snowynight

Stealing the idea from: #tenmonstersetting challenge by 3toadstools

Setting:
A grim low fantasy setting that an ancient evil is spreading disaster across the land. The nymphs, ogres and krauls join together to destroy human civilization. Monsters from the underworld prey on people's flesh and souls.

10 monsters:

• Semi-intelligent humanoid: Kraul, an eusocial insectoid folk with an instinct for teamwork
• Undead: Corpo-Seco: rotting corpse of a person too evil to be welcomed in the Abyss, now goes on spreading evil deathlessly
• Ancient Fey: nymphs
• Giant/Ogre/Troll: Ogres, which vicious insult is a weapon
• Great Wyrm / Lizard: Serpent of Isaby - huge enough to coil around mountain peaks
• Aerial: Imps
• Lurks in the Water: Tardigrades. As they are hard to kill, wealth patrons pay for a hunt to prove their worth.
• Extradimensional: Bebilith: infernally-spawned, vermin-like creature whose sole purpose seems to be to hunt and devour its demonic prey
• Mythological: Perelesny, feeding on regrets and hidden dream
• Foul Crawly Underworld Thing: Ghosts

Source:
A Folklore Bestiary
Monster Overhaul
The Monsters Know What They’re Doing
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Book of the Damned

Today I watched the Backrooms movie. The movie not only recreates an eerie uncanny liminal space, but also tells a suspenful psychological horror story.

Clark (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a divorced alchoholic failed architect who feels that he's stuck running an unsucessful cheap furniture store. He attends therapy session with Mary (played by Renate Reinsve), who has her childhood trauma. One day Clark discovered that his store basement was connected to a space, which looked like an abandoned office space made without actually knowing what an office was like in reality. He kept going back there abd became obsessed. After him missing his session and leaving an omnious call, Mary went to his store to look for him and gets trapped there.

The visual design and music were very good. The yellow fluroscent walls, the subtly wrong furnitures, the endless doors, chutes and rooms were uncanny. The music and sound effects was unsettling and enhanced the scenes. I kept my eyes shut during the gory scenes, but luckily there weren't many. I also find the use of found footage very effective.

 Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are really steller. They make the characters feel grounded and sympathetic.  Chiwetel Ejiofor sold me the change of Clark throughout the movie, while Renate Reinsve's restrained performance fits her role well. The supporting cast is good too.

Although I haven't watched the original Youtube series nor the trailer, I find the movie easy to follow, though I'm sure I may have missed the nuance. I really like how it doesn't try to explain away the mystery of the Backrooms, but throwing out more and more questions. 

I have just found out the director is only 20. It's really impressive! I look forward to his next work.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons quinoa, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. In a microwave safe bowl, stir together the quinoa and water. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 5 minutes.
2. Carefully remove the bowl, stir in tomato sauce. Microwave for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the cooked quinoa to an espresso cup (optional). Crack an egg over the top. Tent the cup with a paper towel and microwave for an additional minute.

Source: Perspective Portions

Everyone know to stay home at this time, except you. Now you're lost, stranded in an alien world.

Why do you travel in such a dangerous time?

1. Desperation. You need to reach your loved one before they took the last breath. You have to send for help to save your people. The need is bigger than the risk, as you have thought.
2. Curiosity. You want to know what exists beyond your home village. You have heard the call of the wild.
3. Forsaken. You're betrayed and abandoned in the wilderness. You're exiled and drawn away from any shelters. 
4. Ambition. Rumours and ancient manuscripts spoke of potential award in the other worlds. You believe that you can master the way.
5. Ignorance. You thought you have enough protection. You thought it was safe. Now you paid the price.
6. Abducted. Some beings took a fancy of you. They lure you away for their purposes.

Where do you find yourself?

1. A dark sun dappled forest that seemed to stretch into the horizons. It doesn't like you.
2. A cosmic library that holds books in every forms and languages.
3. An underwater crystal city, where people like you are bound to serve the water spirit
4. Ruins of a lost dead civilization. Burnt cathedral guarded by clockwork angels
5. A dungeon with undecipherable inscription on the wall. Roars and screams are approaching.
6. An overgrown abandoned palace flying in the night sky
7. The land of lost, where everything lost eventually find themselves in
8. A sleeping deity's dream. Tread lightly lest you topple a world.

Good luck. You'll need it.

Ingredients


Directions


Recipe Source: the spruce eats

Further Reading: A History Wrapped in Banana Leaves: How hallacas and the banana plant became intertwined in Venezuelan cultural memory.

Liminal Horror: Liz the therapist
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FORGE: Perella the pious knight

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The Day We Leave Our Forests To Die In Beautiful Silence: Flutter the elf of dying forest
( Tell me, what do you want? )

Maid RPG: Silver the vampire demon maid
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