Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos (1) 47

Zoogs
Menacing inhabitants of the deep woods, zoogs are

knows of zoogs and their ways would do well to treat

widely dreaded and sometimes mocked from a safe

news of harassment in the forest and unexplained

distance. Unlike many feared races, the superstitions

disappearances as a cause for alarm.

and legends about zoogs are well-founded—they are
not “misunderstood,” but are just as dangerous and
unsettling as the tales tell. Small,
animalistic creatures, zoogs lurk in
shadowed forests and burrows,
waiting

for

unwitting

prey.

Terrifying puppet masters, the
zoogs flutter threats and
taunts as they lure victims
ever closer to their doom.
At the same time, much

of a zoog’s capacity to
evoke terror is situational
and atmospheric. Beneath
the benighted treetops,
their

small

size

and

natural grace produce the
sense that they could be
anywhere, striking from
any angle. Caught in the
open or confronted
outside their natural
environment,
they

seem

more

like oversized rodents that are almost laughable. For
this reason, zoogs stay out of sight, relying upon
misdirection and confusion before they strike.
Most zoogs are content to dwell in their forest
homelands, but they are curious beings, and are known

to roam far abroad. Zoogs often accompany members
of other races, hoping for protection. Occasionally,
zoogs make a major foray into the outside world
or decide to colonize another wood. Anyone who

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History

Zoogs do not document their past and only keep
records of current agreements and treaties—which
are considered sacrosanct—nor do they share oral
histories among their own people, as they have
no interest in dwelling on what has gone
before. For this reason, zoog “history”
is often whatever the zoogs decide
to tell a human they have chosen
to trick or befriend.
Because

of

the

zoogs’

secretive nature, people are
often surprised to learn a
colony of zoogs has been
infesting a nearby forest

for

years,

learning

only
of

the

threat they pose
after

an

attack

on a local hunter.
Those living near the
forest may know that
something is happening, as
stray animals or travelers keep vanishing, but they may
not realize zoogs are behind such disappearances.
Zoogs tend to make their homes in dark and
haunted forests, where they become masters of their
environs. Often far worse creatures than zoogs dwell
therein, and the zoogs learn caution near a lich fortress
or a troll den. Larger and more powerful beings often
ignore the small and comparatively weak zoogs,

who can then take advantage of their proximity. For
example, in a forest containing a dragon, the zoogs are