“I've seen them at their
devilish business, and I repeat to you solemnly, that as there are angels
above, there is a race of devils on earth, and they are sorcerers...I tell you
that the Kuen-Yuin have absolute control of a hundred millions of people, mind
and body, body and soul. Do you know what goes on in the interior of China?
Does Europe know, - could any human being conceive - of the condition of that
gigantic hell-pit?”
-Robert W. Chambers, The
Maker of Moons 1896
The
Kuen-Yuin are the masters of the Cthulhu Cult in China. As such they command
massive resources throughout the world, co-ordinating the worship of their
deity across the surface of the planet. The headquarters of this dark organisation
is the city of Yian-Ho - all that remains of the ancient city of Yian which
they invaded and dominated. All members are trained to some extent in the
magical practises of their worship; the mightiest of sorcerers rarely ever
leave Yian-Ho, leaving the bulk of their schemes to be carried out by agents
trained in the martial arts and with skills of infiltration and subversion.
These agents have established a worldwide network dedicated to facilitating the
restoration of the Great Old Ones, through rituals such as that interrupted by
Inspector Legrasse on the 1st of November in 1907.
The
Kuen-Yuin are identified by the fact that they carry intricately carved golden
beads, engraved with strange sigils and coiling dragons. These may be found on
leather thongs about their necks, wrists or ankles, or may be attached to
articles of their clothing or other paraphernalia. These beads are sometimes
used as a focus for their magicks and the Kuen-Yuin are extremely loath to let
them fall into the hands of their enemies.
The
Kuen-Yuin leave signs to enable others of their kind to identify them. Due to
the correspondence of their name ‘Kuen-Yuin’ to that of the goddess ‘Kwan-Yin’,
the sorcerers often use an image of that goddess, marred in some fashion, as a
clue to their activities. These can be broken porcelain or wooden sculptures,
images scarred with blotches of paint or some other stain, or even just the
characters of her name, blurred or smudged.
The
Kuen-Yuin are almost always aware of the activities of other cults and groups
sympathetic to their cause. They generally make contact with these
organisations and coerce or otherwise steer their efforts along paths of their
own devising. The leaders of these groups are either convinced to co-operate or
replaced by more biddable representatives. The Kuen-Yuin often pose as men of
knowledge and wisdom – collectors, antiquarians, academics – and surround
themselves with subordinates (knowledgeable in the ways of the Mythos but, as
often, not) to defend them and facilitate their needs. In these guises, they
adopt the roles of patrons for various cult groups.
Wherever
they emerge to enforce their will and that of their masters, the Kuen-Yuin
always opposes the activities of the Hsi-Fan and their Nameless Guards; the
enmity between these agencies is ancient and formidable. The Kuen-Yuin also
have a deprecating attitude towards the Tcho-tcho, rarely trusting in their
assistance and relying upon their capabilities as little as possible.
In
terms of armaments and equipment, the Kuen-Yuin try to be as innocuous as
possible. Standard equipage is avoided as something that would only reveal
their presence. That being said, the sorcerers of the Kuen-Yuin will often
attack their enemies – when they must in a direct fashion – by magical means,
as a demonstration of their mystical prowess.
Average Kuen Yuin Mystic:
STR: 10
CON: 11
SIZ: 13
INT: 11
POW: 17
DEX: 13
Move: 8
SAN: 0
HP: 12
Weapons: As the Keeper desires
Average Damage Bonus: +0
Spells: As the Keeper desires
Skills: As the Keeper desires
SAN
Loss: it costs no SAN to
see a member of the Kuen Yuin
*****
A
Library of the Cults of Cthulhu and its Kin
“What the police did
extract, came mainly from the immensely aged mestizo named Castro, who claimed to have sailed to
strange ports and talked with undying leaders of the cult in the mountains of
China...”
HPL, “The
Call of Cthulhu: The Tale of Inspector LeGrasse”
The
R’lyeh Text (aka the Urilia Text)
This
book was originally carved onto stone tablets by the spawn of Cthulhu itself
and outlines the correct form of worship of the Great Old One: it is considered
by adherents of this cult as their holiest of books. The book existed in
Hyperborean times and copies at least fifteen-thousand years old are hidden
somewhere in China, probably in the keeping of the ‘Hidden Ones’: the writing
on these scrolls looks like Chinese script but is of no known human tongue.
Chinese copies of the scrolls have been periodically smuggled out of China.
Copies
made their way across the Silk Road and led to a Latin version being issued
around 200 BC; this was later followed by a German version known as Liyuhh,
published in the 1700s and which also used the Chinese version as a source.
Lord Rochester’s unpublished translation of the Latin text was widely copied
and covertly circulated in its day. The book is renowned for its inclusion of a
spell called Breath of Dagon which allows the caster to breathe underwater.
(Source: The Return of Hastur, August Derleth)
Chinese; Author unknown; c. 300 BC; 1d8/2d8 Sanity
loss; Cthulhu Mythos +15 percentiles; 54 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Call Cyaegha; Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact
Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Contact Father Dagon; Contact
Mother Hydra; Breath of Dagon; Curse of the Stone; Grasp of Cthulhu; Wave of
Oblivion
Latin; Author unknown; 200 BC; 1d6+1/2d6 Sanity
loss; Cthulhu Mythos +12 percentiles; 45 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Call Cyaegha; Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact
Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Contact Father Dagon; Contact Mother
Hydra; Breath of Dagon; Curse of the Stone; Grasp of Cthulhu; Wave of Oblivion
English; John Wilmot, Lord Rochester; unpublished, 1647;
1d3/1d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; 6 weeks to study and
comprehend
Spells:Contact
Deity: Cthulhu
German; Author unknown: Liyuhh; 1700s;
1d6/1d10 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +10 percentiles; 40 weeks to study
and comprehend
Spells: Call Cyaegha; Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact
Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Contact Father Dagon; Contact
Mother Hydra; Breath of Dagon; Curse of the Stone; Grasp of Cthulhu; Wave of
Oblivion
R’lyeh Text Commentary
This work, in Chinese, is an extended commentary on
the R’lyeh Text dissecting and explaining several of the most convoluted
and difficult passages. Interestingly the Commentary does not contain
the Breath of Dagon spell from the original text; it does however,
contain a rough sketch map of the corpse city R’lyeh.
(Source: Masks of Nyarlathotep, Larry DiTillio, Lynn Willis, et. al.)
Chinese; Author unknown; Liao Dynasty; 1d8/2d8
Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +15 percentiles; 40 weeks to study and
comprehend
Spells: Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact Spawn of
Cthulhu; Grasp of Cthulhu; Wave of Oblivion
*****
Zanthu Tablets
These
tablets were apparently given to Harold Hadley Copeland during the Copeland-Ellington
Expedition by a wizard called ‘Zanthu’. Copeland was rescued in Mongolia after
the expedition disappeared in 1923; he was the sole survivor. When located, the
ten tablets were in his backpack; they were made of ‘black jade’ and written
all over in what Copeland described as hieratic Naacal, the written language of
Mu. The tablets now reside in the Sanbourne Institute of Pacific Studies.
The
text of the ‘Tablets is most readily encountered in the monograph written by
Copeland just prior to his commitment to an asylum and suicide. There are no
spells in this translation; however their presence and function are alluded to.
There are claims that, in later years, more copies of the ‘Tablets have been
found by fisherman around the Pacific Rim.
(Source: The Dweller in the Tomb, Lin Carter)
Hieratic Naacal; ‘Zanthu, Wizard of Mu’; prehuman
timeline; 1d6/1d10 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; 60 weeks
to study and comprehend
Spells: Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact Deity: Ghatanathoa;
Contact Deity: Lloigornos; Contact Deity: Yuggya; Contact Deity: Zoth-Ommog;
Enchant Bell
English; Harold Hadley Copeland: The Zanthu
Tablets: A Conjectural Translation; 1926; 1d3/1d6 Sanity loss; Cthulhu
Mythos +3 percentiles; 8 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: None
*****
Ponape
Scriptures
The
original copy of this work was discovered in the Carolinas by Captain Abner
Exekiel Hoag in 1734. It was scribbled upon a series of dried palm leaves
protected by a frame made from the wood of an extinct cycad. With the help of
his servant Yogash, Hoag translated the text: some say that Hoag wrote the
material himself after talking to the natives, as the original is written in
hieratic Naacal, a language which should not have been available either to Hoag
or his servant (this point of view is somewhat ameliorated by the existence of
the actual text).
Hoag’s
attempts to publish the work, which seemed designed for missionary purposes,
were thwarted by the religious leaders of the time who were especially
concerned by references to Dagon throughout the text. It was published in a
duodecimo format, finally, after Hoag’s death by his granddaughter, Beverly
Hoag Adams, although prior to this several clandestine copies had been passed
amongst occult circles. The first printed (or “Beverly”) edition is slightly
abridged and error-ridden due to cost constraints in its production. The
original work is still available for view however, in the Kester Library in
Salem Massachussets, USA. The most voluble proponent for the work was Harold
Hadley Copeland who cited the book extensively in his essay the Prehistoric
Pacific in Light of the Ponape Scriptures (1911) and who published his own
translation through the Miskatonic University Press in 1907.
The
book deals largely with the lost continent of Mu and the wizard-priest Zanthu
who doomed the place in a fiery cataclysm; it discusses Cthulhu, Idh-yaa and
their descendants including Ghatanothoa, Ythogtha, Zoth Ommog and Cthylla. The
text has dramatically affected and informed the rites and practices of the Esoteric
Order of Dagon, among others.
(Source: Out
of the Ages, Lin Carter)
Hieratic
Naacal; author unknown; date unknown (discovered 1734); Sanity loss: 1d8/1d12;
Cthulhu Mythos +15 percentiles; average 20 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Contact
Deep One; Contact Father Dagon; Contact Mother Hydra; Contact Cthulhu
English;
Capt. Abner Exekiel Hoag; unpublished manuscript translation, various dates;
Sanity loss: 1d6/1d10; Cthulhu Mythos +10 percentiles; average 15 weeks to
study and comprehend
Spells: Contact
Deep One; Contact Father Dagon; Contact Mother Hydra;
English:
“Beverly” edition; Capt. Abner Exekiel Hoag; 1795; Sanity loss: 1d3/1d6;
Cthulhu Mythos +5 percentiles; average 10 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: None
English;
Copeland translation; Miskatonic University Press, 1907; Sanity loss: 1d4/1d8;
Cthulhu Mythos +7 percentiles; average 12 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Contact
Deep One;
*****
Rituals
of Yhe
A
book claimed to have been held within the personal library of the Hyperborean
wizard Eibon “the Unfathomable”. The authorship of this work rests with the
prehuman prophet Niggoum-Zhog and was used in the worship of Ythogtha by the
priesthood of Mu. After Zanthu doomed the continent and fled to Leng, he was
said to have destroyed the last copy of this, his holiest of texts. Later,
however, scribes in Poseidonis unearthed a copy in the library of Malygris,
after that wizard’s death, and Yakthoob, Abdul Alhazred’s mentor, is said to
have owned a copy. Recently in 1903, an Egyptian tomb was opened and found to
contain a translation.
The
book outlines thirty-one secret rituals and spells used in the worship of
Ythogtha. The last spell – The Key That Openeth the Door To Yhe – will summon
the Great Old One from its imprisonment. Niggoum-Zhog warns however, that this
spell should be used by worshippers only in extremis.
(Source: The Thing in the Pit, Lin Carter)
Hieratic Nacaal; Niggoum-Zhog; Prehuman timeline; Sanity Loss: 1D12/2D12; Cthulhu Mythos +15
percentiles; average 45 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact Deity: Ythogtha; Contact Deity:
Zoth-Ommog; Contact Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Contact Yugg-ya; Contact
Father Dagon; Contact Mother Hydra; Breath of Dagon; Curse of the Stone; Grasp
of Cthulhu; Summon Ythogtha; Wave of Oblivion
Hieratic Nacaal; transcriber unknown; Prehuman
timeline; Sanity Loss: 1D10/2D10; Cthulhu
Mythos +13 percentiles; average 40 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact
Deep Ones; Contact Father Dagon; Contact Mother Hydra; Breath of Dagon; Curse
of the Stone; Grasp of Cthulhu; Summon Ythogtha; Wave of Oblivion
Ancient Egyptian (Hieratic); translator unknown;
date unknown (discovered 1903); Sanity
Loss: 1D8/2D8; Cthulhu Mythos +10 percentiles; average 32 weeks to study and
comprehend
Spells: Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact
Deep Ones; Contact Father Dagon; Breath of Dagon; Curse of the Stone; Grasp of
Cthulhu;
English; translator unknown; date unknown; Sanity
Loss: 1D3/1D6; Cthulhu Mythos +4 percentiles; average 24 weeks to study and
comprehend
Spells: None
*****
The Volcano Catechism
This
work began its history in the gigantic temples to Ghatanathoa on the continent
of Mu; it outlines the proper rituals and ceremonies sacred to the worship of
that unspeakable deity. As with the Rituals of Yhe, it was thought to be lost
with the sinking of Mu; however, time has shown that it has survived the
devastation.
In
a pattern which has become altogether too familiar with these tomes of Chinese
descent, an original version of this work was encountered by a Western
traveller and transcribed, somewhat imperfectly into another language. In this
instance, it was a little-known Belgian sinologist and adventurer who travelled
deep into the Chinese western wildernesses. There he discovered a hidden city
ruled by a council to whom he refers in his work as the “Hidden Ones”: again
whether this is the same group encountered by Mme. Blavatsky, or by von Junzt,
is unknown.
The
ancient work encountered by Dr Anton van der Meiden was fragmentary, written in
Chinese onto a series of scrolls and was itself copied from an earlier source.
There are no extant records to show that this earlier work exists anymore and
certainly there are none living in this world who could claim to have seen a
copy. Logic assumes that it would have been written in the Hieratic Naacal of
Mu and therefore may have lost something of its potency in its translation into
Chinese.
After
reading the incomplete copy shown to him, van der Meiden was subsequently
plagued by a series of vivid nightmares from which he was able to ‘replicate’
the missing text. The process cost him his sanity and he committed suicide,
hanging himself in his hotel room in Shanghai on the eve of his departure back
to Bruges. The work was published in its entirety, along with his other
less-esoteric writings, by his heirs in a three-volume biography; a subsequent
publisher released an expurgated version of the Catechism on its own in a
limited edition run of 500 copies.
Hieratic Nacaal; Author unknown; Prehuman Timeline; Sanity Loss: 1D10+2/2D10; Cthulhu Mythos +15
percentiles; average weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Attract Fish; Alter Weather; Breath of Dagon;
Consume Likeness; Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact Deity: Ghatanothoa; Contact
Deity: Ythogtha; Contact Deity: Zoth-Ommog; Contact Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact
Deep Ones; Contact Yugg-ya; Contact Father Dagon; Contact Mother Hydra; Curse
of the Stone; Grasp of Cthulhu; Shrivelling; Wave of Oblivion
Chinese; translator unknown; date unknown; Sanity Loss: 1D8/1D12; Cthulhu Mythos +12
percentiles; average weeks to study and comprehend
Spells:
Attract Fish; Alter Weather; Breath of Dagon; Consume Likeness; Contact Spawn
of Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Contact Yugg-ya; Contact Father Dagon; Contact
Mother Hydra; Curse of the Stone; Grasp of Cthulhu; Shrivelling; Wave of
Oblivion
Fragmentary, Chinese; transcriber unknown; date
unknown; Sanity Loss: 1D4/1D8; Cthulhu
Mythos +8 percentiles; average weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Any 2 of the following - Attract Fish; Alter
Weather; Breath of Dagon; Consume Likeness; Any 2 of the following - Contact
Spawn of Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Contact Yugg-ya; Contact Father
Dagon; Contact Mother Hydra; Any 2 of the following - Curse of the
Stone; Grasp of Cthulhu; Shrivelling; Wave of Oblivion
French: la Vie du Anton van der Meiden; van
der Meiden et.al.; 1895; Sanity
Loss: 1D6/1D10; Cthulhu Mythos +10 percentiles; average weeks to study and comprehend
Spells:
Attract Fish; Alter Weather; Contact Deity: Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Shrivelling
French: le Catéchisme de Volcan; Anton van
der Meiden, trans.; 1912; Sanity
Loss: 1D6/1D10; Cthulhu Mythos +10 percentiles; average weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Attract Fish; Alter Weather; Contact Deity:
Cthulhu; Contact Deep Ones; Shrivelling
*****
Codex Dagonensis
“Dagon his name,
sea-monster, upward man
And downward fish; yet had
his temple high
Reared in Azotus, dreaded
through the coast
Of Palestine, in Gath and Ascalon,
And Accaron and Gaza's
frontier bounds”
-John Milton, Paradise
Lost: Book I
This
work is one of four titles which appeared in northern Germany around the year
400 AD. The four books are the Codex Dagonensis, the Codex Maleficium, the Codex
Spitalski (also known as The Leprous Book) and the Cthaat Aquadingen. Each of
these titles shows distinct congruencies in the nature and layout of the
material that they present and it is thought that all of them were prepared and
written by the same author, or group of authors. Each has had its own unique
ride through history, however.
As
with many books of this nature, the titles are arbitrary and are usually
derived from their content or the nature of their discovery: the Codex
Dagonensis is known as such due its extended discourse upon Deep Ones and their
religious practices, especially relating to the entity Dagon. It may be that
each of these books represents an attempt to produce a single volume of lore
prepared at four different locations and occasions; given the strangeness of
the name Cthaat Aquadingen, it’s possible that this title was meant to cover
all of this material. Subsequent events have meant that the reintegration of
all this matter under that heading is no longer possible.
The
Codex Dagonensis concerns itself mainly with the nature, society and worship of
the Deep Ones. Obed Marsh of Innsmouth, Massachusetts, possessed a copy of this
work and used it to create the form of worship of his Esoteric Order of Dagon:
copies of the book were made and the material amended to adhere more closely to
the rituals of that Order. After the forced disbanding of the sect in Innsmouth
in 1928, Marsh’s original copy of the Codex and several of the translated
versions were presented to the Library at Miskatonic University, where members
of the Order still consult it from time to time.
Apart
from the Deep One information, the Codex Dagonensis also contains the Nyhargo
Dirge (for destroying zombies and other corporeal undead creatures); several
magical protections to thwart summonings; information about the Elder Sign; a
series of rituals concerned with the Great Old One, Tsathoggua; as well as the Third
and Eighth Sathlattae: the Third Sathlatta protects against Bugg Shash, the
Devourer, when chanted at midnight, however such protection only lasts until
such time as the subject’s death; it is not known what the Eighth Sathlatta
does.
(Source: Brian Lumley, The Cyprus Shell)
Latin;
Author(s) unknown; circa. 400 AD; 1D8/1d12 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos
+10 percentiles; 22 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Alter
Weather; Call Dagon; Call Mother Hydra; Call Tsathoggua; Contact Deep One;
Elder Sign; Nyhargo Dirge; The
Third Sathlatta (Banish Bugg-Shash)
The Teachings of the Esoteric Order of
Dagon
This
is a work which seeks to ease the transition of those affected with the so-called
“Innsmouth Look”. It is a clear manual outlining the nature of the Deep Ones
and their connexions to humanity and to the denizens of the deep. It outlines
the whereabouts of Deep One colonies and helps in the identification of others
who are undergoing the change. As well, it contains many prayers to Cthulhu,
Father Dagon and Mother Hydra and discusses with some perspicacity the nature
of these entities.
An
early edition of this work dating from Elizabethan times is kept in the British
Library; another version published in the early 1800s resides in the Miskatonic
University Library collection. Yet another version in Spanish has been
identified in the Library of the University of Toledo.
Elizabethan English; Author unknown; 16th
Century; 1/1d3 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +2 percentiles; 1 week to
study and comprehend
Spells: Alter
Weather; Contact Deep One; Elder Sign
English; Author unknown; early 19th
Century; 1/1d3 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +2 percentiles; 1 week to
study and comprehend
Spells: Contact
Deep One
Spanish; Author unknown; 1902; 1/1d3 Sanity loss; Cthulhu
Mythos +2 percentiles; 1 week to study and comprehend
Spells: Alter
Weather; Contact Deep One
Invocations to Dagon
A
passing reference in a news journal dated 1851 is the earliest sighting of this
work, although the likelihood is that it is much older. The Invocations were
never published; they were written by Asaph Waite and circulated amongst the
adherents of the Esoteric Order of Dagon in the town of Innsmouth. After the
destruction of that town in 1928 (during which Asaph Waite was killed), the manuscript
disappeared and its current whereabouts are unknown.
That
being said, the Restricted Section of the Miskatonic University Library has
several pages from the Invocations. From these meagre gleanings it is clear
that the work is a collection of prayers and ritual devotions seeking the
intercession of Father Dagon in the worship of Great Cthulhu.
English;
Asaph Waite; 1851?; 1d4/1d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +9 percentiles;
16 weeks to study and comprehend
Spells: Unknown
*****
Mythos Magic
Mark
of the Dragon’s Fang
These
are strange crescent-shaped silvery marks which appear on the skin of those
whose destinies are inextricably bound up with the machinations of the Kuen Yuin.
By these signs, the Chinese wizards are able to recognise enemies of their
faith or those chosen for special sacrifice. The means by which these marks are
transmitted are not currently known however they do confer certain benefits to
those possessing them.
Firstly,
in the casting of magics which require the expenditure of Magic Points to
increase the base chance of the spell functioning, the Mark adds +5% to the
base score; secondly, Deep Ones Cthulhu Cultists and other similar servitor
beings are less likely to summarily execute the bearer of the Mark, recognising
that the Mark-wearer has a greater destiny outside their immediate travails.
Conversely, followers of Hastur will seek out the Mark-bearer for execution or
ransom – whichever suits their machinations the best.
Ponape
Figurine
It
is known that the Sons of Cthulhu are able to manifest their will through statues
of themselves: Ghatanothoa’s medusa-like power works through images of itself
and Zoth Ommog is able to animate its idols to enact its will. Similarly, the
dreams of those who have the misfortune to sleep within range of an image of Cthulhu
become troubled and will eventually lead the dreamer to that dread entity. Any
or all of these effects are possible when discussing the Ponape Figurines.
These
are misshapen idols that evoke the powers of the Sleeping God and its minions;
some are repositories for Magic Points and act like batteries, able to absorb
from 1-12 points from their possessor to be used in casting spells. Others
contain a single spell effect which activates as soon as the possessor infuses
the Figurine with Magic Points: These spells are usually such things as Attract
Fish, Call Deep One, or similar, and usually have a detrimental effect on the
owner.
*****
Gods, Creatures &
Monsters
The
XIN, Avatar of Ghatanothoa
"...A shadow, a
nameless shapeless mass, headless, sightless, gigantic, gaping from end to
end..."
-Robert W. Chambers, The
Maker of Moons, 1896
The
Xin (pronounced ‘sheen’) is a dark, shadowy, roiling mass which can be Summoned
from large bodies of water such as rivers, lakes or the ocean. It is enormous
with no distinct shape and moves by shifting its volume in various directions.
While nebulous in outline, the bulk is covered by gaping maws which constantly
bite and snap. The Xin is rarely encountered outside of Yian and then rarely
outside of China; however, it can be Summoned anywhere in the world according
to the whims or schemes of its worshippers.
Cult
Worship
of the Xin supplanted an older religion practised in Yian and was probably
brought there by the sorcerer Yue-Luao, leader of the Kuen-Yuin. The Xin has no
human worshippers outside of Yian. The Lloigor worship the Xin as a
manifestation of Ghatanothoa and there are some cults to this abomination among
the Mi-Go as well.
Attacks & Special
Effects
Close
combat with the Xin is not recommended: in near proximity, 1d4 of its great,
fanged mouths will latch onto its opponents and do awful damage. Once bitten,
the Xin may choose to hold onto its prey and either sink beneath the water, or
roll over and crush its victims, as it sees fit. As an alternative, the Xin may
choose to expel 1d10 of its ‘Satellites’ instead: these repulsive creatures
burst forth from swellings on its hide, taking 1d3 rounds to do so. The Xin is
susceptible to normal weapons but takes no extra damage from Impaling attacks;
when reduced to 0 Hit Points, it transforms into a black mist which dissipates
slowly, leaving any of its expelled Satellites behind to continue fighting.
Once destroyed, the material form of the Xin can be Summoned once more.
The
XIN, Dark Mandarin of Yian
STR: 90
CON: 60
SIZ: 180
INT: 20
POW: 35
DEX: 8
Move: 9
HP: 120
Damage
Bonus: n/a
Weapons: Maws:
1d4@90% each, 7d6 damage +possible Drowning damage or Crushing damage (10d6)
thereafter
Armour: 10-point Hide; Impaling weapons have no
extra effect
Spells: All Summon/Bind
Spells, as well as Contact Spells for
Great Old Ones, Cthonians, Deep Ones, Flying Polyps, Ghouls, Lloigor, Star
Spawn of Cthulhu and Sand Dwellers
Sanity Loss: It costs 1d10/1d20 Sanity points to see
the Xin
*****
Satellites
of the Xin, Lesser Servitor Race
“This
monster is horrible, for it not only lives in its own body, but it has
thousands of loathesome satellites - living creatures without mouths, blind,
that move when the Xin moves, like a mandarin and his escort. They are a part
of the Xin although they are not attached. Yet if one of these satellites is
injured the Xin writhes with agony. It is fearful - this huge living bulk and
these creatures spread out like severed fingers that wriggle around a hideous
hand.”
-Robert W.
Chambers, The Maker of Moons, 1896
The
Satellites of the Xin grow within its bulk and are expelled from pustules that
develop rapidly upon its surface. Those in proximity to the Xin can see the
“unborn” satellites wriggling around in their sacs prior to release. The
expulsion is quite dramatic and can hurl the Satellite up to 3 metres (10 feet)
from the Xin.
The
Satellites are strangely unfinished-looking, blind and soft with a multitude of
crab-like legs. Their skin is vaguely reptilian and yellow, covered all over
with coarse yellow hair. A lack of eyes seems to impair them not at all and
they attack with no detriment whatsoever. They give off a rank, distinctive
odour, like mould.
The
Satellites attack by pinching their foes with their hard, needle-like feet.
They are able to wriggle their limbs into tiny chinks and cracks and can
therefore bypass most normal types of Armour in order to inflict damage. By
ganging up on a single opponent they can dispose of them in short order.
It
is reasonable to assume that the sensory input of the Satellites is relayed to
the Xin; if a Satellite is harmed, the Xin noticeably feels its distress. The
Kuen Yuin occasionally send these beasts with shipments of contraband to watch
over the deliveries, so they obviously act as competent spies for their parent
and its minions.
If
the Xin is dispelled, this in no way affects the surrounding Satellites, if
any. Such abandoned creatures will continue to thrive and show no signs of
decline unless exposed to physical trauma. If they encounter the Satellites of
a new manifestation of the avatar however, those new Satellites will kill the
older Satellite and dispose of it in the nearest maw of the Xin.
SATELLITES
OF THE XIN, Crawling Escort of the Dark Mandarin
STR: 2D6 (Average: 7)
CON: 2D6 (Average: 7)
SIZ: 1D6/3 (Average: 1-2)
INT: 1D6 (Average: 3)
POW: 2D6 (Average: 7)
DEX: 4D6 (Average: 14)
Move: 12
HP:
Damage
Bonus: +/-0
Weapons: Pinch
65%, 1D
Armour: 6 points of chitinous armour
Spells: None
Skills: Hide
75%; Sneak 75%
Habitat: Wherever the Kuen Yuin operate, or
wherever the Xin is found
Sanity Loss: It costs 0/1D6 Sanity points to see a
Satellite of the Xin
*****
Lloigor,
Greater Independent Race
“‘Some o’ these here
critters look like monkeys, or half monkeys and half men, but I never heerd o’
nothin’ like this un.’ Here he pointed to a fabulous creature of the artist,
which one might describe as a sort of dragon with the head of an alligator.”
-H. P. Lovecraft, The
Picture in the House
These
beings should not be confused with Lloigornos, the twin of the Great Old One,
Zhar.
The
presence of Dragons in Chinese mythology can be traced directly to the
creatures known as lloigor and the Taoist worship of Ghatanothoa to which they
are linked. In their normal form these creatures are vortices of power and
completely invisible. When it suits their purposes however, they can create
physical forms and these resemble elongated reptilian shapes, extremely
reminiscent of the dragons peculiar to Chinese myth.
The
minds of the lloigor are not layered as are the intellects of humans. They have
no imaginative impulses or subconscious desires and they never forget. They
radiate a tangible air of pessimism and gloom and humans who engage with mind
contact with these creatures inevitably fall into a suicidal depression. The
actions and motivations of the lloigor are largely incomprehensible to
humanity.
It
is believed that the lloigor arrived on Earth from the Andromeda galaxy and
that their first base on this planet was in the Indian Ocean, possibly in
R’lyeh. It is likely contact with this location which cemented their connexion
with Ghatanathoa in the worldwide Cthulhu cult. From this location they
expanded their domination, using humans as slaves to extend their domain. They
were known for using their servants cruelly, punishing them with amputations or
by causing cancerous, tentacular growths to sprout on their bodies. At some
point, decadence set in and their culture declined, forcing them underground to
hibernate and marshal their energies.
Over
time, across the world, many human families, linked by a common history of
mental instability, have become affiliated with the lloigor. The creatures can
drain 1d6 Magic Points from these herds of servants by the simple expedient of
spending one of their own Magic Points. They can drain several humans at once
by this method across a distance of several miles and regardless of intervening
obstacles. The objects of this attack awake complaining of restlessness and
headaches. In a variation on this method, a lloigor can keep a single target
unconscious and drained of Magic Points, unable to regenerate more. This leads
to a general decline in wellbeing. After each day spent unconscious by this
method, the subject loses a hit point and continues in this coma-like state.
They may try to fend off the attack by rolling under their CON x 5 on d100: a
successful roll means that they have regained one Magic Point and their
consciousness; failure means that the process continues, while a roll of 96-00
means that they have lost 1 CON point in addition.
Lloigor
can use these purloined Magic Points to create telekinetic effects,
manipulating objects in the physical world. In order to do this the creature
must be directly present and within a few metres of the object to be
manipulated. By spending 10 Magic Points they can create a force equal to STR 1
whilst above ground; in a subsurface but open area, such as a river bed or
canyon, they must spend 6 ‘Points to achieve a telekinetic force with a STR of
1; below ground only 3 ‘Points suffice to cause this effect. The lloigor are
extremely subtle in the use of this power, using it to close doors, turn pages,
or alter the orientation of a compass needle. Several lloigor are able to
combine this power for greater effect.
The
most fearsome use of their power however is their vortex attack. By spending
100 Magic Points per 10-metre diameter area to be affected, the lloigor (or
several of them) can manifest a swirling implosion of air that bursts into
being with the noise of distant thunder. All objects within this area loses
1d100 hit points as they are torn to pieces by the shockwave. A successful Listen
or Spot Hidden roll will allow an alert Investigator to see the vortex start to
manifest and vacate the area.
A
lloigor can create a physical form by expending Magic Points equal to the
desired SIZ of the body required: once manifested this form can be maintained
indefinitely and dissolved at will; a lloigor killed whilst in a physical body
is forever dead. A group of the creatures can combine their Magic Points to
allow one of their number a physical form if necessary. A physical lloigor has
all the abilities of an immaterial one, save that it cannot pass through
objects and is not invisible. In the table below, all attributes while in a
physical form are parenthesized.
LLOIGOR,
Masters of the Tentacle
(STR: 3D6+30; Average: 40-41)
(CON: 8D6; Average: 28)
(SIZ: 2D4x10; Average: 50)
INT: 4D6+6; Average: 20
POW: 4D6; Average:14
DEX: 3D6; Average: 10-11
Move: 7/3 through stone while immaterial
(HP: 39)
(Average
Damage Bonus: +5D6)
(Weapon: Claw
30%, 1d6+db; Bite 50%, 2D6)
(Armour: 8-point Reptilian Hide; whilst
immaterial, a Lloigor cannot be harmed by weapons, material or otherwise.)
Spells: All Lloigor know at least 1D4 Spells
Sanity Loss: It costs 0/1d8 Sanity points to see a
Lloigor in its physical form; no Sanity points to encounter an invisible
Lloigor; and 1/1D4 Sanity Points to endure mind contact with one.
*****
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