#Chupacabra Vengeance

[theplotmage]

50 Supernatural Entities to Haunt Your Halloween Night for Paranormal Fantasy Writers:

1. Vampire

Description: Blood-drinking creatures of the night.

What They Do: Feed on the blood of the living, sometimes charming their victims first.

Appearance: Pale skin, sharp fangs, often dressed in dark, old-fashioned clothing.

2. Werewolf

Description: Human by day, wolf-like beast by full moon.

What They Do: Transform into violent wolves and hunt at night.

Appearance: Muscular, covered in fur, with fangs and claws; halfway between wolf and human.

3. Ghost

Description: Spirit of a deceased person.

What They Do: Haunt places they have ties to, usually in a restless state.

Appearance: Translucent, often resembling the person they were in life.

4. Banshee

Description: A female spirit who forewarns of death.

What They Do: Wails loudly to signal someone’s impending death.

Appearance: Gaunt, with long hair and wearing white or gray robes.

5. Poltergeist

Description: Mischievous, noisy spirit.

What They Do: Throws objects, slams doors, and causes disturbances.

Appearance: Invisible but known for chaotic energy and moving objects.

6. Revenant

Description: Corpse risen from the grave for vengeance.

What They Do: Seeks revenge on those who wronged them in life.

Appearance: Decayed and skeletal, with tattered clothing.

7. Wendigo

Description: Cursed, cannibalistic spirit.

What They Do: Feeds on human flesh and spreads madness.

Appearance: Tall, emaciated with antlers and pale, cold skin.

8. Zombie

Description: Reanimated corpse, often mindless.

What They Do: Wander in search of living flesh to consume.

Appearance: Rotting, decayed, with vacant eyes.

9. Ghoul

Description: Creature that feeds on the dead.

What They Do: Raids cemeteries, feasting on corpses.

Appearance: Grayish, decayed, with sharp claws and teeth.

10. Shadow Person

Description: Mysterious dark figure, often seen in peripheral vision.

What They Do: Follows or observes humans, inducing fear.

Appearance: Tall, dark silhouette without detailed features.

11. Lich

Description: Undead sorcerer who achieved immortality.

What They Do: Uses dark magic to control other undead beings.

Appearance: Skeletal, with tattered robes and glowing eyes.

12. Mummy

Description: Reanimated, embalmed corpse from ancient tombs.

What They Do: Seeks vengeance or protects their treasures.

Appearance: Wrapped in bandages, often missing pieces.

13. Grim Reaper

Description: Personification of death.

What They Do: Collects souls of the deceased.

Appearance: Hooded figure in a black robe, carrying a scythe.

14. Succubus

Description: Female demon that seduces men.

What They Do: Drains life energy through intimate encounters.

Appearance: Attractive, sometimes with bat wings and horns.

15. Incubus

Description: Male counterpart to the succubus.

What They Do: Preys on women, draining their life force.

Appearance: Handsome, often with dark or demonic features.

16. Dullahan

Description: Headless horseman from Irish mythology.

What They Do: Rides a black horse, heralding death.

Appearance: Carries their own head, glowing eyes, wearing dark armor.

17. Necromancer

Description: Sorcerer who commands the dead.

What They Do: Raises and controls undead creatures.

Appearance: Dark robes, carrying a staff or book of spells.

18. Hellhound

Description: Fiery, demonic dog from hell.

What They Do: Guards the underworld, hunts souls.

Appearance: Large black dog with glowing red eyes and flames.

19. Draugr

Description: Undead Norse warrior.

What They Do: Guards treasure and attacks intruders.

Appearance: Bloated, decaying corpse with armor.

20. Chupacabra

Description: Beast that preys on livestock.

What They Do: Drains blood from animals, mainly goats.

Appearance: Reptilian, with spines and sharp teeth.

21. Djinn

Description: Ancient spirit capable of granting wishes, often with a trick.

What They Do: Manipulates wishes to harm the wish-maker.

Appearance: Wispy, ethereal, with sometimes human features.

22. Yurei

Description: Vengeful spirit from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Haunts those who wronged them in life.

Appearance: Pale, disheveled, with long, dark hair.

23. Headless Horseman

Description: Decapitated rider seeking revenge.

What They Do: Rides at night, often hunting for a head.

Appearance: Headless, in dark clothing, riding a black horse.

24. Gorgon

Description: Snake-haired monster that can turn people to stone.

What They Do: Hunts or curses those who look upon her.

Appearance: Female, with snakes for hair and a terrifying visage.

25. Kraken

Description: Giant sea monster, often attacking ships.

What They Do: Destroys ships, drags sailors underwater.

Appearance: Gigantic, tentacled beast resembling an octopus.

26. Nosferatu

Description: An older, monstrous version of a vampire.

What They Do: Preys on blood, more feral than elegant vampires.

Appearance: Rat-like features, bald, with elongated claws.

27. Shtriga

Description: Witch from Albanian folklore that preys on children.

What They Do: Sucks life energy from young children.

Appearance: Elderly, shriveled, with a long, pointed nose.

28. Jiangshi

Description: Chinese hopping vampire.

What They Do: Drains life force, hopping instead of walking.

Appearance: Rigid, dressed in ancient attire with a pale face.

29. Aswang

Description: Filipino shapeshifting creature.

What They Do: Hunts humans, especially at night.

Appearance: Changes from human to monstrous form with long tongue.

30. Noppera-bo

Description: Japanese faceless ghost.

What They Do: Terrifies people by erasing their face.

Appearance: Normal human but with a blank face.

31. Kitsune

Description: Fox spirit from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Plays tricks on humans, can possess or enchant.

Appearance: Fox with multiple tails or as a human with fox traits.

32. Rakshasa

Description: Demonic being from Hindu mythology.

What They Do: Devours humans, uses magic to deceive.

Appearance: Animal-like face, often with fangs and claws.

33. Wraith

Description: Malevolent spirit tied to a place of death.

What They Do: Harms those who enter their territory.

Appearance: Shadowy, with skeletal hands and a hooded cloak.

34. Ghast

Description: Larger, more terrifying version of a ghoul.

What They Do: Consumes living and dead flesh.

Appearance: Grayish, skeletal, with sharp teeth.

35. Kappa

Description: Water demon from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Drowns humans and feeds on them.

Appearance: Humanoid with a beak, webbed hands, and water-filled head.

36. Selkie

Description: Mythical seal creature that transforms into human form.

What They Do: Lives as human on land, as a seal in water.

Appearance: Human with soft features, seal-like in water.

37. Manananggal

Description: Filipino monster that detaches its torso to fly.

What They Do: Feeds on unborn children and blood.

Appearance: Upper body separates and grows wings at night.

38. Gashadokuro

Description: Giant skeletal monster from Japanese folklore.

What They Do: Crushes and devours people.

Appearance: Enormous, skeletal, with fiery eyes.

39. Pontianak

Description: Vengeful female spirit from Malaysian folklore.

What They Do: Attacks men, especially those who wronged her in life.

Appearance: Beautiful, but transforms into a blood-stained, terrifying figure with long nails.

40. Strigoi

Description: Undead creature from Romanian folklore, precursor to modern vampires.

What They Do: Rises from the grave to feed on blood or energy.

Appearance: Gaunt, pale, with sharp teeth, sometimes bearing claw-like nails.

41. Demon

Description: Evil entity from various mythologies.

What They Do: Possesses or torments humans, spreading chaos.

Appearance: Often with horns, red skin, and menacing features, sometimes invisible.

42. La Llorona

Description: “The Weeping Woman” from Mexican folklore.

What They Do: Wanders near bodies of water, crying for her lost children.

Appearance: Pale, drenched in white, with a sorrowful, ghostly presence.

43. Kelpie

Description: Shape-shifting water spirit from Scottish folklore.

What They Do: Lures people, usually children, into water to drown them.

Appearance: Often a beautiful horse, but can appear as human.

44. Dybbuk

Description: Malevolent spirit from Jewish folklore.

What They Do: Possesses living people, usually to fulfill unfinished business.

Appearance: Invisible, but exerts dark energy around the possessed.

45. Hag

Description: Wicked, old woman often associated with witchcraft.

What They Do: Casts curses, manipulates people, sometimes feeds on fear.

Appearance: Elderly, with wrinkled skin, often carrying magical trinkets.

46. Mare

Description: Spirit that causes nightmares.

What They Do: Sits on the chests of sleeping people, creating disturbing dreams.

Appearance: Shadowy, mist-like figure, sometimes with a vague human shape.

47. Fenrir

Description: Gigantic, mythical wolf from Norse mythology.

What They Do: Destined to bring about Ragnarok, devouring gods.

Appearance: Massive, fierce wolf with powerful jaws.

48. Tengu

Description: Supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, part bird and part human.

What They Do: Mischievous or malevolent; protect forests and mountains.

Appearance: Humanoid with bird wings, red face, and often a long nose.

49. Doppelganger

Description: An exact double or duplicate of a living person.

What They Do: Appears to forewarn misfortune or even bring harm.

Appearance: Identical to a specific person, but with an eerie, lifeless presence.

50. Nightmare Horse

Description: Fiery, demonic horse that haunts dreams and the night.

What They Do: Gallops through night skies, bringing fear to those who see it.

Appearance: Black horse with glowing red eyes and flaming mane and hooves.

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[sprintingowl]

Writing A Wargame When The World's A Bastard

I think most people looking at an rpg blog are probably familiar with the "Wow! Cool Robot!" meme.

And I think to an extent all play consists of "Situations I Don't Actually Want To Be In But It's Fun To Imagine The Scenario." Even tag and hide and seek simulate escaping from a predator.

However, when I say Over War is both a wargame and a tabletop roleplaying game, I want to be a little more precise about which inspirations I'm drawing on.

Yasumi Matsuno is a name that Final Fantasy XIV players might recognize, but he has a much broader body of work with incredibly consistent themes.

Matsuno also directed and wrote Final Fantasy Tactics, designed directed and wrote Tactics Ogre, designed directed produced and wrote Vagrant Story, and created Ogre Battle, which lit a fire in my head as a child and eventually led to the creation of this game.

In a Yasumi Matsuno story, you can generally expect gothic vibes, a baroque aesthetic, and messy, multi-sided political choices that orbit around resentment, societal disenfranchisement, and a struggle for a better world.

Those themes and elements are what I'm trying to channel in Over War.

There's more than a few splashes of the usual Sprinting Owl ridiculousness (you can build a unit out of just chupacabras and goats in the uneasiest alliance any fantasy world has ever seen,) but the game centers around questions like "Should anyone ever deserve to rule a land?" and "What compromises on integrity and vengeance are you personally willing to make to achieve your goals?"

There's a sidebar at the beginning of the book making it clear that I am not trying to draw real-world parallels---I'm not smart enough to do that without messing it up---but I do want the players to think when the game hands them a thorny issue, and to reach a decision that they are ultimately comfortable with.

This is tricky to do in a game which ultimately also needs to be fun, it won't sell if it's not fun, but those are the compromises I'm making in the hopes that this game will bring enjoyment and disquiet to folks.

[goodnightmemes]

TIKTOK SENTENCE STARTERS PART 7

some of these are quotes from tiktok creators, and some are from various other forms of media that were popular audios/trends on tiktok

❛ I’ve slept with like 1/3rd of them. Some would call me a groupie. I would also call me a groupie. ❜

❛ What do you think about Celine Dion? Are you just done with her? ❜

❛ We can as a family just scroll through Grindr. ❜

❛ Oh no, someone’s driving by. Get small. ❜

❛ Is my butt juicy yet? I’m really looking for some instant gratification. ❜

❛ I can’t even control my emotions, how am I supposed to control a machine? ❜

❛ Who airdropped Markiplier!Jesus at the Shrek rave?! ❜

❛ The best way to get back at someone who wronged you is to live a happy life. But chemically I can’t do that. So I’m gonna fuck his dad. ❜

❛ I send my best emails unmedicated. ❜

❛ The mothman stole my catalytic converter in Point Pleasent, West Virginia. ❜

❛ Bigfoot ate all the bottles out of my recycling bin and called my mom a slut. ❜

❛ The chupacabra keeps stealing packages off my front porch and sending my wife suggestive text messages.  ❜

❛ I don’t trust your physical therapist because she also said you move your hands like this and you get rid of ghosts.

❛ I see Gods law not as a restriction but as a challenge. Now give me the ranch! ❜

❛ Satan will have to dig deeper just to hold me! ❜

❛ We may be low income but we’re not low in c*m. ❜

❛ He says he only hangs out with you because there are more spiders in your house than average.  ❜

❛ I am the silliest of enemies to have. I will make powerpoints disparaging your character, and I will keep this bit going for a minimum of five years. ❜

❛ I will not be silenced by the mailman. ❜

❛ If God didn’t want me to commit fatherless behavior he should have given my mother better taste in men. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do. ❜

❛ Bro, they bell peppered downtown. Bro. They bell peppered it. How could you bell pepper my downtown? Bro, they bell peppered me. Dude, I got bell peppered. ❜

❛ When you’re sitting there mixing ice cream into ramen you can’t help but think “what if this is a prank? what if they put that there just to see if they can get me to eat it?” ❜

❛ Here’s the thing: future me? Rich. I believe in her. That bitch is wealthy. Current me? Broke, but I’ve got free time and I’m healthy-ish. So I’m booking trips to faraway places on that bitches credit card, and I am / will be my own sugar mama. ❜

❛ It seems like nobody wants to dabble in the dark arts anymore. It’s all candle spells and rosemary. ❜

❛ The other day I tripped over a lemon hex and dislocated one of my chakras. Thank god for those Reiki healing classes I took at the YMCA. ❜

❛I just don’t understand this younger generation of witches anymore. I mean, if you’re not in a cemetery after midnight summoning the spirits of your dead ancestors to seek vengeance on your landlord for raising the rent, then what are you doing? ❜

[kedsandtubesocks]

WE'RE STARTING SPOOKY SEASON EARLIER IM SOOOOOO EXCITED OMG

okay okay i wanna hear your opinion on pedro boys and what monsters they would be !!!!

LETS START SPOOKY SUMMER OFF RIGHT AND IM SO GLAD ITS WITH YOU BB thank you for sending this amazing ask in 🥺🎃 ✨

Okay…this is something I know we’ve talked about many times in our deep discussions but now that I think about the other boys I’m like “…oh shit” so here we GO LOL

Javi P: a type of were-creature, I love the idea of Javi having the ties to a Texas and Latino based monster and as someone who’s great tia swore she saw the chupacabra and then knowing there’s a monster/beast I’ve heard legend about living in the hill country, theres something familiar and close knit tradition about were-creatures based in local and cultural urban legends that fits Javi’s vibes about being so connected to his home

Pero T: yes he is a peak werewolf but I will say this until I write the fic but he is a lake monster, creature from the black lagoon style, he lurks likes his isolation and is aware to his surroundings. He would do perfect as a lake monster simply surviving as a grumpy hiding monster under the waves

Marcus Pike: DRAGON!!! Grand beautiful majestic creatures that hoard precious things? Marcus is all about the arts and seeing the beauty in everything, those vibes just make me think of him as this beautiful grand dragon that hoards art until he finds you his most precious treasure

Dave York: something demonic, he always reminds me of the Lucifer figure - this perfect soldier who followed orders until he questioned his existence and is now disillusioned and corrupt living on his own terms now

Frankie: my sweet werewolf boy, loyal big and forever protective and will bare his fangs whenever he feels threatens and has a bit of a temper, also can you imagine how COZY HE WOULD BE??

Din: ghost, he’s a ghost that’s simply living in this strange beskar armor but his spirit is so strong and righteous that it stays alive and haunts his armor. But he is tender and speaks with the softest whispers in the wind, like a echo you wonder if you even heard in the first place

Joel: a ghost like Din but a much scarier version, like a spirit of vengeance that is violent and fierce, powerful in its rage but a known protector that watches over anyone who walks home alone at night, he sits in the trees with eyes that are so dark they blend with the night

Jack: Vampire, suave a bit extravagant and luxurious and I only am doing this cause I want him to make all the stupid vampire puns and even has fake vampire plastic teeth he playfully uses from time to time, also can you imagine him slick gelled hair back super classic Dracula style?? 😮‍💨

Dieter: shapeshifter, he’s a man of many faces and many roles that you wonder if he even knows what his true self looks like anymore, goes into how he’s an actor and I think there’s so many layers to dieter that he keeps up to make sure no one truly knows him

Ezra: eldritch space creature, has many eyes speaks in many voices that seem out of this realm but he is kind and moves very gently. He is wise beyond his years and is interested in all things human, but like any eldritch creature it can be tricky and turn on a whim when need be

Javi G: Mothman!! Super sweet and chattery and is kind of an odd ball but simply wants to be left alone in the woods but remains curious about the world around him, holds a certain charm to him but is still a dangerous creature underneath it all

Wow I ramble away with these I’m SORRY

[svourvoulias]

Guatemalan and Mexican jarras, used to make and/or serve chocolate, atole and café de olla, hold molinillos and other wooden kitchen  implements. The Guatemalan jarra, on the left, bears the inscription: “No me olvides” (“Don’t forget about me”).

This is the time of year when the timelines of speculative fiction writers and reviewers fill with awards eligibility posts listing stories and novels readers might consider nominating for upcoming Nebula and Hugo awards.

It can be a humbling time for those of us who are slow to write and slow to submit. Many of my colleagues in the field have four or five eligible short stories, and at least one eligible longer piece (novelette, novella or novel); I have only one. And while it is true that I’m not a fantastically prolific fiction writer even in the best years, I know my creative output took a real hit in 2017.

From chatting with and hearing the comments of other Latinx writers, I’m not the only one. The  profound and recurring political threats to our local and national communities, as well as the catastrophic natural events that have impacted us, our friends and loved ones, have taken a toll. Understand — none of us are laying down or laying off, none of us are willingly muting our voices at a time when it becomes more and more urgent to speak out — but writing can feel like slogging through particularly thick and bitter molasses these days.

Still, you know what they say.

One. Story. At. A. Time.

My award nomination eligible short story this year — “Sin Embargo,” published in the anthology Latin@ Rising in January — is among my favorites. It plays across languages. It looks at tough issues of displacement and migration and politically motivated brutality, and still finds a way to speak of love, of hope, and of the radically transformative magic of interpersonal solidarity. It is a bear to read aloud because of all the bilingual homographs, and yet I insist on doing just that at public readings because … well, there is delight to be had in noting difference and similarity and the possibility of wholeheartedly embracing both.

  In “Sin Embargo,” by Sabrina Vourvoulias, the psychology of immigration and asylum collides with inhuman transformation. — Kirkus Reviews

“Sin Embargo” is not, unfortunately, available to read online for those who might want to read it for nomination consideration. But the whole anthology is top-notch and well worth purchasing in print or eBook, and it deserves a a much wider SFF readership than it has had so far.

Latin@ Rising includes wonderful reprint stories from writers celebrated by the SFF community (Junot Díaz, Carlos Hernández, Daniel José Older and Carmen María Machado), along with remarkable original stories by  Latinx literary luminaries that are perhaps less known to SFF-only audiences, like the superb Kathleen Alcalá and Ana Castillo. It also includes the first English-language translation of a short story, “Accursed Lineage,” by Daína Chaviano, who is considered one of the three most important SFF authors writing in Spanish (Argentina’s Angélica Gorodischer and Spain’s Elia Barceló are the other two).

I honestly believe that if Latin@ Rising had been reviewed by SFF-focused review sites, or if it had gotten the attention other, more mainstream SFF anthologies have received this year, many of its stories would already be on people’s Nebula and Hugo nominating lists. I’m particularly fond of “Caridad” by Alex Hernández, “The Drain” by Alejandra Sánchez,”Room for Rent” by Richie Narvaez, and “Flying Under the Texas Radar With Paco and Los Freetails” by Ernest Hogan. (I wish there were an award somewhere for ingenious story titles because Hogan would be a repeat winner. “Pancho Villa’s Flying Circus” in the anthology  We See a Different Frontier is another good one of his.)

Beyond Latin@ Rising

I read a lot of other great short stories this year and no way can I remember them all, but among those that live most vividly in my memory are:

“The Famine King” by Darcie Little Badger (Mythic Delirium)

“Monster Girls Don’t Cry” by A. Merc Rustad (Uncanny Magazine)

“Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand” by Fran Wilde (Uncanny Magazine)

“Naranjas Inmortales” by Ezzy Guerrero Languzzi (from the anthology Strange California)

“The Obsidian Codex“ by David Bowles (from his 2017 collection of short stories Chupacabra Vengeance). I think this story is longer than a short story, possibly novelette length? A further word about this collection (which contains my favorite Bowles story, “Wildcat,” originally published by Apex Magazine in 2015): Many of the stories in the collection are very dark and contain horrors beyond the commonplace … a number of them really should be under consideration for a Shirley Jackson award.

“The Corporal” by Ali Bader. All right, this short story isn’t actually eligible for nomination since it appeared (translated) in the 2016 anthology Iran +100, but I only read it this year so, for me, it is identified with this year’s great pieces. I urge you to seek it out simply for the pleasure of reading a beautifully written fantasy with sci fi elements.

As far as 2017 novels are concerned, I haven’t yet read most of the ones that have been mentioned in the overlapping “Best of” lists are being published now. Still, I am hoping that the exceptional “American Street” by Ibi Zoboi is on lots of folks’ award-nominating lists in either the novel or YA categories. And, yes, it is good enough to deserve to be on both at once.

If I can dredge up more recommended reads from my memory banks during this nominating period, I’ll update this post. Stay tuned.

And don’t forget to nominate!

                  2017 awards eligibility and what I’ve loved reading this year This is the time of year when the timelines of speculative fiction writers and reviewers fill with awards eligibility posts listing stories and novels readers might consider nominating for upcoming Nebula and Hugo awards.

[horrorpatch]

BLOOD OF THE CHUPACABRAS Double Feature Blu-ray This September!

BLOOD OF THE CHUPACABRAS Double Feature Blu-ray This September!

[unearthly-space]

RDR2 - Monsters AU - Van der Linde Monstrous Statuses; Pt.1/2

I figured a good start to expanding on this AU would be some sort of fanfiction or artwork of character profiles. And I will do those, eventually. But, for now, I hope a list of the Van der Linde gang’s monstrous statuses will suffice.

Dutch van der Linde: A terrifying Barghest is befitting our noble gang leader. (Probably not) Its a monstrous, goblin of a dog that appears only at night. And, if you caught a glimpse of it you would live for only but a few more months while those who saw it clear as day would die very soon after. I liked this interesting creature for Dutch. Sue me.

Hosea Matthews: A Centaur. Hosea with an Arabian's hindquarters. I feel this would be a wise choice for our dear Hosea. He's the head while Dutch is the heart after all.

Arthur Morgan: Ceryneian Hind, he may also have some sort of faun/satyr half-form, because, be honest, that'd be awesomely adorable. It was a mythical creature that lived in Ceryneia, Greece. It took the form of an enormous female deer that was larger than a bull and sported antlers made of gold like a stag's, hooves of bronze or brass, and a "dappled hide". It "excelled in swiftness of foot" and snorted fire.

John Marston: Cù-sìth, or maybe just a normal hellhound. Come on, it HAD to be wolf/dog-related. A mythological hound found in Scottish folklore. In legend, it was a creature capable of hunting as silently as a mouse, but could and would let out three terrifying barks occasionally, but only three. No more, no less. They could be heard for miles, even far out at sea. Those who heard them must reach safety by the third bark or be driven to the grave by the sheer overcoming terror.

Javier Escuella: Chupacabra. I've contemplated this for Javier, but I'm not positive if I'll keep this idea for him. It feels too "on the nose", or something. The fact that he's a Mexican man is not all he is in my opinion. I listed a few possibilities for him and Chupacabra seemed the best, but I would accept ideas for a possible change.

Bill Williamson: A bugbear. I'm not even going into detail. Just accept this.

Micah Bell: Dolos. I know, not "technically" a monster, but I liked the idea of Micah being some sort of spirit and Dolos is the Greek spirit of trickery and guile. He is also a master at cunning deception, craftiness, and treachery. So Micah is not Dolos, but a spirit heavily inspired by Dolos.

Charles Smith: Ato-sees. Yet another spirit of mythology, this time a Native American mythological figure of the Algonquian Abenaki people. He's shaman that is half-man and half-snake that forces people to find the materials with which he would cook them before he was killed that is. I thought the physical characteristics, plus some Gorgon-ey bits would make for an interesting monster form for Charles.

Sean MacGuire: Púca. I actually saw some amazing fanart someone had already done of Sean. I was researching if anyone else had done a Monster AU for the Red Dead franchise and I came across this piece on newgrounds by TheeRatPrince. I loved it. I had never heard of a Púca before, cue more research. I fell in love with how fitting it seemed to be for Sean. So this monster status is all because of the TheeRatPrince.

Lenny Summers: Jotunn. A very ambiguous entity from Norse mythology. But one "definition" that will be used here will be that they're members of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength. They can appear more humanoid then most monsters here in body type, but will have obvious distinctions.

Sadie Adler: Furie. Ah, female chthonic deities of vengeance. Nothing more befitting for our dear widowed Sadie Adler. They are Hades servants and torturers of the wicked. There are three widely known furies and I believe I will have Sadie take after Alecto and Tisiphone.

Karen Jones: Flower nymph. Or maybe a mountain or river nymph or wood nymph. I am still undecided, but Karen as a Nymph just draws me in, you know?

Tilly Jackson: Will-o’-the-whisp. "Atmospheric ghost lights" seen at nights by travelers (particularly in bogs, swamps, marshes,ect.). It's said they either mislead travelers by resembling flickering lantern lights or even sometimes guardians of hope and treasure, leading people to find what they're looking for in life. I think I got that right at least.

Mary-Beth Gaskill: Sphinx. I couldn't think of a better (and unique) creature for our vastly intelligent author-in-the-making. The sphinx is a creature from mythology with either the head of a human, falcon, cat, or a sheep and the body of a lion with the wings of an eagle. In Greek tradition, she is mythicized as treacherous and merciless, and will kill and eat those who cannot answer her riddle. I thought it would be a twist for sweet Mary-Beth.

Uncle: An imp. They're often seen as mischievous and troublesome little buggers more than being seriously dangerous or menacing. They're "lesser beings" than other supernatural creatures and monsters. They are usually described as lively and having small stature.

[deathisanartmetzli]

More Than Meets the Eye || Vic & Metzli

TIMING: Early August

PARTIES: @natusvincere @deathisanartmetzli

SUMMARY: Vic runs into Metzli and gets a lot more than just unwanted flirtation.

CONTAINS: Gore

As the final remnants of the sun dissipated, Metzli let out a soft sigh. It was a long day, a little too long for their liking, but it was finally over. Giving the place a final look, checking off each box on their nightly routine list, they heard a faint crack. Curiously, the crack seemed to echo. The sound of rock breaking apart likewise broke their concentration.

Following the sound, it led to the sculpture section of the gallery. Nothing seemed out of place in the slightest. Metzli walked through to make double sure, and when they found nothing, they headed back towards the front to grab their things.

Metzli was quick to swing the strap of their bag and engage their security system, doing it twice out of cautiousness. Their footsteps clacked against the tile floor, coming to a stop as they exited. The key slid in and an audible click sounded as the door locked. Pocketing their keys, their eyes caught sight of a rather beautiful woman. They smiled and thought maybe they could get lucky today. “Good evening, miss. How do you do? Lovely evening, is it not?”

The definitive worst thing about being a vampire (besides that annoying eternal life thing), was being forced to avoid the sun and it’s beauty at all costs.  Even in Vic’s worst days as a human, the sun had a way of adding both a literal and figurative brightness to her day, because even in the darkest of times, it always returned.  Now, without it, darkness loomed.  The quacks of the 21st century would say something about vitamin D deficiency.

The twilight of the late evening gave at least some sort of loophole from this problem, and it was when she found herself venturing out most when she wasn’t working.  The plus side, too, was that most people were too wrapped up in trying to get home to their families to even think about bothering her.  But fuck all, apparently she wouldn’t be so lucky tonight.

Vic usually lingered in her walks by art galleries, enjoying careful peaks inside if they were already closed for the night.  She had been planning on doing just that, too, until a person locking the door all but accosted her.  Her face instinctively formed into a scowl, automatically on the defence.  “I’m not your miss.  I am a grown woman”, she said.  At their second question, she looked the person up and down, a firm scowl still set, though morphing into one a bit more judgemental.  “Well, it was a good evening.  Do you need something, or can I continue on my walk?”

“My, my. You really know how to make a gentlethem swoon,” Metzli retorted with a chuckle. It wasn’t often that someone met them with such disgust within the first second. It usually took about ten, so this was a remarkable record. “I never claimed you as mine, but maybe just for the night you can be,” They flirted, horribly so. The fact that Vic had no interest only made them want to bother her more.

Metzli faced Vic fully now, hearing no heartbeat and gathering a familiar scent in their nose. They leaned onto the door and crossed their arms casually to take in Vic’s unrelenting visage. The sight only made them smile wider, revealing perfect white teeth. “Do you treat everyone with such charm, or is it only special people like me?” This was no longer about the art of flirting, but the art of annoying.

Just as Metzli opened their mouth to continue, another echoing and rocky crack resonated in their ears. This interruption made their head snap towards the glass doors, to peer inside. “Did you hear that?” Everything, the annoying and flirting, was out the window now. Something felt off. Something felt…sinister.

Vic stared stone faced at the person in front of her, blinking twice as she tried to decide exactly what about their interaction was so swoon-worthy.  She let out a huff, her stone face somehow becoming even more stern.  “I don’t belong to anyone, blobfish.  Especially not dense, odd-looking people like yourself.”  The lack of a heartbeat didn’t help either, though the fact that she didn’t think to automatically call a hunter on this person made her gut flutter uncomfortably.  Especially after hearing barely 3 sentences from them, it was already clear that they were relentlessly annoying.  Turning in a potential vampire should have been easy, but especially when they were as antagonistic as this person was.

“Can I tell you a secret?”, she asked, slapping on her famous fake charm for only a moment before turning it off in an instant. “There is nothing special about you.  Never was, never will be.  When I leave here, I will never think about you again, even though you’ll spend the rest of the month at least thinking about me. Now I’m only going to say this once, so make sure you turn on your listening ears.  Back. The fuck. Off.”

Just as she spoke the last of her threat, a loud, earthy rumble could be heard inside the gallery.  She turned to it, her eyebrows furrowed in investigation.  “Of course I heard it, stupid.  Did you accidentally leave someone in there with the merchandise?”  The sound rumbled closer rather quickly, and she forced herself to look back at the person in front of her.  “Don’t you work here?!  Shouldn’t you know what’s going on in your own place of employment?!”

Without a shadow of a doubt, Metzli knew they poked the bear thoroughly. Only, this was definitely a vampire bear with a vengeance against her own kind. Or maybe against amazing people flirting with her. They didn’t know, but they certainly knew she was way off base with the blob fish comment. “Whoa there. Blob fish? Fuck that. I’m attractive and you’re way too hot headed to acknowledge such decadence.” There was no malice in their tone, only a light joking one.

“Furthermore, while you have every right to turn down my advances, I don’t think I ever gave you a reason to be so…for the lack of a better term, bitchy towards me.” Metzli was mocking Vic, and it was obvious with the kind of voice they used. Layers upon layers of annoyance and sarcasm, molded together to serve in their words. Their toothy grin remained plastered on their face as they retrieved the keys from their pocket.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, gorgeous, I gotta ch—“ Something crashed into the door, breaking the glass and frame completely before Metzli could even put the key in the lock. “Fuck!” Glass sprayed everywhere as the two vampires were knocked to the ground by an unknown creature. It took a few moments, but Metzli managed to follow the trail of broken stone. Nothing but their eyes moved until they locked onto a grotesque and slobber-ridden chupacabra. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Hm, you seem really eager to prove how attractive you are.  Am I sensing some deep-seated insecurity here?”  Vic blinked in surprise when she was called bitchy, tilting her head in offense.  “Ooh, I can see why you approach strangers on the street instead of using acceptable ways to find someone to validate you as a person with fake praise and sexual favors.  Your lack of tact explains a lot.  Having a hard time finding a first date, Honey?  Try not insulting people you’re trying to pick up.”   She wanted nothing more than to slap the grin off their face, but her words had the ability to cut deeper than any physical injury could muster.  

She was about to bite again at the pet name, seriously second guessing her decision not to figure out for sure if this person was a vampire like she thought, when she was thrown to the ground unexpectedly, glass shattering all around her.  Her eyes landed on a slimy, thin, reptilian creature, and she looked at Metzli with disgust.  “What the hell is that?!”

She stood up quickly, dusting herself off and not bothering to help her companion stand up.  Was the gallery doubling as some weird, supernatural breeding ground?  She didn’t have time to ask, because the creature was seemingly bounding toward them without hesitation, fast and slobbery and with nearly nothing stopping it.

Gathering their wits about them, Metzli dove towards the chupacabra, not hesitating to halt its path towards Vic. Though most people would mistake this as a heroic act, it was more showboating than anything. “It’s a fucking chupacabra, numbnuts!” They barked out the statement, struggling to hold the creature still. Thanks to living over a century, their strength was more than quintupled now, but even that wasn’t a total advantage here.

Metzli huffed as they threw the chupacabra to the side, hoisting it several feet away. “That was a sculpture before it was this. Someone must’ve donated it as a threat or because they’re stupid.” They thought out loud as they moved over to Vic. Survival was crucial here, and so was keeping a low profile. God knows what this would do to the gallery’s reputation. And a woman dying in front of it too? No, that wasn’t going to happen. Not on their watch.

The creature growled and shuffled around, trying to refocus and find its prey. With widened eyes, Metzli watched as the beast loomed closer, baring its teeth in a threatening show of dominance. They stepped back slowly, trying not to make any loud noises. The time to get out of dodge was now, and they knew they’d have to bring the aggressive woman with them if they wanted to protect their gallery’s image. Before bolting for a dark area nearby, they reached for Vic’s hand, and uttered a single word, “Run.”

It was highly offensive to be thrown to the ground and then be called a name within mere seconds.  Vic shot Metzli a look, one that was sure to let them know how incredibly displeased she was, before her eyes found their way back to the creature, trying to study it.  She certainly had never heard of a kookaburra in White Crest, but stranger things had happened.  “That’s not a bird, you imbecile.  It’s a lizard!”

With the creature momentarily disabled, Vic took the opportunity to stand up, backing behind the person she had determined was responsible for this whole mess, Metzli.  “You and your staff didn’t think of double checking the matter before you allowed the statue in your facility?” she asked incredulously, disgusted by the clear lack of customer service going on here.

At Metzli’s command, Vic took off immediately, pulling the other person with her and not taking a second to look back to see if they were being followed.  Even if Metzli had clearly gotten the name of this thing wrong, they seemed to have at least some knowledge of what it might be.  “What the fuck does it want?”, she asked as they ran, no more breathless than she’d been when they were standing still.  “How do we fucking get rid of it?”

Metzli practically rolled their eyes all the way back as Vic ridiculed them and their staff. “I told you, it was a statue! A full blown, marble statue! No movement, and no charms indicated a live creature resided in it!” Their words jumped about as they ran, too frantic to keep it even. “In here!” Vic was pulled into a dark alley, a little roughly, but she was put behind them. Being much taller than her, they covered her completely.

“Chupacabras don’t normally go after anything but goats, I thought. But maybe it’s mad.” Metzli whispered, taking slow and controlled steps back, leading the two further into the alley. “If we stay put, it’ll go away and bother less important people. Like humans.” A quiet laugh escaped their lips and they grabbed a metal pipe, just in case. Vic seemed like she could beat the shit out of something, but Metzli couldn’t rely on pure assumption right now.

“Can you do anything other than be an ass? You look strong. Super strength or are you just one of the useless undead people with toned bodies for show?” Even now, Metzli just had to push some buttons.

“A statue in White Crest”, Vic shot back incredulously.  “It’s entirely irresponsible to assume that anything brought to your facility is just going to be normal.  Wouldn’t it make sense to hire some sort of...supernatural curator or something?”  Normally, she wasn’t so forward when it came to issues of the supernatural.  She wasn’t one of the idiots who flaunted her knowledge around the town as if they were speaking about the sales at the grocery store instead of something as life or death as supernatural creatures.  But Metzli clearly knew about the subject, so much so that they might be the only person helpful enough to help her survive whatever situation they had gotten themselves into.   She nearly let out a shriek as she was pulled, and her eyebrows pressed together at how close their bodies were pressed together.

She looked up at her companion, a huff leaving her lips before she spoke.  “Mad like angry, or mad like losing its mind?,” she asked, chancing a peak toward the creature.  She scoffed, pushing Metzli away from her at their idea.  “What kind of immoral slob do you think I am?,” she demanded, clearly offended.  “First of all, who said anything about being undead?”.  Even with an admission she knew of the supernatural, and this person’s apparent knowledge of her lack of heartbeat, a stranger would never get the privilege of hearing about her status as a vampire. “Second- we cannot just let this thing off to destroy people’s lives.  We have a responsibility to stop it before anyone gets hurt, you depraved ingrate!”

She swallowed, frustrated, and looked between Metzli and the creature once more.  “I’m a rather adept boxer”, she said, clenching her fists as she spoke.  “But I’m not confident that thing won’t turn itself back to stone once I try to take a swing- is that something it would do?”  Her eyes settled on Metzli, who she just decided she hated asking for help.  “What about you?  Are you good for anything other than being annoying and irresponsible?”

Boy oh boy was Vic getting on Metzli’s nerves. She was so hot-headed that she couldn’t even give a semblance of grace. “Listen, I’m trying to help you, despite how fucking disrespectful you’ve been. I’m new to this fucking place, but you’re too fucking busy to even give me a chance. A single. Fucking. Chance.” A low, guttural growl tickled through their throat as they glared at Vic. She had finally gotten on their bad side, it didn’t matter how hard they tried to push through the anger, they needed a minute.

Forcing a breath through their teeth, they squeezed the pipe to the point of leaving indents before finally succumbing to calmness. Metzli simply muttered, “They’re mad, as in angry. And no, turning to stone isn’t a specialty. Someone else must’ve done that. Also, I can obviously hear that you have no pulse, and you’re fucking freezing.” They rolled their eyes and paced forward to the entrance of the alleyway to take one last look at the chupacabra. “Fine. We’ll take care of it. But only if you stop being such a dick. I was trained in a clan and can handle myself well, and…fuck. Fine. If you need help, I guess I’ll have your back.”

They reached a hand out, motioning for Vic to shake their hand, “A small truce for now. I don’t know what your problem is with your own species, but I’m willing to put aside everything if you are. I haven’t had the best few weeks so…I—so—ugh. Sorry I blew up.”

Vic blinked, stopping for a moment to let her gaze fall on Metzli as they blew up on her.  She pressed her lips together, processing exactly what was being said to her.  Everything that they said felt justified- they were thoughts that had been tossed around her own brain for decades now. Thoughts that she worried everyone felt anyway. But still, despite how her mind was feeling, her mouth went on the defense.  “I’m too busy trying to survive”, she muttered, though her eyes flashed away from Metzli’s.  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

Her eyes wandered to where Metzli’s hand was wrapped around the pipe, and then back to their face, letting out a low breath of her own.  “What do you suppose it’s so angry about?”, she wondered aloud, bracing herself for a fight with the creature, as if one were only moments away.  “I have an undiagnosed medical condition”, she lied matter of factly, not interested in sharing the truth.   She wanted to tell Metlzi that they’d probably take care of it in terms of self-preservation anyway, but maybe after upsetting them, it was best to leave well enough alone.  She let out a huff before shaking their hand reluctantly.

“A truce”, she agreed, as ridiculous as it felt, “I suppose I can put insulting your character on hold until we’re in a safer situation.  I’m… sorry if anything I said offended you”, she said through gritted teach.  Before either of them had a chance to have any closure on their apologies, the creature was bounding toward them.  It rushed it’s body into Vic, sending her against the wall of the gallery with a grunt.  

“It’s probably mad at the people who turned it int—” Words were interrupted by the bellowing roar of the bounding chupacabra, followed by a crunching blow. There was no time to react, to stop the beast from running straight into Vic. Without thinking, Metzli threw their body at the chupacabra before it could do anything else to her. The metal pipe was thrusted into its chest with pure force and it screeched in pain.

Limbs thrashed and teeth snapped over and over again until Metzli was successfully thrown off. “Come on, Medical Condition! Rip its fucking head off!” they demanded, getting pummeled and bitten over and over again. Black blood pooled on the ground as it seeped from every bite.

A hand found a slippery grip on the protruding pipe, pulling it out and using it as a method of defense. It was the last resort, the last chance Metzli had against the devastating blows. Whether they lived or died didn’t matter, but they made a truce and told Vic they’d protect her. And if there was anything Metzli was not, it was a liar. They kept it distracted, trying to give Vic the chance to compose herself and attack properly. It was a struggle, but they wouldn’t lose their resolve.

Thankfully, Vic’s brain had the chance to process what Metlzi was trying to say before the wind was figuratively knocked out of her.  It would have crushed her body if not for Metzli’s intervention, and for the first time, she was actually thankful for their presence.  With the new defensive attack, the beast had found a new target in Metzli, and at first, all Vic could do was stare in disbelief at it’s anger and violence.  Violence on this scale, while it was something she might have incited, wasn’t something she experienced first hand often, or even liked to think about.  It brought back painful memories that were too stubborn be forgotten after 400 years.

But then her companion’s words shook her out of her temporary stupor and she sprung into action, using the chupacabra’s distraction to her advantage.  She jumped on the creature from behind, muttering expletives in Swedish as it tried to throw her off, fighting for dominance.

She grit her teeth when she finally got a good hold of it’s head, and with Metzli’s earlier advice ringing in her ears, she tore it off.  The creature’s body stood stiff for a moment, as if time had frozen between the three of them, but then it tumbled to the floor, sending Vic down with it.

She looked up at Metzli, the previous rigor of a fight in her features replaced with concern.  It was the first time she had felt any type of sympathy for the other person.  “Are you going to be okay?”, she asked, pushing herself up.  “You’re looking rather rough.”

Stillness took over not only their body, but the air surrounding the two. Metzli felt their thick and congealed blood pool around them, and they felt so hungry. The chupacabra’s body was still very much warm as it laid dead on the ground next to them. “Nice job, Medical Condi…” But they trailed off, black consuming their vision as dizziness took over their head. Rolling over, they managed to get to their knees and crawl to a wall to prop themselves up. This was the worst condition they had been in since their days in the clan.

“I think after all of that, I should get at least a date at the bar,” Metzli coughed raspily until it bled into a dry chuckle. Despite the pain they were feeling, they wanted to give the notion that they were more than fine. Great, even. “I’ll even buy the drinks.” They continued to joke, only being half-serious about the gesture. Vic was definitely appealing visually, and even showed strength that they respected, but her personality was a little too hot-headed for their taste. But if there was anything Metzli had learned in their years of living, it was that people, just like them, put on a front to conceal their true selves from others.

“Hey…”, Vic said, walking the short distance to them.  She rested her hand on their back, leaning down to get a good look at their face.  Their condition was possibly even worse than she thought it was, and there weren’t many ways to help an injured vampire that she was comfortable with.  

A Vic from last year would have seized the opportunity to turn them in to a hunter.

Instead, she said, “We need to get you some animal blood.  I know a guy, if you don’t.”  She tucked a hair behind her ear, still refusing to acknowledge the truth of what she was.  Thank god for Metlzi’s impeccable timing for annoyance, because it gave her a chance to recover.  “Don’t hold your figurative breath, Sweetheart.  You know, you’re a lot more likely to get laid if you don’t sound so desperate.  You sound like an insufferable teenager when you continuously come onto someone who’s clearly not interested.”

She pressed her lips together, leaning her back against the wall they were using as a crutch.  “Sorry about your statue”, she said genuinely, gesturing to the bits of glass that surrounded what used to be a door.  “I hope the gallery has good insurance.  

Seeing Vic a little concerned, Metzli couldn’t help themselves and said, “Ha. You care about me. Well, you did. For at least two seconds.” They spit to the side, black blood spattering on the floor. Aches and pains cascaded to every nerve, making them grimace as they got to their feet. “Nah, I’m good, Vic. I’ve annoyed ya enough for one evening. It’s getting boring.” Each step hiccuped with a limp and they rolled their eyes at themselves. Being so injured was annoying, but it was also exhilarating to have been so close to death. So close it made them laugh. “That was a lot of fun though. Would’ve been funny as shit if I had died.”

Vic’s concern was so out of place that it made them stumble and reposition their hands on the alleyway wall. “My gallery will be fine. Thanks, though. Maybe you’re not so bad. ” Metzli teased, walking around the corner and passing the ruins of their entrance door. Glass crunched under every step. They sucked their teeth and took out their phone to start making calls for the door, subsequently taking out a business card and holding it out for Vic. “If you wanna keep in touch, here’s my card. Sorry your night got all ruined. Pretty women like shouldn’t have to deal with shit like this.”

Vic didn’t bother to suppress her eyeroll, which was so much easier than acknowledging that Metzli might have been right.  Still, there was an itching of concern for them, especially when it was notable that they were still definitely not in good shape.  “Our definitions of fun are vastly different”, she decided out loud.  Inwardly, she decided to walk Metzli home, or at least make sure they got home okay.  She figured it’d be better than having to worry the whole night if they made it safely or not.  Even if she’d have to sneakily wait till whatever time they decided to leave.

She took their card, but vowed to destroy it when she got home.  In her hands, if she were in another state of mind, it would be too dangerous for her to have that kind of information. She let out a breath, tucking it into her pocket and looking back at them, her face barely changing.  “Nobody should have to deal with shit like this”, she argued, unblinking.  “But I guess that’s the world we live in, isn’t it?”

For so long, she thought she had been making the world they lived in a better place by ridding it of vampires.  When one proved to her the amount of humanity they could have, like Metzli did tonight, she had to wonder who the real monster was.

[multiverseforger]

Edit

The Mole Man was originally Harvey Rupert Elder, an American nuclear engineer and explorer. Elder was socially shunned due to a combination of his abrasive personality and his homely, dwarfish appearance. Furthermore, his fellow explorers ridiculed him for his eccentric, crackpot theories regarding a Hollow Earth. In 1956, while following the group of explorers called the Monster Hunters, he stumbled upon Monster Isle, which was at the time a base of the Deviant Warlord Kro.[volume & issue needed]

When Elder fell into a massive cave leading deep into the underground realm of Subterranea, he decided his theories had finally been vindicated. However, he suffered permanent damage to his eyes when he gazed directly upon a highly reflective deposit of diamonds. Partially blind and apparently secluded from the surface world forever, Elder dubbed himself the Mole Man and began exploring his new home. He eventually became the ruler of the branch of Subterraneans now known as the Moloids, and the ruler of much of Subterranea and the caverns of Monster Isle. He used the Deviant-derived creatures and technology that he found in Subterranea to strike back at the outer world in numerous attempts to rule or humble the world that had rejected him.[volume & issue needed]

The Mole Man conducted attacks on the surface world by destroying nuclear power plants in the Eastern Bloc, Australia, South America, and French Equatorial Africa, attracting the attention of the newly-formed Fantastic Four in their first adventure. After the group arrived on Monster Isle, he captured Mister Fantastic and the Human Torch and told them his plans to invade every major urban area on the planet via a network of tunnels. When he released a horde of monsters the Human Torch sealed his realm's entrance. The Mole Man appeared to have destroyed Monster Isle in an atomic blast.[4] The Mole Man's Deviant-bred monstrous mutates, collectively known as the "Mole Man's Monsters", include the three-headed Tricephalous,[volume & issue needed] the horned Megataur,[volume & issue needed] and the flying bird-insect creature known only as "Skreeal".[volume & issue needed] The Mole Man also has a group of superhuman allies called the Outcasts.[volume & issue needed]

The Mole Man later stole buildings from New York City, but was thwarted by the Fantastic Four and appeared to be killed in an explosion.[5] With the Red Ghost, he next battled the Avengers and tried to use a machine that caused earthquakes to take over the world by threatening to destroy all life on Earth, capturing Giant-Man who had been warned by ants of the earthquakes as they sensed them first. Later the Wasp released Giant-Man and he shrunk down to ant-size and sabotaged the machine. Iron Man then sealed the tunnel entrances. The Red Ghost then broke up the partnership.[6] Mole Man was among the criminals later assembled by Doctor Doom's mind-control device to attack Reed and Sue's wedding.[7] Mole Man then fought a war against rival Subterranean ruler Tyrannus, capturing the Fountain of Youth which allowed Tyrannus to stay young. Tyrannus teleported the Hulk underground to help him regain the Fountain. Finally, he was able to restore himself.[8] Mole Man used the original X-Men as pawns in his war against Tyrannus.[9] The Mole Man later trapped the Fantastic Four in a house of his own creation that temporalily blinded them.[10] Mole Man continued to fight his war with Tyrannus.[11]

He later teamed with Kala, the queen of the Subterranean Netherworlders, and fell in love with her. He plotted to destroy the surface world, but was betrayed by Kala and Tyrannus.[12] Some time later, Mole Man and Kala were betrothed to be married. Namor, the Atlantean prince, helped out the Moloids when a conquering force was slaughtering many, while using the rest of them for slave labor.[volume & issue needed]

Much later, Mole Man befriended the Thing and then plotted to raise a new continent at the cost of sinking California, but was again thwarted by the Fantastic Four.[13] He was captured by Lava Men later.[14] Mole Man then attempted to bring peace to Subterranea, but was attacked by Fantastic Four clones.[15] He contended with Skrulls, and tried unsuccessfully to capture a Skrull technotroid egg.[16]

Mole Man later allied with Grotesk and Tyrannus against Deviants led by Brutus. He aided the Hulk in fighting Brutus's Deviants. Together with his allies, he triumphed over Brutus, and welcomed back Kala as his consort.[17]

Mole Man became involved with the West Coast Avengers when one of his monsters attacked Los Angeles. His Moloids were caught in the middle of a Skrull revenge scheme on the Fantastic Four. A replacement Fantastic Four, consisting of Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, the Hulk and Wolverine were tricked into entering the Mole Man's territory and battling his forces.[volume & issue needed]

He later battled the West Coast Avengers along with the U-Foes during the Acts of Vengeance, but their attempts met with failure.[volume & issue needed]

ReformationEdit

Later, he surrendered his desire for conquest and revenge and began assembling a sanctuary for others who had been rejected by the surface world. His two attempts to do so led to the deaths of most of the visitors to his sanctuaries. Briefly, the Mole Man allowed Adam Warlock's superhero team, the Infinity Watch, to use Monster Isle (more specifically, a castle located on its grounds) as a base, on the reasoning that they could help protect him from any meddlers, which they did on several occasions. They proved helpful when the United Nations invaded the island. The Watch, primarily Gamora, drove away the invading force with an absolute minimum of harm. The Avengers assisted with the United Nations, then recognized the Mole Man's rulership over the island.[volume & issue needed]

Mole Man tended to keep out of the way when the cosmic plans went on. The Watch occupied the Monster Isle castle until their dissolution as a team. Following their departure, the Mole Man apparently returned to his solitary, vengeful existence. Aside from occasional fits of hostility, he seems for the most part content to rule his subterranean kingdom, and for the past few years his surface activities have mostly been limited to reacting to threats (real or imagined) to his people.[volume & issue needed]

Attacking againEdit

In one incident, he was causing property damage purely to help the Moloids, whose water and food had become polluted.[18] He appeared in The Mighty Avengers having led an attack on New York, claiming retaliation for his underground home, which he says is destroyed. He was humiliated by a female-formed Ultron, who destroyed his remaining monsters, and he was arrested.[19]

Mole Man was also behind a series of Chupacabra attacks in Puerto Rico. His motive was to protect the blood-drinking race from extinction. He was defeated by the Fantastic Four.[20]

In the "Live Fast" story arc of Runaways, the Runaways are fighting a huge tall sky-scraper sized monster. When Victor suggests Nico shrink it, Nico mentions she already used that spell on Mole Man.[volume & issue needed]

Mole Man witnessed the return of the Hulk, which pleased him. However, when the Hulk was defeated and his stone ship destroyed, various creatures from planet Sakaar were released into the underground. Mole Man trained the alien beasts and led them to attack New York once more. However, the creatures were really waiting for the arrival of Skaar, the Hulk's son. However, Tyrannus rose to challenge Mole Man's claim and used magic to pervert the aliens so that they could destroy the surface. Skaar went into a berserker rage and thus both Tyrannus and Mole Man fled.[21]

Mandarin's White Light Ring approached Mole Man in order to help it and the other rings have revenge on Tony Stark where he became Mandarin-Six. Mole Man and the other Mandarins later travelled to Svartalfheim in order to confront Malekith the Accursed, who had hunted down other three Mandarins and had taken their rings from them.[22] The Mandarins thwarted any attempt of Malekith to hide or flee, as the rings could locate each other. Malekith made a pact with Iron Man (who was also at the time in Svartalfheim to retrieve the rings) disposed of his ring and escaped to safely, as he could no longer be tracked. Following their failure to kill Malekith, the Mandarins resumed their own paths.[23] The Mandarins joined forces once more to help Mole Man's plan to create ring-powered weapons with which destroy cities from their base in Sinister London. A test was thwarted by the Fantastic Four. Before they could release one of the actual machines, Iron Man pinned them down along with the Trojan Guard and Abigail Burns. The Mandarins failed to escape as Iron Man's ally Dark Angel used magic to prevent them from teleporting.[24] After the other Mandarin's are defeated, Mole Man's ring declared him the Prime-Mandarin. Instead, Mole Man abandoned his ring and retreated.[25]

Mole Man was later contacted by unknown individuals to bring them Athol Kussar, the half-brother of mine owner Faust Swart who laundered money to fund HYDRA's African base after he knew about his half-brother's actions and had been previously imprisoned in a mine by Swart while evading the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. When Mole Man broke into Kussar's cell, Kussar did not want to leave due to a bomb inside his body that would detonate if he left his cell. Mole Man was attacked and knocked down by Invisible Woman who disposed of the bomb and placed Kussar in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.[26]

As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel event, Mole Man and his fellow Subterraneans ended up in a civil war with the Subterraneans that are on the side of his son Mole Monster.[27]

When Squirrel Girl's friends, Nancy, Tippy Toe and Koi Boi, help set her up an online dating profile, it leads to many unsuccessful dates, one of which ends with an encounter with Mole Man, who is angered by how Doreen's earlier suggestions to Kraven has affected his home. Doreen apologizes to him and the two have a conversation about his situation, leading Mole Man to proposing to Doreen on the spot and a number of follow-up schemes to get Doreen to go on a date with him. He threatens to bury a number of worldwide landmarks if she does not date him, and after Nancy is nearly kidnapped by him and being swarmed by the media, she goes to confront Mole Man only to find that Tricephalous is in love with him. She lets Tricephalous defeat her to woo Mole Man and they leave for good.[28]

Mole Man later appears attacking New York with a group of monsters, but he is defeated by Hulk, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.[29]

During the Secret Empire storyline, it is revealed that Mole Man has struck a deal with Captain America to use the tunnels of his subterranean kingdom for his smuggling operation in exchange for specific items from the surface world, such as DVDs. When Captain America arrives with the Underground Resistance, Mole Man's kingdom is attacked by Dreadnoughts sent by Hydra. Though the heroes manage to defeat the Dreadnoughts, Mole Man puts an end to his truce with Captain America and lets the heroes leave.[30

[tlatollotl]

tl;dr: H.P. Lovecraft meets Mesoamerica

[bpalverson]

Hello! My name is B.P. Alverson and I am an author of Horror and Dark Fantasy novels. Now giving blogging a shot. For my first post I’ll be sharing the details of my upcoming trilogy: Folkore.

Book one of the Folklore Trilogy - Folklore: Cabra

A Horror/Dark Fantasy/Historical Fiction set in 19th century Latin America based on a tweaked lore of the Chupacabra. Character driven, grisly, adventurous, military aspects, leadership of horrific creatures, tragic romance. Classic good vs. Evil.

After the final edits the book will be released and I’ll be posting a link! Keep updated here and you’ll be able to get yourself a copy if you’re a fan of the genres.

Book two - Folklore: Vengeance & Malevolence is quite the follow-up and a WIP. Updates will be posted on here as well!

[phantoms-lair]

I’ll Face Myself (part 1)

“Okay, what is that?” Arthur asked, pointing to where a segment of air in front of them seemed to be boiling and twisting. 

 “Not something caused by the chupacabra we’re supposed to be finding.” Mystery’s fur was puffing up. He kept his attention to the warping, but shot a glance at Vivi. Sure enough she was looking at it with fascination in her eyes, looking like she was going to run towards it. Fortunately Lewis knew her almost as well and already had a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. 

 The warp ballooned out then shrunk in on itself seemingly collapsing into a small disk. As single hand pressed out, like someone trying to push their way out or a giant plastic bag.

Arthur skidded backwards and Lewis yanked Vivi away just as it popped. But none of them were prepared for what came out. Arthur tumbled to the ground. Lewis shot a quick glance behind him to assure himself his friend was behind him. He was, but in front of him as well.

 Vivi was supposed to be the impulsive one, but this time Lewis was right beside her. The other Arthur was a mess. He had the beginning of bruising on his forehead and numerous small cuts and scrapes (and his arm, what happened to his arm?!), and covered in small shards of broken glass. The worst of it though, was the large gauge taken out of his side. It was bloody and raw, his white shirt rapidly becoming red. 

 “Did he fall on that?” Lewis heard Arthur ask. 

 He tore his eyes from the other Arthur and saw the warp now seemed to be a hole. Through it he could see what looked to be a cave, with black stalagmites emerging ominously over a purple fog. One of the stalagmites had it’s tip covered in blood, with a streak going down the side. “Looks that way.” 

 “It doesn't matter, we need to get him to a hospital, now!” It was so weird to hear Vivi in a panic. “He’s losing too much blood. If we don’t get him there soon-” 

Enough said. “Arthur get the van started,” They could call an ambulance to meet them on the main road.. He lifted up him up only to have the other Arthur’s eyes cracked open. 

“Lewis?” 

“I’m here Arthur.” Of course he probably had his own Lewis, but he was the Lewis that was here right now. 

 “Why?” His voice sounded so lost and pitiful it broke his heart. Even worse were his eyes, almost completely empty but with a small hint of fear. Shock, most likely. 

“Don’t worry about that, just rest. We’ll get you to a hospital.”

Other Arthur’s eyes creased together in confusion. Then “Is Vivi okay? She was in the van too.” 

 “I’m fine, Arthur,” Vivi assured him, but Lewis’s heart froze as several things clicked into place.  

The head injury, small cuts, and shards of glass came together with Vivi being in the van too and gave at least a partial answer to what happened. There had been a car accident. Arthur had gone through the windshield. Lewis hadn’t been with them, hence Arthur questioning why he was there, but Vivi was in the van too, which means there was every chance that through that rip there was another Vivi. One who may be very far away from ‘fine’. 

 He moved to hand other Arthur to Vivi only to find her already reaching out for him. Of course she had put the same clues together and knew what he was planning to do. “I’ll be back,” he promised, handing Arthur off right as Mystery began to growl.

Lewis flung his head around and saw something else had emerged from the rip. A menacing figure with a fiery skull for a head and shattered blue heart pulsing rapidly on its chest. It was glaring at the other Arthur in Vivi’s arms with an intense hated. “I should have known. You can’t kill a cockroach by dropping it.”

 It was his voice. Why was this thing speaking with his voice? 

Why Arthur had asked. What if it wasn’t “Lewis, why are you here?” but “Lewis, why are you trying to kill me?” 

“Vivi, RUN!” Lewis shouted, placing himself between them and the skull monster. He could almost feel her hesitation, but knew the Arthur dying in her arms would spurr her forward. Mystery joined his side and Lewis felt some relief he wasn’t facing this alone. 

 “DON’T PROTECT HIM!” The thing with his voice screamed. “HE HAS TO PAY FOR WHAT HE DID TO ME! WHAT HE WILL DO TO YOU!” It’s formed flickered and Lewis saw himself in it’s clothes, albeit with burning hair and glowing eyes in black voids. 

 A Wraith. He had died and become a wraith. He’d read the stories Vivi had shown him, listened to her discussions and theories. He knew they were twisted undead made of hatred and vengeance. That they were almost impossible to reason with. That once they decided someone was at fault for their fate they were intractable in their quest to make them pay. And this ghost of himself had decided to blame Arthur. 

 And Arthur didn't even know why. 

 “You’ll get to Arthur over my dead body.” Lewis snarled as he heard the van start up. “In fact, go ahead. I’d prefer to die here, protecting my friends, then live long enough to become a monster like you!”

[commandertheory]

Evaluating the New Cards in Nature’s Vengeance

Yesterday, I looked at the new cards printed in the artifact precon and determined whether they adequately addressed the archetype’s needs. Today, I’ll be describing what the land deck needs, whether the new cards in this deck meet the need, and what Wizards can do in the future to address any gaps.

The Needs of the Jund Lands Deck

1. The deck needs a commander

As with all of the archetypes in C18, the Jund Lands deck does not currently have a viable commander (although it is worth mentioning that both Green/Red and Green/Black have options for Lands commanders).

2. There aren’t enough win conditions

Lands decks are very good at durdling but they need ways to close out the game, preferably in a way that takes advantage of tons of lands entering and leaving the battlefield. Avenger of Zendikar, Rampaging Baloths, Titania, Worm Harvest, Zendikar’s Roil, and Omnath 2.0 can all power out armies very quickly in a deck built around lands, but six cards out of 99 is not exactly a critical mass. Less prosocial options for closing out games include Devastation, Jokulhaups, and Destructive Force, all of which are awesome when your commander is a planeswalker who recurs lands. 

I think the deck could use more powerful land-based win conditions so deckbuilders wouldn’t be forced to rely on mass LD to fill out their deck.

3. There are no Black lands matter cards

I exaggerate a little. The Gitrog Monster and Worm Harvest exist, but beyond those two cards there are no reasons for a Lands deck to have Black in its color identity. I think a Jund lands deck needs some Black cards to justify why it needs a third color’s worth of Goodstuff to compete against its synergy cards.

How Nature’s Vengeance Addresses Them

1. Lord Windgrace is a solid commander

I wish he was a creature, as keeping a value planeswalker alive is a lot harder than protecting a combo planeswalker or one that can control the board. That being said, he does what a Land deck wants to do by helping you dig for gas, ramping you, generating multiple landfall triggers per turn, and even helping you dredge your Life from the Loam.

2. The new win conditions are mediocre

Nesting Dragon looks a bit like Zendikar’s Roil, but in practice it’s much worse. Lands decks don’t run a lot of sac outlets (with the exception of Omnath 2.0 and Child of Alara), so you’re mostly reliant on your opponent’s attackers or mass removal to crack your eggs. Until they do, you’re stuck with a bunch of useless defenders; not exactly what I’d call a win condition.

The other new win condition, Crash of Rhino Beetles, compares very unfavorably with Centaur Vinecrasher. They may both be huge tramplers but the Vinecrasher comes back as often as you want, while the Crash of Rhino Beetles will trade with a Chupacabra trigger and spend the rest of the game rotting in your graveyard.

3. There are still no Black lands matter cards

With the exception of Windgrace himself, the word “land” appears on none of the new Black cards in this product, begging the question of why the deck needed Black in its color identity in the first place.

The Verdict

Overall, I don’t think this deck succeeded in what it was trying to do. It provided the archetype with a suitable (albeit fragile) commander, but did nothing to justify its color identity. Moreover, the two nonlegendary cards that mention lands are not good enough to fill the holes in the archetype.

[cultfaction]

Blood of the Chupacabras/Revenge of the Chupacabras Bluray Box Set arriving this September!

Blood of the Chupacabras/Revenge of the Chupacabras Bluray Box Set arriving this September!

Releasing September 27th 2022 from Visual Vengeance, a double feature release of director Jonathan Mumm’s shot on video Crypto Creature Features BLOOD OF THE CHUPACABRAS (2003) and its sequel REVENGE OF THE CHUPACABRAS (2005) The double feature Blu-ray includes the Blockbuster Video shelf staples Blood of the Chupacabras (2003) and its sequel Revenge of the Chupacabras (2005). Both SOV features…

[gigaguessmtg]

So. Knowing that each set will be represented, we have a list to work through (Omitting all reprint sets, like...well...every core set until Magic 2010)  As a list we have (Masters 25 spoilers below the cut, of course.  And please let me know if I missed anything):

Alpha, Beta and Unlimited (They're listed as one in the Magic Site, so this is how I'm counting them: Lightning Bolt, Giant Growth, Dark Ritual, Armageddon, Savannah Lions, Blue Elemental Blast, Red Elemental Blast, Regrowth, Disenchant, Swords to Plowshares, Will-o'-the-Wisp Arabian Knights: Erg Raiders Antiquities: Mishra’s Factory, Primal Clay Legends: Nicol Bolas, Pendelhaven, Hell's Caretaker, Stangg, Fallen Angel The Dark: Ball Lightning, Blood Moon, Ghost Ship Fallen Empires: Goblin War Drums Ice Age: Brainstorm, Pyroclasm Starter 1999: Loyal Sentry, Cinder Storm Portal: Path of Peace Portal Second Age: Ancient Craving Portal Three Kingdoms: Imperial Recruiter, Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon", Borrowing 100,000 Arrows Homelands: Ihsan's Shade Alliances: Pillage, Balduvian Horde, Arcane Denial Mirage: Flash, Pacifism Weatherlight: Doomsday Visions: Man-o'-War, Quicksand Exodus: Merfolk Looter, Curiosity Stronghold: Ensnaring Bridge, Sift, Mogg Flunkies Tempest: Living Death, Kindle, Diabolic Edict, Jackal Pup Urza's Destiny: Elvish Piper, Trumpet Blast Urza's Legacy: Rancor, Unearth Urza's Saga: Lull, Angelic Page, Horseshoe Crab Mercadian Masques: Rishadan Port, Invigorate Nemesis: Accumulated Knowledge, Stampede Driver Prophecy: Plague Wind Invasion: Hanna, Ship’s Navigator, Exclude, Kavu Climber Planeshift: Eladamri’s Call Apocalypse: Vindicate, Mystic Snake, Pernicious Deed, Quicksilver Dagger Odyssey: Zombify, Shadowmage Infiltrator, Auramancer, Caustic Tar Torment: Laquatus's Champion, Mesmeric Fiend Judgment: Living Wish, Browbeat Onslaught: Akroma’s Vengeance, Undead Gladiator, Renewed Faith, Dirge of Dread, Krosan Tusker, Krosan Colossus, Broodhatch Nantuko, Skirk Commando, Choking Tethers Legions: Willbender, Akroma, Angel of Wrath Scourge: Decree of Justice, Fierce Empath, Elvish Aberration, Karona's Zealot, Noble Templar, Shoreline Ranger, Death's-Head Buzzard, Twisted Abomination, Chartooth Cougar Mirrodin: Chalice of the Void, Spikeshot Goblin Darksteel: Sundering Titan, Echoing Courage Fifth Dawn: Relentless Rats Champions of Kamigawa: Nezumi Cutthroat, Azusa, Lost but Seeking Betrayers of Kamigawa: Iwamori of the Open Fist, Genju of the Falls, Genju of the Spires Saviors of Kamigawa: Mikokoro, Center of the Sea, Promise of Bunrei, Freed from the Real Ravnica: City of Guilds: Frenzied Goblin, Watchwolf Guildpact: Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, Pillory of the Sleepless Dissension: Ratcatcher, Protean Hulk, Utopia Sprawl, Court Hussar Cold Snap: Darien, King of Kjeldor Time Spiral: Brine Elemental, Fathom Seer, Vesuvan Shapeshifter, Fortune Thief, Assemby-Worker Planar Chaos: Akroma, Angel of Fury, Simian Spirit Guide, Kavu Predator, Whitemane Lion Future Sight: Coalition Relic, Pact of Negation, Summoner’s Pact, Street Wraith, Zoetic Cavern Lorwyn: Brion Stoutarm, Soulbright Flamekin Morningtide: Vendilion Clique, Ambassador Oak Shadowmoor: Cursecatcher, Presence of Gond Eventide: Fetid Heath, Flooded Grove, Rugged Prairies, Twilight Mire, Cascade Bluffs, Nettle Sentinel Shards of Alara: Blightning, Skeletonize, Knight of the Skyward Eye Conflux: Conflux, Ember Weaver Alara Reborn: Lorescale Coatl Magic 2010: Master of the Wild Hunt, Act of Treason Zendikar: Luminarch Ascension, Disfigure, Vampire Lacerator Worldwake: Kor Firewalker, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Arbor Elf Rise of the Eldrazi: Ancient Stirrings, Prophetic Prism, Wildheart Invoker Magic 2011: Plummet, Cultivate, Squadron Hawk, Chandra's Outrage Scars of Mirrodin: Perilous Myr, Nihil Spellbomb, Heavy Arbalest, Twisted Image Mirrodin Besieged: Blue Sun's Zenith New Phyrexia: Phyrexian Obliterator Magic 2012: Swiftfoot Boots, Phantasmal Bear, Crimson Mage Innistrad: Tree of Redemption, Fiend Hunter, Murder of Crows Dark Ascension: Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Haunted Fengraf Avacyn Restored: Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Cloudshift Magic 2013: Murder, Timberpack Wolf, Griffin Protector, Bloodhunter Bat Return to Ravnica: Rest in Peace, Fencing Ace Gatecrash: Totally Lost, Boros Charm, Urbis Protector Dragon's Maze: Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Notion Thief Magic 2014: Strionic Resonator Theros: Bident of Thassa, Gods Willing, Ordeal of Heliod, Returned Phalanx Born of the Gods: Courser of Kruphix, Retraction Helix Journey Into Nyx: Eidolon of the Great Revel, Nyx-Fleece Ram Magic 2015: Jalira, Master Polymorphist, Geist of the Moors Khans of Tarkir: Hordeling Outburst, Woolly Loxodon, Dragon's Eye Savants, Mystic of the Hidden Way, Ruthless Ripper Fate Reforged: Humble Defector Dragons of Tarkir: Epic Confrontation, Ainok Survivalist, Ire Shaman Magic Origins: Enthralling Victor, Valor in Akros Battle for Zendikar: Zada, Hedron Grinder, Coralhelm Guide, Zulaport Cutthroat Oath of the Gatewatch: Baloth Null Shadows Over Innistrad: Triskaidekaphobia, Vessel of Nascency, Uncaged Fury, Pyre Hound, Dauntless Cathar Eldritch Moon: Lunarch Mantle Kaladesh: Cloudblazer, Self-Assembler Aether Revolt: Treasure Keeper Amonkhet: Thresher Lizard, Horror of the Broken Lands, Supernatural Stamina Hour of Devastation: Act of Heroism Ixalan: Colossal Dreadmaw Rivals of Ixalan: Ravenous Chupacabra, Dusk Legion Zealot Commander: Animar, Soul of Elements Commander 2013: Prossh, Skyraider of Kher Commander 2014: Reef Worm, Myriad Landscape Commander 2015: Magus of the Wheel Commander 2016: Ash Barrens Commander 2017: Izzet Chemister Planechase 2012: Sai of the Shinobi Conspiracy: Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Conspiracy: Take the Crown: Deadly Designs