Blessed of Shub-Niggurath

The Young of the Black Goat or Gof'nn hupadgh Shub-Niggurath, also known as Blessed of Shub-Niggurath or goblins, are a fictional race from Ramsey Campbell's 1964 short story "The Moon-Lens". They were expanded on by Chaosium in 1994 for their Call of Cthulhu role-playing game.
==Overview==
Servants and priests of Shub-Niggurath, the Gof’nn Hupadgh are a mutant race, resembling satyrs of myth. Indeed, historically, they have been associated or mistaken for the hedonistic pagan god Pan. As such, these creatures have formed the basis of many myths and legends, including those concerning woodland goblins and other fairy-type folk. Communities of Gof’nn Hupadgh may be found hidden living apart from civilization, with those seeming more human treating with nearby villages while the less than human elements of such groups remain hidden. Thus, a community can exist at the fringes of society, allowing them to conduct their unholy rites to Shub-Niggurath free from constraint.
Separate but kin to the Gof ’nn Hupadgh are those who were once human but who have been transformed by tasting of the milk of Shub-Niggurath. Unlike the Gof ’nn Hupadgh, these are usually lone individuals or small groups, rather than the bloodlines of entire communities. Such changelings tend to be known as “satyrs” rather than Gof ’nn Hupadgh. Once the milk of Shub-Niggurath has been consumed by a human, it enters the bloodstream and provokes changes at a cellular level, triggering the mutation. The person is changed into a half-human-half-monstrous thing. Depending on the blessing granted by Shub-Niggurath, satyrs may take a greater or lesser form. Most often, as the physical mutation takes hold, the person gains certain animalistic features, such as that of a goat, bird, pig, dog, or other animal, and tend to act in manner commensurate with the animal they manifest as. Such hybrids of humanity and animal may account for the folklore concerning creatures like werewolves, the Jersey Devil, Skunk Ape, and so on. As the mutation reaches fruition, the human mind sinks into madness while the body mutates into a mass of riotous flesh. At this point, such folk are no longer recognizable as human or animal in any way, being utterly insane and devoid of purpose other than to consume and reproduce. While lesser satyrs may retain some human aspects of appearance, greater satyrs tend to be monstrous aberrations.
===Scarlet Circles===
The gof’nn hupadgh perform this group ritual annually in devotion to Shub-Niggurath. When completed, the ritual tears the fabric of space allowing travel between distant places, much like a temporary Gate spell. A group of gof ’nn hupadgh gather in a circle and begin to chant. Each sacrifices a point of power while their leader offers a blood sacrifice to Shub-Niggurath—the sacrifice may be a cow, one or more humans, or several smaller animals. In particularly auspicious times, the gof ’nn hupadgh may sacrifice one or more of their own. As the blood soaks into the ground, a scarlet circle appears—the Gate. The gof ’nn hupadgh may go through the portal or they may summon some portion or herald of Shub-Niggurath to come through to them. The gof ’nn hupadgh have complete control of where the Gate opens. The temporary Gate lasts for 12 seconds per point of power sacrificed by the group.
==Summary==
The Blessed are a mutant race created by Shub-Niggurath to be its priests and servants. They were human sacrifices it swallowed which were later "born" from its body, having been greatly mutated. They are immortal and do not age. (: "The Moon-Lens")
From then on they have served Shub-Niggurath and her followers, usually dwelling in the dark woods or in dank caverns. No two are exactly alike but they are nearly always humanoid. Some of them are mostly humanoid, others are horned and more satyr-like, some are more goblin-like, and others are completely monstrous things. Some legends of ugly goblin-types are based on them. They often employ magic, including a sacrificial ritual called the "Scarlet Circle" which allows them to open portals. (: Malleus Monstrorum)
==Gallery==
Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.jpeg|Chaosium's interpretation
Category:Other Supernatural Beings
Category:Species Originating From Expanded Mythos Works
Category:Earth-Native Species
Category:Servitor Races