Great Old Ones

The **Great Old Ones**, also known as the **Ogdru Hem**, are a group of unique, malignant beings of unimaginable power. They are the chaotic extraterrestrial creations of the Outer Gods which serve as the living embodiments of the unknown and uncharted factors of the universe, sent to disrupt the stability of God's creation.

## Overview

In the broader Cthulhu Mythos, the Great Old Ones are often distinguished from the more cosmically placed entities such as Azathoth, Nyarlathotep, and Yog-Sothoth, known as the Outer Gods, and from alien but less godlike creatures such as the Chthonians, the Deep Ones, and the Mi-go. Yet this distinction is unclear at times, in part because the terminology is not always consistent; for instance, Nyarlathotep, despite his marked interest in Earth and its culture, is generally considered to be one of the Outer Gods instead of a Great Old One. On the other hand, Hastur has several avatars and is generally based in outer space, but he is still considered a Great Old One. There are conflicting views on the proper classification for Shub-Niggurath.

Very few people dispute that Azathoth and Yog-Sothoth are Outer Gods instead of Great Old Ones, although some accounts make them ancestors of a few Great Old Ones. This has led to the theory that "Great Old One" is the term for everything younger than Cthulhu and Tsathoggua, and "Other God" or "Outer God" to be everything older.

## Appearance

As creations of the Ogdru Jahad, the appearances of the various Ogdru Hem have been designed to make mockery of God's creation, with these abominable creatures often appearing as a twisted fusion of animal features, internal organs, and invasive fungi among other bizarre things of the universe. Odru Hem have often been described as a mixture of aquatic and insectoid features, with only a rare few possessing a vaguely humanoid appearance.

## Personality

Unlike their parents, the Ogdru Jahad, the Ogdru Hem are not all necessarily malevolent; even though many among them have the power to end the world on a whim, most never actively seek the destruction of humankind. This is perhaps due to the vast and bizarre power these alien creatures wield; to an Ogdru Hem, humanity just is not worth the trouble of extermination, but that by no means forbids them from toying around with mortals as a child would an insect. Despite their incomprehensible ways of thinking, they do seem to have goals of their own, and that is to terraform the Earth and its inhabitants to their liking.

The morality of the Old Ones is said to be based around entirely alien concepts and values, once again defining their embodiment of the cold and uncaring nature of the universe. "Good" and "evil" has no meaning to them but primitive minds perceive their actions as extremely evil nonetheless. The Ogdru Hem, unlike the pantheon of gods on Earth, do not exactly hold one another in high regard or respect for it was known that these eldritch alien gods would even engage in conflicts against one another in order to vie for supremacy over the Earth. Even when facing their more divine opponents, some opted to rather face them on their own than to coordinate with each other. According to H.P. Lovecraft, the Ogdru Hem are an affront to the minds of the divine, meaning that whereas the gods are humble in principle to work together, the Ogdru Hem go against such principles since they are not bound by it.

## Powers and Abilities

Due to their advanced age, the Ogdru Hem are often older and vastly more powerful than the average demon, monster, and even angel or deity. And it is said that should they be released upon creation again, they will plunge the universe into darkness and death, a feat that makes them so much of a threat that it forces the angels, demons, and monsters to form uneasy alliances against them. This was proven during the Earth's primordial ages where the angels and the gods worked together to exterminate these malignant creatures from the face of existence.

## List of Old Ones

* Cthulhu
* Cthylla
* Dagon
* Hastur
* Tsathoggua
* Yig
* Ghatanothoa
* Ythogtha
* Zoth-Ommog
* Gleeth
* Ithaqua
* Bokrug
* Gla'aki
* Khaiolki
* Zstylzhemghi
* Shudde M'ell
* Rlim Shaikorth
* Zvilpogghua
* Atlach-Nacha
* Kaalut
* Mordiggian
* Rhan-Tegoth
* Countless other Old Ones

## Great Old Ones

### Aliases

Old Ones, Great Old Ones, Whale-Mollusc Gods, Sleeping Ones, Dreaming Ones