Our Latest Publications

Cat Links Kenya, Tomes

Mythos Tomes – The Black Tome

Posted on Keeper Doc

Location: Taan Kaur’s Tea-Shop Cellar in Nairobi Physical Description: Bound in black calfskin with a broken iron clasp Author:  Alsophocus, a wizard and necromancer from the lost and ancient land of Erongill. The text arrives in the 16th century through unknown means.  Publication History: Originally discovered on the shelves of a monastery in 1517, written in a dark and unknown language. A disturbed monk translated the work into Latin before disappearing. Subsequently copied and disseminated amongst the scattered cults of Nyarlathotep. A priest in the Cult of Small Crawler translated a worm-ridden copy of the Black Tome into Hindi over a century ago. The illustrations feature a mixture of hand-traced originals and blasphemous Vedic-style art. 

Read on…Mythos Tomes – The Black Tome

Cat Links Campaign Narrative, Peru

Peru – A Gruesome Discovery

Posted on Keeper Doc

Following Lucia’s intense pace, the group finds itself rapidly descending a poorly lit staircase into a dimly lit, long stone corridor. Dim electric bulbs buzz overhead, and as they approach the end of the hallway it’s clear the door at the end of the hall appears slightly ajar. Pausing for a moment, they hear nothing through the crack in the door. Peering into the room, the visibility remains limited due to low-light and packed shelves.  Tip leans carefully in, takes a deep breath, and begins to tiptoe forward, gesticulating for his compatriots to follow him and sneak down the side aisles as he approaches the middle. Suddenly, a low, gross squelching sound can be heard,

Read on…Peru – A Gruesome Discovery

Cat Links England, Tomes

Mythos Tomes – Équinoxe Divisé

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Title Translation (English): Divided Equinox Location: Gavigan’s Secret Room at Penhew Foundation (England) Physical Description: Hand-written and illustrated medium-sized manuscript with untrimmed, worn pages bound in soft calf leather Author:  Ghyslain d’Aramitz, a French merchant, colonial administrator, and explorer. The great-grandson of Henri d’Aramitz, lay abbot of Aramitz (1620-1674) and the historical basis for Aramis of Dumas’ Three Musketeers.   Publication History: Single copy, written in French and completed in 1807 as a memoir Skim:  Recounts his experiences traveling around the world with an interest in detailing and comparing various regional customs and beliefs in locales he visited, including North Africa, Asia, and Europe, as well as a substantial amount of text devoted to recounting unusual regional farming and hunting practice with

Read on…Mythos Tomes – Équinoxe Divisé

Cat Links MoN - Keeper, MoN - Player

Masks of Nyarlathotep – A Rich History

Posted on Keeper Doc

Initially published in 1984 by Chaosium for the second edition of Call of Cthulhu, this masterpiece campaign was the work of Larry DiTillio and Lynn Willis. DiTillio was a television and movie screenwriter, contributing to pop-cultural products, such as He-Man (17 episodes), She-Ra (18 episodes), and The Real Ghostbusters cartoons, as well as a sci-fi television classic, Babylon 5, among many others. On hiatus from screenwriting, Larry was busy producing role-playing material for various game companies in 1984. His inspiration for Masks of Nyarlathotep (MoN) came from a biography of Jomo Kenyatta he wrote for the television show Against the Odds, and exploded out of a single scenario he created, “The Carlyle Expedition.” Rather than simply tracking Carlyle’s

Read on…Masks of Nyarlathotep – A Rich History

Cat Links Keeper Tips, MoN - Keeper, MoN - Player

The Occult Skill in Call of Cthulhu – Useless or Utility?

Posted on Keeper Doc

The Lovecraftian world contains many dark secrets and mysteries, and the Occult skill tempts many Call of Cthulhu players hoping to unlock knowledge through this skill. According to the 7th edition rulebook: A knowledgeable Investigator can recognize occult paraphernalia, words, and concepts, as well as folk traditions, which may encompass supernatural beings, such as werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and demons. In addition, a skilled occultist will be familiar with secret knowledge originating from ancient civilizations, including Egypt, Sumer, as well as those centered in Asia and Africa. They will also be able to identify occult traditions and texts from the Medieval and Renaissance periods.  Such an Investigator expects to bring a wealth of insight to mysteries

Read on…The Occult Skill in Call of Cthulhu – Useless or Utility?

Cat Links Australia

Robert Huston – A Deeper Analysis – Part 2

Posted on Keeper Doc

In the first part of our discussion, we deepened Huston’s backstory and explored his role in the Carlyle Expedition. Here we incorporate Huston’s personal expertise into the Great Plot, which allows you to widen the scope of your campaign beyond the confines of Australia.  Huston and the Great Plot  Eventually, the doctor arrives in Australia in 1920 at least four months following the expedition’s “disappearance” in Kenya. No doubt Nyarlathotep imparted some knowledge about the Great City in Western Australia, but how has he found it, and where did Huston establish his relationship with the Haunter in the Dark? We feel the answer lies in Dr. Huston’s expertise in psychoanalysis, dreams, and the collective unconscious.

Read on…Robert Huston – A Deeper Analysis – Part 2

Cat Links Campaign Narrative, Peru

Peru – Conferring with the Professor

Posted on Keeper Doc

  Aided by the effects of their evening libations and the security of the Hotel Maury locks, the Investigators manage to rest comfortably overnight rising to a bright, beautiful day in Lima. They find Jackson down at the hotel restaurant enjoying his coffee and pipe while reviewing the local news.  “Ah, friends, I do hope you slept comfortably. Mr. Palmer, you certainly look less worse for wear than I expected this morning.” “Heh, lad, I’m damn near impervious. Now, where’s that waiter? I need to teach these fellows my boy Pete’s special recipe. Just the trick to get the ol’ Palmer engine up and running for the day. Think they got some good tomato juice

Read on…Peru – Conferring with the Professor

Cat Links Australia, MoN - Keeper

Robert Huston – A Deeper Analysis – Part 1

Posted on Keeper Doc

While complete at the publication of the first edition, DiTillio’s Australia Chapter remained excluded from the MoN campaign until the 3rd edition in 1996. From the initial release of the adventure, Sir Aubrey Penhew has hammed it up on the center stage as the campaign’s feature villain enjoying a luxury yacht, a volcano lair, and a diabolical nom de plume. We strongly believe that Dr. Robert Ellington Huston deserves a more sophisticated and dramatic role commensurate with his expertise and charisma. Here we discuss Huston, his valuable skills, and options for an expanded role in your MoN campaign.  An Expanded Backstory The young Robert Huston grew up in the shadow of his two older brothers

Read on…Robert Huston – A Deeper Analysis – Part 1

Cat Links England, MoN - Keeper, Tomes

Mythos Tomes – Book of Dzyan

Posted on Keeper Doc

Pronunciation: Dzyan – “zon”, also called “The Stanzas of Dzyan” Location: Gavigan’s Secret Room at Penhew Foundation (England) Physical Description: Woven papers bound in goatskin with a distinct smell of sulfur Author:  Unknown, but alleged to be an account of the High Masters of Shamballah Publication History:  Introduction indicated the original text is of Ancient origin. Written in English, but reported originally to be composed in Senzar, a sacred language related to Sanskrit. According to theosophist Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the text is of Tibetan, but some purport the original text originated in Atlantis. Blavatsky published a watered-down version of the text as “The Secret Doctrine” in 1888, which many occultists will be familiar with; however, none beyond

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Cat Links Keeper Tips, MoN - Keeper

The Three Mysteries in Masks of Nyarlathotep

Posted on Keeper Doc

  At its dark heart, the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign runs upon investigative fuel to carry your players from one continent to the next. The New York Chapter quickly fills the tank to the sloshing brim for your Investigators starting with an enticing telegram from Jackson Elias followed by his bloody death. A series of rapid-fire revelations following this shocking murder hint at a dark conspiracy. In short order, the campaign serves up the following three discrete mysteries, which should intrigue and motivate the Investigators: the murder of Jackson Elias, the fate of the lost Carlyle Expedition, and the dire global conspiracy. Once in motion, the campaign will continue to propel your group forward, and

Read on…The Three Mysteries in Masks of Nyarlathotep