Episode 180: Mythos Deities: The Daemon Sultan, Azathoth

This is the latest instalment in our series on the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. Earlier episodes have covered Dagon, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth and Nyarlathotep.

This time, the focus is on the blind idiot god at the centre of it all, Azathoth. We dig into Azathoth’s origins and how he changed throughout Lovecraft’s work. Then we move on to exploring how other writers have used and adapted Azathoth (warning: contains Lumley). Finally, we dig into Azathoth’s role in Call of Cthulhu, discussing how we might use him in our games.

This is the last episode we recorded in person before the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to self-isolate. The next few episodes (at least) will be recorded using the wonders of the internet. You may notice that they sound a bit different.

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

• Lovecraft’s Commonplace Book
• HPLHS replica of Lovecraft’s Commonplace Book
• “Azathoth” by H P Lovecraft
• The Azathoth Cycle: Tales of the Blind Idiot God
• Vathek by William Beckford
• The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H P Lovecraft
• “The Other Gods” by H P Lovecraft
• “Nyarlathotep” by H P Lovecraft
• The Gods of Pegāna by Lord Dunsany
• “The Whisperer in Darkness” by H P Lovecraft
• “Fungi From Yuggoth” by H P Lovecraft
• “The Dreams in the Witch-House” by H P Lovecraft
• “The Horror in the Museum” by H P Lovecraft for Hazel Heald
• “The Thing on the Doorstep” by H P Lovecraft
• “Forever Azathoth” by Peter Cannon
• “The Haunter of the Dark” by H P Lovecraft
• The Lurker at the Threshold by August Derleth
• Paradise Lost by John Milton
• “The Insects from Shaggai” by Ramsey Campbell
• The Flying Spaghetti Monster
• Malleus Monstrorum
• Richard L Tierney
• Gnostic Gospels
• Titus Crow series by Brian Lumley
• Ernest Rutherford
• Nuclear fission
• The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley
• “Passing of a Dreamer” by Gary Myers
• “Kill the Moon” episode of Doctor Who
• “The Colour Out of Space” by H P Lovecraft
• Elysia by Brian Lumley
• The family tree of Azathoth
• Monty Python’s Life of Brian
• Event Horizon
• Résumé With Monsters by William Browning Spencer
• “The Sect of the Idiot” by Thomas Ligotti
• “Cadenza” by Matt Sanderson, from Covert Actions
• “The Music of Erich Zann” by H P Lovecraft
• World War Cthulhu: Cold War
• Edge of Darkness
• Doom Patrol

Our good friend David Kirkby sent us some wonderfully hideous idols to say thank you for helping him promote his recent charity auction. We are unspeakably grateful to him for this. The idols have now been blooded and we have placed them at the appropriate sites. All is proceeding to plan. If you would like such a blasphemy of your own, please check out David’s website.

Continuum and UK Games Expo

Back in those long-forgotten days before we retreated to our bunkers, gaming conventions were a thing. People would actually gather in person to play RPGs, gossip, and drink inadvisable quantities of beer. How quaint all that seems now.

This episode was recorded just before the world changed, and we discuss a few such conventions we were planning to attend. It is possible that they may still go ahead if quarantine restrictions are eased. They might, however, be rescheduled or even go online. Nothing is certain anymore. We recommend that you check the websites for Continuum and UK Games Expo for updates rather than trusting anything we might say in the episode. Our relationship with reality is tenuous at the best of times.