Marston

== YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT A RELIC. THIS IS NOT PART OF ERATHES, I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE THE PROSE. ==
== Citybuilding with the GUARDS method ==
Government Buildings
Underworld Activities
Altars
Resources
Defenses
Social Hubs
=== Land Town ideas ===
Sunnyworth: Perhaps it's a town where sunlight is so abundant that it's rumored to have magical properties, like granting eternal youth to those who dwell there.
Dodgestone: In a town named Dodgestone, perhaps there's a legend of a magical stone that grants the ability to dodge danger or evade enemies when carried.
Tanhollow: Tanhollow might be a place where the earth holds secrets of ancient rituals, and there's a legend of a hidden hollow where time stands still, allowing those who find it to glimpse into the past or future.
Swift Trail: In contrast to the Forsaken Trail, Swift Trail could be a magical pathway known for its speed-enhancing properties, where those who travel upon it find themselves moving faster than thought possible.
Plaindowns: Perhaps Plaindowns is anything but plain, with rolling hills that hold hidden treasures and enchanted meadows where mystical creatures dwell under the watchful eye of a benevolent guardian.
Silverville: Silverville might be a town where the very air is tinged with silver magic, and rumors persist of a hidden silver mine guarded by mythical creatures.
Rattlesprings: This could be a town built around natural hot springs rumored to have magical properties, where the waters are said to cure ailments and restore vitality to the weary traveler.
Bull's Lake: In a lake named Bull's Lake, perhaps there's a legend of a mystical bull that resides beneath its surface, with the power to grant wishes to those who can tame it.
Lonely Howl: Lonely Howl might be a place where the winds carry the mournful cries of spirits lost in the wilderness, and those who hear its haunting song are drawn into the realm of the supernatural.
Breakbrook: Maybe Breakbrook is a town situated near a waterfall that cascades down from a magical source, where the water has the power to break curses and mend broken hearts.
=== Sea Town Ideas ===
Seashade Harbor: Legends speak of a hidden cove within Seashade Harbor where merfolk are said to dwell, their enchanted songs luring sailors to their watery depths.
Misthaven Cove: Misthaven Cove is shrouded in perpetual mist, where ghost ships are said to sail and lost souls wander, forever searching for their final resting place.
Mermaid's Rest: Mermaid's Rest is a tranquil coastal town where mermaids are said to gather beneath the moonlight, weaving spells of protection and prosperity for those who honor the sea.
Saltwater Springs: Saltwater Springs is known for its healing waters that bubble up from deep within the earth, rumored to hold the key to eternal youth and rejuvenation for those who dare to drink from its source.
Stormwatch Bay: Stormwatch Bay is a rugged coastline where tempests rage and lightning dances across the sky, a place where witches harness the power of the storm to weave spells of protection and destruction.
Lighthouse Cove: Lighthouse Cove is guarded by a towering lighthouse that stands as a beacon of hope for sailors lost at sea, its light guiding them safely home through the darkness of the night.
==OLD ONES SECRET==
The Old Ones are not what people think. They are beings so powerful and ancient we cannot begin to comprehend their true motives... but we know our well-being is not among them.
The eight Anteon are listed below:
Abul, In truth, it is Abhoth, The Source of Uncleanliness. It is a horrid, dark gray protean mass and is said to be the ultimate source of all miscreation and abomination. Obscene monsters constantly form in Abhoth's gray mass and crawl away from their parent. No two of Abhoth's children are alike. In general, they are complex life forms, but the majority of them are simple-minded, acting on impulse. Their forms can be anything from amorphous blobs and singular body parts, to queer humanoids and monstrous mutants. Abhoth's tentacles and limbs grab many of them, pulling them back and devouring them. Most of those that escape simply wander off, only a few of them tend to their sire's needs. Abhoth has a twisted and cynical mind, and can communicate telepathically with others near him.
Azzat, In truth, it is Azathoth, The Blind Idiot God. There can be no definite description of Azathoth because everybody envisions him differently and he is always changing. There is evidence the physical manifestation of Azathoth in the universe is continuous with a spot in the central region of the galaxy, the supermassive black hole at the center.
Seax, In truth, it is Cxaxukluth, The Illimitable Androgynous Desire. It sometimes has an Insectoid form, but is usually in a unameable, amorphous form. The Second Epistle of Eibon unto his Disciples, or The Apocalypse of Eibon reports that Cxaxukluth divided itself into a masculine and feminine aspects, the masculine was called Nug, the feminine being called Yeb, and then produced their various offspring together. This text also refers to Cxaxukluth prior to the split.
D'ael, In truth, it is Daoloth, The Render of the Veils. It dwells in dimensions beyond the three we know. His astrologer-priests are said to be able to see the past and the future and even how objects extend into and travel between different dimensions. Daoloth's indescribable shape causes viewers to go mad at the sight of him; thus, he must be summoned in pitch-black darkness. If not held within some kind of magical containment, he continues to expand and expand—perhaps even at an infinite rate. Those enveloped by the god are transported to utterly bizarre and remote worlds, usually perishing as a result. Daoloth's worship is rare on Erathes. One request that can be made to Daoloth, magically contained, is to view things as they really are, not as our veiled senses perceive them. The sight is more than one can bear.
Rath, In truth, it is Ghroth, The Wandering Destroyer. It is an Outer God that resembles a rust-colored moon with a single gigantic red eye that it closes to avoid detection. It's made up of molten iron, ash, and gas, and splitting the surface are cracks or faults. Below its crust are vast seas, which are used to form a giant eye. It drifts throughout the universe while singing its siren song, The Music of the Spheres. Any Great Old Ones or Outer Gods sleeping on a planet it's passing is awakened by its call. As it gets closer to a world, the planet experiences natural disasters in the form of erupting volcanoes, tidal waves, earthquakes, changing tides, and horrific storms.
En'Jaar, In truth, it is Nyarlathotep, The Messenger. It appears as a tall, lean man of dead black coloration: wholly devoid of either hair or beard, and wearing as his only garment a shapeless robe of some heavy black fabric. Nyarlathotep differs from the other deities in a number of ways. Most of the Outer Gods are exiled to the stars, like Yog-Sothoth and Azathoth, and most of the Great Old Ones are sleeping and dreaming like Cthulhu; Nyarlathotep, however, is active and frequently walks Erathes in the guise of an Alfar, usually a tall, slim, joyous man. He has "a thousand" other forms and manifestations, most reputed to be quite horrific and sanity-blasting. Most Outer Gods use strange alien languages, while Nyarlathotep uses human languages and can easily pass for a human being if he chooses to do so. Finally, most of them are all-powerful yet evidently without clear purpose or agenda, yet Nyarlathotep seems to be deliberately deceptive and manipulative, and even uses propaganda to achieve his goals. In this regard, he is probably the most human-like among the Outer Gods. Nyarlathotep enacts the will of the Outer Gods, and is their "messenger, heart and soul", "the immemorial figure of the deputy or messenger of hidden and terrible powers" He is also the servant of Azathoth, whose fitful, spastic wishes he immediately fulfills. Unlike the other Outer Gods, spreading madness is more important and enjoyable than death and destruction to Nyarlathotep.
Chav, In truth, it is Shub-Niggurath, The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young. One of the few Anteon with a gender, she is a perverse fertility deity, said to appear as an "evil cloud-like entity". An enormous mass which extrudes black tentacles, slime-dripping mouths, and short, writhing goat legs. Small creatures are continually spat forth by the monstrosity, which are either consumed into the miasmatic form or escape to some monstrous life elsewhere.
Yog, In truth, it is Yog-Sothoth, The Key and the Gate. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They have trod Erathes's fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread. Yog-Sothoth is a cosmic entity and Outer God. Born of the Nameless Mist, he is the progenitor of Cthulhu, Hastur the Unspeakable and the ancestor of the Voormi. There seems to be a common agreement that Yog-Sothoth visually manifests as a mass of glowing orbs, with eyes or tendrils in some versions, and in others simply the orbs. It is heavily implied, if not outright stated, that Yog-Sothoth is omniscient, and is locked outside the universe, meaning he can know and see all of space-time all at once, which means there is no secret hidden from Yog-Sothoth.
Dracanthracite secret
THIS IS THE BIG THEME.
Due to a quirk of the empyreal digestion, a dragon fed on blood that is of only one soul which has no marring of its identity excretes the most pure Dracanthracite. So, sadly innocent, virgin blood makes for the best fuel, leading unscrupulous Landholders to intentionally “sacrifice” virgins to locally nesting dragons so that the fuel they can get from them later is higher quality, and more valuable. These nobles say the dragons demand this type of sacrifice, but in actuality dragons - though clever - have animal intelligence, similar to a raven. They don't communicate, much less demand. So there’s a secret, underground social apparatus that fuels the death of innocents. Adventurers go “save” some of the sacrifices, and gain untold wealth in Dracanthracite, which the Lords will graciously trade for gold, which then encourages further adventuring, and keeps people thinking dragons are evil. The good men doing good acts perpetuates an evil system. PCs get to fix THAT at high level.