Quote:
Originally Posted by Apollonian
Hrm. I'm not sure about this idea, but I'll throw it out there. How well it works depends on how closely you're sticking to Mythos "canon" for your campaign. They encounter Ithaqua, the Wendigo, because Dreamlands + cold horror. However, it's not the actual Ithaqua, if that thing exists, but a spirit of some sort impersonating it. Is this spirit connected to the Lords of the Last Waste? Does it oppose them? Is it taking on this persona because the PCs have read Lovecraft and are subconsciously influencing it? And, of course, is it going to aid or harm them? |
Ok, even in canonical Lovecraft, everyone sees the Dreamlands differently. In my game, the PCs are technically not entering another dimension as much as they are entering the dreams, memories and mental fragments of the mind of the girl who calls herself Gwen Delvano.
What they'll see will be determined to some extent by Ms. Delvano's personality and preoccupations. As far as the PCs can determine, she is a crazy cultist, probably devoted to the Lords of the Last Waste, whatever the hell they are. Oh, and she was possessed by one of them. Who still extends some power into this world, like hungry tendrils reaching from her mind.
How they'll experience this, however, will be filtered through Ms. Talbot's casting of a ritual theorized by Dr. Lapointe, as well as 'Nonc' Morel's mind-expanding ritual. Oh, and just the regular effects of the psychadelic mushrooms in the tea he made them. Also, their own expectations and imaginations.
However, the fact that 'Gwen Delvano' is a major science-fiction and fantasy fan, specifically of G.R.R. Martin (Google her cover ID), but also had a period in her life when she exhaustively read and re-read the works of every author who'd written about Antarctica, well, that's going to have an impact.
When you add that Dr. Lapointe is PhD level geeky, his official job title is 'librarian' and that he has been running roleplaying games for several decades, you start to see a pattern. Add the fact that Alice Talbot (huge geek in her own right) and Lucien Lacoste (pretends to be a cool jock, but named his pet raven after the
French translator of Poe's poem) are two of his regular gaming group and well...
Let's say that I'm not confined to cribbing from the official Lovecraft Mythos
only. Wherever the PCs are going, it's a place that copyright lawyers would
hate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apollonian
I think you have to throw in a cat. From Ulthar.
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It's a good thought and I'll see what I can do.
One PC already has a Pet. He's a raven, an incorporeal spirit raven, actually, by the name of Mallormé.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apollonian
If you haven't read it, Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October has a bit set in the Dreamlands. Might be helpful if it's easy for you to get hold of, but it's not super relevant I think.
You've read A Colder War, right? |
I've read A Colder War, yes.
Zelazny's book has been recommended to me before. If I could obtain an electronic copy, I'd get it right now, but they don't seem to offer that. I could pay some ridiculous sum for a used physical copy, which strikes me as akin to tracking down yellowing parchment bound in human skin, and then having to deal with Customs, so I've been reluctant.