Glossary:Elder Gods

Elder Gods

"Elder god" is a broad term for any ancient (subjectively to one's perception) deities.

Many races and groups have been called "Elder Gods" along the time: the Lords of the Dawn, the first Elder Gods; ancient beings such as the Elder Gods of Earth; the Old Ones/Many-Angled Ones; the Elder Gods of Limbo, the Gibborim (one of them being possibly part of the Elder Gods of Limbo), the Many-Souled Ones; the Elder Ones; the N'Garai and their masters the Mabdhara.

It would also become a name for more recent pantheons, such as the Gods of Egypt, the Olympians and also of the Aesir from the Ragnarök era preceding our era.

The Elder Gods presented here are unlikely to be all related to each other, apart that by that name, originated from their status as ancient deities.

History

Knull, Lord of the Abyss

First Elder Gods

From before creation

The Dweller-in-Darkness, who described himself as an elder god, possibly the son of Cthulhu, originated from the dimension Everinnye, and survived from a previous universe, where he fractured the M'kraan Crystal in an effort to destroy reality as a whole, creating fear throughout the universe that would feed his appetites. Instead, the Phoenix Force united the minds of the dying universe, preventing them from being afraid, and foiling his plans.

Knull, described as an elder god, originated in the primordial abyss before the universe began.

One of the first Elder Gods smiling at his creation

Early years of the Universe

Fourteen billion years ago, into the Void, one of the first Elder Gods, a baby, played to create life, just before being assassinated by the time-travelling Gorr.

Twelve or four billion years ago, after the First Great War of the Gods, the Lords of the Dawn, "the first Elder Gods", or their begetters, built Omnipotence City as a place of divine fellowship.

Elder Gods on Earth

On Earth, many groups and beings were described as "elder gods", including :

• the Elder Gods of Earth (created 4 billion years ago);
• the Old Ones who, according to lore, populated all existence before the act of creation. The Nameless Old Ones allegedly ruled the universe a billion eons before the birth of Gayomar, the first of all men. Shuma-Gorath and other Old Ones came million years ago, ruling the Earth and feasting on the ape-men;
• the Elder Ones, alternatively described as beings of goodness or entities evil, or at least antagonists to Man;
• the Many-Souled Ones, creatures who walked the Earth before Man or animal, and who lived and died before there was a Heaven;
• the N'Garai, created by the Elder God of Earth Chthon after his fleeing of Earth, and their masters the Mabdhara.

Additionally a certain number of gods and demons have received that appellation.

Though the Demogorge is usually stated to have dealt with the degenerated Elder Gods of Earth, he has been stated to have destroyed the various elder gods and demons that ruled the planet before the gods' creation, possibly including other elder gods.

The Elder Gods have been alternatively described as dark gods requiring human sacrifices, and beings gifted with great wisdom and insight.

The Elder God appearing to Zulda Thaal

Opposing Gods and Demons

The mighty (but also arrogant and ambitious) god G'bharr Rjinn sought to dethrone the Elder Gods, using his magical eyes. The Elder Gods consequently destroyed him, leaving as only remains his eyes.

Jergal Zadh, a demon so great even the gods feared him, was banished to a hellish netherworld by elder god jealous of his power. Similarly, they banished Thazarra the Sorceress into a prison in another plane. Similarly, the Ancient Ones/Ancients imprisoned the Dark Angels.

Pre-Cataclysmic Age

During the Pre-Cataclysmic Age, a mountain city on the fringes of Valusia and ruled by Thuron worshiped the Unnameable One, who rewarded Thuron with enhanced strength and the Ring of the Black Shadow, allowing him to summon the Black Shadow. They sacrificed humans to the Unnameable One.

King Kull of Valusia decided to have all those who offered human sacrifice to the dark elder gods, and marched upon at least the city worshipping the Unnameable One. Thuron was killed, seemingly by the intervention of the Scorpion-God, before the arrival of Kull.

Hyborian Age

13,000 BC

Circa 13,000 BC, Zulda Thaal worshiped an elder god who bestowed him a magic breastplate, gauntlets encrusted with precious gems and an enchanted bow.

Age of Conan (10,000 BC)

The elder gods were invoked by sorcerers, demons, and other figures.

The oldest god of the Hyperboreans was the elder god Bardisattva the Very Old, or Bardis, the god of the Coya clan, while despised by the Clan Curgill. The Land of Bardisattva was forbidden to all but the Silent Followers, priests of the Coya.

An elder god was worshiped by women of the race inhabiting the Vale of Lost Women, for which they performed human sacrifices. Such one was the Ophirean woman Livia of House of Chelkus, who was rescued by Conan the Cimmerian.

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At some point before the 1950s, the evil sorcerer Khalis-Wu encountered the Elder Gods and was seemingly defeated into retreat.

Miscellaneous

Representatives: Are listed here "Elder Gods" from unknown origin, including the Unnameable One, the Elder God worshiped by Zulda Thaal, Pluorrg, X'axal, Knull. Bardisattva the Very Old / Bardis, the Dweller-in-Darkness (a demon from the dimension Everinnye), the Elder God worshiped in the Vale of Lost Women,

List of the known Elder Gods.

Notes

• The Aesir from the Ragnarök era preceding our era were known as Elder Gods as well.

See also

• Appearances of Elder Gods whose exact affiliation or classification (if any) is unknown.
• Mentions of Elder Gods whose exact affiliation or classification (if any) is unknown.
• Images of Elder Gods whose exact affiliation or classification (if any) is unknown.
• Yug-Sluggoth, Baron of the Elder Hell.
• Razazel, Arch-Demon of the Elder Night.

Links and references

Footnotes

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