Eldritch Horrors
The Eldritch Horrors, sometimes called the Aberrant Horrors, Cosmic Horrors, Eldritch Gods, True Aberrations, or the Elder Evils, are terrifying and unfathomable beings that haunt the deepest reaches of the Astral Sea, suspected to be originators of the Aberration ancestry.
Not much is truly known about the Eldritch Horrors, even their existence is in question. Any research into the Eldritch Horrors leads inevitably to madness, with all known scholars that have conducted deep investigations into the existence of the Horrors having been found dead or as empty shells of what they once were. This has led to all reputable academic institutions on Exorsia outright banning any study into the Eldritch Horrors, the research of the late scholars either destroyed or locked away in hidden, secure vaults where no one can accidently stumble upon them.
The true extent of our knowledge about the Eldritch Horrors lies only in the non-redacted research of late scholars, as well as the whispers and scribbles of cultists that worship the Horrors as Gods, many of whom are rumoured to have gained supernatural, Psionic powers from their worship. It is also rumoured that the late scholars of the Horrors also gained strange powers, merely from the knowledge of such creatures.
What we do know for certain is that the Eldritch Horrors are a set of thirteen, largely nameless, entities that reside somewhere beyond the distant stars, in the dark void of the Astral Sea. with some recovered cultic scribbles seeming to suggest that many of the Eldritch Horrors are imprisoned or stranded at the far corners of creation, which is likely the work of the Gods. Though many cultists claim that the Eldritch Horrors are a power beyond the God, with the power to destroy worlds, which is evident of their delusion and madness.
The Eldritch Horrors are vast and unknowable beings, beyond the capabilities of Mortal comprehension, with the mere knowledge of their unnatural nature likely to lead to an incurable and debilitating insanity. Assessable scholarly documents researching such beings often state that by all logic the Horrors should not exist, describing them as errors of creation, embodiments of madness and primordial fear made manifest.
The Eldritch Horrors also seem to be related in some way to Aberrations, and are likely the precursors to that ancestry of species, rumoured to poses similar Psionic and otherworldly abilities.
The Horrors
Scholars have narrowed down the identities of at least thirteen Eldritch Horrors, with there potentially being more or less of them, depending on the accuracy of cultic ramblings. Most of the Horrors are nameless, only being referred to by a consistent set of titles and vague descriptions.
The Butcher
Not much is known about the Butcher beyond it's title. Study of the Butcher is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around the irrational fear of viscera. Which can manifest as a fear of wounds, blood, internal organs, bones, raw flesh and corpses, particularly ones who have been malformed or mutilated. It can also manifest as a fear of one's own body, with the realisation that one's body is filled with fleshy materials.
The Dominion
Not much is known about the Dominion beyond it's title. Study of the Dominion is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around the irrational fear of loss of control. Which can manifest as a fear of being controlled, either by another or by one's own impulses and emotions. It can also manifest as a fear of being manipulated, unknowingly, or being forced to do things against one's own will, as well as a fear of being trapped, bound by fate, unable to change one's destiny.
The End
Not much is known about the End beyond it's title. Study of the End is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around Thanatophobia, the irrational fear of death. Which can manifest as a fear of dying and the dead, as well as endings, inevitability, fate and destiny.
The Hive
Not much is known about the Hive beyond it's title. Study of the Hive is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around Mysophobia, the irrational fear of germs, dirt, or contamination. Which can manifest as a fear of mould, bugs, rot, decay, infection or infestation, and is associated with the feeling crawling skin.
The Hunter
Not much is known about the Hunter beyond it's title. Study of the Hunter is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around Diokophobia, the irrational fear of being chased. Which can manifest as a fear of being treated as prey for a predator, such as being hunted, stalked, watched, followed or even being perceived or exposed and having your deepest secrets revealed.
The Jailor
Not much is known about the Jailor beyond it's title. Study of the Jailor is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around Claustrophobia, the irrational fear of confined spaces. Which can manifest as a fear of being trapped, suffocating, drowning or being buried alive.
The Lonely
Not much is known about the Lonely beyond it's title. Study of the Lonely is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around Autophobia, the irrational fear of isolation. Which can manifest as a fear of being alone, abandoned, ignored, outcast, judged, mocked and being cut off from the rest of society.
The Madness
Not much is known about the Madness beyond it's title. Study of the Madness is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around the irrational fear of loss of mind. Which can manifest as a fear of going insane, as well as a fear of deception, hallucinations, illusions, or that the world around you isn't real, and your mind and senses can't be trusted.
The Ruination
Study of the Ruination is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around the irrational fear of annihilation. Which can manifest as a fear of senseless destruction, extinction, catastrophic change, the burning of fire, or even the destruction of potential.
The Ruination is believed to be related to a being known as Dathel’Medan, a Deific figure that was worshipped by the fallen, ancient Illithid Empire, depicted in their ruined temples as a giant floating eye surrounded by a crown of tentacles. It is said that Dathel’Medan consumes stars and planets to sustain itself, leaving nothing behind but lifeless rubble, with the Illithid said to appease their Deity with offerings of whole planets.
The Shadow
Not much is known about the Shadow beyond it's title. Study of the Shadow is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around Nyctophobia, the irrational fear of the dark. Which can manifest as a fear of the unseen, monsters hidden in the dark or hidden from view, and blindness.
The Slaughter
Not much is known about the Slaughter beyond it's title. Study of the Slaughter is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around the irrational fear of violence. Which can manifest as a fear of conflict, pain, murder, war, soldiers, weapons, and even the fear of accidentally killing someone.
The Stranger
Not much is known about the Stranger beyond it's title. Study of the Stranger is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around Xenophobia, the irrational fear of the unknown. Which can manifest as a fear of the uncanny, the unfamiliar, strangers, and the dreadful feeling that something is not right. The Stranger can also manifest as the drive for knowledge and understanding, even if what you discover brings you only suffering.
The Stranger is described as a faceless being that invokes a mortifying "uncanny valley" response.
The Void
Not much is known about the Void beyond it's title. Study of the Void is said to inflict an extreme madness centred around the irrational fear of the infinite. Which can manifest as a fear of heights, falling, silence, and large open spaces such as the deep water, the sky and space. It can also manifest as a fear of being insignificant or meaningless in the grand scheme of Time and the Universe.
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