f the Coming-Down of the Old Ones

f the coming-down of the Great Old Ones from the stars, it is written in the Book of Eibon that the first who came hither was the black thing, even Tsathoggua, who came hence from dim Cykranosh not long after the creation of life on this planet. Not through the starry spaces came Tsathoggua, but by the dimensions that lie between them, and of His advent upon this planet, the place thereof was the unlitten and subterraneous gulf of N'kai, wherein whose gloomy depths He lingered for innumerable cycles, as Eibon saith, before emerging into the upper world. And after this it was the Great Cthulhu came hither next, and all His spawn from distant Xoth, and the Deep Ones and the loathsome Yuggs who be Their minions; and Shub-Niggurath from nightmare- rumored Yaddith, and all they that serve Her, even the Little People of the Wood.

But of the Great Old Ones begotten by Azathoth in the prime, not all came down to this Earth, for Him Who Is Not To Be Named lurks ever on that dark world near Aldebaran in the Hyades, and it was His sons who descended hither in His place. Likewise, Cthugha chose for His abode the star Fomalhaut, whereupon He begat the dread Aphoom Zhah; and Cthugha abideth yet on Fomalhaut, and the Fire-Vampires that serve Him; but as for Aphoom Zhah, he descended to this Earth and dwelleth yet in his frozen realm. And terrible Vulthoom, that awful thing that be brother to black Tsathoggua, He descende upon dying Mars in His might, which world He chose for His dominion.

Now it is also written of those of the Begotten of Azathoth who abide not within the secret places of the Earth, that when the Great Old Ones came down from the stars in the misty prime They brought the image and likeness of Their Brethern with Them. In this wise, it was the Outer Ones that serve Hastur the Unspeakable, brought down the Shining Trapezohedron from dark Yuggoth on the Rim, whereupon had it been fashioned with curious art in the days ere Earth had yet brought forth its first life. And it was through the Shining Trapezohedron, that is the very talisman of dread Nyarlathotep, that the Great Old Ones summoned to Their aid the might of the Crawling Chaos in the hour of Their great need, what time the Elder Gods came hither in Their wrath.

Likewise, it was the Deep Ones who carried to this world the awful likeness of serpent-bearded Byatis, son of Yig, whereby was He worshipped, first by the shadowy Valusians before the advent of man on this planet, and yet later by the dwellers in primal Mu.

For the Great Old Ones had forseen the day and the hour of Their need, when that They must summon to Their side those of Their awesome Brethren who had taken far worlds for the place of Their abiding, and had brought hither these images for this very purpose. Now of these star-made eidolons, little there is that is known to men; it is said they were wrought by strange talimanic art, and that the sorcerers and the wizards of this Terrene sphere are not deemed worthy by the Great Old Ones to be instructed in the secrets thereof.

But it is whispered in certain old, forbidden books an awesome power lurks within such images, and that through them, as through strange windows in time and space, Those that dwell afar can sometimes be evoked and summoned hither, as They were when that it came to pass, in the fullness of time, the Elder Gods descended on this world in Their wrath.

And there be those that worship the Great Old Ones through their image and likeness, but of this the must be wary, for such eidolons be uncanny, and betimes are known to drink the lives of they that handle them unwisely, or who seek through such images to summon to this sphere Those far off and better left undisturbed. Neither is it wholly within the knowledge of men to destroy such images, and many there be that sought the destruction thereof, who found their own destruction; but against such images from beyond the stars the Elder Sign hath very great power, although the must beware lest in the conflict betwixt That which you evoke to destroy the likeness of That which slumbereth afar, you be not consumed and swallowed up, or be yourself destrothed thereby, and that utterly, even unto your immortal soul.