Alterpedia: Ghosts (part 1)

October 31, 2013 Jeremy Varner 2 Comments

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Ghosts

Source

The days of the dead have come again. Every year, different cultures in the world recognize festivals and holidays devoted to the dearly departed. These celebrations often involve colorful costumes, feasting on sweets and celebrating into the late night hours. Though there’s always a solemn respect under it all because a question has always loomed and weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of the people celebrating.

We all know that spirits are supposed to carry on and leave the mortal plane. But it’s undeniable that people have seen something lurking in the dark corners of rooms and floating weightlessly through hallways and outside windows. You hear things move and shift in the night or the faint whispers of someone you can’t quite find. A chill runs through you to the bone as you swear that you feel something entering the room with you while your back is turned.

Are they still with us?

Continue reading Alterpedia: Ghosts (part 1) →

Agent of Argyre, FICTION, Satire

5 Tips For Driving In The Modern Day

October 23, 2013 Jeremy Varner

You live to drive. In fact, you have a desperate need to drive. Some even say that if you stop driving that someone is going to immediately die.

But with the number of vehicles on the road growing everyday and the population continually on the rise it’s only a matter of time before you get pushed into a situation where your knowledge of driving etiquette will be tested. Though the driver’s test will fill you in on quite a bit of it, a lot of videos (especially out of Russia) have told us that people in general ignore the material covered in the test almost immediately after leaving the building. This leaves most people having learned the rules of the road via media, leaving them with choices such as Fast and the Furious:

Or The Great Race:

Clearly, neither of these are accurate source material for the road. And, on the chance you may think they are, it’s probably a good idea for us to brush up.

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Agent of Argyre, Alterpedia, FICTION

Alterpedia: Dullahan

October 18, 2013 Jeremy Varner 1 Comment

Dullahan

A haunting figure, the headless horseman roams the countryside hunting while typically carrying their own severed head under their arm. Though originally an Irish myth, an unseelie fairy, the Dullahan has grown to be more commonly associated with the Headless Horseman of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Because of this, the Dullahan sits in a strange place in folklore as both being incredibly well known and yet have very few people recognize its name.

With the rise of shows such as Sleepy Hollow, the figure of the Headless Horseman has come back to the cultural mind again. This raises a question: Does this dark rider truly exist, or is it just a folktale used to scare people into staying off the late night roads?

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Agent of Argyre, FICTION, Satire

Five Easy Steps To Avoid Becoming An Evil Prick

October 17, 2013 Jeremy Varner

It’s a brand new millennium and you’re at the start of the journey we call life. You’re vital, unattached, vibrant and ready to take on the world or at least find your place in it. You’re the strongest you’ll ever be and there’s nothing in this world that can stop you.

But there’s a lot going on in the world and society has become so interconnected that it’s easy to get led astray. Sometimes this means that you’re going to be tempted to do things that would be considered “unclean”, “unwise” or just down-right “evil”.

This is perfectly okay, everyone experiences it. But in your case, with the way you are, it could be a little unfortunate if you happened to lose your shit and go wild. There’s historical record of what happens when people with your sort of advantages start to lose perspective.

So as a helpful piece of advice, here are some steps to save your sanity in these trying times.

Continue reading Five Easy Steps To Avoid Becoming An Evil Prick →

Agent of Argyre, Alterpedia, FICTION

Alterpedia: Empyreals

October 12, 2013 Jeremy Varner 1 Comment

Empyreals

Throughout the world there have been stories of beings of light who embody a divine presence of a higher plane than we mortals could understand. Creatures like these have been described as existing as beings of smoke, light or fire that interact with us but are not a part of our world. These entities have existed under many names and many forms throughout history and across different religions.

To the Buddhists and Hindus these entities are known by names such as the Bodhisattva, Gandharva or Dakini.

To the Greeks they were the Eudaemon while the similar influences of Egypt featured the likes of Ra.

But, most famously, to the Abrahamic religions they have been the Nephilim, Djinn and, their most well known name, Angels.

Angels are among us! At least according to the many people who have been claiming to have seen them over the millennia. Even into the modern day people continue to have experiences with entities who seem unworldly and surrounded in light. Recent television series have even explored the idea that Angels are not just among us but have actually been trapped on the same plane as us.