"Without definite intention he was asking the PRESENCE for access to a dim, fantastic world whose five multi-coloured suns, alien constellations, dizzy black crags, clawed, tapir-snouted denizens, bizarre metal towers, unexplained tunnels, and cryptical floating cylinders had intruded again and again upon his slumbers… He was, as many a night before, walking amidst throngs of clawed, snouted beings through the streets of a labyrinth of inexplicably fashioned metal under a blaze of diverse solar colour; and as he looked down he saw that his body was like those of the others—rugose, partly squamous, and curiously articulated in a fashion mainly insect-like yet not without a caricaturish resemblance to the human outline. The Silver Key was still in his grasp—though held by a noxious-looking claw."
~ H. P. Lovecraft & E. Hoffmann Price , "Through the Gates Of the Silver Key"
There are not many renditions of the inhabitants of Yaddith out there (fitting since their planet was destroyed) so I decided to give it a shot. I mainly focused on 3 key features described in the story: tapir-snout, claws and the caricaturish resemblance to the human outline.
Also, I suck at backgrounds. I need to practice that A LOT. I decided to leave it like this because I felt like I was ruining the entire thing because of that wall. I may have to redraw this yadditian buddy at some other time without ruining the illustration with a crappy background.
A4 mixed media paper, pencils, watercolor markers + details in acrylics and alcohol markers.
Cryptozoology and the Cthulhu Mythos are two of my main interests so of course I think about how the two might intersect. When a cryptid is seen, what Sothic truths might lurk behind it?
Just like with my Mothman page, the top row are some vaguely similar witness accounts while the bottom row is some mythos based speculation. This time we're looking at aliens and cryptids with some seemingly ghostly properties, best exemplified by the Flatwoods Monster.
Also hey West Virginia, what's up with your monsters? Why are they so cool?
The Flatwoods Encounter
The Phantom of Flatwoods. The Braxton County Monster. The Queen of the Cryptids.
One September night in 1952, three boys witness a bright object cross the sky before landing in a nearby farmer's land. Running home to get two of the boy's mother, Kathleen May, they formed a group with more boys and set out to look for the landed UFO. One member of this group was young National Guardsman, Gene Lemon, who brought along a flashlight and his dog. As they headed towards the farm Lemon's dog ran ahead only to bark furiously before running back to the group with it's tail between it's legs. Lemon saw a pair of glittering lights in the dark and turned his flashlight beam towards them. All the witnesses saw a bright red face, a hood shaped like the ace of spades and glowing orange-green eyes. Kathleen May also described it as having long clawed hands and green cloth-like folds. After a few seconds it hissed at them and then glided towards the group, at which point Lemon dropped the flashlight and they had to flee into the darkness. Afterwards several members of the group felt ill and vomited for hours. Lemon in particular had throat problems for weeks.
Investigators from the Civilian Saucer Investigation obtained a few other accounts of the monster in the area after the fact but none of them were as memorable as the Flatwoods encounter. In recent times there has been some disagreement over the appearance of the Phantom, with some ufologists pushing the idea that it was some form of alien robot, powered armor or even a small craft itself.
The Frametown Encounter
The same night of the Flatwoods encounter, George and Edith Snitowsky were traveling the road between Gassaway and Frametown when their car stalled and they caught a horrible stench. George got out to see what was going on and saw a violet orb moving back and forth across the road. As he moved towards it he felt a pins-and-needles sensation and a wave of sickness passed over him. As he staggered back to the car, Edith noticed something behind him. A towering figure with a big head, a bloated body and long spindly arms was hovering rapidly towards them. As they crouched inside their locked car, the being touched the windshield before retreating. The violet globe swayed back and forth as it rose above the trees and it shot off in a trail of light. The next day a gas station attendant pointed out a v-shaped burn on the hood of their car.
Mantis Man
Seen in the company of the alien Greys or hanging out in New Jersey rivers, these towering Mantisoid beings have been witnessed dozens of times. Although superficially similar to gigantic insects, they appear to be only partially exoskeletal with snake-like skin and a bipedal stance. They are able to cloak themselves; with one witness claiming that the creature was transparent, while another said it appeared solid at first but faded from sight after it noticed him. They might be telepathic as well, with several of the Hackettstown New Jersey encounters reporting that they felt sensations of surprise or aggression from the creatures.
Shadow Abductor
After seeing a low flying circular craft, Kelly Cahill and her husband got home with an hour of missing time. Kelly had a triangular burn near her navel and after weeks of stomach problems and a uterine infection Kelly began to remember what happened that night. She recalled leaving the car with her husband in what seemed to be a trance and walking towards the vast UFO as it hovered in a gully. As they walked towards the craft, they noticed tall, dark figures waiting for them. They were congregating in small groups and some were investigating another car parked at the side of the road. As they approached one of the figures floated towards them, covering a hundred yards in a moment. It was so black it was like an absence of matter and the only color came from its glowing red eyes. Kelly remembered feeling a certainty that it was evil before she blacked out. The encounter was even corroborated by the occupants of that other car, who told a similar tale. Further to her encounter Kelly would occasionally awaken in the night to find one of the shadowy aliens looming over her bed before vanishing.
Hopkinsville Goblins
Have we ever considered that the Flatwoods Monster might just be three Goblins in a trench coat?
In 1955 a group of seven people were terrorized by these small glowing creatures as they bumbled around the Sutton family farm. They arrived out of the woods after one of the men witnessed a UFO covered in rainbow lights. All through the night they wandered the property, peering through windows and grabbing at anyone who left the house even as they were shot at by the frightened witnesses. Any time they were struck by a bullet, they would make a sound like rattling metal before falling in slow motion and wandering away. They seemed to able to hover and glide and even when walking they moved in a strange swaying motion as though wading through the air. It was not clear how many of the beings were present, with estimates ranging from 2 to 12.
Fungi from Yuggoth
If it might be aliens, the fungi are probably the ones behind it.
There is a Fungi Tulu-metal mine in the Appalachian Mountains, perhaps a group of prospectors were moving through West Virginia that September night? This particular prospector is a Sleestak, the reptiloid allies of the fungi. The symbiotic fungi it is paired with grants it a number of useful abilities as it follows its crystal matrix probes to deposits of psychic metal.
Diana of the Black Goat
There is a belt of Shub-Niggurath worship stretching from Pennsylvania, down through Virginia and Kentucky and reaching all the way down to northern Texas. One sign of this worship are the numerous legends of goatmen stalking the backwoods or hiding under abandoned bridges. Where there are children of the Black Goat the Diana are sure to follow. The Diana are telepathic and extremely empathetic and understand human fear and that not all beings share the proclivities of the Black Goat and her worshipers. Perhaps the creature seen that night was simply trying to ward off those who would rather not witness the revels of the Gof'nn hupadgh.
Han
Dark Han is considered to be among the ranks of the "Great Old Ones". It is one of the three gods of divination along with Father Yig and serpent-bearded Byatis. It appears as a humanoid figure cloaked in tattered robes and freezing mists. As the cloak flaps its tatters slither away or flap into the air and those within its mists see nightmarish figures. Anyone who touches its skeletal hand will be plagued with nightmares that contain kernels of future events. As long as the nightmares last the victim will sicken as Han draws energy from the dream conduit.
Being from Shonhi
When Yaddith was consumed by Dholes, its people fled to the nearby worlds of Kath, Zaith and Ymar to take refuge. Their allies from Shonhi swarmed the orbitals over the newly formed Dhole hive tracing the transit residues of the Yaddithian light-envelopes to ensure all the survivors where accounted for. One light wake did not head to the muster point in the Xoth system but instead headed off towards some backwater arm of the galaxy. Further investigation revealed that the light-envelope in question belonged to the wizard Zkauba, one of the very people responsible for maintaining the Dhole chants and the barriers that kept them to the worldcore. Interviews with his acquaintances revealed he had been acting stranger than usual leading up to the fall of the barrier.
Now Shonhi sorcerers have followed the trail back to our humble planet, with awkward questions for the wayward Yaddithian wizard.
Xola Noxa
An ancient sorceress from an early human culture, Xola Noxa has been wandering North America since the days it was called Quy and the Muvians built their fabled cities of gold. She is now a towering figure of blistering heat and venom. She walks the secret roads of the world, seeking hidden knowledge and ever greater powers for no reason aside from the love of the hunt.
The blaze of light that crossed the sky remains a question as it resembles none of the spells or signs she is reputed to know. What force did she call down from the stars that night?
