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CTHULHU FTHAGN | CALL OF CTHULHU | NEPHILIM | MASKS





CHOOSING YOUR ARCANUM TRIBE:
THE PATH TO AGARTHA
















The Arcanum tribes reflect the Nephilim’s philosophical take on Agartha and how to achieve it. They also in large part affect relationships with fellow Nephilim of other tribes. The number, or “key” of each tribe reflects the order of its creation, also its place in the traditional Tarot deck. Each tribe’s key is also significant in a numerological context. When choosing an Arcanum tribe, think both of your Nephilim’s personality and how you yourself like to roleplay; if you want to be easygoing and get along with your fellow players, don’t be a Tower. If you want to interact with and sympathize with humans, don’t be a Priestess. Progress toward Agartha is the main goal of any Nephilim’s existance; your tribe choice will define the path you take through your adventures with that goal in mind.


0 FOOL The Fool believes that Agartha arrives for all when the Messiah is born; the Messiah will be a Nephilim incarnated in a human embryo, born of a human woman, and will lead all of humanity and Nephilim alike to Agartha. Most other Nephilim think this is nuts. It is commonly held that Jesus was a member of the Fool Arcanum. You may not play a Fool.

I MAGICIAN The Magician devotes himself to training suitable humans in the use of magic. Agartha can be attained only by humans and Nephilim working in tandem. "One cannot ascend without leading others." Their fondness for humans makes them unpopular with many other tribes.

II HIGH PRIESTESS The Priestess is the opposite of the Magician, she works toward total secrecy of all things mystical. Agartha will be achieved by any Nephilim whose occult knowledge allows them to discover the right path and answer the correct questions. This knowledge must remain hidden to all except the most worthy. "You must find the key to be shown the gate."

III EMPRESS The Empress strives to secretly manipulate humanity to prepare the way for her ascent to Agartha. Like the Priestess, she conceals her work; but humans are a necessary component on the Path. "Tools are built to be used."

IV EMPEROR The Emperor is the lord of all things material; where the Empress is subtle, he is overt. When the world is united under his hand, the Emperor will lead all Nephilim in the triumphal march to Agartha. Humanity are vassals to the Emperor's lordship. "The Gate of the World can only open at the command of the king of the world."

V HIEROPHANT Like the Priestess, the Priest believes that knowledge holds the key to advancement along the golden path. But he knows that knowledge must be revealed in order to inspire awe and reverance. The Hierophant believes that when humans worship Nephilim as gods, Nephilim will be able to ascend to Agartha en masse. "Only the divine may become the divine."

VI LOVERS The Lovers are the carnal Nephilim; they believe that the key to Agartha lies in fully embracing the human experience through their simulacra. The pleasures of the flesh are the keys to the gates, and the Golden Path lies within the human body itself. "Pleasure of the flesh leads to paradise of the spirit."

VII CHARIOT The Chariot is the arcanum of material triumph. It feels that mastery of the material world is the key to advancement, whether the material is human flesh, machinery, or advanced technology. They are inventors and tinkerers. "Need a key? Build one."

VIII STRENGTH Strength believes that discipline is the path to enlightenment. All chaotic elements in the Nephilim's world must be destroyed--Khaiba, regression, and perversion are the bane of Agartha. Strength devotes itself to the destruction of the Devil Arcanum whenever possible. "It is the red mist before your own eyes that obscures the gate from your vision."

IX HERMIT Hermit believes that the need for human simulacra is a punishment, as is all the material world. Isolation is the key to Agartha. Only when the Nephilim is purified through solitude can the Path be discovered. "The Gate is narrow, admitting only one."

X WHEEL OF FORTUNE The Wheel sees the universe as one great pattern, where all things interlock and influence one another. When the pattern can finally be mapped, Agartha will be revealed. They are the repositories of much arcane knowledge. "We stand inside the lock; if we can but emerge, the gate is before us."

XI JUSTICE Justice believes that Agartha is possible only when all things are in balance. Anything that disrupts the natural balance prevents all Nephilim from finding the path. Therefore, all disruptions must be destroyed. "The way to the gate is the straight and level way."

XII HANGED MAN Hanged Man is the Arcana of total suspension. Nephilim who chose this tribe have voluntarily submitted their own will beneath that of their human simulacra. Illumination requires total submission to humanity; Nephilim of this arcanum do not, in essence, realize that they are Nephilim at all, 99% of the time. You may not play a Hanged Man.

XIII UNNAMED These are the Selinim, the Nephilim who split away after the great meteor disaster, and merged themselves with the Black Moon to use its magic. While at the time that was a good thing, they have since become an abomination to all true Nephilim. You may not play a Selinim.

XIV TEMPERANCE These are the healing Nephilim. They see truth and good in all paths to Agartha. All things, material and spiritual, are necessary parts of the Whole. Once all the sick (for instance, Hanged Man, Unnamed, and the Devil) are healed back to their true nature, the whole chain of being will attain Agartha. "The Macrocosm is Agartha, were we all healed enough to see it."

XV DEVIL The Devil is the Arcanum of Khaiba, or degeneration into madness. The Devil believes that the return to an elemental state of Khaiba--essentially a transformation into a monstrous beast--is the way to Agartha. All other Nephilim find this a perverse travesty of Nephilim existance. You may not play a Devil.

XVI TOWER Tower is the arcanum of War, both offensive (Destruction) and defensive (Protection.) They know that all Nephilim are locked in a war with their natural subjects, humanity. Once all trace of magic has been wiped from human knowledge, Nephilim will rule in a new Golden Age. Tower sees itself as the wall between Nephilim and human destruction.

XVII STAR These Nephilim are astronomers, who believe that they and all Nephilim were created by higher stellar beings. Those Nephilim who are worthy will be raised to Agartha when the Stellar Ones return. The Star's time is spent scanning the skies and studying astronomy charts and NASA reports to gain knowledge beyond that of the bonds of earth.

XVIII MOON Moon Nephilim reject the "easy" path to Solar Ka through human incarnation. They make a concious choice to incarnate not in humans, but in animals, whose contact with the magical fields is more direct and whose solar Ka can be nurtured and manipulated. This isolates them from other Nephilim, many of whom consider Moon's approach an abomination. You may not play a Moon in the live action game. Playing one in a sitdown game is possible, but very difficult, as Moon does not favor the company of other Nephilim.

XIX SUN The Sun Nephilim see themselves as guardians and shapers of the Golden Path, the way to Agartha through Solar Ka. Humanity were created to be solar Ka receptors for the use of the Nephilim, and figuring out the interface between the magical elements and solar Ka will bring about Agartha.

XX JUDGEMENT Judgement Nephilim are fatalists. While this is a dark world, Judgement is definately the soggy blanket of the Major Arcana. They believe Agartha is unattainable; or rather, that the death of all things is a necessary prerequisite. Agartha may come, but we won't be here to enjoy it.

XXI WORLD is reserved for Nephilim who have reached Agartha. If there are any still on earth, they ain't talking. You may not play a World Arcanum.

(If you're wondering why I stopped with the quotes at Arcanum 14, its' because the quotes get more silly sounding as the book progresses. I think they ran out of concise ideas for capsule quotes...)