I’d like to do some crowdsourcing for the Miscellany in Codex – Madness. The piece is called “Three-dozen Great Old Ones.” Essentially, we are looking to expand the Cthulhu mythos. Submissions should be no more than 2-3 short sentences. By submitting here, you’re agreeing to let us use it (you’ll get a credit on the issue). We’re looking for evocative stuff; the purpose of the Miscellany is to inspire the reader.
Your Great Old One should have a commonly accepted name, an epithet or nickname, and a short description of how it appears. Importantly, we’re interested in going beyond the amorphous blobs and tentacle monsters you normally associate with the Cthulhu mythos. Here are some examples:
“Guulgorthan, Who is Naught but Mouths, appears as a bloated figure with mouths where its eyes, nose, and ears should be, and has a maw at every point of articulation on its body.”
“Ak’telor, the Flesh Forest, whose body is a grove of meaty, vibrating trees, each with a pulsating, bloodshot eye in the center of its trunk.”
“Ka-Inod, the Screaming Tower, a massive cylindrical protrusion of black, oily flesh covered in long, hard quills upon which insane revelers have willingly impaled themselves.”
You can submit as many as you wish. Check out this Wikipedia entry for Great Old Ones that already exist in the mythos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos_deities
Nephesiin, She Who Quells All. A vast nine-fingered hand whose arm always appears to extend from the chest of all who perceive her. Each fingertip glows in a different primary color, and orbiting around the palm are a number of stars, with their luminous matter drawn towards her in great serpentine curls.
Nephesiin, She Who Quells All. A vast nine-fingered hand whose arm always appears to extend from the chest of all who perceive her. Each fingertip glows in a different primary color, and orbiting around the palm are a number of stars, with their luminous matter drawn towards her in great serpentine curls.
Ag’lom, the Drowning Star, manifests as a meteor with many holes. If you look in these holes you see the open-mouthed faces of drowned fools who did the same; the meteor starts gushing water immediately afterwards.
Ag’lom, the Drowning Star, manifests as a meteor with many holes. If you look in these holes you see the open-mouthed faces of drowned fools who did the same; the meteor starts gushing water immediately afterwards.
Shyem-Elan, The Mad Playwright, who concocted the tale of reality as we know it, is well regarded in the community of Ancient Folk for his surrealist twist endings.
Shyem-Elan, The Mad Playwright, who concocted the tale of reality as we know it, is well regarded in the community of Ancient Folk for his surrealist twist endings.
Shem-Borath, She of the impossible digits, appearing as woman with dozens of articulate multitudes of knuckles forming her fingers.
Shem-Borath, She of the impossible digits, appearing as woman with dozens of articulate multitudes of knuckles forming her fingers.
Bwbugbul’bilz, Lord of toads and flies, Father of all diseases. This lumbering murky mass of flesh vaguely mimics the shape of a frog. It lies in the wet darkness of the bowels of the earth sending tendrils of insects to spread its miasmic influence over the world above.
Bwbugbul’bilz, Lord of toads and flies, Father of all diseases. This lumbering murky mass of flesh vaguely mimics the shape of a frog. It lies in the wet darkness of the bowels of the earth sending tendrils of insects to spread its miasmic influence over the world above.
She of the Impossible Name, a non-euclidean alphabet forming it. Any who manage to hear or say this name are swept to her realm.
She of the Impossible Name, a non-euclidean alphabet forming it. Any who manage to hear or say this name are swept to her realm.
Lothlomith, a being of impossible geometry. His eyes are circles with pi being equal to 3, and the angles of his triangular claws add up to 200 degrees.
Lothlomith, a being of impossible geometry. His eyes are circles with pi being equal to 3, and the angles of his triangular claws add up to 200 degrees.
Cold Whispers is the most common name for this Old One that cannot be seen but only heard as numerous barely audible malicious whispers, often slowly driving its victims insane. Its motives are, of course, inscrutable. Sometimes multiple people can hear the whispers, but often just a single person can, adding to the victim’s uncertainty in their sanity.
Cold Whispers is the most common name for this Old One that cannot be seen but only heard as numerous barely audible malicious whispers, often slowly driving its victims insane. Its motives are, of course, inscrutable. Sometimes multiple people can hear the whispers, but often just a single person can, adding to the victim’s uncertainty in their sanity.
Ptyan’ith Mestonti, Guardian of the Ageless Vault Outside Time, an enormous six-limbed translucent reptile that radiates a strange time-altering phosphorescence. It dwells in a cavern under the crust of the rogue planet Morthath near the Pleiades cluster.
Ptyan’ith Mestonti, Guardian of the Ageless Vault Outside Time, an enormous six-limbed translucent reptile that radiates a strange time-altering phosphorescence. It dwells in a cavern under the crust of the rogue planet Morthath near the Pleiades cluster.
The Emperor of the Flight, who inhabits a planet near Thuban. He is a mockery of all of mortal fear combined, and as a result has a rather draconic appearance.
The Emperor of the Flight, who inhabits a planet near Thuban. He is a mockery of all of mortal fear combined, and as a result has a rather draconic appearance.
Malbruggoth, also known as The Sucking Bloat, is found in a widespread puffy skin condition throughout a population. What looks like a bulge, feels like a void that needs to filled and will devour what it can.
Malbruggoth, also known as The Sucking Bloat, is found in a widespread puffy skin condition throughout a population. What looks like a bulge, feels like a void that needs to filled and will devour what it can.
Kit-po, possessor of eyes and all they contain, journeys by line of sight from one set of optical orbs to the next, even those of animals, or in pictures. Those she’s controlling claim no memory of it later, but you will know her by the unusual glitter of her eyes.
Kit-po, possessor of eyes and all they contain, journeys by line of sight from one set of optical orbs to the next, even those of animals, or in pictures. Those she’s controlling claim no memory of it later, but you will know her by the unusual glitter of her eyes.
The Idolation of the Sublime, an ancient text bound in a leather of unknown origins which feels supple, warm, and welcoming, reads in whatever language the reader finds most comfortable. It smells of your childhood or your lost lover, and should you read it long enough, you will ache for nothing more than its words, until you, too, will worship at its altar.
The Idolation of the Sublime, an ancient text bound in a leather of unknown origins which feels supple, warm, and welcoming, reads in whatever language the reader finds most comfortable. It smells of your childhood or your lost lover, and should you read it long enough, you will ache for nothing more than its words, until you, too, will worship at its altar.
Kanmahawa the wayward wind who walks the roads least traveled. A tall tan skinned woman wearing tattered lace with black feathers for hair, raven’s feet and a cow’s tail. She unhomes and renders lost any weary wanderers when they gaze into her swirling eyes of maddening colors.
Kanmahawa the wayward wind who walks the roads least traveled. A tall tan skinned woman wearing tattered lace with black feathers for hair, raven’s feet and a cow’s tail. She unhomes and renders lost any weary wanderers when they gaze into her swirling eyes of maddening colors.
Nyarlabrotep, Lord of the Frats in the Walls. Exclusively recruits cultists called Chad. Will not rest till all brewskis have been consumed.
Nyarlabrotep, Lord of the Frats in the Walls. Exclusively recruits cultists called Chad. Will not rest till all brewskis have been consumed.
The intelligence 6173916ggsu8 lives in the collected form all of bugs on the Internet. It grows stronger with every cross-site scripting vulnerability.
The intelligence 6173916ggsu8 lives in the collected form all of bugs on the Internet. It grows stronger with every cross-site scripting vulnerability.
Ketchketektcan, He who creeps and crawls, dwells beneath the earth where His restless slumber drives the worms, maggots, vermin, roaches to leave their subterranean dwellings and encroach upon the homes of the denizens of Upper Billing End.
Ketchketektcan, He who creeps and crawls, dwells beneath the earth where His restless slumber drives the worms, maggots, vermin, roaches to leave their subterranean dwellings and encroach upon the homes of the denizens of Upper Billing End.
The Nameless Dread lives in the edges of your peripheral vision, summoned by the collective anxiety of humanity. It is stronger now than it has been in decades.
The Nameless Dread lives in the edges of your peripheral vision, summoned by the collective anxiety of humanity. It is stronger now than it has been in decades.
Not a true Old One, but a servitor having slipped his bonds long ago, Achriel, The Knife, appears within the shadow of a man, but will cause it to quaver, grow additional limbs, and twist as it wishes. The foolish or desperate may contract his services. In exchange for something particularly precious and rare he will kill one creature of the subject’s choosing and one other close to the subject each calendar year until the bargainer dies. Those who have bargained with The Knife will see him writhing everywhere, always listening, and choosing his next victim.
Not a true Old One, but a servitor having slipped his bonds long ago, Achriel, The Knife, appears within the shadow of a man, but will cause it to quaver, grow additional limbs, and twist as it wishes. The foolish or desperate may contract his services. In exchange for something particularly precious and rare he will kill one creature of the subject’s choosing and one other close to the subject each calendar year until the bargainer dies. Those who have bargained with The Knife will see him writhing everywhere, always listening, and choosing his next victim.
Tyemni’anoch, the Hunger That Shades, a being whose tar-weeping, rocky intestines form a cavernous complex of tunnels and holes that touches on all places beneath the earth untouched by light. Its gem-studded excreta have given rise to more than one wealthy-but-sleepy town’s habit of quiet sacrifices to the shadow beneath.
Tyemni’anoch, the Hunger That Shades, a being whose tar-weeping, rocky intestines form a cavernous complex of tunnels and holes that touches on all places beneath the earth untouched by light. Its gem-studded excreta have given rise to more than one wealthy-but-sleepy town’s habit of quiet sacrifices to the shadow beneath.
Fnordlechum the World Fish, some strange motley fusing of fish and tree with wax dripping from ever lit candles on twisted branches and water flowing from its gills. Its roots hide a portal to its dreaming land, the endless archipelago.
Fnordlechum the World Fish, some strange motley fusing of fish and tree with wax dripping from ever lit candles on twisted branches and water flowing from its gills. Its roots hide a portal to its dreaming land, the endless archipelago.
The Nameless God of Amenkha hoards the secrets of the void. It has no form visible to humans, but it’s presence is always accompanied by maddening whispers of a thousand dead languages and the sound of thunderous wings.
The Nameless God of Amenkha hoards the secrets of the void. It has no form visible to humans, but it’s presence is always accompanied by maddening whispers of a thousand dead languages and the sound of thunderous wings.
-,-`-,- lives in the space between thoughts and words. Cultures who encounter it either embrace the silence or pursue stimulus overload in a vain attempt to edge the being out.
-,-`-,- lives in the space between thoughts and words. Cultures who encounter it either embrace the silence or pursue stimulus overload in a vain attempt to edge the being out.
Smangldaire, a bearded frogman wearing purple glasses, with hallucinogenic smoke pouring from his nose. He lives in opium dens and outside coffeehouses, stealing the minds of the young with hypnotic poetry and the choicest dope.
Smangldaire, a bearded frogman wearing purple glasses, with hallucinogenic smoke pouring from his nose. He lives in opium dens and outside coffeehouses, stealing the minds of the young with hypnotic poetry and the choicest dope.
Skarpenive, Melixia Shining Eye the black summer queen who lives in the sun and sends her children to make love to flowers and infect humanity with saccharine jitters and dance-inducing intoxicants, her milk is mead, her realm is drunkenness. All secrets are hers.
Skarpenive, Melixia Shining Eye the black summer queen who lives in the sun and sends her children to make love to flowers and infect humanity with saccharine jitters and dance-inducing intoxicants, her milk is mead, her realm is drunkenness. All secrets are hers.
Arachnaurochs the Moonweaver, horned princess of the night, crawling queen of all mothers. The bovine spider woman who weaves shining tapestries in the night and feeds her young with silk and milk and ruminates from dusk til dawn. Perhaps the moon is cheese after all.
Arachnaurochs the Moonweaver, horned princess of the night, crawling queen of all mothers. The bovine spider woman who weaves shining tapestries in the night and feeds her young with silk and milk and ruminates from dusk til dawn. Perhaps the moon is cheese after all.
Che’etchulan, the Cosmic Spider. With no discernible front or back, it’s gargantuan translucent torso undulates with probing, crawling, legs. It’s maw randomly appears about its body to devour its prey. When one looks too closely, they can see them writhing within.
Che’etchulan, the Cosmic Spider. With no discernible front or back, it’s gargantuan translucent torso undulates with probing, crawling, legs. It’s maw randomly appears about its body to devour its prey. When one looks too closely, they can see them writhing within.
Hec’tumel: Pale Lizard! Slithering One! Death is Its Eyes! An antique being haunting vast, bone-littered caverns. Its codex has appeares throughout the ages, always in a place hidden from the light. The codex includes a chant to summon Hec’tumel, who has no power in this world unless given a host, and no knowledge of the current world except that which you give it. It can teach you the spells contained in the codex, but rarely does so for free.
Hec’tumel: Pale Lizard! Slithering One! Death is Its Eyes! An antique being haunting vast, bone-littered caverns. Its codex has appeares throughout the ages, always in a place hidden from the light. The codex includes a chant to summon Hec’tumel, who has no power in this world unless given a host, and no knowledge of the current world except that which you give it. It can teach you the spells contained in the codex, but rarely does so for free.
Klo-Peth, The Cassidy Hills Killer, frighteningly tall humanoid, coarse grey hide, prehensile neck, eyeless face. Limbs are so broken and many angled it looks like a leafless tangle of trees to the unsuspecting. Stalks the high country in winter, leaves its victims as caricatures of itself
Klo-Peth, The Cassidy Hills Killer, frighteningly tall humanoid, coarse grey hide, prehensile neck, eyeless face. Limbs are so broken and many angled it looks like a leafless tangle of trees to the unsuspecting. Stalks the high country in winter, leaves its victims as caricatures of itself
Ap’tx – The Plumetting Spires, a great silent city orbiting a dying sun. In its shadowed plazas of dark, alien stone and titanic spires humanity sleeps and dreams of living their lives. When Ap’tx decrees, the dream ends and its narrow servitors bring the newly awakened to the fresh, protracted terrors of a hungry god.
Ap’tx – The Plumetting Spires, a great silent city orbiting a dying sun. In its shadowed plazas of dark, alien stone and titanic spires humanity sleeps and dreams of living their lives. When Ap’tx decrees, the dream ends and its narrow servitors bring the newly awakened to the fresh, protracted terrors of a hungry god.
gRolA’AloRg – The Other of Us, an unseen parasitic consciousness that feeds on and takes delights in conflict. Infests exactly 50% of a population, fueling paranoia, gossip and outright violence on all sides, from the classroom to the board-room to the war-room. Will not stop until it’s destroyed a population utterly. Infection detectable by invasive medical procedures…or is it?
gRolA’AloRg – The Other of Us, an unseen parasitic consciousness that feeds on and takes delights in conflict. Infests exactly 50% of a population, fueling paranoia, gossip and outright violence on all sides, from the classroom to the board-room to the war-room. Will not stop until it’s destroyed a population utterly. Infection detectable by invasive medical procedures…or is it?
Glormitorplimengr, or Scratch, is among the most distant brown dwarf stars in the galaxy. It manifests itself as a figure cloaked in dirty dusty rags covered in feathers and fleas. The more you try not to scratch the stronger it grows. Feeling itchy?
Glormitorplimengr, or Scratch, is among the most distant brown dwarf stars in the galaxy. It manifests itself as a figure cloaked in dirty dusty rags covered in feathers and fleas. The more you try not to scratch the stronger it grows. Feeling itchy?
Cytoziriobuloskoldrix of the Endless Sky. The sky grows around you, eating up the horizon until you cannot stand and you fall endlessly through clear days, starry nights, storms, all manner of cloud palaces, the sun beating down on you, never ending fall, falling no land in sight wind rushing past and all there is is the sky.
Cytoziriobuloskoldrix of the Endless Sky. The sky grows around you, eating up the horizon until you cannot stand and you fall endlessly through clear days, starry nights, storms, all manner of cloud palaces, the sun beating down on you, never ending fall, falling no land in sight wind rushing past and all there is is the sky.
Zskr-Oghaqug, the Polluted Gyre
Zskr-Oghaqug is being made manifest as a patch of seemingly man-made debris and sludge trapped in the currents of the North Pacific Gyre. Environmentalists, climate scientists and activists continue to investigate and note the growth of Zskr-Oghaqug, who they have named “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” but none have yet realized how imminent is the full emergence of the Great Old One.
Zskr-Oghaqug, the Polluted Gyre
Zskr-Oghaqug is being made manifest as a patch of seemingly man-made debris and sludge trapped in the currents of the North Pacific Gyre. Environmentalists, climate scientists and activists continue to investigate and note the growth of Zskr-Oghaqug, who they have named “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” but none have yet realized how imminent is the full emergence of the Great Old One.
Mr. Rightbehind exists just out of view but close enough to whisper into your ear or gently drag his nails against the back of your neck. He will only transfer to another in the complete absense of light, but you can never be sure he is gone or just waiting.
Mr. Rightbehind exists just out of view but close enough to whisper into your ear or gently drag his nails against the back of your neck. He will only transfer to another in the complete absense of light, but you can never be sure he is gone or just waiting.
David LaFreniere Shem-Borath reminded me of this lol
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mitP4N0mbGoUB1jEdBcTG_7dw8bC7uKQI6A_pAj4cg8BUqoVean8Cse2cajXSt1sKquE2ZSQBLCGN3lwkBuY01ycdGHsLgRVq7w=s0
David LaFreniere Shem-Borath reminded me of this lol
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KQPlOtsKy0ERJNVykWUn0TAdVJVKakb8oMyoPIFQH0ZhCVuQ35G6G32gDQuANV9WLl1xs0uFZn6_HLCaT28HAIMnajFGzs0yYdI=s0
Ygnithoth, the Slumbering Mountains, a great amorphous old one that fell to the Earth in a deep slumber. It is said its body formed the Appalachians and its sick blood is the coal within. When enough has been removed, it will stir once more.
Ygnithoth, the Slumbering Mountains, a great amorphous old one that fell to the Earth in a deep slumber. It is said its body formed the Appalachians and its sick blood is the coal within. When enough has been removed, it will stir once more.
imiquimod the defender, the keeper, the eternal prison: exists as a field of space that extends towards and envelops sentient life. Nothing harmful is allowed to harm the life in this space. Imiquimod consumes everything in its body and moves on as soon as any creature attempts to leave.
imiquimod the defender, the keeper, the eternal prison: exists as a field of space that extends towards and envelops sentient life. Nothing harmful is allowed to harm the life in this space. Imiquimod consumes everything in its body and moves on as soon as any creature attempts to leave.
Glomerulus spreads into your mind as a nostalgic smell. Triggering memories from other lives and long dead worlds.
Glomerulus spreads into your mind as a nostalgic smell. Triggering memories from other lives and long dead worlds.
Sifthorthrotg, the Living Fog, is a shape-changing, vapor who sleeps among the clouds and descends to earth as a conscious fog to corrupt minds.
Sifthorthrotg, the Living Fog, is a shape-changing, vapor who sleeps among the clouds and descends to earth as a conscious fog to corrupt minds.
Thanks everyone! These are great. I’m going to close this thread now.
Thanks everyone! These are great. I’m going to close this thread now.
Thread necromancy! I wanted to let everyone know we are currently raising money on KS to print a big, beautiful hardcover book collecting the first 13 issues of Codex. We’re doing a single print run of this book, and when those are all gone, that’s it! Many of you in this thread have miscellany submissions that made it into one of those early issues, and so you might be interested in getting a copy of the book for yourself. Of particular note is a discounted $35 pledge tier, which is perfect if you don’t care about getting the PDFs.
Even if you’re not interested in getting a copy of the book for yourself, it would be super lovely (and helpful!) if you would share the campaign in your circles.
As it turns out, I can’t actually share a link to the project in this comment because G+ flags such KS links as spam, but if you just go to Kickstarter and search “Codex” it pops right up, or search “Codex RPG” in Google.
Thanks!
Thread necromancy! I wanted to let everyone know we are currently raising money on KS to print a big, beautiful hardcover book collecting the first 13 issues of Codex. We’re doing a single print run of this book, and when those are all gone, that’s it! Many of you in this thread have miscellany submissions that made it into one of those early issues, and so you might be interested in getting a copy of the book for yourself. Of particular note is a discounted $35 pledge tier, which is perfect if you don’t care about getting the PDFs.
Even if you’re not interested in getting a copy of the book for yourself, it would be super lovely (and helpful!) if you would share the campaign in your circles.
As it turns out, I can’t actually share a link to the project in this comment because G+ flags such KS links as spam, but if you just go to Kickstarter and search “Codex” it pops right up, or search “Codex RPG” in Google.
Thanks!