--Work In Progress--
Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraft Lore
by Grimm
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the Mythos
a. So who are these "Cthulhu" and "Lovecraft" people?
b. What are the "Cthulhu Mythos"?
c. What does this article cover?
2. Stages of the Mythos
a. Cthulhu Mythos Proper
b. Derleth Mythos
3. Prehistory of Earth
4. Entities of the Mythos
a. Outer Gods
b. Elder Gods
c. Other Gods
d. Lesser Outer Gods
e. Great Old Ones
f. Servitor Races
g. Independent Races
5. Deities of the Mythos
a. Outer Gods
b. Elder Gods
c. Great Old Ones
d. Dagon and Hydra
6. Mythos Bestiary
a. Servitor Races
b. Independent Races
7. Alien Technology
a. Elder Things
b. Mi-Go
c. Serpent People
d. Yithians
e. Deep Ones
f. Flying Polyps
g. Insects from Shaggai
8. Magic
a. Tomes and Occult Books
b. Necronomicon
c. Signs and Symbols
d. Sample Spells
9. R'lyehian
10. Mythos Writings
a. Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
b. Stories by August Derleth
c. Other Notable Mythos Writings
11. Mythos Fandom
a. Role-Playing Games
b. Video Games
c. The Film
d. Motivational Posters and Jokes
e. Other References
12. Credibility
13. Bibliography
a. Research Sources
b. Image Sources
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1. Introduction to the Mythos
a. So who are these "Cthulhu" and "Lovecraft" people?
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937), more commonly called "H.P." Lovecraft, was a horror, science fiction, fantasy, and weird fiction writer. He was Cthulhu's creator, although unfortunately he was never able to see his work become famous, as it only become really popular after his death.
Cthulhu is a colossal being of immense power who sleeps beneath the see, waiting to rise "when the stars are right". He has many cults devoted to him, although he doesn't take much interest in most of them.
b. What are the "Cthulhu Mythos"?
"The Cthulhu Mythos" is the term used to describe Lovecraft lore. Many Cthulhu-related stories don't even have anything to do with Cthulhu himself. In Lovecraft's vision, the world is a place in which humans are insignificant and primitive. His stories are based off of the idea that the fundamental truths of the universe are too horrible for us to comprehend. Some humans, sorcerers, have managed to gain knowledge, and thus power, of the true nature of the universe, but the more knowledge they collect, the more sanity they lose. Unfortunately, this means that all truly-powerful human beings are insane and often dangerous.
c. What does this article cover?
Unfortunately, the Mythos are very, very complicated. Even Mythos Proper (described in Section Two) was added to by several of Lovecraft's friends, and the rest of the Mythos are made up of material from countless different sources, namely August Derleth. To add to the chaos of stories--which often contradict each other--Lovecraft tells us that the greater truths of the universe are actually unknowable, meaning that even if one manages to work out what they believe to be the "truth", they are still probably mistaken on many accounts due to the fact that the actual truth can never be actually discovered by humans.
That being said, this article attempts to compile and summarize the Cthulhu Mythos, along with bonus information relating to but not actually included in the Mythos (like details about the Call of Cthulhu table-top RPG).
A note on images: While I conducted extensive searches for the most suitable depictions of deities, creatures, and alien technology I could find, many things of the Mythos cannot be illustrated rationally, for they defy all known univeral laws and drive mere mortals insane to behold. Therefor, the actual descriptions should be read to gain accurate understandings (as accurate as possible) of the true nature of each alien or piece of technology.
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2. Stages of the Mythos
a. Cthulhu Mythos Proper
Mythos Proper is the lore of H.P. Lovecraft himself. Even though these Mythos are considered "proper", they are still very complicated, as much of Lovecraft's work is inspired by other writers. Not only that, but his work inspired other writers to write Mythos stories. These writers, including Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch, Frank Belknap Long, and Henry Kuttner, formed a clique known as the "Lovecraft Circle". Each wrote his or her own stories which followed each author's own version of the Mythos.
Fortunately, Lovecraft was smart enough to realize that some organization was needed, and so he used story-cycles to accomplish this. Each writer's stories made up his own story-cycle. Elements from one story-cycle stayed separate from the elements of another story-cycle. Thus, if one reads within only one cycle, one wouldn't be too confused, as that cycle would probably stay consistent with itself, if not the other cycles.
However, this separation was not always maintained. For instance, Tsathoggua, part of Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborean cycle, was originally from "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros", but found his way into the story-cycles of both Zelia Bishop and H.P. Lovecraft himself.
Although it can be argued that since Lovecraft heavily revised and even ghost-wrote several different stories, it's really impossible to separate all of Lovecraft's work from the work of other writers. It seems we're doomed to be driven insane with confusion if we try to understand the true nature of the Mythos. Fitting.
b. Derleth Mythos
The Derleth Mythos, the second stage of the Cthulhu Mythos, were started by August Derleth. He combined H.P. Lovecraft's three story-cycles--the Dunsanian, Arkham, and Cthulhu cycles--to create one large cycle. His cycle was centered more around good vs. evil instead of the dark theme of Lovecraft's cycle. He also considered any Mythos-related story to be part of the Mythos, which made separation impossible; however, in Derleth's defense, it also caused the Mythos to grow immensely, and it has even been claimed that he actually saved the Mythos from fading into obscurity.
Another very confusing aspect of the Derleth Mythos is the "elemental system", in which each deity is associated with either air, earth, fire, or water. This created contradictions such as the fact that although Cthulhu was associated with water, water happens to be one of the only things that can weaken him and force him into hibernation.
After interest in the Mythos was reawakened, numerous writers began adding their own lore. That was when the confusion truly began.
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3. Prehistory of Earth
Note: If you find yourself confused by this section, skip it, read Sections 4, 5, and 6, then come back and read Section 3.
4.5 Billion Years Before Present: while the Earth is still cooling, the first life on the planet, Cthugha and his fire vampires, appear. Continents begin to emerge from the warm shallow seas that cover the planet.
1.8 Billion BP: earliest fossils of aquatic fungi and algae.
1 Billion BP: elder things land in the Antarctic Ocean and establish an undersea colony. Mining organic material from the ocean floor, they somehow create the primal shoggoth mass known as Ubbo-Sathla, the father of all life. All life more advanced than bacteria is born from him.
750 Million BP: flying polyps come from outer space. Making their home in Australia and feeding on the cone-shaped creatures living there, they construct great windowless cities of basalt, a type of volcanic rock.
450 Million BP: the elder things have continued to create and exploit primitive life forms. When some of their experiments escape, they allow them to evolve own their own. Thus, fish are created.
Meanwhile, two major continents in the northern and southern hemispheres have formed and are slowly moving toward each other.
400 Million BP: the minds of the Great Race of Yith are sent across time and space to inhabit the bodies of the cone-shaped beings of Australia. They wage war against the startled polyps and quickly defeat them, sealing their enemies away in subterranean vaults.
350 Million BP: the two supercontinents collide, forming an even greater supercontinent, Pangaea. New land masses also form in the Pacific Ocean, including K'naa Ponape, Yhe, and R'lyeh, which will one day be called Mu.
In the wake of this cataclysm, Cthulhu and his spawn arrive from the distant star-system of Xoth and claim ownership of Mu. War begins between them and the elder things for dominance of the planet, but a truce is eventually declared.
300 Million BP: another cataclysm shakes Earth, plunging Mu beneath the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, Cthugha and his fire vampires are banished from the Earth, and other Great Old Ones could possibly have been imprisoned during this time.
275 Million BP: in Valusia, a land at the center of Pangaea, the famed First Empire of the serpent folk begins. Tailless reptile men, a parallel race who may or may not be relatives of the serpent people, co-exist to the east. They are responsible for the construction of the Nameless City.
250 Million BP: the shoggoths revolt against their masters. A war of survival breaks out, but the elder things are finally victorious. Their slaves nearly-extinct, the elder things begin their long decline.
225 Million BP: the Age of Reptiles begins. Dinosaurs reign across Pangaea, and cause the downfall of the First Empire of the serpent people. Many of them are killed, while others go into hibernation or hide deep beneath the Earth's surface, forming civilizations such as including Yoth.
190 Million BP: Laurasia in the north is separated from Gondwanaland in the south as a huge east-west crack slices across Pangaea. The remnants of Valusia disappear into the Mediterranean Sea. An Antarctic/Australian landmass drifts free of Gondwana toward the South Pole, while India separates from Gondwana and heads north, towards Asia.
160 Million BP: mi-go, fungi from Yuggoth, arrive and colonize the Appalachian Mountains. War between the mi-go and the elder things forces the latter to retreat to the south. Soon the Earth is divided, the mi-go in the north, the elder things in the south, and the Great Race in the lands around Australia.
70 Million BP: a comet or asteroid impacts Yucatan, causing the dinosaurs' extinction to draw ever closer. South America and Africa have separated, as have Antarctica and Australia. North America has separated from Europe and is drifting westward. Hyperborea is also freed and heading north. Africa crashes into the Near East, forming the Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees. The new Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea have formed, while much of central Europe is submerged. The Andes and the Rockies also form.
65 Million BP: mammals become the dominant life-form.
50 Million BP: yet another cataclysm shakes Earth, destroying the ancient prisons of the flying polyps. The Yithian minds flee their cone-shaped bodies abruptly to inhabit another species far in the future of the planet. The cones, once again without Yithian intelligence, are exterminated by the polyps. However, the polyps also nearly disappear from the world. In the Antarctic the largest elder thing city is destroyed by a colossal earthquake which also forms the Mountains of Madness. Afterwards, the elder things construct the last surface structure they ever build, the foundation of a new city.
40 Million BP: India smashes into Asia, forming the Himalayan Mountains.
26 Million BP: the continents approach their present-day positions.
3 Million BP: the voormis civilization of Hyperborea begins. They worship Tsathoggua and his spawn.
1.7 Million BP: the voormis civilization begins to decline.
1 Million BP: the ice age begins and the voormis, along with an advanced human civilization in Zobna, fall. A new human civilization, made up of the survivors of Zobna, rises in Hyperborea. They found the new land of Lomar. Antarctic climate chills, but the elder things develop artificial heating.
750,000 BP: numerous glaciations have occurred in the north, but the human civilizations of Hyperborea and Lomar are destroyed by the Riss episode. The elder things of Antarctica retreat to an undersea Antarctic city.
500,000 BP: Lemuria rises in the Atlantic. A human civilization is founded there and rules for 100,000 years.
200,000 BP: a human civilization has arisen in Mu, where Cthulhu and his spawn once ruled.
163,844 BP: the humans of Mu are destroyed by the curse of Ghatanothoa.
25,000 BP: the serpent people raise the Second Kingdom on the Thurian continent (arisen in the Atlantic from the remains of Lemuria and Atlantis). They are eventually overthrown by humans.
20,000 BP: a disaster causes the Thurian continent to sink.
12,000 BP: the Hyborian Age marks the last period of great civilization before the modern age. Its countries cover Africa and western Europe.
11,550 BP: another cataclysm changes the topography of the Hyborian lands, destroys many ancient civilizations, and sinks the last remnant of Atlantis. From their remains form countries such as Khem, of Northern Africa, and cities such as Sarnath, of the Middle East.
10,000 BP: Sarnath falls.
9,000 BP: new hamlets rise in the Middle East.
7,000 BP: Khem begins to fall, but the first great cities appear in Africa and Asia.
5,000 BP: the height of Sumerian civilization, the first dynasty of Egypt, and the first date in the Mayan calender.
4,500 BP: legendary sage-kings of China and the invention of paper.
3,300 BP: the Israelites escape from Egypt and Yog-Sothoth is freed from his prison.
2,500 BP: republic of Rome and Thucydides, the human Father of History is born.
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4. Entities of the Mythos
Although it varies depending on which author one reads, the universe is generally ruled by entities known as the Elder Gods, the Outer Gods, or the Other Gods. Few of these beings are known by name, as most are both blind and idiotic. All, however, are extremely powerful aliens, and some may be of extracosmic, meaning beyond the cosmos, origin.
(Note: Not to be confused with Sections 5 and 6, Deities of the Mythos and the Mythos Bestiary, Section 4 only explains the different types of entities, while Sections 5 and 6 actually list the individual gods and races.)
a. Outer Gods
These gods rule the universe and are involved with humans very little, with the exception of Nyarlathotep. Humans who do become involved with Outer Gods usually end up insane or dead. These gods are seen as true gods, whereas the Great Old Ones are simply alien horrors. Some may even personify a cosmic principle. All races and lesser deities acknowledge the Outer Gods, and many even worship them.
b. Elder Gods
The Elder Gods are separated race of gods, possibly rivals to the Outer Gods. They have even less contact with humanity.
A very different version tells that the Elder Gods, benevolent deities, battled and defeated the evil Great Old Ones in a "war in heaven", although this was never found in Lovecraft's original works, and is generally not given much credibility as the concept of the Elder Gods fighting for good and protecting humanity differs from Lovecraft's original dark vision of a universe in which humanity is defenseless and vulnerable.
c. Other Gods
Very confusing is the fact that the Outer Gods and the Elder Gods have sometimes been lumped together and called the Other Gods. Although rare, the Other Gods are the most horrifying of anything ever encountered in the Mythos universe.
d. Lesser Outer Gods
To further confuse any poor soul attempting to understand the complexity of the Mythos, a set of minor Outer Gods are known as the Lesser Outer Gods, although they are also known as the Lesser Other Gods! These gods may dance around Azathoth, or spawn monstrous larvae which might grow into new gods. These worshiped in various places by small cults.
e. Great Old Ones
Although not as powerful or supernatural as the Outer Gods, they appear god-like and terrible to humans, and are involved in human affairs much more frequently than Outer Gods. Thus, they are also more likely to be worshiped by humans. Entire clans or cults devote themselves to the Great Old One of their choosing (although lone madmen are more likely to worship Outer Gods). Many servants of the Great Old Ones inhabit Earth itself.
Actual Great Old Ones are extremely powerful aliens, though not gods in the sense that Outer Gods seem to be. Each Great Old One is independent of the rest, and many are temporarily imprisoned in various ways.
It is said mysteriously that "when the stars are right" the Great Old Ones can travel from world to world. When the stars aren't right, they cannot live, although this doesn't necessarily mean death. For instance, Cthulhu and his spawn sleep in a great tomb in the Pacific Ocean. They "cannot live", but they're not dead, either.
f. Servitor Races
Some gods have servants of a certain race to serve them. These slaves act as hitmen, messengers, spies, and delivery boys. It is much more common to encounter a servitor race than the actual deity which commands them.
g. Independent Races
Some species serve no deity, and a few are even able to hold their own against Great Old Ones. Some, like the flying polyps, are associated with no god in particular.
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5. Deities of the Mythos
Note: The "Dreamlands" are mentioned frequently throughout this section. To help you understand what they are, this is the description provided by the second-edition role-playing game:
"We all dream. Dreams entertain the mind, and help organize the day’s events. At some time in your dreams, you will come across a huge cavern leading enticingly downwards. If you follow it past the Seventy Steps of Light Sleep, it leads to the Cavern of Flame. There dwell two hoary Priests Nasht and Kamen-Thah, who judge all dreamers and, if they find them worthy, admit them to the Dreamlands. The door opens, and all the world beyond is a dream. There is much unearthly beauty, and cosmic great terror. If you live here long enough, and gain sufficient skill, you can learn to create new objects, new life, and a new reality."
a. Outer Gods
Abhoth, Source of Uncleannes
(AB-hauth)
A filthy gray mass of tentacles and slime, Abhoth dwells in black caverns that may be part of N'Kai, an underground world beneath North America. The caverns have been reported by some as existing beneath the New England village of Dunwich. Obscene monsters are constantly forming and crawling away out of the gray mass, and many of these offspring are pulled back by Abhoth's tentacles and devoured, although some manage an escape. They also act as a self-defense system for Abhoth, forming more rapidly to attack creatures who near Abhoth. If a human encounters Abhoth, they are either ignored (if they are very, very lucky), devoured (this is probably the best one can hope for), or spoken to telepathically, which usually drives them insane. Abhoth has no known human worshipers, although underground horrors or its own spawn may worship it.
Azathoth, Seething Nuclear Chaos
(AZ-uh-thoth)
Ruler of the Outer Gods, Azathoth, also known as the Daemon Sultan, is as old as the universe itself. It dwells at the center of the universe, beyond normal space-time. Its amorphous body writhes unceasingly to the monotonous piping of a flute, while lesser gods dance mindlessly round Azathoth the same music. Azathoth is blind and idiotic, a monstrous, seething nuclear chaos, Nyarlathotep immediately fulfilling its desires. Azathoth is worshiped by few, as it offers nothing, not even gratitude, to its followers. If humans call upon the god, it is usually by accident, and results only in disastrous horror. However, some, who are criminally insane, knowingly worship Azathoth, and thus gain special insights as to the nature of the universe, its origin, powers, and meaning, although these insights are arguably only understandable by other madmen.
Daoloth, The Render of the Veils
(DAE-oe-lauth)
A strange, geometric entity, Daoloth doesn't appear to be particularly malignant. It lives beyond our universe, but may be summoned to it. Seeing it will quickly drive a person to insanity, as the god's form is so complex that as the human eye attempts to perceive it, that human will go mad. Daoloth is worshiped on Yuggoth and other alien worlds, but has little cult on Earth. His astrologer-priests can see into the past and the future, and can observe how objects and dimensions relate to each other. They have the power to travel into other dimensions and realities. For obvious reasons, the few human cultists that do worship Daoloth summon it only in utter darkness. Daoloth must also be held in some sort of magical container when it is in the presence of humans, or it will expand and engulf anyone nearby, sending them to distant and dismal worlds or alternate dimensions. Daoloth can also slip through dimensions.
Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos
(NIGH-ar-LATH-oe-tep)
Nyarlathotep is not only the messenger of the Outer Gods, but is also their heart and soul. He is the only one with a true personality. He loves to cause madness and insanity more than he likes mere death and destruction. Although he claims to have thousands of form, only a few of them have been described. The Black Pharaoh is an Egyptian. The Bloody Tongue is a huge monster with claws and a blood-red tentacle in place of a head and face. This tentacle stretches forth when the Bloody Tongue howls at the moon. The Haunter of the Dark is black and winged, its single red eye trilobed, and is vulnerable to light. The Bloated Woman is a colossal woman whose body writhes with numerous tentacles. The Beast resembles the Egyptian Sphinx, but its face is filled with stars. The Black Man of witch ceremonies may also be a form of Nyarlathotep.
The god is generally worshiped in one of his forms, also known as Masks. These cults are spread numerously across the entire globe, and include the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh in Cairo and London, the Cult of the Bloody Tongue in Kenya and New York, the Starry Wisdom Cult (worshiping the Haunter of the Dark) in Providence, the Cult of the Sand Bat in Australia (also worshiping the Haunter of the Dark), the Order of the Bloated Woman in Shanghai, and the global Brotherhood of the Beast.
Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young
(shub-NIG-er-ath)
Although never actually encountered directly in any of Lovecraft's stories, Shub-Niggurath is often mentioned in rituals and spells. It's been theorized that she is a perverse fertility deity. The goddess is said to be an enormous cloudy mass which boils and festers. Parts of the mist sometimes form horrendous body parts such as tentacles, drooling mouths, or short, writhing legs with black hooves. When she arrives, she may give birth to dark young. It has also been recently suggested that her milk may have remarkable properties, although this isn't certain.
Shub-Niggurath is worshiped extensively, and may be connected to the druids and similar groups. Her worshipers usually form gangs or congregations, as do Cthulhu's cultists. She may use her dark young as emissaries and stand-ins to aid her worshipers. When summoned, she'll attack nonworshipers present; Shub-Niggurath is often summoned specifically to accept sacrifices. She can be dismissed by anyone who knows her summoning spell, but it is also possible to inflict enough damage upon her to force her to leave.
Tulzscha, the Green Flame
(TUHLZ-chuh)
Residing in the court of Azathoth is a blazing, dancing green ball of flame. Summoned to our world, it changes from an orb to a gaseous pillar of flame, penetrating Earth to its core, and erupting from below. It remains where it emerges, immobile. Only a few pockets of cultists worship Tulzscha, usually in subterranean temples, especially during equinoxes, solstices, and important conjunctions. This obscure entity thrives on death, corruption, and decay.
Ubbo-Sathla, The Unbegotten Source
(OO-boe SATH-lah)
Mysteriously created by the elder things from organic material mined from the ocean floor, Ubbo-Sathla is a gray oozing mass which dwells in a cold, dank cavern, never leaving unless called or disturbed. The only known passages to this grotto are deep fissures in the Antarctic ice and secret entrances from the Cold Waste of the Dreamlands, although other routes may exist. Within the god's lair lie several tablets of star-wrought stone rest said to contain great knowledge and secrets of the Elder Gods. However, these tablets, known as the Elder Keys, remain a mystery; even the most powerful sorcerers have failed to return from seeking them. It is said that the god may have spawned the prototypes of all earthly life. It was Ubbo-Sathla's tissue that the elder things used to create their dread shoggoths. No human cult is dedicated to Ubbo-Sathla, though mi-go and other aliens may worship it.
Yibb-Tstll, the Patient One
(yib-TIS-tuhl)
Yibb-Tstll sees all time and space, slowly rotating in the center of its clearing in the Jungle of Kled, in the Dreamlands. Beneath its cloak are a multitude of nightgaunts, suckling and clutching at the god's writhing breasts. In ancient times the god was worshiped simply as Yibb, but if he has any cults left, they are not known. However, the deity is still sought out by individuals, most often sorcerers, who are either seeking the use of Yibb-Tstll's servitors, the nightgaunts, or the benefit of the god's touch. Yibb-Tstll's blood, called The Black by sorcerers, is sometimes summoned and can act independently as soft dark flakes that adhere to their target's body, accumulate in great mass, and quickly suffocate the hapless victim. The Black then dissipates, returning to Yibb-Tstll and giving it the victim's soul. Fortunately for potential victims, large amounts of running water can dispel The Black. (Note: Yibb-Tstll is shown below feeding one of its nightgaunts.)
Yog-Sothoth, the All-In-One
(YAHG-sau-thauth)
Dwelling between the planes of the universe, Yog-Sothoth manifests as a mass of iridescent, always-shifting globes, which are constantly colliding and bursting. While it is large, its exact size is always shifting. Yog-Sothoth might appear at one moment to be a few hundred yards across, and then the next to be miles long. Yog-Sothoth is probably responsible for many UFO sightings. Worshiped mostly by sorcerers and wizards, he grants them the power to travel between planes or to see into other planes via a piece of magic glass or a similar object. Some of Yog-Sothoths slaves are granted the command of different monsters from faraway worlds. As payment for these gifts, worshipers open the way for Yog-Sothoth to Earth, where he ravages and plunders.
A form of Yog-Sothoth's is Tawil at'Umr, a man behind a shimmering veil. Tawil at'Umr can be dealt with safely, as he does not cause insanity to those who view him. Those wishing to travel to distant times and places can request it from Yog-Sothoth when he is in this form. However, there is the constant danger that the veil will be removed and utter madness and destruction will be released upon those dealing with him.
b. Elder Gods
Bast, Goddess of Cats
(BAST)
Lovecraft was a lover of cats, which is probably why the Cat Goddess has such a position of importance. She is represented by a cat or a beautiful woman with a cat's head. She is also called Bastet or Ubasti. Bast's Egyptian cult eventually arrived in major Roman cities, including Pompeii. She became both a goddess of the home and a lioness goddess of war. Although she was once regarded affectionately by her worshipers, it seems no humans now worship her, except in the Dreamlands. She is worshiped by all cats.
Hypnos, Lord of Sleep
(HIP-noes)
Although his true form is distorted and fearsome, a terrible nightmare, Hypnos usually appears as a youthful, handsome, Olympian-like man. He is the god of sleep, tied to the sleep-boundary between the Waking World and the Dreamlands. Dreaming sleepers travel through his dominion. If a dreamer attracts Hypnos' attention, the god might transform the sleeper into something more suitable to him. A transformed sleeper is altered as Hypnos desires. The victim then stays with Hypnos forever, never returning to Earth. The god only occasionally visits the Waking World, and his last known cult hasn't been seen since the time of the Greeks. However, he is worshiped by certain entities of the Dreamlands.
Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss
(NOE-denz)
Taking the form of an aged man riding in a chariot drawn by fantastical creatures, Nodens is at times almost friendly to humankind. He occasionally visits Earth, and has aided humans who were suffering persecution by the Great Old Ones or Nyarlathotep. However, he has no Earthly cult, and is served by nightgaunts.
c. Great Old Ones
Atlach-Nacha, the Spider God
(AT-lach NACH-ah)
Atlach-Nacha resembles a huge, black, hairy spider with a strangely humanoid face and small red eyes rimmed with hair. The hideous thing dwells underground, eternally spinning a fantastic web, bridging a colossal chasm for purposes that remain unknown. Old books tell that when this web is completed, the end of the world will come. Although Atlach-Nacha used to dwell beneath Hyperborea--modern Greenland--it may now reside beneath South America. Although it has no known human worshipers, it is believed to rule all spiders and sometimes gifts sorcerers with spells and magical power. Sorcerers sometimes summon it with various elder spells. However, this is very dangerous, as Atlach-Nacha hates leaving its task of spinning its eternal web. Atlach-Nacha's children, in the Dreamlands, known as the Leng Spiders, worship Atlach-Nacha.
Bokrug
(BOE-kruhg)
A twelve-foot long, greenish-blue, iguana-like creature. Bokrug's scales are of a metallic texture, and its eyes glow bright yellow-green. The dewlap of a true iguana are replaced by feelers on its lower jaw, and the spines on its back are razor-sharp. Its feet are webbed and its tail flattened for swimming. Bokrug resides near the ruins of Sarnath in the Dreamlands' Mnar, although legends came it originally arrived in the Middle East of the Waking World. As on of the only Great Old Ones dwelling in the Dreamlands, Bokrug's only worshipers were the flabby beings of Ib, who were later destroyed by the men of Sarnath. His utterly destructive rage destroyed the Sarnath in a single night, and he now accepts worship from the Ilarnek, although he is also accompanied by the ghosts of Ib.
Chaugnar Faugn, Horror from the Hills
(SHAHG-ner FAHN)
Chaugnar Faugn, an obese, part-humanoid, part-elephant creature, squats in a cave in the mountains of Asia, guarded constantly by vaguely manlike, subhuman thralls, who hold indescribably foul rites. The Great Old One usually remains immobile on his pedestal, a grotesque statue. However, at night, Chaugnar Faugn may feed hungrily on a sacrifice or the creature closest to it. He may also, day or night, lurch from his perch on his pedestal to cause the destruction of unbelievers who enter his domain. The disk-like snout at the end of his trunk is actually an organ which drains the blood from victims. When laid on an open wound, that wound will never heal. It is said that one day the "White Acolyte" will arrive and bear Chaugnar to a new land.
Cthugha, The Living Flame
(kuh-THOOG-hah)
An enormous burning mass, continually varying in shape, Cthugha resides at or near the star Formalhaut. It is one of the most obscure and remote of all the Great Old Ones. No cults have been discovered as being connected with Cthugha, though scattered fire cults to it existed in the past, such as the church of Melkarth in ancient Rome. However, it is served by creatures known as fire vampires. In some stories, the fire vampires have served Fthagghua, although this could just be another way to spell Cthugha. The fiery mass has telepathic abilities, although it never communicates with humans, and must be summoned to be dealt with.
Great Cthulhu, Master of R'lyeh
(kuh-THOO-loo)
Lovecraft's most famous creation, Cthulhu's form is not fixed. He can warp and modify his body at will, extending new limbs, retracting old ones, greatly increasing his wingspan, and reducing his body's size to enable flight, or elongating a single limb or tentacle. However, his overall shape is that of a horrifyingly alien, tentacle-faced, winged, clawed, obese alien. He can never completely absorb his wings, for instance, so all of his forms are recognizable as Cthulhu.
Great Cthulhu dwells in the city of black R'lyeh, sunken deep beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean. He is in a living death, a hibernation, while there, but someday the city will rise and he will be awoken, free to raven and slay across the helpless Earth. In the city are also entombed the other members of his race. Cthulhu is the high priest and ruler of them all, as he is by far the most potent. While in his millennial sleep, Cthulhu has been known to send horrifying dreams to humans, which have driven some to madness.
The cult of Cthulhu is the most widespread and popular cult of the earthly Great Old Ones. This cult believes that Cthulhu and his kin plunged from the stars in prehistoric times and built their great city at R'lyeh, ruling the Earth. When the stars changed, their continent sank beneath the sea, along with the city and its inhabitants, which fell into a death-sleep where they await their reawakening by members of Cthulhu's cult. When R'lyeh rises, members of the cult will be required to come to it and open the huge black door to free the dreaming Cthulhu.
Entire tribes have worshipped Cthulhu, including the remote Inuits and degenerate Louisiana swamp-folk. Sea folk and being that live near the sea also worship him. Deep ones and the star-spawn of Cthulhu, octopoid creatures. Cthulhu's cult is of prehistoric age and of many variants; Cthulhu himself has many names, although most can be traced back to their original form. Two of his names are Tulu and Thu Thu.
Cyaegha
(sigh-AE-guh)
Cyaegha is an enormous, black mass of tentacles with one huge spherical green eye. It is worshiped by the residents of a small village over its resting place in a remote part of western Germany. The cult performs human sacrifice, but Cyaegha pays little attention, caring only for the day of its release.
Eihort, God of the Labyrinth
(IGH-hort)
Eihort is a monstrous creature which dwells in a labyrinthine network of tunnels, deep beneath England's Severn Valley. Its body is a bloated, gelatinous oval, its legs seemingly endless. Eihort's only known cults are also located in the Severn Valley, especially in the cities of Brichester and Camside. Most cults are made up of a group of demented humans led by a group of Eihort's Brood, which have formed themselves into the likeness of a human.
Ghatanothoa, Lord of the Volcano
(gah-tahn-oe-THOE-ah)
An exceedingly hideous beast with a myriad of tentacles, maws, and sensory organs. In ancient times, Ghatanothoa dwelt in Mu, in a burrow beneath a city originally built by fungi from Yuggoth, inhabited by primeval humans. The burrow was surmounted by a truncated volcano. When Mu sank, the god's home was submerged, and he was trapped. Occasionally, tectonic upheavals push its dwelling to the surface; one would do well to beware islands between New Zealand and Chile that match the description of Ghatanothoa's residence. As for cults, even though Ghatanothoa was once kept at bay with human sacrifices from the priests of Mu, and was even served by certain fungi from Yuggoth, no human cults are no known to worship Ghatanothoa. The god is also sometimes tied to lloigor.
Glaaki, the Inhabitant of the Lake
(GLAH-kee)
Dwelling at the bottom of a lake in the Severn River Valley (in England), Glaaki, a beast which resembles a giant sea-urchin, although is definitely much more alien, summons cultists by a "dream-pull", or the sending of hypnotic dreams to potential initiates. Glaaki is currently weak, and without the strength drawn from the initiation process, it is unable to send the dream-pull very far. However, whenever someone comes to live nearby, it sends them dreams or dispatches servants to capture or guide new initiates. Its cult is particularly loathsome, as most members are undead. Living humans have occasionally worshiped Glaaki, but currently the area around its lake is deserted. (Note: Glaaki is shown below with one of its undead minions.)
Hastur the Unspeakable, Him Who is Not to Be Named
(has-TOOR)
Hastur's appearance is disputed. For instance, when a corpse was possessed by Hastur, it became bloated, boneless, fluid, and scaly. Other accounts say that Hastur is some sort of colossal octopoid being. Most descriptions are vague, and thus the being's appearance varies depending on the piece of writing.
Hastur dwells near the star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus. He has connections with the mystic Lake of Hali, the Yellow Sign, and Carcosa. He may also somehow be connected with flight through space. Hastur is served by the byakhee, and his cult is moderately common on Earth. The abominable Tcho-Tcho peoples and the Brothers of the Yellow Sign are among his worshipers. His cult has an especially terrible reputation, thus more people know of it than actually belong to it. Worshipers call Hastur Him Who Is Not to Be Named.
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Ithaqua, the Wind-Walker, the Wendigo
(ITH-uh-kwah)
Native Americans encountered Ithaqua in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. He roams wastes, stalking unfortunate travelers and carrying them off. His victims are sometimes found alive, and hang on to life for a while, unable to tell anyone what happened to them. But most are found dead a while later, half-buried, as if dropped from above, frozen solid in positions of agony, even missing body parts. While his physical description is vague, one of his definite characteristics are his two gleaming, burning bright eyes, which resemble stars in the night. The Wind-Walker has little cult, although Siberians and Alaskans sometimes leave sacrifices to keep him at bay. He is, however, more widely worshiped far away, on the world of Borea.
Nyogtha, The Thing Which Should Not Be
(nee-AUG-thah)
A minor deity which inhabits underground caverns on Earth, Nyogtha may be related to Cthulhu. It is a blog of living darkness which may extend tentacles at will. It has few worshipers, of which most are witches, which learn spells from it, using sacrifices and gifts of magical power as payment. In the Dreamlands Nyogtha is worshiped by a band of ghouls. Some ghouls in the Waking World may worship it as well.
Quachil Uttaus, Treader of the Dust
(KWAH-chil oo-TAUS)
This strange being dwells in a dark limbo between time and space, his limbs immobile, his body shriveled and hideous. Quachil Uttaus is mentioned only in the extremely rare Testament of Carnamagos, and is said to be interested in/attuned to, and possibly influences time, death, and decay. Although no known cult is dedicated to Quachil Uttaus, wizards, on occasion, will call upon him to beg immortality.
Rhan-Tegoth, Terror of the Hominids
(ran-TEE-gauth)
This creature's body is round, its six arms ending in crab-like claws, its three eyes fish-like, its strange head equipped with a flexible proboscis. It once ruled what is modern-day Alaska, devouring terrified, stringy hominids. Somewhere around the glacial cycle, however, Rhan-Tegoth entered a deep hibernation from which he either would not or could not awake. It was eventually rediscovered by humans, and is now mistaken by most for some sort of grotesque statue. Needless to say, Rhan-Tegoth's cult of primitive humans hasn't been seen since ancient times. The gnoph-keh, beasts of the northern wastes, might also have had some sort of relation with the god.
Shudde M'ell, the Burrower Beneath
(shood-ih-MEL)
Preeminent among the chthonians, Shudde M'ell is the largest and evilest of his kind. It is said he was once imprisoned beneath G'harne, but is now free upon Earth. Chthonians are not much worshiped now, and Shudde M'ell is no exception. However, it is rumored that some druids who once worshiped them in the Stone Age tribes may continue to do so. One of Shudde M'ell's most terrifying aspects is his ability to create earthquakes large enough to destroy building and other large structures.
Tsathoggua, the Sleeper of N'Kai
(tsah-THAUGH-wah)
Tsathoggua dwells in the black gulf of N'Kai, where he first arrived from Saturn. He is less malevolent than most beings of the Mythos, although he is still terrible by human standards. He has a fat, furry body and a toad-like head with bat-like ears. His mouth is wide and his eyes are always lazily half-closed. It is said, however, that he can freely change his shape. In ancient times, he was worshiped by serpent people and the furry subhuman voormis. Later, he was worshiped sorcerers and wizards. He has, in the past, given magic gates and spells to his followers. He is served by a race known as the formless spawn. These entities dwell in N'Kai and in his temples.
Y'golonac
(ee-GOE-laun-ahk)
Y'golonac is portrayed in the grimoire Revelations of Glaaki. It's an obese, headless figure dwelling beneath the Earth in a vast ruin behind a brick wall. This prison may be near Brichester, a city in the Severn Valley. Y'golonac arrives when its name is read or spoken in the presence of evil. It is a minor but evil god. Y'golonac is little worshiped, but always seeks to increase its followers, capturing people found even to be slightly evil to be his priests.
Yig, Father of Serpents
(YIG)
Although descriptions of Yig are vague, he probably appears to be some sort of large, scaly man, and may be accompanied by mobs of snakes. He is a mainly North American deity. The "curse of Yig" is notorious for causing madness and malformed children. It is said that Plains tripes and voodoo doctors worship him. He may also have connections to Quetzalcoatl. The serpent people also worship him. His followers gain some immunity to poisonous snakes, the ability speak to snakes, and some arcane rituals and spells. If someone betrays the cult, a sacred snake is sent by Yig to kill the offender.
Zhar, the Twin Obscenity
(ZAR)
Dwelling in a dead city buried underneath the Plateau of Sung or Tsang in China, evidence suggests that Zhar actually possesses two bodies, connected by long tentacles. This second behemoth may be called Lloigor (not to be confused with the race of the same name), or the lloigor (the race) may worship and exploit Zhar. Either way, the name "lloigor" is very often associated with Zhar. Other worshipers include the Tcho-Tcho people of the Plateau of Sung.
Zoth-Ommog
(pronunciation unknown)
Zoth-Ommog's body is cone-shaped, its head lizard-like. Growing from the head is a mass of thick, serpent-like tentacles. Protruding from the base of the neck are four thick starfish-like arms. The entity is apparently buried in R'lyeh, along with Cthulhu and his kin, although it can manifest itself through one of the numerous statues of itself scattered about the Earth. No worship of Zoth-Ommog can be found among humans, but some deep ones may worship it.
d. Dagon and Hydra
Father Dagon and Mother Hydra do not fall under any of the previous three categories (it has been rumored they are Great Old Ones, but I haven't been able to confirm this claim), for they are actually deep ones who have grown in size, age, and power as to be considered actual deities (by me, at least). They are over twenty feet in height and possibly millions of years old. They rule the deep ones (the Esoteric Order of Dagon is the central Deep One power in Innsmouth) and lead them in their worship of Great Cthulhu. They are very similar (and happen to be mates) and thus have been placed under one unifying category. It is possible other deep ones have grown in size and strength as they have.
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6. Mythos Bestiary
a. Servitor Races
Byakhee
An interstellar race, each byakhee seems a grotesque hybrid of crow, mole, buzzard, ant, and decomposed human being. They are tame, trained, and often serve Hastur. Each can carry a rider through space (though the rider must be protected from the vacuum and cold). While they do not live on Earth, they can be summoned to carry out tasks. If provoked they are deadly, striking with claws or latching on and draining their victim's blood.
b. Independent Races
Chthonians
Enormous land-squids, chthonians possess long, slimy, worm-like bodies, large tentacles, and are powerful burrowers, tunelling easily through rock, causing powerful earthquakes, and having no need for breathing. When they are near, a chanting sound can be heard. They live over a thousand years. They are like nothing else found on Earth. They are very protective of their young. The most notable of their species is the Great Old One Shudde M'ell. Each chthonian can reach any other member of their species, no matter where they are in the world, through telepathy. Adults can even mentally control other species. Adult chthonians can also withstand up to 4000 degrees Celsius or 7200 degrees Fahrenheit. They may even live near Earth's core. It is rumored than the ones found on or in the Earth's crust are merely outcasts, explorers, or simply thrust to the surface accidentally by magma plumes. It is also theorized that they migrate to the surface to give birth, as their young cannot yet withstand enormous temperatures as they can. Their motives are unknown.
Despite their remarkable resistance to heat, they are very weak to water. Their layer of slime only wards against small amounts of water; immersion destroys them. Fortunately, they can detect large amounts of water while burrowing and avoid them. Chthonians are found worldwide, particularly in Africa in the mysterious city of G'harne. It is rumored they were once imprisoned there long ago.
Colors Out of Space
A completely insubstantial organism of pure color, a Color can be seen glistening, rolling and shining as pale colors off the known spectrum. They can move over the ground or fly through the air. Its victims (its food) glow with the Color as they are devoured. It feels like slimy, unhealthy vapor, though it is not gaseous, but incorporeal. It can be registered on Geiger counters as a burst of unique radiation. They come from space and form embryos (harmless three-inch, apparently empty spheres) to reproduce. They deposite these on fertile soil or in shallow water. A few days later, the outer shell of the embryo breaks away and the jelly-like larva is born.
Larva can grow to be enormous and infect the ecosystem as they explore. Life is deformed, shines with the Color, and plants writhe at night. A few months of this and the larva undergoes its metamorphosis into a Color. It then wanders regularly from its lair to feed on the life-force of the infected ecosystem. Finally, when powerful enough, it leaves the planet, fully grown, to inhabit space. Colors prefer underwater habitats while visiting planets.
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7. Alien Technology
a. Elder Things
Although the elder things once had technology of almost unimaginable sophistication, much of it has been lost through the ages. Only a very tiny portion of this technology is still known.
Crystal of the Elder Things
These large crystalline storage containers were used to harness the power needed by the elder things to bind shoggoths to their will, although if one is found, it can be used to store power that can be drawn on for use in any sort of magic.
The Great White Space
While it is debatable whether or not the elder things created this other dimension, they certainly exploited it. They used it to traverse the universe, as it connects locations light years apart. The only known Earth portal to this dimension created by the elder things is deep in the mountains of China.
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b. Mi-Go
Mi-go technology is several hundred years more advanced than Earth technology and bares more resemblance to the dark technology of the Outer Gods than the technology of any other Mythos race. Most of their known technology relates to mining or war since the mi-go originally traveled to Earth to steal minerals, but they also possess miraculous medical technology.
Bio-Armor
Webs of luminous green slime, the armor of the mi-go protects against many forms of damage, although they are easily penetrated by stabbing with sharp objects. They may be worn by humans, but tear away hair and flesh when removed. They also degrade when worn by humans because human bodies do not provide the proper nutrients to sustain it.
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Brain Cylinder
Described my Lovecraft as, "a foot high and somewhat less in diameter, with three curious sockets in an isosceles triangle over the front convex surface", these cylindrical containers can actually store and preserve brains which the mi-go have extracted from victims. Each is filled with a nutrient solution to make this possible. An array of highly advanced sensors detect and interpret electrical activity within the brain. The neural impulses are sent to a microcomputer behind the sockets, which sends the impulses through the sockets into connected machines. The machines can also stimulate select locations of the captive brain.
While a machine is inactive or disconnected, the brain lies dormant and insane, dreaming and hallucinating. Each machine is made up of a large rig with two lenses on the front, a box containing vacuum tubes and a sounding board, and a smaller box with a metallic disk mounted on the top. These machines provide the brain with poor sensory input; visual quality is grainy, sound is flat, and speech is mechanical and monotonous.
c. Serpent People
d. Yithians
e. Deep Ones
f. Flying Polyps
g. Insects from Shaggai
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8. Magic
a. Tomes and Occult Books
b. Necronomicon
c. Signs and Symbols
d. Sample Spells
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9. R'lyehian
R'lyehian, also known as Cthuvian, is a supposed alien language which has only been hinted at by H.P. Lovecraft himself. It can be argued that it is only a mixture of other languages used by cultists and that it is not an alien language at all. However, Cthulhu has actually telepathically communicated, using R'lyehian, with certain humans; so maybe it is the language of Cthulhu after all.
A denizen of the internet commonly known as Cyberangel compiled an extensive translation of this strange language. While it is mostly guesswork, it is definitely worth reading. While it has been subjected to minor edits and reposted all over the internet, the following two links contain what I have found to be the most complete versions of Cyberangel's work. Perhaps one day I will revise it and post an updated and, hopefully, more accurate version, but for now that isn't something I have the time to delve into.
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10. Mythos Writings
a. Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
b. Stories by August Derleth
c. Other Notable Mythos Writings
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11. Mythos Fandom
a. Role-Playing Games
b. Video Games
c. The Film
d. Motivational Posters and Jokes
e. Other References
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12. Credibility
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13. Bibliography
a. Research Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft
Call of Cthulhu (6th edition roleplaying book) by Sandy Petersen and Lynn Willis
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph.../AugustDerleth
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...9041155AAxp2g9
http://www.waynesbooks.com/CthulhuDreamlands.html
Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales of H.P. Lovecraft (Commemorative Edition) by Howard Phillips Lovecraft
http://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/Dagon
http://www.yog-sothoth.com/threads/8...ISH-DICTIONARY
http://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/R'lyehian
b. Image Sources
http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/wp-c...12/cthulhu.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_O1jOeLxC3E.../cthulhu02.jpg
http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/wp-c...12/cthulhu.jpg
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http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...arlPhoenix.jpg
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http://www.fufufrauenwahl.com/F_imag...r/300_doom.gif
http://ericlofgren.zenutech.com/eric...uff/colour.jpg
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