Cthulhu

Known to some as the Dreamer in the Deep, Great Cthulhu is the mightiest of the Great Old Ones. Cthulhu is represented often in artwork—particularly in sculpture, painting, and poetry, for his influence is particularly strong among such sensitive and creative minds. In these eldritch works of art, he is depicted or described as having a vaguely humanoid frame, but with immense draconic wings and an octopus-shaped head. His actual form is somewhat fluid—the Great Old One can shift and reshape his exact countenance as he wills, allowing him to occupy a smaller space than one might expect for a creature that stands over 100 feet tall.

It is fortunate indeed that Cthulhu is currently imprisoned on a distant planet within the sunken city of R’lyeh. There, the Great Old One slumbers away the eons in a state neither quite dead nor living, held in stasis by ancient magic and the potency of the Elder Sign, yet at times the city rises from the sea and the doors to his tomb open, granting Cthulhu limited mobility before he must return to his tomb.
Cthulhu’s Cult

Although Cthulhu is imprisoned on a far-flung world, his dreams span the gulfs of existence and are capable of touching upon the sleeping minds of sensitive or artistic souls, inspiring them with insane visions and driving the creation of all manner of eldritch artistry. In such ways, his cult spreads like a night-borne virus of the dreaming mind across all worlds on which sapient life dwells. Cthulhu is worshiped by various aquatic races and folk who dwell along coasts, but also among certain decadent or fringe societies of artists, poets, and philosophers. When they form, his cults are secretive and careful to hide their allegiance to the Great Old One, meeting only in desolate and otherwise abandoned locales hidden from society’s notice. Central among his cult’s beliefs is the prophecy that one day, the stars will be right and Great Cthulhu shall rise from his corpse-city to usher in the end times, wiping clean all worlds to make them ready for his kind. The cultists believe they might be spared this fate through proper obeisance and fealty, when in truth Cthulhu is unlikely to notice the difference between those who worship him and anyone else.

Cthulhu’s cult is associated with cataclysms, dreams, and the stars, and his sacred symbol is a complex rune surrounding an open eye. Cthulhu’s temples are monolithic structures of a stark and cyclopean architectural style, but most of his faithful lack the resources to build such temples and instead make do with what they can, hiding away personal shrines in underground chambers or in shacks or glades in the remote wilderness.

Home

For now, dead Cthulhu lies asleep in the corpse city of R'lyeh on a distant world far from Golarion, held in stasis by powerful magic and the power of the Elder Sign, but he can reach across the voids of space to touch the sleeping minds of mortals (usually half-insane creative minds like poets, artists and visionaries), who dream of madness and wake with memories not wholly theirs, sometimes not even realising that they are being influenced. His cult is spread in this manner.[3][4]
Appearance

Cthulhu resembles a massive humanoid with an octopoid face, immense draconic wings, and foul, protoplasmic, writhing flesh. His exact form is somewhat fluid, and he stands more than 100 feet tall.[3][4]
Servants

Cthulhu is served by the star-spawn, which share Cthulhu's shape and purpose. Though smaller and weaker than their master, they still possess tremendous power.[3]
Worshipers

Cthulhu is worshipped by various aquatic races, those dwelling near coasts, and those driven to madness by haunted dreams. They are careful to hide their faith and only meet in barely trodden places, infecting others with terrible visions of their master rising from his sunken city. They know that when the stars are right, R'lyeh will rise again, and it will be only a matter of time before their master arrives on Golarion and wipes it clean to prepare for the Outer Gods' return. They believe that their obeisance will cause Cthulhu to reward then, but in truth Cthulhu is unlikely to notice them at all. Cthulhu's temples are stark, cyclopean, monolithic buildings, but since most of his worshippers lack the resources to build them, they usually make do with simple hidden shrines.[3][4][5]
Unholy symbol

Cthulhu's unholy symbol is a complex rune surrounding an open eye.[2]

  • Raandaii-B'nk A shark-like humanoid, possibly similar to Cthulhu's avatar the Father of All Sharks.

possibly having been born on Vhoorl, in the 23rd nebula. He mated with Idh-yaa on the planet Xoth. His offspring are Ghatanothoa, Ythogtha, Zoth-Ommog, and Cthylla.

He also is said to have mated with the being Nyarlathotep, producing Ilyth'la.

……….. 4 Cthulhu b: Vhoorl, 23rd nebula, d: Unknown in R'lyeh
……….. + Idh-yaa b: Xoth, m: Xoth
………….. 5 Ghatanothoa b: Xoth
………….. 5 Ythogtha b: Xoth
………….. 5 Zoth-Ommog b: Xoth, d: Unknown in R'lyeh
………….. 5 Cthylla b: Xoth
……….. + Nyarlathotep
………….. 5 Ilyth'la
……….. 4 Kassogtha
……….. + Cthulhu b: Vhoorl, 23rd nebula, d: Unknown in R'lyeh
………….. 5 Nctosa
………….. 5 Ncothullu

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