The Vanquisher‘s Guide

The Jersey Devil, a Cursed Thirteenth Child?

Stories of mysterious creatures stalking the woods have been told all over the world for generations. Tales of giant footed apes, haunting moths, or living snowmen but all of them have a story. This week on The Vanquisher’s Guide we look deeper into a demonic cryptid, The Jersey Devil. Where did it come from, was it merely a cursed child just trying to live its life, a man rumored to be a witch and a ghost? Or is there perhaps a more mundane explanation to it?

The Sanderson Sisters, Wicked Witches from Hocus Pocus

When you think of Halloween and witches the classic Hocus Pocus movie is surly popping in your head. With that the Sanderson sisters have become an iconic witch trio. Take a spell with us as we talk about the powers and abilities of these wicked villains. We want to analyze and break down the timeless movie and discover the depth and lore within.

The Demogorgon, Terror of the Upside Down from Stranger Things

The Demogorgon has represented many different things to variety of different peoples throughout history. To some a primordial creator deity born out of chaos to sculpt the material world, to others a horrific demon weaving a wicked fate in the underworld.  But to us in modern day it is a wonderfully horrific fusion of murder monster and cosmic abomination that has kept us enthralled in the legendary show Stranger Things. Join us for this episode of the Vanquisher's Guide where we learn all that we can about the historical and TV versions of the legendary Demogorgon as well as its equally intriguing version from Dungeons and Dragons. 

Thunderbird, the Storm Incarnate

A powerful guardian responsible for countless marvels lived in the rolling plains of North America. It watered the land making trees and crops grow, it protected the people by throwing lightning from the sky, and its wings made claps of thunder when it flew. This week on vanquishers guide join us as we investigate the thunderbird, a magical creature of Native American history that is also featured in the fantastic wizarding world of Harry Potter.

Phoenix, the Everlasting Flame

For thousands of years adventures have searched across the globe for mysterious artifacts like the fountain of youth or philosophers stone, items of power said to grant eternal life. Among these stories are creatures that have found ways to live extraordinarily long lives. One creature that has crossed between countless cultures and even into modern media is the Phoenix. A fantastic bird often depicted wreathed in flames and with an incredible ability to live forever through a cycle of fiery rebirth. Join us this week as we adventure into the tangled past of the mythical phoenix, as well as gaze forward to see one of its most iconic depictions from the Harry Potter universe

The Beast of Gevaudan

In the mid-1700’s France was in an uproar due to mass killings from a supposed supernatural beast! The
Beast became known as The Beast of Gevaudan, this monstrosity was like a wolf but bigger and almost
demonic. This story became one of the first international news stories and appeared in many
newspapers across European countries and even the Americas. What may come as the biggest surprise
is that the town which the beast was attacking was fighting back! Even gathering support from
the king of France himself. What was this beast really? Will we ever truly know?

SCP-5007, Disappearances of the Bass Strait

The area between the coast of Australia and Tasmania is infamous among sailors for extremely rough and dangerous seas as well as being host to a collection of strange and unexplained disappearances. But what if something was causing these disappearances? What if there was something so unspeakably horrible that was abducting people to take them to a small strange undiscovered reef in the sea? Join us as we return to the extensive files of the SCP foundation to get to the bottom of this mystery and figure out what is SCP-5007. After all, we just WANT TO SEE.

Cordyceps Brain Infection, from The Last of Us

Our world is both a beautiful and frightening place full of amazing sights and creatures while at the same time plagued by mysterious oddities. For proof of this one must look no further than the amazon where exotic animals live alongside terrifying entities such as the cordyceps fungus. This week on The Vanquisher's Guide we look at the fantastical worst-case scenario of this real-life fungus. Originating from the video game series The Last of Us comes the zombie-like fungal infection that within weeks turned the world into an apocalyptic terrarium.

Bunyip, the soggy Australian cryptid

In Australia, there is a legend of a beast so terrifying no one was safe on land or in the water. The Aboriginal people called this deadly monster the Bunyip. When Europeans began colonizing Australia they heard rumors of this aquatic horror. We quickly see a rise in Bunyip sightings and attacks. Is this just a fabricated story or is there more to this legend than meets the eye? Today we talk about Australian Aboriginal mythology and try to understand the Bunyips and their stories. 

Furies, Greek goddesses of vengeance

What happens when a god is so fixated on a task that they will stop at nothing to execute it? The Furies were such a set of gods, they were so set on enacting their vision of justice upon those they felt deserving that they drove themselves to madness. In this episode of The Vanquisher's Guide, we gaze upon this epic trio's origin, how it shaped them to be uncompromising enactors of vengeance, and how a trial against one man can change everything.