Cults, on the other hand, have many small goals that can, and should be, understood by the

Keeper. The
cult wants to sacrifice 13 people. The cult needs to steal a gemstone or an artifact. The cult must
cosmetically modify themselves to look like Edgar Allen Poe. These goals, which the investigators
can understand and interfere with, are the human level of the story and where the Keeper’s
focus should lie. Don’t sweat the big picture. The more a Mythos god’s actions seem strange, random,
and confusing, the more horrified your players will be.

When a human-deep one hybrid makes the final change into full deep one, it is not a physical
change alone, but a mental one as well. As the body changes, so does the mind, becoming less and
less human, and somehow connecting and tuning into the dream-thoughts of Cthulhu. Once the
change is complete, the hybrid is lost to the EOD, and the newly transformed deep one takes to the sea
to travel down to the underwater city of Y ’ha-nthlei

During a ritual chant

- All: What has risen may sink, and what has sunk may rise.
- Leader: Loathsomeness waits and dreams in the deep, and decay spreads over the tottering
cities of men. A time will come.
- Leader: R’lyeh will rise “when the stars are right” and with it, Cthulhu and its kind will awaken to
regain mastery of this world
- All: “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.”The phrase is said to mean: “In his
house at R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.” The original language is unknown and relates
to no known language, living or dead.
- The deep ones/Dagon: An echo from the abyss
- Vast and lonely is the ocean, and even as all things came from it, so shall they return thereto. In
the shrouded depths of time none shall reign upon the earth, nor shall any motion be, save in the
eternal waters.

-
NPCs are listed as cast or Dramatis Personae

*DONG!* Who the hell needs a church bell to chime at ten till 9?

Sacrifice
- Involves tangling a person in a fishing net and tying them to a stone. The deep ones come up and
tear the person apart.
- Or you can do the traditional creeping tide scenario, where they’re chained to the inner walls of a
cave and the tide will slowly come in. At a certain point, the deep ones will come and eat them.

The First Oath: Secrecy

- While membership in the EOD is not compulsory, the residents of Innsmouth are strongly
encouraged to become members and take the First Oath.
 - It is of the utmost importance for the existence of the deep ones (and their goals) to remain
hidden from human society. While it remains unknown how many deep ones there are in the
world, it can be assumed that their numbers are far fewer than humanity. Until the stars are
right and their master, Cthulhu, wakes, they appear to be unready or unwilling to reveal
themselves to humanity as a whole; it may be assumed that should humanity truly come to
understand the existence of the deep ones, they would be actively sought out, leading to conflict
with calamitous repercussions. As powerful as the deep ones may be, against the combined
might of humanity, they could be destroyed or severely weakened. Thus, the imperative of
secrecy is a primary consideration.
The Second Oath: Loyalty
- Those taking the Second Oath should be considered, on the whole, as active agents of the EOD,
willing to do whatever is needed to protect the Order.
- The deep ones make use of human agents when they wish to influence or direct events on dry
land. Such agents ensure an interface that eliminates the risk of detection. Members of the
EOD protect the secrets of Innsmouth against outsiders, scaring them off or, if necessary,
killing them as needed. In addition, members of the EOD perform the tasks and
governance to keep Innsmouth functioning (even if this is just barely functioning), as well as
conducting the rites and sacrificial offerings required by the deep ones. Exactly why the deep
ones want such rites and sacrifices performed remains a mystery. Perhaps they gain some
magical power, or it may simply be a process of control to ensure the obedience of
humans. As virtually all of Innsmouth’s inhabitants now possess some degree of deep
one heritage, the link between “humans” and deep ones in the town is strong. Thus, the
bond of loyalty is more or less inbred and the populace indoctrinated
The Third Oath: Children•
- While initially resisted by many, over time the situation has flipped with many inhabitants being
the progeny of humans and deep ones. As these hybrids age, the taking of the Third Oath
becomes a natural and accepted part of life. There are virtually no humans left in the town who
have not submitted to the demands of the Third Oath.
- The creation, nurturing, and protection of human-deep one offspring is perhaps the most
important duty of the EOD. Despite their magical prowess and alignment with the forces
of the Mythos, the deep one race appears to be in decline, seemingly due to an inability
to bear their own young, whereas breeding with humans appears to garner a far higher degree
of success in terms of birth rates. The origin of the deep ones is unknown, but clearly, there
is some shared biology—or else a magical component—that permits breeding between the
species. Some members of the EOD believe that deep ones and humanity share some
common ancestor, while others state that the transition to deep one is the next stage in human
evolution. When the Third Oath was first introduced, while many were repulsed by its
implications, some found appeal in the notion that their resulting children would never die, and
their legacy would be eternal.
Sermons
- Weekly mass services are held for the Innsmouthcommunity, with most of the
community attending—those nearing the change into deep one do not usually attend,
preferring to remain hidden in their homes. Other, private rites are held for small gatherings,
and as needed. Such private rites include particular sacrificial offerings to the deep ones.
- The Order’s weekly meetings consist of sermons glorifying Dagon, the sea god, and asking
him and his “bride” Hydrato bestow their blessings upon the people of Innsmouth. Such
sermons often contain vague Biblical allegory, as well as pieces of non-Western religious
traditions, all mixed with and presented in terms of oceanic metaphors. The EOD’s priests and
priestesses wear robes stitched with designs of fishes and other sea creatures, as well as
symbols representing Cthulhu, Dagon, and Hydra, and all wear the strange golden jewelry
(tiaras, bracelets, rings, chains) that comes from the deep ones
Hymnal of Dagon

-
-
Getting Hands on a copy:

Alternatively, it is an investigator who finds the Hymnal among their family library or inherits it from an
elderly relation
PrinterSomeone who works professionally with books (such as a librarian, antiquarian, etc.) can offer a general
estimation for the date when the Hymnal was printed — roughly 1850 — based on the techniques and materials used.

Statistics
- The Hymnal imparts no Cthulhu Mythos skill or other skill check. If the Keeper is using the Innsmouth
Lore skill described in Escape from Innsmouth, studying this work allows a skill gain of 1d6+1 points.
Devout Christian readers might suffer a very minor Sanity loss (0/1 points) if the Keeper wishes, but the
work otherwise causes no loss. It takes eight hours to study the Hymnal, or a few minutes to skim it.

Structure:
- High Priest
- The High Priest is the leader of both Innsmouth and the EOD. The first High Priest was Captain Obed
Marsh, and after his death in 1878, his grandson, Barnabas Marsh took over. Barnabas was the son of
Onesiphorus Marsh, the child of Obed and his first (human) wife. While Onesiphorus was human, his
mate was a deep one, and so Barnabas is a human-deep one hybrid. Now all but a full deep one, Barnabas
withdrew from public life some ten years ago, and now waits to take to the sea, leaving the governance of
Innsmouth and control of the EOD to his son, Robert Marsh, the Order’s third and current High Priest.
- Town Elders
- Beneath the High Priest are the Town Elders. Each of the elite and ruling Innsmouth families have
representatives on the Board of Elders, which consists of seven members: two Waites, two Gilmans, two
Eliots, and one Marsh (in addition to Robert and Barnabas Marsh). No one may become an Elder
unless they have already taken the Three Oaths of Dagon. The Elders are “lieutenants” to the High
Priest managing the day-to-day running of Innsmouth and the EOD. In the main, interactions with the
outside world are directed by the Elders and then undertaken by nominated Order members. The Elders
also oversee the settling of any personal disputes between Order members.
- Deacons
- Below the Elders are the Deacons, high-ranking members who include the priests and priestesses of the
Order, and who manage and run the town’s various functions. All Deacons have taken the Third Oath, and
most are raising hybrid children. Lower-ranking cultists are appointed as house servants to the Deacons,
as well as to the Elders. Note that the Deacons may take leave of their civic duties for extended periods,
allowing them to focus on the upbringing of their hybrid children. Indeed, female deep ones who have
mated with a human male tend to play no part in the child’s development, usually leaving their offspring with
the father for its upbringing
- Acolytes
- Members of the Order who have taken the Second Oath are known as Acolytes and are the most
numerous within the EOD. These are tasked with the “grunt work” of the cult, being the primary workforce for
 the town. Such members are expected to attend all ceremonies and rites, and do whatever is asked of them.
For their loyalty, these cultists are provided with food and protection.
- Everyone else in Innsmouth has taken the First Oath—either willingly or due to fear of reprisal. Membership
is expected but no one is openly forced to join. Over time, most of those who simply paid lip service have been
“weeded out.” The will of the free people of Innsmouth was broken years ago, and those who did not accept
Obed Marsh or the EOD, escaped, disappeared, or fell in line. With better jobs given to the Deacons and
above, everyone else must make do with whatever jobs are left: household servants, street cleaners, sewage
workers, fishermen, and so on.

Fanatic phrases
- After defeat: The dead god will rise and none can stop him. You will see him in your dreams and know the
errors of this day.

Marsh Refinery
- Profits from the refinery are poured into the EOD, which enjoys certain tax breaks and exemptions. Of course,
all of the gold that is claimed to be purchased from overseas mines actually derives from the deep ones. Should
anyone look closely at the documentation held in the refinery’s offices or into the foreign mining concerns, they
would quickly discover a fabrication on a grand scale. On the rare occasion of being scrutinized by some
official, the EOD has been able to produce people claiming they are representatives of foreign mining
operations, and thus been able to conceal the truth—such representatives being no more than EOD members acting
the part.

All Innsmouthhybrids, even those unaware of their strange heritage, feel drawn to the town at the early onset of their
transformation, which for some could be in their late 20s or older. Thus, often before early physical changes manifest, they
find themselves headed to Innsmouth, but uncertain or unconscious of the attraction pulling them there

Lore
- By piecing together the records of William Dyer from his expedition to Antarctica, accounts from the
Necronomicon, and the confessions of a Louisiana cultist known only as Castro, a more detailed history of
Cthulhu and its kind can be extrapolated. According to Dyer’s account of an ancient alien mural, created by creatures
he calls the “Old Ones” or “Elder Things,” we find some insight. The Elder Things created a vast civilization, tens
of millions of years before the dawn of man.
- At some point in this ancient history, octopoid beings, who are said to be the spawn of Cthulhu itself (or
smaller examples of this god-like race), came from the stars to Earth. Cthulhu and its spawn populated the
planet and started a war with the Elder Things. Such warfare may have come to pass due to the encroachment of
Cthulhu’s spawn, which pushed the Elder Things into the oceans. The Cthulhu spawn (also known as “star-spawn”),
at some point came to an understanding with the Elder Things. The Cthulhu spawn would possess much of the Elder
Things’ former territory, leaving the Elder Things with a small portion of land as well as the seas, since the
oceans were somehow inhospitable to Cthulhu and its kind.
- Great cities of the Cthulhu spawn were built all over the earth, with R’lyeh, their greatest city, being built in (what
is now) the South Pacific. Some time passed and, for an unknown reason, the Pacific lands of Cthulhu,
including R’lyeh, sank into the ocean. R’lyeh supposedly still rests at the bottom of the ocean, at
coordinates of S. Latitude 47° 9′, W. Longitude 126° 43′(according to an account by a Norwegian sailor,
Gustaf Johansen).
- Castro claimed that the Old Gods would come back and teach new ways of “shouting and killing and reveling in joy.”
Humanity would evolve beyond good and evil, with societal rules thrown aside to indulge in a “Great
Ecstasy.” These end times would come at a point where humanity had already “become as the Great Old
Ones.” What he meant by these things we can only speculate. Perhaps liberation from not only morality but from a
Euclidian way of thought. Perhaps followers of Cthulhu will be granted insights into our very existence and
purpose, providing its worshipers with greater power over their destinies as well as over others. This is a
common idea found in many of the Cthulhu cults that I’ve discovered in my studies. Cthulhu will give you
something no one else can give you—if you pay its price.
- CULT OF FIJI (1643)
- The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman visited Fiji in 1643. Within the great collection of islands in the South Pacific,
Tasman happened upon an isolated community of people shunned by other Fijians due to their strange
religious beliefs.These “Others” (as most Fijians described them) claimed to be visited by the “Children of
the Shark God,” who would guide the community to secret places where fish were abundant.
- These people from the sea were described as “fish in the shape of man.” The island community said the
fish-folk told tales of the time before man came to be, and would on occasion take both men and women from
the community to breed with. The offspring of such mating were believed to be blessed by the Shark God with
everlasting life.
- The Fijians informing Tasman of the Others believed them to be a cursed people, and that while they
claimed to be communing with oceanic gods, the fish-folk were actually evil spirits. Such tales piqued
Tasman’s curiosity and he decided to visit the island of the Others.
- Tasman didn’t stay long. He described the Others as malformed and unpleasant; off-putting in both
appearance and demeanor. While he and his crew attempted to trade with the Others, the Dutchmen
quickly learned these people were disinterested in the goods offered. Tasman noted that this was the first
time he had seen Fijians living in stone structures; their homes constructed with large stones
and covered in strange hieroglyphs. Tasman wondered at the Others ability to move and work
such great stones and concluded that these stones and structures must have originated from an
earlier and more advanced civilization.
- In the early 19th century, the Massachusetts town of Innsmouth was in financial hardship: the shipping
trade was falling off, industry was seemingly in decline, and many of its young men had been killed privateering in
the war of 1812 against the British. Yet, before Innsmouth finally vanished into nothingness, something remarkable
happened and the town found new prosperity. The change of fortune can be ascribed to one person, a seafaring
fellow called Captain Obed Marsh
- Captain Obed Marsh operated ships out of Innsmouth and was one of the few shipping concerns that still
conducted trade with the East Indian Company. Captain Marsh shipped extensively in the South Pacific,
and it was while voyaging to China that he came upon an island, east of Otaheite (Tahiti), which drew his
interest. The island possessed what seemed to be unique and ancient stone ruins, many of which were
sculpted in the fashion of gigantic animal heads, unlike anything he had seen before. Nearby, a
number of smaller volcanic islands also possessed gigantic sculptures, seemingly of ancient design,
although these were more grotesque in aspect.
- Captain Marsh and the formation of the EOD
- Innsmouth established in 1642
- The EOD was founded in Innsmouth, Massachusetts in 1838 by Obed Marsh, a sea captain who
discovered a community of South Pacific islanders (somewhere east of Tahiti) who enjoyed an ongoing
relationship with a colony of deep ones; the relationship going as far as a program of interbreeding. The
island was said to have large stone sculptures, many with strange writing and pictographs, and
monuments shaped as gigantic human heads. The islanders practiced a religion starkly different to the
beliefs of the peoples of its neighboring islands, this being a form of Cthulhu worship that included the
veneration of lesser deities known as Mother Hydra and Father Dagon. By paying tribute to Dagon and Hydra,
the followers were given aid by the deep ones to find plentiful fishing sources as well as the location of
sunken gold.
- Spending time and living among the community brought Captain Marsh to the resolution that the
islanders’ beliefs were a more logical and practical religion to follow than Christianity, as its practitioners
were given tangible rewards in return for worship and submission. Marsh was inducted and learned the
rites and rituals from the community and, hence, began assisting the islanders in return for the great
quantities of gold they possessed, which they had little use for. Marsh devised a trade agreement, shipping
the islanders’ gold back to Innsmouth, where he converted an old mill into a gold refinery. Marsh
would continue going back and forth between Innsmouth and the island, making himself and his crew
particularly wealthy, while also bringing much-needed prosperity to the town.
- An early opponent to Marsh was his first mate Matt Eliot. the whole of the Eliot family was wiped
out during Marsh’s rise to power or in the immediate aftermath of the ‘riots’
 -
- However, in 1838, Marsh returned to the island to discover that the islanders had been wiped out by a
neighboring community who had long viewed the Cthulhu-worshipping people as loathsome and
unnatural. The attackers had killed every man, woman, and child on the island, and had
destroyed all of the cults’ ancient sculptures and artifacts. Without his island allies, Marsh’s income
was destroyed and Innsmouth fell into economic hardship. Such events prompted Marsh to bring the
religion of the islanders to the people of Innsmouth, encouraging the townsfolk to take up the practice of
worshipping Dagon. At first, the townspeople seemed strongly opposed to Marsh’s plan, but he was able
to convince enough people to secretly conduct rites to summon and then treat with the deep one
colony hidden below the ocean on Devil Reef, which lay off the shore of Innsmouth. Thus, a pact was
sealed and the deep ones, aided by Marsh and his cronies, set their sights on Innsmouth.
- Marsh is rumored to have taken one of the Deep Ones as his wife. The newspaper editor will mention
briefly in an article about his South Seas savage wife that he keeps cloistered away and refuses to let
out of the home. While it is true there are those who might be unfair to her due to her foriegn nature, it
seems cruel to keep a woman locked away. We are now in the age of enlightenment. Surely a woman
should not be kept cloistered away? (Maybe read Shelly’s essay again and grab from that)
- Those in opposition to the Dagon cult began to disappear, while Marsh and his followers began to prosper.
Fishermen who joined Marsh’s cult soon found their nets full of fish and their livelihoods thriving.
Indeed, with gold now coming directly from Devil Reef, the refinery started up again. Marsh bought the town’s
old Masonic Hall and converted it into a temple for the newly formed Esoteric Order of Dagon.
- Marsh purchased the old Masonic Hall and converted it into a church he dubbed the
Esoteric Order of Dagon(EOD). The people began to turn away from their old god, and the
worship of Dagon flourished. With dwindling congregations, the town’s churches closed down
and their ministers either fled or mysteriously disappeared. First the Congregationalist church,
then the Methodist, and finally the Baptist church closed their doors. All that was left was Captain
Marsh’s new religion
- People began to disappear, and although these absences were investigated they went
unsolved. Rumors hatched regarding the nighttime activities of Marsh and his followers, who each
month rowed out to Devil Reef, where it was said they held blasphemous rites. While some spoke
out with accusations, most folk looked the other way, fearful of turning against Marsh and losing the
new-found prosperity he had brought. It did not take long for some of the dissenting voices to
fall silent, with such folk quietly “removed” from town or else threatened to stay in line. Fear crept
around the homes of those who wanted no truck with Marsh and his brand of “devil worship.”
-
- In 1848, things came to a head as the remaining Christian folk of the town armed themselves and went to the
seashore to confront Marsh and his followers. The confrontation was folly, for Marsh had known of the
coming attack and had prepared, calling the deep ones to his side to help thwart the confrontation. Every
last member of the Christian mob was killed or captured, and none of them were ever seen again.
 - Too many people had gone missing, there was much talk of unchristian gods, and there were
allegations of murders and blood sacrifices being made under the moon on Devil Reef. Thus,
these dissenters armed themselves and followed Marsh and around 30 of his followers out to Devil
Reef. With the element of surprise and some well-aimed gunshots, the dissenters captured Marsh
and his people, accused them of murder and kidnapping, and placed them in the town’s jail. Marsh
and his cultists were imprisoned for two weeks and, importantly, during this period no tributes
were made to the deep ones.
- On the last night of the second week, a swarm of deep ones rose out of the Manuxet
waters and rampaged through the streets, enacting their vengeance against Innsmouth. All
resistance was quickly put down while Marsh and his followers were freed from jail. By
morning, more than half of the town either lay dead or were missing. Those who still drew breath
were now Marsh’s people, whether they liked it or not. Captain Marsh became the de facto leader of
the town.
- Thus, Innsmouth fell completely into the control of the EOD. Those who did not participate before were now
forced to comply. Those resisting the religious conversion simply disappeared. The cult cut off nearly all
interactions with people outside of Innsmouth, with only certain business transactions allowed to
continue. Apart from the Newburyport-Innsmouth-Arkham bus, the town of Innsmouth was effectively cut off
from the rest of society. Indeed, as rumors spread, Innsmouth took on a dark name and was generally shunned by
its neighboring towns.
- With the whole town now controlled by the EOD, most of its people were willing converts to Marsh’s religion. Anyone
who did not willingly accept the EOD’s Oaths to Dagonwere forced to comply, or else be disappeared. The Third
Oath to Dagon compelled both men and women to breed with the deep ones from Devil Reef and,
consequently, numerous human-deep one offspring were born and grew within the town. Such offspring would
typically be born human and then, as they matured, would become more fish-like. By late adulthood the physical
changes would be complete, and they would then go into the sea as fully-fledged deep ones and never return.
It was said that those who became full deep ones would be granted the gift of immortality.
- Captain Marsh died in 1878, with his grandson, BarnabasMarsh, taking over the gold refinery—and possibly the cult.
In winter of 1927, the federal government began an investigation into Innsmouth that culminated with a raid in
late January 1928. The reasons behind the federal interest in the town is unclear. Many houses and
buildings were demolished, while hundreds of townsfolk were arrested and placed into concentration camps.
The raid concluded with Devil Reefbeing torpedoed. Officially, the action was described as necessary to
contain a “possible biological threat.” There is no public record of what happened to the individuals interned in those
concentration camps

Found in a History Book (Obviously edit a bit but it’s decent)

The city was founded in 1643, rapidly evolving from a modest fishing village to an important center for maritime trade.
Innsmouth docks were crowded with ships from faraway lands. They dumped exotic goods and dark-skinned sailors
native to unnamed nooks a world away. Strange languages ​and accents were heard on the congested streets.
Innsmouth 's ships sailed distant seas, bringing back from their long journeys spices that made the fortunes of
wealthy local merchants.

During the War of Independence, captains of Innsmouth became privateers preying on the British Navy. Countless
ships were sent to the bottom of the sea and their cargo plundered by thirsty sea wolves.
After the war, the city's prosperity was boosted by the mills established on the
banks of the Manuxet and by the profitable business of a certain Captain Obed
Marsh (pictured right). Marsh was a successful local merchant, the pioneer in
establishing trade routes in the Indies. The family name became famous and
the freighters serving the Marsh sailed the seven seas. However, in the
mid-1840s, ruin befell the city's economy. The Marsh had lost important
business contracts and a series of disastrous accidents threatened to drive the
prosperous family into bankruptcy.
It was at this time that Marsh began the meetings of the Esoteric Order of Dagon , a cult that combined elements of
Holy Scripture with South Seas superstitions. Marsh had spent time among natives on the Polynesian islands and
rumors circulated that he had become deeply involved in their pagan rituals. Such was his commitment that he himself
presided over the Order's mysterious rituals. Some in the city commented that the Order's members worshiped unholy
deities, but few could prove that anything other than the meetings of a frat sailor took place behind the headquarters'
heavy doors.

In 1846 Innsmouth was swept away by the plague. It was never known for certain what strange disease afflicted the
inhabitants and reduced the population to a very small number. What happened during the long winter of that year,
when the city was isolated by the disease, remains a mystery. There are indications that violence and looting have
taken place freely and that the laws have lost their meaning. When visitors from other villages arrived, they found
Obed Marsh and his Esoteric Order controlling the city.

Although Innsmouth returned to commercial activity, with the establishment of a growing fishing industry, the city
continued to decline. Nearby towns were hesitant to trade with the people of Innsmouth , even when their merchants
offered gold coins, supposedly salvaged from shipwrecks. Something more sinister seemed to be present in the very
countenances of some residents of Innsmouth , a sickly aspect and an unpleasant miasma of brackish water seemed
to accompany them wherever they went. Gradually the residents of Innsmouth began to be shunned and the trade
routes collapsed.

As far as is known, the town remained under the rule of the Marsh Family , who had a kind of monopoly over
business and a firm grip on the residents of Innsmouth . The place received few visitors, but all were vehement in
claiming that decay had turned the Innsmouths into a race of degenerates. During the American Civil War, the city
introduced a few volunteers, many of whom were not accepted despite their experience as seafarers.

In 1890, Obed Marsh , gave way to his no less strange and equally devoted sons to the Esoteric Order created by
the Patriarch.

In 1927, the family became involved in shady business, operating a profitable liquor smuggling scheme. Government
agents promoted an investigation of criminal activities that culminated in the Innsmouth Heist . In the operation,
which had the support of the army, several abandoned buildings were dynamited, the Headquarters of the Esoteric
Order was destroyed and a large part of the population transferred to military prisons. Rumors persist that a
submarine was ordered to torpedo an unknown target at Devil's Reef . The Military Operation was kept secret and
little information about this action was made public.
Cult Priest/Priestess
Dagon
- Dagon his name, sea-monster, upward man
And downward fish; yet had his temple high
Reared in Azotus, dreaded through the coast
 Of Palestine, in Gath and Ascalon,
And Accaron and Gaza’s frontier bounds.
– Paradise Lost

Anyone familiar with New England history will wonder why Dagon, traditionally used as a Puritan shorthand for
idolatry, would be embraced by any Christian sect or cult from the region.