Friday 7 July 2023

Hell, Bound: B

This next instalment contains book beginning with the letter “B”. Note that I have not included texts based on the fact that they are known as “The Book of Yah-de-yah-de-yah”; those works will be found under the first letter of their owner, point of origin, subject, or author (“E” for “Eibon”, for example).

That being said, those looking for an entry for “The Black Book”, that is, Die Unaussprechlichen Kulten under its well-known pseudonym, will have to wait until we get the letter “U” (or check the earlier post on von Junzt which also contains that information).

For now, here are a range of books with “B” names and some associated material deriving from them.

*****

The Black Book of the Skull


“Beware of that which lives under thy feet for one night it will rise up to take thee. For it is known that beneath central Cakatomia, lurks great Othuyeg and his spawn. Trapped for eons, they wait for when they can reclaim the land above their sunken cities.”

-J’Cak Igguratian, Black Book of the Skull

The Black Book of the Skull is a grimoire detailing its author’s experiments with summoning the Great Old Ones and serves as an object lesson as to why human experimenters should shy away from dealings with such entities. Written ages passed in the land of Quy (exactly where this may be is still a question unresolved), the work devolves from a series of well-defined experiments in hard metaphysics into a rambling diatribe, warning against dabbling in such practices. Along the way it discusses Othuyeg and is one of the very few sources of information regarding the entity Quyagen.

The first edition of this work was written in Greek; however, all but one copy of this edition were put to the flames by the Inquisition. The sole surviving copy is in the library holdings of Dwayne University in Amoston, Kansas, a donation from the family of a Holocaust survivor who kept the book with him during his time in a Nazi prison camp. A second edition was produced in France during the 13th Century: this Latin translation was hindered by the fact that the translators chose to avoid re-working the most blasphemous sections and decided to edit them out. A copy of this iteration is kept at Miskatonic University. Finally, in 1915, Aleister Crowley, down and out in New York and seeking work to finance his dubious lifestyle, undertook a translation of the Latin version of the book for the Starry Wisdom Press: this edition is hampered by Crowley’s insistence, as usual, on changing the material to suit his own theories of magic and is a vastly inferior product.

(Source: “Invocation” & “The Seven Cities of Gold” by Crispin Burnham)

Greek; J’Cak Igguratian; year unknown; 1d4/1d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; 29 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: Contact Othuyeg; Banishment of Yde Etad; Call/Dismiss Azathoth; Call/Dismiss Tulzscha; Chant of Thoth; Cloak of Fire; Dread Curse of Azathoth; Enchant Brazier; Evil Eye; Parting Sands; Summon/Bind Byakhee; Warding the Eye

Latin; unknown translators; circa. 1250 AD; 1d2/1d6 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +3 percentiles; 20 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: Contact Othuyeg

English; Aleister Crowley, trans.; Starry Wisdom Press, 1915; 1/1d2 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +1 percentile; 10 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: None

*****

The Black Litanies of Nug & Yeb


“[6] Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with A'ad, [7] [The people of] Eruma (Irem), possessors of lofty buildings, [8] The like of which were not created in the [other] cities, [9] And [with] Thamud, who hewed out the rocks in the valley, [10] And [with] Firon (Pharaoh), the lord of hosts, [11] Who committed inordinacy in the cities, [12] So they made great mischief therein?, [13] Therefore your Lord let down upon them a portion of the chastisement...”

The Qur'an, chapter 89 (Al-Fajr), verses 6 to 13

Nug and Yeb are two lesser entities whose role is to eventually clear the Earth in preparation for the return of the Great Old Ones. Two artefacts are mentioned in relation to them: the Furnace of Yeb and the Torch of Nug, to be used in this eventuality. The rites of these entities, as practised in K’n-Yan, are said to be especially abhorrent. While those of K’n-Yan equate them with Shub-Niggurath, the monks of Leng claim that Nug and Yeb are actually avatars of Zhar and Lloigornos and represent them with a modified Taoist yin-yang symbol.

The Black Litanies are rarely encountered outside of the realm of K’n-Yan although it is reasonable to assume that there are translations and copies on the Plateaus of Leng, Sung and Tsang. For a long time, common knowledge had it that the only complete version of the Litany to Yeb was to be found on a wall in many-columned Irem; until this location is found, this fragment of information should be held as apocryphal.

(Source: The Mound” by HPL & Zealia Bishop)

 

Arabic; Author unknown; 700 AD; 1d6/2d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +10 percentiles; 30 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Speak with Nug” (Contact Loigornos); “Speak with Yeb” (Contact Zhar); “Speak with the Black Servitors” (Contact Tcho-tcho); “Create Liao” (Plutonian Drug); “Invoke the Power of Yeb’s Furnace” (Death Spell); “Prepare the Feast of Wonders” (Food of Life); “Nug’s Rebuke” (Shrivelling); “Punish the Unbelievers” (Steal Life)

*****

The Black Rites of Luveh-Keraphf

The Black Rites are a chapter within the Scroll of Bast which is usually omitted from most copies, being considered too sacred for general perusal. Written during the Thirteenth Dynasty by the High Priest Luveh-Keraphf, the Black Rites have been handed down secretly over the ages by a hidden sect devoted to the worship of the cat goddess. The initial version of the ‘Rites contain spells concerned with such Egyptian entities as Bast and Sebek, along with Nyarlathotep in his avatar as the Black Pharaoh, among others; a later Greek translation drops all spells pertinent to the Outer God but retains the litany of warnings about interacting with Nyarlathotep in any of his incarnations. This Greek translation is very hard to find – even moreso than the Black Rites generally are – and it is widely considered that the translation was illicit and made without priestly sanction.

(Source: “The Suicide in the Study” by Robert Bloch)

Khemite dialect, Pharaonic text; Luveh-Keraphf; Thirteenth Egyptian Dynasty (1786-1633 BC); 1d6/2d6 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +9 percentiles; 41 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Call the Goddess of Cats” (Contact Bast); “Command the Goddess’ Servants” (Summon/Bind Cat); “Bring Forth the Faceless Master of the Sands” (Contact Nyarlathotep’s faceless sphinx form); “Call the Black Pharaoh” (Contact Nyarlathotep); “Summon the Carrion Feasters of the Desert” (Contact Ghoul); “Call Forth the Terrible Lord of the Riverbanks” (Contact Sebek); “Summon & Abjure the Children of the Riverbanks” (Summon/Bind Crocodile)

Greek; unknown translator; Ptolemaic Empire (305-30 BC); 1d6/1d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; 40 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Call the Goddess of Cats” (Contact Bast); “Command the Goddess’ Servants” (Summon/Bind Cat); “Summon the Carrion Feasters of the Desert” (Contact Ghoul); “Call Forth the Terrible Lord of the Riverbanks” (Contact Sebek); “Summon & Abjure the Children of the Riverbanks” (Summon/Bind Crocodile)

The Dutch version of the Black Rites was compiled by archaeologist Janwillen Vanheuvelen during his time with the Clive Expedition to Cairo in 1925. Since it was the text he used to teach himself Egyptian Hieroglyphs, his rendering of the material is error-ridden and makes several intuitive leaps that do not serve its translator well: he insists, for instance, that references to the “crocodile god” concern the afterlife monster Apep, rather than Sebek. Readers of this version are warned to tread carefully.

(Source: Masks of Nyarlathotep - Cairo” by Larry DiTillio & Lyn Willis)

Dutch; Janwillen Vanheuvelen, trans.; 1924; 1/1d4 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +1d4 percentiles; 1 week to study and comprehend

Spells: “Call the Goddess of Cats” (Contact Bast); “Command the Goddess’ Servants” (Summon/Bind Cat); “Summon & Abjure the Children of the Riverbanks” (Summon/Bind Crocodile)

*****

The Black Rituals of Koth-Serapis

“The text is rendered in Egyptian hieroglyphs. It is called The Black Rituals of Koth-Serapis. I doubt you have heard of it. It is little known in the West. Even the learned Professor Wallis-Budge makes no mention of it.”

The Black Rituals of Koth-Serapis is a collection of rites which pre-date the Egyptian civilisation by several thousand years, originating in the Stygian empire. It is apparent that the source of this work came from a variety of sources and may well have been originally passed on as an oral tradition before Egyptian scribes tortured enslaved adepts and collated the material in this form. The work concerns itself primarily with the cultivation and distillation of that pernicious vegetable, the Black Lotus.

“Ia! Ia! Lloigor! Zhar fhtagn! Cfyak vulgtlm vultlagn!”

The scroll begins with several prayers to Set (an avatar of Nyarlathotep, also known as Typhon) then continues with discussions of Gol-goroth and its obscene worship. Following this is an extended section devoted to the summoning and worship of the Twin Blasphemies, Loigornos and Zhar. Thereafter, the text extols the production and cultivation of the Black Lotus and the preparation of many dangerous concoctions from this plant in the form of recipes. It is theorised that the Tcho-tcho peoples stole this work and fled with it to the Plateau of Sung in Burma where they subverted its religious practises to their own despicable ends.

(Source: “Dope War of the Black Tong” by Robert M. Price)

Egyptian Hieroglyphs; Koth Serapis(?); Middle Pre-Dynastic Period (4,000-3,500 BC); 1d10/2d10 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +15 percentiles; 65 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Speak with the Lotus God” (Contact Lloigornos); “Speak with Set’s Dark Companion” (Contact Gol-goroth); “Speak with Set” (Contact Nyarlathotep, in his guise as Set); “Speak with the Bringer of Ecstasy” (Contact Zhar); Create Black Lotus Sleep Drug; Create Black Lotus Poison; Create Black Lotus Dream Drug; Create Black Lotus Incense; Create Plutonian Drug; “Call forth the Jackals of Set” (Summon/Bind Typhonian Beast); “Bring forth the Ecstatic One!” (Summon/Bind Zhar)

*****

The Black Sermons

“...the Itiqua, a peculiar Native American tribe spoken of primarily in Joseph Durham’s The Black Sermons...”

This little-known work is the product of the diseased mind of Joseph Durham, founder of the eponymous town in Ohio. It deals mainly with an extinct Native American tribe – the Itiqua - and their worship of a “Great Sky Spirit” from the north. It also details various theories concerning the origin of a circle of tall black stones, 30’ in diameter, situated near the town in a forest known as St. Elmo’s Wood.

(Source: “The Wind has Teeth” by G. Warlock Vance & Scott H. Urban)

English; Joseph Durham; Durham OH, nd.; 1d2/1d4 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +3 percentiles; 6 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Summon the Great Northern Sky Spirit” (Call Ithaqua)

*****

The Black Sutras


“Before death was born, She was born; and for untold ages there was life without death, life without birth, life unchanging. But at last death came; birth came; life became mortal and mutable, and thereafter fathers died, sons were born, and never was the son exactly as the father; and the slime became the worm and the worm the serpent, and the serpent became the yeti of the mountain forests and the yeti became man. Of all living things only She escaped death, escaped birth. But She could not escape change, for all living things must change as the trees of the north must shed their leaves to live in winter and put them on to live in the spring. And therefore She learned to devour the mortal and mutable creatures, and from their seed to change Herself, and to be as all mortal things as She willed, and to live forever without birth, without death.”

-U Pao

Written by U Pao, one of Burma’s greatest scholars, the ‘Sutras contain an extended discussion of the creation of life on Earth and its subsequent development; this in no way emulates Darwin’s Theory of Evolution but has a consistent internal logic of its own, touching upon Mlandoth, Ngyr-Khorath, ‘Ymnar and Yidhra. It is notable for being the only source concerning Yidhra which is unconnected to any process of gestalt mind transference and unreferenced by any of the other standard Yidhran texts. It is said to contain certain chants which are potent against Yidhran avatars and its cult followers.

(Source: “Where Yidhra Walks” by Walter C. DeBill)

Burmese; U Pao; c.700 AD; 1d4/1d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +5 percentiles; 18 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Cutting the Web” (Close Minds); “Break the Touch of Evil” (Undo Reversion)

*****

“Close Minds” (Mlandoth Rite)

This spell requires the assistance of a second person: the caster weaves a cat’s cradle around their fingers using a red thread while chanting an invocation to Mlandoth and expending 5 Magic Points. Once the ‘cradle has been completed, the assistant must cut the thread with a pair of scissors or a small knife. The moment that the thread is cut, all telepathic communication between Yidhra’s closest avatar and its followers, human or otherwise, will completely stop for 60 minus 1d10 minutes; the effect covers a mile in radius.

Once completed, the caster then needs to make a Luck Roll: if they fail, all of Yidhra’s local followers as well as its avatar, become telepathically aware of the location from where the spell was cast, once the spell’s effect wears off. Sadly, the caster also knows that they know, and suffers a 1d4 point loss of SAN...

*****

“Undo Reversion” (Mlandoth Rite)

This spell requires the burning of several rare forms of incense found only in Southern China, Indochina and Burma. The caster makes a set of ritual gestures while performing a rigorous chant, making an invocation to Mlandoth. When cast in the presence of an individual who has been permanently affected by the Reversion spell, it will undo the effects of that magic. Note that this spell will also remove the effects of lycanthropy and will purge a victim of the “Innsmouth Look”.

Due to the loss of human sensibilities the victim instinctively tries to resist the caster’s efforts and must be restrained. The victim and caster match CON and expended Magic Points respectively on the Resistance Table and the spell has a base 5% chance of success. The process takes several hours and the caster is left physically and mentally weakened, with a decrease in STR, CON and DEX by 1d6 each and a reduction in all skills by 20% for 1d4 days.

If the caster is successful, the victim must make a Luck Roll: if successful, the change back to their normal physiology is permanent and lasting; if unsuccessful, the victim’s reinstatement is only partially effective, and their APP is reduced by 3. Check the following list for other side effects:

Restoration from Subhuman state: subtract 1d20% off all the character’s restored INT and EDU based skills; SIZ is increased by 1. Amnesia: the character needs to make an Idea Roll to remember facts and skills which pre-date their Reversion.

Restoration from Animal state: Lycanthropy – under circumstances which reflect the initial Reversion, the character undergoes infrequent temporary transformations into a Werewolf; the character is more hirsute when in human form and is uncomfortable in restrictive garb or overly enclosed spaces.

Restoration from a Reptilian state: Ophidiophobia; the character dislikes intense cold and is quick to succumb to hypothermia, falling into a catatonic stupor in low temperature environments (<16°C / 60°F); the character is also plagued by recurrent chronic psoriasis.

Restoration from an Amphibian state: The character dislikes dry environments and becomes distinctly cold and clammy to the touch; the character becomes plagued by nervous tics and strange compulsions to do with water – obsessive cleaning, bathing, etc (-20% to Credit Rating).

Restoration from an Icthyoid state: The character has developed the “Innsmouth Look” and will degenerate into a Deep One over the course of their life from this point onwards.

Restoration from an Arthropod state: Entomophobia; the victim experiences constant tinnitus which can require medication to control; such characters become withdrawn and isolated, sometimes literally ‘cocooning’ themselves away; characters are plagued with recurring aphasia, a random inability to produce or comprehend language while under stress.

*****

The Black Tome (aka “The Black Tome of Alsophocus”)

This work is abstruse and, thankfully, incredibly rare, although it is rumoured that a copy of the Latin text exists in the Miskatonic University Library. The original work was penned by a wizard of antiquity named Alsophocus of Erongill, but any idea as to the language in which it was written has been lost in time. A medieval monk translated it into Latin – somehow - in the late 13th Century and it has been sighted rarely ever since.

The material deals with – among the usual bestiary and herbal lore typical of the period – the raising of Cthulhu from his dreams in R’lyeh and the nature and manufacture of the Shining Trapezohedron. Researchers are warned to approach this work with circumspection.

(Source: “The Black Tome of Alsophocus” by HPL & Martin Warnes)

Unknown language; Alsophocus of Erongill; Pre-human timeline; 1d8/2d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +13 percentiles; 60 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: Unknown

Latin; Unknown translator; circa. 1260; 1d6/2d6 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +10 percentiles; 37 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Speak with the Sleeping God” (Contact Cthulhu); “Summon the Wisdom of the Night-Flyer” (Contact Nyarlathotep, as the “Haunter of the Dark”); “Awaken the Dreamer” (Summon Cthulhu)

Extractus Alsophocus

During the Renaissance, the Black Tome was discovered by the Inquisition and a collection of extracts compiled from it. This book contains no spells but is written in the Inquisitorial alphabet, making decipherment a bothersome difficulty. The extracted passages are concerned with the Shining Trapezohedron, from its creation on Yuggoth to its disappearance during the reign of Nitocris. It deals with the known qualities of the device and the means whereby it can be used against the Haunter of the Dark.

(Source: Unseen Masters: “Coming of Age” by Bruce Ballon, et.al.,)

Latin, in the Inquisitorial cipher; Unknown translator; circa. 1517; 1d4/2d4 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; 3d4 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: None

*****

The Inquisitorial Alphabet

Most people would not be too surprised to learn that the Inquisition, that instrument of terror deployed by fanatical Popes throughout European history, used a series of codes to hide the nature of the correspondence between their agents. What is surprising is that this invented written language was based largely on alchemical and Hebrew symbols. For an organisation heaven-bent on wiping out heretics across the globe it seems more than a little hypocritical of them to have borrowed their enemy’s alphabets as inspiration for their secret codes. To add insult to injury, it’s also a very simple replacement code that’s laborious to write, so what they gained from it is anybody’s guess.

Difficulty: Slight: Idea Roll x2

Works in this Language: Codex Maleficium (+20%); Zekerboni (+10%)

‘Rosetta Stone’: None

*****

The Book of Blackened Jade

Semi-literate, incoherent, pornographic, filled with images of torture and perversion, The Book of Blackened Jade is a product of the Tcho-tcho mind at its nadir. It is not a published work per se but has cropped up as an obscure website, or underground ‘zine at sporadic intervals, the earliest dating from around 1998. But for the fact that the contents of each iteration build upon what has gone before, it could hardly be called a discrete work; nevertheless it exists, and seems to be promulgated through an active and anonymous organization. Chinese authorities are quick to respond to the emergence of this material and it ranks very highly on their lists of proscribed ‘literature’.

The bulk of the material revolves around the seduction, rape, mutilation and murder of a young woman who describes the process - along with her increasingly willing involvement in it - through a rambling interior monologue, punctuated by rhapsodic poetry and – in some online versions – blasts of heavily nihilistic and turgid rock music. Some versions include a ‘high priest’ figure who orchestrates the desecration of the victim and includes his thoughts in its narrative; other versions have two, three, or even more tormentors and include their musings - or not - dependent upon the literary capabilities of the author(s). In each case the depravity is of a high order, inventive in its cruelty and very nasty in its perversity. Several subversive presses in the West have been approached to publish this work but so far none have made the commitment. Nevertheless, The Book of Blackened Jade has achieved an underground cult status within many alternative lifestyle organisations, including death metal music aficionados and Southern-Californian Satanic cults of the Anton La Vey stamp. Many musical artists have had their music co-opted into online versions of the material (often without reference, permission or payment) and several of these bands have, in response, created music in homage to the work. Amongst these are the Norwegian fascist death metal group Oskorei; Mexican black metal band Nekrosis; Japanese psychedelic pop group Sadistic Mika Band; Australian death/thrash metal innovators, Armoured Angel; and – notoriously - nihilist German group, Enthäutet, with their album, “Das Zischen von ihr Risse”.

Hidden within the subtext of this work are snippets of the Cthulhu Mythos: spells, devotional prayers, chants and so on, interspersed with glimpses of Tcho-tcho history. In some incarnations the material is so diluted within the indulgent phantasmagoria of death-fetishism that it is all but worthless; in other instances, it is more potent. In recent times copies have been translated into (often atrocious) English, or other languages and these have begun to be traded on their own merits. Iterations are invariably classified as “Valuable”, “Ordinary” or “Useless” by those who pursue and collect copies. A burgeoning market of collectors has appeared in recent years - holding clandestine swap-meets and conventions - and the values of copies of the Book and associated memorabilia have begun to skyrocket.

The following statistics can apply to either an Internet website (with accompanying spoken content in a dialect or language of the Keeper’s choice) or a low-circulation, printed magazine; in all cases, hosting attribution or printing activity will reveal little or no overt knowledge of the material and payment for such services will have been made through cut-outs and other such secure methods.

Chinese; unknown author & date (circa 1998), “Valuable” edition; Sanity loss: 1d6/2d10; Cthulhu Mythos +12 percentiles; average 1 week to study and comprehend

Spells: Call Tcho-tcho; Contact Lloigornos/Zhar; Voorish Sign; any or all of the T’ai p’ing T’ao

Chinese; unknown author & date (after 1998), “Ordinary” edition; Sanity loss: 1d2/1d6; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; average 5 days to study and comprehend

Spells: Call Tcho-tcho; Create Blue Glow; any or all of the T’ai p’ing T’ao

Chinese; unknown author & date (after 1998), “Useless” edition; Sanity loss: 0/1d2; Cthulhu Mythos +1 percentiles; average 1 hour to study and comprehend

Spells: None

English; unknown author, “Valuable” edition; 2001 onwards; Sanity loss: 1d3/1d10; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; average 1 week to study and comprehend

Spells: Call Tcho-tcho; Create Blue Glow; Voorish Sign; any or all of the T’ai p’ing T’ao

English; unknown author, “Ordinary” edition; 2001 onwards; Sanity loss: 1/1d4; Cthulhu Mythos +3 percentiles; average 5 days to study and comprehend

Spells: Voorish Sign; any or all of the T’ai p’ing T’ao

English; unknown author, “Useless” edition; 2001 onwards; Sanity loss: 0/1d2; Cthulhu Mythos +0 percentiles; 4 hours to study and comprehend

Spells: None

Danish; unknown author, “Valuable” edition; 2001 onwards; Sanity loss: 1d3/1d10; Cthulhu Mythos +6 percentiles; average 6 days to study and comprehend

Spells: Contact Lloigornos/Zhar; Create Blue Glow; Voorish Sign; any or all of the T’ai p’ing T’ao

Spanish; unknown author, “Ordinary” edition; 2001 onwards; Sanity loss: 1/1d4; Cthulhu Mythos +3 percentiles; average 3 days to study and comprehend

Spells: any or all of the T’ai p’ing T’ao

Japanese; unknown author, “Useless” edition; 2001 onwards; Sanity loss: 0/1; Cthulhu Mythos +0 percentiles; 1 hour to study and comprehend

Spells: None

*****

“Create Blue Glow”

Many commentaries on Mythos magic refer to this as a “useless” spell, or one “of little merit”; however, a hard metaphysician who has paid attention will report otherwise.

The spell consists of a droning chant and some hand gestures which must be actuated at night while the moon is down. Casting the spell requires the spell-user to daub ceremonial patterns on their face, neck and chest with the ichor of some bioluminescent creature while chanting. The caster must expend a minimum of 1 Magic Point (MP) during these evocations, and this will ensure that the spell will stay in effect for a period of about fifteen minutes. The spell summons a trailing tentacle of bluish light which emerges from the chest of the caster and slowly wends its way around the location wherein the caster stands. The light will circle the caster, moving ever outwards until the time limit – determined by the number of MPs spent - has been reached. At that time, it will dissipate leaving a faint blue glow in the surrounding area which will fade over the next twenty minutes or so. The caster loses 0/1 Sanity Point in the aftermath.

For this reason, many casters have described disgruntlement with the spell. However, if the spell continues in effect for over an hour, any object made of gold – or gold in its raw form as an ore - in the area will start to glow with a sympathetic light. This includes any object which is hidden from sight, in boxes or bags or hidden niches. Such hidden wealth will also be plainly visible to the caster (and only the caster) who will see the glowing shapes through the material which obscures them: it won’t tell them how to access the gold, just where it is.

Many magickal practitioners deride notions of wealth as a source of true power and this may also be a reason why this spell is seemingly little-valued, but there are differing points of view on the matter. For some, gold is a means to an end, and being able to determine its presence, or not, can be quite beneficial.

*****

The T’ai P’ing T’ao

This is a collection of spells taught and demonstrated throughout China in the various secret societies that abound there, especially the triad societies. The manipulation of these groups by the Tcho-tcho has meant that actual Mythos magic has taken root and has a measurable effect (if only by swelling the belief in the power of the sect through rumour). This body of lore is called the t’ai p’ing t’ao or ‘heavenly knowledge’ and was recorded in use up until, and during, the Boxer Rebellion. Many of these spells have found their way into common folklore, added into various Chinese grimoires and Mythos texts from the region: Keepers may add some or all of them with impunity into any Mythos tomes that their Investigators unearth while in China.

However, the Tcho-tcho are known to jealously guard power in its various forms and do not give up secrets lightly. Each of these spells has a mundane version which boils down to a bunch of legerdemain, chemistry and psychology and which may have been passed on instead of the true spell; as often, the spell faithfully recorded into an older book of lore is completely fraudulent. Wherever one of these spells is discovered, have the reader roll percentile die: a roll under 21% means that the spell is true and will work as described.

“Banner of Despair!” (Implant Fear)

Magical version:

This spell imbues an image with the ability to cause terror in all those who look upon it. In many battles with users of the t’ai p’ing t’ao, the main way that this spell is used is to cast it upon a ‘charm banner’, a large, brightly coloured flag covered with mystical emblems and carried before an advancing force. All those who see the image must match their POW against the Magic Points (MPs) spent in the creation of the image. The spell requires a minimum of 5 MPs to be spent and costs 1d4 SAN points. The effect lasts until the next sunrise or sunset.

Mundane version:

In this iteration, the image is one that is as horrible as the creator can make it and its revelation is usually engineered in circumstances that allow the creator to heighten the drama of seeing it. Sometimes it is heralded by a collection of rumours promising evil to those who view the image; occasionally, the unveiling of the image is accompanied by shrill screams or weird music. Either way, this form of the spell works best against an opponent already willing to believe in its negative effects.

“Body of Stone!” (Flesh Ward)

Magical version:

The Flesh Ward bestows points of Armour against non-magical attacks upon the recipient of the spell. The caster prepares talismans of paper, written with pear-wood pens, with sutras inscribed upon them. The recipients of the spell begin a frenzied dance accompanied by chanting and are fed a potion by the caster which facilitates the magic. With the expenditure of 4 SAN points the caster bestows immunity to the tune of 1d6 points of Armour per 1 Magic Point expended.

Mundane version:

The potion in both versions is simply a distraction, often alcohol or a home-brewed narcotic to deaden pain (oftentimes, opium). Once roused to an adrenalized fever-pitch by the dancing and chanting, the recipients of the spell often don’t even notice when they’ve been wounded anyway.

“The Closed Fire and Sand Curse”

“Disciples in the red dust, obstruct the cannon’s mouths. Let their guns resound together and part the sands on both sides of us.”

Magical Version:

This is another expression of the classic Boxer magic which renders the faithful immune to foreign weaponry, specifically the ballistic kind. Like all versions of this spell, the physical component is a piece of yellow paper, written over with coloured ink displaying “true words”, which is carried somewhere on the person. Most versions of this spell simply bestow extra points of Armour upon the bearer allowing them to withstand a barrage for longer than normal; this version acts a little differently.

The Curse acts by repelling bullets away from the bearer of the parchment talisman. When fired upon, the bearer rebounds the bullet, and the shooter must make a Luck Roll or find that they have shot themselves. If they make this roll, those nearby should then make similar rolls to avoid being hit by the ricochet. In the case of artillery, the cannon’s Malfunction Roll should be rolled with a +40% chance of failure, causing the gun to be destroyed by returning shot.

To cast the spell, the caster utters the “true words” while inscribing the charm with a pen made from pear wood, all the while burning “gold paper” and incense: the last lines of the chant are listed above. The spell requires the permanent loss of 1 point of POW and a number of Magic Points equal to the number of times that the charm will be effective (the sacrifice of POW is made first). The caster suffers a loss of 1d6 points of SAN while the bearer of the charm loses 1d2 points of SAN the first time the charm operates. Obviously, in a heated gun battle, the charm will lose its effectiveness very quickly...

Mundane Version:

As with other mundane versions of this spell, the casting ceremony involves much trance-inducing chanting and dancing and the imbibing of a special “warriors’ potion”. This potion is simply a distraction, often alcohol or a home-brewed narcotic to deaden pain. Once roused to a frenzy by the dancing and chanting, the spell recipients often aren’t aware that they’ve been shot anyway.

“Fire of Heaven!” (Summon Fire Vampire)

Magical Version:

This spell is a modified version of the spell Summon Fire Vampire. The caster creates a magical cloth, investing it with 1 point of their POW. The cloth should be either yellow or red, and dyed, painted or embroidered with mystical sigils and “true words”. Into one corner of the cloth, a small number of coins should be sewn. The caster then awaits an evening when the star Fomalhaut is above the horizon and casts the Summoning spell as per usual; however, when the Fire Vampire appears, the caster brandishes the cloth and the ‘Vampire becomes trapped, inert, within it, able to be safely stored away. At a moment of the caster’s choosing, they are then able to flick open the cloth (using the weight of the coins to facilitate this action) and release the Fire Vampire to cause havoc. These cloths are especially useful for causing arson or attacking enemies. Once freed, the Fire Vampire disappears back to whence it came; the cloth may then be used in a repetition of the casting.

If the coins used in creating the cloth are ones minted during the reign of the Kiangsi Emperor (of the Ming Dynasty) then the Summoning spell has a base 20% effectiveness.

Mundane Version:

The cloths in this version of the spell are not as elaborate. Usually, they are knotted heavily in one corner, or have stones or other weights tied into them; they are then dipped into some kind of accelerant liquid (petrol or oil, say) and then ignited and tossed onto roofs, or through open windows. The Black Lantern brigade of women Boxers are especially fond of this magic.

“Floating Soul”

Magical Version:

This spell requires the use of a copper bowl and water obtained from a high mountain source, either from a spring or melted from a high-altitude snowcap. This liquid must be used within a day of it being gathered otherwise the spell will be ineffective. The caster creates an altar made with three pieces of wood, not connected to each other by metal fasteners (such as nails, or wire), bonding agents (such as glue or varnish), ropes, sinew or string, or wooden pieces that have been worked by metal (wooden pins or dowels). The altar must be placed in an open area where wind can move over it and sunshine and rain can fall upon it. The copper bowl is placed upon this stand and is filled with the gathered water.

To cast the spell, the caster kneels before the altar and chants the “true words” while burning incense and “joss paper” (paper strips with magic words written on them). An offering of rice or orange peel is often made to whichever deity of ancestor the caster feels to be the most pertinent. At the end of the ceremony, they lose at least 12 Magic Points (by expending their full amount) and 1d10 points of SAN. Their soul now separates itself from their body and hovers over the copper bowl, appearing as a sort of heat haze to those who make a Spot Hidden Roll in the vicinity.

The caster is now immune to any damage which affects their body. Any attack which causes them harm will be restored at rate of 1 Hit Point per minute until they are fully recovered. An attack which disintegrates the corpus completely will negate this effect, as will reduction of the body to zero Hit Points by fire. If the body is pinned or held by the damaging effect – beneath a landslide, for example, or held submerged beneath a body of water – the process of regeneration will be halted until such time as the body is freed, whereupon it will resume once more. The caster is not necessarily unaware of what is happening to them during these restorations, and this may precipitate a SAN check.

The effect lasts only as long as the altar with its copper bowl of water remains in situ; if anything happens to upset, spill or dismantle the arrangement, the soul of the caster snaps back instantly to where it belongs, and the caster will become immediately aware of what has taken place. This could well happen at a very inconvenient moment...

Mundane Version:

This non-magical version of the spell has the same set-up as the supernatural iteration, with one important difference: this spell is always cast upon someone other than the caster. The target of the spell is made to believe that afterwards, their soul has been separated and that they are immune to any harm. The recipient of the charm is made to chant and fast, creating a light-headed suggestible state; they are given euphoric, or opiate, decoctions to drink and become unbalanced by the meaningless rituals. The bowl of water is surreptitiously topped up at some point by a layer of clear oil which is then set alight by means of a deftly-wielded joss stick: the heat haze that this generates is usually enough to convince the target that their soul is now floating on the sacred water...

“Flying Dagger”

Magical Version:

By means of this spell, the caster enacts a long-range attack upon a chosen foe, attacking with surprise from an almost unlimited range. The spell is cast when the caster writes “true words” upon a piece of paper, using a pen made from pear wood, whilst burning “gold paper” (Hell money) and chanting, investing the paper charm with half their Magic Points (round up). The caster must then smuggle the charm into the clothing of their target, secreting it upon their person so as not to be detected. Ideal places for hiding the charm are inside hat bands, watch fobs, coat linings, tobacco pouches, snuff boxes, or similar: regardless, the charm must be on the person of the target when the spell is put into effect.

At the desired moment, the caster picks up a dagger and strikes the empty air with it, rolling their normal attack dice with a thrown, or wielded, knife; bonuses for Martial Arts skills, or similar, are added to this roll, if applicable. Wherever the target is – assuming that they are in the same dimension as the caster – they are suddenly attacked by a mysteriously-appearing dagger and, if the caster’s attack roll was successful, they take normally-rolled damage (including Damage Bonus, if applicable). They may also be susceptible to any poison which the blade may have upon it. If the attack roll was unsuccessful, then the blade simply materialises near the intended victim and clatters uselessly off the surroundings, startling the target (and causing concern for their security) but inflicting no physical harm. Meanwhile the caster loses 1d6 points of SAN.

For attack purposes, this dagger is able to Impale – even if the target is normally unaffected by such attacks - and is considered to be a magical weapon for this one strike.

Mundane Version:

This form of the spell is the complete opposite of the magical version. Where the magical version attempts to set up an ambush attack, the mundane version seeks to make the target feel that they have narrowly escaped such an attack. The caster needs to let the target know that they have the ability to cause a long-range attack upon their enemy, and to subtly leak the information of the process to them. They then should try to secret the charm – in this instance a non-magical scrawl upon a piece of paper - upon the target’s person as outlined above: even if the intended target fails to find the charm, they should be made to feel as though they have been effectively targeted for a magical attack.

After this, the caster then simply needs to find a way to sneak into the target’s place of habitation and hide a dagger on the premises in such a way as to surprise the victim by its discovery. If possible, the blade can be hidden in such a way that the victim hurts themselves by lying down on it, or by walking or sitting on it; or it can just be left in plain sight. The target must be made to feel that they have narrowly escaped powers outside of their control and, if the revelation is especially effectively staged, they might be liable for a SAN check...

“Flying Fan”

Magical Version:

This spell requires the procurement of a well-made fan, either one well-made of costly materials or a sturdy War Fan. The caster chants “true words” over it whilst burning “gold paper” and costly incense for the duration. At the end of the ceremony 2 points of the caster’s POW are invested permanently into the fan and the caster loses 1d6 points of SAN.

This item is especially effective if the wielder is versed in Martial Arts. Whenever they need to make a Dodge roll while carrying the fan, they are automatically carried to a point just outside of the zone of danger, appearing to have executed a prodigious, floating leap. The same effect appears if the wielder is a Martial Artist and chooses to try and Parry an incoming attack – obviously, in this case, the correct rolls must be made in order for this effect to be successful.

The fan only works if it is carried by the caster and retains all of its original Hit Points. Once it loses these, it is no longer of any use. Repairing the fan between engagements will not prolong its life of usefulness.

Mundane Version:

This form of the spell requires a fair degree of initial set-up. The fan here is of an especially tough construction and may not even be usable as a fan at all. In fact, it is the handle of a secretive system of ropes, zip-lines and pulleys which the caster has established at a point where combat is likely to occur. Using these lines, the caster can engage with any enemies and appears to be flying or making huge leaps during the fight. Of course, innate Martial Arts ability goes a long way towards adding to the effectiveness of this illusion...

“Lance of Excellent Power!” (Enchant Lance)

Magical version:

The creation of this weapon requires the appropriate Craft skills for its manufacture. Enchanting the lance costs 1 POW and 4 SAN points. When finished, the lance does 1d10 points of damage and can Impale even those creatures not susceptible to impaling damage.

Mundane version:

Usually just an old spear and a bunch of rhetoric are needed to convince the troops that this spear is holy and super-effective. Obviously, if the spear - decorated as it is with “gold paper”, tassels, sutras and whatnot – proves less than miraculous, then the fault lies with the (former) user, not with the instrument itself.

“The Never-Empty Pot”

Magical Version:

This spell requires the use of a sizable cooking vessel made of metal, like a cauldron or large cooking pot. The caster sits before the vessel and chants “true words” all the while feeding “joss paper” into a fire lit beneath the empty pot. When the bottom of the pot begins to glow from the heat, the caster stands and slices the palm of their hand with a knife: once the blood is flowing, they must squeeze a piece of edible fungus in their wounded hand and throw this into the pot. Immediately this is done, the fire must be extinguished, and the pot removed from the cooking place. When the bloodied fungus stops sizzling, the pot’s interior can be examined:

For every 3 Magic Points expended by the caster in enacting the spell, 10 kilograms (22lbs) of edible fungus will be discovered growing on the sides of the pot and filling its interior. This can be cut out and prepared in many varied and interesting ways, even eaten raw if needs be. There is a catch: timing is everything with this spell and if the pot is too hot, or not removed quickly enough from the fire, then it will not work. The caster needs to make a Luck Roll to execute the manoeuvre swiftly enough for the spell to work. If the spell fails the caster has suffered 1 Hit Point of damage and possibly ruined a good pot; if it succeeds, they take the damage and lose 1d4 points of SAN. The caster is able to call upon others to help in the ritual and these assistants may add their own Magic Points to the spell; they do not lose Hit or Sanity Points for their involvement, but an averaged Luck Roll of everyone involved is used to determine whether the spell works.

Mundane Version:

The female Blue Lantern brigades of the Boxer Movement are masters of this spell effect, and it has a number of expressions according to how hard the Devil is driving. The women of the Blue Lanterns are well-versed in scrounging: infiltrating as they do the Foreign Concessions, they are adept at stealing excess foodstuffs, spiriting away edibles that the wasteful Foreigners disregard and eking out small supplies of rations. The best Blue Lantern cadres are those whose averaged Bargain and Accounting skills are very high. In this way, they can make it seem that the food supplies available to the Boxer forces are apparently limitless.

This effect is not simply a remarkable sense of frugality, although that’s the biggest part of it. Given the devotion that these women have for the cause, there are other procedures and skills which they can bring to bear in order to feed and clothe the Righteous Fists of Heaven. Opium is an appetite suppressant and judicious lacing of food and drink with this substance can stop even the hungriest fighters from whining. Ideologically, the Boxers see no problem with using the Foreigner’s “Black Mud” against them in the war to drive them out of China. In certain dire cases, the Blue Lanterns themselves eschew eating for a steady diet of opiates, leaving more food available for the troops. And when things get really desperate, the Blue Lantern ladies know how to render any kind of meat unrecognisable on a dinner table. Any kind.

“Puppet Fighter”

Magical Version:

This spell imparts a Martial Artist’s fighting skill to another combatant, allowing them to fight a single session of combat with skills to which they would not otherwise have access. Under the supervision of the caster, the recipient of the spell effect and the skilled Martial Artist are subjected to a period of fasting and chanting, along with the ingestion of mind-altering drugs (often opium, but alcohol will serve). When both individuals are in a suggestible state, they are made to stand within a circle drawn upon the ground and the Martial Artist is told to practise their skills while the subject is told to follow their movements as closely as possible. The two are beaten severely with bamboo canes if they refuse, or fail to perform adequately; all the while, the caster shouts words outlining the conditions under which the spell will come into effect: these should be simple but specific – “attack so-and-so when they come for your evening report”, “attack the first person you see wearing a particular medal”, etc.

The spell has a base 10% chance of working; for every Magic Point the caster expends upon it, another 10% is added to the chance of success. The spell takes several days to orchestrate, and this should be roleplayed as much as is possible. At the end of the casting, the Keeper rolls to see if the spell is effective; the caster has no means of knowing if the spell was cast successfully or not.

If it is, the target of the spell uses the fighting ability of the Martial Artist in a single combat session, the parameters of which are set by the caster’s choosing. The subject will launch the assault and fight to the bitter end to the best of the other victim’s ability. Until they see the end of the fight, they will not recall the time and effort spent casting the spell; ironically, they have no memory of these events even if the spell fails – until the trigger event transpires, whereupon it all comes back in a rush, with a 1/1d6 potential SAN loss sting in the tail.

Mundane Version:

In this form of the spell, the victim is imprisoned and denied food, sleep and exposure to natural light. Once their resistance is sufficiently broken down (accompanied by drugs and other procedures), a rigorous period of brainwashing takes place. The victim and the caster compare POWs on the Resistance Table: if the victim succeeds, the programming continues for another day. POWs can be compared only once each day, so the time invested in this “magic” is fairly intensive. Once the victim’s resistance has been overcome, the suggestion to attack the spell-caster’s target can be implanted into their receptive mind.

Note that, in this version of the spell, the victim fights using only such skills as they already possess, and any equipment that they own, or are supplied with. While executing the attack, they will believe that they have supernatural gifts, but this is unlikely to be the case. Once the fight is over and the hypnotic state evaporates, the victim may well be required to undergo a SAN check.

“Reawaken the Dead!” (Create Zombie)

Magical version:

This is like all other similarly named spells in that it creates an undead agent from a dead body that will perform various limited directions as outlined by the caster. It is dissimilar though, in the fact that it is cast upon the living who, when killed, will then turn into the zombie warrior after death.

The caster burns “gold paper” to invoke the will of the ancestors and to attract the attentions of Heaven. Then, upon strips of paper, written with a pen of pear wood, the caster inscribes a sutra to Yanluo Wang, the God of Hell, asking him to allow the warrior bearing the paper charm the ability to avenge his own death. Traditionally, this spell is cast upon those troops about to enter battle. With the expenditure of 5 Magic Points and 2 SAN points per individual affected, the charm will work as outlined.

At the next moonrise, the bearer of the charm will arise after being killed, reincarnated as a zombie, and will automatically resume the attack in which it was engaged at the moment of death.

Mundane version:

Under cover of darkness, the caster and his associates enter the battlefield and remove the dead bodies of the troops that have fallen. They then strip them of their clothing and the bodies are burned, buried or sunk. The clothes are then distributed among the next wave of troops with the imparted information that the robes and armour are somehow ‘enchanted’. To the defenders the next day, it appears that the corpses slain yesterday – with the rents and bloodstains still upon them - have risen to do battle once more.

“Seize the Harvest!” (Bless/Blight Crops)

Magical Version:

This spell is most often used as a propagandist tool to turn the hatred of the peasantry against a specific group (in China, usually foreigners). It costs 6 Magic Points to Blight one acre of vegetation, along with 1d6 SAN; the same amount of Magic Points is needed to Bless a crop but there is no commensurate SAN loss.

The caster burns “joss paper” whilst walking around the field to be affected in the darkness before moonrise. With the coming of dawn, the crop begins to be affected as per the desire of the caster; this usually takes a day to complete. If the caster loses any blood during the time in which the Blessing / Blight takes hold, the spell is nullified.

Mundane version:

Simply stated, the caster and his associates, under the cover of the moonless dark, traverse the field to be affected and do as much damage as they can, trying to make it look like the ‘will of Heaven’. Rice fields can be drained, branches broken, tubers uprooted and spoiled: much can be accomplished in this time. Some variants have a recipe for a nasty herbicide which speeds things along excellently.

“Soul Travelling”

Magical Version:

In this iteration of the spell, the caster sits facing into the sunset and stares into the light of the setting sun until “their eyes glow with fire” all the while chanting the protective “true words”. At the point when the sun disappears over the horizon, the soul of the caster separates from their body (along with 10 of their Magic Points and 1d4 SAN) and is free to fly invisibly through the air and to spy upon the world around them. The Red Lantern troops of the Boxer forces used this spell effectively to spy upon the Foreign Concessions and to discover enemy troop movements and supply lines. The soul is instantly returned to the host body at the next breaking of dawn; meanwhile, the inert body is vulnerable to any attacks or accidents which may happen to it and therefore the setting of a loyal guard is strongly suggested...

Mundane Version:

This version of the spell requires that the Red Lantern leader effectively co-ordinates the resources represented by the Blue Lantern brigades, those fifth column infiltrators who often work for the Foreign forces as servants and drudges, picking up all the snippets of information that fall their way. The caster may cobble together some mumbo-jumbo to impress their confederates with their powers of insight, or they may simply suggest that they have access to supernatural sources of information...

“Summon Demon Fog!”


“Traffic had been brought a standstill some hours before; pedestrians there were none. King Fog held the city of London in bondage. The silence was appalling. P.C. Ireland felt as though he was enveloped in a wet blanket from head to feet...”

Sax Rohmer, The Trail of Fu Manchu

Magical version:

This spell requires a circle of devotees who chant and burn “gold paper” for the period of the exercise. Each participant spends a minimum 5 Magic Points and loses 1d4 SAN. The spell resembles Alter Weather but for the fact that it calls down only one specific meteorological effect – damp, oppressive fog. This fog lasts as many hours as Magic Points have been spent in its making and covers an area of about 1,000 feet radius per participant: visibility is reduced to practically naught. In the presence of those connected to the Summoning of the fog (cultists, creatures and so on), unearthly tendrils of the vapour visibly coil and probe, seeking to enter buildings, or thicken around light sources.

Mundane version:

Somewhat similar effects can be obtained with smudge pots, various chemical compounds and smoke. These are considerably more localised in effect and tend to be hot and dry, rather than cold and wet.

*****

Various Academic Papers:

ELIAS, Jackson, (1921),The Black Power”, Prospero Press, New York, NY, USA

MARK, Rafer R., (1987),Behaviour and Diet of pseudo-Rhinogradentia”, Dreamlands Studies 12:235-243

MUSTOLL, Ivan, (1988),The Buopoth Proboscis”, Dreamlands Studies 13:140-167

STÜMKE, Harald, (1964),Bau und Leden der Rhinogradentia”, Mutwillig Verlag, Hamburg, Germany

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