The Andrew Doran series is a Cthulhu Mythos Two-Fisted Tales action adventure series by Matthew Davenport. Doctor Andrew Doran is an Adventurer Archaeologist in the employ of Miskatonic University during the build-up to World War 2. An expert on the Cthulhu Mythos and its various monsters, he is shocked and horrified to discover the Nazis have started using the occult in their plots to Take Over the World.
Rather than a Cosmic Horror story, the Andrew Doran series is a mostly Black-and-White Morality tale of our arrogant protagonist working to engage in larger-than-life battles agaisnt supernatural monsters. The resemblance to Indiana Jones is deliberate and frequently homaged in-universe.
Successfully outfoxing the Nazis and Traum Kult, Andrew Doran makes off with the Scroll of Eibon. Unfortunately, a secret government organization called the Esoteric Cavalry indicates that neither side will allow him to keep it and plan to launch a massive attack against Miskatonic University to get it back.
Andrew soon finds his university under siege and himself outgunned as well as outmatched in the greatest battle of his career.
Andrew Doran and the Scroll of Nightmares contains the following tropes:
- Almighty Janitor: Harvey Neil is the head of the Esoteric Cavalry despite only being a Sergeant.
- Artifact of Doom: The Scroll of Eibon which turns out to be not a Tome of Eldritch Lore but a Sealed Evil in a Can.
- Bald of Authority: Harvey Neil is a balc black man in charge of the Esoteric Cavalry.
- Big Bad: Icthosthau is the Prisoner God and a Great Old One or evil Elder God.
- The Cavalry: Not just the Esoteric Calvary itself but Leo makes a surprise return appearance to kick some nightmare ass.
- Casual Interstellar Travel: Hyperborea is another world that Earth turns out to have multiple portals to. Averted at the end when Andrew needs it most.
- Deal with the Devil: Andrew makes one of these with Nyarlathotep. It doesn't end well.
- Diabolus ex Machina: Almost literally so as Nyarlathotep possesses Andrew Doran's arm to send Nancy through a portal back to Hyperborea.
- Downer Ending: They manage to successfully reimprison Icthosthau but he was only in danger of escape because Andrew Doran liberated the scroll from Eibon's tomb in the first place. Nancy is lost, Andrew has lost all of his magic, and he's fired as Dean of Miskatonic University.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: The shoggoth inside Jack becomes uncontrollable and tries to kill everyone.
- Evil Versus Evil: The Ahnenerbe and the Traum Kult are enemies after the failure of the latter in The Statement of Andrew Doran.
- Expy: Anita Blumenthal is a Distaff Counterpart of Belloq or an evil Lara Croft.
- Ghostapo: The Ahnenerbe has stepped in to replace the Traum Kult as the Nazi's occult army. Unlike the latter, they don't have any divided loyalties and are a branch of the SS.
- Government Agency of Fiction: The Esoteric Cavalry is a branch of the US military formed during the Wild West to fight the supernatural.
- Physical God: Icthosthau is a Great Old One (or Elder God) has a body once he manifests fully in the Dreamlands.
- Politically Correct History: Averted. The Esoteric Cavalry was made during Reconstruction and integrated early, unlike the US military as a whole. Andrew also comments this is strange.
- Race Against the Clock: A villainous version. Andrew Doran notes that it is June 7th, 1943, which means it's a little under a year until D-Day happens and the United States invades Europe to deal with the Nazis. While Andrew has only the vaguest idea of this happening, he notes the Nazis will become ever more desperate as the full brunt of the United States prepares to come down on them. This will lead them to explore more extreme occult methods.
- The Remnant: The Esoteric Cavalry is a shadow of its former self and not even the primary supernatural fighting force of the US government.
- The Reveal: Timothy was Nyarlathotep all along.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Icthosthau is a Great Old One (or Elder God) who was imprisoned in a scroll by the wizard Eibon. He is a complete asshole.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: Anita Blumenthal manages to somehow become the Dean of Miskatonic University in Andrew's place.
- You Have Failed Me: The Nazis tried to do this to the Traum Kult but found that they were stronger than they appeared.
- Your Mind Makes It Real: Icthosthau's primary power is the ability to turn nightmares into reality.
