Awesome Concept in PBEM gaming--WIZARDS OF HYPERBOREA! From: JOHN <winner8@sprynet.com> Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000 I am planning to run a Call of Cthulhu Play-By-Email game set in Clark Ashton Smith's HYPERBOREA. Read below and reply to winner8@sprynet.com I am an experienced Keeper, a huge HPL and CAS fan, and I need three or four good players. Let me tell you about the concept for a this CoC game: Clark Ashton Smith was a friend and contemporary of H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft held Smith's writing in high regard and the two writers wrote many letters to each other discussing writing, and the Cthulhu Mythos concept. Smith was a Master of dark fantasy. He created several worlds full of interesting wizards, warriors, and horrible creatures from beyond our world, most notably ZOTHIQUE, AVEROIGNE, and HYPERBOREA. Smith's Hyperborea no-doubt inspired Robert E. Howard, another mutual friend, in his writings of Conan and the Hyborian Age. Smith's Hyperborean tales were most strongly influenced by H.P.L.'s Cthulhu Mythos. He felt especially attached to Great Tsathoggua. The PBEM campaign which I want to run will be set in the ancient land of Hyperborea, and will be called WIZARDS OF HYPERBOREA. Each player will be one of the following: NECROMANCER--A wizard who specializes in raising the dead, creating mummies, skeletons, and zombie servants. Some Necromancers in Smith's stories made themselves kings by reviving cities full of the dead. These wizards have little respect for the dead, and this form of magic is illegal in many regions of Hyperborea. SORCERER--These wizards are concerned with the shaping of eldritch forces, demonology, and varying forms of magic including elemental, extradimensional, and enchantment. SEER--These are Prophets, Wise Hermits, and Oracles. There magical influence includes foresight, astrology, extrasensory powers, and spirit communications. They are much respected, if also feared, and give advice to kings and peasants alike. PRIEST--Priests of the Elder Gods draw power and foresight from their deities, as well as supernatural servants and spells which sometimes make them as powerful as Sorcerers. They oppose the Old Ones and their minions and will seek out the worshippers of such ancient gods to destroy them. It must be noted that this WILL NOT be a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The wizardly classes and magic use will conform to the style and flavor represented in CAS stories, rather than to any set of standard rules or spell list. Wizards are not restricted in weaponry. In 'The Coming of the White Worm', one of Smith's most famous tales, the wizard Evagh uses his short sword to save the entire world by slaying a sleeping creature which has destroyed much of Hyperborea. (Of course, Evagh's fate is not a pleasant one.) In short, these are not D&D wizards, they are Hyperborean Mythos wizards. What I am looking for: In a PBEM game, storytelling and character reaction are more important than dice and combat rolls. I, as the keeper, will resolve any dice rolling according to the game's needs Call of Cthulhu 5th Edition rules. I need players who can correspond with me at least once per week, possibly more, in small story-like prose which tell the tales of our characters and the adventures they undertake. This won't be novel-writing, I just need creative people who enjoy writing about there character and the fantastic land which we'll be playing in. If you are a Clark Ashton Smith fan, chances are you'll be perfect for this game. If you like roleplaying games involving fantastic primordial kingdoms and dark magical worlds full of terror and adventure, then you'll like playing WIZARDS OF HYPERBOREA. Interested? Send me a mail at winner8@sprynet.com Tell me which kind of wizard you want to play, I'll send you your character info and background details for you to flesh out and add to. Then, when I've got 3 or 4 of you, we'll begin the dark journey into ancient Hyperborea! You can find out more about Clark Ashton Smith, read some of his stories, and order some hard-to-find books such as THE BOOK OF HYPERBOREA, by going to Yahoo and searching for Clark Ashton Smith. To order his stuff, find Necronomicon Press. Up