Showing posts with label Masks of Nyarlathotep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masks of Nyarlathotep. Show all posts
Monday, July 9, 2018
The Crawling Chaos
Nigma Studios is kicking off a new line of Mythos-based figures with this immense (55cm/21") take on Nyarlathotep. It's a beautiful variation on the tripedal depiction that's become popular over the last decade, trading the goofy accordion pleated legs for sinuous, curling tentacles.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Big Wheels Rolling
The Chinese wheelbarrow is one of those wonderful bits of historical flavor I love about the classic era. This particular illustration comes to us from the "Shanghai" pages of the New York Public Library's digital collection.
Well into the modern era a huge amount of China's land transportation was handled by a massive network of roads and trails designed for these unique, mono-wheeled carts. They're the kind of thing any adventurer in China, in particular those taking part in Chaosium's "Masks of Nyarlathotep", would run into on a regular basis.
It's an ingenious design capable of carrying huge loads because all the weight is supported by the single large wheel. The operator simply steers and provides the motive force. That's in contrast to the traditional western wheelbarrow, which forced the user to continuously lift roughly half the weight. The single wheel also made infrastructure maintenance considerably easier. Two and four wheeled carts needed a full sized road that required constant grading, drainage, and repairs to stand up to heavy use. Chinese wheelbarrows only needed a six inch wide trail to support the single wheel, something even the smallest of villages could manage.
If you're curious to learn more Low Tech Magazine has a detailed, in-depth article on the subject you'll enjoy. I'll warn you ahead of time that if you start browsing the site you could easily lose track of time. It's filled with engrossing looks at "primitive" and early industrial technology.
Well into the modern era a huge amount of China's land transportation was handled by a massive network of roads and trails designed for these unique, mono-wheeled carts. They're the kind of thing any adventurer in China, in particular those taking part in Chaosium's "Masks of Nyarlathotep", would run into on a regular basis.
It's an ingenious design capable of carrying huge loads because all the weight is supported by the single large wheel. The operator simply steers and provides the motive force. That's in contrast to the traditional western wheelbarrow, which forced the user to continuously lift roughly half the weight. The single wheel also made infrastructure maintenance considerably easier. Two and four wheeled carts needed a full sized road that required constant grading, drainage, and repairs to stand up to heavy use. Chinese wheelbarrows only needed a six inch wide trail to support the single wheel, something even the smallest of villages could manage.
If you're curious to learn more Low Tech Magazine has a detailed, in-depth article on the subject you'll enjoy. I'll warn you ahead of time that if you start browsing the site you could easily lose track of time. It's filled with engrossing looks at "primitive" and early industrial technology.
Friday, February 5, 2016
The Land Down Under
Knick of Time has this classic-era atlas map of Australia available for download. It would make a perfect handout for the Australian segment of "Masks of Nyarlathotep".
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
"Masks of Nyartathotep" Meltdown, Part Deux
Over the Christmas holiday I had a chance to get together with some old gaming friends and the subject of the disastrous "Masks of Nyarlathotep" prop set came up. Just out of curiosity, has anyone actually run the numbers for the project? As in taken a crack at figuring out just how much it would have cost to do everything that was promised? I've Googled around a bit, but couldn't find anything along those lines.
I know that of the $74,000 total 8%, $5920, went to Kickstarter and Amazon for their fees. An additional .20 is charged for each pledge. With 507 backers that's $101. The total loss to processing is $6021. That leaves $67,979.
Casually comparing the packages that were promised with what it would cost to print those items, as well as ship them from the printers, seems to show there was going to be trouble from the start. From personal experience I can say that print shipping charges can be a huge hidden expense. All those nifty little items have to be packed in reinforced cardboard printer's boxes to prevent damage, and that extra weight adds up fast.
Another thing working against the project was the number of backers. 500 is one of the break points for most discount printers, with 1000 the next tier. With 500 backers you have to make allowances for losses and damage, forcing you to go with 1000.
Two of the extras caught my eye as being unrealistic to produce. The "Fog Spawn Larvae" would have been a huge undertaking, requiring a major effort for a garage caster. The custom slides would also have been a huge expense.
The more I look at it the more it appears Mr. Patey was caught in a trap of promising too much without taking into account actual production costs and the ever escalating shipping cost of all those goodies.
I know that of the $74,000 total 8%, $5920, went to Kickstarter and Amazon for their fees. An additional .20 is charged for each pledge. With 507 backers that's $101. The total loss to processing is $6021. That leaves $67,979.
Casually comparing the packages that were promised with what it would cost to print those items, as well as ship them from the printers, seems to show there was going to be trouble from the start. From personal experience I can say that print shipping charges can be a huge hidden expense. All those nifty little items have to be packed in reinforced cardboard printer's boxes to prevent damage, and that extra weight adds up fast.
Another thing working against the project was the number of backers. 500 is one of the break points for most discount printers, with 1000 the next tier. With 500 backers you have to make allowances for losses and damage, forcing you to go with 1000.
Two of the extras caught my eye as being unrealistic to produce. The "Fog Spawn Larvae" would have been a huge undertaking, requiring a major effort for a garage caster. The custom slides would also have been a huge expense.
The more I look at it the more it appears Mr. Patey was caught in a trap of promising too much without taking into account actual production costs and the ever escalating shipping cost of all those goodies.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Penhew Foundation Business Card
An upgraded version of the Penhew Foundation business card from Chaosium's "Masks of Nyarlathotep". Right click and "Open Link in New Tab" to download the full sized version, print on cardstock, and trim to size following the cropping guides.
Monday, November 16, 2015
The Black Pharaoh
The gifted Greg Onychuk brings us this bust displaying the two faces of Nyarlathotep in his Black Pharaoh form.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Cairo, City of Adventure
Wikimedia has a beautiful vintage map of Cairo by cartographer Alexander Nicohosoff. It dates to 1933, but would be ideal for any classic-era adventures in the city.
Update: Raven is a god amongst men. He left this as a comment, and it's awesome:
Point of special interest at F-5: the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.
If you would like to follow Harry Houdini's travels (or travails) in "Under the Pyramids" by map, here are grid references:
... we halted at the great Gare Centrale ["Main Station" at C/D-7/8].
... whilst the very theatre where I was vainly requested to play, and which I later attended as a spectator, had recently been renamed the "American Cosmograph" [period program; now the Cosmos Cinema, still at E-7].
We stopped at Shepherd's Hotel [actually "Shepheard's Hotel" E-7]....
Guided by our Baedeker, we had struck east past the Ezbekiyeh Gardens [E-8] along the Mouski in quest of the native quarter....
At length Abdul took us along the Sharia Mohammed Ali [F-8 → I-9] to the ancient mosque of Sultan Hassan [I-9], and the tower-flanked Bab-el-Azab [the original *gate* of Saladin's Citadel], beyond which climbs the steep-walled pass to the mighty citadel [J-10] that Saladin himself built with the stones of forgotten pyramids. It was sunset when we scaled that cliff, circled the modern mosque of Mohammed Ali [K-11], and looked down from the dizzying parapet over mystic Cairo — mystic Cairo all golden with its carven domes, its ethereal minarets, and its flaming gardens.
Far over the city towered the great Roman dome of the new museum [the Egyptian Museum at F-5]....
The next morning we visited the pyramids, riding out in a Victoria across the great Nile bridge with its bronze lions [Qasr El Nil, G-4], the island of Ghizereh with its massive lebbakh trees [covers B-2+3 to H-3+4], and the smaller English bridge to the western shore [H-3]. Down the shore road we drove, between great rows of lebbakhs and past the vast Zoölogical Gardens [K-2] to the suburb of Gizeh [on map as "El Giza" N-1+2], where a new bridge to Cairo proper has since been built [Abbas II Bridge across Roda Island, L-2+3+4]. Then, turning inland along the Sharia-el-Haram [L-2 → M-1 and leaving the map]....
Update: Raven is a god amongst men. He left this as a comment, and it's awesome:
Point of special interest at F-5: the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.
If you would like to follow Harry Houdini's travels (or travails) in "Under the Pyramids" by map, here are grid references:
... we halted at the great Gare Centrale ["Main Station" at C/D-7/8].
... whilst the very theatre where I was vainly requested to play, and which I later attended as a spectator, had recently been renamed the "American Cosmograph" [period program; now the Cosmos Cinema, still at E-7].
We stopped at Shepherd's Hotel [actually "Shepheard's Hotel" E-7]....
Guided by our Baedeker, we had struck east past the Ezbekiyeh Gardens [E-8] along the Mouski in quest of the native quarter....
At length Abdul took us along the Sharia Mohammed Ali [F-8 → I-9] to the ancient mosque of Sultan Hassan [I-9], and the tower-flanked Bab-el-Azab [the original *gate* of Saladin's Citadel], beyond which climbs the steep-walled pass to the mighty citadel [J-10] that Saladin himself built with the stones of forgotten pyramids. It was sunset when we scaled that cliff, circled the modern mosque of Mohammed Ali [K-11], and looked down from the dizzying parapet over mystic Cairo — mystic Cairo all golden with its carven domes, its ethereal minarets, and its flaming gardens.
Far over the city towered the great Roman dome of the new museum [the Egyptian Museum at F-5]....
The next morning we visited the pyramids, riding out in a Victoria across the great Nile bridge with its bronze lions [Qasr El Nil, G-4], the island of Ghizereh with its massive lebbakh trees [covers B-2+3 to H-3+4], and the smaller English bridge to the western shore [H-3]. Down the shore road we drove, between great rows of lebbakhs and past the vast Zoölogical Gardens [K-2] to the suburb of Gizeh [on map as "El Giza" N-1+2], where a new bridge to Cairo proper has since been built [Abbas II Bridge across Roda Island, L-2+3+4]. Then, turning inland along the Sharia-el-Haram [L-2 → M-1 and leaving the map]....
Saturday, September 5, 2015
The Crawling Chaos
Ukrainian artist Sadania brings the horror of Nyarlathotep to life. The sculpt features some fantastic anatomical work. Browse the whole gallery for a panoramic view of the piece.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Amulet of the Bloody Tongue
Cryptocurium rolls out the Amulet of the Bloody Tongue in a new limited edition. The piece depicts the avatar of Nyarlathotep worshipped by the infamous Cult of the Bloody Tongue in Kenya.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Masks of Nyarlathotep Prop Set
It's a real pleasure to welcome our latest sponsor- The Masks of Nyarlathotep Prop Set.
Ben Patey has put together a complete re-imagining of the original prop handouts and documents from the classic "Masks of Nyarlathotep" campaign from Chaosium. It's easily one of, if not the, greatest tabletop RPG adventure every produced. At the time of it's initial publication the extensive use of props was revolutionary, but the presentation quality of those items isn't up to modern standards. Mr. Patey's Kickstarter aims to change that.
High quality props will make "Masks" more immersive, taking an already great experience and turning the dial up to 11. And there's just so much stuff. Maps. Matchbooks. Telegrams. Newspaper clippings. Handwritten notes. Not to mention the very cool stretch and bonus material, like postcards, passports, and physical specimens.
This is the bread and butter of Propnomicon, and it's worthy of your support.
Ben Patey has put together a complete re-imagining of the original prop handouts and documents from the classic "Masks of Nyarlathotep" campaign from Chaosium. It's easily one of, if not the, greatest tabletop RPG adventure every produced. At the time of it's initial publication the extensive use of props was revolutionary, but the presentation quality of those items isn't up to modern standards. Mr. Patey's Kickstarter aims to change that.
High quality props will make "Masks" more immersive, taking an already great experience and turning the dial up to 11. And there's just so much stuff. Maps. Matchbooks. Telegrams. Newspaper clippings. Handwritten notes. Not to mention the very cool stretch and bonus material, like postcards, passports, and physical specimens.
This is the bread and butter of Propnomicon, and it's worthy of your support.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Handbook to British East Africa and Uganda
Anyone planning an African expedition in the classic era will enjoy the Handbook to British East Africa and Uganda. Although it dates to 1912 it's filled with the kind of color that really brings something like Masks of Nyarlathotep alive. That includes a helpful list of supplies for a three year expedition, recommendations for clothing, the intricacies of tribal relations, and two traveler's dictionaries for the local languages.
You'll also find a heaping dose of the casual racism of the colonial period, including multiple instances of the natives being referred to as "niggers", so be forewarned. What makes it even more surreal is that the author seems to have a genuine appreciation for the people and cultures of the region. One section includes a telling comparison of the supplies needed by Europeans with the minimal requirements of the locals.
You'll also find a heaping dose of the casual racism of the colonial period, including multiple instances of the natives being referred to as "niggers", so be forewarned. What makes it even more surreal is that the author seems to have a genuine appreciation for the people and cultures of the region. One section includes a telling comparison of the supplies needed by Europeans with the minimal requirements of the locals.
Friday, November 1, 2013
In the Shadow of the Black Wind
Jonas Thibout brings us this unusual tribal artifact. This would be an awesome prop for anyone running the "Mountain of the Black Wind" episode of Chaosium's Masks of Nyarlathotep
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Sunday, June 16, 2013
Vintage Egyptian Postage
Here's a classic era (1922) Egyptian postage stamp ideal for period correspondence. Just print and trim to size with a perforating pattern cutter.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
The Storm
A sandstorm catches a caravan crossing Beni Hassan in 1922.
A snapshot from the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.
A snapshot from the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
London's Natural History Museum
Another map from the 1922 edition of "Muirhead's London and its Environs", this time of the Natural History Museum. Click through on the picture below for the high resolution JPG. The PDF version is available from Google Documents over here.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
London Zoological Gardens
A map of the London Zoological Gardens from the 1922 edition of "Muirhead's London and its Environs". This is another of the journal stuffer documents I adore. Just click through on the picture below for the high resolution JPG. You can download a PDF version from Google Documents over here.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Egypt, 1922
A camel caravan crosses the outskirts of the Memphis ruins in Egypt.
Another snapshot from the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.
Another snapshot from the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Kantara, 1922
A steamer passes down the Suez canal past the outpost of Kantara. Just a few years earlier this was mostly empty desert, but the town exploded in size when it became the central supply depot for the British Army's Palestine force.
Another snapshot for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.
Another snapshot for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Bridge
An expedition heading into the African interior poses with a native-built suspension bridge, or "yanketti", crossing a ravine.
Another vintage photograph re-purposed for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project. The original dates to 1921 and was taken in Liberia. Click through for the high resolution version.
Another vintage photograph re-purposed for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project. The original dates to 1921 and was taken in Liberia. Click through for the high resolution version.
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