MOB

Whether they were barefoot or not, I think the Templars just marched up the road from Sun County to Pavis, and then took the Sartar road across to Moonbroth.

"BLACK GOLD" Despite centuries of separation, the Sun Dome Templars of Prax share many enduring cultural values and practices with their distant Yelmalion kin in Dragon Pass and beyond. One interesting variation is food. As is well-known, Templars on campaign in the wider Yelmalian world subsist on their famous 'black pudding' – actually a large type of sausage. From Sartar to Saird, Yelmalio mercenaries on the march may be seen with these hearty black sausages dangling from their belts. But when Arinsor first marched his Templars across the Long Dry, the searing heat caused their blood sausages to dry and shrink. By the time the regiment reached Pavis all that remained inside the shriveled casings was a pungent black ooze. Adapting to the arid conditions of their new home, the Yelmalions settling Sun County embraced this concentrated paste as their new special food*. Known as "black gold", the thick, viscous paste is unknown anywhere else. Whereas it's common knowledge Yelmalio black pudding is made of groats soaked in animal blood (typically mutton or goat), and with only vinegar and salt for flavour, the recipe for black gold is a closely-held cult secret. With an arresting, almost sulphurous odour, black gold has a strong, bitter taste laconically described as "as dark as Hell". It is typically served on dry bread or barley cakes. Black pudding is more versatile; it is usually sliced and fried, or put into a soup, but can also be eaten raw in the hand while on the road. While black pudding is nourishing, its flavour is strong but unsophisticated. Black gold on the other hand is very much an acquired taste. On meeting fellow Yelmalions from Vaantar in early 1625, Sun Domers serving under Daystar were told the boisterous tale of how a detachment had been captured and disarmed by the Lunars, only to bludgeon their way to safety using their black puddings as weapons. The Praxian Sun Domers just laughed – "All we'd have to do is get those soft Imperials to try black gold and they'd all run screaming", they said. (*Or so it is told. This explanation may be nothing more than an aetiological fable, recounted by the Praxian Sun Domers to culturally connect with their distant Yelmalio kin. It is telling that a curious Irripi Ontor sage acquired a sample of black gold in Furthest, and their magical analysis found the paste to be of vegetable origin, with no blood or other animal parts. "If black gold is a treasure, it's a treasure no one wants", summarised the sage, while gagging and looking for a bucket.) -- As always YGMV... -- [I posted this over on the RuneQuest Facebook group; posting here too, for ease of future retrieval]

The female warrior on the left of BiG O is:

Although he's an avid collector of all things Chaosium, Rick can't tell you if the special 'Designer's Edition' of the Call of Cthulhu first ed rulebook includes blank or printed inside covers and the errata. Find out why in his latest "Out of the Suitcase" post... https://www.chaosium.com/blogout-of-the-suitcase-15-the-curse-of-the-cthulhu-completists

While the current (1627) politico-religious instability in Sun County, Prax is indeed highly regrettable, up until now the Sun Domers there have always managed to not be on the losing side, ever since leaving the Pure Horse People in the lurch at Alavan Argay in 1250*. Likewise, they prudently lined up with the Lunars at First Battle of Moonbroth in 1610 – and so got to tenaciously hang on to their independence during the Lunar domination of Prax. But then, come Second Moonbroth fifteen years later, and they adroitly and unexpectedly switched sides again, quite literally at the last moment. (I can picture the Sun Dome Templars all dutifully lining up in a shield wall with the Lunars, then suddenly opening a gap for the White Bull's nomad hordes and passively standing by as the rout and massacre of their former allies ensues.) The reigning Count was (curiously enough) the only Sun Dome casualty at Moonbroth II, and unfortunately two rival claimants emerged to succeed him. King Argrath formally recognises one of them, but after being driven out of his rival power base at the Old Sun Dome, "Count" Belvani finds himself stuck in impotent exile in Suntown, New Pavis, lacking funds and men. The other claimant, Lady Vega, is firmly ensconced at the Great Sun Dome, and has carefully taken pains to not provoke the new regime in Pavis upriver. I suspect the Yelmalio hero Rurik Runespear, one of Argrath's Companions, will be the figure who eventually brokers a lasting compromise and peace in Sun County, Prax – probably involving further revelations of the Many Suns. Fortunately for Countess Vega's rule of Sun County, Argrath White Bull himself has far, far bigger fish to fry in Dragon Pass and beyond to care much about that insignificant and strategically unimportant backwater. *as @Nick Brookenotes, they would have cited important cultic obligations/hairdressers appointment for their absence on the day.

In his latest "Out of the Suitcase" post, Chaosium collector extraordinaire Rick is Stamping Out the Mythos... and preparing a ritual for a classic reawakening: https://www.chaosium.com/blogout-of-the-suitcase-14-helping-stamp-out-the-mythos

I expanded on this somewhat in a recent post at the RuneQuest Facebook page; posting here too, for ease of future retrieval] I'm currently having fun revising/updating an old, old scenario of mine for inclusion in the fourth book of Jonathan Webb's 'Sandheart' series, set in Sun County, Prax. The adventure culminates with the Templar assault on the Cradle at Harpoon: the player characters get the take part in that epic event, from the Sun Domer side! If you've read or played RQ2's 'The Cradle' adventure (hey, available in print again!), you'll know that the great spear-throwing machine lobs three mighty chained arrows at the Cradle, and the Sun Domers attempt to haul it to shore (having requisitioned every oxen in the County). In that scenario, these arrows are described as having razor-sharp obsidian points and are 25 meters long (!!). So, given the Cradle Valley runs through a desert, where did the Sun Domers get such mighty lumber from? The answer lies in the River of Cradles' headwaters in the Rockwood Mountains. While tree trunks sometimes come down in the winter floods, people from Pavis and Sun County can head upriver to get supplies of timber when needed, although it is a difficult and dangerous enterprise. The Sun Domers' great arrows are fashioned by specially trained artisans at the hamlet of High Water, several km down river from Harpoon. The redwood tree trunks used for this come from the great forest around Leaping Place Lake at the headwaters of the Zola Fel. Floating the logs downstream is only possible at certain times of the year, and is an adventure in itself, going through the troll-infested Desolation Hills, Pavis County and the Big Rubble, to the Lands of the Sun. Ensuring a supply of this timber is one of the main responsibilities of the XIIIth Square ("the Unlucky Thirteenth"), who are based at Harpoon. Their leader, Ouric Goldflinger, has led three such expeditions in the past decade. Most of the missiles for regular use are only 10-15 meters long; although there are still much taller trees at the Leaping Place, manoeuvring logs bigger than this downstream would be considered extremely challenging, if not impossible. The three great bolts launched at the Cradle date from the harpoon's original setting at the Sun Dome, though few people remember that*. Old stories say they would be powerful enough to pierce the hide of a dragon and kill it, should one ever threaten the land. *The history of the Harpoon is all but forgotten by the people of Sun County. Only Hector the Wise, the temple librarian, knows the whole tale. As one might suspect, its original purpose had nothing to do with skewering pirate ships or sea monsters swimming up the Zola Fel. The harpoon actually dates from the period just after the Dragonkill War (1100 ST), when the people of the Sun Dome tore down their old temple, purged themselves of any vestiges of EWF-inspired solar draconism and returned to the unsullied, pure light of Yelmalio. Fearing the vengeance of the Sun Dragon, to protect their land the Sun Domers built a series of watch towers throughout the County. And with the expertise of a dwarven refugee from EWF persecution the Great Ballista was built at their newly constructed Sun Dome Temple, to protect it from draconic retribution.

[I posted this over on the RuneQuest Facebook group; posting here too, for ease of future retrieval] [Over on the RuneQuest Facebook group] Jeff recently talked about the challenges Yelmalio worshippers in Sartar face maintaining their distinct society among the dominant Orlanthi cultures of Dragon Pass. Of course, it was no picnic for the Sun Domers stuck out in the Mad Max II hellscape of Prax either. When Pavis fell in 1200 ST and civilisation as-they-knew-it thus ended on the River of Cradles, their struggle to survive and maintain their identity hinged on convincing the hostile Praxian tribes surrounding them that they, the People of the Sun, deserved to be seen as better than mere Oasis Folk, that the nomads regarded as little more than chattels. How did they accomplish this? Palishon was Light Captain, and then later Count when the 'Solitude of Testing' began. He solemnly told his people, "Things are going to have to change, in order to stay the same." Like their kin back in Sartar, rigorous military training provided a line of defense. But giving up their cherished horses was a key to the Sun Domer's survival. Adapting to their fate on foot at least removed the automatic and unthinking antipathy of all the Waha tribes*. Palishon also reestablished closer bonds with the Animal Nomads, which had grown distant in the years of peace and plenty. This came about after he was captured by the Impala Nation (or, it is said, allowed himself to be taken prisoner). The khans were about to inflict terrible punishments on him when Palishon proved to them that their great spirit Sky Daughter and Yelmalio were in fact one and the same**. As it happens, their co-religionists in the nomad tribes actually outnumbered the sedentary Sun Domers 2:1. The pacts made between them by Palishon have helped maintain the status quo to this day; the great Sun Dome is a holy place to Praxian and Sun Domer alike. Count Palishon certainly deserves his epithet "the Clever" in the recitation of the Light List, even if his precise deeds are no longer fully remembered. *The Sun Domers also broke off the long-standing alliance with the Pure Horse Tribe, which doubtless contributed their defeat and banishment from Prax at the Battle of Alavan Argay in 1250. Whether this was adroit statecraft or perfidious betrayal depends on your point of view. But it is said the Sun Domers' geas "Never let a horse suffer needlessly" originates from this time. **I'm thinking a kind of 'Man Who Would Be King" situation here...

Call of Cthulhu 7th edition co-author Paul Fricker talks about the broader scope of his work, from award winning scenarios to a critically acclaimed podcast. This is part of our 'Chaosium Interviews' series on YouTube, with James Coquillat.

[I posted this over on the RuneQuest Facebook group; posting here too, for ease of future retrieval] As one of the co-authors of the 'Old Sun Dome' scenario in RQ3's Sun County, I was gratified to read @Andrew Logan Montgomery's remarks that the ancient vampire in that adventure has left an impression that has "stayed with him for decades".* Drew said he sees it as the vampire equivalent of Percy Shelly’s Ozymandius, "a terror made somehow sad and wasted by the desolation of centuries", and I think that's an excellent summation of this deathless horror that is so old it no longer remembers its name. It cannot recall where it came from or what deeds it did in mortal life. It has forgotten what tongues it once spoke. Its one delight is its undead state. The vampire revels in eternal life, mocking (though no longer fully understanding) the mortal races who are cursed by death. Whereas other Vivamorti have used the immortality to make themselves feared lords of power, the essentially selfish, introspective ego of this vampire has allowed it to remain content with just possessing what few others can have: an ageless, deathless existence. The vampire sleeps in a sealed chamber in the vaults of the Old Sun Dome, having dropped its funeral earth down there through a tiny fissure literally one grain at a time (you can do tasks like this when you literally have eternity to get them done). It spends years at a time in its safe, silent, secret crypt, coming out only to feed. Our vampire is described as "completely naked, its body covered in a fine filigree of armouring enchantments... hidden under centuries of grime." So in the art direction we wanted to ensure there were none of the usual visual tropes you see with vampires. Here's the finished piece from p.116 of Sun County - I think Roger Raupp did a brilliant job! *see Andrew's recent review of the solo game 'Thousand Year Old Vampire'.

Here:

Call of Cthulhu 7th edition co-author Paul Fricker is also one of the development leads of our Rivers of London RPG, based on the series of novels by Ben Aaronovitch. Here, as part of our Chaosium Interviews series, Paul talks with Chaosium's James Coquillat about the differences between the two games.

The Call of Cthulhu release Mansions of Madness Vol 1 - Behind Closed Doors is now available on Roll20! What Knows What Happens... Behind Closed Doors Mansions of Madness Vol. 1 contains five scenarios for use with the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set or the 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu: Keeper Rulebook. It includes two fully updated and revised classics, along with three brand new adventures, and all can be played as standalone adventures, used as sidetracks for ongoing campaigns, or strung together to form a mini-campaign spanning the 1920s. Suitable for up to six players and their Keeper, each scenario should take between one and three sessions to play through, and are an ideal next step for those who have already experienced the horrors contained within the scenario collections Doors to Darkness and Gateways to Terror. $42.99 This Bundle Includes The Scenarios Mister Corbitt - Does a seemingly shy and retiring local businessman hide a terrible secret? Can the investigators solve the riddle and save the day? The Crack'd and Crook'd Manse - Long considered to be a cursed place by the folk of Gamwell, it seems the Fitzgerald Manse has finally escaped its sordid past. But, no one’s seen the new owner, Arthur Cornthwaite, for quite some time. Is history repeating itself? The Code - Summoned to the home of Dr. Kenneth Connolly by an urgent telegram, can the investigators make sense of the bizarre events afflicting Wellington Manor? House of Memphis - World-famous magician Memphis the Great has not been seen for weeks. Has he merely gone off on another of his legendary magic-hunting trips, or is there a more sinister reason for his disappearance? The Nineteenth Hole - Renovation work at Thistledown Golf Club has not been running smoothly. First, there were tales of illnesses, then ghostly sightings, and now no one can find the owner. Dark shadows fall over Scotland and all is not what it seems. Roll20 enhancements include: 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). Mister Corbitt Module (2-6 investigators plus Keeper) The Crack'd and Crook'd Manse Module (2-6 investigators plus Keeper) The Code Module (2-6 investigators plus Keeper) House of Memphis Module (2-6 investigators plus Keeper) The Nineteenth Hole Module (2-6 investigators plus Keeper) Keeper Introduction Addon (Advice for Keepers) Pregenerated Investigators Addon (6 ready to play investigators) Mister Corbitt, The Crack'd and Crook'd Manse, The Code, House of Memphis, and The Nineteenth Holeare also available separately: Mister Corbitt - $8.99 The Crack'd and Crook'd Manse - $8.99 The Code - $8.99 House of Memphis - $8.99 The Nineteenth Hole - $8.99 What the Critics say about Mansions of Madness: "An excellent revitalization of a classic collection and definitely has enough new content to be a worthwhile purchase even if you have earlier editions of the collection." — Never Read the Latin, Review: Mansions of Madness Volume 1: Behind Closed Doors. "A fun ride... you'll have a great time playing these adventures." — Really Dicey, YouTube Review. "Overall 5/5 – This collection of tales of troubled real estate offers a variety of fun and innovative approaches to a well-worn horror trope. Investigators and Keepers are likely to get some great gaming out of this collection." — H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Review: Mansions of Madness Volume 1: Behind Closed Doors. 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 For useful tips and advice about playing Call of Cthulhu and other Chaosium games online, see our helpful Getting Started with Online Gaming guide.

These are the Chaosium Fiction print titles available at special prices in our 'Stay In and Game' Warehouse Sale: Fiction - trade paperback, includes PDF and/or e-book (EPUB/MOBI) Cassilda's Song - $16.95 $9.99 (UK) Edge of Sundown - $15.95 $9.99 (US, UK) Eldritch Chrome - $17.95 $9.99 (UK) King of Sartar - $24.95 $9.99 (AUS) Legacy of the Reanimator - $16.95 $9.99 (US, UK) Mark of the Beast - $15.95 $9.99 (US, UK) Once Upon an Apocalypse - $14.95 $9.99 (UK) Steampunk Cthulhu - $18.95 $9.99 (UK) The Terror and Other Stories - $15.95 $9.99 (US) The White People and Other Stories $14.95 $9.99 (US) Undead and Unbound - $17.95 $9.99 (US, UK) Fiction - trade paperback, does not include PDF or e-book Arkham Tales - $15.95 $9.99 (UK) Cthulhu's Dark Cults - $14.95 $9.99 (UK) Eldritch Evolutions - $15.95 $9.99 (US, UK) The Book of Dyzan - $15.95 $9.99 (UK) The Necronomicon - $19.99 $9.99 (UK) The Three Imposters and Other Stories - $15.95 $9.99 (UK) The Yellow Sign and Other Stories $19.95 $9.99 (UK) The Yith Cycle $16.95 $9.99 (US, UK) Plus dozens more Chaosium titles, at discounts from 15 - 66% off. Most titles come with the PDF included. While stocks last! Shipping Notes Check the individual product for availability in your local Chaosium warehouse (USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada). Submit orders for items from a single warehouse at a time. Chaosium warehouse locations: And speaking of fiction, also check out our latest new fiction title, SISTERHOOD: sixteen horror stories by some of the genre's leading female voices. Sisterhood: Dark Tales and Secret Histories Edited by Nate Pedersen Cover art by Liv Rainey-Smith CHA6058 ISBN 978-1-56882-464-2 264 pages EPUB, PDF, and MOBI formats – USD$8.49 — Available now from Chaosium.com*, DriveThruFiction, and DriveThruRPG— Kindle version available from Chaosium at Amazon.com *purchase the digital version direct from Chaosium.com and you'll get the full price off the cost of the printed edition (trade paperback) when it is released later this year.

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.

More solo adventure fun for Call of Cthulhu. Alone Against the Tide is now out in Softcover. Come and have a Solitaire Adventure by the Lakeshore!

These are the Chaosium board and card games available at special prices in our 'Stay In and Game' Warehouse Sale: Board and Card Games Khan of Khans - $24.95 $9.99 (US, EU, AUS, CAN) Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection - $24.99 $14.99 (US, UK, EU, AUS, CAN) Sweet Jenny - 7th Sea Card Game - $24.95 $14.99 (US, UK, EU) Plus dozens more Chaosium titles, at discounts from 15 - 66% off. Most titles come with the PDF included. While stocks last! Shipping Notes Check the individual product for availability in your local Chaosium warehouse (USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada). Submit orders for items from a single warehouse at a time. Chaosium warehouse locations:

These are the Aquelarre and Würm RPG titles available at special prices in our 'Stay In and Game' Warehouse Sale: Aquelarre RPG - includes PDF Aquelarre Core Rules - Hardcover - $59.99 $49.99 (UK) Aquelarre GM Screen - 4 panel screen (no PDF) - $19.99 $16.99 (US, UK) Würm Ice Age RPG - includes PDF Würm Core Rules - Hardcover - $39.99 $33.99 (US, UK, EU, CAN) Würm Game Master Screen - 4 panel screen (no PDF) - $12.99 $10.99 (US, CAN) Black Machairodus - Softcover - $5.99 $4.99 (US, EU, CAN) Voice of the Ancestors 1: Tales of the Antler Bearers - Softcover - $12.99 $10.99 (US, EU, CAN) Voice of the Ancestors 2: Tales of the Man Eaters - Softcover - $12.99 $10.99 (US, EU, CAN) Plus dozens more Chaosium titles, at discounts from 15 - 66% off. Most titles come with the PDF included. While stocks last! Shipping Notes Check the individual product for availability in your local Chaosium warehouse (USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada). Submit orders for items from a single warehouse at a time. Chaosium warehouse locations:

These are the 7th Sea RPG accessories available at special prices in our 'Stay In and Game' Warehouse Sale: 7th Sea RPG - accessories 7th Sea Bone Dice - $14.99 $9.99 (US, UK, EU) 7th Sea Booty Box - $79.99 $49.99 (US, UK, CAN) 7th Sea - Sorte Deck - $24.99 $14.99 (US) 7th Sea - Deck of Heroes - $19.99 $9.99 (US, UK, EU) 7th Sea - Deck of Villains - $19.99 $9.99 (US, UK, EU) 7th Sea GM Screen - $19.99 $12.99 (US, UK, EU, CAN) 7th Sea Hero Points - $19.99 $9.99 (US, UK, EU) Plus dozens more Chaosium titles, at discounts from 15 - 66% off. Most titles come with the PDF included. While stocks last! Shipping Notes Check the individual product for availability in your local Chaosium warehouse (USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada). Submit orders for items from a single warehouse at a time. Chaosium warehouse locations:

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These are the 13th Age Glorantha and Glorantha Maps available at special prices in our 'Stay In and Game' Warehouse Sale: 13th Age Glorantha RPG - includes PDF 13th Age Glorantha - Hardcover - $54.95 $29.99 (US, UK, EU, AUS, CAN) 13th Age Glorantha - Leatherette - $90.00 $79.99 (US, UK) Glorantha Maps 24 Map Set of Glorantha (12" x 18") - $110.00 $79.00 (US, UK) 6 Poster Map Set of Genertela (24" x 36") - $60.00 $39.99 (US, UK) Plus dozens more Chaosium titles, at discounts from 15 - 66% off. Most titles come with the PDF included. While stocks last! Shipping Notes Check the individual product for availability in your local Chaosium warehouse (USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada). Submit orders for items from a single warehouse at a time. Chaosium warehouse locations:

In this interview with Lynne Hardy, as fans have requested, our Call of Cthulhu associate editor discusses the special skills that would make her an expert investigator... Lynne is talking with Chaosium's James Coquillat as part of our Chaosium Interviews series.

And these are the Call of Cthulhu Classic (pre-7th edition) print titles available at special prices in our 'Stay In and Game' Warehouse Sale: Call of Cthulhu Classic RPG - includes PDF Arkham Now - Softcover - $28.95 $9.99 (US, UK, EU) Atomic-Age Cthulhu - Softcover - $31.95 $9.99 (AUS) H.P. Lovecraft's Dunwich - Softcover - $25.95 $9.99 (US, UK) Secrets of Morocco - Softcover - $20.95 $9.99 (US) Strange Aeons II - Softcover - $34.95 $9.99 (AUS) Plus dozens more Chaosium titles, at discounts from 15 - 66% off. Most titles come with the PDF included. While stocks last!

In this special episode of the Stream of Chaos, Chaosium's own Brian Holland takes an all star cast – London Carlisle, Becca Scott, Patrick Keefe, and Cynthia Marie – through the classic 'Edge of Darkness' scenario. Watch now on YouTube! 'Edge of Darkness' is one of the four adventures in the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set: now available in Print and PDF. Also available at DriveThruRPG, and on Astral VTT and Roll20.

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