Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos 348

IX Mythos Bestiary it, intentionally or not In addition, even a sentient adult, under the influence of sufficient ghoul contact, can transform over time into a true ghoul Ghouls don’t just eat corpses for nourishment but also to absorb knowledge In general, the older and more withered the corpse, the better and more complete a base of knowledge the ghoul can gain Fresh corpses are really only good for filling the belly, while a millennia-old pharaoh’s mummy is a precious delicacy As a result, ghouls specifically seek out the bodies of famous leaders, geniuses, and wizards, sharing the feast among several ghouls, all of which now take on part of the knowledge of their prey Some ghouls as a result are wiser than any mere mortal could ever be While Mythos ghouls are clearly malign, carnivorous entities, they are not necessarily evil, any more than a hyena is evil They may eat the dead, but not all are interested in killing to make a fresh corpse— Ghoul Story Hooks A player character or allied NPC ghoul might: ‘‘ be a ghoul changeling, left in a cradle in his stepparent’s home, only recently made aware of his heritage ‘‘ have been kidnapped as a baby and raised as a ghoul The character was of normal healthy parentage but now has ghoulish traits ‘‘ have had extensive contact with ghouls and started “the change” over to ghoul-hood ‘‘ be a pure ghoul who ate a corpse he particularly liked—perhaps an adventurer, humanitarian, or famous counselor Now, the ghoul is interested in the human or other civilized race’s society he has consumed, leading to a desire to join these people and develop friendships through adventuring, exploring, or at least studying his “borrowed” culture for a few decades older bodies are more delicious anyway, and there’s rarely a shortage of corpses to feast upon Ghouls are also able to communicate with and interact with humanity, with whom they frequently make treaties and pacts After all, they have the knowledge of deceased human diplomats to guide them 341