I noticed that the Hastur themed Way of the Wicked died, which is a sadness to me. As a diehard Carcosa Mythos adherent, I would like to rectify the lack of yellow colored madness and usher in the Strange Aeons Adventure Path!
Before we get started though, I want to gauge the interest of the community in the version of Hastur you'd be interested in working with.
The Lovecraftian (Derleth) tentacled Old One that looks like a giant flying face alien, sort of a yellow Cthulhu, trapped on a distant planet. This is the one Pathfinder seems to be the most interested in representing, and the one most popular in modern depictions. It's okay, but it doesn't have the same sort of dread that some of the depictions bring to the table. I'm sure the AP will flesh him out for us, but "Let's summon Hastur" lends itself to a one dimensional approach, something even the Chaosium "source material" has had a hard time dealing with.
There's Chambers' original, on the surface a yellow version of Poe's Red Death, with a book instead of a plague. Compared to the tentacles and flying space monsters of the Lovecraftian Hastur, it's kind of boring. After picking apart the material though, I've come to this conclusion: the King in Yellow is a galaxy-touring draconic deity that is actively perusing people to make them a part of himself/his realm. Evil Dragon Groetus in Pathfinder terms.
And finally, my personal favorite, a manifestation/personification of Entropy. This version came out of the old Delta Green rpg, a modern take on the Lovecraftian Mythos. With this, I feel like you get the best of both worlds. Entropy personified can't help but be an alien, uncaring god - it's inimical to all life after all. It wants to feed, and will keep on feeding until it exists alone, as the Last King.
Obviously, neither of these two versions are trapped on some far off planet, though they could certainly still reside there; they are active forces in the cosmos. They're all the same concept actually, just at different levels of symbolic depth.
What do you think? Is this something you'd be interested in? What's your Hastur preference?
I am 100000% interested in this. I'd lean towards the second and third options. Entropy personified feels very interesting, but at the same time, the short stories that featured the Play were my favourite of those in "The King in Yellow". It was an interesting way for madness to spread, I thought.
Either way, I'm super interested.
I am 100000% interested in this. I'd lean towards the second and third options. Entropy personified feels very interesting, but at the same time, the short stories that featured the Play were my favourite of those in "The King in Yellow". It was an interesting way for madness to spread, I thought.
Either way, I'm super interested.
I wasn't meaning to disregard the play in any iteration, it's an iconic part of the Mythos.
The third iteration sounds suitably terrifying! Color me interested.
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The second, Chambers' original, is easily my favorite though since he's your least favorite it probably won't make it. And number four, Entropy personified, is also quite appealing.
Depending on where you go with this: character creation, campaign direction, setting & atmosphere, I would be quivering in a corner with excitement to apply.
Expect a HEAVY Knowledge and Diplomacy PC application in some manner.
The second, Chambers' original, is easily my favorite though since he's your least favorite it probably won't make it. And number four, Entropy personified, is also quite appealing.
Depending on where you go with this: character creation, campaign direction, setting & atmosphere, I would be quivering in a corner with excitement to apply.
Expect a HEAVY Knowledge and Diplomacy PC application in some manner.
The Chambers version is actually my second favorite, my least favorite is the "Lovecraft". You don't mess with Evil Dragon Groetus. This is what we'll be working toward.
If the AP doesn't come out until August, how's that going to work? Just like an intro module or something?
I'm calling it a prelude. It will be in the same genre as the AP, and will dovetail into it when I have it in hand at the beginning of August. It starts with everyone having amnesia, so we'll do the prelude and have everyone meet each other, then everyone wakes up in an asylum. It'll be like the Hangover, if the Hangover was written by Clive Barker.
You know what! This is what. I look forward to seeing everyone's concepts.
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You know what! This is what. I look forward to seeing everyone's concepts.
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Um, so should we abandon this Thread and post in the new Thread?
Indeed. All further questions and such should go to the linked thread.