Cthulhu Mythos supernatural characters

A number of supernatural characters appear in the Cthulhu Mythos. While many of these beings have godlike qualities, they do not fit the standard categories (that is, Outer God or Great Old One). Nonetheless, they are noteworthy for their infrequent or sometimes singular appearances in the mythos.

Magnum Innominandum

Magnum Innominandum means "Great Not-to-Be-Named" in Latin^[1]. It is also known as the Nameless Mist and N'yog-Sothep^{[citation needed]}.

According to H. P. Lovecraft, this being is the spawn of Azathoth^{[citation needed]} (making it on par with the Magnum Tenebrosum and Cxaxukluth) and is associated with, and possibly the progenitor of, Yog-Sothoth^{[citation needed]}. It is also associated with Hastur^{[citation needed]}. Little is known about this god, but it is considered to be extremely dangerous to sorcerers, hence its title "the unnameable" (archaic terminology, meaning not to be summoned or ritually named in an incantation).

Mlandoth and Mril Thorion

Mlandoth and Mril Thorion were created by Walter C. DeBill Jr., but were suggested years earlier by Clark Ashton Smith. According to the cycle surrounding these beings, they are a sort of cosmic Yin and yang, whose meeting resulted in the creation of all things (although the terrible Azathoth is usually attributed to this). Their joinings routinely create and destroy matter and entities. One of the beings created in this way was the inimical Outer God Ngyr-Khorath.

Pharol

Pharol is a powerful and dangerous demon that looks like "a black, fanged, cycloptic thing with arms like swaying serpents."^[2] The entity normally dwells in another dimension—a "seething and sub-dimensional chaos" beyond the mundane universe^[3]. The wizard Eibon of Hyperborea sometimes summoned Pharol to query him for arcane information.^[4]

Servitors of the Outer Gods

The Servitors of the Outer Gods are the servants of the powerful Lesser Outer Gods that swirl, writhe, and dance endlessly before the throne of Azathoth at the center of the universe. The Servitors play the insane flute tunes and drum beats to which the Outer Gods dance. Though they have no fixed shape, they are described as looking something like a toad and an octopus. These extradimensional beings can be summoned to Earth to assist in worship and other occult ceremonies of cultists of the mythos.

Xexanoth

See Clark Ashton Smith deities.

Xiurhn

Xiurhn was introduced by Gary Myers in the 1975 short story of the same name.

Xiurhn's soul is contained in a large, tempting jewel. Those unscrupulous enough to steal it suffer the fate of having their own souls placed into jewels. Xiurhn then carves off those parts to his own liking, transforming them into archetypes of what is left over.

Xiurhn's is portrayed as a winged, slothlike fiend with a hideous, pulpy face. Xiurhn serves the Outer God known as the Magnum Tenebrosum and dwells in the Vale Which Is the Night in the Dreamlands.

References

• Ambuehl, James. "Correlated Contents" in Shards Of Darkness, Mythos Books. [E'ilor]
• Aniolowski, Scott David. The Creature Compendium, Chaosium Publications. [Green God]
• Campbell, Ramsey [1995] (1995). "The Horror Under Warrendown". In Scott David Aniolowski (ed.). Made In Goatswood. Oakland, CA: Chaosium. ISBN 1-56882-046-1. 
• Carter, Lin [1971] (2002). "Shaggai". In Robert M. Price (ed.). The Book of Eibon (1st ed. ed.). Oakland, CA: Chaosium. ISBN 1-56882-129-8. 
• Harms, Daniel (1998). The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana (2nd ed. ed.). Oakland, CA: Chaosium. ISBN 1-56882-119-0. 
• Myers, Gary [1975]. "Xiurhn". The House of the Worm. Sauk City, WI: Arkham House. ISBN 0-97899-113-3. 
• Pearsall, Anthony B. (2005). The Lovecraft Lexicon (1st ed. ed.). Tempe, AZ: New Falcon Pub. ISBN 1-56184-129-3. 

Notes

1. ^ Pearsall, "Magnum Innominandum", pp. 264
2. ^ Carter, "Shaggai", The Book of Eibon, p. 206.
3. ^ Carter, "Shaggai", The Book of Eibon, 207.
4. ^ Harms, "Pharol", p. 238, The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana. Daniel Harms believes that Pharol was invented by C. L. Moore, Henry Kuttner's wife, since the being appears in many of her stories.