New Era monster Redos

[Morgoth]

Very, very cool redo, Zigra. I like it. Might have to hunt down that sourcebook, even if I haven't bought a CoC rpg book since 5th edition (way too many moons ago to bear thinking about).

[Zigra]

Glad to hear it Secrets of Japan is a fairly new CoC sourcebook, so you should be able to find it rather easily at your local comic/RPG stores. Also, if you get the book, I'll point out that the Mappo no Ryujin is the beasty whose face you see a close-up of on the cover The sourcebook is also notable for featuring my favorite avatar of Nyarlathothep to date, the Aku-Shin Kage (can't really describe this guy with words, you just have to see it if you can find the book).

Also, I have to make a small confession. I can't take credit for that cool introduction (I'd be a Twinning-esque scumbag if I did). I'm not that good of a writer. It was actually taken from "Secrets of Japan", though I made a few small alterations here and there.

[BS Digital Q]

KInda funny, but I was recently talking to the author of said source-book about the possibilities of converting Godzilla for SoJ, and he and I exchanged some ideas around. Mostly concerning The Doom That Came to Sarnath, or maybe some sort of connection between him and Yig. We even thought of somehow giving him a Delta Green scenario involving the Azathoth-Bomb or the Milk of Shub-Niggurath.

[Cole Deschain]

Just use Gazira.

[Zigra]

^Agreed. You realize, BS, that SoJ already has it's own version of Godzilla, don't you?

[BS Digital Q]

Originally Posted by Zigra

^Agreed. You realize, BS, that SoJ already has it's own version of Godzilla, don't you?

Unfortunately, I do not own my own copy, so I am really clueless. Heck, considering there were five of us including the author discussing this over at the forum, I'm suprised they didn't mention this Gazira character.

[Zigra]

Yeah, that's very odd, considering there's not only a profile for Gazira, but extensive mentions of him throughout the book, a picture (looks kinda like Heisei Goji, with sharper spines), and even a couple of campaign hooks involving him.

[BS Digital Q]

Originally Posted by Zigra

Yeah, that's very odd, considering there's not only a profile for Gazira, but extensive mentions of him throughout the book, a picture (looks kinda like Heisei Goji, with sharper spines), and even a couple of campaign hooks involving him.

Gives me more incentive to get it then...

EDIT: Hey, what's the latest edition of CoC anyway? I'm in serious need of updating my current edition.

[Darth Reaper]

It's an interesting idea Zigra, but I'm not sure if I can get behind it. This creature is clearly so large and so powerful that nobody would be able to fight it. And, what fun is there if Godzilla can't slug it out with an opponent?

[Zigra]

Technically, the idea wasn't to have any particular monster fight it, but for her to be something that the protagonists try to prevent the awakening of, after, of course, they figure out why the creature is awakening again.

Also, if you read between the lines, I did present a possible solution. The Muvian ritual may not actually be lost to everybody (hint: take note of where the ritual actually originated from, and read the beginning of the redo again). The only question would be whether a certain individual would even be willing to save our sorry butts, or whether they'd just sit back and allow our doom to come about.

Edit: Better yet, perhaps there is a human who has the honor and nobility to be willing to invoke the spell, and sacrifice themselves in the process (preferably, this would be a woman to keep with the image of Benten herself). The trouble would be convincing LC that she has such honor within her and getting him to reveal the secrets of the ritual.

BTW, a cookie goes to anybody who knows what real-world myth I am invoking by using the character of Benten (silence, Cole! I know you already know:P ).

[Cole Deschain]

Originally Posted by Darth Reaper

It's an interesting idea Zigra, but I'm not sure if I can get behind it. This creature is clearly so large and so powerful that nobody would be able to fight it. And, what fun is there if Godzilla can't slug it out with an opponent?

I certainly enjoyed Godzilla s. Cthulhu. And we all know how that "fight" would have ended had it continued...

It's a Lovecraftian beastie, DR. It's not really meant to be "fought."

We are meant to slowly, painfully uncover the horrifying mythology surrounding it, and to realize that brute force is not the answer...

[KAMERUS88]

Maybe Godzilla and other Earth monsters would basically attempt to stall it(even though they woulden't know this) while the humans try to unearth a real method to defeat the thing.

By the way Zigra I dig the redo!

[LizardKing]

Hey guys I hope to have some more New Era artwork soon, I finished work on the the new seven gaurdians, I completly redid Gappa and King Seesar and they look pretty good. I also got a New Era version of Gigan done, it's pretty true to the Showa version just plus jets, and newer wings. And in a real cool pose.
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Ford Sigma engine history

[BS Digital Q]

Originally Posted by KAMERUS88

Maybe Godzilla and other Earth monsters would basically attempt to stall it(even though they woulden't know this) while the humans try to unearth a real method to defeat the thing.

By the way Zigra I dig the redo!

STALL the Mappo No Ryujin?! They wouldn't even last against her.

[KAMERUS88]

She's that powerful huh? We'll woulden't be much of a Kaju story if none of the Kaiju could at least struggle against her for a little while.

[BS Digital Q]

If she ever was in a story, she probably would never actually appear. It would essentially be about the protagonists trying to prevent the villians from unleashing her, as if she is freed it begins Mappo, and we all know that she is freed when the stars are right. And if she is unleashed, she will automatically consume the sun itself.

Now, I'm pretty sure Zigra toned her down a bit, but the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of the Great Old Ones are never meant to be fought. They aren't like kaiju; they are higher than kaiju in many ways, and they should never be considered in the same light as them.

Thank you and good night.

[Morgoth]

Can't wait to see the artwork LK. Very interested to see what you came up with for the guardians.

[Darth Reaper]

Hey Clint, could you do a redo for the character Utsuno Ikusagami? Perhaps he could be an ancient spirit who decides to take pity on us poor mortals and come to our aid in our time of need.

Here's what I have for an idea so far:

Utsuno Ikusagami

There was a time long ago when great and powerful spirits acted as the stewards of our world, ensuring that the natural order of things stayed in balance. The sentient beings of this world called them gods and bowed to them in worship. But, a time came when the gods chose to step back and relinquish their authority over the Earth. It was time for the Earth's sentient races to rise up, take the next step in their evolution, and stand or fall based on their own merrits. It was time for us to become the new stewards of this world.

But, thanks to the demon-dragon Bagan and the mad sorceror Eiji, the Earth has entered a new dark age, and evil lurks in all directions. The people of the world (and not just humans) struggle to hold on but extinction may very well be inevitable. Some of the old gods feel that the circumstances demand that they once again take an active role in the fate of the Earth; not neccessarily to usurp our position as the stewards of this world, but to help us put things back in order.

One of those gods who wish to come to this world's aid is a powerful sun god named Utsuno Ikusagami.

That's all I have so far. I'll let you take a crack at coninuing his characterization Clint.

One additional idea that intrigues me is having Utsuno Ikusagami act as a kind of mentor and confidant to Ultraman. For all of the knowledge and wisdom that he's been granted by the Delta Plasma Pendant, Ultraman sometimes still feels the need to seek advice and confide in someone else when the stress starts to get to him. He has his limits after all, and sometimes part of being wise is knowing when to look to someone else for help, right?

What do you think Clint? Care to take my challenge?

[Zigra]

I'm also looking forward to your drawings, LK (sorry I overlooked your message). Though, one thing I'll point out if you're going to color them, is that Clint's Gigan is suppose to be a blue-black color, not green like he is commonly accepted to be now

Not a bad idea for Utsuno, DR, but wasn't he suppose to be a villain?

[BS Digital Q]

No, he's a hero god Ultraman/Mechazord ripoff from Yamato Takeru who kills Orochi.

[Zigra]

Ah, that's right. I had him confused with the villain who actually unleashes Orochi. Haven't actually bothered to watch the movie (don't really care to), so I don't have all the names in order.

[Darth Reaper]

Here's more for my idea.

First, I feel the need to point out that not all of the old gods feel the same way as Utsuno Ikusagami about the fate of our world. Some of the gods feel that no matter what happens, they must stay out of this worlds affairs. They relinquished their authority over the Earth so that the sentient races could take the next step in their evolution. We're supposed to stand or fall based on our own merrits; that was the plan, and some of the gods feel that for better or worse they must stick to that plan.

Some of the gods feel that if the people of this world insist on embracing darkness and self-destruction, then we deserve whatever we get. Let the darkness consume them, these gods say, they've brought it upon themselves.

Still other gods basically don't care what happens to this world. They've moved on to other things and the Earth is no longer their concern.

And, of course there are some gods who are just plain mean and nasty (every herd has its black sheep). Some of them enjoy watching lesser beings suffer, and some even seek to use the situation to their advantage (like, perhaps, Tusukujomi, the guy Zigra mistook Utsuno for).

Finally, there are those gods like Utsuno Ikusagami, who feel that they should come to this world's aid in its time of need. They feel that the world is in a situation that we mortals are powerless to fix on our own. Because of one man's madness, everyone ane everything else is going to suffer, and there may be nothing that we can do about it. How can the gods not intervene under those circumstances?

Plus, they are unwilling to pass judgement on all of the people of this world for the sins of some of them. They see good people in this world and feel that they must be protected from the evil and encouraged to be all that they can be.

Besides, if the gods don't come to the Earth's aid when they're needed most, what does that say about them? If they're willing to sit back and watch as this world, which was once their charge, dies a slow and horrible death, can they really say that they're any better than those whom they look down on?

There are probably other gods who have other opinions besides the ones that I've just listed. I imagine that Daimajin is one of them. I see him as a god who is concerned only with performing his function in the grand scheme of things. He continues to do now what he has always done. He is a god of wrath, he punishes those who have earned his enmity. Retribution is what he does, and it's all that he cares to do. I also see him as being a bit of a lone wolf amongst the gods. He does things his own way, and defers to no one.

Second, does anyone remember the character Daijinryuu? Super Angillas did a redo of him a couple thousand pages back. He became Serpentara for MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS. I have an idea for him.

In my idea, Daijinryuu is one of what I'm going to call the High Gods of our universe, and Utsuno Ikusagami's superior in rank. Basically, he is to Utsuno what Zeus is to the Olympian gods and Odin is to the Norse gods. Before Utsuno can come to the Earth's aid, he must ask Daijinryuu for permission to do so. Daijinryuu is one of those gods who feel that they must continue to let mortals stand or fall based on their own merrits. However, he respects Utsuno's compassion and courage, so he gives his blessing. Daijinryuu will not get personally involved in mortal affairs, but he will not to stand in Utsuno's way.

Third, these gods normally dwell on another plain of existence from this physical plain. They're spirits, and their home is a spirit world. The gods can influence the physical plain form their spirit world, but there are limits to that ability. In order to influence the physical plain most effectively, the gods must cross over into the physical plain. And, in order to interact with this physical dimension most effectively, the gods must adopt a physical form. This makes for a good reason for Utsuno Ikusagami to manifest himself in physical forms, rather than just striking down all of the bad guys from on high. Besides, many kaiju are probably too tough for a simple bolt from the blue (unless of course its a High God who's throwing it).

I see Utsuno usually manifesting himself as a human being, perhaps some kind of holy man. But, when Utsuno must fight, he manifests himself as an armored giant.

What do you think of these additions guys?

[Darth Reaper]

Hm, apparently in YAMATO TAKERU, a god named Izanagi is the father of all gods. Okay, so I guess he's going to have to take Daijinryuu's place as Utsuno's superior. The story can remain the same though.

Maybe Daijinryuu could be a patron god of dragons. That could work for him.

Oh, and according to another source, Tusukujomi is spelled Tsukuyomi.

[Darth Reaper]

Can anyone provide pictures of what Tsukuyomi looks like in his armor? I'm interested in seeing that. Husnock, I'm looking in your direction.

[Zigra]

Darth, I should point out that Izanagi an actual god from the Shinto religion (so is Tsukuyomi's brother, Susano).

Your ideas remind me of what Clint described about the ascended dragons, particularly when he spoke of how the majority of them feel they have "moved on" from the material world, and care little for it now (which is why they, with the exception of Foom, didn't care if Bagan destroyed the world). Perhaps some of the "gods" from Eastern religions were actually ascended dragons, explaining why the dragon image is so important to Eastern spirituality.

And, speaking of Japanese gods, for those of you who hadn't figured it out, the character of Benten in my Mappo no Ryujin redo is an actual Japanese goddess. Benten is the goddess of love and the ocean, and one of the Seven Luck Gods (the only female one), and she is most remembered for having used her power to tame the wrath of a gigantic snake/dragon, said to be the master of all serpents. For the sake of my redo, I just said that she was actually a Muvian priestess who stopped the Ryujin's rampage, and who was honored (and ages later, deified) for what she had accomplished.