The Endless

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We’re back and we’re back again. It feels like going around in circles. Or maybe the circles are going around us. It’ll all become clear in time. But few of us have experienced time in quite the same way since March 2020, however many years ago that was. Regardless, it seemed like the time had come round to watch a film that understood this. Not that time matters in The Endless. Except that it does. Don’t worry if this sounds confusing — you can spend a million hours working it all out.

Main Topic: The Endless

This episode is our look at the 2017 horror film, The Endless. A number of you recommended it to us when we released our series on cults, given some of the subject matter. As you can hear in this episode, however, we weren’t all convinced that the community at the film’s heart qualifies as a cult. And one of us just plain wasn’t convinced.

So put this episode on repeat and prepare to enter the word of The Endless. Just don’t expect to be leaving any time soon.

The Endless 2

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The Endless 1

News

Paul’s Polish Panel

Paul and Mike Mason made a recent virtual trip to Poland for a convention run by the Krakowska Sieć Fantastyki. There, they were interviewed by Anna Mazur, author of the recent Call of Cthulhu scenario collection, Does Love Forgive?

As Paul mentions in the segment, searching for this video led him to discover the Fricker’s Mason restaurant in Cincinnati. We hope they serve calamari.

Full Fathom Five in French

Paul’s Call of Cthulhu scenario “Full Fathom Five” is now available en français. “Sous Cinq Brassées“, translated by Secrets of the Masquerade is now available for purchase on DriveThruRPG. Bon voyage!

The Blasphemous Tome Issue 7

Issue 7 of The Blasphemous Tome will be creeping your way before the end of June. It features a brand new Call of Cthulhu scenario, licensed by Chaosium, written by our very own Matt Sanderson. Matt spends a little time this episode telling us what to expect from it. Everyone backing us on Patreon will receive a Tome. Please see our Patreon page for more details.

The Blasphemous Tome issues 1-6

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Media Catch-Up – Books

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We’re back and we’re putting on our reading glasses. At least two of us are now old enough that we need them to make out anything smaller than a billboard. Even then, we’re still not old enough to have been around when one of the books we’re discussing was written. Really. Stop looking at us like that. Well, we assume you’re looking at us like that. Give us a moment to find our glasses.

Main Topic: Media Catch-Up – Books

Once again, we’re presenting one of our regular discussions about the media we’ve been consuming recently. This time, we’re talking about some of the books that have been planting ideas in our heads. Nasty ideas, mostly. They’re the best kind.

We are joined by a special guest — Emily Fricker, Paul’s daughter, who has recently completed a degree in English. In particular, she has been studying Old English, focusing on Beowulf, which turns out to be very handy given one of the books we’re discussing!

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Full Fathom Five in Print

Paul’s scenario “Full Fathom Five” has gone electrum on DriveThruRPG! This means that he is now able to offer print-on-demand copies for those who want something more tangible than a PDF. In case you haven’t heard us mention the scenario before, this is a weird Call of Cthulhu scenario, set on board a whaling ship in the nineteenth century. There is plenty of bloodshed, and not just of the cetacean variety.

The Blasphemous Tome Issue 7

Issue 7 of The Blasphemous Tome will be creeping your way before the end of June. It features a brand new Call of Cthulhu scenario, licensed by Chaosium, written by our very own Matt Sanderson. This time, we talk about some of the wonderful submissions from our equally wonderful listeners. Everyone backing us on Patreon will receive a Tome. Please see our Patreon page for more details.

The Blasphemous Tome issues 1-6

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Investigator Organisations in Call of Cthulhu

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Episode 208: Investigator Organisations in Call of Cthulhu

We’re back and we’re looking for like-minded individuals to join our investigator organisation. Sure, the pay is awful but the work is disgusting, deadly, and likely to drive you insane. It’s a bit like working in IT, only moister. Give us a moment and we’ll dig out the forms you need to expense shotgun shells and dynamite. The medical benefits are good but do remember to bring any severed limbs back from missions if you expect us to reattach them. Welcome aboard, and thank you for not asking too many questions about how this vacancy arose!

Main Topic: Investigator Organisations

Once again, we’re delving into some of the underpinnings of Call of Cthulhu. In the more innocent days of the ’80s, we generally handwaved the reasons why a new investigator might step into the smoking shoes of their fallen predecessor. While this was convenient, it usually required active suspension of disbelief. Having some sort of organisation that might recruit investigators or provide them with a rationale for banding together makes a lot more sense than flagging down a random taxi driver and telling them that they are now part of the fight against alien gods that would consume humanity. It also saves a fair bit on tips.

Of course, investigator organisations have been around for most of Call of Cthulhu‘s life. It wasn’t until 7th edition that they were formalised, however. Now, the Investigator Handbook devotes an entire chapter to investigator organisations, offering a wealth of examples. Building on this, many subsequent Call of Cthulhu publications have also incorporated them. For instance, you’ll find entire sections on investigator organisations in Pulp Cthulhu and World War Cthulhu: London.

So, what makes an interesting investigator organisation? What kinds of groups might form and for what purposes? And how might we use investigator organisations in unusual ways?

call of cthulhu investigator handbook cover

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Things we mention in this episode include:

SOE handbook cover

News

The Blasphemous Tome Issue 7

Issue 7 of The Blasphemous Tome will be creeping your way before the end of June. It features a brand new Call of Cthulhu scenario, licensed by Chaosium, written by our very own Matt Sanderson. Matt offers us a few tantalising details in this episode. Everyone backing us on Patreon will receive a Tome. Please see our Patreon page for more details.

The Blasphemous Tome issues 1-6

Transgressive Horror

Paul speaks briefly to Christopher McGlothlin about his current Kickstarter campaign. Transgressive Horror is a collection of essays by a variety of writers, looking into horror films that have broken the rules. The campaign ends on the 27th of May.

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Strange NPCs: Albert Fish

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Episode 207: Strange NPCs - Albert Fish

We’re back and we’re presenting a somewhat darker episode than usual. While The Good Friends of Jackson Elias is definitely a horror podcast, most of the horror we discuss is rooted in the fantastic. In this episode, however, we’ve decided to look into some real nightmares from the classic 1920s era for gaming inspiration and talk about Albert Fish.

Main Topic: Albert Fish

Originally, this episode was going to form a segment in one of our Great NPCs of History series. There were a couple of problems, however. The first was that once we had dug into the research, there was so much material that it would require a full episode. More important was that however fascinating we find Albert Fish, there is nothing about him we could describe as “great”.

If you’ve heard the name Albert Fish before, you should have some idea of what to expect from the episode. Otherwise, be warned that he was a serial killer, sexual predator and cannibal who targeted children. He also delighted in taunting the families of his victims. His crimes are the stuff of nightmare. While we try to present the details soberly and without too much prurient detail, this episode will not be to everyone’s tastes.

As ever, our motivation is to find inspiration for Call of Cthulhu. While the actual crimes of Albert Fish are too horrible for most games, details of the police investigation, newspaper reporting and trial that his crimes spawned should prove useful to Keepers of classic-era campaigns.

Once again, the pandemic means we recorded this episode remotely.

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Things we mention in this episode include:

Albert Fish's 1903 mugshot
Albert Fish’s 1903 mugshot
Albert Fish shortly before his execution
Albert Fish shortly before his execution

News

Chaosium Reprints

Matt discusses some goodies from Chaosium that have landed on his front doorstep. Horror on the Orient Express and Beyond the Mountains of Madness are now available again in print-on-demand format. As Matt points in the segment, however, the binding quality is a lot higher than you might expect from POD. He also touches upon the new scenario collection, Does Love Forgive?

Horror on the Orient Express reprint covers

The Blasphemous Tome Issue 7

Issue 7 of The Blasphemous Tome will be escaping into the wild before the end of June. It includes a brand new Call of Cthulhu scenario, licensed by Chaosium, written by our very own Matt Sanderson. Everyone backing us on Patreon will receive a copy. Please see our Patreon page for more details.

The Blasphemous Tome issues 1-6

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The Willows

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Episode 206: The Willows

We’re back and we’re going on our summer holidays! What could be finer than drifting down the Danube, marvelling at all the willows crowding these sandy little islets? Well, maybe not being consumed or driven mad by the unseen cosmic forces lurking within them. But that’s just the kind of risk you take when you go camping.

Main Topic: The Willows

Following on from our recent discussion of cosmic horror, we thought it might be helpful to look at an example of the genre. Dating back to 1907, Algernon Blackwood’s “The Willows” is one of the earliest examples of cosmic horror. It was also a profound influence on the young HP Lovecraft, who later raved about it in Supernatural Horror in Literature. Unfortunately, as we explore in the episode, this admiration was not reciprocal.

As usual, we dig into the story in detail, looking for inspiration for our Call of Cthulhu games. Also, as usual, we disagree about almost everything.

Once again, the pandemic means we recorded this episode remotely, safely separated by invisible dimensional barriers.

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

Algernon Blackwood

News

The Meat Trade on Ain’t Slayed Nobody

Scott has been running World War Cthulhu: London for our good friends at Ain’t Slayed Nobody. His scenario, “The Meat Trade”, delves into the underworld of wartime London, in more ways than one. The first episode will go out on the Ain’t Slayed Nobody Patreon feed towards the end of April.

The Blasphemous Tome Issue 7

Issue 7 of The Blasphemous Tome will be escaping into the wild before the end of June. It includes a brand new Call of Cthulhu scenario, licensed by Chaosium, written by our very own Matt Sanderson. Everyone backing us on Patreon will receive a copy. Please see our Patreon page for more details. If you would like to submit a short (up to 500 words) article or piece of black-and-white artwork, please contact us on social media or email us at submissions@blasphemoustomes.com

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