The internet does throw up some wonderful things:

• Are anagrams the key to the Voynich Manuscript? The Voynich Manuscript Decoded?
• A lost culture? Culture of Old Europe Is Uncloaked in an Exhibit at N.Y.U. – NYTimes.com
• Christmas wasn’t really a pagan feast originally you know: How December 25 Became Christmas
• The Ancient Greeks had incredible devices! Advanced Imaging Reveals a Computer 1,500 Years Ahead of Its Time
• Was there really a race more intelligent than us? What Happened to the Hominids Who May Have Been Smarter Than Us? (Note: a good friend pointed out to me that the evidence for this “smarter” race is pretty dodge and has long been discredited. Still the idea is quite cool)

Krampus, the nastier version of Santa

I came across this today from wikipedia: Krampus.

According to wikipedia:

Krampus is a mythical creature who accompanies Saint Nicholas in various regions of the world during the Christmas season.

Krampus acts in conjunction with Saint Nicholas; the latter gives gifts to good children, while the Krampus gives warnings and punishments to the bad children…

Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly in the evening of December 5, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells…

A rather cool seasonal monster!

While St. Nick doesn’t actually feature in Lost Heroes RPG, he could easily exist as a Dreamling or even minor God-like being with his home being an icy Island on the Sea of Dreams. The Krampus would be his Nightmare equivalent.