The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Roll Your Own Mythos, with Andy Goodman
Aug 11, 2025
Joined by Andy Goodman, host of Grizzly Peaks Radio, they delve into the intricacies of cosmic horror. Andy shares insights on crafting narratives that resonate with existential dread while maintaining depth. The conversation shifts to the enigmatic figure of Nodens in Call of Cthulhu, exploring interpretations of ancient chaos. They celebrate new voices in the genre, encouraging listeners to seek fresh interpretations of horror. With humorous anecdotes and personal experiences, they highlight the power of myth-making in transforming beliefs.
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Iconography Vs. Essence
- Tentacles and slimy imagery are popular shorthand for cosmic horror but are outsized cultural tropes rather than core necessities.
- Authors reuse vivid visual cues because abstract cosmic themes are hard to depict succinctly.
Give Entities Human-Scale Interaction
- Give cosmic entities agendas or social interactions to create engaging scenes for players.
- Use conversations, plans, and manipulable goals to make nonhuman forces narratively interesting.
Human-Scale Faces Of The Mythos
- Monsters and cultists dominate Call of Cthulhu because they operate at human scale and are easy to dramatise.
- Direct interaction with cosmic entities can be more corrosive psychologically than physical threats.
