Did you know that H.P. Lovecraft was born on August 20th in 1890? We did! In honor of H.P. Lovecraft’s birthday, we’re having a week filled with Cthulhu! Whether you’re a gamer or a horror aficionado, we will have something for everyone.

Cthulhu Week at FlamesRising.com is special in a lot of ways because of Lovecraft’s influence on the horror genre. Over the years, we’ve covered books, movies, games and music that were either directly or indirectly related to the Cthulhu Mythos. Hands down, Cthulhu is definitely your favorite elder god. From our interviews with Kenneth Hite, Joseph Vargo and A. Scott Glancy to our coverage of the Trail of Cthulhu RPG, Unspeakable Words board game, the Beyond the Wall of Sleep review and several other books, comics, movies and games, it’s clear what an influence Lovecraft has had on the horror genre. We have a lot of really great goodies in the pipeline, including a wonderful contribution from Robin D. Laws, who provided the rules design for TRAIL OF CTHULHU!!!

If you don’t want to lose your mind, be sure to stay tuned this week as we travel to the underwater city of Ry’leh to embrace all things Cthulhu! “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!”

Coming this November, Eden Studios is proud to announce Band of Zombies.

Band of Zombies is the new World War II sourcebook for All Flesh Must Be Eaten, and it is positively packed with new surprises. Inside you will find:

• New Qualities, Drawbacks, Inspired Miracles, and Zombie Aspects
• Detailed Rules for Dogfighting and Naval Combat
• Rules for Shell Shock, Combat Stress, and Madness
• New gear, from guns to aircraft to naval vessels to tanks
• Mass Combat rules
• Advice on running campaigns in World War II, from fire teams to commando squads, to SOE operatives behind enemy lines.
• And more!

So strap on your rucksack, hoist your SMG, keep your socks dry, and for cripes’ sake, Private, don’t forget the call sign! When they come shambling out of the dark, will you stand tall or join the armies of the dead?

Yazata is a new Pantheon for Scion done in the style of the Companion Pantheon sections for the Tuatha De Dannan, Celestial Bureaucracy, and Devas in the Scion Companion. It offers a look at a new Pantheon, their history, virtues, and PSP, some Birthrights, sample characters, and an examination of their Overworld, Underworld, and a Titan to menace them. Yazatas also offers a new All Purpose Purview, Stars, and an Adventure, The God, The Bad and the Ugly.

My familiarity with Persian mythology is mediocre. I am more familiar with it than the typical fellow on the street, but I would not say I have a professional’s grasp of it. Take my comments therefore with the appropriate grain of salt. On the other hand, I have run Scion heavily for over three years and have a good idea of how it works. As this is going up on a horror site, I’ll note like the other Scion books Yazata is not a horror game; if you’re looking for something to give a good scare at the table, you will want to give this a pass.

A TASTE OF BLOOD AND ROSES is a collection of horror short stories that spans two decades of work by Bram Stoker Award winning author David Niall Wilson. From the streets of Jerusalem to the historical life of Vlad Tepes, follow this prolific author through eleven tales of vampirism, lycanthropy, and darkness. There’s a bit of dark humor, a touch of the erotic, and a little something for everyone who loves creatures of the night. Also…these vampires are guaranteed not to sparkle.

Flames Risingis pleased to present a short story entitled A Candle in the Sun for you to read from this anthology by David Niall Wilson.

The Scarlet Empress returns and, unknown to most, heralds the Yozi Reclamation.

Soon, Creation will be plunged into conflict. Whether they support the Empress’s efforts or oppose her at every turn, the world’s Exalted will be at the heart of the struggle. In the end, as the heavens shake and the Blessed Isle burns, what tales will they tell of your deeds?

Return of the Scarlet Empress is available at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

Ulrika Magdova, reluctant vampire, is struggling to control her thirst for blood. For the protection of herself and others, a coven of vampires has given Ulrika sanctuary, so she can safely adapt to a life of darkness. But before she learns to control her strange new powers, that sanctuary is endangered.

In the city of Nuln something is preying upon this ancient race, and threatening to expose their existence to the nation. A witchhunt has begun and people are calling for the destruction of the vampires. With nowhere to hide, Ulrika and her mentor, the Countess Gabriella, must hunt down this mysterious killer before they become its next victims.

Let me start by saying that vampires have never really been my thing. Other than loving Gary Oldman as Dracula and staring at Kate Beckinsale I haven’t been attracted to them the way many people are. I have always thought of vampires as being great villains when done right, but more often than not, they are done all wrong in the worst kind of way. Yeah that’s right Twilight; I am looking at you….

Eden Studios announces today an agreement with Tim Seeley, creator of the HACK/SLASH™ horror comic book series, for the design, production, and distribution of the HACK/SLASH roleplaying and card games. Currently in development, the HACK/SLASH card game will be released late in 2010.

Eden Studios has a knack for making great games based on survival horror, and HACK/SLASH is a perfect fit for their line-up. Cassie Hack is the lone survivor of an attack by the vicious killer known as the Lunch Lady. HACK/SLASH chronicles the travels of Cassie and her monstrous partner Vlad as they crisscross the country, hunting down and destroying supernatural slashers before the uncanny butchers can claim more victims. The series features a perfect balance of horror and dark humor, and plots that put a fresh spin on the familiar themes and iconic characters of comics, gaming, and, of course, slasher flicks.

Avast! Thar be ghastly things that sail these waters!

Whether labeled privateers or buccaneers, everyone feared pirates during the Age of Sail. Now the pirates have something to be afraid of . . . the livin’ dead! From voodoo queens to ghost ships, swashbuckling with zombies is a whole different jug of grog.

So tighten them sails! Hoist the Jolly Roger an’ go on the account with the brethren o’ the sea! But ‘ware the shout from the crows’ nest, “Argh! Thar Be Zombies!” They’ll be after more than ye gold!

So trim the sails and hoist the Jolly Roger. Arrgh! Thar Be Zombies!

ARRGH! Thar Be Zombies is a supplement for the All Flesh Must Be Eaten roleplaying game, published by Eden Studios. Flames Rising is pleased to present an exclusive preview of this new book.

Last week David Hill shared some of his thoughts on the creative process that went into the new RPG, Maschine Zeit in an essay called: Ghost Stories on Space Stations here at Flames Rising.

Now we’re pleased to show you a sneak peek at the setting of this game with a little bit of fiction called The Scholar and The Sages.

Maschine Zeit is available now at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

His name is Brunner. Goblins, vampires, fugitives, and even dragons – they’re all fair game for this lethal killer’s blade. Across the length and breadth of the grim Warhammer Old World, Brunner plies his trade, applying his skills and intelligence to track down and slaughter sinister fiends. But he also faces challenges from within his own dubious profession as a rival bounty hunter stakes a claim to his bounty. Enter the dark and dangerous world of a ruthless bounty hunter.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, the Flames Rising RPGNow Store is where the discounts are at!

That’s right, Christmas in July is here! Get 25% off of thousands of products by dozens of great publishers! Put the jingle bells on, and keep some jingle in your pocket, too!

Save on titles from White Wolf, Mongoose, Green Ronin, Pinnacle, AEG, Margaret Weis Productions, Crafty Games, Malhavoc Press, Cubicle 7 and more!

Earlier this year, FlamesRising.com announced the release of an e-book by Monica Valentinelli, Shari Hill and Leanne Buckley entitled THE QUEEN OF CROWS. Since its release on DriveThruHorror.com, this $4.99 e-book has gotten rave reviews for its unique design and strong emphasis on the reader.

Today, we are pleased to announce that a promotional trailer has been released for THE QUEEN OF CROWS. The trailer was designed by Monica Valentinelli and employs an aged, historical feel. The music was composed by James Semple, a professional in the entertainment industry. Together, the pair worked on deciding the feel of the music and how it fit with the dark images in the trailer. Once the theme of the music was decided, Semple worked his magic and incorporated sound effects into the dramatic clip.

What would I be, if God wanted me to be something different? I would be whatever God saw fit to make me.

Whatever God sees fit for me, one thing will never change. I will always be a monster.

– Solomon Birch

World of Darkness: Mirrors is available at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

Listen to what I tell you, son, every word is true
The sisters haunt the night, and might fight over you
Nothing can steal your soul and stamp it in the mud
Like being the new play-pretty for the girls with the games of blood . . .

The old song warns of the beautiful Bolade sisters, Patience and Prudence, whose undying rivalry was said to stretch even beyond the grave. But Count Rudolfo Vladimir Zginski has never heard the song. A suave Continental vampire, staked to death more than sixty years ago, he has risen to stalk the Southern nights of Memphis, Tennessee, circa 1975. Although new to the modern world, he has quickly developed a taste for its hot blood, willing women, and high-speed automobiles.

Alex Bledsoe, author of Blood Groove, returns to he world of the undead with a tale of fast cars and vengeance that never dies. . . .

Flames Rising is pleased to present the first chapter of The Girls with Games of Blood.

A mad scientist is experimenting with viral Rage in the middle of the woods. One of the victims of this crazy doctor’s experiment goes mad, escapes and kills the Doctor himself before escaping into the woods, where he meets his death from the Virus. After eating the corpse of the infected victim, the Rage Virus spread to the wild vultures. This causes a lot of horrific problems for visitors and campers to the woods. The birds attack several hikers in the area, spreading and mutating the virus into the plant-life as well. The Vultures infect victims by spraying this yellow slime into their faces. After a group of concert goers get tangled up in this mess when their RV is pretty much decimated by a Raging Zombie and air bombed by Raging Vultures.

After going through hundreds of entries, the judges have narrowed the field and selected the nominees for each of the 20 categories. On behalf of the judges and the Board of Directors, please allow me to congratulate each publisher for their nomination(s) for the Tenth Annual ENnie Awards. Voting for the ENnies will begin on July 16th. Until then, feel free to view the nominees and offer your own congratulations.

Visit the official announcement page for links to all of the products listed below:

The judges have chosen five products for each category below. The HM products (Honorable Mention) are products that the judges really liked, but fell short of an actual nomination. For more information, click on a product’s name. Winners will be announced on the evening of Friday, August 6th at Gen Con!

The Ancient Egyptian gods have defeated all the other pantheons and claimed dominion over the earth, dividing it into warring factions. Lt. David Westwynter, a British soldier, stumbles into Freegypt, the only place to have remained independent of the gods’ influence. There, he encounters the followers of a humanist leader known as the Lightbringer, who has vowed to rid mankind of the shackles of divine oppression. As the world heads towards an apocalyptic battle, there is far more to this freedom fighter than it seems…

A demon is nothing but sin given will and power

A man who makes a deal with a demon is inviting that sin into him. It does more than consume him – it defines him. It wears him. It rots away at the core of his being. Demons can do it to places, too – whole cities, given the chance. They can alter the supernatural landscape.

Here, then, is the result of sin, hubris and impatience, and here is a chance to banish a demon back to Hell and right a great wrong – or to seize power. Which will the characters choose?

Fallen is Babylon is available now at the Flames Rising RPGNow Shop.

With fans eagerly anticipating the debut of Archaia Entertainment and Before the Door’s first joint comic project, the two companies proudly unveiled the final cover to the first issue of LUCID, which will debut in August in comic book shops, with advance copies available at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif., July 22-25, 2010.

Lucid is a four-issue miniseries written and illustrated by newcomers Michael McMillian and Anna Wieszczyk, who also drew the cover. McMillian is a longtime comics fan and no stranger to the entertainment industry, having recently appeared on the hit HBO series “True Blood” and as a recurring regular on the Amanda Bynes CW television series, “What I Like About You.” McMillian is the creator of Lucid and this is his first written comic work. Wieszczyk is based in Poland and her short story, “Acid Sunset,” was recently published in Popgun Anthology Vol. 4. She is also currently working on Halo8’s Godkiller motion comic.

Fantasist Enterprises is offering lifetime subscriptions to its line of anthologies and novels in an effort to raise funds for their next anthology, Fantastical Visions V. The fundraiser is taking place from June 15 to July 31 on Kickstarter.com, a web site devoted to helping creative projects, events, and dreams come to life. “We’re offering lifetime subscriptions to the Fantastical Visions series, as well as our main line of fantasy and horror books, in order to publish the anthology, and to generate seed money that will help us grow as a company and work with more authors,” says publisher and editor-in-chief William Horner. “If we raise enough capital, we have several projects in the works that we will be able to complete right away. We’ll then reopen for submissions.”