notes on the turner codex

8/12/2019 Notes on the Turner Codex

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Clear CreditThe Turner Codex is the creation of Keith Herber and originally appeared in hisscenario The Evil Stars (as part of Cthulhu Now ). Additionally it appears in a smallerrole in Tim Wisemans Tatters of the King . The information contained in this work is

based that contained in these earlier works but also contains the authors extrapolations,inference, and expansions. Any errors, misinterpretations, or goofs are my fault, nottheirs. Ditto for typos.

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Introduction Origins of the Codex

The Turner Codex is an alleged pieceof ancient Mayan literature, recoveredand translated by Maplethorpe Turner, a19 th century amateur archaeologist andseeker of the strange. His translationwas dismissed by academia and he iswidely regarded as either a charlatan or acredulous dupe, tricked into believing ina preposterous forgery. As with so many

pioneers, especially those who encounterthe fringes of the truth we categorize as

part of the Cthulhu Mythos, Turnerswork was cast aside not because it wasnot true, but because it was a truth thatwas too terrible to bear.

This article is intended for Keeperswho wish to make use of the TurnerCodex (and its various editions) in theirgames. Use the information here tosupplement the original source materialor spark your own imagination as thegerm of a new scenario. As with mostthings Call of Cthulhu oriented, pick andchose the information that works for youand your game.

The descriptions of the worksvarious editions are organized in asimilar manner- a physical description ofthat version, an overview of thatversions availability to investigators,comments on the contents of the work(for both those skimming the work andthose who study it more intensively),game statistics for that edition, andfinally comments on what investigatorsmight learn about the work throughresearch. This format has beendeveloped for the forthcomingmonograph The Masks of NyarlathotepCompanion and is used here in a slightlymodified form. Note that I have retainedthe optional rules for spell multipliersas I found it convenient short-handmeasure of the usefulness of a particularedition as a grimoire. In discussingspells, italicization of a spell nameindicates that the description of the spellis incomplete or dangerously flawed.Likewise, spells are often give twonames, the parenthetical version is thename used in the rule book while thefirst name is what might be suggested bythe text.

The Maya, perhaps more so than anyother pre-Columbian human civilization,

bear traces of the civilization that onceruled the continent of Mu. When thatcivilization was destroyed in a greatcataclysm (or series of cataclysms),some of the survivors fled to what weknow of as North and South America,establishing petty kingdoms that were

pathetic echoes of the glory that had been Mu. One of these kingdoms wasHemaerpi, in what is now Guatemalaand Belize. Ruled for millennia by the aseries of forgotten kings, the greatest

power was lay with the priests of Qai-hwann, He Who Cannot Be Described.It was a dreamlike realm of narcotic

pleasure and casual sadism, squat basalthill-temples, and ceaseless warfareagainst their neighbors. After the firstwaves of humans from Asia into NorthAmerica, the Muvian rulers ofHemaerpi, like their neighbors, enslavedthese newcomers to work their fields andto fight their wars. The Muvian peoplethemselves slowly declined and theircivilization imploded in stupefied haze.

Thanks to Tom Lynch at MiskatonicRiver Press for letting me offer this littletribute to Keith Herber. His loss is stillfelt.

The petty Muvian kingdomscollapsed in a series of bloody wars,

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coups, and rebellions, leaving brokenfragments unable to sustain themselveswithout their slaves and magic. A fewcenters lingered on a while, foremostamong these the temple of Qai-hwann at

Tzamlyntz, which convinced one of theleaders of the rebellion against the oldlords of Hemaerpi that they would crownhim king, as he had slain all the earlierclaimants to the throne. As part of hisinvestiture, they made copies of theirsacred texts, including those of Qai-hwann, as recorded by the great priestDha-khurpa after the fall of Mu. Thoughlacking the technical sophistication ofthe Muvians of old, the priests

hammered the glyphs into plates of Yal,the so-called copper from above, usinga bastardized form of the Muviantongue, understood by the inhabitants ofHemaerpi, slave and Muvian alike.While this successor state lasted littlemore than a few human generations, the

plates created by the priests wereentombed in the great pyramid of thefirst king where they remained forseveral millennia

The Discovery of the Plates

The plates were discovered in theruins of this tomb, long thought to be ahill, when a portion of it washed awayafter a hurricane. The plates, beingmade of an alien metal impervious to the

passage of time, were washeddownstream and spotted by villagersfrom the nearby settlement of Rio Craso.In 1891 the village was visited by theAmerican explorer Maplethorpe Turner,who was attempting to locatedundiscovered Mayan ruins in the junglesof Petn. When shown the plates,Turner immediately set out to find thesite of their origin. Over a period of afew weeks he excavated the remains ofthe tomb/hill finding a cache of plates

and other artifacts, including thecomplete collection of plates regardingQai-kwann.

Turner returned to the United Statesand, after showing the plates to a few

scholars in the Boston area, undertook asystematic study of the plates in anattempt to translate them. This studygrew increasingly obsessive, particularlyafter the death of Turners wife in 1893.In that same year, Turner discoveredcritical similarities between the Mayansymbols on the plates with certaininscriptions in obscure (and oftenoverlooked) ruins in Asia and thePacific. Comparing these symbols to

those hammered into the plates, Turner became convinced that there was aconnection, a conviction furtherreinforced when he read OttoDostmanns Remnants of Lost Empires ,which contained a fragmentarytranslation of one of these inscriptions.Combining his knowledge of Quichwith this fragmentary understanding ofthe Muvian script (as given byDostmann), Turner began a meticuloustranslation of the plates.

During this period, Turner becamean almost total recluse, abandoning oldfriendships and routine correspondencewith other scholars, save for those rareoccasions when he was in need of somereference he could not obtain himself.He spent weeks pouring overmanuscripts at Harvards WidenerLibrary or in the reading room at theBoston Atheaum. His fortune, badlydiminished in the Panic of 1893, wasrapidly used up in the purchase of rare

books and the tracking down of oftenspurious leads or sources. Turner

became estranged from his children,save his youngest son Wordsworth whoassisted his father in his research.

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Turner completed his translation inthe spring of 1901 but no publisher orscholarly body would agree to publishthe completed work. This refusal was

based on several factors- Turner would

not allow others to inspect or examinethe plates, likewise he refused to revealor explain his method of translation.Additionally, the sometimes ghastlyrituals described in Turners translationwere also in direct conflict with the

popular view of Mayan culture andreligion. Finally, Turners self-imposedisolation had generated much ill-willtowards the man himself, dislike onlyheightened by Turners haughty

disregard for his fellow scholars and hislack of affiliation with any academicinstitution.

Undeterred, Turner sunk a large portion of his remaining wealth into the private publication of his translation.This book, entitled Rites of the Ancient

Maya Revealed , was published in 1902and sold very poorly, in no small part

due to several extremely critical reviewsin the academic press. Turner, reclusiveand bitter until the end, died in 1911,leaving his little remaining wealth to hisson Wordsworth. In 1919 the Turner

family home in Brookline,Massachusetts burned, destroying thehouse, many copies of Turnerstranslation, and apparently the original

plates as well. The fire was ruled anarson, started by Wordsworth Turner inorder to collect on an insurance policyfor the home (and to conceal othercriminal acts, see below). The youngerTurner fled to the Caribbean, dying inthe Dominican Republic in 1933.

Editions

Original PlatesDescriptionThese plates were destroyed during the 1919 fireat the Turner home. Unless the Keeper wishes,they should only be available in the years beforethe fire, or alternately similar Muvian textsmight be uncovered in Central America or other

Mapletho rpe Turner, 1845 1911

Amateur archaeologist, explorer, and writer, Turner was the youngest son ofCarleton Turner, a Georgia businessman. His three older brothers and father perishedduring the civil war, leaving Maplethorpe the sole inheritor of his family fortune by theage of 20. Turner used his inheritance to fund a number of investments in CentralAmerican and the Caribbean, increasing his fortune several times over.

At the age of forty, Turner sold most of his assets and retired from businessaltogether, much to the shock of his young wife and children, embarking on a series ofself-funded explorations of Central and South America as well as the financing ofseveral explorations he did not take part in personally, including the tragic Kenilworthexpedition of British Guyana in 1886. He was considered an eccentric, albeit a

respectable one.In 1891 during an expedition into the interior of Guatemalas Petn Department,Tuner was shown several unusual objects discovered by local people, including twometal plates bearing what appeared to be Mayan script. Turner located the source oftheir artifacts in a nearby ruin of exceptional antiquity, including an intact set of plates,which he claimed represented an unknown Mayan text that has become known as theTurner Codex .

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areas refugees from that civilization fled.

This work is a series of hammeredmetal plates of indeterminate antiquity.The plates are very regular, about 8 by7, and number just over one-hundredin total. Each plate is about thick.There are two columns of glyphs onevery plate. Anyone making an Knowroll (or a normal Know roll if

Anthropology or History are over baseskill) will recognize them as Mayansymbols; any with any level of skill in

Mayan Hieroglyphs will, with an Idea roll, notice certain unusual features thatsuggests they are dissimilar from anyother know examples of that script.

The plates appear to be made ofcopper (or possibly a copper-rich

bronze) but anyone examining themsucceeding in a Chemistry roll canconclusively state that the alloy isunknown to modern chemistry, beingextraordinarily durable, resistant tocorrosion, and does not form coppersusual oxidized patina. This discoverycosts 0/1 point of Sanity. A successfulCthulhu Mythos roll recognizes this asyal, the so-called copper fromabove, an alloy brought to Earth byseveral of the alien species who havevisited his world.

AvailabilityThese plates were destroyed in the

fire that destroyed the Turner mansion in1919. It is possible that some or even allof the plate survived- house firestypically burn at temperatures lower thanthe melting point of copper (or yal). Ifthe Keeper wishes, the plates may bediscovered as part of a private collectionor among the effects of WordworthTurner. Additionally, it is possiblesimilar plates might be uncovered insome as yet undiscovered Muvian ruin inMesoamerica or beyond.

ContentsSkimming 1

These tablets record the rites of thegod Qai-hwann, He Who Remains

Unseen, He Who Must Not Be Givena Name, He That Bears the GreatSign, He That Whispers All TrueThings. These prayers were carriedaway from a great disaster that destroyeda mighty empire and taken to the newkingdoms of the east. They are given intribute to the new lord as a writ of hislordship over the kingdom.

The tablets record multiple prayersto Qai-hwann invocations, blessings,

oaths, and sanctifying rites for varioussacred items. The rites involve amixture of song and ritual bloodletting,

proscribed by various astronomicalalignments. The god itself is apparently

bound or limited in some way, as therites described within are intended to

piece the powers that constrain Qai-hwann so that he might commune withhis worshippers, including manifesting

physically. While it is unclear from the

text, the god appears to dwell either beneath a lake or within a city, orsomehow both, in a place far distance, a

place associated with the star ThatWhich Goes Before.

Thorough ReadingThese tablets record the rites and

rituals of the god Qai-hwann. Broughtforth from the falling kingdoms of Mu tothe west, by the great priest Dha-kurpa,

these tablets apparently predate known

1 These documents can only be skimmed bythose with at least 40% in Mayan Glyphs. TheKeeper may adjust the information conveyed tothose with limited skills. At a minimum a fewdays of study can confirm that the text is actuallyMayan, albeit a particularly ancient form andcontain rites to a previously unknown god.

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human history by tens of thousands ofyears at least. This copy, dedicated tothe new king of Hemaerpi, records thesecrets of Qai-hwanns worship, as itwas by Qai-hwanns will that he ruled.

Reading MayanThe knowledge of the written form of the Mayan

language (called Kiche by modern scholars, ortraditionally by its Spanish name Quich) was lost after thedestruction of the Mayan city-states by the Spanish in the16 th and 17 th centuries, in part due to the intentional

destruction of Mayan texts. In the 19th

and early 20th

century, only the numbers and certain astronomical signscould be accurately translated; most translation attemptsincorrectly assumed some parallel between the Mayanglyphs and Egyptian Hieroglyphics. While important

breakthroughs were made in the 1950s and 60s, it was notuntil the early 1970s that actual, if fragmentary,decipherment could be conducted. By the early 21 st century tremendous progress in the field had madedecipherment of the Mayan script a regular process.

Investigators operating before about 1973 should have

no realistic chance of correctly translating the glyphscontained on the plates of Turners codex. Only decades ofwork by linguists, archaeologists, and anthropologists wereable to piece together the fragments that allowed arediscovery of the symbols. In the fiction of the CthulhuMythos, however, lone scholars seem to have anuncommon ability to translate inhuman or lost languageswithout recourse to such legwork or scholarship.

The central purpose of the tablets isto record the rites of Qai-hwann, a beingdescribed as He Who Name Cannot BeSpoken or possibly He WhoCannot Be Given a Name,who dwells in a city beyond alake which can only be reachedwhen certain astronomicalconditions are met. Qai-hwannis a curious god, said to coexistwith the very fibers of the

world and yet, also be keptapart from it save though themagic described by the tablets.He is also said to speak greattruths always, but he cannot beseen or observed by men as histrue face is too great andtherefore he masks himself in afog of lies. He is served byflying creature neither bird nor

bat nor insect nor man but likeand unlike all. Everythingabout the being is vague andunsettling, and there are darksigns that this being is fargreater and more awful eventhan as described here; in one

passage he is named as HeWho is The Worlds Hungeror He Who Hungers for theWorld

The tablets record many of the ritesof the god. The foremost of theseinvokes the god itself, requiring a set ofritually prepared and inscribed stele, butcan only be done when the star ThatWhich Goes Before (known in the westas Aldebaran) is visible in the sky.Other rites, called the UnbreakablePact, promise the spirit of a sacrifice to

the god in exchange for his favor. Thosewho have made this pact might createthe sacred chime of Tezcha Haptl, aninstrument said to attune the world toQai-hwanns influence and to create

great magic. They should be cast asclose to the god as possible; apparentlyat sacred mountain peaks to the north

and west. Qai-hwanns influence mightalso be called forth by means of a songand in combination the magic of boththese elements are quite strong,including protecting the faithful from themagic of other lesser gods. His flyingservants might be made to obey his

priests by saying whispering certainsecrets to them (there may be a missing

plate discussion how to draw forth such beings). Those who ascend to visit the

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If investigators from any era before the modern wish toundertake their own translation of the original plates orother writings of the Muvian successor states ofMesoamerica (or Mu itself), they may be able tosuccessfully do so if they can bring the following elementsto bear:

Knowledge of Quich or other living Mayan language(assume a skill of 20% at a minimum)

A Mayan (or late Muvian) text. A Mythos key text showing the relationship between

Mayan/Muvian and a living language. Turner usedDostmanns Remnants of Lost Empires . Other texts thatmay be used for a similar purpose include The ZanthuTablets , The Ponape Scripture , The Ghorl Nigral (andThe Secret Mysteries of Asia , which comments upon it),The Rituals of Yhe , and The Ygoth Records . Obtainingthese texts is left to the investigators.

Alternately, considering the fiction and games fondnessfor reincarnation, someone who was a citizen of Mu orits successors in a previous life might have a flash ofinsight when attempting to translate the script, but sucha supernatural discovery should have a significant Sanitycost, especially if done on a continuing basis of anotherwise inhuman tongue.

The mechanics of translation is left to the Keeper.Consider that it took Turner over a decade to make histranslation; unless the needs of the plot indicate otherwise,similar endeavors should take an equivalently long time.

home of the god need purify themselveswith a ritual drink containing thesupplicants blood, chocolate, and agreat number of obscure herbs and othersubstances. Finally, a complex rite is

described that would sanctify a temple orcity to Qai-hwann itself. Similar to theritual that draws forth the god, a series of

specially inscribed stones are set, but thearea and power of this spell is fargreater, as the god itself may freelydwell within the area circumscribed bythe stones regardless of season or if hisfaithful have called it forth. His placewill be known to those who can see hissign, but such a symbol is neverdescribed.

StatisticsIn Archaic Mayan Glyphs (-30% to skill,see note on Reading Mayan; for modernMayanists, this penalty is eliminated if

one of the tomes listed there is used as asupplemental source).Sanity Loss 1d3/2d4+1, Cthulhu Mythos

+5, Skill Check Hieratic Nacaal, +1 Anthropology,Spell multiplier x4, 16 weeksto study and comprehend.Spells: Great Prayer of Dha-khurpa (Call/ DismissHastur), Instrument ofTezcha Haptl (Chime of

Tezchaptl), Song of Qai-hwann (Song of Hastur),Preparation of the Guardian(Bind Byakhee), Preparationof the Xocoatl of the Sky(Brew Space Mead), TheUnbreakable Pact(Unspeakable Promise),Sanctification of the Stones(Free Hastur)

ResearchAssuming the

investigators are performingtheir work after Turner

publishes his translation, asingle Library Use roll canuncover the basic informationabout Turners discovery ofthe tablets. Additional rollscan find the basic facts

concerning Turners life, the decadespent translating the work, and his death.

Investigators seeking a cleardescription of the plates, especially aftertheir probable destruction in 1919 maylocate one with two successful LibraryUse rolls. The first is a reference to aletter exchanged between the AmericanMayanist Edward Herbert Thompson

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and his friend Albert Duchamp,an Egyptologist working for thePeabody Museum. Duchampencountered Turner soon afterhis return from Guatemala and

was one of the few scholars whohad a chance to examine thetablets before Turner took hisreclusive turn. In a letter toThompson, Duchamp describesthe tablets (as per the descriptionabove) including a note about thecurious metal they werehammered from:

Turners plates- he says they are acodex- are most curious. He askedme to look at them to see if I notedany parallels between the symbolstherein and those of the Egyptians.I could scarcely see any and toldhim as much. From everythingIve seen of your work and fromothers working in Mesoamerica, Ihave no doubt they are quitesimilar to the script used by theMaya. If this is fakery, it wascarefully done. One element that Icannot comprehend is that the

plates are made of metal. From

everything I know about the Maya, theyworked in gold and copper and while Iam no metallurgist, I am confident thatthis metal is of modern manufacture.Ancient coppers and bronzes alwayshave a green patina and these plates are

blemish free. The color is mostcertainly not that of gold and franklylooks to me to be some sort of modern

bronze alloy, almost greenish, but of afar greater durability. He shewed mehow the metal itself resists corrosion- adab of the sulfuric rolled off like so

much water; he also showed me howthe metal might be bent with great effort but how it also slowly returns to itsoriginal shape over a few minutes oncethe force is no longer applied. If heallows it, I make take a few rubbingsand pass them along to you, as I knowhow you find such things of interest.

This letter can be located amongThompsons papers after his death in1935; before that date, Thompsonhimself can relate this information.Duchamp may do so himself as well,though he died in 1911. Thompsons

papers can be located at any large EastCoast American university or museumthat the Keeper wishes.

Mayan CodicesThe Maya were a literate people with a rich written

language. While it is unclear how widespread literacy was, itis clear that among the elite writing was common and the artof writing was highly valued. Aside from carved inscriptionand paintings of the Mayan script, the Maya produced textscalled huun after the Nahuatl word for paper or bark; we referto them as codices (singular codex). These huun werefolding books made of amate (or amatl in Nahuatl) a type of

paper made with tree bark pulp sometimes whitened withlime. Codices, as best we are able to determine, were used torecord histories, astronomical information, religiousceremonies, and myths, frequently blended together.

When the Spanish encountered the Maya people, theyviewed the codices with great suspicion, believing them torecord the rites of Mayan religion which they viewed asdiabolic. Local religious leaders ordered them destroyed inthe 16 th century resulting in the annihilation of most of thecodices. This intentional destruction was compounded by theclimate of the region where the Mayans lived, as highhumidity and high temperatures ruined most of those codicesthat survived the Spanish.

A few codices survived this period but went unnoticeduntil the 19 th century when they were rediscovered byscholars. They are named for the cities in which they wererediscovered; images or reproductions of all these codices areavailable on line and ma rove of interest to the Kee er.

Students of the Mythos can find afew tentative hints that connect thecontents of the tablets to other Mythostomes. With a successful Cthulhu

Mythos roll and having access to Mythostexts discussing Mu find references tothe post-Muvian kingdom of Hemaerpi,confirming its existence. The priestDha-kurpa is mentioned by name in The

Zanthu Tablets (though Copelandtranslates the name as Dakhurpha). The

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god Qai-hwann is also named as a deity

of the Muvians; that being can bedirectly linked to Hastur in these sourcesas well.

Forged PlatesDescriptionThese plates were made by WordsworthTurner after his fathers death and soldto several private collectors. Eachthought they were purchasing the

original Turner Codex itself. Since theoriginals had not been seen in twodecades, this ruse went undetected untilinvestigators working on behalf ofWilliam Randolph Hearst (who wasnegotiating with Turner to purchase theCodex), discovered evidence of the ruse,

resulting in a lawsuit andlikely the fire thatdestroyed the Turner home.

This work is a series ofhammered copper plates

(depending on how oldthey are and how wellcared-for, they shouldshow signs of verdigris).The plates are regular 8

by 8 square and each plateis about thick. Thereare two columns of glyphson every plate (in the caseof the poorest forgeries,this will not be the case).

Microscopic examinationwill reveal the coppersheets were cut from alarger sheet, likely somesort of roofing material.The plates are flexible andcan be bent by hand.

The glyphs on the plates appear (with a Know roll) to be Mayan. Ifthe forgeries were accurate

copies, the glyphs will appear as thosedescribed above for the original plates.Anyone making a Mayan Hieroglyphics roll will recognize them as being a mish-mash of unrelated symbols, lacking anymeaning, cohesion, or grammar, thoughoccasionally direct copies of variousknown Mayan texts including the

Madrid Codex (c.f.) can be spotted.

The Dresden CodexPurchased in Vienna for the Royal Library of Dresden in 1739,the codex is thought to have been part of Cortezs gifts toCharles I. The best preserved, oldest, and with the finest art, itrecords astronomical tables for the Moon and Venus as well asreligious rituals. Badly damaged during the firebombing ofDresden during the Second World War, it has been restoredsubsequently. The text measures eight inches high by(unfolded) eleven feet long.

The Madrid CodexOriginally thought to be two separate Codex fragments (theTroano Codex and the Cortes Codex) they were recognized to

be segments of the same work in 1888 and reunited at theMuseo de Amrica. Of a poorer quality of art, the MadridCodex is thought to have been produced after the arrival of theSpanish but before the destruction of the last Mayan city in1697. The contents of the Madrid Codex deal with astrology

and divination, particularly what dates would be best for certainactivities, such as hunting, planting, or warfare.

The Paris CodexPurchased by the Bibliothque Impriale in 1832, this Codexwas generally neglected until it was spotted, stacked near afireplace, by scholar in 1859. It is in poor condition. Thecontents focus mainly on astrology and astronomicalobservations.

AvailabilityInvestigators active before 1920

might be able to obtain a copy fromWordsworth Turner himself. Asuccessful Credit Rating roll canconvince the younger Turner to sell themthe plates, though his asking price of$500 is a substantial amount. Any such

bargaining should be role-played rather

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than converted to a few die rollsand might constitute anevenings play on their own.

Several of WordsworthTurners forged copies of the

plates survived into the 21st

century and remain in the handsof private collectors, though atleast one version is obtained bythe Smithsonian in 1978; a single

plate is displayed as part of anexhibit on forgeries, identified asApocryphal Mayan text, c.1915. If any of the forgerieswere accurate copies of theoriginal plates they will be of

increasing interest to collectorsof occult and Mythos texts afterthe translation of Mayan writingin the later half of the 20 th century and should becorrespondingly rarer, ifavailable at all.

ContentsIf the plates were accurate

copies of the originals, the textwill be as above, save perhapsfor some unintentional errors incopying. Otherwise, the text if read isrevealed to be an essentially meaningless

jumble of unrelated glyphs occasionally broken up by copied text from knownMayan codices and engravings.

ResearchIn addition to the basic facts of

Maplethorpe Turner, the original plates,and their discovery as given previously,investigators seeking more informationabout the younger Turners forgeries canfind a few references to them in standardMayan histories with a successful

Library Use roll. These lump themtogether with other similar fakes createdto capitalize on the growing interest in

the Maya in the late 19 th and early 20 th century. Likewise a few rumors ofTurners criminal activities can beuncovered in contemporary newspaperstories about the fire that destroyed theTurner home in Brookline.

The Grolier FragmentDiscovered in a Mexican cave in 1970, this still controversialcodex survives only partially and even some of thesurviving pages are damaged. The text mirrors theastrological information of the Madrid Codex and the art is ofa much lower quality.

The Vatican Codex

This (fictional) work is a hitherto unknown Mayan codexdiscovered in the Borgia papers in the Vatican library in theearly 1970s. Experts examining the text were sharplydivided, with some claiming it to be genuine with othersinsisted it was a clever forgery. Most tantalizing to seekersafter the mysteries of the Mythos, one of the scholarsexamining the Codex stated that the contents sharply differedfrom certain elements of traditional Mayan religion and lore,describing a now-sunken Pacific continent from which thefirst men arose. Unfortunately Vatican officials, fearful ofembarrassment, have refused further access to the codex,

claiming it is too fragile for examination. (See ColinWilsons The Philosophers Stone for more information.)

Starting in the late 19 th century, as interest in Mayan writinggrew, a number of forgeries in the style of these codices have

been produced, a group into which scholars have castTurners discovery. Occasionally the remains of what mayhave once been codices are discovered in Mayan ruins but todate no useful text has been recovered. Indeed due to theheat and humidity in which they have been kept, they arelittle more than lumps of lime and paint. Perhaps at some

point some new development might unlock their secrets

William Randolph Hearstsinvolvement in the Turner scandal can

be discovered with a second Library Useroll. After that mans death in 1951,investigators who are able to gain accessto his papers can find a few dealing withhis agents discovery of the forgery.These papers identify Albert Duchampsdescription of the plates and can lead tothe discovery of that source as well.

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Wordsworth Turner and his forgeriesLeft all but penniless upon his fathers

death, Wordsworth Turner (1877-1933)concocted a scheme to turn his fathersdiscovery into riches for himself. Knowing ashe did the proclivities of private collectors ofMayan antiquities, Turner reckoned that despitethe public rejection of his fathers translation ofthe Codex, the plates themselves would still beof interest to collectors. As only a very smallnumber of other people had ever seen theoriginal plates, Turner realized that he mightreap a profit from their sale more than once ifhe could reproduce the plates himself, tellingeach buyer that they alone had the original, butfor reasons of inheritance squabbles with hissiblings and potential criticism from theacademic establishment, the sale would not be

publicly announced.Turner obtained a quantity of copper and

began his work. It is left to the Keeper ifTurner faithfully reproduced the text as itappeared on the original plates or threw togethera hodge-podge of known glyphs in ameaningless jumble. At least ten full sets of

plates were sold to collectors, including thenewspaperman William Randolph Hearst.Unfortunately for Turner, a researchauthenticating the plates (so that they might beinsured) discovered a contemporary descriptionthat did not match the plates Turner was selling;subsequent testing determined the plates to beof recent manufacture. Hearst sued Turner andhis scheme was made public.

Knowing he was ruined, Wordsworth setfire to the family home, destroying the unsoldcopies of his fathers translation, several moresets of forged plates, the dies used to makethese plates, and (allegedly) the original plates

as well. Fleeing the country, the youngerTurner circulated in Mesoamerica and theCaribbean, occasionally finding work with a

private dig or expedition but, more often thannot, eking a living acting as a translator. Hisdeath in Santo Domingo in 1933 was highlysuspicious the police ruled he strangledhimself somehow but not unexpected.

Finally, a separate Library Use rollcan uncover the biographicalinformation on Wordsworth Turner

presented below, including his death.Research into the younger Turner

can locate a helpful lead for thosehoping to translate the plates themselves.A Library Use roll can discover that allof the books that survived the fire thatdestroyed the Turner home were donatedto the Boston Public Library. Amongthese was the elder Turners copy ofDostmanns Remnants of Lost Empires .The catalogue notes heavy annotation tothe work in Maplethorpe Turners hand,including a set of notes comparing

certain illustrations with Mayansymbols.

StatisticsIn Archaic Mayan Glyphs (-30% to

skill). If the contents are based directlyfrom the original plates, than some valueequal or less than those of the original

plates may be assigned. Even if theforgeries were carefully made copies ofthe original plates however, errors andmistakes are likely to have occurredtherefore the reading time shouldincrease at least by 50%, if not more.

Rites of the Ancient MayaRevealed ( The Turner Codex )Description

A slim volume, perhaps 120 pages,6 x 9 bound in white cloth. The titleand author are given on the cover in adark green ink. A front page gives the

title and author again, along with theworks subtitle New Discoveries Aided by a New Method of Translating theMayan Script. A date (1902) and placeof publication are listed (Boston), but no

publisher is named. Every copy has been hand-numbed in pencil by Turner,usually given as out of 1000. The paper

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is of good quality and, baringmistreatment, the book will age well.There are no illustrations.

Availability

Turner financed the production ofonly 1000 copies of his book and, even adecade later, most of the copiesremained unsold. Most, if not all, of theunsold copies were burned in the 1919fire that destroyed the Turner home.During the next six decades occasionalcopies might be found; investigatorsseeking to buy this work can make a

Luck roll once per month to locate acopy, once every two weeks if they have

Archaeology or Anthropology (or otherappropriate skill) over 60%. A fewuniversity libraries also obtained copies

Harvard, Duke, the University ofPennsylvania though in the case ofHarvard at least it is filed as a work offiction

The meteoric career of BrianLochnar and his rock group Gods LostChildren (c.f.) brought the Codex a briefwindow of exposure in the mid 1980s.Crediting the work, among severalesoteric texts, for inspiring his music,Lochnar interest in the book saw a surgein the value of the surviving copies.Several librarys copies were stolen(including Dukes copy), presumably byoverzealous fans of the group, causingmost institutions that still possessedcopy to remove it from circulation.

For a brief period in the late 1990s,an electronic copy was posted as part ofthe Project Gutenberg but a series ofvery unusual server failures corruptedthe text, causing it to be withdrawn.Unfortunately the original copy ofTurners book used for this electronicversion was destroyed in a fire and thefiles have not been reposted.Periodically file-sharing sites will list

PDF copies of the Turner Codex butthese files are almost always bogus.

ContentsSkimming- These tablets record the

rites of the god Kaiwan, The InvisibleOne, The Unspeakable, Lord of theGreat Sign, Whisperer of Truth.These tablets are tribute to him that isthe great lord and were carried from a farland after that kingdom was destroyed.

The codex holds the prayers ofKaiwan- invocations, blessings, oaths,and sanctifying rites for various sacredthings. Most of these require bloodsacrifice, special songs, and the correct

alignment of stars. Kaiwan apparently islimited in certain ways and the spelldescribed here help to weaken the bondsthat constrain him. Apparently he sleepsin a distant city beyond (or perhaps

beneath) a lake. The city is somehowtied to the star That Which GoesBefore.

Thorough Reading- These tabletsrecord the rites and rituals of theKaiwan, god who cannot be named.They were carried from the lost empireof the western sea by the priest Dhakubato a new kingdom where they were

preserved by Kaiwans priests. Thiscopy, dedicated to the new king, recordsthe secrets of Kaiwan, who was the

patron god of that kingdom.The central purpose of the tablets is

to record the rites of Kaiwan, the Nameless or Unspeakable, whodwells in a city beyond a lake governed

by the star we call Aldebaran. Kaiwan isa strange god, said to be of the world butalso kept from it save by theenchantments described in the codex.He may only speak of true things but histruths are so mighty as to destroy menand the work of man. He is served by

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bizarre flying monsters that come down

from the sky. Everything about the being is vague and unsettling, and he issaid to hunger to return to our worldfrom his distant dwelling.

There are many rites described. Thegreatest of these summons forth Kaiwanitself, using sacred stones, but only whenAldebaran is visible. Another rite

pledges a priest to Kaiwans service,

granting great power in exchange forloyalty, even after death. Those whohave made this pact can forge the sacredchime of Tezchaptl, whose sound is

pleasing to Kaiwan and brings forth hismagic. These chimes can only be madein certain remote places, all mountains.There is also a song that his priests

Other EditionseText version

This version is a text file of Turners work, sloppily transcribed. The spelling of namesis inconsistent and typos are common enough in the text to decrease its use particularly tothose studying the codexs rites and spells.

In English. As Turner Codex , but Spell Multiplier is x1 and time to read is increased to4 weeks.

PDF versionsThis version, when it is an authentic copy of the Turner Codex , consists of scanned

pages from of a hastily made photocopy of the book (the copyists thumb appears on one page in three). The reproduction quality is low, making the text difficult to read.

In English. As Turner Codex , but Spell Multiplier is x2, time to read is increased to 5weeks, and all Read English rolls to study the work are at -20%.

Spanish VersionAn informal translation circulated among some of the faculty at Mexicos Escuela

Nacional de Antropologa e Historia (National School of Anthropology and History) in thelate 1960s. Produced by an unknown staff member, this translation of Turners booktruncates most of the listed enchantments, but includes a section discussing Turnersexpeditions in Mesoamerica, suggesting his papers might disclose previously unexploredsites in the Yucatan.

In Spanish. Sanity Loss 1/1d4 points, Cthulhu Mythos +3, Anthropology +1, threeweeks to study and comprehend. Spells: Para crear el carilln del Tezchaptl ( EnchantChime of Tezchaptl ).

From the Library of Brian Lochnar- Secrets of The Turner Codex In English. Cheaply put together by Phantasic Productions, a third-rate publisher of

occult and paranormal titles, this 1988 book was a crass attempt to cash in on BrianLochnars celebrity after his untimely death. The text contains extended but context-freequotations from the Turner Codex itself (infrequently misnamed the Tumer Codex ),augmented heavily with lyrics from Gods Lost Childrens songs, guitar tabs, band photos,and allegedly similar texts from other surviving Mayan Codices. The text is frequentlyillustrated with gory imagery taken from Mayan, Aztec, and Olmec art, without regards forsource or connection to the Turner Codex .

In English. Sanity Loss 0/1d2 points (possibly higher for editors and proof-reader),Cthulhu Mythos +0, 1 week to study and comprehend.

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might sing that pleases Kaiwan andallows them to use his magic to undo thesorcery of others. Those who desire togo before Kaiwan need purifythemselves with a ritual drink containing

the supplicants blood, chocolate, and agreat number of obscure herbs and othersubstances. Finally, a complex rite isdescribed that would sanctify a temple orcity to Kaiwan itself. Similar to theritual that draws forth the god, a series ofspecially inscribed stones are set, but thearea and power of this spell is fargreater, as the god itself may freelydwell within the area circumscribed bythe stones regardless of season or if his

faithful have called it forth. He will holdthat place, as if between his thumb andforefinger.

ResearchIn addition to the research previously

discussed, investigators seekinginformation specifically on the TurnerCodex itself can uncover severaldisparaging references to it in academic

journals after its publication, includingone scholarly works open rejection of itas a lurid and hapless forgery. Turnersresponse was a barrage of angry lettersto these and other journals. These can

be located as well. Turners continualinsistence is that his translation must beaccepted solely on his word as agentleman and this should be enough toguarantee his scholarship. Turner alsoadamantly proclaims the fundamentalmisunderstanding of the Maya by hiscontemporaries who imagine them

perfect scholar priests, bloodless andrational as you fantasize yourselves to

be, not living, breathing men whoworshipped, and warred, and killed.

In the later 20 th century a fewAtlantis experts reference the TurnerCodex as evidence of their ancient

civilization claiming his metal plateswere not Mayan at all, but somefragment of the lost Atlantean people.While these authors condemn thescholars who ignored Maplethorpe

Turner, they reject his translation no lesscompletely.After the codex gained some

notoriety after its use by Gods LostChildren it was added to the usual list ofSatanic texts by Christian groups,though none of them actually makereference to the books contents.Internet searches tend to turn upwarnings from these groups if they arenot directly related to Brian Lochnar or

his music directly.Investigators seeking to purchase acopy of the book will likely findmultiple copies of the nearly uselessPhantastic Productions version. Anyonefoolish enough to purchase it sightunseen will almost certainly end up withthis useless edition rather than Turnersoriginal work.

StatisticsIn English. Sanity Loss 1d2/1d6;

Cthulhu Mythos +4; Anthropology +1,Hieratic Nacaal +1. 3 weeks to study andcomprehend. Spell Multiplier x3.Spells: Great Prayer of Kaiwan(Call/Dismiss Hastur), Chime ofTezchaptl, Preparation of the Xocoatl(Brew Space Mead), The UnspeakableOath (Unspeakable Promise), Rite of theStones (Free Hastur)

The Music of Gods LostChildren DescriptionFounded by charismatic front man BrianLochnar (c.f.), Gods Lost Children(frequently shortened to GLC) were a

briefly but intensely popular American

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heavy metal group. The group releasedtwo full-length albums before founderLochnars death in 1988, a self-titledrelease and Unspeakable ; a 1990 best-of album ( Forever Lost ) collected

tracks from both albums as well as a fewlive tracks. Bootleg recordings of theirconcerts (all from the Unspeakable tour)have also been released in Japan andEurope.

The bands music was guitar-drivenheavy metal, with a focus on exceptionaltechnical skill on Lochnars part as wellas extensive over-dubbing and studiowork on their two releases. Hundreds oftracks were overlaid on some recordings

and every audio technique available atthe time was applied to their creation.

AvailabilityAll three Gods Lost Children

releases are available in vinyl and CDformatting. The self-titled and best-ofalbums both sold over 500,000 copieswhile Unspeakable sold over 1 million.Though the bands popularity declinedrapidly in the 1990s with the rise ofother artists and styles, used copies of allthree recordings can be found at low

prices in used record stores or via theInternet. Bootleg recordings of severaltour dates from the Unspeakable Tour(and Lochnars final performance inJacksonville especially) can be obtainedat somewhat higher prices. Due tolicensing disputes with the bands label,officially none of their songs areavailable in MP3 format online but can

be found without difficulty on file-sharing sites of questionalble legality.Investigators may also hear a track fromthe band if they listen to a metal radiostation with a roll of POW x 1 or less perhour; this will be substantially higher thecloser the year is to (but not before,obviously) 1987.

ContentsGods Lost Children

The cover depicts the logo of the band, the three letters of its name in

silver on a black background, tumbledtogether forming a strange shape.Viewers making a Cthulhu Mythos rollnote the similarities with the dreadedYellow Sign, though the cover art iscompletely mundane.

The eleven tracks are a relentless blend of heavy-metal chords, overlaying

an almosttrance-like

beat. In certain

songs hundredsof tracks consisting ofchants, obscure

instruments, human screams, and animalnoises are mixed producing a wall ofsound effect that is impressive as it isear-splitting. Listeners with Art ( Music )of 20% or higher will be impressed withthe quality of musicianship, particularlythat of Brian Lochnars guitar work,which is furious, highly technical, andflawless. While the music isunmistakably in the heavy metal(sometimes bordering on speed metal)style, the lyrical content lacks theunsubtle sexual references or reflexiveanarchistic tropes that feature so often inthe music of those acts. Instead they aremore meditative, almost dream-likeimagery, with a certain vague andmenacing quality, almost as if the wholething is one tension-building unresolvedchord.

Of particular interest are two tracks-The Dark Ones Rise and Old Times,

New Times, as their lyrics are said inthe liner notes to be taken directly fromthe Turner Codex . Careful listeners tothe chanting underlying several tracks

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can with a successful Listen and Cthulhu Mythos roll identify short quotes fromthe Necronomicon . All these quotes arediscussions of the return of the GreatOld Ones.

UnspeakableThe cover is a triptych of photos of

the three band members (Lochnar,Schwartz, and Holland), each bound in astraight jacket. Holland glares at theviewer, his head low. Schwartz has hishead turned to the side and is muzzled.Lochnar stares straight ahead, his mouth

a bloodied mess, two streaks of bloodframing his chin. Behind each is a largestone pillar engraved on which are theletters G (Schwartz), L (Lochnar), and C(Holland). Scribbled across the front is

the title, as if painted in blood. Carefulexamination of Lochnar reveals he iswearing an onyx v-shaped earring, setwith nine diamonds; anyone familiarwith the spell Free Hastur will see a

parallel between this shape and themonolith arrangement in the spell. Thereverse of the cover shows the bandmembers in full regalia standing behinda bonfire. Lochnar has his hands raisedabove his head. An Astronomy roll

notices his arms frame the constellationTaurus.Musically this album was more

skillfully produced than Gods LostChildren . The sixteen tracks are of asimilar style to those on the earlierrecord as are the lyrics, but the sound iscleaner and the songs hooks are more

immediate. There is, however,something deeply unnerving about theexperience of listening to the album thefirst time; many listeners experience a

powerful sense of foreboding or like

they are being watched. Sanity costupon first listen is 0/1 points. While themusic is as striking (and grating) as the

previous release, the title track is themost striking- a successful Listen rollidentifies a particularly curious back-masked section of the song which can,with a Cthulhu Mythos roll, be identifiedas in the Xothic language; this discovery

costs 0/1d2 points of Sanity. IfXothic can be understood, it

discovered to be a prayer to Hastur.On several tracks there are a fewguest musicians; one of these, asaxophonist, is credited as TheRoyal Pant, which an Idea roll (ifnecessary) highlights is an anagramfor Nyarlathotep. (The saxophonist

can be identified as a studio musiciannamed Herbie Doc Hike. If contactedhe says the Royal Pant pseudonymwas Lochnars idea though he is unsurewhy he requested the change be made.)

Extremely High FidelityFor investigators seeking to explore the Mythos effectsof Lochnars music, only the vinyl releases record thesubsonic and hypersonic frequencies that produceoccult effects or extreme reactions in listeners. Sanity

penalties should be reduced or eliminated accordinglyfor digital versions.

Forever Lost: the Best of Gods LostChildren

The cover art is the band, photographed from behind, at theconclusion of their final performance inJacksonville. Lochnar is at center-stage,

back lit and casting a long shadow, whileHolland holds his bass aloft in one handand Schwartz pushes his drum-kit off itsweird faux-stone riser. The audience isawash in flash bulbs and cigarettelighters held aloft. Interior photos showLochnar earlier in his career; in one

picture of him dressed as Doktor Black,his guitar appears to have a curioussymbol painted on it (again a mundaneand inexpertly painted version of the

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Yellow Sign; Cthulhu Mythos roll willidentify it if the Yellow Sign has not

been seen previously.)This record contains the album

versions of The Dark Ones Rise and

Unspeakable as well as a live versionof Old Times, New Times (recorded inHouston, Texas) which includes asection where Lochnar leads theaudience in a weird chant; this can beidentified as a portion of the spell FreeHastur if a copy of that spell has beenstudied, otherwise a Cthulhu Mythos rollcan identify it as Mythos related.Hearing the chant assists anyoneattempting to learn this spell, increasing

their spell multiplier by 1. The songconcludes with an ear-splitting guitarsolo by Lochnar; investigators who haveencountered a byakhee will recognize itas an imitation of that creatures cry.

ResearchInvestigators seeking more

information on Gods Lost Children willhave an easy time finding informationabout the band but face a more difficulttask in uncovering the occult secrets

behind their music. Americaninvestigators can, with a Know roll,recall the basic outline of the bandshistory and might even own a copy ofUnspeakable if appropriate.

The details of Lochnars career can be uncovered easily with a single Library Use roll; while far from the most popular figure in music, Lochnars over-the-top stage antics, guitar skills, occulttrappings, and tragic death havecombined to make him the subject ofmultiple fan tribute sites that accuratelycover his public career. Several

biographies also exist but tend to focuson his music rather than his personal life.

A second Library Use roll will trackdown a 1994 article for the music

magazine Cake entitled Brujo, Bully,and Bad-Ass: Brian Lochnar, theZapatistas, and Rock-n-Roll Magic.This article includes a few generallyignored aspects of Lochnars life.

During Lochnars psychiatrichospitalization he routinely worewomens clothing. An unofficialinterview with an unnamedformer nurse suggests Lochnarstroubles were a result of hischildhood injury that causeddamage to his frontal lobeexacerbated by heavy drug andalcohol use.

Lochnar claimed that after an

accident when he was 13 hespoke to a god but not God. A former girlfriend from his

Doktor Black days indicated thatLochnars interest in the occultwas far from an act and that thetwo of them practiced ritualmagic (or as the article saysmagick) together, includingTantra and certain spells helearned in Mexico.

Regarding this time in Mexicothe author, using informationobtained from Lochnars mother,records his two year period inMexico, from 1980-82. InMexico Lochnar roamed about,claimed to have met with Maoistrebels in Oaxaca (the authorstretches the truth past breakingto make the Zapatistaconnection) and have studied

with an ancient brujo in Chiapas(the article translates this aswarlock and suggests Lochnar isderived from lock/war). The

brujo is said to have taught himthe secret rites of Quixan,which is described as theVoodoo Spirit of Music, also

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called the Yellow (or Nameless)One.

Credits:Text and Layout : Bret Kramer

The article concludes by paintingLochnar as a proto-revolutionaryvisionary, glossing over his self-

destructive habits or darkerinterest completely.

Proof-reading and general assistance :Chad Bowser and Jeff Okamoto

My thanks to Tom Lynch andMiskatonic River Press for letting me put this together, the many dedicated andfaithful scholars of the Mayan peoplewhose work I cheerfully misrepresented,and heavy metal musicians everywhere.

Investigators may wish to trackdown former associates of Lochnars.Unfortunately most of these individualsare dead or very difficult to track down,even within a few years of his death.Members of the gang Satans Sadists, amotorcycle group that provided securityduring the Unspeakable tour are almost

all dead (many in the Bellaire Arms fire)or serving lengthy prison terms.Lochnars mother died in a house fire in1991 and his estate was broken upamong several distant relations. His

bandmates Mark Holland and KevinSchwartz survived the Bellaire Armsfire. Holland is alive into the presentday; he lives in Key West comfortablyoff the bands residuals. He will refuseinterviews of all sorts as he is tired of

this old rock-star bullshit. Schwartzunsuccessfully attempted to continueGods Lost Children, replacing Lochnarand Holland with other performers.They conducted a much-ridiculed state-fair reunion tour in 1991 and thenwent on hiatus. He died in 1993 from anoverdose of cocaine.

Statistics None of these recordings grant any

increase to skills or convey any spells.Any Sanity costs or any other skill rollsare listed in their descriptions.

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notes on the turner codex

Documents