The Pnakotic Manuscripts are believed to have been created by the Great Race of Yith, or one or more of their possessees. The title refers to the Great Race's city in Australia, Pnakotus. They mostly concern the Great Race and the Elder Things.
It is possible that there are many different versions of the manuscripts, created by different possessees throughout history.
Fraternal Order version
Refer to The Fraternal Order of Librarians.
The core text of the FOL’s version of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, Pnakotos, was written in 4th century AD (Hellenistic or Koine) Greek by Hypatia herself, who recalled extremely accurately the libraries in which she studied while a resident of Pnakotos. It has been supplemented and revised by Great Race representatives or former victims who were willing to co-operate, in particular Leibniz, and also by comparison with apocryphal texts said to have descended from the Great Race in historical time. It also includes many of the texts Hypatia saved from the fire as appendices. These are mostly texts of Greek and Egyptian mystical philosophy and Alchemy. In general, the spells it contains are those connected with Time, the Great Race, and Greco-Egyptian neo-platonic and alchemical mysticism.
An English translation is available, but does not include the spells. At least one copy of one version of the manuscripts (in a hodge-podge of languages) was acquired under questionable circumstances by Zimmerman Library in 2010, precipitating two odd break-in attempts. The heavily damaged text is said to be undergoing reconstruction in the library's Underground Conservation Lab under the supervision of Head Conservator Archibald Boyle (M.A., M.L.I.S., PhD.) and against the strong protests of the Fraternal Order of Librarians.
Unlike many Mythos groups, the FOL own a printing press and have experience with copy-editing. The Pnakotic Manuscripts are thus more readable than most tomes, though possibly not more comprehensible.
Game Stats
San loss 1d4/1d8; Cthulhu Mythos +12%; Occult +5%; Spell Multiplier *2; Study Time 52 weeks.
Spells:
Augur; Baneful Dust of Hermes Trismegistus; Bring Haboob (Sandstorm); Contact Bast (There is no Call or Dismiss Bast spell. Have you ever tried to call or dismiss a cat?); Chant of Thoth; Conjure Glass of Mortlan (requires Enchant Brazier); Contact Great Race of Yith; Contact Winged Thing (Contact Elder Thing; believed to be of historical interest only); Contact Flying Polyp (best not); Contact Hound of Thionadelos (Tindalos) (ditto); Contact Sand-Dweller (likewise); Create Time Gate (very dangerous, as it is likely to attract a Hound); Dust of Suleiman; Enchant Brazier; Find Gate; Identify Spirit; Parting Sands; Create Hadean (Plutonian/Liao) Drug (the use of which also risks Hound attention); Powder of Ibn-Ghazi (useful against Polyps); Hypatia’s Ankh (Prinn’s Crux Ansata); Seal of Isis (often cast on libraries); Sekhmenkenhemp’s Words; Voice of Ra.
Note that Create Elder Sign is not available. The Great Race do not desire that their servants meddle with the Elder Things’ technology. Nor are any spells, like Pnakotic Pentagram, which would provide protection from the Great Race present.
New Spell: Contact Great Race of Yith: This spell costs 5 magic points and 1d3 SAN points. It creates a psychic “beacon” which will be sensed by any Great Race mentality within horizon distance (the beacon is blocked by the earth). It is up to the Great Race member to decide whether or not to respond. This spell only extends in space, but can be cast while under the influence of the Plutonian Drug, to extend in time. The cost of this combination is logarithmic: 1 POW grants a “radius” of 1 year, 2 gives 10 years, 3 100, and so on. This combination is often used when the Inner Order opens a new office, creating a semi-permanent beacon that will alert any Great Race visitors who happen to be passing to the fact that their allies are present.