Adding other supernatural beings to the Highlander mythos?

[Darth Reaper]

How do you guys feel about this? Is there room for other supernatural beings in the world of Highlander?

Personally, I've never had a problem with the idea. In a world that already has Immortal men and women running around playing a game of life and death for some kind of Prize, I don't see why there can't be other kinds of magic as well.

Some might argue that it could get a bit crowded after awhile if you go too crazy introducing new things to the mythos, but I think that's a risk that can be managed.

But, let's talk about it. What do you have to say?

[highlander90s]

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[dubiousbystander]

I know. Imagine if they added the Methuselah Stone. Or demons like Ahriman. Or even mentioned actually seeing Jesus heal. Oh! Or prophecies!

[highlander90s]

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[dubiousbystander]

Sarcasm, yes. Not disagreement so much. It does bring to mind the several Highlander/Buffy crossovers I've seen.

[Darth Reaper]

Sarcasm, yes. Not disagreement so much. It does bring to mind the several Highlander/Buffy crossovers I've seen.

The funny thing is I'm not sure Buffy would be a good fit for a crossover with Highlander because the tone of the shows is a bit different. Buffy has more over-the-top qualities to it, while Highlander is much more grounded.

[Darth Reaper]

Definitely agree. I may even argue instead of just magic, that there's vampires and warewolves involved as well. Frankenstein, witches etc.

I think you misunderstood me. When I talked about other kinds of magic, I was referring to other kinds of supernatural beings. A favorite quote from the first movie is that Immortality is "a kind of magic." I was saying that, just as Immortals are a kind of magic, other supernatural beings represent other kinds of magic.

It's a trade Id perfectly be fine with making, but I'm a huge fan of how the show looked, the dojo the ship the atmosphere. Mix this stuff in and make the prize known to the immortals as being able to choose...to live a normal life, grow old and have kids, or become bad by being unbeatable.

As I said in another thread, I think the mysteries of Highlander should remain mysteries. It adds to the magic and the drama.

[highlander90s]

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[highlander90s]

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[Nicholas Ward]

There are plenty of mysteries where immortals could have played a significant role. There´s no need to introduce supernatural creatures.

But if one must: why not take cryptozoology and have immortality in ancestor types of humans? The cavemen, Bigfoot sightings etc.

[Darth Reaper]

There are plenty of mysteries where immortals could have played a significant role. There´s no need to introduce supernatural creatures.

But if one must: why not take cryptozoology and have immortality in ancestor types of humans? The cavemen, Bigfoot sightings etc.

It's not really about need, it's about want. It's about the possibility of telling a fun and interesting story. I'm interested in how Duncan Macleod might react to discovering that there's more out there than just Immortals; that after, what is it, 500 years now, the world is still full of things that he doesn't know about.

And, It's not just interesting to think about a character's initial reaction to this kind of revelation, but also how it might affect them over time. How do they change the more they learn? Do they become anxious and paranoid because there could be unspeakable horrors around every corner, hidden from sight? Are they filled with a sense of wonder and the desire to learn more?

I don't see why there should only be one kind of magic in a fictional world. If one thing is possible, why shouldn't other things be possible as well?

[Nicholas Ward]

Because any story generally works better if only one or two things are extraordinary while the rest is kept as normal as possible.
There's no need for zombies, vampires, fairies etc. for things will get more and more extreme. And with that the suspension of disbelief will not be possible and thus the shows enjoyability would suffer.

The Highlander Universe isn't supposed to be extremely different from ours. It's not suited to become pure fantasy like Tolkiens Middle-Earth where an entire world and belief system is created.

[Andrew NDB]

I'm OK with supernatural beings and creatures being used very, very sparingly.

The Immortals themselves are supernatural, after all.

[Darth Reaper]

Because any story generally works better if only one or two things are extraordinary while the rest is kept as normal as possible.- Nicholas Ward

I disagree. I think there are numerous stories out there where many things are extraordinary and yet they still work. Star Wars, The Lord Of The Rings, and Game Of Thrones are just a few examples. It's all in how the material is handled.

There's no need for Zombies, vampires, fairies etc. for things will get more and more extreme. And with that the suspension of disbelief will not be possible and thus the shows enjoyablility would suffer.

That might happen, or it might not happen. Every time you try to tell a story there's a chance that it won't work; that's no reason to not try at all. I still think it's a risk that can be managed.

Also, it seems to me like people will go along with a lot as long as they like the characters and enjoy the stories. People went along with Harry Potter, and still do, because they like the characters and enjoy the stories. Suspension of disbelief wasn't a problem because the product was good.

[Nicholas Ward]

True, but like I said: those stories weren't meant to happen in our reality.

So those points are moot when considering Highlander, unless the reboot will make that decision which is unlikely.

[Darth Reaper]

The points aren't moot because they demonstrate that the fantastic can be handled in a believable way. It doesn't have to degenerate into a complete farce that can't be taken seriously.

And, as I understand it, the Harry Potter books do take place in our world, just in parts of it that most of us don't see because they're hidden from us.

[dubiousbystander]

Zombies could be Immortals whose first deaths were not violent enough.

[Darth Reaper]

Eh, no disrespect intended but that idea doesn't really make sense to me. Better to stick with the idea of Zombies simply being reanimated corpses. Again, it's another kind of magic.

[dubiousbystander]

It could all be the same kind of magic. Just variations on effect. Cool, though.

[Darth Reaper]

It's been awhile since I contributed to this thread, so I thought I'd give my thoughts on something.

I sometimes think that if I was going to try doing a Highlander series that explored the existence of other supernatural beings, I would use the title Highlander: World Without End (which I think was going to be the title of a movie at one time). I think this would spell out for everyone that the point of this series is to expand the mythos and explore different possibilities.

[Van Owen]

I play my own Immortal character in a modern fantasy setting where there are everything from Mages to Vampires, to other kinds of Immortals, along with everything in between. I'll note that these things aren't being added to the canon setting of Highlander, rather completely the opposite. However, with that said, there hasn't been much need to really tweak things too much to integrate them. I've used various sources to expand what the Quickening can be used for, though it tends to be more limited than the powers of many other supernatural creatures in the setting. The biggest change is one of society, but even here there isn't too much work that needs to be done. Immortals fit in among regular mortal society better than virtually anything else in the setting, and have little reason to bother with other supernaturals, which most consider themselves superior to, and not worth their attention. On the other hand, many of these same beings resent Immortals, for their "easy ride," which is to say Immortality, without too many of the drawbacks that things like vampires have to deal with in return for it. Many are somewhat aware of "The Game" and don't want to get caught up in it, either. Most commonly, an Immortal encounters something else supernatural by accident, habitually when the creature mistakes one for mortal prey, (since few have powers that will reliably detect one, and even those that do, may not know exactly what they are looking at) a mistake that very few, even powerful beings, live to regret, since won't be prepared for the consequences of that mistake. Other conflicts may come over regular humans the Immortals may wish to protect, or some series of circumstantial events.

Because their survival depends on it, Immortals are probably some of the best swordsmen in the setting, particularly the old ones, and The Quickening offers a number of abilities that enable them to even the odds considerably fighting these beings. Additionally, many things don't actually know much about Immortals, or the need to sever their heads, so even if the Immortal is defeated, the victor may just toss the body aside, unaware they haven't actually finished the job. The older the entity, the less likely this is to be the case, but many younger vampires or shifters, for example, will be relatively clueless. As for knowledge of supernaturals, often that depends on what the Immortal's mentor chose to impart, as well as any personal encounters that Immortal may have had. Researching mortal sources, tends to be quite unreliable, and taken alone, dangerously incomplete, but may lend some basic insight.

Sometimes, a lonely Immortal may take up with another long-lived being such as vampire, or other denizen, but over time, differences between outlook and society dooms most such relationships, though friendships formed might endure. Some may seek to use these allies as pawns in The Game, but Supernaturals will resent this, and decline to participate in such a fashion, though a rare few might attempt to protect a lover or friend, particularly if they feel the resulting fight is going to be unfair, such as much older Immortal against a younger one. Given that such beings aren't part of The Game, nor obliged to follow any rules, and may have substantial resources, including servants and powers of their own, most find it convenient at that point to go elsewhere....at least for now....

So yes, they can work out very well indeed, in modern/urban fantasy, or even horror genres. (I only suggest that last one for comparatively young Immortals, however)