Persian Zodiac – Demon Malik Karash
Original Source [Link leads to error message, though]
‘Painting in Fresco in the Sepulchres of Thebes’ In: ” Travels to discover the source of the Nile, in the years 1768-1773″ by James Bruce
The World In 2030
Sergey Tyukanov
Heidelberger Totentanz
Voyage of the HMS Challenger
Brain Maps
Norse Edda from Iceland
Le Monde Reverse
Original Source [Broken Link]
Speculum Orientalis
There’s a lot of stylistic contrasts in this one. It’ll be interesting to see which ones get chosen by whoever gets your set.
I LOVE the Heidelburger Totentanz. Dice flying through the air + skeleton = awesome.
There are lots of interesting images in there but I’m having a hard time coming up with a cohesive theme for them other than “hallucinations” or “nightmares.” I’ve got to really think about how to use images at a high level, then try to apply it here. Yow.
Adam, I actually have a couple of ideas, say if you want me to share them.
I reread the rules and realize that I only need five of the images. Here are my thoughts:
Thoughts about the ten images assigned to me:
1. Persian Zodiac – Demon Malik Karash – IN
I like me some demons! Persian / Egyptian zodiac stuff is cool, too. I could totally try to work in some Babylonian zodiac stuff here, with Ishtar and whatnot. Divination via astrology.
http://www.iranchamber.com/culture/articles/astrology_astronomy_iran_mesopotamia.php
2. ‘Painting in Fresco in the Sepulchres of Thebes’ In: ” Travels to discover the source of the Nile, in the years 1768-1773″ by James Bruce – OUT
More Egyptian roots. The image itself doesn’t suggest anything game-y to me though. I don’t yet know how I’d use it in the game.
3. The World In 2030 – OUT
Very modern and futuristic in contrast with the first two, which bear on ancient themes. I’ll probably pass on this image.
4. Sergey Tyukanov – OUT
Flying boot castles! Um, very surreal but cool.
5. Heidelberger Totentanz – IN
Le Danse Macabre. Black death. Skeletons rolling dice. Death will come to you, no matter who you are, or how well you roll?
6. Voyage of the HMS Challenger – OUT
Fantastic octopus sketches but can I use this? Maybe for a cthulhoid game. I’ll probably pass on this image.
7. Brain Maps – IN
This is my favorite image of the set. It’s based on Sivartha’s ideas of mind and body, numerology (especially the number 12). I like the picture because it’s full of evocative words I could use as attributes or traits. There are the directional words (minoris North, Light, Earthward, Exit, Revulsion, the Past) and generic words (Lamb, Religion, Inspiration, Science, Receptive, Serpent, etc.). I think I can find a very powerful use for this in the game, and maybe some other brain maps, too.
8. Norse Edda from Iceland – IN
Norse mythology with pictures. I can make out the word “Fenris” on the image. Wikipedia has this image on their Fenrisulfur page, with the caption, “Týr losing his hand is a scene that has provoked the imagination of artists throughout the centuries. This illustration is from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript.” Oddly, they also say that “Fenris” is an Anglicized version of “Fenrisulfur,” and it appears nowhere in the Old Norse manuscripts, but it appears pretty clearly on this Icelandic manuscript. Maybe the word after is “Ulpia” to form “Fenris Ulpia,” which I could imagine as a form of “Fenrisulfur.” Actually, there’s a “:” after “Fenris,” meaning hyphenation. Anyway, bad wolf! Fenrir is Loki’s wolf son.
I might be able to use this image. More “ancient” themes (it’s a pre-Christian, so at least as old as 10th or 11th C.).
9. Le Monde Renversé – IN
What a twisted picture. It’s “absurdist role reversals.” Topsy-turvy world. I could use the theme of relationship inversion but I’m not sure how much the image would really help. From Bibliodyssey:
10. Speculum Orientalis – OUT
“Maps of the East.” The Dutch East India Company commissioned explorer/pirate Joris van Spilbergen to chart the Strait of Magellan but he spent most of that time attacking Spanish ships. This particular picture shows a nighttime ship battle (note the sinking ship at the bottom right). I can’t make out the flags very well to tell who is who.
So here’s what I’m left with:
1. Persian Zodiac – Demon Malik Karash – IN
5. Heidelberger Totentanz – IN
7. Brain Maps – IN
8. Norse Edda from Iceland – IN
9. Le Monde Renversé – IN
#1, #5, and #8 suggest genre and setting. #7 suggests mechanics. #9 suggests theme or mechanics.
I may end up dropping #9. If I do, I’d pick up #2 or #10 or #4, probably in that order of preference.
Heh, seeing you’re totally not taking my idea, I can air it to show what direction I’d have gone. I think this is half the fun, seeing we each get a different assortment.
I’d have taken the flying boots, note the squid picture looks like a head and two hands, the brain. and two more.
This gives us body-parts, who are not acting normal. Where I’d have gone with this? No idea, but somewhere bold!
Too weird to me, and too conceptual. I like more literal uses of images for my own designs.
I like weird
And cool beans, it’s cool to compare possible designs.