The Thousand Masks Saga
A Masks of Nyarlathotep Tale
On January 16, 1928...
Jackson Elias, globe-trotting author, is brutally murdered in Room 410 of a certain hotel in a certain City that Never Sleeps. His five closest friends, swearing vengeance for the killing, follow in the footsteps of their fallen comrade and his last project - exploration of the ill-fated Carlyle Expedition - and enter into a world of conspiracy, madness, death, adventure, thrilling victories, and crushing defeats. Many will die. Many more will go insane, as none can dare face the horrors of the true reality beyond our placid isle of ignorance without being touched by it. None of these five know what they are in for... and what they will face will not be easy to understand.
... A Lurking Doom...
As mysteries begin to unravel concerning the Carlyle Expedition, a great and dark force stirs, spreading madness and chaos, shattering sleep and peace as it travels in a thousand different forms. Its Great Game is dangerous, and one which mankind will either be doomed to lose... or destined to win. And even as the forces of good work tirelessly to uncover the truth, the forces of darkness work towards a devious end. Can they stop it in time, or are the final moments of human existence about to play out in horrific, chilling detail?
... Spawns Thrilling Adventure
Inspired by Pulp Adventure films and serials like the Indiana Jones series and The Mummy, as well as Weird Tales style stories and Lovecraft's work itself, Masks of Nyarlathotep is an incredible globe-trotting adventure packed with action, adventure, drama, danger, and horror lurking around every corner. It has a long, storied history, and is often considered to be one of, if not the absolute, best campaign for the Call of Cthulhu Role-Playing Game ever written. Similarly inspired by these films and by the Cthulhu Mythos as a whole, and starring her favorite Cthulhu Mythos entity, Sugary Snicket (Keeper Gen) brings the intriguing tale of her group's run of this classic and notoriously deadly campaign to the pages of Wordflow, preserving the story digitally for others to read and enjoy. She hopes you enjoy reading it as much as she enjoyed running the campaign and writing the blog for this epic campaign of perilous adventures to thwart a dark god.
"Horror is the removal of masks."
-- Robert Bloch
Jackson Elias, globe-trotting author, is brutally murdered in Room 410 of a certain hotel in a certain City that Never Sleeps. His five closest friends, swearing vengeance for the killing, follow in the footsteps of their fallen comrade and his last project - exploration of the ill-fated Carlyle Expedition - and enter into a world of conspiracy, madness, death, adventure, thrilling victories, and crushing defeats. Many will die. Many more will go insane, as none can dare face the horrors of the true reality beyond our placid isle of ignorance without being touched by it. None of these five know what they are in for... and what they will face will not be easy to understand.
... A Lurking Doom...
As mysteries begin to unravel concerning the Carlyle Expedition, a great and dark force stirs, spreading madness and chaos, shattering sleep and peace as it travels in a thousand different forms. Its Great Game is dangerous, and one which mankind will either be doomed to lose... or destined to win. And even as the forces of good work tirelessly to uncover the truth, the forces of darkness work towards a devious end. Can they stop it in time, or are the final moments of human existence about to play out in horrific, chilling detail?
... Spawns Thrilling Adventure
Inspired by Pulp Adventure films and serials like the Indiana Jones series and The Mummy, as well as Weird Tales style stories and Lovecraft's work itself, Masks of Nyarlathotep is an incredible globe-trotting adventure packed with action, adventure, drama, danger, and horror lurking around every corner. It has a long, storied history, and is often considered to be one of, if not the absolute, best campaign for the Call of Cthulhu Role-Playing Game ever written. Similarly inspired by these films and by the Cthulhu Mythos as a whole, and starring her favorite Cthulhu Mythos entity, Sugary Snicket (Keeper Gen) brings the intriguing tale of her group's run of this classic and notoriously deadly campaign to the pages of Wordflow, preserving the story digitally for others to read and enjoy. She hopes you enjoy reading it as much as she enjoyed running the campaign and writing the blog for this epic campaign of perilous adventures to thwart a dark god.
"Horror is the removal of masks."
-- Robert Bloch
A Note About Content...
The Thousand Masks Saga is a Call of Cthulhu campaign blog, and as such it contains frightening, disturbing, and graphic imagery. Body horror, Psychological horror, sexual assault, suicide, child victims, gruesome and gory demises, and other such unsavory content is detailed within. There is also strong and sometimes inappropriate language both due to the era it's set in and for realism's sake, and thematic elements are common due to the type of campaign it is. Because of this, the Thousand Masks Saga has been given a Hard T+ rating as per the Fiction Rating Guidelines here at Wordflow. Parts of it could probably even be given an M rating. It is therefore not recommended that children or preteens read this story, but if they do, it should be in the presence of a parent or guardian.
Masks of Nyarlathotep, for all its pulpy fun, is at its heart a horror story, and contains material that some people may be sensitive to. There is just a lot of death, mutilation, graphic violence, mental illness and character breakdowns, character suicide and self-sacrifice, cosmic horror elements, and just downright terrifying stuff in this campaign. If you feel that any of these things may be difficult for you to handle, for any reason, please read with caution. Reader discretion is strongly advised, especially if you are not familiar with Call of Cthulhu or Lovecraftian horror tropes.
Masks of Nyarlathotep, for all its pulpy fun, is at its heart a horror story, and contains material that some people may be sensitive to. There is just a lot of death, mutilation, graphic violence, mental illness and character breakdowns, character suicide and self-sacrifice, cosmic horror elements, and just downright terrifying stuff in this campaign. If you feel that any of these things may be difficult for you to handle, for any reason, please read with caution. Reader discretion is strongly advised, especially if you are not familiar with Call of Cthulhu or Lovecraftian horror tropes.
The Miskatonic Valley Players Are:
The Keeper: Gen, One of the Thousand Masks
The Players:
The Characters:
The Demise Count: 6 Survivors, 7 Deceased, 5 Insane, 1 Maimed, 3 Maimed but Recovered, 1 Ghoulified, 2 Retired, and 1 Fate Unknown.
Nationalities Represented: American, American Ex-Pat, Canadian/Native American (Mohawk), British, Scottish, German, French, Egyptian, Kenyan, Chinese (Shanghainese), Australian, and Aboriginal Australian.
The Players:
- Aidyn, Child of Atlatch-Natcha
- Chance, Thrall of Tsathoggua
- Kat, The Black Kat with A Thousand Kittens
- Levi, The Unspeaking One
- Rob, Avatar of Yog-Sothoth
The Characters:
- Aidyn: Brad "Pretty Boy" Donovan, Bootlegging Bartender (DECEASED); Sarah McCain, Lost Flapper-Student (FATE UNKNOWN); "Chief"/Muuzaji, Steadfast Smuggler of the Skies (ALIVE).
- Chance: Ted Bates, Bounty Hunter (MAIMED); Dr. Ludwig Hildebrand, Insane Military Surgeon (INSANE); Madame Xu Mei-lin, High-Class Hooker (RETIRED/ALIVE).
- Kat: Ralph Hemlock, Federal Marshal (INSANE/DECEASED); Ewan McNiell, Criminal True Scotsman (DECEASED); Mahmoud Sabri, Soldier of Misfortune (INSANE/DECEASED); Neville Harris, Aussie Ex-Soldier Out of Time (DECEASED). Due to personal issues, Kat dropped from the game as of the start of Kenya.
- Levi: Dr. Morgan Baker, Battalion Doctor (DECEASED); Bridget Atwater, Adroit Antiquarian (INSANE, PRESUMED DECEASED); Laurent Gauthier, Archaeologist of Questionable Morals (INSANE AND A GHOUL); Li Ying Shu, Shanghainese Crime Lord (RETIRED/ALIVE); Lucas Bradford, Aussie Ex-Soldier of Fortune (DECEASED); Enala Mahwa, Determined Aboriginal Medicine Woman (ALIVE).
- Rob: Clayton Byrd, Hardened Treasure Hunter (ALIVE); Francis McCloud, Adventure-Seeking Pilot (ALIVE).
The Demise Count: 6 Survivors, 7 Deceased, 5 Insane, 1 Maimed, 3 Maimed but Recovered, 1 Ghoulified, 2 Retired, and 1 Fate Unknown.
Nationalities Represented: American, American Ex-Pat, Canadian/Native American (Mohawk), British, Scottish, German, French, Egyptian, Kenyan, Chinese (Shanghainese), Australian, and Aboriginal Australian.
Table of Contents
Chapter 0: Before the Horror
Chapter 1: A Nightmare in Manhattan
Chapter 2: London Calling
Chapter 3: Secrets of Cairo
Chapter 4: Shanghaied!
Chapter 5: Terror Australis
Chapter 6: The Darkest Heart Chapter Finis: The End
Chapter 1: A Nightmare in Manhattan
- In a New York Minute
- Into the Labyrinth
- The Safe-House
- The Questioning of Ju-Ju House
- Raiding Ju-Ju House
- Interlude: Adventure on the Atlantic
- Interlude: Old Friends, Old Foes
Chapter 2: London Calling
- Jolly Old London Town
- Heat Rising
- Something's Not Right
- Night at the Museum
- Tension
- A Little Priest
- London Fogs and Ivory Winds
- The Invasion of Misr House
- Interlude: A Dream of Darkness
Chapter 3: Secrets of Cairo
- Mysteries of Cairo
- In The Shadows of Gods
- The Noose Tightens
- Botched
- Omens and Opportunities
- The Trek
- Shadows of the Pyramids
- Prisoners of the Black Pharaoh
- No Rest For the Wicked
- Grains of Sand
- The Dig
- Fugitives
- Interlude: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Chapter 4: Shanghaied!
- Anything Goes
- Stumbling Tiger, Hidden Serpent
- Dragon's Teeth
- The Visitor
- The Parable of Mr. Lung
- Gentlemen Scholars
- Living Large, Writ Small
- Taking Risks
- Dragon's Claws
- Afflicted
- Rendezvous
- Strange Bedfellows
- Dragon's Breath
Chapter 5: Terror Australis
- Land Down Under
- Rods, Wheels, and Mirrors
- A Death in the Family
- Pride of Yirrimburra
- Prometheus
- In Cuncudgerie
- Buckley's Chance
- On The Trail
- Screaming Mimi
- To the City
- Under Down Under
- Pitch Black Dark
- Interlude: Trapped Like Sardines
Chapter 6: The Darkest Heart Chapter Finis: The End
Unmasking Nyarlathotep
This is slightly different from the above chapters in that it is not a proper set of blog entries but a behind the scenes look at the way I ran Masks of Nyarlathotep. In here you will find my thoughts on running the game, as well as tips, tricks, and ideas for how to run the campaign for yourself with the help of the Companion and the Complete Masks of Nyarlathotep. Think of this like a DVD extra feature. It's just for your fun, and benefit if you're new to Keeping this game.
Take A Peek Behind The Masks...
Take A Peek Behind The Masks...