Silver John top, part of an ensemble derived for my Halloween-themed Hell House in the Mist haunted house. I made this for myself since I wanted to dress as Silver John for Halloween, but you are welcome to buy it if you wish. These are the other parts of the ensemble:
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Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories by Manly Wade Wellman, one of my favorite authors. Though fans refer to him as Silver John or as John the Balladeer, the stories call him simply John.
The stories are set in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. The time is never explicitly given but seems to be the middle of the twentieth century. John is a wandering singer who carries a guitar with silver strings. He is a veteran of the Korean War and resembles a young Johnny Cash. He frequently encounters creatures and superstitions from the folk tales and superstitions of the mountain people.
Though John has no special skills or weapons (other than basic Army training), his courage, wit and essential goodness always allow him to triumph over supernatural evils. He has an implied mystic link of some sort to John the Baptist, and much of his personal philosophy can be traced to a "primitive", Gospel-based Christianity. He is widely read, and it is implied that his knowledge of folk legendarium is of Ph.D level. On one occasion he is "employed" by the State Department to investigate on their behalf a possible instance of Satanism.
[FLAVOR TEXT:]
Before you muster your courage to open the trapdoor to the lair, you hear a guitar strumming in the distance. You don't know why, but for the first time a ray of hope shines on your weary heart. You walk to the window of the house, and you see outside among the mists a tall man staring at the house intesely. He slings his silver-stringued guitar over his shoulder, and immediately notices your gaunt features framed against the dirty window pane.
"Evenin'," the man said in a friendly tone. "I believe this house is givin' you folks quite a hellride. I reckon I might be of assistance."
You are surprised to find voice enough to speak. "Who... who are you?"
He smiles warmly. "Just call me John."
Will you be able to survive the horrors that await you within the abandoned Hell House in the Mists?
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