Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos (1) 334

IX Mythos Bestiary
The elder things, also known as old ones, came to

and can hibernate for even longer eras. Few die, except

the world over a billion years ago . They stand a little

by violence.

over 2 meters tall. They have pentameric symmetry,

They reproduce with spores, but are only interested

where almost every aspect of their being manifests in

in increasing their numbers when colonizing new

fives. Their barrel-shaped bodies have five prominent

regions. They can feed on both organic and some

ridges. They have five folding wings which they can

inorganic substances, but are preferentially carnivorous.

pull into large crevices in their bodies. They have
five powerfully-muscled tentacle-shaped legs ending
in flippers and five crinoid-like arms that divide into
five tentacles, each of which in turn subdivides again
into five more delicate tendrils. This produces a total
of 125 manipulatable tendrils. An elder thing’s puffy,

star-shaped head has eyes
emerging from the tips of each
“petal” as well as proboscises
with toothed mouths that protrude

Technology
The elder things are masters of both magic and
technology. One of their brain lobes is devoted to
magic, a second to technology, and a third to the
biological arts and sciences. Each of these lobes is larger
than a human brain and gives the elder thing massive
potential in its assigned area. Elder things do not
normally rely on high
technology

in

from the inside angles. The heads are
also covered with prismatic cilia, sensory
organs that enable them to sense objects,
temperature, movement, etc., all without
light or air.

Ecology
A highly adaptable alien species, elder
things can live under water, dwell on land,
or fly through the air. They can even travel in
outer space. From head to foot they typically are
7-8 feet in height, and usually weigh a few hundred
pounds.

To human eyes, they resemble echinoderms with
radial symmetry. They also have a massive fivelobed brain deep in their torso, each lobe of which is
concerned with a different aspect of reality. Despite
their weird appearance and incredible hardiness,
they are composed of normal, terrestrial matter.
Their bodies are tough, able to withstand the
pressure of the deepest ocean, or the vacuum of
space. They can live for tens of thousands of years,

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