The Old Gods

The Nyarlathotep's whole body wriggles in excitement, then gestures to the book collection.

​

"I am fond of these," it says. "If you should be willing to part with a book you do not finish, I shall read it for you."

 

The man picks up a book and pulls out the bookmark. He hands it to you. When you inspect it, the bookmark hurts your eyes worse than any other book you've seen yet. You stick it in a pocket and save it for later. You really don't want to look at it again any time soon.

​

"I suppose you also want a reading challenge? Yes, yes, yes." It thinks about what prompt it should give you, mimicking a thinking pose that starts to fall into the uncanny valley...

​

"Read a book by a Black author," it says. "It is your 'February'. Do not not have a celebration and recognition of history?"

​

You nod and look around. There's no way out, and you'd really like to get back to the Summoner's camp soon. You've spent way too long in the Void.

​

A low rumbling sounds in the distance, and the waves get closer and closer. A blast of air and sound hit you and the Nyarlathotep like a wall, making you both shake a little.

​

The Nyarlathotep suddenly has a mouth and a smile. "Ah, Cthulhu is rolling in his sleep," it says. "Perhaps he is waking. Perhaps he remembers your summoning party. Some of you have used him before."

​

You're a little surprised to hear this, but you don't say anything.

​

The man reaches up with an arm that is too long and a hand that is too wide and touches something at the edge of the platform. It is a portal. Does it go back to the camp?

​

"Answer one more question, and you will gain Cthulhu's favor," it says.

​

While you may know the genre was "Lovecraftian horror" (named after the author H.P. Lovecraft), what other name does the genre go by?

​