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Post by tkdco2 on Apr 22, 2015 14:05:55 GMT -6
While not part of the Lovecraft mythos, there are a few deities that can be added to the ranks of the Old Ones. Looking at Deities and Demigods, Blibdoolpoolp and Laogzed (Nonhumans' Deities) come to mind, as do Hate from the Nehwon Mythos and Druaga from the Babylonian Mythos. Any suggestions for other beings?
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Post by talysman on Apr 22, 2015 15:42:00 GMT -6
You could probably "Lovecraft up" just about any deity by picking a couple of the deity's symbolic accoutrements and making them the central form of the deity. For example:
- Horus could be a lidless eye surrounded by a whirlwind of flying hawks. Those in his presence are driven mad by a constant shrieking sound.
- Nuit could be an amorphous blob of darkness with stars blazing in its depths. Those enveloped by Nuit would experience spatical distortions.
- Heimdal would be a whirlwind of flashing colors accompanied by a periodic bellowing sound that wakes the dead,
The Hindu deities would be particular easy. All those hands and eyes...
There's something vaguely Lovecraftian about William Blake's mythos. Red Orc, in particular, is sometimes equated with a huge worm, and in my campaign setting, he's linked to the wormpocalypse.
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Post by Red Baron on Apr 22, 2015 21:08:36 GMT -6
I've always loved the descriptions of the gods in the Elric books.
Arioch appears to mortal men as unfathomably beautiful, warm, and understanding.
Grome smells rich and musty and good, like peat and old wooden closets.
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Post by Red Baron on Apr 22, 2015 21:09:28 GMT -6
You may also want to take another look at the aztec myhtos.
They had some pretty creepy stuff if I recall correctly.
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Post by tkdco2 on Apr 25, 2015 1:47:38 GMT -6
Aztec gods would fit right in. I also like the idea of changing the deities' appearance. I'd stay away from the Hindu deities, though, since Hinduism is a current religion.
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otiv
Level 4 Theurgist
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Post by otiv on Apr 25, 2015 6:37:10 GMT -6
Aztec gods would fit right in. I also like the idea of changing the deities' appearance. I'd stay away from the Hindu deities, though, since Hinduism is a current religion. Christianity is a current religion, too. That doesn't stop many DM's from including Protestant witch-hammerers and Catholic militant-orders in their D&D campaigns (I sure do, anyway). You could Lovecraft-up Christianity. I had an aunt that took me to tent revivals once or twice as a kid. I vaguely remember people babbling in tongues and doing weird things with snakes. Those people are halfway to swords-and-sorcery-land already; all they need now is human sacrifices. |
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Post by Red Baron on Apr 25, 2015 9:13:47 GMT -6
There are some really creepy death-cult aspects of both Christianity and Hinduism that you could take inspiration from. Every religion needs something a bit morbid, or else people just won't take it seriously, so I'm sure you can find a lot more good ideas just poking around through Deities and Demigods.
You could start with gaulish druids, who threw people down spiked pits and burned giant statues made out of living people tied together.
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Post by geoffrey on Apr 25, 2015 12:30:29 GMT -6
Read anti-Catholic polemics written by Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Assume the literal truth of every word. That Catholicism is your Christianity in a Lovecraftian campaign.
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Post by stevemitchell on Apr 25, 2015 14:41:33 GMT -6
"While not part of the Lovecraft mythos, there are a few deities that can be added to the ranks of the Old Ones."
There are plenty of Old Ones that could be encountered beyond the map in Carcosa, without having to borrow from other myth-systems. Geoffrey has given us details for an area only slightly larger than Maine, including the gods to be found or worshipped there. Assuming that Carcosa is an approximately Earth-sized planet, then there is plenty of room elsewhere for many other Old Ones to lurk: Lloigor, Zhar, Gol-Goroth, Glaaki, Nyogtha, Iod, Rhan-Tegoth, and the list goes on and on.
"You could Lovecraft-up Christianity."
Richard Tierney, in his regrettably long out-of-print novel The Winds of Zarr, established that the "Jehovah" who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai was actually Yog-Sothoth. Following this logic to its inexorable conclusion, in The Drums of Chaos Tierney affirmed that Jesus is a son of Yog-Sothoth. (And thus a half-brother to our old pal Wilbur Whateley.) Looking to complete the Trinity, I would nominate Nyarlathotep for the role of the Holy Spirit.
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Post by tkdco2 on Apr 26, 2015 21:57:37 GMT -6
That would depend on my players. Some may be offended at the idea of doing Christianity (or any other religion) Lovecraft style. Others may actually like the idea.
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Post by Malcadon on Apr 28, 2015 2:24:54 GMT -6
Here is an idea: Take the many space gods form the works of Jack Kirby (namely the Fourth World series), make them look and act totally xenomorphic in nature, give them names that would put your lips and tongue in knots, and build your Carcosan Mythos from that. I like to imagine that "Kirby krackles" are just extensions of Azathoth's massive form, permeating all of (his) creation.   |
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Apr 28, 2015 7:20:18 GMT -6
There are some really creepy death-cult aspects of both Christianity [...] Watch this and take it literally. |
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Post by geoffrey on Apr 28, 2015 8:42:28 GMT -6
Here is an idea: Take the many space gods form the works of Jack Kirby (namely the Fourth World series), make them look and act totally xenomorphic in nature, give them names that would put your lips and tongue in knots, and build your Carcosan Mythos from that. I like to imagine that "Kirby krackles" are just extensions of Azathoth's massive form, permeating all of (his) creation. Good call. Jack Kirby is a definite influence on Carcosa, and Devil Dinosaur in particular is an influence. |
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Post by tkdco2 on Apr 28, 2015 13:38:51 GMT -6
There are some really creepy death-cult aspects of both Christianity [...] Watch this and take it literally. Aaaaaah!  |
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