Arcane Books and Items

Instructions on reading Mythos Tomes (Keeper Rulebook p.173-175)

1. Roll appropriate Language Skill, difficulty level adjusted for condition of the text. Do this only once before Initial Reading. Reader must succeed before they can do an Initial Reading of the book.

2. Initial Reading (Skim): Auto SAN loss, gain Initial Reading Cthulhu Mythos %.

3. Full Study (Full Read): Roll SAN check. If fail lose SAN. If Cthulhu Mythos % is less than Mythos Rating of book, gain Full Reading Cthulhu Mythos %, otherwise gain Initial Reading Cthulhu Mythos %.

4. Rereading / Repeated Full Study: double reading time of last read, treat as Full Study again. Reading time will keep on doubling until it's not worth reading anymore.

Instructions on Learning and Casting Spells (Keeper Rulebook p.176-178)

1. Learning the spell. Must complete Initial Reading. Then make a Hard INT roll. Can be pushed, but involves locking oneself in a room to obsessively learn and failure results in SAN loss and strange magical effects. Or try again in 2 weeks.

2. First Casting. Must make Hard POW roll. If failure, ANY subsequent tries, either immediately or much later, will be considered a Pushed roll. If the Pushed roll is a failure, the spell still works, but there will be consequences. Spell caster may decide to Relearn the Spell (see #4 below).

3. Subsequent Casting, spell will always work, but a failure will result in consequences for the spell caster.

4. Relearning the Spell. 2d6 weeks + successful Hard INT roll. Treat as First Casting as the spell caster is much more cautious and approaching the spell from scratch again.

Arcane and Occult Book List + Checkout (click on this link)

1. Look at the appropriate Checkout Sheet to see if the book is available. (click on this link)

2. If it is available, you can check the book out, but Full Study requires 100% time spent on the book. Due date is set to spending 100% of your time studying the book. e.g. it is the earliest time when the book might be available again, but since most PCs are adventuring, it'll probably take longer before the book is available again.

The Nyhargo Codex (English): purchased by Maxine Devereaux in New Orleans from Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo for $200

This small book was written by a British amateur archaeologist after a safari across the Dark Continent (1879). During his travels, he claimed to have discovered monolithic ruins in the dense jungles of central Africa. On a return trip, Lord Waite made charcoal rubbings of strange inscriptions he discovered there in a vast underground chamber. On that ill-fated trip, every man in the party, with the exception of Waite himself, died before the journey concluded. Waite was later found wandering near the mouth of the Congo River, suffering from heat stroke, tropical illnesses, and numerous cuts and abrasions. This book deals with the living dead in various forms, but focuses on the control and destruction of such entities. The book mentions “the Nyhargo code”, a powerful spell that should be written on a wall in blue and green chalk, but that spell is never fully discussed or detailed. The reader of this book may exhibit a personal tendency toward necrophobia, the fear of dead things.

Sanity loss: 1D4

6 hours skim / 3 weeks full read

Cthulhu Mythos: +2 skim/+6 full read

skill check in Occult for a full read

Mythos rating: 19

Spells:

Call the Dead Walkers

Calls all zombies within a mile of the caster. After sunset, the caster inscribes a circle on the ground, then stands in the center and chants. The circle protects the caster or casters from the undead as long as they remain within. A circle holds no more than four people. Like moths to a candle, the zombies are drawn to the circle, but then must stop at its edge, staring hungrily at those inside. The zombies must remain at the circle’s edge until dawn, unable to escape from whatever attacks are made. Learning this spell requires one day of study. (2 MP, 1D3 sanity loss, casting time 4 rounds)

Cast Out the Restless Spirit

Kills one zombie for successful use. A short chant is punctuated by breaking the neck of a bird, traditionally a white chicken. This causes the instant collapse of the zombie at which the dead bird is thrust. Each zombie requires another bird. The spell can be learned in two hours. (5 MP, 1D4 sanity loss)

Four Valve Trumpet (stolen from Leroy Turner in New Orleans by Ruby Edwards, being held for safe keeping in a pawn shop for Gracie Law)

Silver finish is crackled like a snake or alligator hide. Inside the bell can be seen an encircling ring of undecipherable strange symbols. When Leroy played the trumpet, the dead rose.

The Dark Angel's Kiss. Book of dark poetry, English. 1d3 SAN loss, +1 Cthulhu Mythos. Purchased by Hap Feingold in The Tomb occult store in Castronegro for $20.

Masks of Nyarlathotep - Items acquired from Ju-Ju House in NYC, NY by Melanie Doom and Co.

GM note: Masks p.43

From Gavigan's secret library:

• Small Ornate Chest (sandal wood, inlaid with silver creatures), contains 2 silver daggers.
• Small Stone Jar, contains an unknown powder.

GM note: Masks p.54

From Tewfik al-Sayed's spice shop:

Two Sandstone Vials, containing: syrupy red liquid (obra'an) and black powder with rubbery flecks (gabeshgal) to be used with the Mirror of Gal. Red for scrying. Black for attacking.

Robe, skullcap, and metal Broken-Ankh.

GM note: Masks p.68-70