As with all magazines, this installment of the Unspeakable Oath is venerable mixed bag of horrors, chills, and utter stupidity. Ok, the last comment is very harsh but it reflects a certain massive slipping of standards for the Oath. The Oath stood apart from other magazines, Cthulhu or otherwise, in pushing the envelope where Chaosium dared not to tread. It also connected articles together albeit with a loose and interwoven thread. Now, with the release of the 7e Call of Cthulhu rules (sometime in the future) and Delta Green 2e (next summer) – this would be an ideal time make a big splash. That is not say some articles were without their merit. But, the artwork and core of the magazine gave the impression of haste and carelessness and that is not what made the Oath great. So, I must say that there was also an abundance of advertising thus signifying perhaps the Oath is moving away from being a boutique and more into a commercial enterprise. And, I do not think that is a bad thing, but, quality should not suffer. I sincerely hope the next installment can correct the overall atmosphere and mood of the articles through stronger editorial vetting. However, I realize that aesthetics is subjective – some may have a different opinion. So this is one opinion echoed by game group who also ran through some of scenarios and concepts. However, one should not let one bad article or one group of articles dissuade people from picking up the Oath. For the articles that I praise are truly outstanding and break new ground.

Now, a short synopsis of the contents of episode of the Oath.

The Dread Page of Azathoth

This is the standard editorial piece that is the editor’s reflections on the state of Cthulhu, and it reflects upon the Dreamlands. And, as the author points out the Dreamlands is not some sort of the excursion into the fantastical. It is very much the dark mirror of Lovecraft’s own gestalt. Mired in the same dark brooding mediations of his other fiction. The author plugs his excellent distillation of these dark thoughts in his adventure/campaign – The Sense of the Sleight of the Hand Man as an example of the Dreamlands done right. And, he is indeed correct, dark fantasy has just begun the scratch the surface of Lovecraft’s revelation that the Dreamlands contain. It was not a sword and sorcery surrogate line. It is was as the editor points out an exercise in terror just with a bit of fairy dust sprinkled on top that soon one realizes is the remains of powered fairy corpses. A very good piece of writing and rightly posits the Dreamlands as part of Azathoth couplet.

Tale of Terror : The Black Eyed Children

Having used the Black Eyes already in a campaign but without any of the possibilities unveiled here. I reveled in this article’s explanation of the phenomena. It is an exceptional group of adventure seeds that are wholly unique and fun to a night’s session or an interlude in a campaign. They are well thought out and plausible – what is nice is that they emphasize the supernatural element over simply just the Mythos connection. In this way, I feel that it is showing that Call of Cthulhu can be a more versatile and dynamic system when it takes on the supernatural. If everything comes back to the cosmic power and horror of the Great Old Ones, it does sort of make the whole experience of play like the D&D formula of the dragon residing on Level 20 of the dungeon and Cthulhu gaming has much more potential to be something greater and more enjoyable.

Tale of Terror: The Hidden Passage

Here we are beginning a sort of downward slide, but, not entirely – having a secret passage is always a good prop and stand-in and unlike Dungeons & Dragons – secret doors have much more power in Call of Cthulhu as possible gates and generally weird phenomena. And, this little group of possible adventures are no different. Where it does have its faults is that some of the possible outcomes are rather mundane and what every good Keeper thinks about when they use the concept of secret doors and hidden passages. In the past, most Tales of Terror were eureka moments – this one only partially so.

The Eye of Light & Darkness

Keeping with past practices – a reviewer does not review reviews. Needless to say, there are titles that I want to check out.

The Marder House

And, this is the adventure that left such a bitter taste in my group’s mouth and my reading of it. It is not at all Call of Cthulhu. It is solidly a funhouse dungeon. And, not even touted as a Blood Brothers adventure. There are lots of good elements but where Pelgrane’s The Seventh Circle creates the perfect mood and atmosphere, this adventure. And, there is lots of repetition and it gives the impression that it is a filler segment – and it is an adventure – that has potential but evaporates it fast. The pacing and the jokey elements make seem like WG 7 Castle Greyhawk.

Holding Cell

This is a shotgun scenario for Delta Green. Perhaps, it is the nature of the rules, perhaps it is just a feeling of somebody who did not understand the darkness of the Delta Green and Cthulhu Mythos – this transforms it into a two-fisted pulp adventure completely not in keeping with Call of Cthulhu or really Horror RPGs, in general. There are some redeemable elements – if one is not playing Call of Cthulhu or Delta Green but really hard to find them. It is more like a few brilliant ideas hastily.

Secret Shopper

Yet another shotgun scenario for Delta Green. If the last scenario had salvageable parts – this one made Attack at the Mall be a walk in the park. Perhaps, the author thought it would be cool to throw Romeo zombie flicks with Delta Green and some mythos terror. Bad idea. Whereas, one can indeed make shopping a frightening experience – this reduces the whole experience to a flippant and comical exercise that collapses faster than a deck of cards.

The Cult of A

And, then suddenly we get this offering. By far one of the best analysis of a modern cult and tying it in with a modern mental health ailment was absolutely brilliant. Seeing anorexia manifestations and the cult of body image transformed into a cult that secretly corrupts young minds is absolutely brilliant. Even without the Mythos connections, the idea, that the Mythos implant themselves in the memes of any given age is one that was first devised in Trail of Cthulhu – here it gets deeps and beautiful elaboration. Here is hoping that more cults are given this modern treatment. Traditionally, cults in Cthulhu have been weekend cultists – wearing robes and different peripherals and then holding 9-5 jobs during the week. Having a cult be visible, yet, invisible by being a corrupting mental illness is simply frightening.

Lesser Servitor Race: The Chosen Eithort

I am never sure what to make of new monsters. Cthulhu needs monsters and things that will snatch you in the night. However, having too many makes it too much like a monster manual. Overall, this is a well-written and satisfactorily thought out monster. So, it does add on more for the Keeper’s pantheon. Is it necessary? Not really. However, I would always keep in mind – if I needed to surprise players with something. However, what works in a home brew setting does not always translate into well if it becomes too official. Deep Ones and Dragonborn are classic examples. Both can be used sparingly but when they become just another “monster” they become like orcs – fodder for Player Characters to expend ammunition on, my lingering fear is, The Chosen Eithort, might just serve the same purpose.

Tale of Terror : Smuggling

And, then we slip one notch lower with this Tale of Terror simply because it is variation of a familiar theme that has been played out in different ways. Smuggling a container, a coffin, a box – whatever – it poses a quick filler for a Keeper who forgot his main scenario at home – fine – it works on that level. However, the outcomes hardly induce fear, let alone terror. So, it is more akin to the shotgun scenarios and Marder House scenario. Lots of potential then falls apart.

Directives from A-Cell - Directive 111 : The World Needs Bad Men

Glancy continues to astound me, with the clarity of his writing and insight. Here he tackles on what if local rural resource-poor Law Enforcement takes on a Mythos occurrence and does so brilliantly. Inspired, in part by True Detective, and shows how local investigation can be done brilliantly. Everything that I did not like about Small Town Esoterrorists 2.0 is immediately rectified in this writing. Local Law Enforcement is more than a bunch local yahoos or more than just colour – they can play integral role and with these recommendations easily become part of a campaign. Although, True Detective is certainly Cthulhuian enough, is it Lovecraftian – as this article shows – it certainly can be.

Mysterious Manuscript : Fragments of the Simeon Bible

And, this falls into the undecided and meh category, as it postulates that there is a hidden manuscript within another book. This is an excellent innovation for Call of Cthulhu but one that has already been done and overdone to a certain extent. That said, it is a good addition, just it is not dark enough – perhaps – earlier editions were bolder but the author did not want to incur the wrath of good Christians who might feel compromised.

Message in a bottle : Notes, Txts, and a Two Inch Article

Generally, the purpose of this purple prose is to impart a final chill with the feeling of a very condensed short story that the Keeper could spin into an entire adventure. This one is no different. Other ones seem to pack a punch. This latest offering, much less so. So…it unfortunately concludes with a meh. I liked how different forms of media could be woven together – just wished the premise could be different. So, at least, an idea can be stolen from it.

By way of a conclusion…

Never have there been truer words – which I look forward to the next one. For this issue had some outstanding articles but overall the feeling was that its standards are slipping. Both the art and text no longer have that avant-garde feel. Rather, it has descended to mediocrity.