CTHULHU - Compendium

The Mythos of Horror is a generic scenario where dark stories of the 'horror' genre can be written. This area is designed only to compile information about the settings of the various stories which may develop and people are welcome to create any type of a story they wish. Cthulhu is only one type of scenario to be considered, but since H.P. Lovecraft covered a wide range of 'horror-style' writing it is all encompassing but not mandatory.

There is only one rule that must be followed in this forum and it is quite simple. Monsters are monsters. Vampires, especially are not 'GAP' models with shining skin and even though they are hundreds of years old still suffer from teen-age angst. They are creatures of darkness, horrid in appearance and driven only by their lust for blood. Somewhere along the line, the tales of the 'Incubus' and 'Succubus' got entwined with the Vampire legend and here they are two very distinct creatures. Typical 'Vampire' stories are prohibited, but should one wish to start up a 'Supernatural' story line, there are wide variety of other creatures to choose from that would be suitable for the 'Monster struggling to be Human' theme. Here, Vampires are the big bad boys of evil and care nothing about the trivial lives of Humans. They are very rare and they are constantly hunted. Since when do Human's care about making a species extinct? Especially one that lives off of Human blood.

Cthulhu of the Bifrost Bridge

In order to better define this scenario let us imagine that we are writing in the spirit of 'The X-Files' or the more current, 'Fringe' series. Your character is an investigator but not necessarily an FBI agent or police officer. These professions are not discouraged, but generally if one creates an officer of the law it usually forces all other characters introduced into the story to follow suit.

All the strange events that your character(s) is/are investigating are always connected to either the OCCULT or the MYTHOS, in some capacity. The Mythos resides beneath all that is occult, but can be viewed as an esoteric realm amongst what is commonly known in the world.

The “Cthulhu Mythos” is a name given to the superficial elements of Lovecraft’s fiction: the extraterrestrial “gods,” the magical grimoires, and the fictional New England towns. However, Lovecraft never used the term “Cthulhu Mythos,” on rare occasions referring to this series of connected stories as his “Arkham cycle.” The term “Cthulhu Mythos” was probably coined by August Derleth, a young writer and early fan of Lovecraft who later founded Arkham House publishers.

First and foremost "The World of Cthulhu" is all about horror in the fashion of H.P. Lovecraft's writing style and adventures will attempt to capture that atmosphere. Players should understand as well that everything will attempt to be done in the true spirit of investigative role play, which is why players are urged to create characters that reflect those that tend to dominate the stories of Lovecraft.

Your character(s) will already have encountered something in their past which has brought them into the world of the Mythos. A world that goes unnoticed by those of 'common perception', but theirs has been made clear to the darkness that stares back. The life altering event has driven them to search though the libraries of the occult, searching until they find hidden amongst these writings, the Mythos and a horrifying revelation that would drive most away only seems to entice their curiosity.

H.P. Lovecraft described the world we perceive as a weathered football upon which some areas of the surface had worn thin. In those places where it is the thinnest, the evil of the Mythos seeps into this world. There the two worlds are one, and nightmares become reality; it is those places that you rush to find if for no other reason than fascination.


Players can create character's from anywhere in the world, but for ease of play it is recommended that they have some sort of connection to what has been referred to as 'Lovecraft Country' or the 'Omenwich University' area of Canterbury, England. This only to provide a common link between characters and help solidify the story. The connection can be as detailed or as vague as the player wishes.

Lovecraft Country as "a land located in the northeast of Massachusetts. The most important portion stretches along the Miskatonic River valley, from Dunwich in the far west to where it enters the Atlantic Ocean between Arkham, Kingsport, and Innsmouth (on the coast).

The precise location of Arkham is probably near both Innsmouth and Dunwich. However, it may be surmised from Lovecraft's stories that it is some distance to the north of Boston, probably in Essex County, Massachusetts. The real-life model for Arkham seems to be, in fact, Salem, its reputation for the occult making it appealing to one who dabbles in the weird tale.

Arkham Sanitarium appears in the short story The Thing on the Doorstep and may have been inspired by the Danvers State Insane Asylum, aka Danvers State Hospital, located in Danvers, Massachusetts. (Danvers State Hospital also appears in Lovecraft's stories Pickman's Model and The Shadow over Innsmouth.) H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham and the Arkham Sanitarium were paid homage in the creation of Arkham Asylum in the Batman comic book series.

Miskatonic University is a fictional university located in the equally fictitious Arkham, set in the real-world Essex County, Massachusetts.

Faculty (early 20th century) Their name, position and the story they are form:

Dr. Henry Armitage - Chief Librarian "The Dunwich Horror"
Professor Ferdinand C. Ashley - History "The Shadow Out of Time"
Professor Atwood - Physics "At the Mountains of Madness"
Professor Dexter- Zoology "The Whisperer in Darkness"
William Dyer - Geology "At the Mountains of Madness - The Shadow Out of Time"
Professor Ellery - Chemistry "The Dreams in the Witch House"
Professor Tyler M. Freeborn - Anthropology "The Shadow Out of Time"
Dr. Allen Halsey - Dean of the Medical School "Herbert West--Reanimator"
Professor Lake - Biology "At the Mountains of Madness"
Dr. Francis Morgan - Archaeology "The Dunwich Horror"
Professor Frank H. Pabodie - Engineering "At the Mountains of Madness '
Professor Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee - Political Economy "The Shadow Out of Time"
Professor Wingate Peaslee - Psychology "The Shadow Out of Time"
Professor Warren Rice - Languages "The Dunwich Horror"
Professor Upham - Mathematics "The Dreams in the Witch House"
"Old" Waldron - College doctor "The Dreams in the Witch House"
Albert N. Wilmarth - English "At the Mountains of Madness - The Whisperer in Darkness"

The Omenwich University is fictional college located in Canterbury, England. It is a sister university to the Miskatonic and has been created to provide an outlet for character's which are more international. Currently none of the faculty have been set, so feel free to add to the campus and help create it's history in the spirit of Cthulhu.

The city of Canterbury exists in the real world, but for game play we will imagine that it has a history similar to Arkham. As play progresses this setting may be included in some of the scenarios and the 'fictional' history of the city will be expanded on through a collaboration of all participants.