Vintage poster: Exposition Coloniale, Marseille, 1922

An interesting promotional poster for the Exposition Coloniale in Marseille, 1922. In this particular case, illustrating the replica they made of Angkor Wat and a traditional dancer from Indochine. This of course, could be one reason why the Lao poet is traveling in Europe during the timeline of the upcoming re-release of Chaosium's Horror on the Orient Express. 

Here we have another example of the Exposition Coloniale promotional poster that was also used in 1922. This one features a Lao woman, and if you look closely, a traditional Lao-style Buddha with his arms in the distinctive "Calling for Rain" position that is found almost exclusively in the region.

Here, we have an example of the front page coverage of the Exposition Coloniale in 1922 by Le Petit Journal Illustre, which was particularly enamored with the Cambodian exhibit.

[RPG] Horror on the Orient Express, Lao-style

So, some time ago I backed the re-issue of the classic Call of Cthulhu role-playing game campaign, Horror on the Orient Express. Original first printings of the campaign have been spotted on Ebay for nearly $300 in good condition, in no small part due to the number of elaborate handouts to help set the mood.

Chaosium finally released a look at some of the goodies that will be included in many of the deluxe versions of the set coming out later this year. I certainly hope we'll get a chance to play a few of the scenarios during the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Los Angeles this September.

In any case, the campaign is famously convoluted, and players and gamemasters alike tend to love it or hate it. But the latest edition is already getting some very high praise from those who've tried it out.

I'm particularly excited for this because I backed it at a level where I was able to have them include a Lao poet as a playable character in the game, if you want. For this setting, you can now play a traveling poet from Laos touring Theosophist lodges across Europe. His final destination is Luxor, exploring connections of Egyptian snake deities to serpentine Nak of ancient Lan Xang, seeking to end relentless nightmares he has been having.

This all takes place around 1923, give or take a year or two, depending on the gamemaster's discretion. The primary cities you'll find yourself in include London, Paris, Lausanne, Milan and Venice.

But assuming that you're playing in 1923, it has been 5 years since the end of World War I. Under the traditional Lao calendar, it is almost the year 2466, the Year of the Pig (around April 15th). A Lao character would likely be informed of the pending first session of the Indigenous Consultative Assembly scheduled for August 30th.

The year before, in northern Laos, a 3-year Hmong insurrection came to a close (waged between the Year of the Goat, 2462 to Year of the Dog, 2465.) The Hmong have been granted partial autonomy in Xieng Khouang province at this point.

Presumably, if a Lao poet is in Europe around the beginning of 1923, he would most likely have begun his journey in 1922 several months earlier, traveling by boat.

As your character is going spend a lot of time on a train, it may bear worth mentioning that rail was not a common means of travel in Laos, although the French were considering a way to link Laos to Hanoi.

The exception to this was a 7 kilometer track constructed in southern Laos to connect a number of small islands during the French colonial era in southern Laos near the Cambodian border. The system was constructed 30 years prior, around 1893. This was to resolve a challenge of crossing the Khone mountain range separating the Lower from the Middle Mekong during the G. Simon Mission. Here's how the engine looks in the 21st century:

However, in neighboring Siam, in 1853, Queen Victoria had presented King Rama IV the first train for their realm, and trains would have been operating for 70 years. Among the highlights of some of the trains being used in Siam were cars like these golden teak carriages:

Tin mining and coffee production are just starting to take off in Laos in this time, although ultimately it will not be as profitable as the French hoped. The first few coffee plants were introduced to Laos by French colonists around 1915. After trial and error, the French will start trying to harvest coffee beans in the south, rather than the north.

This is because millions of years ago, a volcanic eruption in the south left the southern soils rich in minerals ideal for coffee production. There remains some debate as to the specific impact of entities such as the Great Old Ones and other ancestors in the region that may have given rise to legends regarding the Plain of Jars, the Bolovens Plateau, or epics such as Sin Xay or Phra Lak Phra Lam.

In 1923, a law school is opening in Vientiane to train local Laotians interested in participating in the government. Vientiane is one of the most likely places for the poet to have emerged from, although Luang Prabang is also another possible place to start from for playability.

One particular institution of note in the region is the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) which was dedicated to the study of Asian societies. It was founded in 1900 with headquarters in Hanoi. Its main fields of research are archaeology, philology and the study of modern Asian societies.

Around this time, archaeologist Louis Finot has been the director of the school since 1920, and he is in the process of finishing the publication of Les questions de Milinda, Milinda-Pañhha.

Another significant figure around 1923 is Madeleine Colani, who is 57 years old when most of Horror on the Orient Express typically takes place.Colani was a French archaeologist, born in Strasbourg. She combined the roles of geologist, paleobotanist, archeologist, and ethnographer. Colani discovered the Hoabinhian culture from approximately 16,000 BCE, and investigated the Plain of Jars during the 1930s. She has been working for three years at the Indochinese Geology Bureau, and will one day write Megaliths du Haute Laos (1930). Colani travels frequently with her younger sister,Eléonore. Madeleine Colani had first arrived in French Indochina when she was 33 years old.

1923 is also the 30th anniversary since the Lao territories east of the Mekong were ceded by Siam to the French in the Year of the Snake (1893). There have been a significant number of insurrections over the last decade in Laos at this time among different ethnicities.

Eight years from now (1931) the French will convene the Exposition Coloniale Internationale. It may or may not come into play for the diligent player and gamemaster. Perhaps the poet will also be discussing the possibility of presenting other elements of Lao culture to Europe in the future. Eventually the French will construct a number of pavilions based on different architectural styles from various colonies such as this pavilion for Laos:

Given that the Lao poet is traveling to Egypt as his final destination, it may be worth noting that by April, 1923, a new Egyptian Constitution will be enacted by a 30-member legislative committee that includes representatives of political parties, as well as national movement leaders. Notably, April is the traditional observance of Lao New Year.

The Egyptian constitution is an outcome of the end of World War I. The Egyptian Revolution had broken out in 1919 calling for liberty, independence and democracy. In the year prior to the start of Horror on the Orient Express, this revolution resulted in the February 28th, 1922 declaration that recognizes Egypt as an independent state and ends Egypt's status as a British protectorate.

With this particular game, the Lao poet is touring various Theosophical lodges. For historical accuracy, it has been proposed Auguste-Edouard Chauvet (1885-1955) invited the poet. Chauvet is 38 at the time, and continuing the work of the theosophists Fabre d'Olivet and Sainte Yves d'Alveydre. Chauvet is doing so by examining the book of Moses and other topics of esotericism. The poet is very interested in Chauvet's and the other Theosophists' understanding of serpents in ancient myth and legend as they appear in Europe and Africa.

H.P. Blavatsky, who founded the Theosophical Society in 1875, is sometimes credited as the first person to bring both Buddhism and Hinduism to the West as spiritual traditions that could be embraced globally. While the focus of Theosophical societies has often been on Mahayana traditions or Vajrayana traditions, it is not wholly unthinkable that someone versed in the Theravada traditions of Laos would be of interest to their members.

In 1923, one key event that sent ripples through the Theosophists is the re-founding of the Anthrophosophical Society in Germany as the General Anthroposophical Society, which was 10 years old at the time. Rudolf Steiner was at the center of this movement, having been the General Secretary of the Theosophical Society's German branches. The declared mission of the society will be "to nurture the life of the soul, both in the individual and in human society, on the basis of a true knowledge of the spiritual world."

It's only briefly mentioned in the full biography of the Lao poet in Horror on the Orient Express, but there is a French garrison stationed at Fort Carnot in the province of Houei Xai, near the Mekong, watching the Siamese border. Situated on a hill, Fort Carnot has been in place since approximately 1903 in northwest Laos during the "Holy Man Revolt" led by Ong Kaeo in southern Laos.

The area is today considered  part of Bokeo Province (formed in 1983.) This is one of the least populated regions of the country, but over 34 ethnic groups could be found there, and Houei Xai was a major trading town for Chinese from Yunnan and the Siamese. The area was known for its sapphires, and there was an ancient stele kept at Wat Jom Kao Manilat (below) reputedly dating back to 1458 CE (Approximately 104 years after the founding of the kingdom of Lan Xang by Prince Fa Ngum.)

Because a certain book called On The Other Side Of The Eye is involved, the following poems from the modern text may add some particularly relevant flavor to the proceedings throughout the campaign: "New Myths of the Northern Land," "Imperious," "Hmong Market at Luang Prabang," "Observing the Oblivious," "The Deep Ones," "Before Going Feral," "Democracia," "Thread Between Stone," and "Zelkova Tree."

Do you really need to know all of this in order to play a Lao poet on the Orient Express as some ancient horror stirs that threatens to engulf humanity in its monstrous insanity? Most likely not, but this will hopefully provide some enjoyment for history buffs who really like to get deep into character for such games.

Good luck and enjoy Horror on the Orient Express when you get your copy!

Vientiane, Laos in 1930

An unknown photographer took these amateur snapshots in Laos in 1930. They made their way to England and are presently being sold off individually to private collectors. But this gives you an interesting sense of the past from almost 80 years ago.

Images like this helped to inspire many of the poems in my book DEMONSTRA from Innsmouth Free Press. I'll let you figure out which ones.

A Slice of the Southeast Asian Underworld and Spirits of Laos (2012)

Back in 2012 I did a quick write up on the supernatural in Laos for the Halloween Haunts blog feature of the Horror Writer Association. The Internet being a persnickety thing from time to time, I'm reproducing that post here for posterity, and also for the convenience of new readers just starting to examine Lao horror, especially if you've recently picked up a copy of my new book DEMONSTRA from Innsmouth Free Press.

“When the water rises, the fish eat the ants; when the water falls, the ants eat the fish.”
- Traditional Lao Proverb

Laos isn’t the first place people think of when it comes to international fear and horror.  But whether your tastes are for the supernatural or otherwise, Laos has many surprises for those willing to look, from secret wars to eerie ghosts and weretigers.

Laos is a country of 6 million people, the size of Great Britain and a little bigger than Minnesota. But from a literary standpoint it is still largely terra incognita. Many readers became familiar with Laos through writers such as Colin Coterill, whose mysteries feature the Lao coroner Dr. Siri, or non-fiction accounts such as The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman.

Once known as the Realm of a Million Elephants, Laos traces its roots over 600 years to the ancient kingdom of Lan Xang. Laos has since gone by many names to many different travelers.

During the 19^th and 20^th century, “tranquil” Laos was involved in numerous bloody conflicts, including a byzantine Secret War involving a covert CIA army supporting the Royal Lao Government against the Pathet Lao and their allies. By the end of the war, more tons of bombs were dropped on Laos than on all of Europe during World War 2. Countless people drowned in the Mekong River trying to escape reprisals at the end of the war in 1975.

Over 80 different ethnic groups reside in Laos, each with their own cosmological traditions. While many are Buddhist, others practice variations of animism and ancestor worship. In October, while Americans and Europeans celebrate Halloween, the Lao celebrate Awk Phansaa during the full moon. During this time, families observe the custom of lai hua fai, fashioning small boats adorned with candles, incense and offerings to the spirits, setting them adrift down the river.

While many connect Laos most to the Mekong River, the rest of Lao geography lends itself to intriguing stories. Over 70% of the countryside is jungle or mountain. In the aftermath of the US Secret War in Laos, over 30% of the countryside remains contaminated with over 80 million unexploded cluster bombs. Laos is home to the mysterious Plain of Jars, filled with ancient, massive stone urns built by an unknown culture for an unknown purpose. There is also Xieng Khuan, the Spirit City, a bizarre concrete sculpture garden built by a priest-shaman blending Buddhism and Hinduism. One of the most prominent Buddhist stupas, That Dam, is said to be built over a slumbering ancient being who rose up to defend Laos against invaders in 1827.

Among the creatures Lao encounter in traditional folklore are the Nak, known in other traditions as Naga, or more crudely, as dragons, although that would be a very poor understanding of these beings.  Although they are shapeshifters, their most common form is as a mammoth, often with many heads. They’re reputed to dwell in rivers or beneath the earth. They’re associated with magic and water, including the rain and floods, but also with fertility. Some accounts maintain that the Nak are snake deities who converted to Buddhism and now protect the teachings of the Buddha. They are generally regarded as benevolent, but their vengeance is greatly feared. They are depicted most frequently on the balustrades of Wat Lao, (Lao Buddhist temples).

In Laos, the term phi is applied as a catchall term for the hundreds of ghosts who live in the cities and wilderness. A Phi Kasu, for example, is a floating woman’s head with her entrails and viscera dangling below, ambushing victims at night. Other phi include the hungry ghosts of Buddhist tradition, the ghosts of women who die during childbirth, and at least one being whose presence turns chickens inside out and causes pigs to explode. There is no one comprehensive catalog of Lao phi to date.

One book of interest on this subject is Lokapâla: génies, totems et sorciers du Nord Laos, first printed around 1954, by Henri Deydier. This text examined the beliefs and superstitions of Northern Laos, and recorded Deydier’s trip by foot and horse through the jungles.  At the age of 32, Deydier, alas, died in a plane crash in Laos just shortly after publication of this book. Although it was published in French and German, no edition in English has been published.

Man-Tigers, or Lao weretigers show up in the folklore of many of the tribes and minorities found in Southeast Asia. Among the Lao Soung tribes in the mountains of Laos, weretigers are one of the most supernatural concerns over many others. The Akha, Lisu, Hmong and Lahu in particular are on guard against these beings. The Lisu believe the weretigers are capable of possessing others, including family members. This has affected the courtship practices of Lisu youth, who avoid courting people who are from villages where someone had been reputedly possessed by a weretiger. Among many of the cultures in Laos, during funerals, many are concerned about the arrival of weretigers interested in the deceased and their corpse.

With over 400,000 Laotians living in diaspora in the US and around the world, many brought their traditions and beliefs with them.

While much of the 600 year Lao history and culture has focused on transmitting a message of harmony and friendship, like any society, there is a dark undercurrent of stories that have just begun to be learned outside of the borders of Laos.

Lao Village: Muang Nhiam, 1885

An engraving of the Lao village of Muang Nhiam printed in 1885. Images lie this helped to inspire my story "What Hides, What Returns," for Innsmouth Free Press' Historical Lovecraft. 

Steampunk Alternate History Research: A Burmese map of the world

An old Burmese map of the world, showing elements of medieval map-making techniques, according to the 1906 text, The Thirty Seven Nats. A Phase of Sprit-Worship prevailing in Burma, by the wonderfully named Sir Richard Carnac Temple. 

In many ways, this text feels like something of an almost Lovecraftian tome. For those creating literature or games set in an alternate history or secret history setting, I think this certainly gives a great reminder that the European powers weren't always the center of everyone else's concepts of the world. Consider how we might present it to our audiences.

Steampunk Alternate History Research: Burma

Continuing our look at some of the imagery that might inform a Southeast Asian and Lao approach to steampunk, here are a few engravings from the 1700s and 1800s from Burma. Many of these should certainly spark some ideas of where we could go with this in the histories that never were:

State Barge King of Burma, 1875 

 Emperor's Carriage, War Elephant, 1855. 

Idols on the bank of the River Irrawaddy, Burma, 1880 

 Rangoon, principal port of empire, 1852 

 Shipwreck of the VOC yacht named Cormandel, near Arrakan, present day Burma in 1660

"A temple and idol of large size seen" Dutch reported this temple in Arrakan, Burma. ca. 1660.  

pic

View of the 5 yearly appearances of the King of Arrakan / Burma 1660

Laos and Le Tour du Monde

In the late 1800s, the French magazine Le Tour du Monde featured different articles with engravings regarding travelers' experiences in Laos. A few have been making their way to auction recently and showing up online. An interesting find showing how the French tried to present things in the old days:

MEETING WITH KING PHOUEUNS' SISTER. 1885.

THE MEUONG NGAN CITY. 1885.

HUNTING ON THE MOUNTAIN NEAR BASSAC. 1870.

SCULPTED ROCKS IN NAM OU. 1885.

 

MEKONG DURING CHOLERA. 1885

THE PUNISHMENT. 1870.