I have no idea, who drew the last image, but I love how he/she/it made the lizard men look like slavers from some empire, rather than cavemen!
The Goblin
I always really liked the art direction Magic: The Gathering took with portraying goblins, especially in earlier editions. They can be zany, scary, serious and simply stupid, but somehow there is a feeling of an overarching theme that makes them memorable.
The first and last pic gave me an idea. Perhaps there are two kinds of goblins? The green 'long nosed goblins' are underground dwellers. They are generally smarter and more advanced. The 'tall goblins' are taller and have more of a greyish skin tone, they are the nomadic riders from the east.
Also, while looking for the links to the MtG images, I found a newer card called Goblin Battle Jester. I don't care about the artwork, but the idea of 'battle jesters' is here to stay.
Hello! I'm well and stuff. Took a long break from blogging in order to play more. To amuse you here's a picture of three deans of some polish universities at some ceremony meeting. The guy on the right is the head of an art school, but you could have already guessed that.
Not pictured, the head of the computer school sacrificing a virgin.
This is going to be a short one. Today, my lovely Julia showed me a brütal article about Botswana's metal heads. Whithout further ado, here's what my (and every other) post-apocalyptic setting lacked all along.
Here's a little sneak peak.
This guy's nickname is Maximum, probably cause you can't get much more awesome.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like it's been almost a year away from blogging for me. Although I haven't planned this break to be so long, it was the right thing to do.
Several things have changed in my attitude towards blogging. I no longer feel compelled to post at any regular rate, not to mention the daily rate of the OSR core, though I will try to drop a few during a month.
On a side, note my personal life is in perfect order, thank you.
Now, since it's still Music Monday...
SAVIOURS
They are a really awesome old-school metal band, very appropriate for the old-school RPG community. I saw them live last year and they really kicked ass. If you like the Sword (minus Warp Riders), early Slayer and Witch, I'm sure you're gonna love them.
Their last record Accelerated Living has a quite hideous cover (unlike their previous release). But somehow it reminds me of old D&D art.
This weekend I went to Krakow to see Converge and Kylesa. It was areally good show, and we got to be at the front of the stage when Kylesa played, Julia even managed to get Laura Pleasant's pick.
However this post will be a about the first supporting act - Kvelertak (Norwegian for "stranglehold").
Imagine how AC/DC would sound, if they were from Norway and that's really it. They are a fun mixture of punk, hard rock and black metal, covered in a sauce of viking themed lyrics sang in a clattering language. They can put on a really good show and instantly won the full appreciation of the audience.
Here's how they sound (and look):
What I really found interesting is, that for a reason unknown (at least to me), they have an owl thing going on. There is an owl on every piece of their merch, as well as on the Baizley designed cover of their debut album.
The owl theme goes so far, that at some point of the show, their vocalist put a rubber owl mask on his head. It was really weird, but also kinda cool.
Since there is no photo, just try to imagine the dude from the vid wearing this.
I like owls and I like the folklore surrounding those birds. So here is what I brew up on the train:
Ugelmann
A man with a head of an owl. I see him as a norse rendition/commentary on the minotaur myth. He lives deep in the forest, perhaps in a natural cave or rock labyrinth. The sages and tale spinners from villages on the borders of the forest say that he was once a powerful warrior-wizard who was cursed by the gods of nature. Others claim he is a man who was elevated by the Mother Goddess to be her husband...
It is uncertain wether he is a positive or evil entity. Some legends say that he is an immortal protector of the forest, other picture him as a mischevious being who follows his duty only because of a powerful curse. Whatever the truth is, some bits of information are present in all tales of the Ugelmann.
A random sighting of the Ugelmann is an omen of near death (of the person or a close relative). Ugelmann's curse or blessing is that upon laying eyes on any humanoid, he sees how it will die. It is widely believed that he posses great knowledge and that some seek him out to gain insight into the future. Anyone who seeks out the Ugelmann can ask him one question, but will be asked for a favor in return. This favor is an oath and anyone failing to fulfill it will be killed by the Ugelmann.
It is often believed that Ugelmann observes people living on the forest borders, this is why many mothers prompt their misbehaving children, by saying: "Be good, or the Ugelmann will take you!".
I am behind with posting my second SAGE request, but since I wasn't the only one writing it and I'm kinda tired and decided to leave it for tomorrow.
Instead, I give you the first of my planned series on my MF campaign inspirations.
Since it's Music Monday (the alliteration day) here are some videos that are both visually and sonically responsible for how I play MF.
Let's start with something weird and perhaps unexpected for those familiar with my previous music references. If you can't stand synthesizers or electronic music, I recommend muting the vid (but do watch it).
Here's something completely different, though the video is also animated. I once heard or read that "Queens of the Stone Age owe as much to Black Sabbath as to Beach Boys". I agree. And that's exactly why they are here. I chose this particular song, because to me, a MF adventure should have the dynamics of a drug trip. It should be really weird and full of surprises while possessing some twisted inner logic. Some fear and joy should also be added into the mixture.
A good MF adventure should have at least one pair of tentacles (or at least tendrils) in it. As an aesthetic statement. It should also be a bit like a b-class horror movie.
This is a very obscure, yet very good band called Fiend Without a Face (after a 50's s-f flick). It's a side project of Mastodon's guitarist - Brent Hinds. They play a very weird mix of surf, psychobilly and grind? They put out only one record, which has been out of stock for a long long time, but I think it's downloadable somewhere off their myspace. Definitely worth checking out!
Speaking of Mastodon...
As I said before, I really like to build my MF sessions on both - the retro-stupid fun and post apocalyptic horror. Here's a band that really helps me achieve the second thing. I really like Grails, they're like Pink Floyd, just less radio friendly and more intelligent.
Finally, this list would be incomplete without this brilliant vid.
