Magic & Manuscripts a prayer, intended to be chanted rather than canines in myths and legends. Topics include simply read aloud. wolves and dogs in Egyptian and Norse my- Poor translation of the original alien tongue thology, with especial attention on how they means that only a few chants have any true are associated with the underworld; the Wild power. Were a copy found in the language of Hunt of Northern Europe; temple dogs of the the foul semi-human inhabitants of forbidden Orient; ghostly black dogs in English folklore; Leng, it would contain more rituals. and supposed spectral hounds that inhabit other dimensions. Genies in Arabian Folklore Kitab al’iisharat Language: English; Author: Michael Gru- ber; Published: 1889; Complexity: 4; Hor- Language: Arabic; Author: Faisal ibn-Al- ror: 3; Mythos: 3; Contents: Summon Black gol; Published: 766; Complexity: 5; Horror: Winged One, Summon Child of the Fire Mist, 4; Mythos: 3; Contents: Arcane Ward, Elder Summon Flying Polyp, Summon Fungi from Sign, Formula: Powder of ibn-Ghazi, Sign of Yuggoth, Summon Night-gaunt Koth, Sign of Tindalos, Voorish Sign Gruber, a member of the Society of Anti- Writing a generation after the death of quarians and dedicated Arabophile, spent a Abdul Alhazred, author of the Necronomicon, decade travelling the Middle East searching for ibn-Algol communicated with the so-called stories concerning the jinn (sing. jinni), enti- Mad Arab several times before his death. Filled ties better known in English as genies. During with dread at the blasphemous entities of that time he conversed with imams and story- whose existence Alhazred wrote, ibn-Algol The tellers, and browsed scrolls written before the Book of Signs. Great Sphinx was carved from stone. Its pages are filled with various mystic signs The work is fragmentary, being comprised and wards by which the creatures of the Mythos of detailed notes, sketches, and photographs may be weakened, held at bay, or driven off. sent back to Great Britain by the author dur- Unfortunately for the reader, the scholar pro- ing his sojourn. Gruber’s last message, dated vides stark descriptions of the various horrors 1885, indicated he was planning to enter the against which the signs are effective. Arabian Desert in search of Iram of the Pillars. No copies of the book are known to ex- Having received no further correspondence, ist. Such was the furor that accompanied the Society of Antiquarians compiled his notes its publication that all available copies were and published the book in his memory. ordered immediately set to flame. It is said Certain sections have been amended with that a lone copy existed in the great library of commented by the editor. For instance, when Constantinople, but this was stolen by Crusad- Gruber declares that he saw a “winged, faceless ers in 1204. Ibn-Algol fared little better than genie with skin of midnight black” summoned his work. Thrown into jail, he was torn apart before his eyes, the editor explains with self- by his fellow inmates three years later. Vague imposed authority that the author was either hints suggest his death was far from natural, hallucinating as a result of heat stroke or sub- the scholar being rendered limb from limb by ject to a con artist’s trick. a genie than his cell mates.

The Hound in Myth and Legend * Libro Signis

Language: German; Author: Jonathan Language: Latin; Author: Unknown; Friebel; Published: 1808; Complexity: 2; Published: c.13th century; Complexity: 5; Horror: 1; Mythos: 1; Contents: Summon Horror: 3; Mythos: 2; Contents: Elder Sign, Black Dog (see Leagues of Gothic Horror), Formula: Powder of ibn-Ghazi, Sign of Koth, Summon Hound of Tindalos Voorish Sign This slim volume looks at the presence of Experts agree that the Latin translation of

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Tsathoggua: Summon Black Spawn of The effect of the amulet lasts for one Tsathoggua month, after which time its power ends. Deep Yig: Form of the Beast (snake), Summon Ones know rituals to recharge the jewelry, but Animal (snake), Summon Child of Yig it requires first recovering the object. Yog-Sothoth: Gate, Seal Portal, Summon Enhancements: Increased Duration: One Dimensional Shambler month (+6 Enhancements), Induce Flaw: Lusty (+1 Enhancements)* Prima Materia * Only with regard Deep Ones.

Artifact 5 Shining Trapezohedron Leagues: — Early and medieval alchemists believed in Unique Artifact 3 prima materia. They described it as primeval Leagues: — matter, a formless, fifth element that is the The Shining Trapezohedron is a roughly base of all things and that purifies the impure. spherical polyhedron around 4” across. It Some texts refer to it as the Body of God, from appears nearly black, but in the right light which the infant Earth was formed. The The- displays red striations. It is housed in an asym- atrum Chemicum states that it “begets itself, metrical metal box with a hinged lid. conceives itself, and gives birth to itself.” The Trapezohedron is not of this world. It Prima materia exists, but is not the be- is recorded in certain books of elder lore that nevolent substance alchemists thought. A ge- it was fashioned on Yuggoth in an age long latinous slime that contains all the colors and before the Fungi made it their home. None can minerals in the universe, it is the protoplasmic say who brought it to earth, but it was greatly ooze from which the Elder Things spawned treasured by the Elder Thing inhabitants of the Shoggoths and which they used to create Antarctica. Indeed, it was this ancient race who the first simple life on Earth. fashioned its protective casing. It is a deadly and powerful mutagenic in- Legends tell how the Serpent Men of long- imical to all terrestrial life. A single drop on lost Valusia discovered it among the ruins of exposed skin, scales, or whatever is enough that elder city, and how later it came to be to transform any living creature into a mature admired in sunken Lemuria. It found its way to Shoggoth in a matter of minutes, the gel flow- doomed Atlantis, and from there into the net ing across the victim’s body. As one might of a Minoan fisherman. Sold in the markets of expect, the process is agonizingly painful Egypt, it eventually came into the possession and guaranteed to break even the strongest of Pharaoh Nephren-Ka. Today, it sits forgotten resolve. Only the Elder Things know how to in the abandoned Church of Starry Wisdom in use it to create other life. Providence (see p. xxx). Enhancements: Special: Creates a single The Trapezohedron is a window on time Shoggoth (+10 Enhancements) and space, albeit one whose use by the uniniti- ated comes with terrible risk. The stone holds Sea Glass Amulet a curious and alarming fascination to any who gaze upon its uncovered form. Images of alien Artifact 4 vistas, distant in both time and space, flash Leagues: — through the gazer’s mind, drawing him in ever It takes a certain type of person, or tainted deeper. Stare too long, though, and something bloodline, to willing mate with a Deep One. alien stares back! Made of gold and green gemstones mined from After five rounds continuous viewing, the the sea floor, and engraved with tiny images of Haunter of the Dark, an avatar of Nyarlathotep, cephalopods, these enchanted amulets, when stares back at the unlucky globetrotter. He worn by a human, induce an unearthly lust to must now make a Horror roll at Difficulty 8. copulate with Deep Ones. Averting one’s gaze requires intense con-

25 Leagues of Cthulhu Companion member of the family (or, failing that, a family gray cottage that has withstood wind and rain lawyer) and convince them to sell any volumes since the town since its foundation and the of “historical interest.” sight of which causes mariners to cross them- selves and avert their eyes. Kingsport Often visible above the sea-fog that fre- quently sweeps through the town, the house Mythos Tale: The Festival a sinister reputation. Older residents recall Location: Massachusetts the night that a brilliant bolt of lightning shot Eerie Atmosphere: 0 (–1 old town) heavenward from that strange house and of Founded in 1631 and named in honor of the unusual shapes that flap out of the mists. King Charles II of England by hardy seafarers None visit the house, but Kingsport’s resi- from rugged Cornwall, Kingsport always been dents know it is occupied because of the yel- associated by the sea. From its roots as a small low light that shines forth from the windows at fishing village it grew into a prosperous town night. Stories claim that the same person has thanks to its deep harbor and shipbuilding dwelt there for centuries and that he or she industry. Larger ports further along the coast can be seen on the cliff ’s edge when the morn- have reduced much of town’s wealth, but the ing mists rise, staring vacantly into space. industry remains strong. The oldest parts of town, where the steeply- Lake Ontario pitched buildings are nestled together along cobbled narrow streets and lanes, straddles the Location: Canada coast and around the base of Congregational Eerie Atmosphere: 0 Hill, the highest point. Until recently, the old In the Huron tongue, ontario means “Lake Congregational Church was torn down and of Shining Waters.” In the folklore of the indig- replaced with a hospital. enous peoples who still live along its shoreline, Talk of tunnels running through the hill and the water is home to Gaasyendietha, a dragon down deep into the earth are commonplace, but that fell to the earth leaving a trail of fire that none have ever been unearthed. Most stories burned across the sky. At night, when the sky is relate to British soldiers hiding payrolls beneath dark and the air still, they say that the fires of the hill, but older denizens hint that odd ceremo- Gaasyendietha, still burning after many eons, nies were held in the gloomy catacombs beneath. can be seen blazing beneath the surface. Likely these are half-forgotten memories of the Remote parts of the forested shore have four witches hanged on the hill in 1692. been the center of religious practises since Adventure Seed: While clearing out the time immemorial, as evidenced by clusters of clutter from its archives, the Kingsport Histori- standing stones aligned to unusual configura- cal Society unearths a parchment. If the contents tions of the stars. are to be believed, they prove the existence not The descendants of the Americans who only of tunnels beneath Congregational Hill, settled the area after the Revolutionary War but a natural cave system. The Speleological still live in isolated farms and cabins. They Society is keen to locate and explore the system, are widely shunned by their neighbors in the as are numerous antiquarians. larger towns and villages, who accuse them of having adopted strange customs. - The Strange House Adventure Seed: In 1893, Lake Ontario freezes over. Several Leagues hastily plan to winter Kingsport lies in a defile bordered by high over on the ice in order to better study the lake cliffs. Over the centuries, Kingsport’s inhabit- beneath, and the globetrotters are invited to join ants have given the bluffs names, such as The their ranks. One evening, a lone man staggers into Causeway and Father Neptune, for their physi- their camp. Before he succumbs to the biting cold, cal appearance. he tells of how their expedition saw lights beneath Atop the lofty cliffs stands a lone house, a the ice and drilled down in order to investigate.

32 Leagues of Cthulhu Companion cept them, they taught much elder lore before Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will- retreating once more into the heavens. power 2 As its name suggest, the Fire Mist is a nebu- Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 7 (14)*, lous maelstrom of fire. Rarely is it summoned Perception 4, Initiative 2, Defense 6, Stun 5, to Earth, for its mere presence is enough to set Health 8, Horror 3 fire to vegetation and inflict hideous burns on Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Stealth 4**, Sur- animals within a 50 foot radius. In game terms, vival 5 any one within the Fire Mist’s proximity suffers Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating) 4L caustic fire damage per combat round. Resources: — Associated Rituals: Call Fire Mist, Com- Flaws: Bestial (Cannot speak or use tools) mune Fire Mist, Summon Child of the Fire Weapons: Bite 0N Mist * Double their Move when running. ** Beasts of K’n-yan have a –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls. Horrors Easy Gait: Beasts have a clumsy though even gait, making them especially easy to ride even without a saddle. A rider gains +2 to Ride rolls when mounted on one. Beast of K’n-yan

Known to the inhabitants of K’n-yan as Child of the Fire Mist gyaa-yothn, the Beasts are used as mounts by the ruling class and beasts of burden by the Children of the Fire Mist are balls of living slave class. Their forelegs end in rudimentary fire some 8” across. They are highly intelligent fingers, enabling them to carry objects while entities, though their ability to communicate walking in a lumbering bipedal stance. The with humans is extremely limited. In order to “hands” are too chubby for fine work. impart their wisdom, they must first enter a Primarily quadrupedal, they have enormous host’s body. Once this is done, they flash men- flabby bodies with black fur on their backs and tal images into their host’s mind. Despite their a short, horn-like growth protruding from fiery nature, possession causes the host no in- their foreheads. Carnivorous, they feast on the jury, though their faces glow with an unearthly special slave-class reared for meat in K’n-yan. radiance. (It is for this reason many fire cultists They are not natural creatures, but are the wear face veils.) descendants of animals found roaming free The Children also have a malicious side. in red-litten Yoth. These were later crossbred Once inside a host, they can emit heat so fierce with humanoid slaves from K’n-yan. Behind it sets causes the victim to spontaneously the flat noses and bulging lips, their faces have combust. Despite the intensity of the heat, sur- elements that are all too human in nature. rounding materials are rarely more than lightly Reaction to Summoning: Beasts of K’n- singed by proximity to the blazing body. yan can be summoned only when within that Reaction to Summoning: Children of the subterranean realm. Beasts are good only for Fire Mist are capable of understanding human riding, pulling heavy loads, or carrying goods. speech, though they cannot converse save These tasks they perform without reticence. through possession. Unless a magician quickly states the service the Child is to perform, it at- Beast of K’n-Yan tempts to possess him. Children of the Fire Mist are prepared to serve as tutors or assassins. Follower 1 Archetype: Animal; Motivation: Survival; Child of the Fire Mist Style: 1 Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 2, Ally 1

60 The Dreamlands: Realm of Morpheus

Friend to Cats

“This may sound a little odd, but when we’re dealing with cats let me do all the talking.”

Archetype: Academic; Motivation: Wisdom; (The Feline Society; +1 Social bonus), Rank 0 Style: 3 (The Osiris Club; +1 Social bonus) Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, Flaws: Obsession: Cleanliness (+1 Style point Strength 2, Charisma 3 (4), Intelligence 3, whenever your obsession causes you to do Willpower 2 something dangerous or endanger someone Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep- else’s life) tion 5, Initiative 6, Defense 5, Stun 2, Health Weapons: Punch 0N 4, Sanity 5 * Bonus already included in Animal Handling Skills: Academics: History 5 (Ancient Egypt Skill. Marked in parentheses for other Skills. 6), Animal Handling 5 (Cats 6), Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Diplomacy 4 (5), Empathy 4 (5) (Body Character Background Language 5 (6)), Investigation 5, Linguistics 5 (Translation 6), Survival 5 Two things have been constant in my Talents: Animal Affinity (+1 Charisma when life—Egypt and cats. My father was a diplomat dealing with animals)* of little importance and was posted to dusty Resources: Contacts 0 (Cats; +1 Social bo- Cairo when I was but a child. While he was en- nus), Follower 0 (Kitten of Ulthar), Rank 0 gaged at work, my mother and I would spend

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Maximum Length of Visit Taking & Returning Time within the Dreamlands has no di- rect relationship with the waking world. The with Items amount of time a dreamer may spend in the The Dreamlands exist, as the name clear- Dreamlands before being forced back to the ly implies, only in dreams. Characters waking world depends on their training. who enter it from a dream state or via The table below shows the amount of time the White Ship cannot bring items from a dreamer may remain in the Dreamlands for the waking world with them. each hour that passes in the waking world. Any items acquired within the Dream- Thus, a novice dreamer can spend one day in lands perform exactly as the real world item would. Thus, hitting someone with the Dreamlands for each hour he sleeps, while an axe causes wounds, while a lantern the most skilled dreamers can remain for one provides light. However, such items can- year per hour of sleep. not be brought back from the Dream- Not every moment of sleep involves dream- lands. ing. The maximum number of hours a dreamer The only means to take items from the can remain in a dreaming state is equal to their real world in the Dreamlands and vice Body + Charisma. Using hashish adds +2 versa is to find one of those rare sites that overlap both existences. Entering hours to the total. through that means, of course, expos- Training Period es one’s body to harm and potentially death. Untrained One week Adept Dreamer 1 Talent One month Adept Dreamer 2 Talent One year wounds taken in the Dreamlands are auto- Adept Dreamer 3 Talent One decade* matically healed once the dreamer awakens. * Should the dreamer die in the waking Wounds taken while physically in the Dream- world, he lives on in the Dreamlands. See the lands remain until healed naturally. sidebar Death in the Dreamlands. Shaping the Exiting Dreamlands Exiting from the Dreamlands is automatic when the dreamer is awakened or the maxi- “But three nights afterward Kuranes came mum number of hours passes. No matter how again to Celephaïs. As before, he dreamed first or from where they leave the Dreamlands, the of the village that was asleep or dead, and of sleeper always awakes wherever their physical the abyss down which one must float silently; body lies. then the rift appeared again, and he beheld A dreamer who desires to leave the Dream- the glittering minarets of the city, and saw lands early, perhaps because they are in a the graceful galleys riding at anchor in the dangerous situation or because their adven- blue harbour, and watched the gingko trees of ture is over, cannot simply attempt to wake Mount Aran swaying in the sea-breeze.” themselves. Only through passing beyond the —H. P. Lovecraft, Celephaïs Cavern of Flame and ascending the stairs that lead to the waking world, or locating one of Without the interference of dreamers the few overlapping regions that offer passage from the waking world, nothing changes in between the waking world and the Dream- the Dreamlands. No buildings are raised, no lands, can one voluntarily leave the realm. new communities formed, and no new kings Assuming the dreamer has not died, crowned. Only through the power of dreamers

139 The Dreamlands: Realm of Morpheus

Another of the Dreamlands’ maritime Kled, Jungles of trading cities, Hlanith lacks the beauty and fantastical imagery of the Dreamlands’ many Mythos Tale: The Dream-Quest of Un- metropolises. known Kadath No wharves of chalcedony or walls of basalt The waters of the Oukranos slither whis- stand here, for the former are constructed peringly past by the cities of Kiran and Thran from oak and the latter by blocks of granite. through the perfumed jungles of Kled. Where some cities boast roads of gold or Deep within the tangled vegetation, in a marble, those are of Hlanith are rutted from land whose name has slipped from memory, the frequent passage of ox-drawn carts that stand palaces of ivory. Carved with images of ferry wares from the numerous bazaars and things related to elephants but far more terri- workshops of the artists of which the city is ble to in their form, the palaces have withstood renowned to the docks. time and climate without mar, for they are un- The houses are crowded together in long der the protection of elder gods. It is said that row broken only by lands whose narrow width the monarchs of old who lie inside the temples has preserved the cobbles. Tall though the are not dead, but sleep until awakened from buildings are, with sharply-peaked roofs and their timeless slumber until the gods call them plastered gables, the interiors are low, with forth for some unnamed task. black beams running across the ceilings. The elephant driver whose caravans wind through the jungle avoid the temples, for there are hideous things set as watch over the sleep- Kiran ing monarchs and which brook no trespass.

Mythos Tale: The Dream-Quest of Un- known Kadath Oonai Hugging the banks of the River Oukranos, Kiran is renowned for its magnificent temple. Mythos Tale: The Quest of Iranon Constructed entirely of rare blue jasper, the Beautiful and terrible is Oonai, which lies seven-pinnacled building has a footprint of beyond the Karthian Hills. one acre (43,560 square feet or 4,047 square By day, the drab domes and walls of Oonai meters). are as pale as the wine-sodden citizens who Faint music and song are sometimes heard drank and danced away the previous hours of from within, but the priests never leave the darkness. At night, the city wakes into its title temple. The locals are unsure whether the mu- as a city of dancing and lute music. The dull sic and song are uttered by the priests or the domes are golden by night, lit by harsh and god that inhabits the river and which is said to glaring lights that ward off the shadows and dwell within the inner shrine, chamber fed by pain the eyes. water filled with diverted from the Oukranos Skilled singers and musicians, though by hidden channels. those have wooed the revellers, may be asked Save for one, visitors are not welcome in- to stand atop a crystal dais on the mirrored- side the temple. Once a year, the King of Ilek- floor of the palace in which sits the Monarch. Vad descends from his opal throne and into a Rich is the master of Oonai and generous is golden palanquin that carries him to distant his largesse, showering his favorites with satin Kiran. A former native of Kiran, the king once clothes and jade rings and ivory bracelets. dwelt in a small cottage near the riverbank. As a Alas for those given such esteem that the youth, he sat near the water and listened to the Monarch’s attention is only brief, for the mas- song of Oukranos. Never forgetting that haunt- ter quickly tires and seeks new entertainment ing melody, nor the promise it whispered in to fill his nights. With the loss of the Monarch’s his ear, the king returns each year to hear again favor comes the favor of the people, who will the god’s song. never again see that soul in the same way.

158 Inhabitants of the Dreamlands of hours to live as their flesh begins turning Zoogs are appreciative of those with great necrotic. wisdom, so much so that their society is ruled Reaction to Summoning: Spiders of Leng by of Council of Sages. The word of these are predatory animals. In much the same way elders is law, and to go against them is to be only a fool would attempt to strike a bargain banished from the Enchanted Wood. Alone, a with a wild lion, only the insane call forth Spi- Zoog has little chance of avoiding marauding ders from Leng to serve as minions. Even if a cats and being torn limb from limb. magician could cower one, the creatures lack Zoogs have their own tongue, a strange the intelligence to understand even the most fluttering sound that rises and lowers in pitch rudimentary commands. with the speaker’s mood. Reaction to Summoning: Fearful of being Spider of Leng set upon by cats, Zoogs only answer Summon rituals if the magician is in the Enchanted Follower 1 Forest. Lest the summoner be dangerous, the Archetype: Dreamlands Monster; Motiva- Council of Sages sends only a single delegate. tion: Survival; Style: 1 Usually it is an unfortunate Zoog who has of- Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, fended them in some manner. Only if the Zoog Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will- is entirely convinced of the magician’s benevo- power 3 lent nature will it guide them to the Council Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 6, of Sages. Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 2, Health 4, Horror 4 Zoog Skills: Brawl 6, Stealth 8*, Survival 4 Talents: Climb (Doubled climbing speed) Follower 1 Resources: — Archetype: Dreamlands Monster; Motiva- Flaws: Bestial (Cannot speak or use tools) tion: Survival; Style: 1 Weapons: Bite 6L + Venom (Toxin rating 4L, 8 Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, successes required) Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will- * +1 Size bonus on Stealth rolls. power 2 Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 4, Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Zoog Health 4, Horror 2 Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Dreamlands Lore 6 Native to the Enchanted Wood, Zoogs are a (Obscure Lore 7), Stealth 4, Survival 4 (Forage 5) secretive and furtive race, seldom leaving their Talents: Skill Aptitude (+2 Dreamlands Lore leafy home to explore the wider Dreamlands rating) or the strange realm we call the waking world. Resources: — The small and brown-skinned Zoogs live in Flaws: Semi-Bestial (Cannot use tools) burrows and the trunks of trees. Well-versed Weapons: Punch 4N in obscure secrets of the Dreamlands, Zoogs * +1 Size bonus on Stealth rolls. have, on rare occasion, been known to wander into the waking world. Sightings of them have likely been partially responsible for talk of faer- Cults ies or “little people.” Zoogs primarily eat fungi, which they harvest from the forest, though they have been known to consume small quantities of meat on special Brethren of the One Mind occasions. Typically, the meat is that of kittens. As a result, cats have a deep-seated enmity to- In whatever pass as eyes in Nyarlathotep’s ward Zoogs that has lasted for millennia. many and varied forms, the Dreamlands in an

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