Post originally by Roman at 2003-07-24 10:21:07
Converted from Phorums BB System

I was wondering ...

I've been considering running an urban fantasy / mythic fiction campaign, similar in feel to the "Newford" stories of Charles de Lint, or _Neverwhere_ by Neil Gaiman. I'm considering using Underworld (a great game by Skarka, if you can find it--I bought it as soon as it came out) or Hubris Games' Story Engine, but I think that Everway would also be a good choice. Any other recommendations?

I suppose ... I'm trying for a feel that stirs me as de Lint's work does. Material that evokes a sense of awe and wonder, of childlike fascination, of falling in love, of fantastic discovery and *recognition*--as when you come upon a particular work of art (literary or otherwise) or meet a particular person, and recognize them immediately because they "fit" a hole in your soul that's been there for all too long.

At the same time, I don't want to exclude the horrific in Urban Fantasy (something I've not seen *as* much of in de Lint's fiction, though I am familiar with _Angel of Darkness_ and _From a Whisper to a Scream_). Something that evokes more than terror, more than horror, but absolute dread (which, as I see it, is the flipside of awe)--like coming upon one of the blasphemous cosmic horrors Lovecraft alludes to in his fiction.

If you're familiar with RPGs, the darker side would feel like a blend of _Call of Cthulhu_, the better of White Wolf's "World of Darkness," and (most powerful of all, IMHO) _Unknown Armies_.

Something that touches, or pierces, you right through your soul and strikes at the heart of mad imagination, or utter madness.

Something bright like the work of Maxwell Parrish. Or something very dark, like the work of Christopher Shy.

Anyway ... Open to ideas!

~Roman