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This isn't really a question for a BtS game, since I've developed a severe allergy to the Palladium system, but it's a similar genre, so what the hell. You guys are about the best resource on contemporary horror around, so...

I'm about to start a d20 Modern heroic horror-comedy game set in a west Texas border town (think Bubba Ho-Tep meets Gunsmith Cats; complete write-up is here). I'm in the process of mapping out the campaign, and I could use a little help gathering ideas. Overall, the campaign will start out as unrelated adventures, but gradually lead to the characters discovering a vast plot by the various cults of a being called the Yellow King (an entity somewhere between the Dark and Lovecraft's Old Ones). I've already got one adventure involving a necromancer-priest of a Mesoamerican god of death, and another that brings in the chupacabra, but I need more plots with the proper flavor for the region. The bottom line is that I need some resources on legends and mythology of the southwestern US and northern Mexico. Any help would be appreciated.

Ah, the chupacabra... Sorry, got distracted.

Both. Anything to do with the region...

Yes, but I'm lazy. That, and Google hasn't turned up much usable yet.

Well iits been a while since I last iimmersed mysefl in Mexican folklore but I'll try to be as helpful as I can.

Well on the north part, you've got the fabled Aztlan, where the aztecs originally hailed from, supposedly it was somewhere near the gulf of California.

Also the "Llorona" legend is rumored to be original from all parts of colonial Mexico, all the way from Mexico city to Monterey and other northern towns. This is basically a banshee, a ghostly woman appears at night ussually while their is a covering of mist, and weeps for her missing children, those that are unfortunate enough to see her either die or fright or she kills them, as for children they say she carries them away.

Mexican witches legends differ from the norm, in that the witches not only feed on the blood of children, but they also can change shape to that of vulture or into a ball of flame, and can sometimes be spotted in the later form on of forbodding dates and times (ususally around midnight) on top of the many hills around the cities.

Then there is the nagual, mexican sorcerers who can change into the shape of animals to spread evil. For an interesting view on this legend try to read the books by Carlos Castaneda starting with the "Teachings of Don Juan".

That's it for now I'll post some more as I remeber them

Well, I just moved to NW new mexico 1.5 yrs ago. I've heard a few myths of the Navajo.

They have a sacred mountain (I don't remember its name) that looks vaguely like a giant man. The myth is that the mountain will one day awaken and kill all the white people.

There's the myths of the Thunderbirds - gigantic birds.

They also have myths regarding skinwalkers - evil sorcerers that can take on the form of an animal.

You know, to get a good feel for the area and the people in this area, you could read some of the books by Tony Hillerman. Unfortuneatly he writes mystery, but pretty good dispite that.

EDITNative Americans won't really talk about skin walkers, cause they think its bad luck. Many tribes belive in skin walkers.

Oh yeah, Apache (both the american & mexican reservations) don't believe in illness. All illness and death in their culture is the reflection of someone using black magic, so occationally, someone will end up murdered on the deep reservations because they were thought to be using black magic to kill people.

Another aside, most people don't like the Navajo. Especially other Indian tribes.