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Dark Young

Dark young are often mistakenly attributed to being the “young” referred to in Shub-Niggurath’s epithet, “Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young;” however, they are but the most common form known to humanity, and other forms of young are possible. Despite such concerns, dark young appear to be most closely connected children of the Dark Mother, often sent in her stead as envoys or heralds to act as proxies, accepting sacrifices and cult devotions. Rarely does Shub-Niggurath appear without a coterie of dark young attendants, and the god seems to birth dark young at a prodigious rate. Being so closely connected, some suggest that each dark young possess a small portion of the Old Goat’s consciousness. Indeed, such monsters tend to be encountered in areas where the Dark Mother’s worship takes place or, at least, in areas sacred to “her.”

In silhouette, dark young may at first be mistaken for great trees, ranging from 12 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters) tall. Their smell is gross and when they move, a wet tearing sound can often be heard. Perhaps through some strange quirk of regional alignments, dark young can vary in form, appearing in England like some mighty oak tree, while in Africa looking more akin to baobab or quiver trees. Indeed, an aquatic form, known as the dark sargassum, is believed to swim in the oceans. All types are highly intelligent and capable hunters, and usually encountered as individuals but, at certain times or places, a group may be gathered to undertake their mother’s work.

Dark Sargassum: a different form of dark young that may be encountered in oceans. To the casual observer, a dark sargassum looks like nothing more than an enormous mass of black, rotting seaweed. Such monsters are exceptionally large but also exceptionally rare—see profile below the standard dark young profile.

Geographic Distribution