Way Up North

Borea is the sprawling land north of the City and the Union as a whole. It's more sparsely populated than its Southern neighbor, owing to a more frigid climate. Most of its cities and towns are clustered around either the Inland Sea, or the West Sea and the Strait of Anian--which form the Northwest Passage allowing westward travel from Ealderde to the Far East.

There are those who choose to live in the Borean wilderness or more isolated towns. Hunters and trappers still eke out a living as they have for over two hundred years; there’s still a market for the meat of dwindling mammoth herds, or the golden pelts of the aurumvorax. The vast northern forests still support a thriving timber industry. Then there are the aboriginal peoples who follow the ways of their ancestors, some of them living in the ice-bound wastes where few “civilized” folk ever care to go.

Borea’s cold owes to more than its latitude. Some strong northern winds are actually born from the confluence of elemental water and air, forming elemental ice. The preternatural cold of these winds can freeze unprotected animals or people in their tracks, cause trees to explode with quick-frozen sap, or even coat whole villages in ice. Boreans try their best to avoid these death-ice winds, and experienced woodsfolk know the signs that mean such a wind is coming.

Over the vast wilds of Borea, the Boreal Mounted Police are responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing justice. These intrepid lawmen contend with human criminals, and monstrous menaces (like the wendigo), as well. Like the Freedonian Rangers far to the south, the mounted police are a special breed, inured to life on the fringe of civilization. As such, they're figures romanticized in fiction and film in Borea, and famed in even more southern lands.

The North has its share of mysteries, too. Shimmering, phantom cities sometimes are seen in its skies, which may be ghostly glimpses of the distant past, psychic projections of the fabled paradise of Hyperborea, or something else. Then there are legends of an Arctic island warmed by volcanos or hot springs, which may be the ancestral home of the all the natives of the New World. Other legends, or sea tales, speak of ancient longships from the Old World emerging from the icy mists, manned by undead raiders, and laden with centuries of plunder.

The Weird Fiend Folio

The AD&D Fiend Folio is weird. I don’t mean that in the sense of it being odd (though it’s maybe that, too) I mean in the sense that a lot of its monsters evoke a weird fiction feel, at least to me. Sure, its easy to make fun of the Folio--there are a number of misfires there. Any time you talk about it someone always goes and mentions the flumph, so its got that to live down.

But I think there are a number of creatures that would be at home in the works of Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, or any other weird writer you could think of. All they need is the proper context. Let’s take a look:

algoid: Ok, the picture doesn’t help us here, and I’m not sure what this thing's about really, but the basic concept of a sentient algae colony seems reasonably Lovecraftian.  He gave us space fungi, after all.

apparition: like the coffer corpse, the crypt thing, and the revenant, these are exactly the sort of undead that show up in weird tales. Admittedly, though, there’s nothing special about them other than the Russ Nicholson art that really gives them a lurid feel.  Still, the raw materials are there for building a weird atmosphere, absolutely.

bullywug: Things you can describe as batrachian tend to be sort of weird (this would apply to the slaad as well--which remind me a bit of Smith's Tsathaggua, anyway). I could definitely see the bullywugs in the Dreamlands, but I guess that’s about it.

crabman: Here’s a case where the picture does not help, but crustacean sentients actually appear in a Robert E. Howard tale (“People of the Black Coast”) though their whole deal is a little more aboleth-like there, appearances aside.

dark creeper: these guys have always reminded me a bit of Howard’s portrayal of the Little People.  You could always give them a little of the whispery evillness of the lil' demons in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. This time, the illustration really helps.

Cryonax: a yeti with tentacles for arms doesn’t seem like Lovecraft, but does seem exactly the sort of thing one of Lovecraft’s lesser disciples would have created.

gibberlings: have a name like something out of a weird tale, but I suspect they’d just be a brief, colorful mention in passing in Dunsany or the like.

Githyanki and Githzerai: with their whole feud thing seem like something that could come out of a more science fantasy weird story, and again, the visuals help.

Kuo-toa: or should I say, Deep Ones?

shadow demon: are not too far removed from the menace of the CAS story “The Double Shadow.”

yellow musk creeper and yellow musk zombies: fairly weird fiction-esque at face.  It's got the "yellow" thing going on in the name, too.

And that’s just off a quick flip through. I’m sure there are plenty of others sandwiched between the needle men, and thorks--and of course, flumphs.

Most Wanted

The Investigation Division of  the City’s Metropolitan Police Department maintains two lists of their “most wanted” criminals: one of mundane lawbreakers, and one of “special” cases--which usually means magical malefactors.  Here's a selection from that list, from late in the 5888:

TSAN CHAN

Rumored to be a Yianese nobleman, operates a criminal cult called the Five-Headed Dragon Society. This group is based in San Tiburon where they are involved in white slavery and the narcotic trade. Tsan Chan has operatives in the Yiantown district, and he is suspected of murder by malign summoning, and occult conspiracy within this jurisdiction.

AMBROSIO SUSURRUS

AKA the Mad Monk. Ambrosio Susurrus is the primary figure behind the “Coffin Girl Ring” which is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of at least fifteen young women to create zombies for criminal purposes. Distinguishing Features: tends to dress in a friar’s cassock, and wears his hear in tonsure.

THE GRIN

Real name unknown. The Grin is an anarchist wanted for a variety of nonsensical but serious crimes against persons and property. Notably, an attempted forcible transfer of a public official to another plane, assault and battery via sorcery, and unlawful thaumaturgic animation of large machinery with malicious intent. Note: The scissors the Grin habitually carries are a magical weapon and should be treated as a lethal threat.

MOIRA DEMILUNE

AKA fantôme. Possibly Ealderdish cat-burglar. Moira Demilune uses thaumaturgical aid in gaining entry and incapacitating victims.  She specializes in the theft of magical items. She is believed to be in possession of a supply of oneiric dust which in itself is a felony.

ILLUSTRATION #23a

Pictured above at 1/2 actual size. Illustration #23a may appear in any printed work and has murdered five persons with the past year, and caused serious harm to seven others, who have viewed it. Thaumaturgical investigation has confirmed Illustration #23a’s willful and malicious intent in these crimes. Any work in which Illustration #23a appears should be destroyed immediately, by fire if possible. Distinguishing Features: Monochrome illustration with a present, but illegible, signature.

Warlord Wednesday: Warpath

It's Wednesday, so let's re-enter the lost world with another installment of my issue by issue examination of DC Comic's Warlord, the earlier installments of which can be found here...

"Warpath"

Warlord (vol. 1) #30 (February 1980)

Written and Pencilled by Mike Grell; Inked by Vince Colletta

Synopsis: Morgan is riding to Shamballah through the borderlands between it and Thera, when he hears sounds suggestive of soldiers on the march. Knowing well the enmity between Thera and his wife’s city, he climbs into a tall tree to get a look. What he sees must be nearly the entire Theran garrison on the march--with their only possible destination Shamballah.

That’s when Morgan notices a more immediate danger--a jaguar on the branch next to him, ready to pounce. Morgan draws his knife and lunges first! He and the jaguar battle until they fall from the tree, with the cat getting the worst of it.

Morgan’s got to beat the army to Shamballah, but his horse has run off. He runs, hoping to cut across a swamp to save five miles. He dives into the water...right on top of a big aquatic reptile. He fights the creature, and almost escapes, but then it swallows him whole!

The Warlord’s not an easy meal. He cuts his way out of the creature with his sword. He looks back from the shore to see piranha devouring the corpse. He made it out just in time.

Morgan's not done with the derring-do yet. He starts racing along tree branches and swinging by vines, Tarzan-style. Ahead are the outlying settlements of Shamballah. Morgan has to warn them so they can mount someresistance to the coming attack.

His vine-swinging comes to a halt when the tree in front of him falls. He looks down to see a woodsman with an axe wondering what it is he’s doing. Morgan tells him about the approaching army. He says they have to raise an alarm among the outpost settlements.

The woodsman’s first thought is to warn his family, but Morgan says there isn’t time. The Therans won’t bother with one cottage. He promises to go back to his home with the woodsman once they’ve warned the outposts. The two split up, the woodsman going east and Morgan west. The man reminds Morgan that if anything happens to him, Morgan must warn his family.

After they warn the settlements, the two meet at the bridge across the great gorge, beyond which is the woodsman’s cottage--and the Theran army is upon them. Morgan tells the woodsman to go to his family, but leave him the axe. The woodsman says that Morgan’s either “a great fool or a great hero” as he leaves him to hold the bridge alone.

What Morgan can’t know is that family the woodsman is saving includes a little boy who is actually Joshua--Morgan’s own lost son, taken away by Deimos. Morgan unknowingly saves his own child as he fights an apparently doomed battle against an army.

His family safe, the woodsman releases logs into the river hoping to help Morgan. The logs tumble over the falls. Morgan leaps to safety as they smash the bridge, and take many of the Therans into the gorge.

They’ve beaten the Therans for now, but Morgan knows they’ll soon regroup. He has to get to the garrison at Shamballah to prepare them for total war.

Things to Notice:

• Morgan goes full on Tarzan, in what's possibly the most dangerous 5 miles his ever crossed.
• The peasant family raising Joshua hasn't sold the one-of-a-kind artifact (a wrist watch) the baby sports as an ornament.

Where It Comes From:

The first portion of this issue seems to be an homage to Tarzan.  Morgan engages in a lot of stereotypical Tarzan-esque activities: he fights a big cat with only a knife, fights a crocodile stand-in underwater, and swings on vines.  Morgan even references Johnny Weissmuller, probably the man most associated with the film version of Tarzan. 

The set piece of the issue, Morgan's stand on a narrow bridge armed with an axe was no doubt inspired by an event legend holds occurred at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25, 1066.  The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that a giant Norse axemen held the narrow bridge for a time against the entire Saxon army.  He's said to have killed 40 Englishmen single-handed before he was brought down.

Cry of the Wendigo

Hunters and woodsmen in northern countries whisper fearful tales, and move closer to their campfires, when the night is strangely quiet and the snows are deep. It’s as true in Borea, the cold land far the north of the City, as it is in our world, and perhaps others...

The wendigo is a magical creature out of Native legend; a being born of a crime, and a horrible curse. When a human resorts to cannibalism (for whatever reason) in the wild places of the north, they open themselves to possession by a ravenous demonic entity from the outer dark. An entity with a hunger that can never be satiated.

It should be noted that some thaumatological scholars discount the “demon hypothesis” as primitive superstition. They suggest that those under the wendigo curse are the victims of a magical contagion, possibly from another world or plane. Some have suggested that ghouls (and perhaps ogres) have adapted over generations to a similar malady, but as with all such speculation, it only serves to irritate ghouls.

Whatever its origins, the wendigo curse transforms the victim into a large and powerful humanoid creature, covered with white fur. It's afflicted by a terrible hunger, and it will attempt to devour any living thing it encounters, but it particularly has an appetite for (and will actually hunt) humans.

A wendigo is immune to cold and regenerates rapidly from wounds. It moves surprisingly fast for its size. The curse on a wendigo may be removed, but doing so leads to the death of the one so cursed, which is the only true release the afflicted individual can find.

No. Enc.: 1
Movement: 150’ (50’)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, bite)
Damage: 1d6/1d6/1d10
Save: F6
Morale: 11
Special Abilities: immune to cold; Wendigo regenerate like trolls, except that that they are not vulnerable acid, but fire damage is not regenerated. They are not able to reattach severed liimbs, but instead regrow them if they survive.

Attack of the Soviet Ape-Men!

The story goes like this: Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin wanted to create a super-soldier, a “new invincible human being, insensitive to pain, resistant and indifferent about the quality of food they eat.” To this end, he tasked the USSR’s preeminent biologist Ilya Ivanov (the man who had pioneered the use of artificial insemination the obtain interspecies hybrids) with making half-man, half-chimpanzee super-warriors.

The truth seems to be that Stalin was never particularly interested in Ivanov’s experiments--that was the biologist’s own mad scientist leanings. Nevertheless, the experiments did take place. First, in 1927, he tried to artificially inseminate female chimps with human sperm. When that didn’t work, he began to plan to cross human females with male chimpanzees. In 1929, with the support of the Society of Material Biologists, Ivanov made plans to inseminate volunteer women in the Soviet human, but his last male ape (an orangutan) died. The wait to obtain new apes slowed things down long enough for the political winds to shift, and his experiments were ended.

This may not have been the first time such mad science antics were tried. According to the Discovery Channel, psychologist/eugenicist/primatology pioneer Robert Yerkes or his team supposedly created a human/chimpanzee hybrid in Florida in the 1920s. The rumor goes the hybrid was later destroyed--or did it did escape into the skunk-ape haunted swamps?

Anyway, I find all of these doings great fodder for pulpish or superhero gaming--and possibly post-apocalyptic gaming, too. Maybe the hidden Gorilla City in darkest Africa is a Marxist-Lenninist worker’s paradise? Or maybe the the far future ape city (the one near what used to be New York) reveres Yerkes as they’re Lawgiver; he did give them language after all?

It Gets Inside Your Head

Here’s a monster found in the world of the City and perhaps elsewhere...

Mind Worms are creatures of unassuming appearance, but insidious natures. They largely resemble plump, 2-3 inch long caterpillars, but have human-level (or greater) intellects. Though there is no clear proof, the statements of mind worms themselves suggest they are of extraterrestrial origin, and perhaps alien criminals or political dissidents of some sort.

All mind worms encountered have been the equivalent of megalomaniacs who desire to acquire power by the domination of others. Mind worms are telepathic and can forcibly read the minds of others for usual information. Ultimately, they use their powers to mentally dominate (similar to the Charm Person/Monster except that the worm actually controls the victim's actions, saving throw at -2, with penalties or bonus for Intelligence), or cause Hold Person (as spell). They can only attempt to dominate one person at a time, but can maintain their domination of multiple victims (perhaps 5) without particular effort.  A previous failure to dominate a victim removes their penalty to save on the mind worm's next attempt.  None of their powers are magical, and cannot be dispelled, but serious distraction to a mind worm will give victims a chance at escaping their control (another save), and forcing a victim to do something extremely alien to their nature may provoke another save at GM discretion.

Mind worms typically pick one choice victim to dominate and stay with that person at all times, perhaps hiding in a pocket or nestling under their collar.  One of the greatest weapons mind worms have is there small size and ability to hide.

It’s a lucky for humanity that the mind worms are rivals, and would rather try to kill other than work together.

No. Enc: 1-2
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 1
Attacks: 1
Damage: Mind control, mind reading (see above)
Save: F2
Morale: 8