The Feaster from the Stars

"The Feaster from the Stars: The History of Yzduggor the Eremite" is a horror fantasy short story set in the Cthulhu Mythos, specifically in the ancient continent of Hyperborea. It was first published in the magazine Crypt of Cthulhu #26 (Hallowmas 1984), billed as by Clark Ashton Smith and Lin Carter. Similar to the "posthumous collaborations" of Lovecraft and Derleth, "The Feaster from the Stars" was written entirely by Carter, based on an unused story note by Smith. When republished as part of The Book of Eibon (2002, Chaosium) it was credited solely to Carter.
==Synopsis==
Vooth Raluorn, high constable of Commoriom, dedicates most of his spare time to the study of grimoires, many of which confiscated from forbidden cults by his predecessors. When called to arrest a group of demon-worshipers, he finds an idol upon their altar shaped like a winged toad-like creature with a mass of tentacles for a face. Revolted, Vooth Raluorn smashes the idol to pieces.
From this point on, the constable finds himself tormented by increasingly terrifying nightmares featuring the abomination. At first unable to find any reference to it in his books, he eventually learns that the creature is none other than Zvilpogghua, the firtborn son of Tsathoggua, who can fly down to Earth when Algol is visible in the sky. The distraught constable also learns of an eremite named Yzduggor, rumoured to be a former cultist, and heads to the Eiglophian Mountains to speak to him.
Apparently satisfied by the gifts that Vooth Raluorn brings, Yzduggor offers him a formula to protect one against the wrath of Zvilpogghua. On his return, the constable procures the rare ingredients from his nephew, the merchant Nungis Avargomon, and performs the ritual at night, with Algol brightly visible. The protection fails, however, as Zvilpogghua swoops from the stars and carries Vooth Raluorn away. In the Eiglophian Mountains, Yzduggor celebrates another sacrifice to his deity. Nungis Avargomon inherits his uncle's wealth and rank, and silently congratulates himself on having sabotaged one of the ingredients.
Category:Expanded Mythos Works
Category:Lin Carter works