Mythos Items and Artifacts

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    Of the Shining Trapezohedron he speaks often, calling it a window on all time and space, and tracing its history from the days it was fashioned on dark Yuggoth, before ever the Old Ones brought it to earth.

    It was treasured and placed in its curious box by the crinoid things of Antarctica, salvaged from their ruins by the serpent-men of Valusia, and peered at aeons later in Lemuria by the first human beings. It crossed strange lands and stranger seas, and sank with Atlantis before a Minoan fisher meshed it in his net and sold it to swarthy merchants from nighted Khem. The Pharaoh Nephren-Ka built around it a temple with a windowless crypt, and did that which caused his name to be stricken from all monuments and records. Then it slept in the ruins of that evil fane which the priests and the new Pharaoh destroyed, till the delver’s spade once more brought it forth to curse mankind.

    The arcane science of the Mythos frequently takes the form of artifacts from other realms or worlds, which are often composed of materials unavailable in the normal course of events. The proper use of these items can give a character the ability to confront and even sometimes overcome the horrors of the Mythos, or else succumb to them. Sometimes both.

    While mortals can reproduce certain of these objects, often they originate in other dimensions of space or time and are one-of-a-kind. Among the most common and well-known Mythos items are the arcane books written by mad sorcerers, which explain the true nature of reality and often list formulae by which the universe can be bent to a mortal’s needs.

    Because of the star-spanning nature of the Mythos, it is also common for alien races or beings to bring devices from other dimensions to the mortal realm.

    These invasive items are usually scientific in nature, involving advanced chemical, biological, or atomic principles.

    This chapter includes gnorri weapons, alchemical items, alien and bizarre technology, Mythos books, and magic items and artifacts. All these items can be dangerous in mortal hands, especially as they were developed for use by more advanced entities than mortal humans (think of giving a revolver to a monkey). Kept under control and carefully analyzed, they can provide real benefits and pose significant risks to characters.

    The following alchemical items are created by Mythos researchers, cultists, and advanced species to gain advantages over foes or serve the interests of the Great Old Ones and Outer Gods. The chart below lists the alchemical items in this section alphabetically.

    Table: Alchemical Items
    Item Price Weight
    Abhoth slime 6,000 gp 1 lb.
    Assassin’s teapot 900 gp 1 lb.
    Atlach-Nacha venom 1,650 gp
    Gorgondy 7,500 gp 2 lbs.
    Metamorphic venom, ignition 360 gp
    Metamorphic venom, strike and escape 1,500 gp
    Milk of Shub-Niggurath 6,800 gp 1 lb.
    Residue of formless spawn 2,500 gp 1/2 lb.
    Space mead (1 serving brewed) 1,200 gp 1/2 lb.
    Space mead (1 serving preserved) 2,400 gp 1/2 lb.
    Tcho-Tcho oculus, fish eye 20 gp
    Tcho-Tcho oculus, bird eye 80 gp
    Tcho-Tcho oculus, humanoid eye 180 gp
    Twsha, proto-shoggoth 31,000 gp 1/2 lb.
    Twsha, shoggoth 157,000 gp 1/2 lb.
    Wine of Pnoth 1,000 gp 1/2 lb.
    Section 15: Copyright Notice

    Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos, © 2017, Petersen Games; Authors: Sandy Petersen, Arthur Petersen, Ian Starcher.

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