CREDITS

Developers: Chris Spivey and Steffie de Vaan (adi-

tional material)
Additional development by: Eddy Webb
Scion Lead Developers: Neall Raemonn Price and
Hiromi Cota
Writers: Adam Alexander, David Castro, Ariel Ce-
leste, Hiromi Cota, Alison Cybe, Erykah Fassett, Charles
Gerard, Danielle Lauzon, Spider B. Perry, Sam Riordan,

e
Chris Spivey, H. Ulrich, Vera Vartanian
Editors: Matt Click and Dixie Cochran
Artists: Shen Fei, Alejandro Colucci, Darko Sto-

fil
janovic, Digital Art Chefs Studios, Sam Denmark, Farri
Lensen, Martina Scafa, Ivan Vegar, Laura King, Niko Pope
Art Director: Mike Chaney and Maria Cabardo
Creative Director: Richard Thomas

SPECIAL THANKS
From Chris Spivey
To Jill and Zora Spivey for all your support, keeping REQUIRES THE USE OF
SCION ORIGIN AND SCION HERO
hours while working.
e
my spirits high, and allowing me to burn away countless

To Neall Raemonn Price for recommending me for

this gig.
pl
To Eddy Webb and Richard Thomas for listening to
Neall.
To the team of this book for your incredible work,
dedication, and vision.
To the people playing the game — your willingness
to engage in imaginary worlds makes this possible.
m
Sa

© 2022 Onyx Path Publishing. All rights reserved. References to other copyright-
ed material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of
that material. “Scion” and all characters, names, places, and text herein are copyright-
ed by Onyx Path Publishing.
Keep up to date with Onyx Path Publishing at theonyxpath.com.

2 SCION: MASKS OF THE MYTHOS

THE BOG WOMAN 6 CHAPTER TWO:
CHARACTER CREATION 28
INTRODUCTION:
Ready-Made Characters 29
THE MYTHOS VS. LOVECRAFT 8 Leena Galanis 30
The Mythos 9 Malcom Hodge 32
Themes 10 Maria West 34
Mood 10 Isaiah Baldwin 36

e
How to Use this Book 10 Marius Héroux 38
Media 10 Character Creation 40
Types of Scions 40
CHAPTER ONE:
Dice Pools 41

fil
MYTHOS PANTHEONS 12 Momentum  41
Principal Members 13
CHAPTER THREE:
Albtraum 13
Azathoth 14
MYTHOS TRAITS AND POWERS 42
Bokrug 14 Traits 43
Cthulhu 15 Awareness 43
Ghatanothoa 15 Callings 44
The Greenish Flame
Lord of the Great Abyss
Nyarlathotep
e
16
16
17
Mythos Fatebinding
Mythos Fatebinding Basics
Mythos Conditions
46
46
46
pl
Rhan-Tegoth 17 Awakened 46
Shub-Niggurath 18 Herald 46
Yig 19 Tasked 46
Yog-Sothoth 20 Powers 47
The King in Yellow 20 Knacks 47
Mythos Path 21 Knack Skills 47
m

Cosmology 21 Heroic Creator 47

Disruption 22 Immortal Creator 47
Mythos Places 22 Heroic Guardian 47
Mythos Birthrights 23 Immortal Guardian 47
Creatures 23 Heroic Healer 48
Sa

Followers 23 Immortal Healer 48

Guides 23 Heroic Hunter 48
Relics 23 Immortal Hunter 48
Relationships 24 Heroic Judge 48
Scions and Mythos Entities 24 Immortal Judge 48
Among Scions 25 Heroic Leader 48
Among Mythos 25 Immortal Leader 48
Traditional Gods 25 Heroic Liminal 48
Titans vs. the Old Ones 25 Immortal Liminal 48
Cults 26 Heroic Lover 48
Greatest Weakness 27 Immortal Lover 48

Table of Contents 3
 Heroic Sage 49 Moon 54
Immortal Sage 49 Eerie Light 54
Heroic Trickster 49 Order 54
Immortal Trickster 49 Lawful Trespass 55
Heroic Warrior 49 Passion 55
Immortal Warrior 49 Lackluster 55
Purviews 49 Prosperity 56
Awareness Purviews 49 Eat the Rich 56

e
Artistry 49 Sky 56
Maddening Song 49 Fog Bank 56
Beasts 50 Stars 56
Snake Pit 50 Temporal Shift 56

fil
Beauty 50 Sun 56
Distracting Beauty 50 Irradiation 57
Chaos 50 War 57
Walking Disaster 50 Incite 57
Darkness 50 Water 57
Shadow Minion 50 Tsunami 57
Death 51 Wild 57
Creeping Dead
Deception 51
Mental Prison
e 51

51
Feral Traces
Mythos Signature Purview
Arcane Calculus
58
58
58
pl
Earth 51 Disturbing Visions 59
Stone Strike 51 Mouth of Madness 59
Epic Dexterity 51 ADDITIONAL RELICS 60
Clumsy Fool 51 The Alert (•••••) 60
Epic Stamina 52 Amulet of Dagon (••) 60
Infirmed 52 Amulet of the Hound (•) 61
m

Epic Strength 52 Der König in Gelb (•••••) 61

Wrath and Fury 52 Elder Sign Amulet (••) 62
Fertility 52 Erich Zann’s Viol (•••) 62
Verdant Fields 52 The Ivory Key (••••) 62
Fire 52 Masks of the Mythos (••• each) 63
Sa

Conflagration 53 Mi-Go Brain Cylinder (•••) 64

Forge 53 Smoking Mirror (••) 64
Transubstantiate 53 Sword of Kadath (••) 65
Fortune 53 Yithian Mind Stone (•••) 65
Twist Fate 53
Frost 53
CHAPTER FOUR:
Hibernate 53
THE MISKATONIC HOLLOW 66
Health 53 Arkham 68
Transference 54 History 68
Journeys 54 Modern Day 70
Labyrinth 54 The Mythos in Arkham 71

4 SCION: MASKS OF THE MYTHOS

 Arkham Sanitarium 72 The Mechanics of Mysteries 106
Miskatonic University 73 Conspiracy of Mysteries 106
Background 73
CHAPTER SIX:
What’s Happening Now? 74
Miskatonic University Library 74
THE SCION JOB 108
Miskatonic Medical School 74 Awakening 109
Story Hooks 75 The Chorus 109
Mythos Influences 75 Locations of Note 110

e
Dunwich 76 Arkham 110
Background 76 Boston 110
Modern Times 78 Dunwich 110

fil
People 79 Kingsport 110
Mythos Influence 80 Newton 111
Havenspoint 82 What Came Before 111
Background 82 Events Timeline 112
Modern Times 86 Rolling for It! 112
Mythos Influences 86 The Sojourn 112
Innsmouth 88 Too Little Too Late 112
Background 88 What the Neighbors Saw 114
The Esoteric Order of Dagon
Revival 89
Challenges 91
e
89 Hollow Halloween
Crooked Law
The Golden Gilman
114
115
115
pl
Celebration Days 92 Smoke and Whiskey 116
Mythos Influences 93 Mythos Auction 117
Terra Incognita 93 Alone Again 120
Kingsport 94 Tea with Temperance 120
Introduction 94 No Bones About It 121
m

Background 95 A Vivid Green 121

Modern Times 95 Awake and Dreaming 122
Mythos Influences 98 Awakened 123

CHAPTER FIVE: CHAPTER SEVEN:

MYTHIC MYTHOS STORYTELLING 100 MYTHOS ANTAGONISTS 124
Sa

Narrative Structure 101 New Flairs 125

Nihilism vs. Heroic Myth 101 Suffocate 125
Blood of the Gods 101 Beyond Description 125
The Stars Were Right 102 Antagonists 125
Cosmic Mythic Horror 102 Colour Out of Space 125
The Unknowableness (and Awareness of It) 103 Cthulhu Spawn 126
Mysteries and Truth 104 Cultist 126
Constructing Conundrums 104 Dagon 127
Structuring the Mystery 105 Deep Ones 128
What kind of whodunit? 105 Dholes 128
Investigative Fundamentals 105 Dimensional Shambler 128

Table of Contents 5
 Elder Things 129 Erich Zann 157
Ghoul 130 Henry Antonio Wilcox 158

T
Gnoph-keh 130 Lavinia Whateley 159
Great Race of Yith 131 Roberta Olmstead 160
Hounds of Tindalos 131
Mi-Go 132
APPENDIX TWO:
Night-gaunt 133
TERRA INCOGNITAE 166
Rival Scion 133 Y’ha-nthlei 166

e
Shoggoth 134 Mythos 166
Terror from Beyond 134 The Warm Gardens 169
Anri’kala 135 The Busy Waters 170
The Aubren Family 135

fil
The Unbound Structure 171
Cats of Saturn 136 Dangers of the Deep 172
Child of Mist 137 Zathitho 172
Children of Theia 137 The Ichaatath Primacy 173
Dreamthieves 138 Shoggoth Uprising 173
Extradimensional Fauna 138 Mythos 174
Flying Polyps 139 Lost City of Iretah 175
Living Lightning 140 Lavender Sea 176
Lunar Dolls
Mirror Men
Mrs. Moloch
e
141
142
142
Zath 177
Realm Birthrights
Realm Effects
179
179
pl
The Nameless 143
Proto-Coleopterans 144
APPENDIX THREE:
The Red 144 ADDITIONAL GREAT OLD ONES 180
Sentient Crystal 145 Gorgo,
Shantak 146 The Horror 180
Stellar Vampire 146 Hypnos 184
m

Triassic Penguin 147 The Maddening Music 185

New Qualities & Flairs 148 The Moon-Ladder 187

APPENDIX ONE: APPENDIX FOUR: SCION:HERO

DEMIGOD-TIER PLAY 150 CHARACTER CREATION 189
Sa

Playing Demigod-Tier Mythos 150 Step One: Concept 189

Fatebinding 151 Step Two: Paths 189
Omens of the Mythos 151 Step Three: Skills 189
Sancta and Terra Incognitae 151 Step Four: Attributes 189
Realm Birthrights 152 Step Five: Callings and Knacks 190
Storyguiding Demigod-Tier Mythos 153 Step Six: Birthrights 190
Styles of Mythos-Touched Apotheosis 153 Step Seven: Purviews 190
Cosmic Scion: Caelum Incognita 154 Step Eight: Boons 190
Demigod-Tier Antagonists 156 Step Nine: Finishing Touches 190
Legacy Characters 157
REPRISE 191

6 SCION: MASKS OF THE MYTHOS

 B O G W O M A N
TH E The old woman wandered the
land for the last time while
pondering possibilities. Her
ancestors were among the early
settlers in the region, fleeing the Salem witch panic rather than
yielding their existence to it. Recent events forced her to seek new
lodging; the ancestral homestead would become a casualty of sup-

e
posed progress. Before her family occupied the land, it hosted a
small colonial settlement that was preceded by a Penacook village.
According to the family records, she descended from residents of both

fil
villages, the offspring of Indigenous Nations and white colonizer pairing.
Heavy rains caused artifacts of these settlements to emerge from the
soft, damp soil near the bog and she cherished each moldering treasure.
Experts from the state told her the pristine bog’s rarity and the ancient
archaeological sites on the land would stave off attempts to supplant
her — but, in the end, corrupt officials do what they always do, this time
under the auspices of economic development. She knew a similar fate
had befallen some in the city, but until now the oldest families of the

e
region were spared.
Her mood darkened as she realized nothing would save the land. She
passed through the aged family burial ground one last time, whispering
pl
final farewells and hearing faint sibilant susurrations in return. Then am-
bled to the bog, she explored as a girl, cataloging the various inhabitants.
She recalled taking a small raft into the deeper waters in the center of
the bog where, on certain nights, she saw a green glow emanate from
below the surface. In recent weeks that glow had returned and seemed
stronger than before; where once visible only on the darkest of nights,
m

it was now strong and visible even when the moon was full. She had
believed it to be a portent of something, but now thought it must have
been a trick of an aging mind. She knew this land like no other had be-
fore; she and the land were one.
Continuing her trek along the edge of the bog, she wove among the
trees and shrubs, hoping to find something of significance that would
Sa

stave off the impending takeover. It was then that she stumbled across a
strange, green stone about the size of a newborn child. Elated to find one
last artifact, she knelt to wipe away the mud and saw it was a carving.
Looking closer, she marveled over the stone that must have lain just
beneath the surface for centuries. Understanding immediately that this
piece of statuary shared her connection to the land, she began to clean
the wide-mouthed, lizard-like face and saw the bulging eyes emit a fa-
miliar green light. A strange name came unbidden into her mind and she
knew she would have help saving the land.
Her eyes began to glow a brilliant green as she proclaimed,
“Bokrug, I am yours!”

The Bog Woman 7

 INTRODUCTION

e
fil
e
pl
m
Sa

THE MYTHOS VS.

LOVECRAFT
 “What lay behind our joint love of shadows and marvels was, no doubt,
the ancient, mouldering, and subtly fearsome town in which we live—
witch-cursed, legend-haunted Arkham, whose huddled, sagging gambrel
roofs and crumbling Georgian balustrades brood out the centuries beside
the darkly muttering Miskatonic.”
— H.P. Lovecraft, “The Thing on the Doorstep”

T he Cthulhu Mythos and Howard Phillips Lovecraft

are interchangeable in the minds of many, stemming
The Mythos is changing with each generation to
reflect the modern era and the actual diversity the world

e
from pop-culture references and newer literature. That has always had, even if it was not reflected in the work.
interchangeability is not quite right, as the Mythos has The state of the modern world has prompted some to say
expanded well beyond the man who penned his first Lovecraft’s legacy received the most fitting retribution
Mythos story in 1897, which sat unpublished until 1916. possible: He lost. White ascendency ended while immi-

fil
There is an intergalactic creation full of Gods, monsters, gration and diversity continued.
and beings beyond any existing definition that dwell The world today appears far more tolerant than
outside the realm of humanity. Some may be familiar. his, and that would surely have made Lovecraft weep
Phrases like “Outer Gods,” “Elder Things,” and “Great Old and faint like his protagonists. If the last decade in the
Ones” are a bit more obscure but have found their way United States has proven anything, it is that hate is alive
outside of their niche. There has been a wave of Cthulhu and well and far too often living down the street from
fandom, from Victor LaValle’s novella to Alan Moore’s each of us. It turned from the violent, deadly force of
comic books to T-shirts to “Cthulhu-For-President” 1920s lynchings to a more invasive one of redlining and
bumper stickers. an unbalanced prison system, and now in the 2020s, a
Let’s take a minute to discuss the man himself.
Lovecraft, for those who don’t know, was an ardent e
racist, anti-Semite, misogynist, and held a slew of other
backward beliefs. He was so racist for his time that some
merger of terrible aspects of both.
It is clearly not so much that Lovecraft’s vision of
the world did not triumph but has simply shifted. Like
Lovecraft, many people are afraid of losing and con-
pl
of his contemporaries, of whom a few were also racist, stantly blame “the other” for an impending downfall.
wrote to him about being too racist and misogynistic. There’s been an increase in hate crimes and violent
There is no defending the man, his beliefs, actions, or attacks against people of color, queer and trans people,
hatred. The core of Lovecraft’s work is tied into his own and marginalized houses of worship. Threats and name
beliefs under a thin layer of cosmic horror. calling make our communities feel hostile, and the out-
In reality, his writing, while the foundation of this side world seems even worse.
universe, represents a small percentage of Mythos writ-
m

In Masks of the Mythos, there is an attempt at

ings. For all his faults, he believed in allowing others making it better. Masks shines a light on this legacy of
to help shape the Mythos and collaborated with other hate that extends back to Lovecraft and beyond him. It
white writers. He did not want the Mythos contained holds it up and dare it to reflect at us the worst of who
to one person or company and believed additional ideas we are so we may create a Mythos that reflects the world
made it better. However, his explicit, self-expressed we wish to see. Every word is a testament to a world full
racism and xenophobia shaped the world he saw and of patience, tolerance, inclusion, and most importantly,
Sa

created the Mythos. the interconnectedness that binds other to other: the
We don’t intend to ignore this reality; we intend hope for a better future for humanity. A future that looks
to take it back. We’re not giving lip service but inform- as little like Lovecraft’s world as we can muster and one
ing you, the reader, of our mission statement upfront. where he and his kind have truly lost.
Lovecraft’s fear made him the writer he was. Masks
of the Mythos builds on the world he only offered to
white writers a century ago and takes the Mythos as our
own. The world he created continued long past him and
THE MYTHOS
has been expanded on and reshaped by over 100 writers
and artists, many of whom are precisely the people who
would have been the target of Lovecraft’s prejudices.
W hat is the Mythos? In short, it is a loose association
of alien entities beyond comprehension, and its very
existence alters The World. These beings are neither Gods
That’s how change happens; it’s not something that just nor Titans. In Masks of the Mythos, they exist in another
occurs. It comes from people confronting it head on. dimension. That otherness, that distortion, swirls around
them and expresses on the divine wavelength.

The Mythos 9
 At first glance, it seems this Mythos world has little of unfathomable odds. They embrace the hard work of
meaning. It is full of beings, Gods, and Old Ones that do defending and thwarting and confronting threats from
not require worshipers and are generally uninterested humans and their Gods, steadfast against the weight of a
in humans, the plight of humanity or any of its related perilous cosmos.
affairs — aside from an active few. The crux of Mythos Storyguides should use these alien entities to add a
stories involves regular folks encountering things be- layer of complexity to the Scions’ journeys, a contorted
yond their keen and struggling against them, regardless lens through which they can look, and a specific atmo-
of the cost, which is frequently madness. Lovecraft cre- spheric flavor of otherworldly challenges with which
ated a literary version of madness that is not reflective Scions must contend. Unusual or conflicting descriptions
of real-world mental illness and other pain real people can help evoke this sense of otherness. Words that mask

e
suffer. We’ve taken the root of that idea and altered it. or obfuscate the horrors are often more effective than a
The impact of strangeness still remains. This otherness, picture painted in full vivid color. Put details just out of
while not of their own doing, causes the creatures and reach: Shadows passing a window, the sound of scuttling
those touched by the Mythos to disrupt our universe, in a closet, or a whiff of something tenebrous and foul
breaking the natural order and laws of reality. Think of

fil
are unsettling than a full-frame wide shot of some writh-
it as a clash between matter and anti-matter with fewer ing monstrosity. Reveal horrors slowly and indirectly.
explosions and more unpredictable side effects. This Engage the senses in unusual, illogical ways. Try using
creates the ability to find meaning in everything, and synesthesia in description; a smell that is frothy, a color
one’s place inside it. that is coarse, or a sound that casts shadows. Lean into
The Mythos is not an evil or enemy pantheon to the vastness of space and fallibility of the senses.
be battled by bastions of the light, but rather a traveler
into this dimension and these planets. Its creatures are
boundless. Their Scions’ otherness disrupts non-Mythos HOW TO
e
Scions by destroying the very Fate that fuels their ac-
tions. What makes a hero? The legend, the tales woven
into history about them, or the actual acts? Mythos
USE THIS BOOK
Scions illuminate that moral quandary.
M asks of the Mythos is a sourcebook for Scion:
Origin and Scion: Hero. While the majority of Scion
pl
THEMES focuses on real-world mythologies and religions, Masks
of the Mythos is a step off that path into a more fictitious
Masks of the Mythos, much like the rest of the
World. The material presented here is as canonical to an
books in the Scion series, depicts humans touched by
ongoing Scion campaign as every individual Storyguide
something greater and more powerful than they are.
and group wish it to be.
They have been gifted, cursed, or born into a mythol-
ogy waiting for them to make their own paths. While The book includes the information needed to
m

the core Scion game focuses on bonding these humans create Mythos Scions and dive into the dread-soaked
into a group and sweeping others up into their legend; cursed towns that thrive under the insidious nature of
Masks of the Mythos is about the otherness of power. the Mythos. It’s possible for Scions of other deities to
fall under the sway of the Mythos and serve their alien
needs. The threats and encounters in this book have been
MOOD balanced to challenge those seeking Demigod-hood, and
An atmosphere of uneasiness, eeriness, and menace the Mythos Scions themselves seeking transcendence.
Sa

should loom over games that include elements of the

Mythos. Scions and mortals grappling with these forces
walk a knife’s edge between the poles of awe and fear,
disruption and resistance, wonder and dread. Despite
MEDIA
this flavor, Mythos forces do not negate the heroic,
mythic storytelling established in the world of Scion.
Scions who are aware of Mythos entities must grap-
T here is a huge volume of possible media to dive into for
a Mythos game. The below are some touchstones for a
fuller understanding of the Mythos, and they can illustrate
ple with the knowledge that humanity’s niche in the how to change it and apply it to your own Scion game.
universe is tenuous, a fragile mote swirling in a sea of
The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle
overwhelming power. But heroism is not fearlessness.
Courage does not dismiss or ignore threats; it stands This novella follows a Black protagonist during
against them despite fear and horror. In this way, Scions the Harlem Renaissance as he struggles to get by while
touched by the Mythos have the singular opportunity caring for his ailing father, enduring racism, and getting
to show unfathomable heroism and sacrifice in the face swept up into the Mythos. What choice will he make

10 INTRODUCTION: THE MYTHOS VS. LOVECRAFT

under the weight of it all? The story explores the racism Hellboy, rather than wreaking havoc on the world, be-
and horror tropes from “The Horror at Red Hook.” comes a paranormal investigator who aids humanity
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth by Headfirst despite being an outsider. He frequently works with a
Productions with Bethesda Softworks group of other outsiders who face Mythos horrors, pulp
adventures, and folklore.
This video game is one of the best adaptations of
classic Mythos stories in this format. You play as a lone   Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
investigator exploring the town of Innsmouth. During the An anthology of stories that revolves around Black
exploration and discovery of the Mythos, they must come characters, touching on different aspects of the Mythos
face to face with reality and their place in it. It is not a mat- and race, and how they intersect. It highlights the area in
ter of survival but doing the best one can before the end. which Lovecraft’s work frequently occurs. 

e
The game is known for its difficulty and actual suspense. The Works of H. P. Lovecraft by Howard Phillip Lovecraft
Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis by Ruthanna Emrys The originator of what we call the Cthulhu Mythos.
This anthology is about enlightenment through Content warning for readers.

fil
the Mythos and the madness it brings. The book high- Twin Peaks by Mark Frost and David Lynch
lights the concept as viewed through the eyes of those
experiencing it rather than combating it. Focus on the A soap-opera drama about the impact and investi-
mysticism and how it changes a person. gation of a murder in a small town. It is an example of
how small-town life can move a story forward with a
Get Out by Jordan Peele constant building undercurrent of the weird. The focus
This masterful horror film is about racism and ob- is not on the weird itself but the impact because of it.
jectification. It explores the journey of a Black man who Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
stumbles into a cult of white suburbanites stealing the
bodies of Black people through weird science. A novel about being a descendant from the Mythos,

Hellboy by Mike Mignola

The long-running comic book features a half-de-
mon summoned to Earth from hell as a weapon by Nazis.
e living among the unawakened world only to be drawn
back in. It plays with the established tropes and subverts
them creating an engaging tale.
pl
m
Sa

Media 11
 CHAPTER ONE

e
fil
e
pl
m
Sa

MYTHOS
PANTHEONS
 “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have
within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the
stars to change the world.”
— Harriet Tubman

T he Great Old Ones are beyond the linear concepts of

time, and their origins cannot be grasped by humanity.
Some walk-through time: created after humanity and
entered her toothy maw, for she most resembles a grand
and terrible version of the anglerfish complete with soft,
phosphorescent glow. Though her temple is carved with

e
witnessing the birth of the universe at the same instant. the visage of a strong and athletic youth crowned with
Some exist at every moment and place in the multiverse: laurel, the bacchanalian statues surrounding the temple
substantial and insubstantial all at once. belie his trickster nature.
This “pantheon,” as humans have labeled and gen- In the times before, Albtraum was one of the lesser

fil
dered it, is neither God nor Titan but comprises extradi- Old Ones of R’lyeh, serving under Azathoth. Her vora-
mensional aliens whose horrific otherness warps every- cious appetite for all things unknown eventually saw
thing it encounters. Their movements were traced and her visit The World. But Fatebinding was a powerful de-
linked by humans believing them to be Gods in the form terrent for spending too much time around humans. So,
of others. These aliens do not have defined locations she sought solace and to learn about The World from the
such as other Gods’ realms. Some reside in Azathoth’s bottom of the sea to protect herself during dormancy.
court, listening to the maddening music; others walk From here she learned about The World,
the Earth, while some lie eternally asleep but but she could not learn about the
never dying. land dwellers, so she decided

PRINCIPAL
MEMBERS
e to bring them to her domain.
Albtraum created hundreds of ivo-
ry statues of her likeness out of her
own bones and scattered them to the
pl
currents. She always knows where
these pieces of herself are, and if
someone touches one, she forg-
T he Great Old Ones are eternal
and can forever lay dreaming.
Their Calling is like a tide that
es a connection immediately.
In this way, she learned
seeps in around the fringes of one’s everything she needed to know
reality until they are drowning. about humanity. Now, when she
m

They care little for right or wrong, grows lonely — or hungry — she
only their own machinations. The sends dreams through the talismans
mad Azathoth reigns supreme to their owners, drawing them to her.
with its servant Nyarlathotep, And when they enter the water, she sends
executing countless plans in dolphins to guide their way and protect
its name as it slumbers. The their voyage until the person is firmly in her
Great Old Ones act through grasp. By the time they make the voyage, they are com-
Sa

their Scions by forcing their will pletely under her sway, and any with the will to resist
upon them or offering more power are crushed to dust or turned to statues to decorate his
for small, undefinable tasks. temple. Those who come quickly and beg for mercy earn
a place in the city dwelling forever in the depths — or a
ALBTRAUM place in his vast stomach.
Aliases: The Slumbering One, The Caller in the Albtraum does not grace the land and left the other
Wave, The Terror from Below Mythos Gods long ago. But he reigns free in his under-
water city. Scions of Albtraum are beautiful, intelligent,
Albtraum sleeps deep in the south Atlantic Ocean,
and obedient — always chosen from those who heed his
in a city hewn directly from the valley floor covered in
call after finding a talisman. Scions from other panthe-
Hellenistic friezes, marble pillars, and pristine cobble
ons may find themselves under Albtraum’s protection
paths. This city, often called Atlantis, but possibly a
after encountering such a talisman, without ever meet-
reflection of R’lyeh, is Albtraum’s home and lair. Few
ing him in the flesh.
know what Albtraum looks like, save for those who have

Principle Members 13
 Callings: Corruptor, Liminal, Trickster
Purviews: Artistry (sculpture), Beasts (dolphins),
BOKRUG
Aliases: The Great Water Lizard and The Lord of
Beauty, Water
Monsters
Bokrug was the God of the people of Ib, a race of
AZATHOTH voiceless humanoids characterized by their bloat-
Aliases: Nuclear Firestorm, The Eye of Madness ed, green-skinned flesh; bulging eyes; wide, flapping
At the center of infinity, a twisted God slumbers, cre- mouths; and small, oddly shaped ears. In prehistoric
ating bits of reality from its dreams and destroying them times, the people of Ib were butchered, their city was
when it wakes. This is Azathoth, the Demon Sultan of destroyed, and their lands were taken by the humans.

e
Chaos, head of the pantheon, dwelling with its court out- The occupiers built a new city called Sarnath where Ib
side time and space. Manifesting as a voracious black hole, once stood and prospered over the next 1,000 years. At
Azathoth is a God who knows only sensation and hunger, first, the people of Sarnath honored Bokrug, but through
gobbling up anything around it unless placated by a court the passing centuries Bokrug’s memory became more

fil
of musicians, who beat drums and play airy pipes to soothe of a humorous jest as people passed on the street. Still,
Azathoth’s unrest. When Azathoth begins to awaken, its Bokrug gave the occasional reminder of its presence
attention is attracted to places where the walls between the by causing the waters of the lake that lay adjacent to
Outside and reality are thin, which often manifest as some Sarnath to emit a strange glow on the anniversary of Ib’s
sort of opening wherein the viewer can see the eternity of destruction.
space and hear the infernal piping of Azathoth’s court. The Great Water Lizard is a being in tune with and
Azathoth is head of pantheon not because it is inhabiting lands dedicated to it. These lands always
adored, but because it is the most powerful. Universes contain a swampy body of water and somewhere on
are born and destroyed as side effects of its dreams. or beneath these lands can be found an idol depicting

e
Azathoth is the embodiment of the chaotic and destruc-
tive nature of the universe but is also the music of the
spheres. Scions of Azathoth are creative and destruc-
tive. They might be experimental musicians exploring
the God. Bokrug manifests through these idols when
it is time for the God to rise. It is characterized by the
desire to enact vengeance on behalf of worshipers who
fall victim to those who would take their land, but also
pl
new forms of aural expression. Other Scions emulate possesses great patience in taking this vengeance. It
Azathoth by being powerful and destructive influences sometimes allow many generations to pass before act-
at the centers of vast organizations. Unable to sate their ing against interlopers, but when vengeance comes it is
appetite for power and chaos, these amoral Scions act swift and complete. Strange lights glowing from beneath
on instinct rather than reason and can manage to rise the waters in its territories are a sign of Bokrug’s grow-
to positions of power and influence to the detriment of ing wrath and, when these lights are strongest, it is ready
everyone around them. Like Azathoth, they surround to strike.
m

themselves with toadying courts of followers who pro- Within the Miskatonic Hollow, the deity was be-
tect the rest of society by placating the Scion. lieved to have been venerated among Indigenous people
Among mortals, there are musicians who live in ob- as a spirit of the land. Few European settlers made the
scurity and squalor who are gifted by Azathoth’s power connection between legends about Bokrug from the
with the ability to compose and play exquisitely chaotic Old World to the New and themselves venerated this
music that at once attracts and placates Azathoth. One little-known deity. Knowledge of Bokrug is scarce and
such musician was the cellist Erich Zann, who, accord- worship of The Great Lizard even rarer. Still, Bokrug has
Sa

ing to a firsthand account, would play wild music that affinity for those who are attuned to places once dedi-
was at was at once magnetizing and loathsome. From cated to it and may choose to manifest through them
the single window in Zann’s attic apartment, the wit- to enact vengeance on those who would corrupt these
ness saw outside reality and realized it was Zann’s wild once-sacred spaces. Scions of Bokrug are avid protec-
playing that kept the beings who lived in this place at tors of the places they call home and all who dwell there
bay. The power of Zann’s drive was so great that he con- eventually lose their humanity as the power of Bokrug
tinued to play beyond death. Such musicians exist in the grows within them. Over time, they take on a reptilian
present, playing in small clubs and dive bars to eke out appearance, with wide mouths, bulging eyes, and small
a living while composing and playing music that saves ears. The most powerful of Bokrug’s Scions can no lon-
humanity during the hours of darkness. ger speak any human tongue and become alien even to
those who knew them.
Callings: Adversary, Destroyer, Liminal
Callings: Guardian, Judge, Leader
Purviews: Artistry (Music), Chaos, Epic Stamina,
Stars, Sun

14 CHAPTER ONE: MYTHOS PANTHEONS