Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos (1) 182

VII Cults
‘‘ Flight: The cultists of the Howler gain the

Shadow Pharaoh’s cult in the hopes of disrupting a

ability to fly as the spell. They can do this for

corrupt social order or to bring about a the dawn of a

the entirety of his howling, and his form drips

new age. Over time, however, they sink into madness

a hideous sap from his chest which can be

and hatred, and their original goals are subsumed in

collected and stored for later use. When a user’s

the devastation his worship unleashes.

body is covered by the sap (this typically takes
a liter or more), they can fly until the substance
dries out, which typically takes 1d3 hours.
‘‘ Summoning: When the Howler appears, normally

The Shadow Pharaoh typically provides these
benefits to his followers:
‘‘ Contagious Madness: With a ceremony, the
Shadow Pharaoh can infect his cultists and

one or more of Nyarlathotep’s monstrous minions

an audience with a type of frenzied lust for

arrive with him. These typically remain behind

destruction. This effect creates a dangerous mob

after the Howler departs, and the cult can call

that contaminates other people as they draw

upon their services for an extended period of time.

near, spreading their insanity and vandalism

The Dark Demon
The Dark Demon is rarely worshiped directly, and
usually manifests only as an adjunct to another
Crawling Chaos cult. Occasionally, a person who seeks
contact with Nyarlathotep may summon the Dark
Demon by accident, not realizing the true horror of the
Dark Demon’s possession until it is too late.
A person transformed by the Dark Demon’s effect
(see page 264) is sometimes revered as one touched
by their god, and is sometimes mocked and reviled as
a fool.

The Shadow Pharaoh

wide. Entire cities can be destroyed in the
process. This particular result of the Shadow
Pharaoh’s cult requires a sort of critical mass, as
well as the Shadow Pharaoh’s physical presence
during the frantic demolition process. When
the Pharaoh leaves, those who were once his
militant foes come to their senses, usually
horrified by what they have wrought. Inevitably,
some few among them exult in secret and find
themselves hoping for more of the same. These
the cult seeks out to refresh its numbers.
‘‘ One-time adjunct spells: By signing his dread
contract, the Pharaoh’s most loyal cultists gain

The Shadow Pharaoh is worshiped by the underside

a spell (regardless of any spellcasting ability

of society, typically in large cities or nations. His

or lack thereof) which they can use one time

cultists operate in secret; they are inspired by his will to

only to serve his ends (whether intentionally

overthrow the current political or social order. They do

or not). Cultists so blessed must summon the

not replace the forces of authority they overthrow but

Shadow Pharaoh again and do his bidding

instead they substitute the existing social order for the

before they can receive another spell.

horror and anarchy of the Crawling Chaos.
The Shadow Pharaoh’s clandestine forces operate

‘‘ Secret knowledge: The Shadow Pharaoh knows
the weaknesses and dark hidden things of those

in effect like an organized crime family focused

whom his forces would wish to destroy. With

on fomenting nihilism and destruction. Some

this knowledge, they can expose the failings of

disenfranchised individuals may begin by joining the

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