I don't know if this has already been talked about, but I'm getting a serious Black Company vibe off the last book in the AP, as described in the blurb. I mean, swap out Tar-Baphon for the Dominator and Gallowspire for the Barrowlands (neither one is a stretch) and you've got it. Is this just me? Have I been reading too much Glen Cook lately?
Please note that I don't think this is a bad thing. Far from it, in fact, as for my money fantasy doesn't get better than the Black Company books.
I don't know if this has already been talked about, but I'm getting a serious Black Company vibe off the last book in the AP, as described in the blurb. I mean, swap out Tar-Baphon for the Dominator and Gallowspire for the Barrowlands (neither one is a stretch) and you've got it. Is this just me? Have I been reading too much Glen Cook lately?
Please note that I don't think this is a bad thing. Far from it, in fact, as for my money fantasy doesn't get better than the Black Company books.
Can one read too much Glen Cook? It seems one would suffer from a lack of Glen Cook rather than the opposite.
But to your point, I hadn't thought of this AP in that way. I'll have to read through the blurbs again.
If it is, I *demand* a Toadkiller Dog in it! :D
All I can say, Glen Cook ftw!
I hate to say it, but I've never read any Glen Cook.
The vast - vast, vast, vast, VAST - majority of my inspirations for Ustalav and this AP come from gothic literature, film, and classic RPG horror adventures.
If you think it's in that vein, tough, I might just have to check Black Company out!
All that being said, I think folks might be surprised by Tar-Baphon's involvement in this AP. I don't know if that's been over played in our past descriptions, but in a year when people are looking back at this AP I expect they'll remember a villain less like the Crypt Keeper and more like Dorian Gray.
I hate to say it, but I've never read any Glen Cook.
The vast - vast, vast, vast, VAST - majority of my inspirations for Ustalav and this AP come from gothic literature, film, and classic RPG horror adventures.
If you think it's in that vein, tough, I might just have to check Black Company out!
All that being said, I think folks might be surprised by Tar-Baphon's involvement in this AP. I don't know if that's been over played in our past descriptions, but in a year when people are looking back at this AP I expect they'll remember a villain less like the Crypt Keeper and more like Dorian Gray.
The Black Company isn't horror (Steven Erickson describes it aptly enough as "Vietnam War fiction on peyote") but the storyline of the first three books climaxes at a place that reminds me a lot of Gallowspire, and in a way reminiscent (to me, at least) of a bunch of different factions coming together to stop Tar-Baphon from waking up. :-)
The Black Company isn't horror (Steven Erickson describes it aptly enough as "Vietnam War fiction on peyote") but the storyline of the first three books climaxes at a place that reminds me a lot of Gallowspire, and in a way reminiscent (to me, at least) of a bunch of different factions coming together to stop Tar-Baphon from waking up. :-)I hate to say it, but I've never read any Glen Cook.
The vast - vast, vast, vast, VAST - majority of my inspirations for Ustalav and this AP come from gothic literature, film, and classic RPG horror adventures.
If you think it's in that vein, tough, I might just have to check Black Company out!
All that being said, I think folks might be surprised by Tar-Baphon's involvement in this AP. I don't know if that's been over played in our past descriptions, but in a year when people are looking back at this AP I expect they'll remember a villain less like the Crypt Keeper and more like Dorian Gray.
I can't recommend Cook's Black Company series enough. It follows a company of mercenaries (LN, CN, and LE types, no Paladins here) through their employment, betrayal by, and opposition to a succession of evil overlords and insane gods.
The series is very well written with interesting characters, and most importantly, a good understanding of actual military tactics and how they might be applied on a fantasy battlefield. IMHO The Black Company series should be required reading for anyone thinking of running a campaign where the PC's are going to be members of a military organization.
... I might just have to check Black Company out!
Yes, you must!
... I might just have to check Black Company out!Yes, you must!
+1
...as for my money fantasy doesn't get better than the Black Company books.
I have to agree. Fantastic books, fantastic concepts. A friend of mine ran a 2nd ed D&D Game using a lot of the bad guys as foes....Dominator was still in the ground, but the Lady and her boys were definitely in play.
For this thing's influence, I feel a lot of Ravenloft, of course.
It's very gothic in feel. Even the name of the town :)
Well done, Paizo!
Joël