Sample file Colonial Gothic: Lovecraft

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Colonial Gothic: Lovecraf RGG 1699 2 ISBN 978-1-939299-17-8 Colonial Gothic: Lovecraf all contents © 2015 by Rogue Games Inc.

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Tis is a game where people make up stories about wonderful, terrible, impossible, glorious things. All the caracers and events portrayed in this work are ficional. Any resemblance to real people, historical figures, unseakable horrors, or cultsts dedicated to usering the Old Ones into our dimension is purely coincidental. You have to admi i is kinda hilarious. Credis Writen by Graeme Davis & Ricard Iorio II Ediing by Tom Cadorete Proofreading by David Carol, Sean Misniak, Pat Scalise, B “don’t call me Beatrice” Swif & Henr Tompson Layout and pre-press by Ricard Iorio II Art by Tony Acland, © 2008, Khannea SunTzu & Mical Majqello Knapik (majqello.carbonmade.com) Lovecraf Countr map by Hoodinsi – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Publised by Rogue Games, Inc. 12° created by Ricard Iorio II & James Maliszewsi Visi the Rogue Games on the web: w.rogue-games.net

9: 9: 9: Te text for this book is Lior designed by Hannes von Döhren & Liius Dietzel between 2005 and 2010. Lior is Influenced by the Frenc Renaissance Antquas from the 16th centur. Te organic feel has a smooth and handcrafed appearance. Headers and drop caps are set in Brioso Pro. Designed by Robert Slimbac, his font is modeled on his formal roman and ialic scrit. Named afer the Italian word for ‘liely,’ Brioso gies the page a energy not found in other fonts. Tables and text boxes are set using Nimbus Sans Condensed is a sans-serif tpeface created by URW++. Te font was created by URW Studio in 1982 and is based on Max Miedinger’sSample development of fileHelvetca in 1958. URW++ is the successor of URW (Un- ternehmensberatung Rubow Weber — from the founders’ names), in Hamburg, Germany. Under the tecnical direcion of Peter Karow, this company led the world in developing digial font tecnology.

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Introducion 9 Tings Lurking in the Darkness 35 H. P. Lovecraft 10 Byakhee 36 About This Book 10 Color Out of Space 39 Creature Type: Cthulhu Mythos 11 Dagon & Hydra 40 Te Gods of the Cthulhu Mythos 13 Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath 43 Azathoth 17 Deep One 44 Adventure Seed 17 Deep One Hybrid 47 Cthulhu 18 Dhole 48 Adventure Seed 18 Dimensional Shambler 51 Hastur 21 Elder Thing 52 Adventure Seed 21 Flying Polyp 55 Nyarlathotep 22 Formless Spawn 57 Adventure Seed 22 Ghast 61 Rhan Tegoth 25 Adventure Seed 25 Ghoul 65 Shub-Niggurath 26 Great Race of Yith 66 Adventure Seed Sample26 Gug file 69 Tsathoggua 29 Hound of Tindalos 70 Adventure Seed 29 Hunting Horror 73 Yig 30 Leng Spider 74 Adventure Seed 30 Moon Beast 81 Yog-Sothoth 33 Nightgaunt 82 Adventure Seed 33 Rat Thing 85 Servitor 86 Shantak 89 Shoggoth 90 Star Spawn 95 Appendix 1: New Trais 99 Te Liber Damnatus 116 Amorphous 100 Marvells of Science 116 Dimension Shif 100 Observatons on the Several Parts of Africa 117 Partly Visible 100 Of Evill Sorceries Done in New-England of Daemons in No Humane Shape 117 Resilience 100 Te Pnatokic Manuscrits 118 Resistance 100 Te Seven Crptcal Books of Hsan 118 Appendix 2: Magic 101 Appendix 5: Lovecraf Countr 119 New Spells 102 Te Misatonic Rier 121 Contac Elder God 102 Arkham 121 Control (Creature) 103 Kingsort 122 Elder Sign 104 Dunwic 122 Summon (Creature) 105 Innsmouth 123 Vooris Sign 105 Appendix 6: Timeline 125 Appendix 3: Alien Tecnology 107 Bibliography 129 Elder Things 108 Books 130 Energy Crstal 108 Tabletop Games 130 Great Race of Yith 108 Online Resources 130 Lightning Gun 108 Stasis Cube 108 Tabula Rasa Device 108 Temporal Communicaton Device 109 Mi-Go Sample109 file Slime Armor 109 Brain Jar 109 Elecric Gun 110 Mist Projecor 110 Appendix 4: Forbidden Tomes 111 Te Book of Eibon 112 Liber Ivonis 112 Lire d’Ivon 113 Book of Eibon 113 Te Necronomicon 113 Kiab Al-Azif 114 Necronomicon 114 Necronomicon 115 Necronomicon 115 Sample file For it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil-bought hastes not from his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; till out of corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.

Sample file

H.P. Lovecraft “The Festival,” quoting the Necronomicon Introduction

he world of H. P. Lovecraf is a natural complement to the world of Colonial Gothic. Although the majori of his stories are set in his own “present day”—the 1920s and ‘30s—Lovecraf’sSample world file is haunted by the crumbling arciecure, unseakable horrors, Tand terrible secrets of previous centuries. In Colonial Gothic, the players can encounter many of the caracers and creatures from the histor of Lovecraf’s world: caracers like the wic Keziah Mason; Joseph Curwen, the necromancer; the ancestors of Te Festval’s nameless narrator; and many more. ic:h ot l G l Lo C onia ovecra f HowardH. P Phill. iLs Lovecraovecraf (1890f–1937) vies wih Edgar Allan Poe for the ttle ”father of American horror ficion.” Litle recognized in his lifetme, the creator of Cthulhu and many other eldric terrors has had an enormous influence on American horror wriing up to the present day, and his Cthulhu Mythos remains a worldwide phenomenon. Stories like The Call of Cthulhu and The Shadow over Innsmouth are considered lierar classics, and his work has insired a host of later wriers including August Derleth, Robert Bloc, Stephen King, and Ramsay Campbell. At the heart of Lovecraf’s horror lies the indescribable. Instead of the vampires, ghosts, and werewolves of Gothic horror, Lovecraf torments his protagonists wih beings of incalculable antqui who come from beneath the earth and beyond the stars, and whose physiology is so bizarre that the mere sight of them will drie a ratonal person insane. Tese creatures are not so muc evil as unfathomable, going about their business wih the same lac of concern for mortals as a human being might sow for ants. When they do interac wih humans deliberately, their nature is so uterly, inscrutably alien that madness and miser are the ineviable results.

WAbihinout these pages T youis will B findoo detailsk Sample of Lovecraf’s many file creatons, wih appendices covering new trais, sells, devices, and forbidden tomes, as well as a brief descriton of ”Lovecraf Countr,” a fic- tonal setng in Massacusets where many of his stories took place. Te informaton in this book will enable Gamemasters to build adventures in whic the Heroes encounter ancient evils and unnameable horrors, rising both life and sani to overcome them. Although Lovecraf died in 1937, the Cthulhu Mythos contnues to lie and expand. As noted before, many authors have writen stories in this sared setng, and ever year sees fres Cthulhu Mythos stories, ta- bletop and elecronic games, and even movies. Because of this, there is a morass of copyright provisions surrounding the Mythos, as unfathomable as the dreams in the deep of Great Cthulhu himself, so we have cosen to focus almost solely on Lovecraf’s own work, where the copyright siuaton is reasonably clear. If the Gamemaster wises to use creatures and other elements of the Cthulhu Mythos whic do not appear in this book, Chaosium’s long-establised Call of Cthulhu produc line provides a huge amount of informaton in a gamer-friendly format. By comparing the statstcs and rules presented in this volume to those in Call of Cthulhu producs, the GM sould have litle difcult in convertng creatures, sells, and other elements from that system for use in Colonial Gothic.

10 I ntro d uction

InC reaturethe Colonial Gothic Ty Bestiarype:, ea cC creaturethul ish guien My a tpe twhihcos reflecs is nature, behavior, and potental roles wihin an adventure. As varied as they are, all the creatures in this book sould be regarded as a new tpe: Cthulhu Mythos. Creatures from the Cthulhu Mythos are diferent from anything found in nature, myth, or legend. Tey are so diferent, in fac, their ver existence is an afront to the laws of science and nature. Many are so bizarre in their appearance and behavior that merely to catc sight of them is to court insani. New Skill: Lore (Cthulhu Mythos) Mythos creatures can appear in a Colonial Gothic campaign in a This skill reflects a character’s knowledge of number of ways. Many can be summoned and/or worsied the Cthulhu Mythos. It can be used to identify by blashemous cults, whic abound among the degenerate inhabiants of remote areas or even wihin the scolarly circles Mythos creatures when they are encountered of certain towns. Some have always been present, lying dormant or mentioned in forbidden texts, and to remem- for generatons or centuries untl they are awakened by mis- cance or folly. Others are visiors from distant galaxies or ber specific details about them. alternate dimensions, equiped wih tecnology far in advance of blac-powder musets, coming to Earth eiher to study humans or seek out resources that can be found only here. A quic perusal of the creatures found on the following pages sould make something extremely obvious: these are dangerous creatures wih abiliies well beyond the scope of what is considered ”normal.” You will notce that some statsSample are above 12 . fileHow can this be? Doesn’t this invalidate the rule found in the Colonial Gothic Rulebook that no stat is able to be higher than 12? Yes. We broke our own rules. Why? Allow us to explain. At the heart of any Lovecrafian creature is the simple fac that by confrontng one, you are in fac, screwed. Tese creatures are beyond the scope of humankind that their ver existence defies all logic. Tere is litle cance of survial when confrontng any of them. Tese eldric powers might coose to toy wih you for whatever whim or reason they might entertain, and might even let you think you have a cance of defeatng or escaping them. But in the end, you will more likely than not end up dead...if you’re lucy, that is. Unimaginable and unseakable horrors awai any mortal secifically kept alie by these terrible beings for whatever purpose they might intend. As suc, the stats found here are more a guide to gie you a sense of the power these creatures have. If your players insist on atemptng to ”kill” Hastur, let them—the stats provided will be of great service in helping you determine how fast their caracers will peris. 11 Sample file Te Gods of the Cthulhu Mythos

he gods of the Cthulhu Mythos are beings of immense size and incal- culable power. They Sampleinhabit file the remotest places, suc as the voids of interstellar sace or the botom of the Pacific Ocean. Teir motves and agendas are unfathomable to the human mind, and merely to gaze upon them is Tto ris uter madness. For all intents and purposes, these inconceiable monstrosiies are invincible. No group of Heroes, however silled, can hope to confront an Elder God wih any cance of defeatng them. Even the least of these beings could crus the 18th centur’s most potent weapon, a 100-gun first-rate si-of-the- line, wih no more efort than a man swatng a gnat. Because of their remoteness and their great power, this book does not present game statstcs for the ic:h ot l G l Lo C onia ovecra f gods of the Cthulhu Mythos. To reduce them to mere numbers—no mater how outrageously high—does a disservice to their true value in Colonial Gothic adventures, whic is threefold. Firstly, the Elder Gods are seldom seen in Lovecraf’s stories, but their influence is felt everwhere. Tey ac as patrons for human cultsts and lesser monstrous races, insiring them to heights of evil, occasionally grantng them power to acieve their unseakable goals. Te Heroes’ sole hope in thwart- ing the macinatons of the Elder Gods is by taking on their followers. Tere will, however, be no final batle, no lastng vicor…only the relief of having held bac the tde of madness for one more day. Secondly, the Elder Gods are a source of plot devices. On the ver rare occasions when an Elder God does take direc acion in this world, the results are similar to those of a cataclysmic but somewhat localized natural disaster. Heroes who are silled in the natural sciences may realize that the cause of the devastaton is somehow unnatural, and be drien to discover is true cause. Finally, the Elder Gods might be encountered indirectly through the tomes of forbidden lore that are a frequent motif in the works of Lovecraft and those he has inspired. These ancient, blasphemous volumes, inscribed by mystics (often in ink made of their own blood) whose knowledge has come at the cost of their souls and sanity, contain snippets of useful information, such as instructions for spells and rituals, buried amid crazed ramblings in both living and dead languages. Although the minds of the Elder Gods themselves will always remain forever unknowable, the ravings of these human writers might offer some insight,Sample albeit crazed andfile chaotic, into the minds of their human and monstrous followers.

14 For all intents and purposes, these inconceiable monstrosiies are invincible. No group of Heroes, however silled, can hope to confront an Elder God wih any cance of defeatng them. Even the least of these beings could crus the 18th centur’s most potent weapon, a 100-gun first-rate si-of-the- line, wih no more efort than a man swatng a gnat. Because of their remoteness and their great power, this book does not present game statstcs for the gods of the Cthulhu Mythos. To reduce them to mere numbers—no mater how outrageously high—does a disservice to their true value in Colonial Gothic adventures, whic is threefold. Firstly, the Elder Gods are seldom seen in Lovecraf’s stories, but their influence is felt everwhere. Tey ac as patrons for human cultsts and lesser monstrous races, insiring them to heights of evil, occasionally grantng them power to acieve their unseakable goals. Te Heroes’ sole hope in thwart- ing the macinatons of the Elder Gods is by taking on their followers. Tere will, however, be no final batle, no lastng vicor…only the relief of having held bac the tde of madness for one more day. Secondly, the Elder Gods are a source of plot devices. On the ver rare occasions when an Elder God does take direc acion in this world, the results are similar to those of a cataclysmic but somewhat localized natural disaster. Heroes who are silled in the natural sciences may realize that the cause of the devastaton is somehow unnatural, and be drien to discover is true cause. Finally, the Elder Gods might be encountered indirectly through the tomes of forbidden lore that are a frequent motif in the works of Lovecraft and those he has inspired. These ancient, blasphemous volumes, inscribed by mystics (often in ink made of their own blood) whose knowledge has come at the cost of their souls and sanity, contain snippets of useful information, such as instructions for spells and rituals, buried amid crazed ramblings in both living and dead languages. Although the minds of the Elder Gods themselves will always remain forever unknowable, the ravings of these human writers might offer some insight, albeit crazed and chaotic, into the minds of their human Sample file and monstrous followers. Sample file T e G o d s o f t he C t h ul h u My t h os

Azathoth Outside the ordered universe [is] that amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the center of all infinity—the boundless daemon sultan Azathoth, whose name no lips dare speak aloud, and who gnaws hungrily in inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond time and space amidst the muffled, maddening beating of vile drums and the thin monotonous whine of accursed flutes.

—H. P. Lovecraft, “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”

Also known as ”The Whisperer in Darkness,” Azathoth is a vast and formless being floating at the heart of a chaotic universe outside the normal bounds of space and time. It is surrounded by amor- phous servitors whose ceaseless and monotonous piping and drumming somewhat keep the Elder God quiescent. Nyarlathotep occasionally serves Azathoth, conducing worsiers to is dark throne where they sign their names in their own blood and take new, secret names in the service of the Elder God. According to Lovecraf’s notes, Azathoth is the father of Nyarlathotep and the direc ancestor of Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Cthulhu, Tsathoggua, and many others. Tere are no organized cults dedicated to the service of Azathoth, is desires unknowable to mortals, ofering nothing in return for their service. Nyarlathotep’s purpose in conducing mortals to the throne of his hideous parent is unknown, andSample i might be that byfile doing so he is following some agenda of his own. However, a lone indiidual, usually already drien insane from perusing books of forbidden lore, might occasionally invoke this being—by so doing, of course, will then bring doom upon himself and all around him.

Adventure Seed Te Heroes are sent to investgate a massie explosion—perhaps a meteor strike or some similar di- saster—that has destroyed a remote setlement and gien rise to a number of strange local phenomena. As they sif through the wrecage and confront everthing from half-blasted revenants to mutated rats, they piece together disturbing evidence that the sorcerous fumblings of one or more villagers caused a riple of consciousness to pass across the unknowable mind of Azathoth. Muc as a mortal might scratc an ic, the Elder God resonded, destroying a wide expanse of countr wihout even knowing or caring that i did so.

17 Cthulhu A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-look- ing body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind. . . . A mountain walked or stumbled. ic:h ot l G l Lo C onia ovecra f — H. P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”

The name of Great Cthulhu is known throughout the world, although spellings vary. Cults of Cthulhu have survived for millennia in numerous remote locales, and small groups of worshipers might also be found nestled in the world’s great cities, among those who have dabbled in occultism and lost their reason. Cthulhu’s physical body slumbers beneath the Pacific Ocean, wihin the great ruined, sunken ci of R’lyeh. If he sould ever awaken, the whole world will be in unimaginable peril. Meanwhile, Cthulhu’s dreaming mind wanders at will, infecing mortal dreamers wih madness, surring is followers to commi unseakable acs. Te worsi of Cthulhu is tradiionally strongest among those dwelling in or near to great bodies of water. Among the beter-documented worsiers of Cthulhu are the Deep Ones and their gigantc rulers, Father Dagon and Mother Hydra. Rumors also abound that Cthulhu worsi can be found among a few of the tribes liing along the sores of the Great Lakes. Based on drawings in tomes of forbidden lore and blashemous idols brought bac from remote lands, Great Cthulhu is a gigantc biedal beingSample standing more thanfile a hundred feet tall. Flabby sin covers a muscular but pauncy body equiped wih gigantc claws on hands and feet. From the soulders srout vast wings like those of a medieval dragon, and his head is like the body of an ocopus, wih a mass of wrihing tentacles instead of a face.

Adventure Seed A relatve of one of the Heroes returns from the South Seas afer a three-year voyage of exploraton. He has brought bac a treasure trove of relics and curios, including several objecs from many remote island cultures. A local scientfic societ arranges for an exhibiion, but a few nights before the opening, the explorer is found torn to pieces amid the ruins of his collecion. A painstaking examinaton of the bloody scene and the explorer’s ledgers and will reveal that only one iem is missing: a small, grotesque stone idol saped like a winged ocopus-human hybrid.

18 Cthulhu A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-look- ing body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind. . . . A mountain walked or stumbled.

— H. P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”

The name of Great Cthulhu is known throughout the world, although spellings vary. Cults of Cthulhu have survived for millennia in numerous remote locales, and small groups of worshipers might also be found nestled in the world’s great cities, among those who have dabbled in occultism and lost their reason. Cthulhu’s physical body slumbers beneath the Pacific Ocean, wihin the great ruined, sunken ci of R’lyeh. If he sould ever awaken, the whole world will be in unimaginable peril. Meanwhile, Cthulhu’s dreaming mind wanders at will, infecing mortal dreamers wih madness, surring is followers to commi unseakable acs. Te worsi of Cthulhu is tradiionally strongest among those dwelling in or near to great bodies of water. Among the beter-documented worsiers of Cthulhu are the Deep Ones and their gigantc rulers, Father Dagon and Mother Hydra. Rumors also abound that Cthulhu worsi can be found among a few of the tribes liing along the sores of the Great Lakes. Based on drawings in tomes of forbidden lore and blashemous idols brought bac from remote lands, Great Cthulhu is a gigantc biedal being standing more than a hundred feet tall. Flabby sin covers a Sample file muscular but pauncy body equiped wih gigantc claws on hands and feet. From the soulders srout vast wings like those of a medieval dragon, and his head is like the body of an ocopus, wih a mass of wrihing tentacles instead of a face.

Adventure Seed A relatve of one of the Heroes returns from the South Seas afer a three-year voyage of exploraton. He has brought bac a treasure trove of relics and curios, including several objecs from many remote island cultures. A local scientfic societ arranges for an exhibiion, but a few nights before the opening, the explorer is found torn to pieces amid the ruins of his collecion. A painstaking examinaton of the bloody scene and the explorer’s ledgers and will reveal that only one iem is missing: a small, grotesque stone idol saped like a winged ocopus-human hybrid. Sample file T e G o d s o f t he C t h ul h u My t h os

Hasur There is a whole secret cult of evil men (a man of your mystical erudition will understand me when I link them with Hastur and the Yellow Sign) devoted to the purpose of tracking them down and injuring them on behalf of the monstrous powers from other dimensions.

—H. P. Lovecraft, “The Whisperer in Darkness”

Hastur is an enigmatc being, for almost everthing that has been writen about him (i?) contradics almost everthing else. Te name of Hastur has been linked wih the King in Yellow, and to the myth- ical ci of Carcosa. It has been applied to a creature otherwise called ”Te Feaster from Afar,” a sri- eled, flying monstrosi whose tentacles are tpped wih razor-sarp talons capable of piercing a vicim’s sull and sihoning out is brain. It has been claimed that Hastur is the Magnum Innominandum (”the Great Not-to-be-Named”), a sawn of Yog-Sothoth, and a half-brother of Cthulhu. References to this name claim on the one hand that the entt is wihout form, while on the other that he has tentacles and other cephalopod atributes. Tere is also a report of Hastur—or an entt thought to be Hastur—possessing a corpse. Te sin appears bloated and scaly, and the body iself appears to be completely boneless. Hastur is associated wih the star Aldebaran, but i is also claimed that he maintains a dwelling in the lake of Hali near Carcosa, whic is inhabied by strange ocopoid beings. His cult is almost as widesread as that of Cthulhu, and his serviors include byakhees (see below). Human followers include the primi- tve Tco-Tco people of Burma and a sinisterSample cult calling file iself the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign.

Adventure Seed Like the nature of Hastur, the locaton of Carcosa is a myster surrounded by a great many contradicor suggestons. While exploring westward beyond the Appalacians, the Heroes come across a great, semi-ru- ined ci by a lake, surrounded by forests and mountains teeming wih strange and dangerous creatures. In a cave, sealed behind a roc fall, they discover a seleton dressed in rustng Spanis armor, holding a leather-bound journal that tells of a 16th-centur expediion to find Carcosa. Te last few entries describe the deaths of many Conquistadores to strange beasts and other hazards, at least some of whic the Heroes have already encountered. Do the Heroes dare to press on and explore the ci? Is i truly the fabled Carcosa, or is i simply a Cahokian ruin blighted by the efecs of a Mandoag curse? Are the Heroes even in North America anymore…or did they unknowingly pass through a dimensional portal somewhere in the forest?

21 Nyarlathotep What his fate would be, he did not know; but he felt that he was held for the coming of that frightful soul and messenger of infinity’s Other Gods, the crawling chaos Nyarlathotep. ic:h ot l G l Lo C onia ovecra f —H. P. Lovecraft, “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”

Of all the Elder Gods, Nyarlathotep is the most acie in the world of mortals. He frequently acs as an agent and messenger of other gods, esecially Azathoth. He has been identfied by some scolars as being the ”Blac Man” of the wic-cult, serving as both recruier and intermediar between the Elder Gods and their mortal followers. The Black Man, also known as the Black Pharaoh, has an entirely human appearance: slim and dark- skinned with the bearing of a king. In this form, Nyarlathotep sometimes claims to have been a Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. However, Nyarlathotep is said to have a thousand other forms that are incredibly terrifying: the best-documented is described as “the Bloody Tongue,” taking the form of a monstrous, three-legged creature with long, clawed arms and a vast blood-red tentacle where a head should be. Other forms include ”the Haunter of the Dark,” a black, winged creature with a single, three-lobed eye, and ”the Beast,” a being resembling an ancient Egyptian sphinx with a blank face that is filled with stars. Nyarlathotep’s interest in mankind is unusual for an Elder God. He seems partcularly interested in those seeking knowledge at the fringesSample of art, science, andfile magic. He deries great satsfacion from revealing forbidden knowledge to those whose minds cannot wihstand the soc of i, both enslaving them and driing them mad in the process. Nyarlathotep has been known to command various serviors of the Elder Gods, but Shantaks and Huntng Horrors are his own secial servants.

Adventure Seed The Heroes learn that a contact of theirs, a scholar who collects rare books, has been committed to an asylum after attempting to burn down his own home, a fire which also threatened several neigh- boring structures. If they can decipher their friend’s demented ravings about a ”dark man” and a book signed in blood, they might be able to deduce that he was promised access to occult knowledge by a strange visitor who is somehow tied to his madness. Although Nyarlathotep is long gone, the Heroes can find a trail of other lunatics whose stories appear to be similar. They might even be able to lay their hands on a book of lore—but they will discover that studying the blasphemous tome carries its own terrible risks.

22 Sample file Rhan Tegoth

Litle is known about the monstrous entt called Rhan-Tegoth. It is said by some to be in a deep hi- bernaton that has lasted since the onset of the last Ice Age. Tere are rumors of blashemous idols brought bac by fur traders from the far northern reaces of Canada, through whic i can be contac- ed by ofering liing sacrifices, eiher animal or human. While i is hard to discern any real truth wihin the paranoid ravings of those reportng on these statues, i does appear that they somehow become animated and atac liing creatures coming near them, seizing them in their claws and tentacles while regurgiatng some form of digestve acid onto them, consuming their vicims as they wrihe and scream in agony. It is not known how many of these vile statues exist, or where in the world they are. From tme to tme, a statue falls into the hands of a cult, or even an all-too-curious indiidual whose learning unlocs is true nature. As knowledge of Rhan-Tegoth grows, the statues’ keepers might believe themselves to be appointed priests whose purpose is to feed the statue wih sacrifices, and this urge rapidly grows into a consuming obsession (pun intended). It is not reported that any servant of Rhan-Tegoth has ever Sample file receied any personal benefit from these sacrifices, and indeed i seems that an idol will feed on a servant of Rhan-Tegoth just as eagerly as on any sacrificial vicim. Surviing cults of Rhan-Tegoth might be found in the far north of Canada and in Russian Alasa. It is thought by some scolars that the bestal gnoph-keh of the northern wastes are also associated wih this sleeping god in some way.

Adventure Seed Ased to find the missing cild of a friend, the Heroes uncover a patern of disappearances that appears to be escalatng. At first, only cats and dogs went missing; then a few days ago a pig disappeared, followed by the cild. If they cannot locate the culpri quicly, more cildren disappear, soon to be followed by adults.