The Whisperer in Darkness part 1

We’re back and we’re heading up into the hills of Vermont. A folklorist friend told us that the nice creatures that live there might make us some surprising offers. There’s a risk that we could undergo a repellent mental change, but it seems unlikely anyone will notice that. The whole thing sounds like it should be a mind-expanding experience that’s out of this world!

Main Topic: The Whisperer in Darkness part 1

This is the first instalment of a multi-episode delve into Lovecraft’s classic weird tale, “The Whisperer in Darkness”. As well as being a gripping yarn, this is one of the key stories of the Cthulhu Mythos. It not only introduces the mi-go, one of our favourite monsters, but also draws in a number of other writers’ creations.

Once again, the pandemic means we recorded this episode remotely. We have each forgotten what the others look like. These are strange times.

News

October Horror Movie Challenge

Scott and Paul have been taking part in the October Horror Movie Challenge this year, watching a horror film every day throughout the month. We share a few of our favourites in the episode. You can also find Scott’s reviews on this very website.

The Blasphemous Tome 6

Issue 6 of The Blasphemous Tome is almost ready for layout. This is the print-only fanzine we put out every year for our Patreon backers. It is licensed by Chaosium and contains material for the Call of Cthulhu RPG. In particular, this issue features a new scenario by our own Paul Fricker, called “Operation Varsity, or How to Get Ahead in World War 2”.

Secret Societies Specials

As another follow-on from our cults episodes, Scott has interviewed author and researcher Robert Howells about secret societies and how they differ from cults. You can find part 1 as a special episode in your feed, with the conclusion coming out on the 3rd of November.

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One comment on “The Whisperer in Darkness part 1”

CthulhuBob Nov 11, 2020

Greetings Blasphemers! Still loving the show. As you guys (Paul) point out in this episode, the 7th ed. rulebook includes the change or option which allows PCs to read Mythos tomes without going mad by not believing the contents. I’ve long had players ask why their characters lose SAN by reading one book which makes wild claims but not from others.

I don’t use the new rule, though I see the point of it, for the reason which has always been my answer to my players; Famous Monsters of Filmland is an awesome magazine, and the Al Azif is a gateway to knowledge which is utterly, cosmologically, undeniably true. This über knowledge makes a Venn diagram of our pea-sized paradigm and the car-sized true reality, which also happens to be really awful.

Also, having read Cthulhu Mythos stuff as well as playing and running Call of Cthulhu since the beginning of time, I think, as you guys mention, it would be fun to begin a campaign with characters who already have some Mythos knowledge, as the players themselves do. I think it was Scott who mentioned this may also help with in and out of character knowledge. Honestly, I don’t want players who refuse to make this distinction in the first place. Okay, that may sound a bit harsh, and it may be an unfair statement given my (possibly mistaken) belief I am perfectly capable of doing so. Still, being a player and listening to live play podcasts gives me plenty of opportunity to grumble self-righteously about it.

Anyhoo, thanks for an awesome podcast, and for all the tentacles.

CthulhuBob Nov 11, 2020
Greetings Blasphemers! Still loving the show. As you guys (Paul) point out in this episode, the 7th ed. rulebook includes the change or option which allows PCs to read Mythos tomes without going mad by not believing the contents. I’ve long had players ask why their characters lose SAN by reading one book which makes wild claims but not from others.
I don’t use the new rule, though I see the point of it, for the reason which has always been my answer to my players; Famous Monsters of Filmland is an awesome magazine, and the Al Azif is a gateway to knowledge which is utterly, cosmologically, undeniably true. This über knowledge makes a Venn diagram of our pea-sized paradigm and the car-sized true reality, which also happens to be really awful.
Also, having read Cthulhu Mythos stuff as well as playing and running Call of Cthulhu since the beginning of time, I think, as you guys mention, it would be fun to begin a campaign with characters who already have some Mythos knowledge, as the players themselves do. I think it was Scott who mentioned this may also help with in and out of character knowledge. Honestly, I don’t want players who refuse to make this distinction in the first place. Okay, that may sound a bit harsh, and it may be an unfair statement given my (possibly mistaken) belief I am perfectly capable of doing so. Still, being a player and listening to live play podcasts gives me plenty of opportunity to grumble self-righteously about it.
Anyhoo, thanks for an awesome podcast, and for all the tentacles.