Call of Cthulhu 1920s100% FREE ASSETS & MAPS

Secrets of Kenya

Welcome to a sun-drenched nightmare. Secrets of Kenya transports your investigators to the heart of 1920s and 1930s Africa, far from the familiar mists of Arkham or London. This massive campaign and sourcebook combination offers an incredibly detailed sandbox, from the bustling, dusty streets of colonial Nairobi to the vast, uncharted expanses of the Serengeti and the Swahili Coast.

More than just a setting book, this campaign delves deep into the visceral terror of the Cthulhu Mythos entwined with African folklore. Investigators will uncover the terrifying truth behind the Leopards-Men, delve into subterranean ghoul empires stretching from the Rift Valley to the Atlas Mountains, and even cross into the Dreamlands via the feline-infested alleys of Lamu.

The supplement includes an exhaustive guide to the flora, fauna, and local tribes, alongside four massive, interconnected scenarios: Madness of the Ancestors, The Cats of Lamu, Savage Lands, and Wooden Death. Supported by an astounding collection of 98 high-quality VTT battlemaps, Game Masters have everything they need to run thrilling expeditions, nightmarish ambushes, and mind-bending encounters with ancient deities.

Chapters / Acts10 Dedicated Chapters

Battlemaps Available98 Free Maps HD

VTT CompatibilityFoundry, Roll20, Fantasy Grounds

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Select a Campaign Chapter

Click any chapter below to access its dedicated guide, act synopsis, and full tactical battlemap collection.

Chapter #1Kenya

The Making of Kenya

From origins to the 1930s

This chapter serves as a deep dive into the colonial era of 1920s-1930s Kenya, establishing a rich, historically grounded setting teeming with cosmic horror. Investigators will arrive by sea, navigating the arduous journey through the Suez Canal to dock in Mombasa, before plunging into the heart of the continent. The narrative outlines local laws, distinct modes of transportation, and the oppressive social structures defining British East Africa. From the bustling, segregated districts of Nairobi—contrasting the opulent European Quarter with vibrant Indian Bazaars and dusty outskirts—to the sweeping, untamed wilderness of the Rift Valley, the environment is as beautiful as it is perilous. Behind the facade of colonial expansion and untamed wildlife, the insidious influence of the Cthulhu Mythos begins to bleed into reality, waiting to be uncovered.

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Chapter #2Kenya

Chapter 2: The African People

Kenyan Tribes & Lifestyles (1920s-1930s)

This chapter provides a deep dive into the diverse peoples and cultures of 1920s Kenya, offering essential context for Keepers and players alike. It outlines the traditions, beliefs, and daily lives of various tribes, establishing a rich historical and anthropological backdrop. Players can use this detailed information to create grounded African investigators, bringing fresh perspectives and deep local knowledge to the Mythos investigations taking place across the East African protectorate.

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Chapter #3Nairobi

Chapter 3: Guide to Nairobi

1920s-1930s Colonial City

Welcome to 1920s Nairobi, a bustling colonial hub where luxury and poverty collide. This chapter serves as a comprehensive guide to the Kenyan capital, offering investigators a vast sandbox to explore. From the majestic colonial government buildings and the opulent Muthaiga Club to the crowded, dust-choked alleys of the Indian Bazaar Quarter and the sprawling shanty towns, the city hides many dark secrets beneath its vibrant surface. Beneath the mundane facade of tea houses and natural history museums, cosmic horrors wait in the dark. Investigators will have to navigate complex social classes to uncover an occult underworld. Their journey will lead them to isolated clearings where spiritist cults perform unholy rituals under meteor showers, and eventually to a terrifying underground temple dedicated to a dwarfish entity known as the Little Crawler.

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Chapter #4Kenyan Interior

The Kenyan Interior

1920s-1930s Expedition

The Investigators venture deep into the heart of 1920s Kenya, traveling from the sweltering coastal port of Mombasa to the unforgiving expanses of the northern deserts. Along the way, they must navigate tropical diseases, unforgiving wilderness, and hidden terrors lurking beneath the surface of the colonial frontier. Their journey leads them to isolated trading posts, sprawling coffee plantations, and even beyond the veil of reality into the Dreamlands' obscure Cat Square. The facade of mundane colonial life rapidly shatters as the mythos begins to bleed into reality. Ultimately, the investigation culminates in deadly confrontations at a subterranean cultist lair hidden within the Black Wind Mountain, and terrifying descents into ghoul-infested caverns deep beneath the arid Shaba Territory.

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Chapter #5Africa

African Bestiary

Wildlife and Wilderness of the 1920s

This chapter serves as a comprehensive guide to the diverse and dangerous wildlife of the African continent for Call of Cthulhu campaigns. Investigators traveling across these untamed lands will face not only eldritch horrors but also the very real threats of the natural world, from stalking lions in the Serengeti to massive crocodiles lurking in sluggish rivers. It offers a deep dive into various biomes, including the dense Congo jungle, the arid expanses of the Sahara, and the unique soda lakes of East Africa. Each environment brings its own set of challenges, requiring players to adapt their survival strategies against the blistering elements and apex predators alike.

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Chapter #6Africa

Secret Societies

Cults and Conspiracies in 1920s Africa

Africa in the 1920s and 1930s is a vast continent rife with hidden horrors and ancient conspiracies. From the dense, suffocating jungles of the Congo Basin to the seemingly endless expanses of the Sahara, secret societies such as the Bloody Tongue, the Spiral Worm, and the Leopard Men conduct unholy rites. These shadowy organizations worship cosmic entities far beyond human comprehension, manipulating the threads of both local tribes and oblivious colonial powers. Beneath the surface, an unseen threat festers in the darkness. Vast empires of ghouls thrive in labyrinthine subterranean caverns stretching from the Rift Valley to the Atlas Mountains, hoarding dark secrets and human slaves. Investigators venturing into these forbidden territories will face relentless cultists, albino monstrosities, and the maddening truth of the Masked Messenger, all hidden within lost monolith cities and wind-swept mountain peaks.

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Chapter #7Tsavo and Kilimanjaro

Madness of the Ancestors

1931 - Tsavo & Kilimanjaro

The investigation begins at Miskatonic University before taking the investigators across the globe to the bustling docks of Mombasa and the dusty outpost of Tsavo. They are tasked with looking into a series of mysterious murders at the Forbes-Spaulding excavation site, located in the dry savannah at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Upon arrival, they quickly discover that the archaeological dig is merely a facade—or perhaps a tragic victim—of a terrifying, sprawling underground network inhabited by ghouls. As the group descends into the earth, they cross fast-flowing subterranean rivers, prison pits, and vast caverns adorned with millennia-old prophetic frescoes. The horrifying journey culminates at the colossal Feeding Chamber—a dizzying underground city lit by bioluminescent slime, where a macabre society of naked humans survives on sheer rock walls, bordering a dark, bone-strewn lake erupting with boiling geysers.

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Chapter #8Lamu and the Dreamlands

Chapter 8: The Cats of Lamu

A Journey into the Dreamlands

In the tropical heat of 1920s Lamu, investigators are drawn into a bizarre pact. After visiting the occult-laden townhouse of Jamal Alhazred, they are approached by an unusual feline community. These intelligent cats of Lamu desperately need human assistance to vanquish a terrifying entity residing beyond the waking world: the monstrous Witch of Zais. To fulfill their end of the bargain, the investigators must project their minds into the Dreamlands. Their journey begins in an endless, windswept desert cut by rivers of shifting sand, leading them to the edge of the perilous Rutanyu Canyon. Descending ancient, treacherous stairs, they reach the forgotten ruins of Abharanah, a cursed city watched over by three colossal statues and swarming with feline guides. The final confrontation awaits deep beneath a dark temple. Braving an underground labyrinth of absolute, magical darkness, the party must locate the Hag's bone-strewn lair. There, amidst the macabre remnants of her victims and a mystical stone basin reflecting a lost beauty, the ultimate battle for the fate of the Dreamlands' cats will unfold.

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Chapter #9Serengeti Plains

Chapter 9: Savage Lands

1920s-1930s Kenya

The investigators embark on a harrowing rescue mission across the sun-baked Serengeti Plains. Starting from the smoky exclusivity of Nairobi's gentlemen's club, the trail leads them to a gruesome scene at an isolated colonial farmhouse, revealing deep claw marks that hint at something far more sinister than mere wildlife. As they venture deeper into the unforgiving savannah, they encounter traditional tribal villages and the chilling, bloody remnants of a devastated safari camp. The true horror unfolds when the investigators are ambushed under the cover of night, discovering the brutal existence of the cannibalistic Leopard-Men cult. Following the cultists to their corrupted settlement hidden within a blighted depression, the party must confront the unimaginable: a grotesque subterranean sanctuary where colossal, oozing statues of Cthulhu and Tsathoggua loom over a dark, sacrificial well.

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Chapter #10Northwest Kenya

Wooden Death

The Red Flux and the Mi-Go Menace

The investigators' journey leads them to the remote and unforgiving landscapes of Northwest Kenya, where an unnatural blight is ravaging the land. Their nightmare begins at a dying village on the Nzava River, filled with charred corpses and desperate survivors, hinting at an otherworldly catastrophe. As they push further towards the Mountains of the Moon, they uncover a sinister Mi-Go mining outpost and a macabre field scattered with thousands of bloodless cattle carcasses. The true cosmic horror unfolds within the Valley of the Red Flux—an ash-gray crater devoid of terrestrial life, centered around a shapeshifting metallic ship. Should the investigators dare to breach its geometric impossibility, they will be violently thrust into a timeless Extraterrestrial Dimension. Here, they must navigate black sand deserts, obsidian labyrinths, zero-gravity chasms, and a repulsive sea of living flesh if they ever hope to return to Earth with their sanity intact.

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Featured Campaign Battlemaps

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Secrets of Kenya

groupsRunning Secrets of Kenya?

Select a Campaign Chapter

The Making of Kenya

Chapter 2: The African People

Chapter 3: Guide to Nairobi

The Kenyan Interior

African Bestiary

Secret Societies

Madness of the Ancestors

Chapter 8: The Cats of Lamu

Chapter 9: Savage Lands

Wooden Death

Featured Campaign Battlemaps

Desert Canal Passage

Coastal Colonial Fortress

African Savanna Railway

Colonial Governor's Estate

Busy Colonial Bazaar

Dusty Outskirts Shanty Town

Highlands Savanna Plains

Alkaline Volcanic Lakes

Great Inland Lake Shores

1920s Colonial Farmhouse Interior

Great Lakes Fishing Shores

Arid Plains Nomadic Camp

Highland Tribal Village

Coastal Merchant City

Village Elders Square

Tribal Healer's Hut

1920s Railway Station

Colonial Government House and Square

Colonial Era Hotels & Crossroads

City Grand Library

Expedition Equipment Trading Post

1920s Central Police Station

Luxury Tudor Hotel

Natural History Museum

Spiritist Cult Gathering Place

Eastern Bazaar Quarter

Wooden Tea House

Underground Cult Temple

Shanty Town Slums

Colonial Military Outpost

Luxury 1920s Country Club

1920s State Hospital

Explorer's Private Residence

Vast Coffee Plantation

Colonial African Port and Streets

Townhouse Observatory and Occult Library

Dreamlands Feline Market Square

Isolated Savanna Trading Outpost

Colonial Coffee Farmhouse

Safari Lodge & Stilted Platform

Jungle Volcano Cult Lair

Coffee Plantation Dry Well

Frontier Lake Docks and Market

Traditional Arid Tribal Camp

Subterranean Cannibal Caverns

Devastated Jungle Clearing

Dusty Grassland Savannah

Brackish Salt Lake

Tropical Forest Swamp Clearing

Arid Desert Dunes

Tall Grass Savannah Plains

Dense Jungle Undergrowth

Sluggish Crocodile River

Rocky Mountain Escarpment

Windswept Sandy Coastline

Rocky Cultist Mountain Peak

Ruined Jungle City

Underground Slave Pens

Ancient Desert Sanctuary

Forgotten Monolith Metropolis

1930s Academic's Office

1930s Colonial African Docks

Dusty African Outpost and Lodge

1930s African Archaeological Dig Site

Creepy Underground Bone Kings Cavern

Subterranean Rock Pits