cartanacia

[cartanacia]

DOKKAEBI (도깨비) Illust: Jenny Park/asunnydisposish (https://twitter.com/asunnydisposish There are legends of Dokkaebi holding wrestling festivals at night and drinking wildly. They're humanity's id: more human than humans, representing everything we wish we could do. Korea's most famous fey folk, they're nature spirits that either appear as colored wisps or possess abandoned, inanimate objects. These objects become their new bodies and they take on forms similar to people (usually burlier and hairier). There are multiple variations of this story featuring the Dokkaebi: A good man stumbles into a party of Dokkaebi, scares them away, and becomes a rich man by summoning wealth through their club. A wicked man tries doing the same, but is beaten by the Dokkaebi instead.

[cartanacia]

THE YONGWANG (용왕)

Illust: Nidhi (https://twitter.com/Aranyaksha)

These four supreme dragons have signed a covenant with the realm above the nine heavens, gifted with demigod-hood in honor of their wisdom. This covenant comes in the form of the Dragon Marble they carry: a divine artifact capable of magic powerful enough to grant wishes.

They claim supremacy over the warring draconic tribes of Danguk in exchange for safeguarding the lives of mortals and protecting their grand experiment. Despite their allegiance, they understand that their power and bonds with the gods amount to little more than glorified shackles.

The prayers mortals deliver to them for their protection over the seas and storms which they accept even as they plot contingencies against the gods' ultimate failure.

All this and more in our upcoming 5e adventure book (lvls 1-17), Undying Corruption.

[cartanacia]

DARK MUDANG (무당) Illust: Yimmy (https://twitter.com/yimmygee) Mudang are shamans and priests of shinism who begin their path into spiritualism in one of two ways: dedication or birthright. Hereditary Mudang are born into their position following a family line of other priests of shinism. Charismatic Mudang begin their lives as ordinary mortals from any race, creed, or social caste and undergo a transition into living a life with their soul half in the material world and half in the spiritual plane. Typically, they undergo bouts of sickness and nightmares as supernatural creatures and spirits are drawn to the new Mudang's body. It's very important for other Mudang to help in this transition or this potential new Mudang might be lost to possession. Mudang practice in modern Danguk under a non-hierarchical family structure where elders guide and assist young ones to reach their full potential. In turn, young Mudang perform physical labors that elders become too frail to take on. They travel Danguk to mediate between the affairs of ordinary people and the spiritual world when they collide. Dark Mudang, however, focus on delivering curses against their sworn enemies. They willingly channel evil spirits, Akryung, and their malice into their bodies to return the pain they felt a hundredfold. They've long since organized into the Society of Wailing Souls, an outlawed, but secretive organization that heralds the crowning of the Emperor of Darkness to revolt against the current dynasty that oppresses them for their beliefs. Check out all this and more in our upcoming 5e book based on Korean folklore, Undying Corruption!!

[cartanacia]

JEOSEUNG SAJA (저승 사자)

Illust: Jenny/asunnydisposish (https://twitter.com/asunnydisposish)

Jeoseung Saja are Korean psychopomps: reapers tasked with by the underworld, possibly King Yeomra and the nine other judges, to pursue people whose deaths are nigh. Their name translates to "underworld messenger". Incredibly dedicated to the establishment, mortal bribery never succeeds with them.

They are impartial beings that are not swayed by the morality or circumstances of souls. Good or evil, rich or poor, all beings are destined for death when their time has come. Though they tirelessly hound those that resist being guided beyond the Samdong River like General Sinui, they offer to those willing to gracefully take their assistance the peace of a gentle rest.

[cartanacia]

CREATURE: The Flame Spirit, Jigwi (지귀)

Illust: Cham (https://twitter.com/ommynous)

Once upon a time, there was a monk who fell in love with Queen Seondeok of Silla and yearned to meet her. The queen, hearing of his love, sent word that she will meet him at his temple where she will offer prayers. He waited, but fell asleep.

Waking up, he realized he missed her arrival. The queen had approached him and left her bracelet as a parting gift which only intensified his love. The flames of his love burned him alive and he became a ghost of unrequited passion.

In our book, the Jigwi lives on as the classification for any such spirit whose unrequited love prevents them from passing. It seeks to mend its broken heart even while in so doing, it burns up the world around it.

All this and more in our upcoming 5e adventure book, Undying Corruption!

[cartanacia]

CREATURE: BULGASARI (불가사리)

Illust: Jeong/dune5and

Kickstarter Preview

It answers the desperate cries from victims of war and responds against their aggressors with violence. It doesn't stop until put down, all it knows is to destroy.

The Bulgasari first appeared in legends in the waning days of the Goryeo dynasty (late 14th century). There are several myths surrounding it, but it appears as a reaction against the government rounding up Buddhist monks.

It eats and is immune to metal. In the original folktale, a Buddhist monk in hiding created and fed the Bulgasari pins and needles. It grew into a near invincible beast. The Goryeo armies tried defeating it with fire. Indeed, the flames burnt it out eventually, but only strengthened its anger. With its death knell, devastation spread.

[cartanacia]

THE CHANGGWI (창귀) - the spiteful spirit dances atop the tiger's shoulders. Illust: Nidhi Our Kickstarter preview In Korean folktale, the Changgwi is a ghost of a person eaten by a tiger. Finding that they can't properly pass onto the afterlife, they take out their grudge against the living. They serve the tiger lure new victims to it. It's got all the trappings of a typical vengeful wraith, but the tiger is the fascinating wrinkle. The murder victim willingly and eagerly lures more victims to its killer because it hates others for getting to be happy while it stays miserable. It's a bit like having Stockholm Syndrome. All this and more in our upcoming 5e book based on Korean folklore, Undying Corruption! Please support our Kickstarter!

[cartanacia]

The Myodusa (묘두사) - literal meaning "cat-headed snake" Illust: Alana Kickstarter Preview The Myodusa releases from its back a blue mist with incredible curative potential. For this reason, it's been mistaken for a god every so often. It likes people's company, so it doesn't correct them. Funny how its name basically sounds like "Meow-dusa". The most perfect name. All this and more in our upcoming 5e adventure book, Undying Corruption!

[cartanacia]

Illust: May

The Jihaguk Daejok is a titan native to the underworld. In Korean myth, it was known to have kidnapped princesses until a hero defeated it by chopping off all nine of their heads. Like the Hydra, it has the power to regrow a head even after one gets chopped. Except this one comes more in the shape of a humanoid giant. I also read mention that it has an affinity to alcohol.

In our mythos of Danguk, the Jihaguk Daejok is one of many chthonic titans spawned from the chaos of the plane that became the underworld. The gods warred with them, then turned them into stone. The Flowers of Destruction grow from and around their bodies, housing their grudge.

All this and more in our upcoming 5e adventure book, Undying Corruption!

Follow our upcoming Kickstarter campaign !

[cartanacia]

CREATURE: SHIGINGWI

Illust: MLarty

In times of strife, rumors spread like wildfire of an Akryung like the Shigingwi that take advantage of discontent people have against one another to assault and eat them. Shigingwi are Akryung addicted to the taste of bone marrow and brains of humanoids. Though with their towering builds and strength they can easily overpower most people, they’re scavengers that seek out cadavers to eat their brains. They’re gluttons that prioritize feasting on swaths of people than being picky about their next meal. The Shigingwi shares similarities with Ghouls, but whereas Ghouls come into existence through an individual’s hunger, they’re fueled by the malice and hunger that comes from collective strife and target communities.

A creature from Korean folklore.

Check out our Kickstarter pre-launch page for our upcoming Korean myth-inspired 5e adventure book!

[cartanacia]

Illust: Padda Our Kickstarter preview Known as the Living Blight, its name refers to the six faces on its body. An extremely rare monster that appears in the seas, its advent is considered to be an unsightly omen. It is lured to the smell of widespread death and brings with it storms and calamities to cull the weak, drag them into the waters, and consume them whole. The Yongwang of Danguk do not tolerate the Shinyuyukmyeon’s existence, recognizing it as nothing but a living blight. If it is allowed to swim in the seas of the dragons, it is because the order of nature is in disarray. As it swims through the seas, it lets out a grating song in the language of the abominable as it heralds for the destruction of the seas.

Our 5e Adventure book comes out in September 27th! Please support us then!

[cartanacia]

Illust: Aethermancy Our Kickstarter (coming out in Sep 27th) pre-launch page Nine-tailed foxes have appeared in eastern mythology under various names and guises: huli jing, kitsune, gumiho. The Korean gumiho feasts on people's livers and hearts. In certain folklores, they seduce men to steal their souls and knowledge through a deep, passionate kiss where they store them inside their Fox Marble. If they gather 1000 of these souls, they hope to ascend and attain divinity. Doing evil to become good has been an interesting contradiction in certain Korean monsters.

Certain gumiho, of course, have no interest in such things. The matriarch above has attained power in her long-lived life and each of her tails symbolizes a different element (all except Radiant). She schemes from the shadows, leading her cult of vengeful shamans. All this and more in our upcoming 5e book, Undying Corruption!

[cartanacia]

CREATURE: SAMDUGUMI

Illust: Hanghul

The Kickstarter for our 5e Korean myth-based adventure book is almost at 80% funded!!

There are two different types of Gumiho: those who wish to ascend to the heights of divinity and those who've resigned themselves to their bestial nature. The Samdugumi is the latter having forsaken its lofty goals. Though they appear as feral creatures, they're masters of curses and effectively combine their dark magic with their hunting instincts to slaughter its prey.

The Samdugumi traded away its Fox Marble that all Gumiho possess in exchange for blighted immortality. They can survive being hacked and slashed, reproducing any lost body parts, even splitting its body into separate selves. The Samdugumi is a nine-tailed fox that evolved to spite all mortals.

[cartanacia]

Udukshini (어둑시니)

Illust: Judgedarts

Our KS is 100% funded!!

A god of darkness, the Udukshini lurks where foolish travelers wander into in the dead of night like mountain roads, forests, or abandoned buildings. It plays pranks on them to feed on their fear, after which their mere mischief become serious things.

[cartanacia]

The preorder store for our Korean myth-inspired 5e adventure book is still up!

Illust: Walzahn

While the dog guarding the underworld has three heads in Greek mythology, Korea's mythology features sentient, three-eyed dogs. They chase after souls trying to escape the afterlife, scaring and herding them back to their rightful places. Sammokgu are also noted to be able to take humanoid shape and possess great wisdom which they can impart to people as sages and teachers. I just found the cultural similarities interesting over the course of my research.

This monster will be featured in our adventure book! Playtest materials (including races, subclasses, items, monsters, the works) will be sent out to all backers in January.

[cartanacia]

“masc privilege” obviously isn’t a real thing and anybody trying to say butch lesbians benefit from the patriarchy is a dumbass who shouldn’t be listened to. that being said, there are absolutely quite common environments & careers (engineers, working in a garage etc) where masculinity is often preferred & femininity further dismissed/rejected (even beyond the mainstream norm) even in regards to women. these things can both be true, it’s not difficult; femininity is obviously respected less than masculinity in a patriarchal society, but gender non-conformity and gender transgression are punished too. there is no “one size fits all” rule for how privilege works.

[cartanacia]

my other grounding technique is remembering that the earliest abolitionists & the earliest suffragists had no proof that the world would ever make possible what they fought for and indeed many of them did not live to see it come to pass. and yet they did not succumb to despair so it would be disrespectful to their memory to let it overtake me