Mythos tomes are the repositories of arcane wis-
dom, terrible secrets and powerful magic. They
provide the seeker of enlightenment with stark
truths about reality, existence and presence
of those from outside. For the unwary, such
books delineate a path to nightmare, horror
and insanity.
This chapter summarizes the books of the Cthulhu
Mythos most often mentioned in the fiction of the Lovecraft
Circle of writers.
Describing Mythos Tomes
Some Mythos volumes are recent enough in origin to have
been printed with movable type. Those editions were usu-
ally published privately in short press runs and only sold to
rich collectors or acquaintances. Upon publication, copies
often were sought out and destroyed by the authorities due
to their scandalous nature. Better these texts be burned and
suppressed. Such was the fate of the original publication of
The King in Yellow.
Where surviving copies exist, these have often have been
ill-treated by the crazed or malicious, or else rebound to
disguise their blasphemous contents. Bound manuscripts
were never regularized by typesetting and printing, and
their wavering, blotted handwriting may be wholly incom-
prehensible for pages at a time, a situation remedied only by
great dedication and scholarship.
Even though each book’s summary is uniform, assume
that each copy of a Mythos book can be different from
its fellows. Though the logic of that potential diminishes
for recent books, such as Azathoth and Others, even then
bindings may be broken, pages torn out and signatures
missing or wrongly collated. Contents may be ink-stained
or acid-scarred, with pages half-burnt and the words made
illegible or utterly defaced by madmen (or by sane men
who sought to destroy the dangerous information therein).
Unique information may be written as marginalia or jotted
down on notepaper and inserted here or there.
Some tomes begin to possess their own “character” as
they grow in age. Passed down through the generations,
between family members, booksellers and collectors, the
tomes seem to absorb an imprint of their owners. This can
be more than simply the wandering marginalia of occult
scholars; with some books apparently manifesting distinct
“personalities” that echo once powerful owners, such as
grand sorcerers and cult potentates. Consider the smell, feel
and look of Mythos books. The overall impression ought to
be distinctly unhealthy. The binding will probably be leath-
er, perhaps human or even that of some unworldly being.
Does the leather leave a slimy residue when touched? Does
the book leave a musky odor wherever it has been? Does the
presence of the tome cause the pages of other, nearby books
to char and blacken? Perhaps the book appears to move of
its own accord, never to be found where the investigator
remembers placing it...
Sorcerers and cultists are not librarians. They are uncon-
cerned with the needs of posterity. They intend themselves
to live forever and they consider the knowledge contained
within their tomes to be theirs by right and not to be lightly
passed to the unworthy.
Undiscovered Editions
If an original language version is found of a work that
until then was known only in translation, then the original
version is more informative. Add a few percentiles to the
Cthulhu Mythos skill reward. Treat the original edition as
another edition. The Keeper chooses the book’s original
language and can make up its title in that language as well.
If a you create a new Mythos tome for some purpose,
you should have a suitable name for it, know the language of
its composition, know what it looks and feels like, know how
many Sanity points are lost in reading it, know how many
Cthulhu Mythos points its comprehension adds, and be able
to determine what spells (if any) can be found within it.
Using Mythos Tomes
Despite the dangers, investigators will choose to study this or
that terrifying book. The process of reading can be leisurely
and can be suspended at any point for as long as need be.
Consider that each book is a potential conduit of
Mythos power and energy—a physical and mental portal to
the madness of secrets beyond the reasoning of mortal man.
Books of power may exert a dark influence on those who
possess them, stoking their desire for blasphemous knowl-
edge, kindling a fascination for the occult and ultimately
driving the owner to delve deep in to the Mythos and court
insanity. In many Lovecraftian stories, the protagonist is
thrown headfirst in to the horrors of the Mythos as a result
of some Mythos artifact or tome.
Akin to spells, Mythos tomes can unbalance a game if
used too freely. Such books are a conduit for Cthulhu Mythos
knowledge and spells, providing the investigators with a po-
tential source of great power in combating the machinations
of the Mythos. If everywhere the investigators turn they find
a Mythos tome then the game can become predictable and
the challenge lessened. Obtaining a Mythos book could be
a scenario in itself or at least a suitably dangerous sidetrack
to a campaign, allowing the investigators to gain secrets that
help them in their quest against the minions of the Mythos.
This power and knowledge comes at a price. In Call
of Cthulhu, this usually means an increasing descent in to
madness. While players will desire to gain Mythos books,
they should also fear them, due to the terrible sanity deplet-
ing effect they will have on their investigators.
Investigator possession of a Mythos tome should always
carry a consequence. This may simply be the cost in sanity
as described above or some other story related consequence.
Try to devise corrupted investigator background entries
that drive the story forward. Think about how the investi-
gator’s relationship with the Mythos tome could be manip-
ulated to compel the game’s narrative, add further depth
to the investigator, and suggest roleplaying opportunities
to the player concerned. While other investigators view the
Mythos tome in question as a smelly, evil-looking book, the
investigator who has become corrupted by it will see it in
a quite different light. An investigator may feel compelled
to hide the book away in case it gets “hurt” or perhaps the
deluded investigator cannot read another book without the
tome’s text burning through the print.
Possible corrupted investigator background entries:
T The tome was a source of secrets I must know—
I must get more!
T No one is allowed to touch my book.
T The book speaks to me and I must obey.
T The book is evil and so am I for reading it.
T Wherever I put the book it kills anything near to it.
T The book is changing me—I hunger for human
flesh!
Mythos books may also provide the inspiration for investigator delusions (Insanity side-effects 2: Delusions and Reality Checks, see page @@). Perhaps the book somehow
influences the investigator or the investigator sees the book everywhere—even though it was apparently destroyed.
Delusions centered on a Mythos tome can have all manner of effects upon the investigators, whether to throw them off-track or guide them through insane insight. P 225
