Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia

by Daniel Harms

  The original tablets were held at the Sanbourne Institute in California until stolen in 1933. Copies of Copeland’s pamphlet may still be found in various collections. Scholars have noted the similarities among them, the Celaeno Fragments, and the Pnakotic Manuscripts.

  The Tablets contain the writings of Zanthu, including how the great wizard destroyed the continent of Mu through his summoning of Ythogtha.

  See Copeland, Harold; Naacal; Yuggya. (“The Dweller in the Tomb”, Carter (O); “Out of the Ages”, Carter; “Strange Manuscript found in the Vermont Woods”, Carter; “The Thing in the Pit”, Carter; A Resection of Time, Johnson; Miskatonic University Graduate Kit, Petersen et. al.)

  ZAOTH

  World in the same star cluster as Abbith, Xoth, and Ymar. Like Abbith, it is inhabited by metal brains who possess a considerable archive of Yuggothian books. Some of the refugees from Yaddith fled to this world after the destruction of their own.

  (“The Book of the Gates”, Carter; “Out of the Ages”, Carter (O), Visions from Yaddith, Carter.)

  ZARNAK, (DOCTOR) ANTON

  Mysterious occult detective who took on many cases with his faithful Rajput servant Ram Singh. Some have said Zarnak came from the mysterious Plateau of Sung. Zarnak studied at the Sorbonne and obtained a doctorate in philosophy there. At other institutions, he obtained doctorates in medicine, psychology, theology, and metaphysics, among other prestigious awards, and became fluent in eleven languages. Despite his learned background, he contented himself with practicing medicine in the Balkans. While there, a “werewolf” killed his wife and infant son. Zarnak destroyed their slayer and devoted himself to tracking down supernatural beings. Possibly this was his reason for spending decades at the monastery of A’alshirie, learning the means to fight back the forces of the Mythos.

  Zarnak’s training came to the fore in 1922, when he moved into 13 China Alley, a location that teleported between New York and San Francisco, after the demise of his predecessor, Professor Guicet. Having met his servant Ram Singh, he disrupted the summoning of the god Yamath and faced a horror bought by Professor Legrasse within a single day. In later adventures, he fought off the Myrdstone Witch-Cult, the Black Pharaoh’s Mummy, weretigers, vampires, and the god K’thun.

  Though scientists derided Zarnak’s papers on vampirism and lycanthropy, he was an antiquarian and collector without peer who lived in opulent quarters in cities across the world. For a while, he studied at the Sanbourne Institute, composing his classic dissertation A New Scrutiny of the Polynesian Genesis according to the Cthaat Aquadingen. After living for several years at 13 China Alley, Zarnak dropped out of sight after taking on one of the Tongs, but he returned to the fight against supernatural evil. After the death of Ram Singh, he moved to an apartment on Eight Avenue in New York City. In the end, Zarnak vanished while fighting a horrible evil with the aid of the god Yamath.

  [Due to confusion in R. E. Howard’s Steven Harrison stories, the setting of Zarnak (and John Grimlan) may at times be read as New York and at others as San Francisco. This has affected the placement of both Zarnak and John Grimlan (which see).]

  See Legrasse, John Raymond; Necronomicon (appendices). (“The Case of the Curiously Competent Conjurer”, Ambuehl and Bucher-Jones; Curse of the Black Pharaoh, Carter; “Dead of Night”, Carter; “Perchance to Dream”, Carter (O); “The Deep Cellars”, Comtois; “Admission of Weakness”, Henderson; “The Door”, Henderson; “To Cast Out Fear”, Henderson; “Dope War of the Black Tong”, Price; “ Soul of the Devil-Bought”, Price.)

  ZARR

  Alien creatures with blue skin, large eyes, slit-like mouths, and unjointed arms and legs. The Zarr subjugated much of their own galaxy of Xentilx before the Great Old One Zathog contacted them. Zathog, who had taken up residence on a planet near that galaxy’s core, asked the Zarr to aid him in freeing the other Great Old Ones in exchange for providing them with a universe to conquer. The Zarr agreed, and the grateful Zathog gave them the power to travel through space and time.

  When the Zarr come to a world which they desire to conquer, they usually rain down destruction upon its civilizations using nuclear weapons and their powers of weather control. Then the Zarr take on board certain members of that planet’s civilization, so that they may use them as tools in destroying the rest of the population. Sometimes, one of these representatives has been known to halt the Zarr and keep them from destroying all of the intelligent life on the world, but even then the aliens may return at another time period to attack once again. Wherever they go, the Zarr search for the tombs of the Great Old Ones and strive to free them from their sleep.

  See flying polyps, Othuyeg; Ydmos; Zathog. (“The Color from Beyond”, Cabos; “From Beyond the Stars”, Tierney (O); The Winds of Zarr, Tierney.)

  ZATHOG

  Great Old One who dwells on a world at the center of the galaxy of Xentilx. Upon his arrival on this planet following the war with the Elder Gods, Zathog made contact with the Zarr, a race which had ruthlessly conquered most of their home galaxy. Knowing that he had found the perfect tool for his revenge, Zathog promised the Zarr new galaxies for conquest if they would help him free his imprisoned brothers. Zathog remains on the world to which he originally came, awaiting the time when all the Great Old Ones shall be freed.

  See Othuyeg; Zarr. (“The Color from Beyond”, Cabos; “From Beyond the Stars”, Tierney (O); The Winds of Zarr, Tierney.)

  ZEGREMBI MANUSCRIPT (also ZEGEMBRI FRAGMENTS or ZEMBREGI MANUSCRIPT)

  Book originally carved in stone and taken away to an alternate dimension before humanity’s appearance. In 1663 the wizard Nicholas Zegembri, known in occult circles as the author of the infamous book Diablerie, journeyed to this realm to seek out the book. He bore back its knowledge and transcribed the Zegembri Manuscript, making his own copy in three languages – alien hieroglyphs, a rune-like script, and Latin. Zegembri is believed to have taken the manuscript with his papers when he escaped the Great Fire of London in 1666. After this, he lived in the village of Torpoint for several years and then vanished entirely. The local clergymen burnt his library, though it is believed that a secretive cult removed the Zegembri Manuscript and are now in possession of it.

  The book’s contents are mostly unknown, though it is believed to contain rites to Cthugha and possibly information on the Zegembri Seals.

  (Delta Green: Countdown, Detwiller et. al.; “The Black Mirror”, Glasby (O); “The Dweller in Darkness”, Glasby; “The Kh’yrog Tablets”, Glasby.)

  ZEGREMBI SEALS

  Jet-black stones carved with many indecipherable characters. They are said to pre-date Sumeria, and the priest-kings of that ancient civilization may have used them to call down the “Dark Gods” to Earth. Certain European cults of old roots used them to summon abominations as well (a link between these objects and the Black Stone and Ixaxar is likely). They are quite rare, however, and few in the modern age have seen them.

  See Zegembri Manuscript. (“The Haunting of Charles Quintain”, Glasby (O).)

  ZEMBREGI MANUSCRIPT

  See Zegembri Manuscript.

  ZHAR

  Great Old One who came to Earth from Arcturus. It now lives beneath the city of Alaozar, on the Plateau of Sung in Burma (or possibly in Tibet), but may project its Tulku, or spiritual body, elsewhere when the proper rituals are performed. It is worshiped by the Tcho-Tcho, with whom it communicates telepathically. Some say it is physically connected to the being Lloigor.

  See Bethmoora, black lotus; E-poh; elemental theory; Lloigor; lloigornos; Nug and Yeb; Sung; Tcho-Tchos; Twin Obscenities. (“The Sandwin Compact”, Derleth; “The Lair of the Star-Spawn”, Derleth and Schorer (O); Call of Cthulhu Rulebook, 5th ed., Petersen and Willis; “Dope War of the Black Ton”, Price.)

  ZHOTHAQQUA

  See Tsathoggua.

  ZHOU TEXTS

  Work by Fu-Shen, a wizard from Mongolia of the twelfth century BC. He is known to have traveled to Alaozar, where he learned their inmost rites. Only one copy, ow
ned by a collector in Bangkok, is known to exist. The Texts deal with the cult of Kassogtha.

  See Kassogtha. (Nightmare’s Disciple, Pulver (O).)

  ZIN, VAULTS OF

  Tunnel complex that lies both beneath Yoth and in the Dreamlands’ Underworld. Some claim that one known as G’Waatn created the Vaults for an unknown purpose. Within the red-lit caverns of Yoth, the Vaults may be found beneath the ruins of Yoth’s largest city. The men of K’n-yan found the Yothian manuscripts within the Vaults.

  In the Dreamlands, the outer portions of the Vault seem to have been carved into the shape of some titanic building. They may be entered in the Underworld through a passage near the gugs’ city, or possibly also through a shaft in a monastery on Leng. Ghasts, a race of white skinned, partially-human monstrosities, live within these vaults, feeding upon lone gugs and each other.

  Though they may serve as a connection between the lands of dream and the waking world, the Vaults of Zin are best avoided. Some say that a hideous spawn of Azathoth, which may only be called to life through a spell in the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, dwells somewhere in the vaults, as do many other unpleasant creatures.

  See ghasts; gugs; gyaa-yothn; Yothic Manuscripts. (“Headsman”, Fantina; Spawn of Azathoth, Herber; “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, Lovecraft; “To a Dreamer”, Lovecraft (O); “The Mound”, Lovecraft and Bishop; “To Walk Free among the Harms of Zin”, Pulver.)

  ZIULQUAZ-MANZAH

  See Hziulquoigmnzhah.

  ZKAUBA

  Wizard of Yaddith remembered for bearing the Ghorl Nigral from the burrows of the dholes beneath his world’s surface. He aided his fellows’ attempt to find the rituals to save their world from the worm-like beings. During this effort, Zkauba disappeared on a trip to a nearby star in his light-wave envelope, leaving his Yaddithian brothers to their fate.

  The Incense of Zkauba, though no connection with the wizard is known, is often burned in the rites to the Old Ones.

  See Ghorl Nigral. (“Dreams in the House of Weir”, Carter; “Zoth-Ommog”, Carter; The Necronomicon, Hay, ed.; “Through the Gates of the Silver Key”, Lovecraft and Price (O).)

  ZO-KALAR

  Great One worshiped in Sarnath, and later throughout the Dreamlands and Hyperborea. He was thought of as the god of birth and death, and responsible for providing healthy children and peaceful deaths. A sigil called the “Rune of Zo-Kalar” was employed on the bonds of necromancers to prevent them from using their powers.

  (“Star-Spawn of Hyperborea”, Fultz; “Wizards of Hyperborea”, Fultz and Burns; “The Doom that Came to Sarnath”, Lovecraft (O).)

  ZOBNA

  Land from which the people of Lomar fled when it became cold. The Lomarians still put great faith in the wisdom of their ancestors at the time of that land’s destruction.

  See Book of Eibon; Gnophkeh; Lomar; Pnakotic Manuscripts. (“Polaris”, Lovecraft (O).)

  ZON MEZZAMALECH

  Wizard of Mhu Thulan mentioned in the Book of Eibon. According to Eibon, Zon Mezzamalech’s mastery of magic allowed him to rule Mhu Thulan from his tower of copper. He is reputed to have trapped the moon in an iron sphere, pushed back the ocean to reveal the treasures of the deep, and levitated mountains. In the ruins of a prehuman civilization from Polarion, he found a crystal that enabled him to see through time and space whenever he desired. He reputedly disappeared while attempting to use this crystal to gaze upon the wisdom of the Elder Gods kept by Ubbo-Sathla.

  See Hyperborea; Mhu Thulan. (“The Sphinx of Abormis”, Cornford; “Ubbo-Sathla”, Smith (O).)

  ZONE OF THE THIRTEEN FAVEOLATE COLOSSI

  Region beyond which Yuggoth lies. Humans manifest there as purple gas, and visions of other times and places may be seen there. The Zone might contain the archetypes of which all the objects of our world are reproductions.

  (“The Mine on Yuggoth”, Campbell (O); “Acute Spiritual Fear”, Price; “The Green Decay”, Price.)

  ZOOGS

  Rodent-like creatures native to the Dreamland’s Enchanted Wood. In appearance, a zoog resembles a cat-sized mouse with a row of tentacles between its nose and mouth.

  Zoogs dwell in the Enchanted Wood, the forest in which those who enter the Dreamlands first find themselves. These woodland dwellers have a taste for flesh and attack travelers in or near the forest at night. If a dreamer avoids the wood at night and stays on the paths in the day, the zoogs should give them no trouble. For those lucky enough to learn the fluting speech of the zoogs, great opportunity for friendship with these shy creatures exists.

  A council of sages rules the zoogs in the Enchanted Wood. These wise old zoogs are quite well informed, as their kind have many agents throughout the nearer realms of dream. Those who deal with the zoogs may learn much interesting information, but they should be careful afterward, since the zoogs often send their spies after their “friends” to keep track of their doings.

  In the two places where the Enchanted Wood intersects with the waking world, zoogs may enter our world and have been responsible for many disappearances. Fortunately, no human knows where these two locations are.

  See Dreamlands; Enchanted Wood. (“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, Lovecraft (O); Hero of Dreams, Lumley; “To Sleep, Perchance to Dream”, Okamoto.)

  ZOTH (possibly XOTH?)

  Star from which Tsathoggua’s mother Zstylzhemghi came. It may be near a black hole which serves as a portal to other universes.

  See Xoth; Ycnagnnisssz. (“The Family Tree of the Gods”, Smith; “Ycnagnnisssz”, Tierney (O).)

  ZOTH-OMMOG

  Great Old One with a conical body topped with a serpent-bearded lizard head and four starfish-like arms. Zoth-Ommog is the “son” of Cthulhu and is believed to sleep in the section of R’lyeh which is just off the coast of Ponape.

  This Great Old One is able to call out to humans through its dreams, much like its master Cthulhu. Zoth-Ommog’s ability, however, is able to manifest itself only through its statues. When a person keeps one of these artifacts, he or she is visited in dreams with visions of the glory of Zoth-Ommog. Through these means, Zoth-Ommog is able to gain new devotees and spread his cult.

  The primary center of Zoth-Ommog’s worship is Ponape, but other cults revering him may be found as far away as New Zealand and South Indochina. In his tomb, Zoth-Ommog is also served by the mysterious yuggya.

  See Cthulhu; elemental theory; Gloon; Idh-yaa; Mu; Ponape Figurine; Ythogtha; Yuggya. (“Out of the Ages”, Carter (O); “Zoth-Ommog”, Carter; The Transition of Titus Crow, Lumley.)

  ZOTHIQUE

  The last continent upon which humans will live eons in the future. It roughly corresponds to northern Africa, the Middle East, and southern Asia. Zothique will rise when all other continents have sunk beneath the waves.

  In Zothique, humans will rediscover many of the gods revered in past civilizations and worship them once more. Also, some of the world’s most powerful wizards will live during this age. The magical energies present in this entire continent as the result of experiments with time travel will cause fluxes to form in the space-time continuum, leading to the formation of interdimensional gateways in which the unwary might become caught.

  At least one portal between our time and that of Zothique has been discovered, and others may exist.

  See Mordiggian; Thasaidon; Tsathoggua; Yhoundeh. (“Slow Boat”, Jeffrey and Morrison; “The Black Massif”, Sargent; “The Dark Eidolon”, Smith; “The Empire of the Necromancers”, Smith (O); Letter to H. P. Lovecraft, Smith; Letter to L. Sprague de Camp, Smith.)

  ZSTYLZHEMGHI

  Mate of Ghisguth and mother of Tsathoggua. It was spawned by the fission of Ycnagnnisssz, a being from the dark star Zoth. It is hailed as the ruler of swarms and insectoid pests, and it may reside on Uranus.

  See Ycnagnnisssz. (“Family Tree of the Gods”, Smith (O); “The Minions of Zstylzhemghi”, Tierney; “The Throne of Achamoth”, Tierney and Price.)

  ZUCHEQUON (also ZULCHEQUON or ZUSHAKON
)

  Entity that was the child of Ubbo-Sathla and described as being the last scion of old Night. This could be one of those “black spirits of earth” referred to by Castro. Chants or certain deep-toned sounds may summon forth Zuchequon, which makes itself known through earthquakes. When it comes, Zuchequon brings darkness and cold with itself.