Vamptober 8: This Clan Of Mine

Vamptober 8: This Clan Of Mine

As a Scot I’ve never felt Clan entirely fit as the term for lineages of vampires, and sometimes joke that my favourite clan is Robertson on my mother’s side. But like a lot of players and storytellers I have favourite and least favourite Vampire clans, Werewolf Tribes, Mage Traditions and so on. My favourites tend to be the broad ones that can do anything or the niche ones that bring a lot of specific ideas and suggest a playstyle.

Sire and childe relationships, the addition of broodmates, the issue of genealogy with ancestors who might show up and how typical or atypical the local examples of clan are can add a lot to your chronicle. In my current chronicle I’m semi-seriously considering having a Ministry avant-garde theatre troupe.

Pictured, the sketch I’m happiest with from the first quarter of the month, some first edition Vampire: The Masquerade OCs and their sire: Andre Barton, Brujah historian, flanked by his childer Mike and Tanith.

Relics: Treasures On Earth

Treasures On Earth, a sourcebook for Relics by, among other people, me. Mystical artefacts and the stories attached to them, and lots of ways to get in trouble.

Vamptober 7: Hideout

Vamptober 7: Hideout

Vampires must hide from the sun by day, but there are times they need somewhere to hide at night as well. Public places where an attack would be unwise, boltholes that can serve as havens in an emergency.

They share this with mortal criminals, and often run in the same circles.

And if they have to, they can force themselves into spaces no human can endure, with no need to breathe and the ability to dislocate and break bones and regenerate them if they have to. Though they may never see themselves quite the same way again.

Mekhet: Shadows In The Dark for Vampire: The Requiem has Frances, in many ways one of the most humane vampires in the setting, hiding in the attic of a shared house, with her roommates having no idea...

Vamptober 6: Undead Love

Vamptober 6: Undead Love

To love those you hunt, or the other things that hunt them. To watch the years weigh on them while they never touch you. You should stay away, for their own sake and yours. But can you?

Some Vampire editions featured the idea that vampires can’t feel every human emotion, but it never really caught on, I think because players are themselves human. And it makes it all the more painful if they can.

Can you love me for what I’ve become?

Love me for what I

Said that I would not become?

Garbage, Even Though Our Love Is Doomed

Vampire MET: War Of Ages

Mind’s Eye Theatre Vampire: The Masquerade - War Of Ages now on Kickstarter is a big book for updating MET LARPs to the V5 setting and also advice on Nordic-style Larp. The campaign funding includes setup for a convention game in New Orleans next year.

What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?

What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?

What If...? 1.09

“What If the Watcher broke his oath?"

Off the episode 8 “to be continued" moment, the Watcher assembles the “guardians of the multiverse from previous episodes and picking up a couple of surprises, not least the armoured Gamora who hasn’t been in any of the previous episodes (I presume she stars in the episode cut from the original run of ten?) among others.

Captain Carter gets picked up from her version of the start of The Winter Soldier so she’s in a stealth suit complete with grey Union flag emblem. And Batroc picking a fight with the captain so he can brag about how long he lasted and the captain being okay with it is a constant across these similar universes.

Vamptober 5: The Very First Bite

Vamptober 5: The Very First Bite

He would learn in time how to keep them from screaming. But never how to make it pleasant.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

The first, second and third chapters of Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw, writer of Fine Print in Vampire: The Masquerade - Walk Among Us, at Tor.com.

Murder Island

Murder Island starts tomorrow at 9.30 on Channel 4, a murder mystery party series with contestants working with advice by former police to solve a fictional murder - plotted out by Ian Rankin.

I expect the contestants will include somebody to yell at the screen about, but we’ll see.

Vamptober 4: Elysium Fashion

Vamptober 4: Elysium Fashion

For the first meeting of the Camarilla court in the fall Colette had this gown made, a reproduction of the one she died in.

Nocturne 1.01

Vampire: The Masquerade - Nocturne

1.01

The Prince of the city welcomed one of the PCs on the promise that he would be useful, and another on the reassurance that he would keep his head down and not cause any trouble.

I’m not sure which is more likely to fail, but I don’t like their odds.

Let’s make a toast to the damned

Waiting for tomorrow

When we’re played out by the band

Drowning out our sorrows

What will become of us now

At the end of time?

We’ll be fine

You and I

CHVRCHES, Death Stranding

Vamptober 3: Where the Undead Gather

Vamptober 3: Where the Undead Gather

Michael and Delia look around before heading into the Rack to see who’s watching.

The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon adapted by John Huston from the Dashiell Hammett novel and starring Humphrey Bogart premiered 80 years ago today.

The mother of all MacGuffins, the Falcon doesn’t have a real provenance like the Ark of the Covenant and doesn’t drive the plot through its usefulness like the Death Star plans, it’s valuable purely because it’s valuable.

It’s actually the third version of the book to be filmed - I’ve seen one of the others and it’s proof that sometimes a remake is a really good idea.

Vamptober 2: Sweet Embrace

Vamptober 2: Sweet Embrace

“You always come back to me.”

No Time To Die

After all this time, it feels strange to finally see No Time To Die. Spoilers in a week.

Vamptober 1: Fangs Out!

Vamptober 1: Fangs Out!

Amelia Maitland, Toreador Harpy, is always happy to greet a new friend.

Vamptober 2021

Vamptober prompts for art, writing, and more from the World of Darkness.

The Month Of Darkness

The Month Of Darkness advent calendar starting with:

Vamptober art prompts - it being the second year they’re a bit less obvious than the first which had all the clans among other things.

The third Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong character trailer adding a scary Toreador after a relatable Malkavian and badass Ventrue. Not as hard a sell for me as the other two clans, but nice to see it done well.

V5 opening for Storyteller’s Vault community content, which reminds me I should actually finish the Hallowe’en and Christmas booklets... maybe in time for next year, as it unlocks on the 15th and that would be too close to drop the Hallowe’en book really.

Atlas Obscura Fright Club

An October advent calendar of real life Weird Level.

October

RELEASE THE BATS!