Adventures Near Home #3

So we talked about why Israel is a very cool place to set modern fantasy adventures in, and we watched some pictures supporting this claim. Now it's time to no longer beat around the bush, but to stab it in the heart and find out who is hiding inside. There is no way this can end badly...

Specifically, we're going to take three locations, and see what adventures hide behind their normal (relatively, speaking) facades. Next post, we'll do it again, but with different locations.

Tel Aviv, or To Walk For an Hour
Let us begin by introducing a little known fact about Israel. Unlike most other places, the Israeli day is actually 25 hours long. That one extra hour, however, is quite exclusive and can only be accessed by very special people. And by special, we don't mean have-to-wear-a-helmet-in-restaurants special, but blast-you-with-a-gaze special.. Most of these people are Kings and Queens of emptied kingdoms, that is, the last people to claim rulership over a depopulated kingdom. The rule is simple - the power of a nation is a constant, the less people remain in a nation, the more powerful each remaining citizen is. When only one person remains -- you get a new King for the 25th hour. Hail!
Most of these people are worse than vampires. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The more kingdoms a King steals, the greater his power grows and the greater his greed for kingdoms becomes. Now imagine a simple man gets lost in the hot and steamy Tel Aviv night and finds himself brushing shoulders with old, power-hungry, barely-human monarchs who keep thinking of various way to get him involved in their plots and schemes. The text messages sent by this man can be really quite fascinating... provided he ever leaves this unreal hour of the night...

Embarking on yet another quest with a brave companion...

Ein Gedi, or The God of Little Things
As you probably know (if you paid attention in school) Lilith is the protector of arid places and nocturnal animals. As a rule, the lives of animals are not terribly exciting and mostly consist of searching things to eat while avoiding things that eat them (not unlike the lives of most D&D characters). However, when a grave crime is committed against a nearly extinct species, an animal might choose to go on a quest across oasis and desert in search of divine justice (again not unlike most D&D characters).
Why, animals are very religious and have a rich mythology, didn't you know? Why do you think dogs and wolves bay the moon, or lizards prostrate themselves before the rising sun every morning? Why do ibexes look so thoughtful all the time? You really ought to pay more attention in school...
I was lucky enough to learn of one such quest and translate it into the language of humans for your benefit. Trust me, many people and animals were hurt in the making of this documentary. However, we did find a date for a very lonely demon in the process, so give us some slack, will you?

Yes, this is the hero of one of my adventures. An excellent chap, by the way.

Qumran, or Cave Books
Ah, the mysterious Scrolls of the Dead Sea. A cult of wise men wiped out by fanatic brutes before they had a chance to finish their great work. Tens of thousands of unique scrolls, found by Arab nomads and sold to British archeologists-- seriously, do you think anyone is that dumb? Sure, the nomads sold the British some scrolls, like the one with revisions of the solar calendar in light of recent astronomical discoveries, or the theological treatise on the gematrical meaning of the names of angels. But what about the scrolls that told the true story of Noah and the true origins of Man? What about the Book of Many Curses, that eldritch tome that manipulates luck so that someone could find a brick of gold just lying there by the road, while someone else could fracture an arm in seven places by slipping in a sheepskin tent, or choke to death on ant?
Believe me -- the scrolls are still there. Some of them being translated into English for your pleasure and entertainment even as you're reading this post. And that god damn evil book, the one that inflicted the tribe that found it with so many disasters since the poor sods found the book and tried to tame it? It found its way into very demonic hands, if you know what I mean (which you don't because the story wasn't published yet). Now it's up to the reluctant hero Khalid, mystic champion of the Banu Safiru and captain in the Israeli Border Police to face the master of the book before it transforms the whole region into a hotbed of almost humorously ridiculous bad luck. Will he make it? Statistically highly unlikely...

Found these interesting? Be sure to take a look at Tales from an Israeli Storyteller and help me make this into a full-fledged fantasy setting!

Israel as a Campaign Setting

I think four factors make Israel an especially successful candidate for being fantasized. I might be a little biased, but please kind reader, hear me out:

Diversity: Israel is a country of dark contradictions – a land of ancient history of epic proportions and an all-too-fragile modern civilization. On the same sand where now ultramodern commandos practice techniques of assaulting the secret strongholds of darkness, millennia ago Roman legionaries made war on twisted desert demons and Jewish zealots armed with mystic wisdom and antediluvian weapons crossed blades with anyone who would threaten their religious hegemony. Even as Druzim Sheiks, Haridim Rabbis and Muslims Muftis practice ancient and esoteric ceremonies, young and vibrant subcultures develop their own brand of magic, conspiring to push the elders from their seats of power.

The War is Over
Yad Lesherion, Latroun

Religion: From the Church of the Sepulture to Al Aqsa Mosque, from the head of the Martyr Ali in Ashkelon to the Weeping Wall in Jerusalem; Israel is a land containing more sacred grounds and religious relics than any other country in the world. Heroes exploring religious themes in their games would not want to miss the opportunity to ally or exchange bullets with beings who were there when the Bible was written.

History: From Assyria to Britain, almost any major empire in history at one point or another strove to control Israel and her crucial trade routes. Fractions from these conquests still linger in the form of immortal vampires, mages who unnaturally prolonged their lives and other even less savory horrors. Crusades, Jihads, wars of conquest and other great events still resonate as loudly as on the day they occurred.

Geography: Compared to its size, Israel is one of the most diverse countries in the world, in less than 400 miles one can travel from the snowy peaks of the Golan to the coral reefs of the Red Sea. Same goes for the population that includes anything ranging from tribal desert nomads to scheming technocrats in glass skyscrapers. This means that a single day's adventure can take the hero from semi-medieval desert villages to modern cities and, finally, to mine-strewn mountains – all in a single day.

"Leading the Clouds"
Castle Nimrod

The setting “Tales from an Israeli Storyteller” draws upon the "mythology" of modern Israel as well as Jewish, Muslim and Christians traditions and, to a smaller degree, from African folk magic (with the new influx of Sudanese refugees and Ethiopian immigrants). Here are several examples of things you can find in Israel. To avoid spoilers, I won't say which ones made into the book and which one stayed on the gaming table:

Okay, that was pretty general. Next post will have specific examples. For example, did you know that a lost Roman legion still wonders the deserts of Judea? No? Then stay sure to check in with the next post!

All pictures were taken by my brother, an immensely talented photographer in my opinion. For more of his art, visit his dA page.

Adventures Near Home #1

This week I've started an IndieGoGo fundraiser for my Tales From an Israeli Storyteller project, which is all about taking the landscapes you see every day as your drive to work, the people and animals you spot from the office window and those urban legends and old superstitions no one takes seriously, and transforming them into an awesome fantasy setting.

We will begin with some pictures. The next post will be about the fantasy they hide...

This city has been abandoned more than a thousand years ago. What made the citizens run? Why didn't they ever return? What did they leave behind in their haste to flee?

What a quaint village? Almost stone age... who lives there? There isn't a mosque or a church nearby, what do they worship?

This thing stands between a nomadic encampment and a power plant. Which one of these groups erected and worshiped it? How does the other group feel about it?

The toys study the Torah by Night, but what do they learn from it? What will they do once they find what they were looking for?

Taking photos in ancient crypts in the desert is very fun and educational. But is there anyone there who could be disturbed by our visit? And why is "vampire" scribbled in Hebrew on one of the tombs?

And you thought we were kidding...

Sometimes, you have to literally walk into darkness so deep even a camera flash can do little to disturb it. The air is alive with humidity and the shrieks of bats. When will the darkness end? What lies on the far end?

Ah! What the hell is that thing?! And why did the bats started making different sounds after the flash?!

Destroyed by an earthquake a millenia ago. An accident, a divine punishment for unspeakable sins, or a magic ritual gone terribly wrong?

This is just beautiful. Not everything must have a hidden meaning.

When lizards that big start running about, you don't have to investigate to run into adventure... or rather, have adventure run into you...

Sodom. A land so evil God had to blast it utterly from the face of the earth. Not even hedges grow on this malevolent terrain. But was God really THAT thorough and did Genesis give us the WHOLE story?

 Euclidean geometry and the laws of physics work most of the time. MOST of the time...

Be careful when adventuring near your home. Sometimes, the price you have to pay for wisdom and enlightenment is bloody indeed...

Simply birds being birds, or the culmination of an epic love story with green feathers?

 A waterfall in the middle of a lifeless desert draws all kinds of lifeforms. ALL kinds...

The sign says you can't go into this cave. Now you know you have to! :)

For more photos you can visit my dA account or my FB album.

Lilith!

I have decided to resurrect another post from my first and short-lived mythological blog. This one actually contains some real kabbalistic magic, use with care.

First you must know, my brothers, that Lilith, may her name and memory be wiped, is the worst of demons for she would not submit to her husband or any other man, as is the natural order of things and for that we call her the whore, the wicked woman, the foolish and the black one. And as knowledge is a virtue and a shield, read deeply and understand these secrets very much!

Lilith (pronounced Lay-LIT) was created along Adam on the last day of creation and was his equal in pride and superior in power. Immediately, conflicts arose between the couple regarding who should be on top during lovemaking. Since Adam couldn’t fight the mighty fiend, he prayed to the LORD to cast her away and create a more submissive woman for him; Eve, who paled in beauty compared to Lilth, but was obedient and meek. Later, when Adam and Eve were cast away from the Garden of Eden they chose to absent from sex for some years to atone for their sin. During that time, Lilth came to the bitter and lonely Adam and slept with him, giving birth to the first lilin. Eve, and later Cain, also had their unholy lovers, but that’s another tale…

Jewish tales are kinda hard to read...

After Adam and Eve reunited, Lilith chose to live among the demons of the Red Sea, where she mated with many demons and lilin and spawned a hundred monsters every day. Her promiscuity was not limited to demons; she often tried to seduce righteous men, and even their wives, heavens forefend! Sometimes, she would visit a man in his dreams and cause him to awake with unnatural lust for his wife. The offspring of the unions that followed these erotic dreams were usually dead babies with wings and tails. When not attending wild demonic orgies or seducing the righteous, Lilith protected her favorite animals – owls, hedgehogs, oryxi and black kites. She also tended for bushes and plants in arid areas.

Never forgetting her humiliation at the hands of Adam, Lilth started strangling little babies in their cradles* after her second exile. To protect mankind, three of God’s angels were sent to capture her and set before her a divine ultimatum; first, a hundred of her children will die every day, lest the lilin outnumber Man and befoul the world. Second, Lilith should never harm boys older than eight days and girls older than twelve days.
However, Rabbi Ben Sira discovered a way to fend off the vengeful demon; hanging a talisman baring the names Snoi, Snsnoi, Smenglef (the three aforementioned angels) above the sleeping baby scares away Lilith and casts her back crying into the night.

Presently, Lilith lives in the deserts of Africa and Asia and her voice can sometimes be heard late at night, mixed with the baying of the hyenas and the hooting of the owls. Those blessed with wisdom can learn great secrets from her laments, but God forefend they should do so, for this wisdom is mixed with ill seduction and dark urges and spoils the pure minds of righteous men.

This talisman will protect your children from Lilith's claws:

Talisman against Lilith - proven and tested
Taken from Book of Raziel the Angel

The Origin of Magic (according to Russians)

A girl once went to the forest to pick some mushrooms and gorge on sweet berries. Although it was a lovely summer day, the sky suddenly opened and a torrent came pouring down, forcing the girl to hide under a tree. An hour passed and the rain showed no intention of stopping, so she removed all her clothing, put them in one of her bags and resumed picking mushrooms. Once the rain ceased, she put back her dry clothes and went home.
As she was walking, a forest spirit called leshii saw her and begged her to tell him what kind of magic she used to stay dry during such a wet storm. The girl said that she will teach him her magic if he in turn taught her his magic. The leshii agreed and taught her the art of witchcraft. All he got in return was an old bag.

Respect the power of witches and warlocks, but even more so, be wary of their cunning.

Later that day...

Clean the Class or Bite the Bullet

Today we had to move to a different class because our regular place was full of some substance one of the boys is allergic to. The class we moved to was a girl class (it's a religious school).
Girl: No! You can't move here, you'll foul up this place. Boys always do.
Me: I promise we won't do that. I'll personally make sure they behave.
Girl: Are you willing to face execution if the class is dirty?
Boy: Yes, yes we do. Now do let us in.
Girl: All right, but if we find the class dirty tomorrow, we will execute you.

Sex war just got real!

Animals, Mutations and What's in Between

For some reason, kids hate animal mutations in Gamma World.

In fact, one kid threatened to leave the game if he wasn't allowed to re-roll his flaming bird swarm character (which I personally thought was very rad). On the other hand, kids are jubilant whenever they roll a mutation with any mind-effecting capabilities. It seems that them and I somewhat diverge on our aesthetics of mutation -- their mutations are basically the X-men with a touch of the grotesque, while my mutations are the sort of thing created when you take a boxful of body parts and pour out a dozen random parts and no, I'm not making this analogy out of personal experience.

Full spectrum of the mutant experience, from handsome women to killer bunnies.

I find the above discrepancy strange, because, as a rule, kids love animals and, in normal fantasy, go out of their way to play talking animals or animal-people. Among the most popular races are dragonborn (whose name in Hebrew sounds much cooler), minotaurs, gnolls and shifters (whom I describe as cat people and dog people, respectively). When kids do make up races, they usually describe them as part X, part Y, part Z plus an almost humorlessly overpowered special ability which has nothing to do with any of the above...

Lion paw, doppelganger foot, devil tail, squid arm, bat ear...
and an impenetrable energy field.

One of the most popular games I ever ran was an all animal adventure I ran in a convention once (described in this article, along with some more of my best kids games). And yet, as far as mutations go, animals are a big no-no.Coincidentally, this Choose Your Own Adventure game is the only article of mine that survived the great Wizards purge of '11 and if you fancy taking on the role of a young leopard leading a gang of ever-bickering wildebeests against a poacher with a surprising leader, you are more than welcome to do so here...