Zyrloth, the Buried Market Giant

Elder · 1920s

A classic monster for Call of Cthulhu.

It stirs not for profit, but for rhythm.

Abilities

  • STR: 95
  • CON: 90
  • SIZ: 100
  • DEX: 30
  • POW: 85

Stats

  • Hit Points: 150
  • Damage Bonus: +4D6
  • Build: +10
  • Move: 6
  • Magic Points: 80
  • Sanity Loss: 2/1d6

Description

Beneath the bustling stalls of the Old Harbor market, the stone dust of unfinished scaffolding clings to the air. Two centuries of wooden fixtures and fresh paint mask the presence of a titanic form asleep in the cavernous cellar, its ribs of stone and ancient timber pulsing with a schedule no mortal set. When the bell tolls at noon, the creature shifts its weight, though it never fully awakens.

Attacks & Special Powers

**Crushing Slam.** The beast’s shifting mass slams the floor with a 40% chance, dealing 4D6+SIZ crushing damage to anyone caught beneath the falling stone. **Resonant Pulse.** A low-frequency vibration radiates from its core on a 20% chance, causing 3D6 mental shock and Sanity loss of 1/1d6 to those nearby. **Dream‑Weave Whisper.** In its half‑awake state it emits a garbled telepathic murmur, attempting to convey a schedule; listeners must succeed on a Spot Hidden 70% or suffer 1/1d6 Sanity loss as the alien cadence gnaws at their minds.

Behavior

Zyrloth does not intend harm, but its attempts at communication are clumsy, expressed through tremors that align with the market’s daily rhythms. It awakens only when the appointed bells strike, and its movements follow an ancient timetable etched into the stone beneath the stalls. Investigators who discern its pattern may coax it into a brief cease‑fire, but any misunderstanding can provoke a catastrophic shift.

Tags: market, colossus, sleeping, ancient

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