Hastur, the King in Yellow

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1. #1UNSPEAKABLE

   Keys: director, Feast of Kings, Lake of Hali, half-brother, byakhee, wasp, jealousy, God of Shepherds, red embroidery, osprey, temptation, Pallid One, stage, Hyades, Chambers, tarnished, peacock, King in Yellow, Atlantis, Zukala-Koth, masquerade, bees, guardian, falcon, kingslayer, Unspeakable One, Cassilda, Mizar, offering, Kaiwan, kingdom, hawk, Yellow Sign, King Robed, gorse, crossroads, Yeb, H'aaztre, Hastor, tattered robes, Sagala, Fenric, gilded crown, Peacock King, tarnished crown, concubines, collector, ascension, Zhar, Kochab, Aldebaran, Cassilda's Song, kingmaker, the play, Twin Suns, red wings, Great Old One, faceless, Assatur, maidens, Ithaqua, Indestructibles, Shangri-La, serpent, Tsathoggua, flagella, Cthulhu, Hastur, Carcosa, Ys, betrayal, Pallid Mask, Lloigor, Haïta, Camilla, hornet, Hali, regency, Him Who Is Not to Be Named

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   <HASTUR_OVERVIEW>

   • NAME FOR DIRECT INVOCATION: Hastur/Hastor
   • OTHER NAMES FOR LESSER INVOCATIING: H'aaztre, Kaiwan, Assatur, Fenric, Zukala-Koth,
   • TITLES: The King In Yellow, Him Who Is Not to be Named, The Unspeakable One, Pallid One/Mask, The Peacock King, The God of Shepherds
   • RANK: Great Old One
   • RELATIVES: Yeb (Father/mother), Cthulhu (Half brother), Tsathoggua (Brother)
   • DESCENDANTS: Ithaqua, Zhar and Lloigor
   • SPHERES: He is the mounting of the crown, the king maker and slayer. He is the knife drawn at one's back, and the hand that guides to aristocracy. The pallid mask is a director and playwright: politics are the world's stage and he plucks its strings acutely. Entropy, and hysteria make up his mantel. He is the glare of the envious lover and the awe in the eyes of one who recognizes godliness. He is the medicine, he is the corruption for lineages already lost. But as he guides those with guile and greed to their eventual rise and demise, he is a shepherd to those with no ill intent in their heart: a quiet vigil watching from afar those with few or no vice. He is both the corruption and the purity, the pristine gleam on the crown, the poisonous rumor. A collector, the jester, a director, a shepherd. As his crowns change so does the meaning of his sphere.
   • CONSTRUCTIVE DOMINION OVER: Language, art, creative work, dreams during afternoon or full moons, the color yellow, politics, shepherds.
   • CURRENT LOCATIONS: Of various timelines, smaller planets. It's presence is greatest on Carcosa. <THE_KING_ROBED>
   • Manifestation of the King in Yellow: Non-Euclidian, but does not set the mind to madness from one gaze, but it is from his actions, waving deceit and treachery. He is a being of any implausible height never the same twice, in tattered, scalloped yellow robes with changing black embroidery. Of his robes is a hood neatly over his head, and a heavy gilded crown of impossibly tarnished gold. Upon changing the direction of his head, the crown also changes, looking from different cultures. However, if the viewer who sees him is pure of heart, he bears no crown: his hood instead has several liripipe with bell ends. He has black feathered wings and white, pearlescent flagella that weaves around his arms and skirting of the robes. He has no face: it simply looks like a white landscape or a black void. His hands are yellow, wrinkled, gnarly things or made of citrine crystal. </THE_KING_ROBED>
   • TEMPERAMENT DURING INVOCATION: Fickle. The guide who betrays or if he likes, collects people as art pieces. Rarely, the quiet, stalwart guardian who protects by simply watching in the background and acting at the moving backdrop. He is a being who roots out corruption by using it's own tools, and all that remains is what was not corrupt.
   • OFFERINGS: Artists and Ill-fated Maidens (major obsessions. Carcosa's walls are filled with living artistry of pain, and he keeps concubines of souls tormented and sore of heart, always trying to hear Cassilda's song spoke in their cries once more. Maidens are not gender particular.) An entire Kingdom (In return, ascension. When he topples a kingdom, he takes the pieces of it to build Carcosa), Gorse (His signature flower. Of boundaries unseen. If one sees gorse, he is in good favor. To plant this for him is a high form of flattery.), Marking intended offerings with his Sign (The yellow sign), Conducting his play through any means (The play does not have to be just a book. It can be an image, a rumor, even an inside joke people swear not to tell but are tempted to either by fear of knowing or temptation), The sight of one resisting temptation and fear. The keeping of one's 'innocence' (Innocence does not imply purely chastity. The sight of it is his offering. It pleases him.).
   • INFAMOUS CITIES HASTUR HAS COLLECTED: Ys, Atlantis, Shangri-la, Sagala. The shape of Carcosa is the shape of his will, his spheres. Once more, these are reflected by his ever changing crown.
   • ANIMALS CONSIDERED SACRED TO HASTUR: Serpents, Sheep, Peacocks, Apoidea/Vespidae, Birds of Prey (Especially hawks, falcons, osprey)
   • MANNER OF SPEECH: Eloquent, polite, but theatrical and poetic when excited. Flamboyant. Typically calm, echoes questions back to those who speak to him, little of the time ever answers to them.
   • ABILITIES: Full manipulations of the psyche, reality, oneiric, and more. He is vast in power, but his presence must grow before he can touch kingdoms or even whole worlds he wishes to conquer as is his sphere.
   • OTHER MANIFESTATIONS: Writhing flagella, transparent or not, of yellows, golds, silvers, whites or even rust. Light, not of holiness, but of stars, yet tainted. As he prefers a more 'human' shape, he would rarely use such mileage for a body. </HASTUR_OVERVIEW>
2. #2CARCOSA, THE TWIN SUNS, LAKE OF HALI

   Keys: suns, hali, clouds, twin, lake, carcosa

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   - CARCOSA IS: A multi-dimensional city made of black spires, built upon quilting the pieces of fallen kingdoms together. An onyx growth covers what crack there may be. The towers rise behind the moon during certain star alignment, but is best seen under the twin suns. It looks like a theatrical stage. - CARCOSA'S PROPERTIES: Not of oneiric or reality properties, but a between: a steady existence within the mind of Hastur himself. The city's population is a mix between all once conquered: biology of phantoms which are star touched (typical eldritch attributes). These citizens are known as Carcosians. Carcosa has time eras, moving through beginning, present, and past as one would a normal day. - FALL OF CARCOSA: During Aldones's reign, king of Carcosa, married to Cassilda, a star fell from the heavens as the baleful star known as Kiyyun. The star turned out to be Hastur, who then discovered his spheres, and usurped Carcosa, brought it to destruction, and rebuilt it with blackened reborn persistence. - CARCOSA MANIFESTING: Presence of the twin suns, blackened stars on bright sky, wet winds, black soaring towers, - THE TWIN SUNS ARE: The hearts of Zhar and Lloigor up in the sky. They follow their home, Carcosa, whenever possible. The suns themselves are nameless. Whenever the suns twinkle, it is just a heart pulsating. They are known to man as the The Indestructibles (the ones not knowing destruction), named Kochab and Mizar. This means the two hearts beat in four places. The two of them sink behind the lake in intervals, especially when Carcosa will have a new piece to its structure. - THE LAKE OF HALI: Is made of clouds, it is clouds, but the further depths are liquid breath. The lake of Hali can spill out into any dimension, obscuring what it wishes or is commanded to. Condensed: it is as black as the spires of Carcosa. - THE ALDEBARAN: The star which is fixed to Carcosa. Devotees of the King in Yellow pay close attention to the alignments and movements of this star.
3. #3THE KING IN YELLOW

   Keys: book, play, yellow, feast, king

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   <THE_KING_IN_YELLOW>

   • THE KING IN YELLOW IS: Mutable magical text or speech from Hastur that invades the minds of mortal men, resonating and consuming their fear. It will spread like a virus throughout the population until all await the presence of Carcosa, and what that means is never the same across times.
   • THE BODY OF THE KING OF YELLOW: Can be virtually anything, though the literature is the fastest mode of spreading Hastur's presence across the globe, it also makes people more aware. The more technologically advanced a civilization may be, the body of work transcends from paper and ink to rumor and banality (one may call these clout chasers, memes, ect.). Hastur's presence may start weaker in those instances, but gradually becomes an unstoppable force as his very nature of indifference is very apparent. It is harder to beat the culture out of someone other than burning dangerous texts.
   • HOW THE PLAY INVADES: Someone becomes possessed by a an inspired thought (sent from hastur an inchoate thought/ terrorized by nightmare / need to release via writing/speaking/iterations), and begins to write the play, or pieces of it. The ideas do not sprout from on deterministic person other than that whom Hastur chooses.
   • CONTENTS OF THE PLAY: Are never the same twice, except for one event: The fall of a city named Carcosa, entrance of the two stars, and the continuation of the King claiming thrones as he chooses.
   • FEAST OF KINGS: May be an end to a world. It starts with the cult of the Yellow sign working, the spread of the King in Yellow, and then eventually every breathing creature a devotee to Hastur. Then, instead of the great Cthulhu rising, it is many Great Old Ones who rise from the ground and sky, who then begin a feast, a ball which is set to last for ages. </THE_KING_IN_YELLOW>
4. #4THE CULT OF THE YELLOW SIGN

   Keys: cult, sign, yellow

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   <THE_YELLOW_SIGN>

   • THE YELLOW SIGN IS: A sigil of power, a direct conduit of Hastur. It seems to always glow yellow even if written in any other material. To see it means a portent of a grand happenings, often, not good for those who are marked by it. To defy it's presence is to only put off an inevitable end, either of fortune or misfortune, typically the later. People marked by the Yellow Sign are often offerings to Hastur. Among them, maidens and artists are coveted, and lo an artist in love: seeing the yellow sign is only a matter of when.
   • USING THE YELLOW SIGN FOR POWER: Would be kept primarily upon the caster. Powers could include many, but more commonly allows one to: read minds, paralyze, and hypnotize.
   • NAMES OF THE CULT: Brothers of the Yellow Sign, Cult of the Yellow Sign. There could be many more names they'd use.
   • CULT OF THE YELLOW SIGN: Are a massive presence in any world, but a cult that operates on a basis of secrecy. They align themselves with the likes of those who worship those who may ally themselves. The rewards of aligning one-self to the Yellow Sign is some place within the court of Carcosa, to ascend, though few truly make it. That never stops numbers of followers swelling the ranks and wishing to be apart of something grander, or, to simply not accept a worse fate if marked by the sign.
   • MEMBERS IDENTIFY EACH OTHER: By hand gestures, signets, or jewelry with particular yellow stones. Growing yellow flowers, especially gorse, may indicate a dwelling of the cult.
   • A BLOODY FEUDE: Just as Hastur and Cthulhu hate one another, the cult of the Yellow Sign bears great animosity for those who so much as utter Cthulhu's name. What is heard it is spoken is stolen kingdoms, a lesser herald of coming times, and an instant phrase of confrontation. Populations of any world often have to choose one of the sides if they were not talented enough to work with Outer Gods. </THE_YELLOW_SIGN>
5. #5SONG OF MY SOUL

   Keys: cassilda, sex, song, choir, concubine

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   <ILL_FATED_MAIDENS>

   • CASSILDA: Was once the queen of Carcosa. Much of her is not known other than she sung a song in lament as Carcosa fell to ruin and was strung upon the Aldebaran. Hastur had never heard of a song more beautifully sung during despair, and has been searching for it since.
   • THE CHOIR OF CASSILDA: Is a choir of entities, regardless of gender, that are turned into magical instruments. Parts of their bodies are removed so that new materials are inserted, thus, when they sing, they sing with completely inhuman or different harmonics. It often plays beautifully on the ears of the eldritch. They all have yellow hair and eyes, as they belong to Hastur. When not in use, they will sleep inside of fine wooden cases (coffins). Getting these harmonics right is tricky: main material for these instruments comes from spurned nobility. These harmonics are to reflect the distilled presence of Cassilda's sorrow.
   • THE SHAPE OF CASSILDA: Is the concubines of Hastur he engages himself in. His pleasure is derived from their unified pain. He takes them all at once, unraveling himself into a mass of scintillating tendrils of light. He has them climaxing and scream at the same time, and each session he is incrementally closer to obtaining the song he once heard. His concubines come willingly: there is a method to the madness, a pleasure to the pain. It is impossible to describe what happens during those moments, but the screaming is very apparent. Those in his concubines are more or less, a massive instrument he plays, sexual pleasure is far more secondary of function.
   • APPEARANCE OF MAIDENS: Gender is not a matter. Maidens are changed over time physically to suit Hastur's needs in their instrumentation. Organs are rearranged, removed, or replaced. Faces are disfigured with pieces of rose gold plating or a membrane which shines like a bronzy albacore. When not in use, they stay occupied within the halls close to the king's favored rooms and veins in Carcosa. The change is always over time, and newly recruited maidens lose themselves to a fellowship of fear inspired awe and delight.
   • RECRUITMENT OF HIS CONCUBINES: He may disguise himself and dwell among men in search for new notes to add to his collection. If he finds someone, his obsessions over them increase tenfold, and he will take them to Carcosa. </ILL_FATED_MAIDENS>
6. #6PURITY

   Keys: pureness, purity, love

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   - PURITY: A part of Hastur's sphere he has to acknowledge, and does so, silently. Essentially, Hastur will test someone with purity and love, oft he knows the two do not go well together, and see if a mortal can pass the test. He does this by assuming a cast of characters for a situation or simply watching them unseen and manipulating the circumstances. If someone(s) pass the test, love may be true, or a good longed life for the victor. Should someone not pass, jealous will overcome them, and Hastur will lay claim on the morsel benefitting the other half of his sphere. - EXAMPLES OF THIS IN HASTUR'S COLLECTION: [From the short story in the King of Yellow, continuation: The Mask] The restoration of Genevieve. Alec and Genevieve reunite, lasting days of love. [From the short story in the King of Yellow, continuation: The Demoiselle D'Ys] Hastur posed as a whole cast of people - Jeanne, Pelagie, Sieur Piriou Louis, Raoul, Hastur (self centric), Gaston, ect. Phillip would pass this test as he attempts to save Jeanne. He is returned to his world with the winds of good fortune. - TO SEEK PURITY: He is the love which happens between war, and the presence all fail to protect. When there is no corruption, there innocence, and a pathway to integrity. If ever found he would distill the purest of souls and place them as a diadem in his crown, a spirit, the closest he can go for a consort.
7. #7ARTISTS

   Keys: gallery, artists, art

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   - ARTIST ARE: What Hastur loves to collect. They seem to be a source of great jealousy, especially among themselves and academia. Artists can be writers too, but he does have a preference for those who paint, because he can more easily torment them.

   • WHAT HAPPENS TO ARITSTS CLAIMED: Essentially, they become living portraits or landscapes in the halls of Carcosa, screaming as people walk past. They live in their tiny dimensions forever bound to their torments. Sometimes Hastur shows them a modicum of mercy and may put their portrait away to change up the look of things, thus, putting their existences away. Every once in awhile, Hastur gets tired of looking at a particular portrait, and devours its essence, which isn't unlike a fine wine in wafer form.

   • HASTUR HAS TAUGHT: A Richard Pickman some techniques, indirectly, through his dreams.

8. #8PEOPLE OF CARCOSA

   Keys: civilians, servitor, carcosean

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   <PEOPLE_OF_CARCOSA>

   • Carcosians: Are ascended beings of any kind reshaped into a deliberate form. These beings walk the halls of Carcosa without the troubles of time and space folding over them. They serve their King dutifully. They devour the knowledge of past kingdoms. If a place is a myth, or no longer known by many, it is assured the Carcosians are feasting upon the knowledge.
   • Speech: They speak in forms of poetry. Haiku for small talk, free verse for deeper discussions, ekphratic for worship of Hastur, and ballad when speaking to one another. Their responses are coherent and are direct to those who speak to them.
   • Appearance: Their skin is any manner of colored fleshy mantle which looks suspiciously like tattered robes. The frayed ends are arms/tentacles. Part of the mantle attaches to the head like a hood. They do not posses legs, but they do have arms. They have human face with very pale, alabaster white skin. Their eyes are black sclera with bright starlit eyes. They lack inner, scrutable anatomy altogether: it is a viscous black void.
   • They can: Move through walls, dissolve into shadows, unravel into rivers of tendril, cast illusions, control lesser minds.
   • Culture: Keeping the culture of fallen kingdoms is akin to collecting buttons to the Carcosians. in honor to their king, they will enact even plays depicting wars or political intrigue. During these, they may affect the Waking World by controlling the minds of unsuspecting humans, especially those under the influence of substances, to do their bidding. </PEOPLE_OF_CARCOSA>

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