The Investigators of Arkham Horror

Tales of Adventure and Madness in the Arkham Horror Files Universe

"We shall see that at which dogs howl in the dark, and that at which cats prick up their ears after midnight. We shall see these things, and other things which no breathing creature has yet seen. We shall overleap time, space, and dimensions, and without bodily motion peer to the bottom of creation."
     –H.P. Lovecraft, From Beyond

The Ancient Ones stir in their slumber. These are beings so impossible that to behold them is to lose one’s mind, and as they stir, they touch the minds of cultists ready to prepare malefic rituals. They tear holes in the barriers between our world and other dimensions, they unleash unspeakable monstrosities from unimaginable realities, and they prowl our city streets under the cover of darkness.

Few have yet encountered these threats. Even fewer have survived. And only a handful of these survivors have had the strength to retain their sanity and the courage to take action…

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of The Investigators of Arkham Horror. With lavish art and haunting stories, this gorgeous, 264-page, hardcover art and setting book delves more deeply into the lives of the investigators from the acclaimed Arkham Horror Files games as they explore 1920s Arkham, the far-flung corners of the Earth, and the strange worlds of the Cthulhu Mythos.

An essential tome for all the most daring fans of our Arkham Horror Files games, The Investigators of Arkham Horror contains fifty-two short stories with full-color art by more than forty of the industry's most talented artists. And if you act quickly, you can slip more fully through the gateway to the world of our Arkham Horror Files games—pre-order your copy of The Investigators of Arkham Horror by November 14th, and you'll discover not only the book, but a complete set of rare artifacts (described later in this article), all of which will make their way to U.S. customers before the year's end.

The Beating Heart of Arkham

The eerie supernatural horror stories written by H.P. Lovecraft have inspired countless forays into the strange Cthulhu Mythos. It is a place where human understanding falls short, confronted by the awesome grandeur of an infinite, uncaring, and unknowable cosmos. Although we humans may consider ourselves the masters of all we survey, our perceptions are woefully inadequate, and neither our five senses nor our science are capable of uncovering the most significant creatures or events making their entry into our world.

The popularity and longevity of this conceit have led many to explore the Cthulhu Mythos. Like H.P. Lovecraft himself, many have chosen to recoil in horror, struck mad by the realization that there may be other worlds, dimensions, and grotesque life-forms—all hovering about us, just outside of our ability to perceive them. But while the vast majority of humanity remains ignorant of these alien worlds and creatures and the threats they present, and while most who encounter them go mad if they survive their encounters, the investigators of Fantasy Flight Games' Arkham Horror Files games find themselves driven to action.

"I’m not a fan of cold cases. They’re like a bad scab, sitting in the back of your brain. The more you scratch, the deeper you go. The deeper you go, the more you bleed."
     –Joe Diamond: The Private Eye

Forced into a subgenre of supernatural horror that's all about people overcome by horror and despair, the investigators of Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, Elder Sign, and our other Arkham Horror Files games are heroic. When others go mad, they raise their .38s and their tommy guns and fight back. When the Ancient Ones and their cultists pose new threats to all humanity, the investigators of Arkham Horror race desperately to find ways to avert the coming apocalypse.

Though the world of the Cthulhu Mythos and our Arkham Horror Files games is, itself, highly evocative, it's not the world that drives our games, nor the magical and spellbinding stories they weave. The city of Arkham and the Cthulhu Mythos bring you close to the action, but to get to the heart of the action, you need to follow the investigators.

In all of our Arkham Horror Files games, players assume the roles of different investigators and enter a world where supernatural horror meets pulp action and in which their investigators' personalities and personal histories may play—at any moment—either to their advantage or their detriment. The investigators of the Arkham Horror Files setting are heroic, yes, but they are also flawed. These are the characters you meet over the course of the fifty-two tales related in The Investigators of Arkham Horror, and their lives are just as conflicted, complex, and thrilling as you could hope.

Uncover the Rarest of Artifacts

As a reward to all those investigators who act swiftly and decisively in the face of supernatural threats to all humanity, we have assembled a collection of rare artifacts for fans who pre-order their copies of The Investigators of Arkham Horror Pre-Order Premium by November 14th. Everyone knows that the artifacts of the Arkham Horror Files setting can bestow strange and far-reaching powers upon those who wield them, and this special pre-order promotion permits you the deepest possible immersion into the setting:

  • One hardbound copy of The Investigators of Arkham Horror.
  • An exclusive playmat featuring the boundless and chaotic Ancient One known as Azathoth, with art by Brian Valenzuela.
  • Four high-quality art prints, measuring 12" by 18", with bone-chilling work by Adam S. Doyle, Tomasz Jedruszek, and Magali Villeneuve.
  • Three preview cards for Arkham Horror: The Card Game—a Marie Lambeau investigator card and her two signature cards. These allow you to enjoy the game as Marie Lambeau prior to the investigator's normal release.

Altogether, The Investigators of Arkham Horror Pre-Order Premium is the closest you can come to testing your sanity through struggles with cultists and monsters in the back streets, abandoned mansions, and cellars of Arkham. But it's only available for a limited time, so be certain to pre-order your copy now!

The Investigators of Arkham Horror Pre-Order Premium must be ordered separate from other products and ships separately from other products.

Explore the World and Investigators of Arkham Horror

Perhaps you first encountered it in your dreams—nightmares, perhaps, of swirling shapes and alien worlds. Perhaps you feel something looming over you, and even though you check over your shoulder and find nothing, the feeling never quite goes away. Perhaps you cracked open the dread Necronomicon and recognized the unholy truths of a world ordered by more than the natural laws we have identified through science.

"Marie was warming up backstage when the soft sound of clapping startled her. Whirling, she saw a tall, slim man in a black tailcoat. She hadn’t heard him approach, despite the Nightingale’s notoriously creaky floorboards…"
     –Marie Lambeau: The Entertainer

For whatever reason, you recognize there is more to our world than can be proven empirically. There is more than we can see through the senses. There are, in fact, other worlds, and you may even have heard rumors of those men and women labeled mad for their pursuit of those worlds and the creatures they say have come through to our own. But where you find others dismissive of these so-called "investigators," you feel compelled to learn more. Their stories may support what you have seen and heard and learned—the truths you may never again unsee or unlearn.

Take your next steps into the supernatural side of the Roaring Twenties. Discover the fates of those who fight on humanity's behalf. Witness the horror for yourself. The Investigators of Arkham Horror is coming. Head to our webstore now to purchase your copy of The Investigators of Arkham Horror Pre-Order Premium, and step through the portal into a world of mystery, madness, and heroic adventures!

All orders for The Investigators of Arkham Horror Pre-Order Premium must be received by November 14th, 2016. The Investigators of Arkham Horror Pre-Order Premium is scheduled to arrive to customers throughout the United States in time for the holidays. All shipping is postal. Shipping to customers outside of the United States may take additional time. This is a special promotion designed for individual customers. Retailers may not apply their standard discounts. International customers may wish to ask their local retailers about the promotion's availability through their distributor.

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