Pnakotic Manuscripts

The Pnakotic Manuscripts (or Pnakotic Fragments) is a grimoire created originally by the Great Race of Yith and kept in their library-city of Pnakotus before being moved to frozen Lomar and the Dreamlands.

Appearances in Other Fiction

There is a copy in the collection of the Library of St John the Beheaded. (ADJ: Doctor Who, Millennial Rites)

Behind the Mythos

The Pnakotic Manuscripts were the first fictional grimoire created by H. P. Lovecraft, even before mentions of the Necronomicon. It was extensively expanded upon by Lin Carter, who wrote a couple of "chapters" from the work; Chaosium has also added data.

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Pnakotic Manuscripts

The ~1,011 (MXI) Pnakotic Fragments make up several books that include:

• The "pre-Pleistocene" records of the Great Race, they were later added to by the prehuman worshippers of Tsathoggua (the Voormis) and then by the Pnakotic Brotherhood, right up to the flight from Lomar, when copies were carried into the Dreamland, among other places. Each generation of the Brothers added to the text.
• The eighth fragment deals with Rhan-Tegoth. (HPL: "The Horror in the Museum") In the 15th Century the one public translation (into English) was made by an unknown author. This "pirate" version is known only as five bound manuscripts held by major libraries in Europe and America.
• The story of Sansu who climbed the mountain Hatheg-Kla when the world was young but found nothing (HPL: The Other Gods).
• An Untranslatable section containing the symbol found carved atop Hatheg-Kla after the dissapearance of Barzai the Wise (HPL: The Other Gods).

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Type

Manuscript, Magical (Tome/Scroll)

Medium

Metal

Location

Yith