Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Call of Cthulhu => Topic started by: Dr. The Viking on 25 December 2014, 02:01:31 PM
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I always really want to play/paint Conan and Cthulhu. But since I spend all my time painting and not gaming mostly, I thought I might just as well combine the two. This has probably been done lots of times as it's so obvious but I don't give a...
The story is simple: Conan the Barbarian is trying to unravel the mischievous dealings of the Cult of Yig. The cult has infiltrated the southern lands under the name of 'Followers of Set'.
On his way through the world he often times he has to free women from the clutches of serpent like Children of Yig. Unfortunately the Yigs are not the only concern in the world. Lots of other Mythos creatures are invariably summoned by the sorcerors of warrior kings who hope to gain power from the summoned beasts.
I will, if I end up gaming, probably use CROM or Swordplay to have a sort of almost RPG like game (with Conan as the clear hero).
But first I have painted what will be my Conan:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--iWrXXDLwN4/VJwUz-yEKiI/AAAAAAAALRo/yZMKT3LsrJk/s600/P1270874.JPG)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-n0dy3CUOU0M/VJwUzDZv_JI/AAAAAAAALRw/MxFV6Xu_Qgc/s600/P1270872.JPG)
Old GW barbarian.
Next I will paint some Children of Yig (Tekumel Qol models) and some Neanderthal raiders (using some very old orcs).
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Excellent idea, and quite logical somehow. Howard didn't use the traditional fantasy bestiary (no dragons, manticores &c...) but occasionally dinosaurs ('Red nails' has the flavour of a 'Lost World' adventure) yet some of his 'monsters' are quite 'lovecraftian' ('Thaug' in 'A witch shall be born' e.g.): not surprisingly since he exchanged correspondence with Lovecraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Howard#The_Lovecraft_Circle).
This 'Barbarian' may be old but provides an archetypical Conan.
The Tékumel minis are indeed full of potential outside the 'EOTPT' original setting: even for the 'merly human' from any 'unhistorical' Ancient civilization to Martians.
About Neanderthals iirc the original 'Eaters of the dead' were presented as Neanderthals in the book, yet the Wendol of the movie would make great 'Picts' of the Bear Clan :)
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Very good idea, Viking, a great opportunity to combine two favorite genres. I may try to give it a go at some point, too.
Nice painting on Conan. Looking forward to see more on this thread.
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Actually, Howard corresponded with Lovecraft and got permission to incorporate parts of the Cthulhu Mythos in his stories so your idea is very appropriate.
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Great idea mate 8)
cheers
James
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Damn fine!
I've had similiar thoughts, mostly with Howard and Lovercraft being contempirary, but I just got bits in boxes...
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It goes both ways: One Chaosium campaign module for CoC, Dunwich, described an ancient mount with altar that was built by Hyboreans thousands of years ago (how they came to be in what is now New England, I don't know).
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HPL specifically refers to the SerpentMen of old Valusia in one of his stories - there were additional writers who brought in the whole Tsathoggua becoming their new god and a rebellion against Yig - google-fu will provide extra details :)
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"Lin Carter and Clark Ashton Smith adapted the race for inclusion in the Cthulhu Mythos, inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's short story "The Nameless City", which refers to an Arabian city built by a pre-human reptilian race. Lovecraft's story "The Haunter of the Dark" explicitly mentions the "serpent men of Valusia" as being one-time possessors of the Shining Trapezohedron. However, the Cthulhu Mythos were already connected to the works of Robert E. Howard (a contemporary and correspondent of H. P. Lovecraft as well as a direct contributor to the Mythos itself). In this case, the Serpent Men were created for the very first Kull story, the character of Kull later made an appearance in a Bran Mak Morn story, Kings of the Night, while in another such story, Worms of the Earth, Bran Mak Morn explicitly refers to Cthulhu and R'lyeh. Many Conan stories by Howard are also part of the Mythos."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_Men
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yig
http://kingsofthenight0.tripod.com/mythos.htm
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Nice idea, listened to to a story of his were a celt king deals with things to get even with a roman.
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I endorse this quest.
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Uh oh. So begins the niggling in the back of my brain. That can mean only one thing. :P Wonder what the best source for barbarian minis! I already have the Cthulhu stuff! :)
Great paint on Conan!
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Having just reread the Conan chronicles as an adult, I was overwhelmed by the amount of Mythos that was infused into the stories. All of the enemies and challenges of Conan (other than the humans) were otherworldly and fully mythos based. It was fantastic and revelatory. As a kid reading the stories I never picked up on and I had no idea of the threads that Howard and Lovecraft were weaving together.
I too fully endorse this quest, as it is one of mine.
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On the surface Conan and the Cthulhu-Mythos seems to have some simular ideas. Maybe Howard was after some letters with Lovecraft influenced by these ideas. But the conan-universe - in my opion - is not so near to cthulhu. I prefer - as a cthulhu-fantasy-crossover - the dreamlands from Lovecraft.
But -as usual - great work, doc. Hope to see you in february at tactica, the guys from england will visit it.
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Having just reread the Conan chronicles as an adult, I was overwhelmed by the amount of Mythos that was infused into the stories. All of the enemies and challenges of Conan (other than the humans) were otherworldly and fully mythos based. It was fantastic and revelatory. As a kid reading the stories I never picked up on and I had no idea of the threads that Howard and Lovecraft were weaving together.
I too fully endorse this quest, as it is one of mine.
You know, I haven't read those since the Lancer paperbacks probably about 40 years ago (I first read CoC in '69) and I barely remember them. I've been re-reading and reading a lot of Mythos stuff for the last year and a half or so, but I think I may just have to dig out those old Lancers. Thanks for the insightful observation.
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I finished a unit that will do as neanderthals/cromagnon or whatever primitive humans you have. Not very good sculpts, so I will admit that I didn't spend too much time on it... especially the eyes just refused to work for me.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KNuChzlpKD8/VKPJoZXxENI/AAAAAAAALS0/2lYaswRfW1Q/w1044-h284-no/P1270884.JPG)
I also rebased a cultist and a pair of dimensional shamblers to use in the project. I've got several more cultists coming up but I want to paint their robes in stars and mystical symbols. So this will be a leader of some sort instead I think.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B9DekQppoug/VKPJo70jquI/AAAAAAAALS4/BoulhfzozIQ/w1044-h425-no/P1270889.JPG)
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The cavemen look alright to me mate 8)
cheers
James
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All look great mate!
But where do you find all them horrible miniatures? lol
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This is getting better and better...
By the way, what's your old Conan from? That's one of the best renditions I've ever seen - full of character and not just a dumb and brawny take on Frazetta.
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I finished a unit that will do as neanderthals/cromagnon or whatever primitive humans you have. Not very good sculpts, so I will admit that I didn't spend too much time on it... especially the eyes just refused to work for me.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KNuChzlpKD8/VKPJoZXxENI/AAAAAAAALS0/2lYaswRfW1Q/w1044-h284-no/P1270884.JPG)
by gum, missing the love for some classic Nick Lund 'Chronicle' miniatures (that's what they look like to me, at least) :'( lol
I love 'em - remember buying a load of wargs and riders from the man himself at a UK gamesday many, many moons ago ... wish I still had them!
anyhow - you've done a nice paint job on 'em - look good to me.
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This is getting better and better...
By the way, what's your old Conan from? That's one of the best renditions I've ever seen - full of character and not just a dumb and brawny take on Frazetta.
your comment surprises me (although I'm probably misunderstanding it ...) as the first thing I thought when I saw the mini, was 'oh, straight out of a frazetta painting', what with the helmet an' all ...
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by gum, missing the love for some classic Nick Lund 'Chronicle' miniatures (that's what they look like to me, at least) :'( lol
I love 'em - remember buying a load of wargs and riders from the man himself at a UK gamesday many, many moons ago ... wish I still had them!
anyhow - you've done a nice paint job on 'em - look good to me.
It was unwise of me to blame my own short comings on the miniatures, you are right. Very cool with the ID of the figures too!!! It turns out I have a few more Nick Lund minis lying around. Notably the Mother Crushers.
Next from me on this thread will be more cultists and some qol. I suspect I will also paint some ruined Temple bits I have lying around.
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I especially like the neanderthals, good choice of figures. Keep it coming.
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your comment surprises me (although I'm probably misunderstanding it ...) as the first thing I thought when I saw the mini, was 'oh, straight out of a frazetta painting', what with the helmet an' all ...
The outline matches the conventional Conan, but he's more characterful in terms of the face and build.
I quite like Frazetta's original work, but most of the subtleties of Frazetta's Conan paintings (especially in the expression of some of them) are lost when translated to miniatures. In the paintings you can see that Conan's not just a dumb thug, but you have to look mostly at the eyes to see it and most sculptors can't capture that.
Not that the old GW Barbarian Dr. Viking is using managed that, but instead the sculptor used a different pose and attitude to express what 28mm eyes couldn't.
For a different look, see this much more recent Conan:
(http://img1.imagilive.com/1214/687474703a2f2f6d656469612d63616368652d616b302e70696e696d672e636f6d2f373336782f37622f36642f35652f3762.jpg)
It's otherwise sculpted to a high standard, but he looks like a hunchbacked neanderthal. The sculptor missed the forest for the trees.