Inspiration comes from the strangest sources

[Nightbreed24]

Haven't posted in a whle so I thought I share something with the community. I rewatched a movie a little while ago and had a nice idea for a group of antagonists and I could squeeze out a couple of scenarios out of the whole thing. That movie was Manos: The Hands of Fate. Yes... Manos...

The setting is the Southwestern USA - I used Pima county, Arizona - and my idea was, that there is a family of oldschool Mormon farmers out there in the desert, who became servants of Shub-Niggurath. The Master character of the movie is replaced by the family patriarch. His several wives are well... his wives. The Torgo character is a son of his, who was changed into one of the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath years ago. The head of the family also has other children. So basically there's a large clan of Mythos-worshippers living somewhere near Tucson. In my version, there is another, more bestial looking blessed of Shub-Niggurath besides the Torgo stand-in living in a hut in the family's corn field.

Some scenario seeds:

The head of the family or a son of his wants to marry a woman from a decent Mormon community. Perhaps a relative of a PC.

The clan always has a bountiful harvest of black maize, which causes its consumers to experience awful nightmares about the Black Goat of the Woods.

The usual thing about travelers disappearing near their land. These can be caused by the clan itself or by Fungi from Yuggoth allied with the clan. After all, mi-go worship the Black Goat too.

I have read on the site about the scenario titled The Spawn from The Great Old Ones supplement. It states, that there is animosity between the worshippers of Yig and the followers of Shub-Niggurath in the Southwest. This could escalate into a cult war with Yig cultists trying to use the PCs against the clan or vice versa. Or they could just stumble into the already ongoing war.

[Max_Writer]

This might help you too:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060666/trivia

I didn't realize Torgo (in the movie, at least) was supposed to be a satyr.

[ScS]

Hi Nightbreed,

Just remember, you have a few characters left to add:

1) Police who refuse to issue speeding tickets or investigate gun multiple shots in the night

2) Young man and woman who make out and drink in a car for days on end.
[Seriously, they are at it from the begining of the movie to the epilogue - don't tell me that doesn't require the favor of the Black Goat with a Thousand Young.]

[drjon]

If you've an interest in Manos, this may interest: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...he-restoration

Cheers,
jon

[Kooris]

Just reMEMber to SPEak like ToRGo, thE mAsTeR wOuLd NoT aPpRoVe if yOu diDn't.

[LoneKharnivore]

Have you seen MST3K's Manos episode? Brilliant as always...

[Max_Writer]

Funny you should say that LoneKharnivore - after seeing this post, I looked it up on YouTube and watched it. I so miss that show.

BTW Nightbreed24, I really like your idea for adapting this.

[Kooris]

Have you seen MST3K's Manos episode? Brilliant as always...

It's the only way to watch it. I've got to dig out my portable hard drive and throw it on again now.

*Excessively long silence*
Joel: DO SOMETHING!!!

Nightbreed24, I think I'm going to rob your idea once I finally get a game running, it's definitely surreal enough to be turned into a scenario easily.

[Gaffer]

I like this!

Native American (Hopi) Yig followers seem a natural in Arizona. Or there could be a snake-handler offshoot from the Ozarks.

One or more of the PCs might be excommunicated Mormons related to the potential bride's family. Mainstream Danite investigators could also come into play, maybe as PCs. A Carlos Castaneda type or follower also fits, as would anthropologist or archaeologist characters.

I'd give the black maize hallucinogenic properties, maybe some of the dreams are just mind-blowing, rather than nightmarish.

The Dark Young should be made appropriate to a more desert environment, maybe cacti-like.

[Nightbreed24]

Be my guest, Kooris.

Yes, I've seen the MST3K version, it was pure gold. I also watched the original version, since I'm a Z-movie buff. I don't know if it was the change in the weather or something - sadly I'm sensitive to those -, but I couldn't watch it to the end. I felt like something was sitting on my head. Had to take a nap after I turned it off and woke up with a killer headache. Guys, I'm pretty sure I lost some SAN!

There is a documentary on YouTube titled Hotel Torgo. Some enthusiastic fans decided to track down the people involved with the film. They found one half of the make-out couple still living in El Paso: the absolutely hilarious Bernie Rosenblum. They also visited the house - now a gang graffiti-tagged ruin - and the altar and pillars out in the desert.

I've decided to name the cultist family Reynold's in the memory of John Reynolds, the actor who played Torgo. He killed himself before Manos hit the local movie theatre. Oh, and thanks for the info on snake handling, Gaffer. I've never even heard of such thing and since my Arizona campaign pits my group against the cult of Yig, it is very much appreciated. Cheers! By the way, I was thinking about adding a dark young too. A dark young sapling to be exact, since the family only started worshipping the Black Goat a couple of years ago, when the head of the clan found a carved Paleo-Indian altar on his property.

P.S. Am I the only one, who thinks, that the Master's robe would make a cool ceremonial dress for worshippers of Y'Golonac?

[Donnovan_Sunrider]

Excellent work Nightbreed! I also have a Manos based scenario in the works, but it's been moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota. I'm going further from the source material than you did.

Keep us informed on your progress. I wish I could sit in on those games!

[Nightbreed24]

Thank you, Donovan. I still have to figure out a way to connect the scenario hooks linked to the Reynolds family above into a mini campaign.

The other side of the cult war: Yig's worshippers will mainly be represented by an alliance of Serpent-people and the merry folk of K'n-yan, with a few human worshippers tossed in for good measure. The big picture is that Shub-Niggurath's cult is trying to make a comeback in Arizona and the Mi-go are aiding them.

Any idea is highly appreciated of course.

[BaneOfNyarlathotep]

Not really movie related, but maybe have the Dark Young masquerade as a shrub during the day since it's so young... They could brag about it. You could always throw it in the investigators' way when they're investigating.

[Max_Writer]

There is a documentary on YouTube titled Hotel Torgo. Some enthusiastic fans decided to track down the people involved with the film. They found one half of the make-out couple still living in El Paso: the absolutely hilarious Bernie Rosenblum. They also visited the house - now a gang graffiti-tagged ruin - and the altar and pillars out in the desert.

Thanks for this information. What a fun watch.