40k and the Cthulu mythos

[WereWolf_nr]

Sort of a random question, but how much of the Cthulu mythos is referenced in 40k?

I am looking for a story for a campaign in Dark Hersey/Black Crusade but don't want to go too far off the beaten path.

[Wildeybeast]

You mean as in the Lovecraft stories? From what little I know of them, the old ones certainly seem to share some parallels with Lovecrafts 'Great Old Ones'. TBH, everything in GW is inspired/borrowed/stolen from elsehwere. The only truly inventive thing they have done is weaving together so many disparate elements from different sources into something resembling a fairly cohesive and passably entertaining background story.

[WereWolf_nr]

You mean as in the Lovecraft stories? From what little I know of them, the old ones certainly seem to share some parallels with Lovecrafts 'Great Old Ones'. TBH, everything in GW is inspired/borrowed/stolen from elsehwere. The only truly inventive thing they have done is weaving together so many disparate elements from different sources into something resembling a fairly cohesive and passably entertaining background story.

Old Ones as in the feuding gods from before time? Eldar backstory and all?

[Michael_maggs]

you could say that chutulu is either a demon prince or a c'tan as in the mythos he is a high priest of a civilisation that has found immortality, in "call of chutulu" he did get killed by being run through by a steamship but returned under the sea to slumber. also alot of the chutulu cults bear alot of simmilarities to chaos cults but i would not reccomend using nurgule, probably Khorne of tzeentch would be most fitting

[MarneusCalgar]

That would be amazing...

I´ve always seen Nurgle a little Lovecraftian themed...

We all know the fountains of knowledge where GW has always been recurring to are from very different sources:

- Bible (names of demons, Dark and Blood Angels)

- Vikings (Space Wolves)

- Rome (Ultramarines)

So... Why not??

[Drunkencorgimaster]

in "call of chutulu" he did get killed by being run through by a steamship

I finally got around to reading most of the Lovecraft stories this year. I found that particular incident rather disappointing to say the least.

[Bard of Twilight]

That would be amazing...

I´ve always seen Nurgle a little Lovecraftian themed...

We all know the fountains of knowledge where GW has always been recurring to are from very different sources:

- Bible (names of demons, Dark and Blood Angels)

- Vikings (Space Wolves)

- Rome (Ultramarines)

So... Why not??

And Tolkin(Eldar)

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

The two pretty much go together for me - all of my armies have been inspired by HPL to some degree.

Enslavers - pretty typical space-jellyfish/cthulhoid horrors with that cold alien intelligence.

Flying Polyps - Pretty much lifted "shadow out of time" and converted to 40k, having a small number of "prison worlds" with visible black hatches sealing the Polyps in the worlds (of course a stupid inquisitor awakens one...).

Ulumeathic League - My own visual design, but highly lovecraftian - lack of symmetry, insanity-causing, eldritch.

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Some guy on warseer did "lovecraftian" tyranids where each unit is inspired by one of the gods/races from the mythology.

In the actual game mythos, the necrons have a few Lovecraftian elements such as the cycplean architechture, monoliths, wraiths and I guess flayed ones are a bit Ghoulish. It's more "techno" lovecraftian though. But it's there. The C'tan Void-Dragon is practically 40k's own Cthlulhu as well (ancient apocalypse on your doorstep that's having a bit of a catnap) I always speculated that the Dragon looked like a giant mecha-cthulhu too.

I hate to admit it, but Chaos use a fair amount of 'craftian elements, allthough definitly not when it comes to visual (bar the old metal horrors and the current flamers).

Some of the minor races (such as enslavers) and especially the Saruthi and such are pretty lovecraftian as well.