Draugr

While researching Norse myths to inject into my dragon culture for nanowrimo, I came across the draugr.  According to They Bite: Endless Cravings of Supernatural Predators, these ghost-vampires "reanimate the corpses" of dead Vikings and are "virtually indestructible killing machine[s] able to withstand any weapon" (Mayberry and Kramer 69).  Both that book and Wikipedia mentioned they were greedy, guarding treasure hoards ("Draugr"; Mayberry and Kramer 69).  Sounds a little like dragons, don't it?

Wikipedia goes into more detail on the killing machine traits, such as incredible strength and the ability to increase size at will (and thus weight).  And they can drive animals and even people mad.  Some other abilities include shape-changing, weather-control, and seeing into the future ("Draugr").  That last might be useful to avoid slayers ;-)

They Bite doesn't go into details on how Draugr are created, but Wikipedia gives an example of a man being killed by one to rise as one the next night ("Draugr").  However, despite the lack of details on how one is made, it is not so with their death.  Draugar can only be killed by heros, and bare-handed at that (Mayberry and Kramer 69).

Those resources go into more detail, but draugar sound interesting.  Although, I'm afraid, just like with the Norse legends where dragons weren't exactly the good guys, I'm going to some twisting of the legend to create a special kind of dragon.  One my dragon-main-character doesn't want to turn into. 

Cites: 

• "Draugr." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.
• Mayberry, Jonathan, and David F. Kramer. They Bite: Endless Cravings of Supernatural Predators.  New York: Citadel Press, 2009. Print.

Nano Countdown: Research

Time gets away from you so easily, I'm afraid.  I am short on Old West research for my nano novel.  You may be in the same position as me.  So what can you do?  Schedule reading periods.  Read something before you start the day's writing.  Read something after you are done for the day that will help you with the next day's piece.  In my case, I have to decide what I need to know about Old West for each "key scene". 

For instance, the Beginning "Scene" or "Story Arc" is Walker's exile and entrance into a new world.  His first impression.  Originally, I envisioned this as a grassy open place with a dusty road, kinda nondescript.  If I want to hint at my Old West inspiration right away, I am going to have to do better than that.  That is where research comes in.  So nondescript is out, however whatever Walker sees cannot be super scary.  I am saving that for the Launch Scene/Arc, the first firm sign of this world's weirdness in the form of a supernatural and rather toothy horse.  So although this scene is short and my research vague, I know if I do some reading, I'll find that which I need.

The next key scene is the Launch.  It involves the actual meet of man-eating horse and man, so horse research is needed.  After all, the horse makes a living pretending to be that which it is not--a regular horse.  It has to act . . . horsey.

That is the first two bits of research I need to do.  How about you?  Research all done or do you conduct research on an as needed basis?