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[Xantalos]

As the most loudmouthed of Bay12's resident unfathomable eldritch beings, it seems obvious that I make this thread. So!
This is a thread about discussing eldritch abominations, for example your ideas or concepts of a dread being that you wanted some feedback on, questions about an existing character, or maybe just talking about an existing setting or something. This includes all of H.P Lovecraft's works, as he did a lot for representing us here. Thanks, Howard.
Standard forum rules apply, don't post any illegal stuff, no tentacle porn please, if an argument gets heated just take a step back from the screen and calm down, then come back and talk; etcetera, we're all relatively decent connoisseurs of madness, so dig in!

[NRDL]

PTW

[Tomcost]

PTW

[Darvi]

This is entirely coincidential I assure you.

[TempAcc]

I for one abhor what Derleth tried to do with the mythos. Not only did he attempt to insert some strange christian-based system of morals and good vs evil dichotomy into it, he also made up some completely senseless and random monsters and called them "great old ones", making them comparable to cthulhu even though they're nothing alike in power or importance.

One of these is Itaqua, is which basically the abominable snowman with some magical powers and a desire to... Love human women, and thats basically it.

[Neonivek]

Derleth didn't make nothing but mistakes mind you and some of his ideas could easily be made good if you gave it to a better author.

The problem was that he ultimately made it a battle of good versus evil when... While the Lovecraftian mythos are supposed to be mostly banal in nature. Certainly "good" or "benevolent" deities who opposed the evil ones aren't unworkable (once again Lovecraft himself had Nodens), but these concepts are not what the lovecraftian deities should care about. Good and Evil should be attributes "we" apply to them.

Though I guess it depends which person introduced Hypnos into the mythos... because that guy was probably ingenious in concept.

Since yeah on the surface level he seems like a benevolent diety who opposes the great old ones... but his true face exposes that he himself might be a great old one.

But I guess it is to say... Derleth just FLAT OUT did not understand what lovecraft was about... But some good has been left.

Heck Itaqua was often been rewritten into a better villain (ignoring that he didn't invent the creature... he took it from folklore about a creature who creates a supernatural winter)

Though the only reason I care is because I do like Bast, Hypnos, and Nodens... I also do like Itaqua in concept. So I don't want everything to be thrown out... Just the stupid stuff.

[TempAcc]

Derleth also tried to associate humanity to the Elder Gods, making them "the gods of humanity" in a way, while in Lovecraft's works, humanity is nearly as insignificant as any other animal of earth, apart from the fact we were created through experiments by the Elder Things or as side effects of such experiments (I dont remember if Lovecraft actualy wrote that or it was another author though, so I might be wrong on that).

However, Lovecraft did associate the "great ones" that live in Kadath with humans, saying that "they rule over earth/humanity's dreamland". He never did specify who these Great Ones are or if they have anything to do with the Great Old Ones though, unless I'm mistaken.

[Neonivek]

There were plenty of hints BEFORE Derleth that many of the deities of the past could have been lovecraftian gods either in disguise or that was just what they were called there.

Nyanthothep has probably the most amount of cults and worshippers because of it. If "Ra" for example turned out to be Nyanthothep it wouldn't be a plot twist.

But I have a feeling that isn't what you meant.

[Xantalos]

Derleth also tried to associate humanity to the Elder Gods, making them "the gods of humanity" in a way, while in Lovecraft's works, humanity is nearly as insignificant as any other animal of earth, apart from the fact we were created through experiments by the Elder Things or as side effects of such experiments (I dont remember if Lovecraft actualy wrote that or it was another author though, so I might be wrong on that).

However, Lovecraft did associate the "great ones" that live in Kadath with humans, saying that "they rule over earth/humanity's dreamland". He never did specify who these Great Ones are or if they have anything to do with the Great Old Ones though, unless I'm mistaken.

The Great Ones are the gods of Earth's Dreamland, and judging by that I'm guessing they're manifestations of collective humanity's psyche or something.

[Neonivek]

But not all great old ones are in the dreamland...

And the dreamland is a genuinely physical place you can go to if you know where it is (Antarctica)... which is connected to the Plateau of Leng which is in the Dream Lands.

Yeah ok... not everything Lovecraft wrote is golden...

[Xantalos]

No, Great Ones. Great Old Ones are the cosmic space monsters, Great Ones are dream gods which are powerful but still ultimately powerless aginst basically everything from outside.
...
Yeah Howard didn't have the best naming scheme.

[Zanzetkuken The Great]

Apparently the Yugioh card game has somecards based on the mythos.  Korean only, though.

[Xantalos]

Outer God Azathoth
5 stars

wut u doin yugioh

[Zanzetkuken The Great]

Outer God Azathoth
5 stars

wut u doin yugioh

It's XYZ, so its Rank 5, rather than 5 stars.  You have to use 3 level 5 cards or (due to its effect) another Outer God to summon it.

[Xantalos]

Oh.
I don't know how to rank them anymore anyway - I ended my yugioh streak after I got those three legendary beasts and a thing of Exodia in one card and just won the game every second move.