Artists, poets, dreamers and madmen feel the hand of the Great Old Ones most keenly. The line between creative genius and abject madness is thin. We all have admired at least one favorite writer or musician who spiraled into insanity before taking his or her own life. Hastur dwells in that gray area madness and genius. The King In Yellow, a play about him, has long been one of the most popular of all the mythos tomes. His tri-scallion yellow sign is a symbol nearly as recognizable as the elder sign.This book expands upon the mythology of “He Who Should Not Be Named.” Much of the varied material on Hastur is drawn into one place. This first chapter takes a look at Hastur and his various avatar forms. It examines the Yellow Sign, the play “The King In Yellow”, the mythos tomes connected to Hastur and the effects these things have on the human mind. While not a comprehensive assembly of all that has been written on the topic it should answer the most common questions and give keepers a good central resource concerning The Great Old One, Hastur. The following chapters hold three adventures that pit investigators against Hastur and his human worshippers. These three adventures can be played as a linked trilogy, a campaign called “Ripples from Carcosa” or as stand-alone adventures. Characters are provided for each adventure but feel free to allow your players to use their own investigators if they prefer.The first adventure is called “Adventus Regis” and takes place during the time of the Roman Empire. To best run this adventure a keeper should be familiar with the Cthulhu Invictus monograph.The second adventure is called “Herald to the Yellow King” and takes place during the Dark Ages. To best run this adventure a keeper should be familiar with the Cthulhu Dark Ages game.The final adventure is called “Heir to Carcosa” and takes place in our near future. To best run this adventure a keeper should be familiar with the End Time monograph.Several chapters give additional background on Hastur and his cults during these three periods. These are included in case keepers wish to expand upon the adventure and as source material for additional investigations into He Who Should Not Be Named. Chapter three details “The Servants of the Yellow Sign” the cult of Hastur within Herculaneum. Chapter five presents keepers with a cult group called, “Court of the Last King”, a 10th century Hastur cult operating in France. Chapter six details a coalition of humans and aliens living/hiding in the asteroid belt. End Time deals with a period of future history where mankind has lost the Earth to the forces of the mythos. In this chapter the shadowy secretive group is not a cult-worshiping Hastur but one dedicated to fighting against such forces.
