Ben_McFarland Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 There's a new project brewing over at .Kobold Quarterly and Open Design that might interest folks here... Here's the rundown: The Red Eye of Azathoth By Joshua Stevens System: PATHFINDER RPG (or Cthulhu/BRP if patrons prefer) Level: TBD Length: 50,000 words Setting: Dark Ages to modern Mythos All men fear the Harbinger Star. Kings die and nations crumble when the red comet takes the sky, and madness trails in its fiery wake. But those versed in that rarest of occult lore know the Harbinger Star by its true name: The Red Eye of Azathoth. Ancient, queer texts scrawled in blood upon yellowed pages of flesh note that the Eye of Azathoth struck the earth eons ago, giving rise to a great ice age which laid low the mighty reptiles that once stalked the earth. Unpredictable in its non-Euclidean orbit to all but the maddest of astronomers and star cultists, the Eye of Azathoth appears from seemingly nowhere, arcing through the skies for a few days before leaving again for the darkest corners of space. Learned men dismiss the existence of the Harbinger Star as naught but superstitious tripe mumbled from the mouths of idiots, as tales of the star are cloaked in the legends of pre-history. In the Cold Wastes of the Dreamlands, the Denizens of Leng know better. Coming to Earth in the winter, they know that Azathoth’s attention must be drawn before he will turn his unwelcome gaze earthward. Through dark rites, the Denizens of Leng work to cause Azathoth’s Eye to strike the earth once more, creating another ice age and shattering the barrier that separates Leng from our world. Could the Elder Gods, long-slumbering in Unknowable Kadath, be far behind? Setting Call of Cthulhu adventures are typically written in a 1920’s/30’s noir style. But how would the peoples of different ages and cultures react to horrors from beyond? Using the PFRPG rules, 5 short adventures (~8,000 words each) would be commissioned, with senior patrons and guest authors alike invited to anonymously pitch adventures. All adventures will be loosely tied together using the Eye of Azathoth’s appearance in the winter of a year ending in ‘87, and using the Denizens of Leng as the overarching villains. Each time the Denizens are defeated, they go silent for a century or more, before appearing with a different scheme. (Or, are all their schemes connected somehow?) The best pitches for the following will be selected: 1. The year 887, Vikings raiding off the coast of England fall into the Denizens’ machinations. 2. The year 1287, Samurai are sent by their Shogun to investigate and combat some unspeakable horror. 3. The year 1487, during the Spanish Inquisition, the Denizens’ handiwork is seen as the work of the Devil by the Catholic church. 4. The year 1587, somehow the Denizens are behind Roanoke’s disappearance. 5. The year 1887 in the Wild West, it’s pistols on horseback against horrors from beyond! What black rites are required to attract Azathoth’s Eye? More importantly, can these twisted plots be stopped? Ia! Ia! Cthulhu f’thagn! To become a patron, sign up today and support the Red Eye of Azathoth. Josh Stevens is a proud werecabbage, freelancer, and frequent contributor to both KQ and various OD projects. His credits include "Wishbound" in Six Arabian Nights, "A Plague of Shadows" in Tales of Zobeck, "The Kariv" in the Dwarves of the Ironcrags, and articles in five issues of KOBOLD QUARTERLY *** The vote for Pathfinder versus BRP is going on now at the livejournal site, here, but you can't participate until you sign up for the project. It's very close still, with four days remaining in the poll. As with all Open Design projects, if you sign up for it and don't like the final choice of system, you can leave the project and get a refund or apply the funds to another project. (There are two going currently with a bit of a Cthulhu vibe, but the other is set in the Pathfinder system.) Discussion has been going on for about a week, and we've got some good brainstorming developing! You know you want in on this, come join us! (Feel free to ask questions, I'll be watching the thread!) -Ben. -- Small but Fierce. Kobold Quarterly's News Minion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_McFarland Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 Just an update, this project is at 71% and BRP is the chosen ruleset! If you'd like to see this project happen, now's the time to sign up. There's still a lot of opportunity to shape the direction of the story and material! -Ben. -- Small but Fierce. Kobold Quarterly's News Minion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trifletraxor Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Just an update, this project is at 71% and BRP is the chosen ruleset! Good news! Keep us up to date! SGL. Quote Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub! 116/420. High Priest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_McFarland Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 (edited) This project has gone ahead as a monograph-- it will have either patron donated or public domain art and maps and writing produced by Tim & Eileen Connors, Josh Stevens and other patrons. It will use the BRP ruleset, that won't change. You can still join and help shape this project! Also important to note-- this project (in fact, all three of the current projects!) will be available after completion and final release! -Ben. -- Small but Fierce. Kobold Quarterly's News Minion. Edited November 2, 2009 by Ben_McFarland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaddawang Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 It looks very good. I for one might buy this, always a sucker for alternate Cthulhu:thumb: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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