the Atlas Games Forum. Bwahahahah. *** Our cat Thomas was very sensitive. I never knew such a sensitive cat as Thomas was. The slightest harsh word seemed to hurt his…
Read MoreThe Sea Raiders by H G Wells
This little-commented story by HG Wells lets us reuse some of the statistics already published in Ars Magica Monsters Volume 1. It’s about a group of social, amphibious octopi that generally dwell in the depths, but might not always. Thanks to Mike Pelton and his Librivox production team. Statistics eventually, but obviously based on the…
Read MoreAlvearium: preliminary notes on a new covenant for the Greater Alps
Sanctuary of Ice had had two covenants cut from it, to give troupes space to write their own. Rough drafts of them were produces, and I published them several web pages ago. Shadow of the Moon used a similar system to the Dreamlands supplement for Call of Cthulhu, where each character had two sheets, and…
Read MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight: Third Fit
Thanks again to Thomas Copeland and his Librivox team. The editor of the version which Copeland is reading for us has a footnote here which is of value to us: In part it reads: “The account of each day’s hunting contains a number of obsolete terms and details of woodcraft, not given in full. The…
Read More“The Lady Witch” by Lady Jane Francesca Wilde
This week a fragment of Irish folklore from Lady Jane Francesca Wilde. It comes from her book Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland. Her name, if slightly familiar, may be eclipsed a little by her more famous son, Oscar Wilde, whose writing took a rather different direction. Her book contains a lot of…
Read MoreRobert Herrick: Upon Love
A brief one here: a demon from Herrick that takes the form of a pagan god. It aids people who want to harm themselves by destroying their own capacity for love. Love, in medieval theology, being one of the forms of God, and that humans should love being one of the commands of God, this…
Read More“The Valley of Spiders” by H.G. Wells
This has a certain American feel, but can be easily transposed into feudal times. Statistics for the monsters eventually. Thanks to Tennishoes and his Librivox production team. *** Towards mid-day the three pursuers came abruptly round a bend in the torrent bed upon the sight of a very broad and spacious valley. The difficult and…
Read MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight: Second Fit
This second part of the the story starts with a lengthy piece that sets the tone. This beginning of adventures had Arthur at the New Year; for he yearned to hear gallant tales, though his words were few when he sat at the feast. But now had they stern work on hand. Gawain was glad…
Read MoreRobert Herrick: To Groves
Robert Herrick provides us with an Infernal aura in this poem. It may not be clear on an initial read, but the saints mentioned are from classical myths, and are suicides. The narrator is deludedly seeking his own death, which in medieval theology is a damnable offence. That he thinks it creates a sort of…
Read MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight: First Fit
In our collection of potential mystery cults from Cheshire folklore, we have one potential mystagogue that I did not know was local. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the best known Arthurian stories, is set on the Wirral, a coastal area in the northwest of Cheshire. The name of the poet who wrote…
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Games From Folktales