A few Ravenloftian-ish-ness books off my shelf

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Five
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A few Ravenloftian-ish-ness books off my shelf

Post by Five »

Here are some of literary inspirations that fit into my perception(s) of Ravenloft. Check 'em out if you want. If not, then link on outta here. ;)

"The House of the Wolf", Basil Copper




High above the Hungarian village of Lugos rise the towers of Castle Homolky, whose subterranean dungeons contain the remains of a chamber of horrors once used for the torture of enemies, and whose tragic and violent history has caused it to be known as The House of the Wolf. Into this legend-haunted region comes John Coleridge, an American professor and expert on lycanthropy, who is staying as a guest of Count Homolky while attending a conference on European folklore. After a villager is found dead with his throat torn out and a huge black wolf with seemingly preternatural powers is seen stalking the halls of the Castle, leaving scenes of bloody carnage in its wake, Coleridge and his colleagues must hunt the beast. But is the killer a wolf, or could the unthinkable be true: that one of the Castle's inhabitants is actually a werewolf? - Ripped from Amazon.com

"Necropolis", Basil Copper



Set in an alternate Victorian London, where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are not just fictional characters, Basil Copper's Necropolis (1980) is a tale of mystery and intrigue worthy of Arthur Conan Doyle or Wilkie Collins.

Private detective Clyde Beatty, a rival of the great Holmes, has been hired by the lovely Angela Meredith to inquire into her father's suspicious death. As Beatty's investigation unfolds, the danger intensifies: more murders ensue, and attempts are made on his life. It is clear there is more to Mr. Meredith's death than meets the eye, and it may have something to do with the brazen robbery of a fortune in gold bullion. The clues lead Beatty to the eerie Brookwood Cemetery, where fatal secrets lie hidden in the catacombs beneath a city of the dead. . . . - Ripped from Amazon.com

"Blackstone novels", Derek Lambert (as Richard Falkirk)

Blackstone
Blackstone's Fancy
Beau Blackstone
Blackstone and the Scourge of Europe
Blackstone Underground
Blackstone on Broadway

They are based on the Bowstreet Runner Edmund Blackstone, ex criminal, hard sob (in many ways). The Bowstreet Runners were London's first professional police force and are, in my mind, the source of inspiration for Mordent's Lamplighters. The books might cost you a penny (Blackstone Underground anyway), but they reek real nice of age and have that yellowish hint of classic to them. Blackstone and George Weathermay would tandem HELL on the denizens of Darkness! LD50 for sure.

Descriptions are hard to come by so if you want to read reviews check out goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18 ... rd_Falkirk

I dunno if they're written fairly or not but I'm sure you'll get the gist of the books through them. Hopefully. I never read them (reviews).

I'll add more book titles if/when I get around to it.
"A very piteous thing it was to see such a quantity of dead bodies, and such an outpouring of blood - that is, if they had not been enemies of the Christian faith."

- Jean Pierre Sarrasin, "The Memoirs of the Lord of Joinville"
Five
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Re: A few Ravenloftian-ish-ness books off my shelf

Post by Five »

"Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire", Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

"Why do dead men rise up to torment the living?" Captain Henry Baltimore asks the malevolent winged creature.

The vampire shakes its head. "It was you called us. All of you, with your war. The roar of your cannons shook us from our quiet graves . . . You killers. You berserkers . . . You will never be rid of us now."

When Lord Henry Baltimore awakens the wrath of a vampire on the hellish battlefields of World War I, the world is forever changed. For a virulent plague has been unleashed -- a plague that even death cannot end.

Now the lone soldier in an eternal struggle against darkness, Baltimore summons three old friends to a lonely inn -- men whose travels and fantastical experiences incline them to fully believe in the evil that is devouring the soul of mankind. As the men await their old friend, they share their tales of terror and misadventure, and contemplate what part they will play in Baltimore’s timeless battle. Before the night is through, they will learn what is required to banish the plague -- and the creature who named Baltimore his nemesis -- once and for all. - Ripped from site linked below



"Baltimore" - Dark Horse comic series, Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

http://www.christophergolden.com/baltimore.html
"A very piteous thing it was to see such a quantity of dead bodies, and such an outpouring of blood - that is, if they had not been enemies of the Christian faith."

- Jean Pierre Sarrasin, "The Memoirs of the Lord of Joinville"
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Catman Jim
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Re: A few Ravenloftian-ish-ness books off my shelf

Post by Catman Jim »

I recently finished reading the Dark Tower trilogy, inspired by the art of Joseph Vargo and the music of Nox Arcana,

http://www.monolithgraphics.com/books.html

Basic premise: Medieval vampire as tragic hero and dark defender, presented in a series of connected short stories. Definitely Ravenloft-ian.
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GreenWood
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Re: A few Ravenloftian-ish-ness books off my shelf

Post by GreenWood »

Catman Jim, I have to look into that. I really like Nox Arcana, have been using the music for years. I have a special Ravenloft mix I play during game sometimes.
I, the Lord of the Midnight Green, now give rise to my final dream.
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