The Nyarlathotep Papers
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by Larry DiTillio and Lynn Willis with Geoff Gillan, Kevin A. Ross, Thomas W. Phinney, Michael MacDonald, Sandy Petersen, Penelope Love Art by Lee Gibbons, Nick Smith, Tom Sullivan, Jason Eckhardt Design by Mark Schumann, Mike Blum, Thomas W. Phinney, Yurek Chodak, Shannon Appel Project and Editorial by Lynn Willis Interior Layout by Shannon Appel and Meghan McLean Cover Layout by Charlie Krank Copyreading by Janice Sellers, Alan Glover, Rob Heinsoo Chaosium is Lynn Willis, Charlie Krank, Dustin Wright, Fergie, William Jones, Meghan McLean, Nick Nacario, and Andy Dawson Chaosium Inc. 2010 The Clear Credit Box Larry DiTillio wrote the first draft of Chapters One through Six, except as noted below. The conception, plot, and essential Masks of Nyarlathotep Fourth Edition execution are entirely his, and remain a is published by Chaosium Inc. roleplaying classic. Lynn Willis rewrote the succeeding drafts, originating the his- torical background, introducing race as a Masks of Nyarlathotep Fourth Edition theme, inserting or adjusting certain char- is copyright © 1984, 1989, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2010 acters, writing the introductory chapter, by Chaosium Inc. and most of the advice, asides, incidental jokes, etc., and as an afterthought added All rights reserved. the appendix concerning what might be done with shipboard time. In the introduc- Call of Cthulhu® is the registered trademark of Chaosium Inc. tory chapter, Michael MacDonald wrote the original version of the sidebar concern- ing shipboard travel times and costs. Similarities between characters in Masks of Nyarlathotep Thomas W. Phinney set forth the back- Fourth Edition and persons living or dead are ground chronology of the campaign, and strictly coincidental. created looks for many of the handouts. In the Cairo chapter, Kevin A. Ross wrote the Bast episode. Geoff Gillan wrote the game H.P. Lovecraft’s works are copyright © 1963, 1964, 1965 by lodge episode in Kenya, Buckley’s ghost in August Derleth and are quoted for purposes of illustration. Australia, and the demon and Mr. Lung in All material concerning Shudde-M’ell and the Cthonians, Shanghai. and all other inventions of Brian Lumley as portrayed in his Tom Sullivan contributed a dozen or so books, specifically The Burrowers Beneath, illustrations; his previous drawings have been rescanned for better reproduction. are used with his kind permission. Apart from the maps and plans, he, Jason Eckhardt, and Nick Smith are responsible Except in this publication and in related advertising, for the interior illustrations. Jason created art work original to Masks of Nyarlathotep remains all the small drawings of individual char- acters. Nick Smith painted “The Rocket the property of the artists, and is copyright Pit”, which is reproduced here in black and by them under their individual copyrights. white. The remaining drawings, mostly pencilled illustrations, are by Tom Reproduction of material within this book for the purposes of Sullivan. The front cover painting is by Lee Gibbons, while the portrait on the back personal or corporate profit, by photographic, electronic, or cover is by Nick Smith. Paolo Parente and other methods of retrieval, is prohibited. Luca Rossi, who contributed work to the Italian version, have also contributed illus- trations to this edition. Address questions and comments concerning this book as well as requests for free catalogues Mike Blum’s sketch maps were original with the first edition, and are unlikely to be of Chaosium books, games, and supplements to improved upon. Mark Schumann updated Chaosium Inc. and clarified the interior plans, based on originals by Yurek Chodak and Ron 22568 Mission Blvd. #423 Leming, and added the repeating logo. Hayward, CA 94541 U.S.A. Shannon Appel added maps for the Introduction and the Australian Chapter, ISBN 10: 1-56882-329-0 and also redrew the schematic of the City ISBN 13: 1-978-56882-329-4 of the Great Race. Special thanks go to Alan Glover, Mike Lay, Jeff McSpadden, John B. (Ben) Chaosium Publication 23118. Monroe, and Ian Starcher for sundry Published September 2010. important comments or other now-invisi- ble contributions. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Printed in Indonesia. Table of Contents FOREWARD . .4 Into the Sanctum . 116 INTRODUCTION . 6 The Bent Pyramid . 116 Background Events [Box] . 8 The Carlyle Expedition and the Pyramids [Box] . 118 Additional Total Solar Eclipses [Box] . 10 Conclusion . 120 Oceanic Travel Times and Costs [Box] . 11 CHAPTER FOUR: KENYA . 121 Characters . 14 Cult of the Bloody Tongue, Kenya [Box] . 123 The Cults of Nyarlathotep [Box] . 14 Nairobi . 126 CHAPTER ONE: NEW YORK . 20 The Nairobi Star . 127 Starting Play . 21 Other Nairobi Contacts . 128 Cult of the Bloody Tongue, NYC [Box] . 23 Tandoor Singh . 132 Preliminary Investigations . 28 Strike Blind [Box] . 134 The Carlyle Expedition Principals . 37 The Game Lodge . 135 Horror at Ju-Ju House . 40 The Lodge . 136 Into the Depths . 41 The Small Ghouls: An Ecology [Box] . 138 The Mask of Hayama [Box] . 41 Statistics . 139 Ju-Ju House Entities . 44 Old Bundari . 139 Aftermath . 45 Three Tribal Magic Spells [Box] . 140 CHAPTER TWO: LONDON . 47 Mountain of the Black Wind . 142 Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, London [Box] . 49 Ndovu Village . 142 The Penhew Foundation . 50 The Mountain of the Black Wind . 143 The Penhew Foundation Building . 51 Agents of Evil at the Mountain . 148 A Serpent in Soho . 54 CHAPTER FIVE: AUSTRALIA . 150 The House in Holbein Mews . 55 Cult of the Sand Bat [Box] . 152 The Derbyshire Monster . 60 Visiting Five Cities . 154 Lesser-Edale . 61 The Device of Rods, Wheels, and Mirrors [Box] . 156 What’s in a Vane [Box] . 61 Buckley’s Ghost . 161 About Castle Plum [Box] . 62 The Great Sandy Desert . 165 Statistics . 65 The Death Camp . 166 Slaughter in Soho . 66 Desert Encounters [Box] . 167 Leads Possessed by Inspector Barrington [Box] . 67 The Ambush . 170 The Mirror of Gal [Box] . 68 City Beneath the Sands . 171 Other Leads . 70 Inside the City . 175 Quicken Fog-Spawn [Box] . 72 The Lightning Gun: Model B [Box] . 177 Rites of the Brotherhood . 73 Father of All Bats [Box] . 180 The Manor House . 73 Time Trap [Box] . 186 The Rites . 76 CHAPTER SIX: SHANGHAI . 189 Statistics . 78 Order of the Bloated Woman [Box] . 192 The Two Scepters [Box] . .78 Ho Fong . 195 CHAPTER THREE: CAIRO . 80 Ho Fong’s Mansion . 198 Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, Egypt [Box] . 82 Tyuk [Box] . 202 Egyptian Personalities . 85 Cultists . 203 Faraz Najir . 85 Independents . 204 Omar Shakti . 86 The Demon Cabinet of Mister Lung . 210 Warren Besart . 90 Allies . 213 Nigel Wassif . 92 The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan [Box] . 216 Dr. Ali Kafour . 93 Gray Dragon Island . 219 The Black Cat . 95 Landfall . 220 The Black Rites of Luveh-Keraph [Box] . 97 The Shoggoth-Twsha [Box] . 222 The Clive Expedition . 100 Statistics . 228 The Horrors Below . 103 The Bloated Woman [Box] . 229 Encounters Beneath the Sphinx [Box] . ..