@@ImmortalLemon TLDR: Watch video or big dum How can you know that the summary is perfect, if you don't watch the video? There is an ontological flaw in your paradigm. It can only be fixed by watching the video.
Lovecraft’s cosmic horror is largely a universe fundamentally indifferent to humanity. It lacks morality, purpose, or meaning that would align in any way with human ones. While forces in his work may clash against each other, they are not good or evil; they simply are. They exist as part of an incomprehensible reality-ultimately the dream of Azathoth, a blind and mindless god without will or purpose. If this creator were to awaken, the universe would vanish, as dreams do upon waking. This sense of insignificance underpins much of Lovecraft’s horror. Humanity is not at the center of the universe; it is insignificant, fragile, and vulnerable to forces far beyond its comprehension. The very nature of existence in his work is meaningless, stripped of any comforting sense of cosmic order or divine morality. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror was also deeply influenced by his personal anxieties, particularly his xenophobia and fear of cultural change. He saw 'the other'-whether in people, beliefs, or behaviors-as a threat to his worldview. This fear manifests in his stories as the terror of the unknown and the corrupting influence of forbidden knowledge or strange beings. The corruption of human values comes solely from those values not being fundamental, necessary, or even correct. The deeper horror is that we might be fundamentally wrong about everything. That all we think of as good, just, and true, are actually just the hubris and folly of man.
Good video but I do not think that many of these ideas really encapsulate cosmic horror. Typically, this brand of horror presumes that entities we cannot explain irrevocably alter us and the world through mere contact with it. These entities are terrifying not because they feed on us, need us, or even realize we exist but because their composition is such that we are broken apart simply through proximity. Uranium dug out of the ground that slowly poisons and kills a whole village, a black hole that vacuously consumes a star, an ocean that will inevitably swallow a coastal town, these are all real world examples of the inexplicable horror elicited by things that hurt us without our understanding. The idea of the cosmic horror feeding off virtues or sins is a cool idea for a cult which has ascribed their own meaning to it, but in the end the horror is again that there is no hope to stop or comprehend this force. I could ramble more but I do think you have an engaging video, it just doesn’t seem to fit what cosmic horror really is
You definitely have a point. My focus wasn't on those aspects of cosmic horror though I definitely could have addressed them more. From my perspective, I was going for cosmic horror as it might affect the people that interact with it, and how you can ascribe other meanings to whatever entity is being written about. The problem with the total unknowability/invincibility of traditional cosmic horror entities is that they end up being kind of one-note, at least in my opinion. They can't be beaten, nor interacted with, nor understood, which leaves you without options and often without compelling characters. The horror may be intact, but the story not as much. This is why I don't actually like most of Lovecraft writing--they are spooky concepts but mediocre stories. So, I went for a more behind-the-curtain perspective. The characters shouldn't necessarily know or ever find out what the sins/virtues that the entity interacts with are, or that it even does that at all, it's just an angle from which you as the writer can format its actions or effects. So, perhaps that pulls it too far away from cosmic horror, but it's what I ended up with. You have given me something to think about though.
@ With that in mind I do think that the strength of cosmic horror lies not in the unknowable but more how it influences people. Humans ascribe meaning to meaninglessness all the time and utilizing that to better evoke the horror of an entity makes for wonderful stories. Horror cannot exist without those who paint themselves in its obscene colors, blind to the idiot meaning of the outer God’s insensible emanations.
I have made the Sun, the cosmic horror of my campaign, however despite its affect on the world it does not seem to mean much in a high level campaign. Hell, demons cause more horror then knowing the sun is some kind of eldritch being that can, inflict maddness, mutations and death. Thats why i had ti steer away from it as its only affective in low level play at least in 5e. Any ideas how to make people fear the sun?
Cosmic horror is supposed to be existential horror. The simple fact of knowing you're a mere bug compared to something akin to a god which does not give a single f about you, a god which simply sees you as an ant, just like how we see ants, where we can easily kill them if we want, we are nothing to that cosmic and dark being. Anyway, I think you could make a secret cult of the sun, and let your players unveil the secrets more and more as time goes on ... Don't tell them the Sun is an eldritch being (unless it's a known fact in the World, in that case you could make it as the Sun being seen like some sort of God where you preach the Sun for light and hope or something, like Christians and God) and let them learn more and more the truth as they dig deeper into things they shouldn't have delved into. Cosmic horror works on existential dread the most, and you can also use humans that mutated into Monsters from the Sun to make it even more horrific. Make the Sun an entity who is incomprehensible, you cannot understand it, it doesn't Care about you. Also I suggest making the Sun an active threat at higher levels, because that's where you know much more, and the more you know, the more mad you get; you are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.
Also it's unrelated but personally I did the reverse, I made the Moon the Cosmic entity lol, where a prolonged exposition to the Moonlight may result in body mutations; villagers are ugly (I mean, like, disfigured and weird body proportions) because of higher exposition to it. It's said that the night is the time of Monsters, and only the evil lurks at midnight. Nobody knows it's the Moon that does that, even less that it's actually an eldritch horror.
I think yogurt-chan has some pretty solid advice! I can see why it would be difficult, as the sun is so omnipresent--if it is too effective, then it'll be annoying to play around, but if it isn't affecting things much, then it will lose its luster. My recommendation is not necessarily to have it affect the players too much, as they likely wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Instead focus on how it impacts others. Fostering cults as yogurt-chan said, devastating the landscape, or warping the minds of others.
@@J-Bat well I have shifting light mechanic where the sun gas chance of giving off different types of light that have various affects. However the main thing it has done to people is alter their perception of time, making people not recall how long the sun has been this way. I have multiple cults/faction but only two relate to the eldritch. One is seen as way ti gain secret knowledge and the other zealots who believe their sun God will purge the world of xeno species, basically anything non human.
Big squid munch on big no no, but it's defeated by the power of friendship. Noted
Of course, of course. Big squid not good at all.
I no longer need to watch the video. Thanks for the perfect summary
@@ImmortalLemon
TLDR: Watch video or big dum
How can you know that the summary is perfect, if you don't watch the video? There is an ontological flaw in your paradigm. It can only be fixed by watching the video.
@@legueu mf… 😆
Fantastic video! Loved the intro!
Thank you! We had a fun time making it.
Awesome vid! The makeup is also very thematic!
Thank you!
Lovecraft’s cosmic horror is largely a universe fundamentally indifferent to humanity. It lacks morality, purpose, or meaning that would align in any way with human ones. While forces in his work may clash against each other, they are not good or evil; they simply are. They exist as part of an incomprehensible reality-ultimately the dream of Azathoth, a blind and mindless god without will or purpose. If this creator were to awaken, the universe would vanish, as dreams do upon waking.
This sense of insignificance underpins much of Lovecraft’s horror. Humanity is not at the center of the universe; it is insignificant, fragile, and vulnerable to forces far beyond its comprehension. The very nature of existence in his work is meaningless, stripped of any comforting sense of cosmic order or divine morality.
Lovecraft’s cosmic horror was also deeply influenced by his personal anxieties, particularly his xenophobia and fear of cultural change. He saw 'the other'-whether in people, beliefs, or behaviors-as a threat to his worldview. This fear manifests in his stories as the terror of the unknown and the corrupting influence of forbidden knowledge or strange beings.
The corruption of human values comes solely from those values not being fundamental, necessary, or even correct. The deeper horror is that we might be fundamentally wrong about everything. That all we think of as good, just, and true, are actually just the hubris and folly of man.
Very nice video
Thank you!
Ayo nice makeup
Thank you! I'd never tried something like it before, but I think my girlfriend did an excellent job and it was a lot of fun!
Sick video! Love the idea of heavenly virtues being used like this. That is going to get used very soon 😈
Glad to hear it!
Event Horizon inspired makeup?
That definitely was a part of it, good catch!
Good vid.
Thank you.
Good video but I do not think that many of these ideas really encapsulate cosmic horror. Typically, this brand of horror presumes that entities we cannot explain irrevocably alter us and the world through mere contact with it. These entities are terrifying not because they feed on us, need us, or even realize we exist but because their composition is such that we are broken apart simply through proximity. Uranium dug out of the ground that slowly poisons and kills a whole village, a black hole that vacuously consumes a star, an ocean that will inevitably swallow a coastal town, these are all real world examples of the inexplicable horror elicited by things that hurt us without our understanding. The idea of the cosmic horror feeding off virtues or sins is a cool idea for a cult which has ascribed their own meaning to it, but in the end the horror is again that there is no hope to stop or comprehend this force. I could ramble more but I do think you have an engaging video, it just doesn’t seem to fit what cosmic horror really is
You definitely have a point. My focus wasn't on those aspects of cosmic horror though I definitely could have addressed them more. From my perspective, I was going for cosmic horror as it might affect the people that interact with it, and how you can ascribe other meanings to whatever entity is being written about. The problem with the total unknowability/invincibility of traditional cosmic horror entities is that they end up being kind of one-note, at least in my opinion. They can't be beaten, nor interacted with, nor understood, which leaves you without options and often without compelling characters. The horror may be intact, but the story not as much. This is why I don't actually like most of Lovecraft writing--they are spooky concepts but mediocre stories. So, I went for a more behind-the-curtain perspective. The characters shouldn't necessarily know or ever find out what the sins/virtues that the entity interacts with are, or that it even does that at all, it's just an angle from which you as the writer can format its actions or effects.
So, perhaps that pulls it too far away from cosmic horror, but it's what I ended up with. You have given me something to think about though.
@
With that in mind I do think that the strength of cosmic horror lies not in the unknowable but more how it influences people. Humans ascribe meaning to meaninglessness all the time and utilizing that to better evoke the horror of an entity makes for wonderful stories. Horror cannot exist without those who paint themselves in its obscene colors, blind to the idiot meaning of the outer God’s insensible emanations.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
I have made the Sun, the cosmic horror of my campaign, however despite its affect on the world it does not seem to mean much in a high level campaign. Hell, demons cause more horror then knowing the sun is some kind of eldritch being that can, inflict maddness, mutations and death. Thats why i had ti steer away from it as its only affective in low level play at least in 5e. Any ideas how to make people fear the sun?
Cosmic horror is supposed to be existential horror. The simple fact of knowing you're a mere bug compared to something akin to a god which does not give a single f about you, a god which simply sees you as an ant, just like how we see ants, where we can easily kill them if we want, we are nothing to that cosmic and dark being. Anyway, I think you could make a secret cult of the sun, and let your players unveil the secrets more and more as time goes on ... Don't tell them the Sun is an eldritch being (unless it's a known fact in the World, in that case you could make it as the Sun being seen like some sort of God where you preach the Sun for light and hope or something, like Christians and God) and let them learn more and more the truth as they dig deeper into things they shouldn't have delved into. Cosmic horror works on existential dread the most, and you can also use humans that mutated into Monsters from the Sun to make it even more horrific. Make the Sun an entity who is incomprehensible, you cannot understand it, it doesn't Care about you. Also I suggest making the Sun an active threat at higher levels, because that's where you know much more, and the more you know, the more mad you get; you are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against threats and madness.
Also it's unrelated but personally I did the reverse, I made the Moon the Cosmic entity lol, where a prolonged exposition to the Moonlight may result in body mutations; villagers are ugly (I mean, like, disfigured and weird body proportions) because of higher exposition to it. It's said that the night is the time of Monsters, and only the evil lurks at midnight. Nobody knows it's the Moon that does that, even less that it's actually an eldritch horror.
I think yogurt-chan has some pretty solid advice! I can see why it would be difficult, as the sun is so omnipresent--if it is too effective, then it'll be annoying to play around, but if it isn't affecting things much, then it will lose its luster. My recommendation is not necessarily to have it affect the players too much, as they likely wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Instead focus on how it impacts others. Fostering cults as yogurt-chan said, devastating the landscape, or warping the minds of others.
@@J-Bat well I have shifting light mechanic where the sun gas chance of giving off different types of light that have various affects. However the main thing it has done to people is alter their perception of time, making people not recall how long the sun has been this way. I have multiple cults/faction but only two relate to the eldritch. One is seen as way ti gain secret knowledge and the other zealots who believe their sun God will purge the world of xeno species, basically anything non human.