Within the tidepool caves, where the air is thick with salt, and the tides smash against the rocks; I could hear its whispers. The light doesn’t reach far in there, and the crabs scatter when you come. At first I thought it was the death throes of a drowned pirate. But as I approached I noticed the sounds were coming from the slick dark cloak cradled in his arms.
I should have left it there. It fit too well when I pulled it on, as if it had been made for me. At first, it was just warmth in the cold of the cave; something to bring back and show the others. But it spoke that night. Dreams came with the voice, awful things. Shapes too big, too many eyes, too many teeth. I woke up shaking. The next night was worse. The voice was louder. It asked me to stay quiet, to listen, to obey.
In time, it showed me what it could do. I could hear thoughts—first faint, then louder, clearer. Once, I waved my hands, and dark things burst from the ground, writhing and slashing like something from the dreams. The cowl told me there would be more, that I’d just begun. I didn’t know what it meant, but I couldn’t stop wearing it. Even when it hurt.
Now I don’t sleep. The voice is always there, in my head. The others have left, said I wasn’t the same. But they couldn’t hear it. The things it shows me, the things it promises, they’re wonderful, and terrifying. The cowl is part of me now. I’m not — just — a goblin anymore. I belong to the sea, to the black and the brine. I hear the tide calling. The others don’t matter. Nothing does, not when you’ve seen what I’ve seen.
Cowl of Cthulhu
Wondrous Item (Cloak), Very Rare (Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster)
While wearing this cloak, you gain resistance to psychic damage and you can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you.
As an action, you can cast one of the following spells (save DC 16): black tentacles, confusion or fear. Each of these spells can be cast once with this feature until the next dawn.
Check out last week’s item: the gravegun.
