MOB

$100,000 Stretch Goal - Classic Keeper Screen - Achieved! $200,000 Stretch Goal - Ruby Red Dice - Achieved! $300,000 Stretch Goal - Handouts Upgrade - Achieved! $350,000 Stretch Goal - Arkham Poster Map - Achieved! $400,000 Stretch Goal - Out from the Shadows... (extra Silhouettes) - Achieved! $450,000 Stretch Goal - 34" x 11" Size Comparison Poster - Achieved! $500,000 Stretch Goal - Bonus Scenario: Wail of the Witch by Keith Herber - Achieved! $550,000 Stretch Goal - Things get a little more dicey: Two more D6s - Achieved! With a little over 7 hours remaining in our Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter we have broken the $550,000 mark! Thus, those two additional red ruby-colored D6s are going into the little plastic baggie that holds the rest of the dice set. That got us to thinking about what we could do for our digital only backers and this is what we decided to aim for in the last few hours of this campaign. Our biggest Cthulhu Kickstarter raised $561,836. While we didn't expect we would break that record this time around, we're only about $9,000 away from doing that. So here's a final stretch goal: $561,837 Stretch Goal - Setting a new record! We will provide free PDFs of the other items included with the set back in 1981. All $20 reward levels and higher will get a free PDF of the 16 page Basic Role-Playing book, and a free PDF of the 1981 Chaosium games catalog. We'll even do a free PDF of the postcard. That's three free PDFs when we break the record. As always, from all the team at Chaosium, thank you for your support, and thank you to everyone who has backed this Kickstarter. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaosium/call-of-cthulhu-classic

That's pretty much how it works among the Bedu. Some other cool Thesiger quotes from Arabian Sands, it's such a great book: "It is characteristic of Bedu to do things by extremes, to be either wildly generous or unbelievably mean, very patient or almost hysterically excitable, to be incredibly brave or to panic for no apparent reason. Ascetic by nature, they derive satisfaction from the bare simplicity of their lives and scorn the amenities which others would judge essential." "This incident impressed upon me the Bedu’s indifference to human life. The man was sick and if God ordered it he would die. He was a stranger who came from a tribe unrelated to theirs. None of them felt an interest because he was a human being like themselves. His death would in no way affect them. Yet their code demanded that, however unwanted he might be, they should fight in his defence if he were attacked whilst with them." "There is always trouble if meat is not divided by lot. Someone immediately says that he has been given more than his share, and tries to hand a piece to someone else. Then there is much arguing and swearing by God, with everyone insisting that he has been given too much, and finally a deadlock ensues which can only be settled by casting lots for the meat – as should have been done in the first place. I have never heard a man grumble that he has received less than his share. Such behaviour would be inconceivable to the Bedu, for they are careful never to appear greedy, and quick to notice anyone who is.“ "It is not hunger nor thirst that frightens the Bedu; they maintain that riding they can survive in cold weather for seven days without food or water. It is the possible collapse of their camels which haunts them. If this happens, death is certain." "Strike a Bedu and he will kill you either then or later. It is easy for strangers to give offence without meaning to do so. I once put my hand on the back of bin Kabina’s neck and he turned on me and asked furiously if I took him for a slave. I had no idea that I had done anything wrong."

100%! Thesiger tells a story of how he and a couple of Bedu companions were deep in the desert and hadn't eaten anything for a several days when they finally managed to catch a very scrawny hare. They were cooking it on a campfire and salivating with anticipation for the meagre fare when out of nowhere several Bedu from another tribe appeared, and approached indicating they had no hostile intent. Under the laws of hospitality Thesiger (disguised as an Arab) and his companions had to give the visitors all their food, and make polite conversation while they watched them eat every last morsel. Showing they were famished would be a major loss of face, and refusing to share would be probably have ended in violence.

I would recommend Wilfrid Thesiger's masterpiece Arabian Sands. He was the first European to cross the Empty Quarter and visit the Liwa Oasis (he did it in disguise which was a great effort given he was an upper class Englishman who was 6'4" with blue eyes). Thesiger vividly describes Bedu hospitality, and the challenges of navigating your way through an incredibly hostile environment and tribes who distrusted or (usually) hated each other. The rules of hospitality in the deep desert are sacrosanct and intricate. I would best summarise them by saying it was possible to be hospitable without being friendly. Here is a telling excerpt: “Gaunt men in rags and hungry-looking children had greeted me, and bade me welcome with the sonorous phrases of the desert. Later they had set a great dish before me, rice heaped round a sheep which they had slaughtered, over which my host poured liquid golden butter until it flowed down on to the sand; and when I protested, saying 'Enough! Enough!', had answered that I was a hundred times welcome. Their lavish hospitality had always made me uncomfortable, for I had known that as a result of it they would go hungry for days. Yet when I left them they had almost convinced me that I had done them a kindness by staying with them” BTW, this all happened in 1948. Some of the people he encountered, the first European they had ever seen, would in their lifetime have been able to drive on a four lane freeway from the Liwa Oasis to Abu Dhabi, which in 1948 would have been three week's travel by camel. During my time in the UAE I visited Liwa many times for work (we had a campus there) and holidays, an amazing place. The highlight of the year is their Camel Beauty Contest.

As we enjoy the final 24 hours of our Kickstarter we want to celebrate the record breaking 5000 backers who have joined us on this adventure. One of the magic powers of Kickstarter is how it strengthens a community, and rallies a gathering of kindred spirits. Some of us started playing Call of Cthulhu decades ago, while many more have discovered the Mythos more recently. In the end, here we are, all together, 5000 strong. Back when Call of Cthulhu first debuted, in each boxed set there was a small postcard. It allowed you to mail in the name of a friend who would love to find out more about our games. In the time we have left together on this Kickstarter, perhaps you can still do something like that, and a few more like-minded souls might join us. Reach out to your gamer friends. Let them know about what we are doing. If they back the Kickstarter for a $1 now, they can upgrade their pledge later once they know how best to proceed. After all, it's not where you start, so much as where you end up. Let them know what they would otherwise be missing. As always, from all the team at Chaosium, thank you for your support, and thank you to everyone who has backed this Kickstarter.

THE SOURCE OF YOUR IGNOMINY "OUR", chanted Daystar. Oh living Yelm, born in the Sky every day, He begat his august son, Yelmalio, Son of Sun, Who wears the mantle of his father's beauty. "Can you see it?," Daystar cried excitedly, pointing at the swirling yellowish smoke at the roof of the cavern. Through the haze Melo Yelo did see a vision of a resplendent ball of light. And flying around it in a swirling pattern was a wyrm - something like Windwhistler, but golden and more majestic, more divine. "When Solanthos cast me down here they cursed me. My geas is if I am exposed to Yelm's Light, I will burn. But that is only thissssss body," Daystar said with a hiss. "And now your master has told me the Spirit of Above has returned in material form. I have its stone; it took me many years of searching in the Old Sun Dome, and years still to smuggle the stone here. "But if I sacrifice myself on its stone will I be reborn inside it, the Guardian of Above's body will be mine. And then I will be free!" Melo Yelo was still looking at the ceiling. Perhaps old priest's rheumy eyes were not not as keen as the baboon's, for Melo Yelo was sure the great flying wyrm had a golden armoured rider on its back. Who was that? "And you, you my friend must do utuma with me: for your service the Sun Dragon shall surely decree you will be reborn a most splendid man," said Daystar complacently, taking a great draw on the pipe. As more smoke billowed to the ceiling Melo Yelo saw a vision of the Yelmalion he could be: the very visage of his fabled helm, and whole perfect human body too, made flesh. But Melo Yelo didn't want to be human. He still wanted to be the best Yelmalion he could, but he wanted to stay a baboon. For that's what he was. But they will never accept you. Now Daystar was in his head. Look how they've treated you. Belittled your heroism, ignored your bravery. Kept silent when they were the guilty ones. And with that Melo Yelo's spirit went soaring again, out over the plains to Moonbroth. On the way he could see a thousand campfires, with followers of the White Bull from almost every tribe. They were chanting and dancing of how on the morrow they would sweep the Lunar Empire out of their sacred homeland forever. He passed through the great circle of defenses around the oasis. The soldiers on watch nervously looked out at the campfires and could even hear the singing, but their officers complacently assured them they were safe behind their massive fields of caltrops. Next he was in a well-appointed tent. The panoply of its owner rested on a stand: it was gold, but the gold was tarnished, and there was no vambrace for the left arm. Lying in the cot asleep was Count Invictus, still wrapped in his golden cloak, still concealing his left arm. Sssee him there, he's the sssourccce of your pain, why they laugh at you, why they mock. The source of your ignominy, he who turned away after all you had done, all you have sssacrificed, hissed the voice in his head. Invictus shifted restlessly in his sleep and the cloak slipped loose. His baboon arm, given freely to him by Melo Yelo at the Painted Wall so he could contain Daga with his own, was revealed. "OURO", chanted Daystar.

$100,000 Stretch Goal - Classic Keeper Screen - Achieved! $200,000 Stretch Goal - Ruby Red Dice - Achieved! $300,000 Stretch Goal - Handouts Upgrade - Achieved! $350,000 Stretch Goal - Arkham Poster Map - Achieved! $400,000 Stretch Goal - Out from the Shadows... (extra Silhouettes) - Achieved! $450,000 Stretch Goal - 34" x 11" Size Comparison Poster - Achieved! $500,000 Stretch Goal - Bonus Scenario: Wail of the Witch by Keith Herber - Achieved! Having passed $500,000 in our Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter it's on to the next Stretch Goal: $500,000 Stretch Goal - Things get a little more dicey: Two more D6s We will add 2 more red ruby-colored D6s into each boxed set (so the set will have 3D6 in total). That way you won't have to roll that single D6 so many times when rolling up characters or dealing out damage. nb: These dice are in addition to the set of dice in our $200,000 Stretch Goal, already achieved. Check out our campaign here, we've got just over 24 hours to go! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaosium/call-of-cthulhu-classic

Allan from TYPE 40 intoduces the Call of Cthulhu digital collectables. They are ONLY available from VeVe Collectables while stocks last!Global drop times: Los Angeles, USA Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 8:00 am PDT New York, USA Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 11:00 am EDT Sydney, Australia Sat, 24 Jul 2021 at 1:00 am AEST London, United Kingdom Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 4:00 pm BST Greenwich Mean Time, GMT Fri, 23 Jul 2021 at 3:00 pm GMT Download the Veve app: https://www.veve.me

THE WHITE BULL IS COMING "OUR" chanted Daystar. How long Melo Yelo had been here sitting on the rug he couldn't remember because his mind and perhaps his spirit had gone free. He soared out like a vrok hawk over the Sun Dome lands, chasing the rising Sun. In his vision he saw the Sun Dome Temple and Vega Goldbreath, the Light Lady who condemned him. She was in the very same Meeting Chamber. Spread on a table before her was an assortment of maps outlining the Sun County defenses and detailed reports about troop movements and supplies. Candles low on their wicks showed she'd been up all night, and her face was creased with fatigue and worry. Suddenly the Light Lady looked up, and it was like she was staring at him straight in the eye. There was a look of doubt on Lady Vega's face, and to Melo Yelo hopefully a sense of resolution that things were not right and she must put them so. "OUR" chanted The Midnight Express. The baboon's spirit then travelled out onto the plains of Prax. Everywhere he could see nomads on the move, kicking up vast dust clouds, all converging on a single spot in distance. Curious, he made to go there, but first he saw the Paps. It was high noon, and Lord Belvani was in earnest council with a strange assortment of people: some were native Praxians but others were foreigners. Their leader seemed to be a youngish man with a distinctive white bull tattoo on his torso; he'd noticed that marking on many of the nomads too as he'd swept past them. At the leader's side was another Yelmalion: to his surprise Melo Yelo realised it was the Light Son who had bested him on the Cradle! He wanted to swoop in for a closer look when Lord Belvani caught his eye. It was almost like he nodded at him, as if everything was right, and to carry on with the Plan. But what was the plan? And then he soared to where the nomads were converging: it was the oasis of Moonbroth, famed for its geysers and its mystic oracle. He'd travelled through there once, long ago, on the way to the Monkey Ruins, but the place of pilgrimage no longer resembled what he remembered. The site was now a fortified camp of the Lunars and surrounding the oasis were vast concentric fields of caltrops, stretching in a perimeter thousands of paces out from the center. These vicious spikes were a total surprise to the Praxians when the Lunar Empire defeated them here years ago, but would they have the same impact now? Marching along a complicated pathway through the caltrops were the glittering Sun Dome Templars, answering the command of the Lunar governor. At the head of the parade was Count Invictus, walking proud but with his baboon arm concealed in his cloak. Melo Yelo wanted to put his spirit before him too, but try as he might Invictus would not give him his eye. "OUR" chanted Melo Yelo, as he felt his spirit return to the chamber deep under Pent Ridge. The Count took his Templars on, leading them towards Moonbroth and the setting Sun.

Dropping in 24 hours: take a look at the Call of Cthulhu digital collectables we're releasing on VeVe! These collectibles will be the first-ever CON EXCLUSIVES released by VeVe in premium digital format and are available globally. More details here. CTHULHU IDOL - JADE, GOLD, BRONZE Used by cultists who seek to raise the long-forgotten god Great Cthulhu from where he lies in uneasy slumber, the Idol of Cthulhu is recreated here in all its eldritch dread. The idol has fed humanity’s fearful imaginings since the dawn of time and serves as a focus for dark powers wherever it manifests. Created by Type40 artist Simon Lissaman, the Idol of Cthulhu references the namesake of Chaosium’s iconic roleplaying game of horror, mystery, and investigation, Call of Cthulhu. NECROMONICON Many tomes of eldritch lore can be found in Call of Cthulhu, Chaosium’s iconic roleplaying game of horror, mystery, and investigation, with the infamous Necronomicon casting the longest, darkest shadow. In all its editions, penned by diverse hands across the centuries, the Necronomicon offers glimpses of the inconceivable cosmic horrors that dwell just beyond our understanding. Created in collaboration by Type40 artists Simon Lissaman and Seth Laster, this strange tome boasts secrets bound within that are surely not meant for the fragile human mind.

The Call of Cthulhu release Reign of Terror is now available on Roll20! Liberty! Equality! Fraternity! A time of struggle, intrigue, and horror. A divided country, where the upper class enjoys the bounty of wealth, and the poor cannot afford a loaf of bread. Where the cries of anger and rage at life’s injustices find momentum, sparking the people to unite and cast away the old regime for a brighter and more hopeful tomorrow. In time, hope will be replaced with fear as The Terror descends upon France, and the guillotine cries out for blood. The crowds gather baying for blood, while the “chop-chop-chop” of the guillotine calls out… $34.99 Part One, set in 1789 amid the stirrings of the revolution, sees the investigators descend into the catacombs of Paris and brave the tribulations of courtly life, where debauchery and wickedness bring their own terrors. Part Two, set during The Terror, catapults the investigators into a conspiracy, where spies and agents seek out those who would destabilize the new regime. Caught amongst the chaos and dangers of Paris, the way must be found to stop a nightmare that would plunge France and the rest of Europe into darkness. “Meat is a luxury for many. Butchers slaughter beasts in the courtyards behind their shops; the blood flows out into the streets. The better cuts go to the wealthy while poorer Parisians eat mutton, sausages, offal, and salted pork.” Reign of Terror provides a stand-alone setting for the Call of Cthulhu 7th edition game, with a plethora of historical details to help the Keeper bring Paris and the French Revolution to life. Profusely illustrated throughout, with detailed maps of Paris, the Palace of Versailles, and more! Alongside the two-part scenario of Reign of Terror is a range of scenario seeds, each providing roots for extending play and building a longer, more in-depth campaign. Play with Less Prep Reign of Terror on Roll20 includes: All maps, handouts, art, and character sheets fully integrated and ready for the virtual tabletop. Maps with GM layer information and dynamic lighting support (requires plus / pro subscription). Reign of Terror Module (2-6 investigators plus Keeper) Reign of Terror Scenario Seeds & Investigator Occupations Addon (9 scenario seeds to help create your own scenarios and 10 investigator occupations to create characters during the French Revolution) What the Critics say about Reign of Terror: "Morrison’s love for this work shines through, and a reader easily recognizes the care and painstaking attention he and his team spent on this project… (There are) times when the players — the actual players — will want to run screaming from the room. It’s scary and it’s creepy and it’s gross and it will definitely give your more impressionable players nightmares. Just like it ought to." — Reckoning of the Dead. "I very strongly recommend Reign of Terror... If I were to use a single word to describe most of the encounters and scenes of the adventure, that word would be 'disturbing'... In the context of a horror scenario which reaches into supernatural paranoia, this is the highest praise possible." — Antonios S., RPGNet Review. "I certainly can see why REIGN OF TERROR is an award winner... Highly recommended: 9 out of 10!" — The Gaming Gang. Play Call of Cthulhu with Roll20! Throughout 2021 we'll be adding more Call of Cthulhu releases to Roll20 on a regular basis. Other current titles include: Call of Cthulhu Starter Set - $24.99 Call of Cthulhu Quickstart Rules (inc. 'The Haunting' scenario) - FREE Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rulebook - $54.95 Call of Cthulhu Investigator Handbook - $44.95 Harlem Unbound - $44.99 The Lightless Beacon - FREE Dead Light and Other Dark Turns - $14.99 Gateways to Terror - $19.99 Mansions of Madness Vol 1: Behind Closed Doors - $42.99 Malleus Monstrorum Cthulhu Mythos Bestiary - $59.99 For useful tips and advice about playing Call of Cthulhu and other Chaosium games online, see our helpful Getting Started with Online Gaming guide.

Note: The boxed sets in our Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter will NOT be going into general retail distribution. If we have any left over after the Kickstarter rewards go out we'll sell them on Chaosium.com and that will be it. We don't have a retailer backer level, but if you're a genuine brick and mortar game store, our FAQ explains how to you can order copies. Ends in three days! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaosium/call-of-cthulhu-classic

AN UNSUNG HERO The smoke made Daystar garrulous, though most of his talk was the distant Sun: how its beating heart was growing louder, its lustrous wings, its shining scales; all this he described in loving detail. At odd times that seemed to have no regular cadence he would stop to chant, and The Midnight Express would repeat it, and then they'd expect Melo Yelo to follow. At some point – when the baboon did not know, as proper time began to drift away from him – Daystar started chanting "OU". "OU" chanted Daystar. "There is no other that knoweth thee save thy Light Priests, thou hast made them wise. In thy designs and in thy might." Although the priest was declaiming in Firespeech, somehow Melo Yelo wasn't surprised he understood perfectly. As the haiza opened his mind Melo Yelo thought back to when he was first drawn to the Golden Light of the Sun Dome, and how simple it seemed then. There were clearly more sides to Yelmalio than he knew, or even imagined. He now realised his eyes were first opened at the Cradle. There the baboon was an unsung hero, the only Sun Domer (if he could call himself that) who made it onto the deck. The Harpoon had shot gigantic chained arrows into the sides of the great boat, and Lord Invictus had ordered his Templars to clamber up the chains. Not one of them had made it to the top – trying to balance while fending off the defenders' furious rain of missiles and magic proved impossible, even for the elite of the Sun Dome's best regiments. But with his powerful arms (he had two then, he thought wistfully), Melo Yelo had swung up to the top on the underside the chain, avoiding being a target. When he leapt onto the bulwark, the baboon was astounded to see facing him on the deck a warrior in the distinctive panoply of a Yelmalion Light Son. He was clearly one of the defenders, and by the state of his amour and weapons had seen much action. Melo Yelo was temporarily dumbstruck and confused by the sight, and his opponent took the advantage to give him a great shove with his shield. The baboon fell tumbling into the water, and soon after the Sun Dome attack on the Cradle was called off. At enormous cost Lord Invictus had achieved nothing, and despite Count Solanthos's boasts to Governor Sor Eel, the Cradle escaped free. Melo Yelo's wasn't the only act of conspicuous bravery that day, but there were no accolades offered to anyone by the humiliated Sun Dome leadership, let alone a baboon hanger-on that everyone laughed at and treated with pitiful scorn or (at most) amused contempt. As the silent trollkin added yet more hazia to the bowl of the hookah, Melo Yelo noticed a gaggle of Dark Detail prisoners had gathered at the foot of the mound. They were all on their knees. "OU" chanted Daystar. "Dawning, glittering, going afar and returning, all eyes see before them..." "Oh mighty Daystar, we beseech you, we must have our water!", they cried. Through the smoke Daystar looked like he had been on the cusp of something when this interruption broke his concentration. He gave an exasperated hiss to The Midnight Express. The dragonewt roared and a made a mighty leap off the mound, landing right in the midst of the prisoners and scattering them in all directions. When it returned to take up the position behind the priest, several of the unfortunate inmates lay dead. The others had fled back to their places, some badly hurt. "OU" chanted Daystar.

Premium NFTs Feature the Idol of Cthulhu and Necronomicon New Zealand, July 20, 2021 — New Zealand-based non-fungible token (NFT) app VeVe has partnered with Chaosium Inc., makers of the Call of Cthulhu tabletop roleplaying game, to bring their Mythos horror content to the digital collectible market. With VeVe, fans can showcase their digital collections through the app’s virtual showrooms, featuring epic 3D dioramas, as well as virtually visit, comment on, and “like” showrooms from other collectors. The initial Call of Cthulhu NFT drop features a masterful sculpt of the Idol of Cthulhu, used by cultists to venerate the long-forgotten being who may one day return to devour humanity. Also available in this series is a highly detailed replica of the infamous tome of Mythos lore known as the Necronomicon. Both digital objects were created under license to Chaosium by Australian studio Type40. “Call of Cthulhu is an iconic horror roleplaying game, and has captured fans and readers dating back to 1981. VeVe is now bringing that cosmic horror to the digital world after 40 years” says David Yu, CEO of the VeVe platform. Chaosium VP of Licensing Michael O’Brien adds, “We are pleased to partner with VeVe and Type40 to explore this new way to share our games and stories in the ever-expanding digital realm, especially in an environmentally friendly way.” Since its inception, VeVe has used a distributed ledger technology that is over 99% more energy efficient than the Ethereum blockchain. In March 2021, VeVe committed to 100% carbon neutral NFTs and provided $7+ million in grants to environmental nonprofits to raise money for causes through NFT promotions. The Call of Cthulhu digital collectibles series will be dropping on the VeVe app during Comic-Con@Home, set to take place the 23rd through the 25th of July 2021. IDOL OF CTHULHU Digital Collectable: Created by Type40 artist Simon Lissaman, the Idol of Cthulhu references the namesake of Chaosium’s iconic roleplaying game of horror, mystery, and investigation, Call of Cthulhu. NECRONOMICON Digital Collectable: Created in collaboration by Type40 artists Simon Lissaman and Seth Laster, the Necronomicon is a strange tome boasts secrets bound within that are surely not meant for the fragile human mind. More about the about the Cthulhu Idols drop here. About VeVe: Founded in 2018, VeVe was created by collectors and for collectors to bring premium licensed NFT digital collectibles to the mass market. With over 280,000 active users and 400,000 NFTs sold, VeVe is the largest mobile-first digital collectibles platform and one of the top grossing Entertainment Apps in the Google Play and Apple stores. Utilizing both blockchain and augmented reality technologies, VeVe offers premium licensed collectibles from leading brands including DC Comics and Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, tokidoki, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and more. For the first time, these brands can provide customization to collectibles after their initial sale, creating endless revenue possibilities for products both new and previously offered. The VeVe Digital Collectible app is available on both iOS and Android. Learn more: VeVe.me | Twitter | Discord | Facebook | Instagram |

SMOKE, SMOKE, SMOKE From Daystar's treasury they returned to the priest's place of prominence in the center of the large cavern. There, to Melo Yelo's great relief, he was at last able to have something to drink. The wooden bucket from the well was thoroughly crusted in salt, but Daystar still urged him to partake. The baboon was initially hesitant, but found that the water tasted cold and pure. It was then that he noticed the inside of the bucket was lined with a lustrous deep green metal: did that somehow remove the salt from the water? Meanwhile Daystar fussed with the block, getting The Midnight Express to set it on his rug so the jutting part stuck out to the left: ⅃. When it was positioned to his satisfaction Daystar placed the stone knife on top of it then sat down, cross-legged. The dragonewt took up its position behind him. One of the mutilated trollkin methodically went about setting up his hookah pipe again, while the other visited one of the prisoners' braziers, returning with a scuttle of hot coals. Melo Yelo was unsure what to do next. He'd given Lord Belvani's message to the priest, but could he now take his leave? Then he remembered Cornspot's gift packet. This he deferentially offered to Daystar, who took it and chuckled. By the priest's side was a small basket, full of the same wrapped packets. He carelessly tossed in Melo Yelo's offering and picked up his pipe. "Come sit, join me now," he said to the baboon, "While we await your master we must smoke, smoke, smoke seven days." Seven days? thought Melo Yelo. Daystar must have seen his consternation because his voice raised to a higher pitch and with a wide-eyed gleam he said, "Yes, we must smoke until we see the Sun and find the Dragon. In our minds we will do the Dance of Pure Being. We must smoke, smoke, smoke to attain Utuma!" One of the silent trollkin unwrapped a packet of leaves from the basket and smeared its contents into the bowl of the hookah. The other solemnly took the long-handled pipe from the priest. It then began to suck in and puff prodigiously. When smoke was literally coming out of the slits where its ears had been, it gravely handed the fully-primed pipe back to Daystar, and withdrew. The priest took a tremendous puff of his own, then handed the pipe to Melo Yelo. Cautiously, the baboon took a puff. Although he'd never used a hookah pipe before, he'd already recognised the taste and smell of the smoke: the baboon shamans used this stuff too, to help commune with the spirits. What the Sun Dome folk called "dummy", the humans up in Pavis knew as hazia. His baboon kin had their own name for it, and simply threw the dried plants on a fire. Everyone in the troupe sitting around was encouraged to breathe in deeply. Eventually you would see your ancestors, sitting there with you. "O" said Daystar. "O" said The Midnight Express. The priest looked expectantly at Melo Yelo. "O?" he said hesitantly, and Daystar nodded, seemingly satisfied. The baboon politely took another puff and handed the pipe back to the priest. Melo Yelo began to feel his mind open, but the mood was broken by a voice calling out from the bottom of the slope. It was one of the prisoners, one of the down-on-their-luck adventurer types. He was there on his knees. "Oh mighty and worshipful Daystar," he called out, "Your honour, we must come to get our daily water." "Pah, begone with you!", said Daystar, waving him away. And then took another puff and said "O".

Having passed $450,000 in our Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter it's on to the next Stretch Goal: $500,000 Stretch Goal - Bonus Scenario: Wail of the Witch by Keith Herber We'll add this eight page scenario into the back of the printed and PDF versions of the 2nd edition Rulebook. Originally published in Different Worlds #30 back in 1983, we will be using the slightly updated and fuller version of the scenario from Curse of Cthulhu. That means more handouts too! We'd also like to say how grateful we are that over 4200 backers have joined us thus far!

For our 40th anniversary we're currently Kickstarting reprints, but here Jon Hook of the Modern Mythos Podcast is showing off his original boxed sets of Call of Cthulhu 1st and 2nd Edition

A message to hard core collectors: this top tier SOLD OUT on Day 1, but we've just noticed several backers have downgraded—jump in while you can! Pledge $249 or more Call of Cthulhu Signed Limited Edition The Full Classic boxed set signed and numbered by Sandy Petersen. Only 200 in the series! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaosium/call-of-cthulhu-classic

A SUN DOME PALLADIUM *** Everyone in Sun County knows there is a legendary object in the temple vaults that guarantees the sanctity of the Sun Dome. They take great comfort from the fact that, despite all the vicissitudes and indignities they the people suffered in the Solitude of Testing, the Great Temple itself has never fallen. This cube-shaped artefact, a gift of Ernalda to Yelmalio, her husband-protector, is the hexomino. Inside it resides the Temple's defending Spirit Guardians. When the Sun Domers purged themselves of draconic influences in the aftermath of the Dragonkill War(1100 ST), they abandoned their old temple and built a new one. Answering their prayers, Yelmalio sent the Sun Folk the great spirit Feshoaar to dwell in the altar of the freshly-consecrated Sun Dome. In an interesting mythological parallel with Umath's Camp of Orlanthi legend, Sun County too originally had Six Spirit Guardians – north, south, east, west, above and below, one for each face of the hexomino. The legend is Feshoaar subjected the original Spirit Guardians to Yelm's cleansing fire and found that of the six, five emerged from the flames pure. Together, they righteously drove away the sixth, the Guardian of Above, whose draconic urges were too deeply ingrained. They were then to be bound again into the hexomino, which Feshoaar had commanded the people to retrieve from the deconsecrated temple where it lay broken in pieces. But the truth is only five of the hexomino's seven parts were recovered intact from the Old Sun Dome. The Guardian of Above's part simply could not be found. Successive Custodians of the Old Sun Dome fruitlessly searched for the missing piece for many years afterwards, until it gradually passed from memory. The part associated with the Guardian of Below had been smashed into many pieces by the furious mob as they desecrated the temple. When reassembling the hexomino, the Mostali who helped the Sun Folk construct the new temple did what they could to put together the Guardian of Below's broken fragments. As befit its ties to the earth, the Guardian of Below had a feminine aspect. It served to defend the temple from subterranean attack and, by extension, from trolls and other Darkness creatures. Several hundred years ago during the horrors of the Solitude of Testing, its piece in the hexomino shattered to dust defending the temple against rampaging Uz. The aggregate the Mostali had used to repair it was obviously inferior.* The people of Sun County's faith in the hexomino remains rock solid. But they might be disquieted to know that two of its components – that of the banished and forgotten Guardian of Above and now equally forgotten Guardian of Below – are today mere dummy parts. Unlike the genuine pieces that were fashioned from matter taken from the very Sky Dome itself, these replacements are of baser stone. They in fact have no special properties whatsoever, other than helping the hexomino retain its Earth rune cube shape. Hector the Wise hopes that is enough. This particular knowledge remains a deep cult secret. *** From the box, the Midnight Express lifted out a solid, heavy object. It looked something like a large "⅃ "-shaped block, deep blue in colour with shimmering flecks of white. Melo Yelo was nonplussed. "A part of the Sky Dome, praise Yelmalio!," explained Daystar, though this didn't help the baboon's understanding at all. "Come, we must prepare." "Prepare for what?" thought the baboon uneasily, as he followed the strange light priest back into the chamber. *The Light Guide at the time was a member of the Goldbreath family and he swept up the broken remains of that piece and gathered what psychical remnants he could of the Guardian of Below's annihilated spirit. With these fragments he fashioned a magical artefact which became a family heirloom. It is now worn by Lady Vega Goldbreath (it's her Protection-10 matrix, see Sun County p.13). The 'Guardian of Below' continued on, this time as a new cult rank, the leader of an elite band of troll-killers. As the troll threat abated, the position evolved into that of the more general 'Guardian of Sun County', the leader of the militia: this is Vega's current position in the temple hierarchy. She is the first such Goldbreath to hold the rank. [Just reiterating that the Light Lady Vega, a female rune lord of Yelmalio, wearing her family heirloom, is the first Goldbreath to hold the rank of *Guardian* of Sun County. Hmmmm]

Chaosium President @Rick Meints shares lots of inside info about the Call of Cthulhu Classic Kickstarter with EN World's Egg Embry: https://www.enworld.org/threads/call-of-cthulhu-classic-an-interview-with-rick-meints-chaosium.681388

Thank you for the compliment! I don't know if your copy included the final single player session ('Against the Skull of Atyar' I think it was called), but thankfully one of the characters - the protagonist, a wingless Wind Child - does actually have a chance to be redeemed in the end. But as I said above, other than the dozen or so copies that were run off for the Australian convention it ran at for the first (and only) time, In Darklight's Shadow is not available in English, and I'm happy for it to stay that way.

THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS Daystar turned and said something to the dragonewt, a series of sibilant incomprehensible spits and hisses formed with his curiously split tongue. Silently, the great reptile came down from the mound and joined them. The priest then called to the lone figure at her brazier, "Forgotten! To my treasury we must go". The woman put down the skull she was holding and went to stand sullenly at the opening of a tunnel close by her bivouac. The priest indicated to Melo Yelo he should come with them. They followed the woman a short distance into the passage and then stopped. Another hundred paces or so ahead the excavation abruptly ended; the beams of the baboon's helmet picked out a jumbled collection of boxes, crates and jars stacked there. Daystar waved impatiently at woman Forgotten. From around her neck she removed two leather thongs. She handed one to the dragonewt, which put it around its thick wrist, and the other to Melo Yelo. Threaded with hair, on each of these thongs was a tarnished silver coin and a finger bone that had been flensed of its flesh. "Go, help The Midnight Express," said Daystar to the baboon, "Don't worry, Forgotten's little baubles will protect you." Melo Yelo went down the tunnel with the oddly-named dragonewt. After they'd gone only a dozen steps they were suddenly assailed by a swarm of moaning ghosts, erupting from recesses in the walls. When Melo Yelo shone his light he saw each of these culverts contained a severed human head. They were packed in tightly with salt, and their preserved leathery faces had gaping mouths as if shouting out in horror or perhaps surprise. Having been bought up among shamans, the baboon recoiled in terror as the mad spirits assailed him. The Midnight Express simply ignored the ghosts and kept walking, and soon Melo Yelo understood they could not harm either of them. "Yes, yes," said Daystar impatiently, gesturing to him to hurry up. With only one arm, Melo Yelo was in fact not of much help when they came to Daystar's stash of valuables. But the dragonewt knew what it was looking for. It took some time, for whatever it was seemed to be near the very bottom of the pile. Daystar's treasury contained all manner of preserved foodstuffs, barrels of salted mock pork, amphorae of oil and wine, an assortment of trade goods, and more. As he helped drag boxes out of the way, Melo Yelo noticed that several were filled with the same packet of wrapped leaves that Cornspot had given him. He remembered his human friend's advice, and reminded himself he needed to give Daystar his offering when the moment presented itself. Eventually The Midnight Express found what it was looking for: a very large, very heavy wooden box. Even it grunted with effort lifting the box clear. The dragonewt carried the box back to where Daystar was waiting expectantly, once again completely ignoring the ghosts. Melo Yelo followed behind and did his best to ignore the evil spirits too. He found it helped by keeping his gaze away from the alcoves. The Midnight Express set the box down before the priest and handed his leather necklace back to the woman. Forgotten snapped her fingers at Melo Yelo, demanding his too. He handed the talisman over and, with a look of bored contempt, she abruptly turned and left. Daystar hissed and spat excitedly at the dragonewt. The box had been nailed shut, but with relative ease The Midnight Express wrenched off the lid. Daystar pounced and started removing handfuls of old, dried straw. With a cry of elation he then drew out something wrapped in a cloth: it was a strange looking dagger, gleaming dully but very, very sharp. It was made of stone. The old priest smiled, and once again licked his lips with tips of his split tongue. And there was still another object in the box, far heavier. Wide-eyed and eager, Daystar nodded, and with another grunt the dragonewt began lifting it out.

Bridgett Jeffries is our Miskatonic Repository community ambassador. Here she tells James Coquillat about how her high school calculus teacher introduced her to TTRPGs, and how the hobby is evolving for the better when it comes to issues such as inclusiveness. Part of our Chaosium Interviews series on YouTube.

4000 backers and still just under a week to go: thank you to everyone so far joining our 40th year celebration! 4000 Backers and still just under a week to go! Thank you to everyone so far joining our 40th year celebration! The boxed sets and PDFs on offer are not only packed-full of nostalgia from the birth of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game in 1981, but are also fully compatible with the 7th Edition of the game! Remember, our strategy for delivery of this Kickstarter has three key phases: ONE - Within 1-2 weeks of this campaign ending we will distribute to backers all of their PDFs. ALL of them. They're already done. For Digital only backers this Kickstarter will be done and delivered. TWO - Within a month of this Kickstarter ending all of the print files will go to our print partner for printing, collation, and then shipment to our warehouses. We will also make last calls for address updates. THREE - Once the boxed sets are in our 5 fulfillment warehouses (USA, UK, EU, AUS, CAN) we will ship out everyone's boxed set(s) in a very timely fashion.

That is one of the main reasons why we commissioned it, to show how easy it is to play these classic scenarios using the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition rules! Already got 20,000 views – Grateful thanks to Good Time Society, Investigators Erika Ishii, Xander Jeanneret, B Dave Walters, Josephine McAdam, and their Keeper Becca Scott for helping us celebrate going back to our eldritch roots! https://www.chaosium.com/blogover-20k-views-of-becca-scott-and-an-allstar-cast-playing-call-of-cthulhu-classics-the-auction