Sandy petersens cthulhu mythos 365

Outer Mutant, Abomination, and Spawn
invisible mix of tentacles and conjoined limbs bigger
Children of the
than an elephant.
Outer Gods
These entities fall into three broad categories. First
Humanity was not meant to delve deeply into the eldritch

are the outer mutants, representing those hybrids in

secrets of the Mythos. While madness and insanity are

which the human side features most prominently. The

the typical result of curiosity and exploration into these

outer spawn represent the other end of the spectrum:

nightmare topics, some of the most fecund or contagious

for instance, the colossal insect/octopus thing that

elements of the Mythos, such as experiments involving

appears at the end of The Dunwich Horror. Outer

past life regression, certain transformative mutagens

abominations fall between these two extremes into

crafted by the serpentfolk, or the mere presence of

a sort of intermediate stage. Children of the Elder

Shub-Niggurath can cause twisting and distortion in

Beings often progress inevitably through these stages,

the flesh as surely as the mind. These events can give

from mutant to abomination to spawn, the transitions

rise to the vile and terrible transformations that warp

marked by awful trauma and burgeoning evil.

curious unfortunates into outer mutants. Perhaps the

There is more to these beings than grotesque

most revolting method by which such monstrosities

monstrosity. The Outer Gods spawn them not out of

come to be lies with interbreeding between alien

whim but to a purpose, and often a terrible one. Yog-

monstrosities and humanity. In some cases, the results

Sothoth and the other Outer Gods seek constantly

of such crossbreeding are relatively stable, as in the case

to break through into mortal planes for unthinkable

of the deep one hybrid or the satyr, but in most cases,

purposes. These entities contact humans and other

particularly those involving impregnation via one of

races (and can be contacted in return), and often

the Great Old Ones or Outer Gods, the result is always

mingle their own vile heritage with lesser beings. The

one of teratological terror.

result, in every case, is a distorted monstrosity, varying

Children of the Elder Beings are usually around

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greatly in power and size.

human size, though they trend toward the larger end

This is the fundamental truth behind the outer

of the scale. In Lovecraft’s tale The Dunwich Horror,

mutants, abominations, and spawns: they constantly

the interdimensional entity Yog-Sothoth fathers two

plot, scheme, and work toward opening gateways to

children upon a wizard’s daughter. One of the children

bring the Outer Gods to the world to rule again and

is able to pass for human, at least when wearing long

bring about the final apocalypse. They make ideal

pants and shirts that button up to the neck and wrists,

opponents for a horror-based campaign in which the

though there is still obviously something wrong (at the

heroes must stop them in order to save the world or

age of 12, he stood 7 feet tall). The other child is an oft-

universe itself.