Elder Things = Gods of Chaos?

Elder Things = Gods of Chaos?

James_Nostack 1208463953|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I noticed on the Religion page that in Glantri there's a distinction between the "Chaos" gods and the (presumably Cthulhu-ish) Elder Things. I'm not sure what your goals are, but if you're interested in linking up, I'm quite happy saying the Chaos-religion is based on these Elder Things; it wouldn't affect the Black Peaks game at all, and in fact might give it a pleasingly Lovecraftian gloss - with the Trickster simply being the prophet/diplomatic face of this faction (what was it in Lovecraft - Nylarthotep or something was arguably more personable than the other ones, right?)

If you'd rather not, that's okay by me too.

Re: Elder Things = Gods of Chaos?

Quendalon 1208465237|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

I'm going with the idea that Chaos gods are either "human evils" — anthropomorphizations of the darker sides of human nature — or "inhuman evils" like the Cthulhoid Elder Things. Both fall under the rubric of Chaos, but one is more or less sane to propitiate and worship, while the other is, well, other, and best left alone under all circumstances. You can put the Trickster in either category, at your preference, or find some alternate explanation that sidesteps the dichotomy entirely. It's all cool.

Re: Elder Things = Gods of Chaos?

Invincible Overlord 1208466496|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

The way that the Trickster was laid out before makes me think he's more about earthly concerns. If Lord Vader is in charge, the good guys have to ask for help from the Trickster. If General Skywalker is in charge, you turn to the Trickster to get what you deserve.

So I think the Elder Things are better if they're another, more remote power — thingier.

Re: Elder Things = Gods of Chaos?

Quendalon 1208468188|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Sounds good to me! (Did you take the Trickster from another source? I thought you invented him/her/it.)

Re: Elder Things = Gods of Chaos?

Quendalon 1208469484|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

Ack, I thought that was James replying. Bad Overlord! :-D

Re: Elder Things = Gods of Chaos?

James_Nostack 1208471534|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover

The Builder/Trickster thing is taken whole-hog from the excellent "first person sneaker" video game Thief: the Dark Project, where the Trickster is a mixture of Satan and Pan, and in particular is linked up to what, in D&D 3.X terms, would be Aberrations and "Fiendish" Plant type monsters — something very primordial, the things that went bump in the night when the Cro-Magnons were hiding in caves. Very much a corrupted Fey type of thing: not so much intelligent as Craftiness personified, but with a set of purposes pretty inimical to the rational basis of human society.

At the very best, the Trickster is mischievous, arbitrary, and Dionysian… but at its worst the Trickster is corruptive madness, disease, calamity and terror. And it doesn't really like "us" being here on its turf, with our little stone buildings and our pathetic little notions of justice and order.

last edited on 1208471660|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z|agohover by James_Nostack + show more