"When the stars were right, They could plunge from world to world through the sky; but when the stars were wrong, They could not live. But although They no longer live, They will never really die."
Great Old Ones are poorly understood beings who are said to dwell in the darkness between the stars, a place known as the
Dark Tapestry. What is known is that they are truly ancient, and probably pre-date not only the world of
Golarion but also its more human-like gods. They are thought to be of a vast, alien intelligence that mortals investigate at their own peril. Those who follow them and draw magical power from their worship are almost always insane, believing that these ancient beings will one day return to unmake the world. Great Old Ones, despite some of their limited ability to travel, may influence the wider universe via dreams and mind control, and this influence may stretch well beyond their prisons to other worlds.
Some Great Old Ones are believed to reside somewhere on Golarian on the
Material Plane, but are currently inactive. They are thought to be "dead but dreaming", and will reawake when the stars are right once again.
The gods of the Dark Tapestry, known as the
Elder Mythos, can be divided into two categories, in so far as such chaos might be categorized: the
Outer God and the Great Old Ones, sometimes termed just Old Ones. The Outer Gods are equivalent to true deities, whereas the Great Old Ones are less powerful, more akin to demigods, like the archdevils and demon lords. The Great Old Ones respect the Outer Gods and may be seen as heralds or high priests of their greater kind. Great Old Ones are far less mobile than the Outer Gods. Indeed, many Great Old Ones are imprisoned, unable to move until some catastrophe occurs that unbinds them. At this point of release, some prophecies predict the ending of worlds and the ascension of the Great Old Ones to the realms of the Outer Gods. For mortals, the differences between cults of gods of either category is practically meaningless.
The total number of Great Old Ones is unknown, but individual gods are known to include
Cthulhu.
Worshippers
Followers of the Great Old Ones and the Outer Gods collect in small cults of the insane known as
Old Cults.
Other References
According to a
letter to Professor Crowl from
Professor Petros Lorrimor, the short-term presence (no less than 4 days and 4 hours) of a manifestation of a Great Old One can disrupt the spiritual energy of a
ley line.
Related or Referenced
