Glorious

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We’re back and we’re poking around in holes. Sometimes it’s hard not to let curiosity get the better of you. There could be anyone on the other side of that barrier, even a god. You might be tempted to take a peek and check. At worst, what you see on the other side could leave you feeling uncomfortably stiff, yet empty inside. Or, maybe, it could be glorious.

Main Topic: Glorious

Following last episode’s discussion of Ghatanothoa (and Yig, but let’s not worry about him for now), we’re talking about one of his rare appearances in media. Glorious presents an unusual and creative take on the Cthulhu Mythos. So unusual, in fact, that Matt spends much of this episode protesting its crimes against canon. It also takes place almost entirely in a rest stop bathroom, unlike most horror films.

Glorious is a 2022 American horror film from director Rebekah McKendry, starring Ryan Kwanten and JK Simmons. While it’s a low-budget affair, it rarely looks cheap, mainly thanks to its small cast and limited use of locations.

As ever with these media discussions, we pick apart every aspect of the story in our quest for gaming inspiration. Do watch Glorious before listening to avoid being spoiled. If you want to get some idea of what you’re getting yourself into first, you could always read Scott’s review from last year’s October Horror Movie Challenge.

glorious poster

Things we mention in this episode include:

Glorious 1

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Mythos Deities: Yig & Ghatanothoa

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Episode 269: Mythos Deities - Yig & Ghatanothoa

We’re back and we’re petrified. It’s bad enough that you can become mummified by standing near Ghatanothoa, but being imperilled just by looking at his image is simply too much. And then we learn that you could be at risk even from examining the eyes of someone who saw him? Yikes! We’ll stick to Yig, thanks. At least the worst he’s going to do is bite you. Oh, hang on… He might turn you into a snake? It’s beginning to sound like these Mythos deities may not be the friends we’re looking for.

Main Topic: Mythos Deities – Yig & Ghatanothoa

This episode is our latest exploration of the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. We have devoted previous episodes to Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Azathoth, Nodens, Ubbo-Sathla and Mordiggian, Ithaqua, Cthulhu, Daoloth and Eihort, Gla’aki, Y’golonac, Tsathoggua, Atlach-Nacha and Abhoth, and Cyäegha and Byatis.

We’re turning back to Lovecraft himself in this episode, but Lovecraft as a collaborator. Well, it’s probably more accurate to call him a ghost writer with these stories, but we’ll be generous to his co-authors. The two deities we’re discussing — Yig and Ghatanothoa — both come from Lovecraft’s revisions. It wasn’t until the stories were collected that Lovecraft was even credited, however. Despite this, at least one of the deities has spawned many scenarios and stories, while the other has to be satisfied with hanging out behind a rest stop glory hole. But more about that next episode…

Things we mention in this episode include:

News

Paul at Gen Con

Paul gives us a quick summary of his visit to Gen Con 2023, where he ran “Full Fathom Five” with You Too Can Cthulhu. He also mentions that Chaosium had the new Pendragon Starter Set on the stall, alongside Rivers of London.

Matt and Paul at the Innsmouth Literary Festival

Matt and Paul will be attending the Innsmouth Literary Festival at the end of this month, running some games. The festival takes place on Saturday 30th September, between 10am – 5pm, at Kings House Conference Centre in Bedford.

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The Hounds of Tindalos by Frank Belknap Long

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Episode 264: The Hounds of Tindalos

We’re back and we have an angle. Well, it started out as a curve, but then some bits fell off. It’s outrageous! We’re not sure if that was some kind of fall from grace, an earthquake, or just shoddy plastering. Or maybe we’re just being obtuse. Happily, the hounds of Tindalos will be along soon to put us right. Their sense of such things is pretty acute.

Main Topic: The Hounds of Tindalos

Following on from our time travel episodes, we thought we should find an example of how these tropes have been used in the Cthulhu Mythos. Happily, Frank Belknap Long’s seminal story, “The Hounds of Tindalos”, is about as good an example as we could ask for. As well as showing us a very genre-appropriate method for exploring time, it introduces one of the weirdest and scariest antagonists in the Mythos.

We explore the curves and angles of the story, and briefly discuss the life and works of Frank Belknap Long. In addition to his role as a core member of the Lovecraft Circle, Long has the distinction of being the first person after Lovecraft to write a Mythos story. But that was just a small part of a career that spanned over 70 years and multiple genres.

The Hounds of Tindalos by Frank Belknap Long

Things we mention in this episode include:

Frank Belknap Long and HP Lovecraft in 1931 Brooklyn
Long and Lovecraft in 1931

News

Paul in Bayt al Azif

Issue 5 of Bayt al Azif includes an article by Paul in which he discusses his favourite beginner scenarios for Call of Cthulhu.

Paul at Continuum

Paul will be at the Continuum convention in Leicester later this month, running games and propping up the bar.

Matt Interviews

Matt recently spoke to our good friends over at Illusion Horror & Con about his scenario “Judgment”, as part of their Ask the Author series.

He was also interviewed for issue 2 of Vaezine about the role of Gothic horror in Vaesen.

A Weekend With Good Friends

A Weekend With Good Friends starts this coming Friday, assuming you’re reading this shortly after the episode goes out. It runs between the 5th and 7th of July, around the clock.

This is the online RPG convention organised by our lovely listeners and hosted on our Discord server. While the main source of information is said Discord server, we also have a web page with important details and links.

Player signups have closed, but there will be pickup games running throughout the weekend. There are also a number of seminars about Call of Cthulhu and horror gaming. Check out our Discord server for more details.

a weekend with good friends logo small

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Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu part 2

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Episode 263: Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu part 2

We’re back and we’re going round in circles. Driving around Milton Keynes has prepared us for such eventualities, although these are temporal loops rather than roundabouts. Then again, what is a time loop but a four-dimensional roundabout? Let’s just hope we can work out how to find an exit before we go around yet again. This is murder on our tyres. And our watches.

Main Topic: Time Travel in Call of Cthulhu part 2

As we mentioned last episode, we ran out of time to discuss time. This means we’ve gone back to the discussion, delving into psychic time travel as well as different varieties of time loops. We also spend a bit of time (it’s really hard not to make jokes here) talking about the way time travel has been presented in Mythos fiction and the Call of Cthulhu RPG.

Things we mention in this episode include:

News

The Blasphemous Tome issue 11

The next issue of The Blasphemous Tome will soon be ready to creep its way across the globe. This is the fully licenced Call of Cthulhu fanzine we produce for Patreon backers of the podcast. Issue 11 features a gorgeous full-colour cover from John Sumrow and a brand-new Call of Cthulhu scenario from our own Scott Dorward, titled “Blackshade”. Anyone backing us at the $5 level or higher will receive a print copy of the Tome, signed by our arthritic hands.

A Weekend With Good Friends

Player signups for A Weekend With Good Friends will soon open!

This is the online RPG convention organised by our lovely listeners and hosted on our Discord server. While the main source of information is said Discord server, we also have a web page with important details and links. We will update this as things progress.

Don’t worry if you missed the cut-off for GM signups. There will be pickup games running throughout the weekend.

The important dates are:

  • Friday 2nd – Thursday 15th June — GM signups
  • Friday 23rd – Thursday 29th June — Player signups
  • Friday 30th June — Lottery results announced
  • Friday 7th – Sunday 9th July — AWWGF
a weekend with good friends logo small

The Murder Shack and Blackshade on Ain’t Slayed Nobody

A few years ago, Scott ran “The Murder Shack”, his scenario from issue 5b of The Blasphemous Tome, for our good friends over at Ain’t Slayed Nobody. Cuppycup has recently edited the audio and produced it as a podcast, with music, sound effects and voice acting for a key NPC role. You can hear the end product on ASN now.

As if that weren’t enough, a recording of “Blackshade”, Scott’s scenario from issue 11, will be available on Ain’t Slayed Nobody next month. Watch your feed for more details.

Sean F Smith Interview

Following our recent episodes about Victorian Spiritualism, Scott interviewed Sean F Smith for a follow-up special. Sean is a stage magician and mentalist, with a lifelong interest in the techniques of fraudulent mediumship. The discussion goes into the psychology of trickery, along some history of how Spiritualism and stage magic evolved together in Victorian Britain.

Scott on Bud & Griff’s RPG Creepshow

Bud and Griff recently invited Scott onto their (relatively) new gaming podcast. As well as discussing horror gaming and podcasting, the duo asked Scott about his weirdest uncanny experience. This gave Scott the perfect opportunity to talk about that time he got roped into performing an exorcism.

The episode will be released on their public feed this coming weekend.

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Special: Stage Magic and Spiritualism With Sean F Smith

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We’re back with our first special episode for a while. After our recent look into Victorian Spiritualism, Sean F Smith contacted us, offering to discuss the topic from the perspective of stage magic.

Sean is a magician and mentalist by profession, with a special interest in séances and mediums. We discussed the history of Victorian magic and how it relates to fraudulent mediums. There are also a few diversions into the psychology of trickery, techniques to encourage creativity, and the secret of how to hammer a nail into your face.

You can find Sean’s work on DriveThruRPG, and you can check out his websites below.

Sean and friend

Things we mention in this episode include:

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