Introduction to Cults The things had filed ceremonious in one direction, the direction of the noisome wind, where the light of their torches showed their bended heads— or the bended h
Trang 1Introduction to Cults
The things had filed ceremonious
in one direction, the direction of the
noisome wind, where the light of their
torches showed their bended heads—
or the bended heads of such as had
heads They were worshiping before
a great black fœtor-belching aperture
which reached up almost out of sight…
—”Imprisoned with the Pharaohs,”
H.P Lovecraft
Mythos cults typically center around the worship of
a particular Great Old One or Outer God They seek
to please or at least placate this deity figure in order to avoid its dreadful attention, earn some tiny fragment
of its vast power or knowledge, or nudge its terrible influence toward a personally satisfying end, such as destroying the cult’s enemies, real or perceived
In general, Mythos cults are not concerned with theology or esoterica, and the bulk of cultists are almost entirely disinterested in spiritual matters Instead, they are materialistic, wholly focused on immediate or near-future rewards No one expects an afterlife within these cults—though immortality is certainly one of the rewards some cults crave, they do not look toward any kind of heaven
The Mythos gives rise to hundreds of different cults, of which a selection is presented in this chapter
The list includes cults to several of the most imposing Mythos entities, but almost any important entity could have a cult grow up around it If your campaign features Atlach-Nacha, feel free to adjust the details of one of the included cults (such as replacing the goat themes of the Cult of the Black Goat with spider themes)
Each cult entry offers a list of “gifts” associated with the cult These include character options for which the cult trains its members, items the cult crafts, spells it teaches, services it provides, and unusual and strange benefits of association