VII Cults Opener of the Way Cult The Opener’s followers are typically lone sorcerers, wizards, or other outcasts who seek Yog-Sothoth’s power and knowledge They walk a reckless path, as the Opener wants them to help him return to the world, which is likely to destroy everything mortal They view their role as support for the Opener and his minions: the god itself is supposed to the greatest tasks while his worshipers merely assist Generally, followers of the Opener owe him their loyalty out of carnal obsession and/or familial obligation Yog-Sothoth often breeds with them directly or with their descendants, producing outer mutants, abominations, or spawn Thus, the follower’s descendants can inherit the world At times, a group of like-minded spellcasters may band together under Yog-Sothoth’s guidance for a short time, but the Opener’s worship more often produces a wider, looser fraternity Such a far-flung network involves wizards in several places, all working together, who maintain contact through periodic travel, sending of familiars, or spells Joseph Curwen leads such a loose-knit group in Lovecraft’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward More importantly, Yog-Sothoth is a widely known entity among those who study the arcane, so wizards almost everywhere can access his powers, summon him or his servants (by mistake or otherwise), and try to tap into the arcane influence he commands Thus, while Yog-Sothoth does not have a tight or strict organization, he is respected, feared, and spoken of among other Mythos cults Thus, it is possible for almost any cult’s members to access Yog-Sothoth’s eldritch powers and summon his monsters The Opener’s purpose is always the same and quite direct—to expand his influence Opener Cult Gifts ‘‘ Channel Power: Many of the Opener’s worshippers have great mystical might but lack physical strength They can channel mystical power into their own bodies in order to gain physical strength and prowess when fighting They favor the Arcane Strike feat and the spell ferox (page 116) ‘‘ Immortality: The Opener can greatly extend the life of his worshippers, though there is always a cost Always The Case of Charles Dexter Ward contains one such cost: the horrific demise of one’s descendants to allow for self-resurrection ‘‘ Summoning: The Opener can be brought physically (at least in part) to the mortal realm, where he can carry out his will, including the creation of outer mutants, abominations, and spawn (page 358–page 364) ‘‘ They Break Through: Yog-Sothoth's followers are more easily able to create gates to other places, or portals through which the Old Ones can come In addition, the gates they create can often access times or realms unavailable to other cults Followers of the Opener often take the ritualist wizard archetype (page 68) and have an easier time procuring obscure focuses for plane shift ‘‘ Time and Space: When a cultist of the Opener is traveling through space or time via magic or technology, the Opener can act as a guide so no error is made, and they arrive where they intend ‘‘ Treasures: Cultists can usually access Abhoth slime, gates, Plutonian drugs, space mead, and silver keys and enter the world 181