Why Cthulhu?

[Genndy Oda C.O.G.]

There are several other potential beings of mass destruction, so why choose the one many saw coming?

[Tom]

Public domain, tempting fate, and allusions on FictionalThreat.

[Dana]

I actually feel we explained this one pretty well. Your talk about him gave him narrative weight within this story, and so summoned him.

Also, Cthulhu is pretty cool AND totally public domain.

[Connor Fallon]

I think the comment which sealed the deal was "I really hope the threat isn't Cthulhu. That would really suck. And be predictable."

I think Mr. A even referenced that, saying something along the lines of HE FELT HE WAS BEING CALLED. Like if he didn't show up, he'd somehow have missed a cue.

[Pixelmage]

Dresden Files canon works like that... Say the name of a thing too many times and you end up drawing it's attention.
I guess everyone here worked it out from his own angle, but we did see it coming... Or at least hoped our foresight was accurate.

[Dryunya]

Or maybe he was able to see us because we knew it was him.
ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴs ɴᴏᴡ. ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʟᴅ ᴏɴᴇs.
(yep, totally a Star Control reference.)

[The Wild West Pyro]

He's one of the most terrifying and destructive fictional creatures ever created. He has millions of fans and clubs dedicated to him, he's influenced video games, movies and pop culture, and he's incredibly big.

[Scarab]

Aso the really scary thing about Cthulhu in all his original story is that you NEVER SEE HIM in the flesh. The mystery and strangeness surrounding him is, in his own way, more scary than the diea of a giant squid.

It's like, say, how the Firefly Reavers were a lot less scary to me once I realised what they were. I was all 'oh that? There's nothing otherworldly about HUMANS being disturbing.'

[Rick Healey]

The whole "is Cthulhu public domain?" question drove me a bit nuts... I was seriously afraid we weren't going to be allowed to use him.

Then I remembered that he appeared, by name, in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. And I remember from watching the credits that they didn't have to cite any sort of copyright regarding him. So I dug a bit further, and I found he was public domain (although some have argued, fruitlessly, that he shouldn't be).

[Dana]

Yeah, Lovecraft encouraged the development of a mythos, which is why the majority of his works are public domain. Otherwise, people wouldn't be able to build onto the universe he had created.

[Connor Fallon]

Something I kind of wish more authors were into doing, actually. Worlds only really grow as long as they can be added too.

...The Administrator Mythos.

[BlackWolfe]

Yeah, Lovecraft encouraged the development of a mythos, which is why the majority of his works are public domain. Otherwise, people wouldn't be able to build onto the universe he had created.

Yeah, but then the first person (August Derleth) to really take his mythos and run with it was declared non-canon by Lovecraft. Cake vs. Eating Cake, Howard.

[Dana]

...The Administrator Mythos.

The Adminverse.

[BlackWolfe]

...The Administrator Mythos.

The Adminverse.

Add another syllable and I think it flows better: "Adminiverse".

[Scarab]

...The Administrator Mythos.

The Adminverse.

Add another syllable and I think it flows better: "Adminiverse".

The Administrator Prime DOES have Eldritch Abomination on his trope list, which always confused me a little... until the comment about suit-skin anyway.

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

I'm just a little curious about how far back planning Cthulhu went.
Because I remember sometime around the beginning of December, a few of us in the chatroom, late at night, for some reason decided that "Cthulhu will probably show up as the Final Boss and we'll have to write an epic fight between all five Metaguards and him"... and now I'm wondering whether that was us totally guessing what was coming or us totally tempting fate by putting the idea in your head or us totally being insane.

[Rick Healey]

Actual *planning* for Cthulhu? Um... I'd have to check, but I believe that happened around the beginning of December on our end. There was a huge rush to actually make sure we would be in the clear for it and that we'd be able to put it together. What I'm most glad about is that Alex felt years ago that preparing a Cthulhu might just come in handy one day. That beats out the use of the Czech puppets in terms of "amazing random stuff that Alex has lying around."

Admittedly, random *discussion* of Cthulhu happened earlier, but it was only very infrequent idle chatter for most of the ARG.

[The Wild West Pyro]

What's really amazing about HP Lovecraft is that he created a whole bunch of MYTHS. a whole WORLD, a whole UNIVERSE just through his books.

[Dana]

Actual *planning* for Cthulhu? Um... I'd have to check, but I believe that happened around the beginning of December on our end. There was a huge rush to actually make sure we would be in the clear for it and that we'd be able to put it together. What I'm most glad about is that Alex felt years ago that preparing a Cthulhu might just come in handy one day. That beats out the use of the Czech puppets in terms of "amazing random stuff that Alex has lying around."

Admittedly, random *discussion* of Cthulhu happened earlier, but it was only very infrequent idle chatter for most of the ARG.

We had always planned on him being the final confrontation for the Metaguards. We didn't know he would be the climax of the game.

[Connor Fallon]

Actual *planning* for Cthulhu? Um... I'd have to check, but I believe that happened around the beginning of December on our end. There was a huge rush to actually make sure we would be in the clear for it and that we'd be able to put it together. What I'm most glad about is that Alex felt years ago that preparing a Cthulhu might just come in handy one day. That beats out the use of the Czech puppets in terms of "amazing random stuff that Alex has lying around."

Admittedly, random *discussion* of Cthulhu happened earlier, but it was only very infrequent idle chatter for most of the ARG.

We had always planned on him being the final confrontation for the Metaguards. We didn't know he would be the climax of the game.

By this, she means that he would try to cross the wall in the way Anatsi and Medusa did. But instead of making you write one story to send him back, we turned it into a much bigger deal.

This is probably an unnecessary clarification, but I was confused when I first read that as a result of the multiple types of Metaguards.

[Tom]

I remember sometime around the beginning of December, a few of us in the chatroom, late at night, for some reason decided that "Cthulhu will probably show up as the Final Boss and we'll have to write an epic fight between all five Metaguards and him"... and now I'm wondering whether that was us totally guessing what was coming or us totally tempting fate by putting the idea in your head or us totally being insane.

I know the quote you are talking about. It was shortly after there was a consensus to do Cthulhu. I'd already written up the "use all 5 of us, kill some of us" Gurt post draft. I half laughed and half groaned reading your prediction.