More Gods of the Dreamlands

DM: Tim Emrick

Other Dreamlands Gods (Continued)

The following gods are not commonly worshipped, for various reasons (sinister reputation, obscurity, etc.). Their cults' attributes are not common knowledge, and therefore presented here instead of in the gods list for players in the "Secrets of Freeport" campaign.

Asterisked (*) domains are described in Complete Divine (pp. 139-140).

Abhoth, Source of Uncleanness, and Ubbo-Sathla, The Unbegotten Source (Outer Gods): Abhoth and Ubbo-Sathla are often confused, and may even be the same entity. Both are found deep beneath the earth's surface, forming protoplasmic masses that continually spawn (and reabsorb) deformed monsters. They is not worshipped by any humans, only by a few subterranean races. Ubbo-Sathla's mass hides stone tablets with ancient secrets, but even the most powerful sorcerers have failed to retrieve them.

Azathoth, the Daemon Sultan (Outer God): Azathoth is the ruler of the Outer Gods, and has existed since the universe began. He is a "monstrous nuclear chaos", who dwells outside normal time and space. He is blind, idiotic, and indifferent, worshipped only by the insane. (However, his servant Nyarlathotep has a great number of cults.)

Cthulhu, Great Old One: Great Cthulhu is a huge bloated biped with webbed wings and an octopoid head. His worshipers include degenerate human cults in coastal towns, Deep Ones, and the creatures known as star-spawn of Cthulhu. He communicates with his worshippers through dreams.

Father Dagon and Mother Hydra: These two ancient Deep Ones have reached colossal size and godlike status. They are Cthulhu's most powerful minions.

Ghadamon, Great Old One: Ghadamon is a larval Great Old One, who does not yet have any cult. It dwells in the Sterile Lake in the Dreamlands' Underworld, waiting until it feeds enough to enter the Waking World.

Gods of Golthoth: These animal-headed gods were worshipped in Cuppar-Nombo until the mysterious destruction of Golthoth. Some blame a curse called down by Anubis, god of death [who may be a mask of Nyarlathotep?]. The Dark Wanderers are slowly returning to the worship of their old gods, minus Anubis. (Some classify Bast as part of this pantheon, but her origin is unknown.)

Hastur, The Unspeakable One (Great Old One): Hastur has at least two forms: a vaguely octopoid mass, and a humanoid avatar known as the King in Yellow. Both forms are associated with the Yellow Sign, which is rumored to cause madness merely by seeing the sigil. His worship among the serpent people of Valossa caused that nation's ruin.

Lesser Other Gods: These beings attend Azathoth, and have only small cults of their own. Most are as mindless as their master, but being less powerful, are less dangerous to approach.

Mnomquah and Oorn, Great Old Ones: This monstrous mated pair (Mnomquah resembles a lizard, Oorn a mollusk) lies trapped beneath the surface of the Dreamlands' Moon. They are served by the moonbeasts and their Lengite slaves, who toil to free them.

Mordiggian, The Charnel God (Great Old One): Mordiggian lives in ghoul-dug tunnels between the waking world and the Dreamlands. He cares nothing for the living, only for eating the corpses of the dead. He is sometimes summoned by those plagued by undead, for he tames ghouls and destroys animated corpses.

The Night, Outer God: The Night is the personification of men's fears of the night. It lives in a great pool of darkness at the eastern rim of the world, where it retreats every morning. It has no known cult, but is sometimes invoked by worshippers of Nyarlathotep's Haunter of the Dark form.

Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos (Outer God): Nyarlathotep is the messenger of the Outer Gods, and the only one of them who seems genuinely interested in attracting human worshipers. He has a thousand forms, most of them monstrous, though he sometimes appears a man with jet-black skin, hair, and garb.

Oona, the Cannibal Spirit: Oona is worshipped by cannibal cults, who are usually led by a sailor who was shipwrecked and survived by eating his companions. Her priests are always cultists, never clerics.

Sekolah: This infernal shark goddess is worshipped exclusively by the sahaugin.

Shub-Niggurath, The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young (Outer God): Shub-Niggurath is a perverse fertility deity, worshipped by druids and similar groups. Some believe that all other fertility goddesses (such as Lilith) are simply reflections of this original source. She is served by her Dark Young--vaguely tree-like masses of ropy tentacles.

Sthood, Great Old One: Sthood only has one temple, in Nithy-Vash. The entire purpose of its cult is to prevent any man from worshiping Sthood, lest the god waken.

Tru'nembra, Angel of Music (Outer God): This god is living sound, and is attracted to musical geniuses. Tru'nembra ties to take these unfortunate musicians to the court of Azathoth--either in body or in spirit--there to join the court's eternal chorus.

Tsathoggua, Great Old One: Tsathoggua has a fat furry body, and a toad-like head with bat ears and fur. He dwells in the black gulf of N'kai, deep beneath the Earth, but originally lived on Saturn. He is worshipped by furry subhumans, sorcerers and wizards, and his own "formless spawn".

Yarash, God of Pirates and Bloodlust [Great Old One?]: Yarash was once Harrimast's henchman, but has since rebelled. See Black Sails Over Freeport for details.

Yibb-Tstll, the Patient One (Outer God): Yibb-Tstll sees all of time and space as it rotates in a clearing in the Jungle of Kled. Its cloak covers a multitude of nightgaunts that suckle at the god's breasts. The god's blood, known as The Black, can be summoned as a monster.

Yidhra, the Shrouder (Outer God): Yidhra has many forms, including that of Mutos, the six-armed, four-legged, two-faced being worshipped by the mutants on Crystal Lake Island (see Black Sails Over Freeport for details). She survives by absorbing genetic material, and causing mutations in others.

Yig, Father of Serpents (Great Old One): Yig appears as either a monstrous serpent or as a snake-headed man covered in scales. He is worshiped primarily by the serpent people, and only rarely by other races. Yig's followers form two sects, the enlightned Hitthkai and the militant Sskethvai; see Tales of Freeport for details.

Yog-Sothoth, the All-in-One (Outer God): Yog-Sothoth dwells in all points in time and space, and hence is worshipped by those who seek to prolong their life or travel through the dimensions. It normally appears as a shapeless mass of iridescent globes, but may also appear as the Opener of the Way, a man-like figure whose features are totally obscured by a voluminous robe.

Freeport Gods, by Portfolio

This list follows the order given in Gods of Freeport [at Tim's Errata Archive]. Gods with no obvious equivalent are omitted. Specific identifications with Dreamlands gods are given here.

Ancestors: [See Black Sails Over Freeport.]

Cannibals: Oona; (also Mordiggian).

The Crawling Chaos: Nyarlathotep.

Death: Zo-Kalar.

Dogs: Gods of Golthoth (Anubis) [?].

Justice: Ariel [also Sun].

Knowledge: Nasht.

Lizardfolk: Bokrug.

Luck: Nodens [also Sea & Storms]

Magic: Tamash.

Murder: Hagarg Ryonis.

Mutants: Yidhra (Mutos).

Nature: (no god necessary; also Lilith, Robigus, Shub-Niggurath).

Orcs: Krom.

Pirates: Harrimast, Yarash.

Retribution: Nath-Horthath [also Valor].

Rogues: Snid [also Trickery].

Sahaugin: Sekolah.

Smiths: Karakal.

The Sea: Nodens [also Luck & Storms].

Serpents: Yig.

Storms: Nodens [also Luck & Sea]

The Sun: Ariel [also Justice].

Trickery: Snid [also Rogues].

The Unspeakable One: Hastur.

Valor: Nath-Horthath [also Retribution].

Warriors: N'tse-Kaambl.

Domain Summary

The following is a list of the domains and the gods granting each. (See the Player's Handbook, pp. 185-189 (*and Complete Divine, pp. 139-140) for details of these domains.)