Game Night

A tantalizing selection of prop documents and photographs for LongshotRage's next Call of Cthulhu tabletop game.  He's running a homebrew scenario focused on the Black Pharaoh, Nephren-Ka.

 

 

Unearthed

An amazing look at the artifacts uncovered by a team from Miskatonic University during a middle-east expedition in the 1930s.  Brought to us from Andrea Bonazzi's personal collection of Miskatonic ephemera.

 

 

Middle East Mythos

Andrea Bonazzi has been one of the most active Mythos artists for decades.  In addition to his impressive sculptures and bas reliefs he's also crafted some great photomontages using those same artworks.  His latest is this look at one of the disturbing artifacts unearthed by the Miskatonic University Middle East expedition of 1920.

 

The Mythos Stele

"Ahnenerbe archäologische Grabungen, 1935". Unidentified site, picture from the personal archives of Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr.

It's no secret that Nazi forces attempted to harness occult powers to win World War II, but it's still disturbing to see just how extensive their efforts were. The talented Andrea Bonazzi returns to our pages with this photograph taken by Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones.  If the date is accurate it would mark his first encounter with Nazi archeological efforts.

 

From the Files of the ICSU

Mille Cuirs has been featured here on a regular basis thanks to his amazing bookbinding skills.  In addition to crafting incredible tomes he's been posting a series of Mythos-inspired prop photographs to his DeviantArt account.  This impressive piece is just the latest of dozens he's shared.  Click through to see more shots from the files of the ICSU.

The Preikestolen Expedition of 1952

For centuries there have been legends of something strange stalking the Rogaland region of Norway.  In 1952 an expedition to the area discovered the stories weren't just tall tales.  Michael R. Miranda brings us this collection of photographs created for an upcoming LARP event.

Miskatonic Merkur

Marcos Saintout sent over this cool little mockup of a Merkur II with Miskatonic expedition markings.

The Broodling

Daniel Heald brings us this wonderful prop photograph of one of Eihort's Brood.

Aging Photos Digitally

ToNToN CoPT has posted an excellent collection of Photoshop scripts that make aging photos a breeze. There are other packages that do similar work, but his approach replicates the look of photos based on the era they were taken.



This collection is so useful because photographs are easily the most cost effective props available for live action and tabletop games. Prints are ten cents or less at almost every drugstore or retailer and they're inherently immersive. Frankly, I'm surprised they aren't more widely used in commercial products. The source files for a couple of retouched photos can add immeasurably to the immersiveness of a scenario while costing just pennies to make available.

Egypt, 1922

A camel caravan crosses the outskirts of the Memphis ruins in Egypt.



Another snapshot from the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.

Kantara, 1922

A steamer passes down the Suez canal past the outpost of Kantara. Just a few years earlier this was mostly empty desert, but the town exploded in size when it became the central supply depot for the British Army's Palestine force.



Another snapshot for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.

Vintage Mugshots

A kind reader emailed over a link to these evocative portraits of Australian criminals in the 1920s. The entire collection is a goldmine for anyone in need of character portraits, particularly ones with a touch of madness.

The Bridge

An expedition heading into the African interior poses with a native-built suspension bridge, or "yanketti", crossing a ravine.



Another vintage photograph re-purposed for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project. The original dates to 1921 and was taken in Liberia. Click through for the high resolution version.

The Mountain of the Black Wind

A train of porters makes it's way across the African interior, climbing steadily to the peak known as the Mountain of the Black Wind.



Another journal stuffer from the Masks of Nyarlathotep project. The original dates from 1921 and shows an expedition from the British Museum crossing a ridge above the village of Bihanga in what is now Uganda. Click through for the high resolution version.

Old Cairo

Another day begins in old Cairo. This street passes beneath the Aksunkor Mosque, called el-Azrak, or "the blue", because of it's vibrantly colored tiles.



Another prop photograph for the Masks of Nyarlathotep project. The original picture and location spelling dates to 1922. Just click through for the high resolution version.

Alexandria, 1921

From 1921, stevedores at the port of Alexandria load bales of fine Egyptian cotton for shipment around the world. It wasn't unknown for fine antiquities and artifacts to leave the country hidden inside a bale, cushioned from damage and hidden from official eyes.

Egypt, 1922

A Bedouin cameleer relaxes with tea and a pipe of kief in the trackless desert west of Cairo.



Another prop photo for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project. The picture was actually taken just south of El Wad in Algeria, so the "west of Cairo" description is technically accurate. The original caption characterizes kief as "the desert man's opiate", so I was a bit surprised to learn it's actually derived from cannabis.

Port Said, 1922

The harbor at Port Said, at the entrance of the Suez Canal in Egypt. The domed building in the far background is the Port Administration and the city proper is to the right. In the foreground harbor workers refuel a steamer with one basket of coal at a time.

As the port linking East and West it's an ideal location for all kinds of pulpy goodness. It's one of the few cities outside the United States that was visited by one of Lovecraft's protagonists- Nathanial Wingate Peaslee traveled through Said on his journey to Australia in "The Shadow Out of Time".

What's Your Pleasure?

From 1922, a merchant's shop filled with treasures in the Khan El Khalili of Cairo . Who knows what strange items or ancient artifacts might be found in it's shadowed spaces. Just click through for the high resolution version.



Another journal stuffer photograph for the "Masks of Nyarlathotep" project.

Miskatonic Swim Team

The Miskatonic University Varsity swim team, from the 1925 yearbook. And, yes, one of the top swimmers is from Innsmouth. Just click through for the high resolution version.



This is a retouched photo from one of the vintage yearbooks I've been collecting for the Miskatonic University project. It's not quite ready to launch yet, but it's getting close. In addition to the items that have already been discussed I want to include a goodly amount of vintage-style collegiate ephemera in the package.