Mysteries of Montreal

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art . Distinctly modern in design, and yet dated to Neolithic China (2400BCE). Obviously an artefact out of time. And of ritual importance, well isn't that just archaeologist speak for 'We're not sure, but it was clearly important to someone",

I saw this, and had to post it. As a relic/artefact. Who was Montcalm ? Preserved as a relic by the Ursuline Order. Find a grave link . The skull was finally buried in 2001. ( link1 )( link2 ) A skull as such doesn't make such a great Call of Cthulhu artefact, as it is human in origin, not mythos related. It would make a great item to be used in Unknown Armies . Of course, in a Call of Cthulhu game, it may be on show, labelled as Montcalm's skull, but the cultists know, or at least believe it to actually be the skull of a great shaman and cult leader. The skull itself may not actually have power, but the possession of it can be used as an identifier, or bargaining tool with a being of power, thereby allowing the cult access to something they do not yet have. The investigators could be hired to find the stolen skull, and thereby are in a race against time to find it before the cult accesses what it wants. Otherwise, the cult succeeds in it's plan, unlea...

This real life tome of forbidden knowledge is one that has been capturing the imaginations of occultists, historians, and of course gamers for centuries. If you have never heard of it, then, first off, why are you here? and secondly, go look it up (you can listen to podcasts on it here and here , or just read the Wikipedia page ) then come back! Ok, so now you are up to speed on this very cool but unique document, great, you can go online, loft some images and away you go, instant tome of awesomeness. But wait! Now, you can have your very own paper copy of this document. It is available for sale on amazon.ca  or at Yale University . At $50, it's not at all an unreasonable price for a hardback book. If only I had more space on my bookshelves. There are many options as to how this can be used. As a reference for the occult. Handouts can be easily made from it's pages, either as red herrings, or as clues for Investigators to follow. The real life history of the book is ...

With a recent birthday, I found myself with a little extra cash, and the need to spend it solely on me. This I did. For a while now I have had my eye on a couple of prop artefacts made by Cryptocurium . One is an Amulet of the Bloody Tongue aspect of Nyarlathotep, and the second is the Totem of the Wind Walker . Both amulets have now arrived, and I am very pleased with the quality of both of them. Medallion of Ithaqua The Amulet of the Wind walker really is delightful. I plan to use this as a replacement for the Medallion of Ithaqua that was released as part of the Horror on the Orient Express Kickstarter, that I foolishly did not buy. For a short while it was also available on the Chaosium Website, but again, I didn't buy one as I thought it was going to be there indefinitely, rather than a finite time. Of course, this looks nothing like the Medallion shown in images in the game (seen on the right), but whatever,  like this one, and I have the real prop too! Of co...

Inspirational Artefacts artefact / ˈɑːtɪˌfækt / noun: something   made   or   given   shape   by   man,   such   as   a   tool   or   a   work   of art,   esp   an   object   of   archaeological   interest. At first glance, these don't initially strike the viewer as particularly mythos, but I had to include them once I read the description!  Egyptian, Amarna, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. 1353-36 BCE These clappers are shaped like hands. They were used in magical practices to scare away evil spirits and ghosts. By clapping them together a noise is created that accompanies a ritual.  source . Of course, the influence of Egyptian archaeology on the mythos, and indeed on popular culture of the 1920s, is undeniable so these fit in very well with the setting. Furthermore, they are a bona fide magical artefact, not just an amulet of power, or a grimoire, and this alone sets th...

Inspirational Artefacts artefact / ˈɑːtɪˌfækt / noun: something   made   or   given   shape   by   man,   such   as   a   tool   or   a   work   of art,   esp   an   object   of   archaeological   interest. On my daily trolling of the internet, A Tumblr site has been brought to my attention that has some wonderful artefacts, that just scream out to be used in scenarios. With this in mind, I am starting what will be a new semi-regular feature on the blog, Inspirational Artefacts. Artefacts in your game. There are a number of ways these artefacts can be dropped into a game. It maybe that the item has been brought to a local museum on a tour, or maybe the investigators are the actual archaeologists who discover them. It could be that the item is found in the lair of the cultists the investigators raid, or even up for sale in the local occult store/jumble sale/auction. The gr...