Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos (1) 348

IX Mythos Bestiary
it, intentionally or not. In addition, even a sentient
adult, under the influence of sufficient ghoul contact,
can transform over time into a true ghoul.
Ghouls don’t just eat corpses for nourishment
but also to absorb knowledge. In general, the older
and more withered the corpse, the better and more
complete a base of knowledge the ghoul can gain. Fresh
corpses are really only good for filling the belly, while a
millennia-old pharaoh’s mummy is a precious delicacy.
As a result, ghouls specifically seek out the bodies of
famous leaders, geniuses, and wizards, sharing the feast
among several ghouls, all of which now take on part of
the knowledge of their prey. Some ghouls as a result are
wiser than any mere mortal could ever be.
While

Mythos

ghouls

are

clearly

malign,

carnivorous entities, they are not necessarily evil,
any more than a hyena is evil. They may eat the
dead, but not all are interested in
killing to make a fresh corpse—

Ghoul Story Hooks
A player character or allied NPC ghoul might:
‘‘ be a ghoul changeling, left in a cradle
in his stepparent’s home, only recently
made aware of his heritage.
‘‘ have been kidnapped as a baby and raised as
a ghoul. The character was of normal healthy
parentage but now has ghoulish traits.
‘‘ have had extensive contact with ghouls and
started “the change” over to ghoul-hood.
‘‘ be a pure ghoul who ate a corpse he particularly
liked—perhaps an adventurer, humanitarian, or
famous counselor. Now, the ghoul is interested in
the human or other civilized race’s society he has
consumed, leading to a desire to join these people
and develop friendships through adventuring,
exploring, or at least studying his “borrowed”
culture for a few decades.

older bodies are more delicious
anyway, and there’s rarely a
shortage of corpses to feast
upon. Ghouls are also able
to communicate with and
interact with humanity, with
whom they frequently make
treaties and pacts. After all,
they have the knowledge of
deceased human diplomats

to guide them.

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