Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos (1) 181

Crawling Chaos Cult
Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, is notorious for

followers will wither and devolve into one of

his thousand forms, every one representing a different

the million favored ones: mindless wraiths

aspect of the god. As a result, each of his cults functions

that accompany Nyarlathotep and do his

differently, often worshiping a different aspect to suit

behest in service to the other Outer Gods. It’s

Nyarlathotep’s needs for that time and place. All are

not much of an afterlife, but it is eternal.

designed to cause chaos, evoke horror, and sow madness
among mortal societies.
Nyarlathotep does not often have large or wellorganized cults but instead instigates worship as
needed for specific jobs or purposes. His devotees are
mostly members of small organizations—witch covens,
gangs of political dissidents, or outcast tribes—who
have often been rejected by their neighbors.
Cultists of Nyarlathotep hope that, in gaining his
approval, they will also curry favor with the Outer
Gods he serves. Perhaps they are correct or perhaps not,

but the natural laws of the universe seem to bend to
aid them. They tend to have more good fortune, their
spells are likelier to work, and random or haphazard
events often come out in their favor.

General Crawling Chaos
Cult Gifts
Nyarlathotep’s cults share these features:
‘‘ Command Monster: Cultists are given special
privileges with all monsters associated with
Nyarlathotep. They may still need to pay
a hunting horror’s price to get its services,
but the monster will not attack them.
‘‘ Emissary of the Outer Gods: Service
to Nyarlathotep means cultists are also
accepted, at least to a degree, by the other
Outer Gods that he serves. Such entities
are less likely to harm or impede them.
‘‘ Million Favored Ones: As they age and
progress through life, each of Nyarlathotep's

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‘‘ Treasures: Cultists can generally gain access to
brazen heads, gates, Leng glass, a lamp of Alhazred,
space mead, and yithian lightning guns.

The Howler
As the Howler, Nyarlathotep takes the shape of a
gigantic thing that, instead of a face, has a long tentacle

that reaches quivering to the stars while it shrieks a
litany to the Outer Gods. This is one of the most-feared
aspects of the Crawling Chaos, and as such, it is a very
commonly-worshiped aspect among his cults. After all,
the safest way to avoid the god’s enmity is to serve him.
The Howler inspires large groups of cultists, such
as lost tribes, whole villages, or breakaway sects, all of
them seeking the Howler’s favor in their quest to seize
power. Typically, the entire social unit of the local area
is devoted to the Howler, who enthusiastically serves
Nyarlathotep’s purposes.
To maintain the Howler’s form for any length of
time or to awaken his presence, constant and aggressive
acts of sacrifice and obeisance must be performed.
When sufficient death, pain, and madness has been
caused by the cult, the ritual to summon the Howler to
the mortal plane of existence can be completed. This
normally means that a large and organized body of
cultists must work together to bring about the Howler’s
presence, inevitably sacrificing secrecy and causing
significant harm even before they conjure up their dark
god.
Once summoned, for whatever length of time the
Howler takes to vocalize, his cult can benefit from his
special gifts.