Song of Ghroth

Though the universe may feign the semblance of fickleness, its soul has always known its masters. The sleep of its masters is but the largest cycle of all life, for as the defiance and forgetfulness of winter is rendered vain by summer, so the defiance and forgetfulness of man, and of those others who have assumed stewardship, shall be cast aside by the reawakened masters. When these hibernal times are over, and the time for reawakening is near, the universe itself shall send forth the Harbinger and Maker, Ghroth. Who shall urge the stars and worlds to rightness. Who shall raise the sleeping masters from their burrows and drowned tombs; who shall raise the tombs themselves. Who shall be attentive to those worlds where worshippers presume themselves stewards. Who shall bring those worlds under sway, until all acknowledge their presumption, and bow down.
—Ramsey Campbell, “The Tugging”

The Song of Ghroth

The imminent approach of Ghroth has a devastating psychological effect on animals and humans living in areas where the Song is strongest—currently the Miyun Radio Observatory in China, and the Great Plains Cruciform Array in Hayden, Nebraska. This effect may be termed the “Song of Ghroth,” and it progresses in five worsening “Stanzas.”

Tracking the Song
Characters progress along the five Stanzas by losing Sanity points. However, some of these Sanity points must be lost as a direct result of Ghroth’s baleful influence—perceiving Ghroth’s mystical patterns, understanding the signal has an intelligent source, or from hearing a sonification of the Song itself. Sanity points lost in this manner are first deducted from a character’s total Sanity, then converted to Ghroth Points and secretly added to the character’s “Song of Ghroth Track.” Such occurrences are clearly labelled in the text of the scenario, although the Keeper has the final say.

Ghroth Resistance Rolls
Resisting the Song requires a Ghroth Resistance roll. This is an opposed Power roll made against the Power of the current Stanza afflicting the Hearer. A success allows the character to temporarily break free from the influence of Ghroth; a success means the character succumbs to the Song.

The Five Stanzas

The Song of Ghroth proceeds along five increasingly more dire Stanzas.

First Stanza: Lassitude
The First Stanza is heard when a character has met two conditions. The character must have failed an important Sanity roll (any roll that incurs an automatic loss of Sanity, even if that roll is successful) within 42 miles of the GPCA, and the character must accumulate 5 Ghroth Points. The first sign that someone is hearing the Song of Ghroth is a strange unwillingness to leave the affected region. (For the sake of Bible Black, the “affected region” is centered on the GPCA and extends for a 42 mile radius from the Annesley-Ross Tower. Note that this includes North Platte.) The need to be close to the signal is subtle but powerful, and manifests in subconscious ways—canceled vacation plans, misplaced car keys, poor decisions, anything to keep the Hearer near the GPCA.

Departing the Region
The Hearer can depart the area, but doing so requires a Ghroth Resistance roll. Finding oneself over 42 miles from the GPCA results in a daily 0/1 Sanity roll until (a) three consecutive rolls are successful, or (b) a total of 5 Sanity points are lost. The first frees the Hearer from the Song; the second compels him to return, or the daily rolls continue with a –1D10 penalty die.

Episodes
Hearers remaining in the affected region are subject to experiencing Ghroth-related episodes: semi-random incidents involving paranoia, wild mood swings, or self-harm. (See “Ghroth-related Episodes” below.) Those hearing the First Stanza must make a Sanity roll every six months they remain within the affected region. Failed rolls trigger an episode.

Keeper Notes
In terms of game mechanics, the First Stanza has Power 50 for Ghroth Resistance rolls or any other attempts to subdue or subvert it. Because this is less powerful than base Mi-Go conditioning, characters imprinted with a colophon experience little tension keeping the Song to themselves.

Second Stanza: Unsettlement
The Second Stanza begins when the Hearer accumulates 10 Ghroth Points. Unsettlement manifests differently for individual Hearers, but usually involves one of the following: seeing patterns that reflect the Song, hearing the Song in other sources of noise or music, hearing a constant buzzing or humming in one’s head, experiencing wild episodes of apophenia, compulsively creating artwork related to Ghroth, having vivid nightmares relating to Ghroth, or experiencing moments of precognition, clairvoyance, or telepathy. Upon experiencing Unsettlement, the Hearer knows that somethingis wrong, but depending on her awareness of events at the GPCA, she may not understand why she has these feelings or is experiencing these episodes.

Departing the Region
Unsettlement increases Lassitude, making it even more difficult to depart the area by inflicting a –1D10 penalty die to the Ghroth Resistance roll. Finding oneself over 42 miles from the GPCA results in a daily 1/1D3 Sanity loss until (a) three consecutive rolls are successful, or (b) a total of 5 Sanity points are lost. The first lowers the current Stanza by one; the second compels her to return, or the daily rolls continue with –2D10 penalty dice.

Episodes
The Hearer must make a Sanity roll every three months she remains within 42 miles of the GPCA. Failed rolls trigger an episode.

Keeper Notes
In terms of game mechanics, the Second Stanza has Power 60. Because this is equal to the Power of Mi-Go conditioning, characters imprinted with a colophon experience hesitancy or confusion when their actions contradict the Song, but little physical stress.

Third Stanza: Obsession
After accumulating 15 Ghroth Points, a character may begin hearing the Third Stanza. Obsession manifests as a rapid development of Unsettlement—whatever strange things have been happening to the Hearer intensify. Patterns seem more prevalent, and the sense that something is driving the Hearer to a revelation increases.

Departing the Region
Unsettlement increases Lassitude, making it even more difficult to depart the area by inflicting a –2D10 penalty dice to the Ghroth Resistance roll. Finding oneself over 42 miles from the GPCA results in a daily 1/1D4 Sanity loss until (a) three consecutive rolls are successful, or (b) a total of 5 Sanity points are lost. The first lowers the current Stanza by one; the second compels him to return, or the daily rolls continue with –2D10 penalty dice.

Episodes
The Hearer must make a Sanity roll every month he remains within 42 miles of the GPCA. Failed rolls trigger an episode.

Keeper Notes
The Third Stanza pushes the Hearer towards some personal form of “revelation.” Think of Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The compulsion to sculpt Devil’s Tower was so overwhelming that Roy went insane, leaving his wife and children to fulfil his destiny. In the case of Bible Black, “destiny” is usually interpreted as “welcoming the Culling of Ghroth with open arms and a joyous heart!” In terms of game mechanics, the Third Stanza has Power 70. Because this is more powerful than Mi-Go conditioning, the GPCA scientists hearing this Stanza are experiencing tension, confusion, and intense psychological discomfort. They want to share the Nemesis Signal, but they don’t feel quite ready yet…

Fourth Stanza: Imminence
Once the Hearer has accumulated 20 Ghroth Points, she begins to experience intense feelings of Imminence. Something big is going to happen, something amazing, something that will change the world—and she is willing to do anything to bring that something about! This may include stopping anyone who gets in her way.

Departing the Region
Unsettlement increases Lassitude, making it even more difficult to depart the area by inflicting a –2D10 penalty dice to the Ghroth Resistance roll. Finding oneself over 42 miles from the GPCA results in a daily 1D3/1D6 Sanity loss until (a) three consecutive rolls are successful, or (b) a total of 5 Sanity points are lost. The first lowers the current Stanza by one; the second compels her to return, or the daily rolls continue with –2D10 penalty dice.

Episodes
The Hearer must make a Sanity roll every week she remains within 42 miles of the GPCA. Failed rolls trigger an episode.

Keeper Notes
Characters suffering from Imminence are generally blind to the repercussions of their actions, and believe they are doing the Right Thing. They still have souls, however; and under extreme circumstances may realize they’re going insane, and that “Imminence” could be synonymous with “Apocalypse.” Whether they can turn back before Apostolus depends on their overall character and degree of Sanity loss. In terms of game mechanics, the Fourth Stanza has Power 80. This represents to outer limits of Mi-Go conditioning, placing great strain on the affected scientist, and possibly triggering additional Ghroth-related episodes.

Fifth Stanza: Apostolus
The final Stanza of the Song occurs when the afflicted character has accumulated 25 Ghroth Points. At this point, the Hearer has become convinced that Imminence is a good thing, and that what’s coming—whether he understands the true nature of Ghroth, or interprets the Harbinger through some delusional framework—is what humanity deserves, for better or ill. The Hearer has become an Elected Apostle of Ghroth, ready to hear the Chorus and begin the Culling!

Departing the Region
Apostolus maximizes Lassitude, making it impossible to depart the afflicted region.

Episodes
The Hearer must make a Sanity roll every day he remains within 42 miles of the GPCA. Failed rolls trigger an episode.

Keeper Notes
Upon hearing the final Stanza, the Hearer must make a 0/1D4 Sanity roll every week. When his Sanity reaches zero, he begins hearing the Chorus. There’s no turning back now! The deranged character must welcome the Coming of Ghroth or commit suicide. In terms of game mechanics, the Fifth Stanza has Power 90. Technically speaking, this automatically overcomes Mi-Go conditioning, freeing the afflicted character from his colophon. Of course, if that character is Gerald Neal or Jenny Hooper, they might simply broadcast the signal to every observatory on Earth…

Ghroth-Related Episodes

As described in “Music of the Spheres” sidebar on pg. 102 [116] of The Stars Are Right, characters under the influence of Ghroth may experience episodes of mental illness. Such “Ghroth-related episodes” are triggered by Sanity losses, especially those that accumulate Ghroth Points. They may also be triggered by failed Ghroth Resistance rolls or failed Mi-Go Conditioning rolls.

In Bible Black, the Keeper is free to choose from two different mechanics to determine what type of Ghroth-related episode a character will experience. The first is similar to the original scenario, and is determined by a simple D20 roll. The second is a more nuanced system, and requires drawing a random playing card. No matter which system the Keeper employs, the Keeper is free to skip a random result and afflict a character with an episode that makes more sense given the context of the narrative.

Note on Sensitivity
The author of this scenario believes that a good Call of Cthulhu game should explore mature topics that push the boundaries of comfort, challenge traditional morals, and sometimes offend “good taste.” Having said that, the Keeper may not know what horrors her players are grappling with in real life. Issues like suicide and sexual assault may be less welcome than murderous rampages and alien abductions. (The original scenario depicted a gang rape!) It’s best to discuss what issues are “off-limits” before beginning Bible Black. Once these boundaries have been established, the Keeper is better prepared to describe the more drastic Ghroth-related episodes.

Episode Table 1: 1D20

The episode is determined by rolling a D20. The effects last for 3D6 hours, but can be foreshortened by a successful Psychoanalysis roll directed toward the afflicted character.

1 Suicide
The character is gripped by an overwhelming sense of fear, horror, loss, or terror. The only way out is suicide! For NPCs, the outcome must be decided by the Keeper. For player characters, the Keeper should allow a 1/1D6 Sanity roll. A success transmutes this episode to “depression.” A failure results in a suicide attempt, causing a certain amount of physical damage and an additional loss of Sanity. It’s up to the Keeper and player how to manage this, but player characters shouldn’t be allowed to kill themselves until the end of the game, or when their Sanity reaches zero.

2–4 Anxiety
The character feels inexplicably anxious or nervous. This can manifest as a feeling of dread, especially connected to the skies, aliens, or large spherical objects. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may suffer from paranoia or feelings of doom.

5–7 Lethargy
The character feels completely enervated, and can barely summon the energy to perform day-to-day tasks. He may call off from work, skip important meetings, or ignore texts, emails, and phone calls. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may fall into a state of catatonia.

8–9 Depression
The character feels depressed, and becomes convinced that life is not worth living. Depression combines elements of anxiety and lethargy, but doubles down on the feelings of doom and gloom. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may experience suicidal ideation. Multiple instances of depression may lead to a suicide attempt.

10–11 Elation
The character feels an overwhelming sense of euphoria. She is full of energy and good vibes, and may underestimate the danger of perilous situations. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may become manic.

12–13 Pain
The character feels intense sensations of pain—migraines, toothaches, burning eyes, earaches, searing sensations across the skin. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the pain may include phantom broken bones, delusions of a crushed skull, intolerable feelings of formication, the sense that one’s organs are failing, or the belief that one’s limbs are turning against oneself. During such episodes a character’s physical attributes are reduced by 10%. He may suffer 1D3 hit points of damage, and there might be additional Sanity loss. In extreme cases, the character may attempt to self-harm—perhaps cut off that rogue hand and replace it with a chainsaw?

14-15 Delusion
The character becomes enthralled by a powerful delusion, usually revolving around recent events—alien abductions, a fear the sky is falling, belief that one’s associates are lizard people, or even the idea that a brown dwarf is calling out for worship! If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may act upon these delusions, or possibly lose additional Sanity.

16 Lust
The character is gripped by sensations of intense lust. Men experience priapism, women nymphomania. Everyone—and everything!—looks sexy. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may lose control of his inhibitions, or even abandon his morals. This can range from harmless streaking to incidents of sexual assault.

17–18 Irritability
The character feels irritable and snappish. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, these feelings may drive the character to yell at loved ones, spit out insults, or even break off relationships.

18 Anger
A dull, throbbing, unfocused anger radiates through the character. He becomes prone to physical outbursts—screaming, punching walls, slamming doors, smashing phones, overturning furniture. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, these outbursts may end in physical assault—slapping the face of a spouse or child, throwing a punch at a deputy, starting a bar fight.

20 Rage
This begins as “Anger,” but if provoked, the character must make a Sanity roll. A success results in a brief physical outburst. A failure transforms the anger into a murderous rage. The character lashes out with any dangerous object at her disposal—a knife, a crowbar, a revolver. Once the enraged character has inflicted physical harm, she must make another Sanity roll. A success blows off the rage and brings a return to sanity. A failure results in a berserk frenzy. During this time the character simply rampages; as stated in the original scenario, “exploding into a reckless, murderous, destructive spree of total madness.” The rampage continues until the character is incapacitated or the episode has passed.

Episode Table 2: Card-Based Mechanic

In this system, the affected character must draw a random card from a shuffled deck of 54 playing cards (52 cards plus two Jokers). Each suit has a particular “domain of disturbance.” Clubs are the suit of anger, diamonds represent delusions, hearts are the suit of desire, and spades bring anxiety. Drawing a number card represents a general manifestation of that disturbance, with the number representing how many hours the character may expect to suffer its effects, from 2 hours to 10 hours. Face cards increase the intensity of the disturbance, while Ace cards represent worst-case scenarios. The effects of face cards and Aces last for 1D12+10 hours, but can be foreshortened by a successful Psychoanalysis roll directed toward the afflicted character.

Clubs
The suit of clubs represents turbulent emotions turning outwards.

Two of Clubs to Ten of Clubs—Irritability
The character feels irritable and snappish. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, these feelings may drive the character to yell at loved ones, spit out insults, or even break off relationships.

Jack of Clubs—Peevishness
The character has entered an exquisite state of peevishness. No one is safe from his acid tongue, and he’s happy to let everyone know their many faults and flaws! Such a character suffers from a –1D10 penalty die to all social interactions.

Queen of Clubs—Distemper
The character has slipped into a terrible mood, and feels the need to take it out on everyone, no matter the cost. Acting like a total asshole or supreme bitch inflicts –2D10 penalty dice to all social interactions.

King of Clubs—Anger
A dull, throbbing, unfocused anger radiates through the character. He becomes prone to physical outbursts—screaming, punching walls, slamming doors, smashing phones, overturning furniture. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, these outbursts may end in physical assault—slapping the face of a spouse or child, throwing a punch at a deputy, starting a bar fight.

Ace of Clubs—Rage
This begins as “Anger,” but if provoked, the character must make a Sanity roll. A success results in a brief physical outburst. A failure transforms the anger into a murderous rage. The character lashes out with any dangerous object at her disposal—a knife, a crowbar, a revolver. Once the enraged character has inflicted physical harm, she must make another Sanity roll. A success blows off the rage and brings a return to sanity. A failure results in a berserk frenzy. During this time the character simply rampages; as stated in the original scenario, “exploding into a reckless, murderous, destructive spree of total madness.” The rampage continues until the character is incapacitated or the episode has passed.

Diamonds
The suit of diamonds involves misrepresentations and misunderstandings of the world—in other words, delusions.

Two of Diamonds to Ten of Diamonds —Paranoia
The character is gripped by a feeling of paranoia, usually revolving around recent events—the GPCA scientists are hiding something, the government is lying, aliens are abducting people, the Men in Black are coming, etc. It can also be more personal—such-and-such character doesn’t like me! If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may act upon these delusions, or possibly lose additional Sanity.

Jack of Diamonds—Delusion
The character becomes enthralled by a powerful delusion, usually revolving around recent events—alien abductions, a fear the sky is falling, belief that one’s associates are lizard people, or even the idea that a brown dwarf is calling out for worship! If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may act upon these delusions, or possibly lose additional Sanity.

Queen of Diamonds—Delirium
Essentially a stronger version of “delusion,” an episode of delirium places a character beyond the reach of reason. She becomes convinced her delusions are real, and may experience intense hallucinations that support these beliefs. Depending on the nature of the delirium, the character may lose additional Sanity or cause harm to herself or others.

King of Diamonds—Pain
The character feels intense sensations of pain—migraines, toothaches, burning eyes, earaches, searing sensations across the skin. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the pain may include phantom broken bones, delusions of a crushed skull, intolerable feelings of formication, the sense that one’s organs are failing, or the belief that one’s limbs are turning against oneself. During such episodes a character’s physical attributes are reduced by 10%. He may suffer 1D3 hit points of damage, and there might be additional Sanity loss. In extreme cases, the character may attempt to self-harm—perhaps cut off that rogue hand and replace it with a chainsaw?

Ace of Diamonds—Madness
The character descends into madness for the duration of the episode. The actual form of that madness may be decided by the Keeper, but it must be terrible, and it should result in at least one 1/1D6 Sanity roll.

Hearts
The suit of hearts represent feelings of pleasure, love, and desire.

Two of Hearts to Ten of Hearts—Euphoria
The character feels an overwhelming sense of euphoria. She is full of energy and good vibes, and may underestimate the danger of perilous situations. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may become manic.

Jack of Hearts—Ecstasy
The character is overwhelmed by positive sensory impressions. Like an uncontrollable MDMA trip, everything must be touched, smelled, and tasted—even people! Such a character is particularly susceptible to Charm, Persuade, and Fast Talk, and suffers a –1D10 penalty die to all social interactions.

Queen of Hearts—Love
The character is struck by Cupid’s arrow, often falling for the very person, place, or thing that triggered the episode. This newfound love is accompanied by feelings of possession, jealousy, and desire. It may also involve paraphilias like objectophilia, necrophilia, or worse. If the afflicted character is thwarted or rejected, the Keeper may call for a Sanity roll—or even tip the character into “depression” or “lust.”

King of Hearts—Passion
This episode manifests like “love,” but everything is dialed up to 11. The character feels the need to become one with the object of his desire, whether proposing to a coworker or attempting to couple with a radio telescope. A thwarted or rejected character may even attempt suicide.

Ace of Hearts—Lust
The character is gripped by sensations of intense lust. Men experience priapism, women nymphomania. Everyone—and everything!—looks sexy. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may lose control of his inhibitions, or even abandon his morals. This can range from harmless streaking to incidents of sexual assault.

Spades
The suit of spades represents turbulent emotions directed inwards.

Two of Spades to Ten of Spades—Anxiety
The character feels inexplicably anxious or nervous. This can manifest as a feeling of dread, especially connected to the skies, aliens, or large spherical objects. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may suffer from paranoia or feelings of doom. 

Jack of Spades—Lethargy
The character feels completely enervated, and can barely summon the energy to perform day-to-day tasks. He may call off from work, skip important meetings, or ignore texts, emails, and phone calls. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character may fall into a state of catatonia.

Queen of Spades—Sorrow
The character becomes anxious and lethargic. Everything becomes catastrophized—setbacks are complete failures, sad events become tragedies, everything seems hopeless. Consumed by heartbreak and sorry, the character can barely keep functioning.

King of Spades—Depression
The character is consumed by “sorrow” to the extent that life seems worthless. If the episode is accompanied by a high Sanity loss, the character experiences suicidal ideation. Multiple instances of depression may lead to a suicide attempt.

Ace of Spades—Suicide
The character is gripped by an overwhelming sense of fear, horror, loss, or terror. The only way out is suicide! For NPCs, the outcome must be decided by the Keeper. For player characters, the Keeper should allow a 1/1D6 Sanity roll. A success transmutes this episode to “depression.” A failure results in a suicide attempt, causing a certain amount of physical damage and an additional loss of Sanity. It’s up to the Keeper and player how to manage this, but player characters shouldn’t be allowed to kill themselves until the end of the game, or when their Sanity reaches zero.

Jokers—Wild Cards
The Jokers represent wild cards. The Keeper is free to invent an episode, or she may mix and match from the list of domains and effects. Or, the Keeper may decide that a Joker is beneficial; perhaps offering an important insight, a glimpse into the “truth,” or even a restoration of lost Sanity points. An inexplicably kind Keeper may declare a Joker grants a player a +1D10 bonus die for all future Ghroth-related Episode rolls; while a justifiably cruel Keeper may decide that a Joker triggers a complex episode that requires three simultaneous cards. Have fun, and keep the players guessing!

Tracking the Song

The Keeper is invited to use “Song of Ghroth Tracking Sheets” to monitor the progress of player characters hearing the Stanzas. As each player character loses Sanity and gains Ghroth Points, the Keeper quietly circles the appropriate conditions on that character’s sheet. Once a Stanza has been completed, the Keeper decides whether to “reward” that character by hearing the next Stanza. This is always at the Keeper’s discretion! The accumulation of Ghroth Points makes a player character eligible to hear new Stanzas, but does not represent automatic advancement.

[Song of Ghroth Tracking Sheet PDF]

Bible Black > Auxiliary Materials
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Author: A. Buell Ruch (Based on work by Kevin A. Ross)
Artwork: Jupiter View, by Lucien Rudaux (1874-1947)
Last Modified: 6 November 2025
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
Bible Black PDF: [TBD]