Xorlich
The Ineffable, The Eternal Hoarfrost Midnight, The End of All That Is, The Frozen Horror, The Ichorborne God, The All-Consuming, Old Man Winter, Great Old One(for now)
Eons ago when the other eldritch beings were sealed away, Xorlich coalesced from the spilled ichor from the battle between The Great Old Ones and The Elder Gods. Xorlich grew in power, absorbing all the ichor it could. It then spawned Yixchlar and The Yule Lads. It soon became apparent to the followers of The Elder Gods that a new threat had emerged. Using an incantation left by their masters, they found a way to fracture Xorlichs growing wicked power and banished its physical form to the surface of the sun. Its presence there caused a roaming dark spot that could be seen with telescopes. It feeds on energy, but in this diminished state was unable to simply “swallow the sun.” Thousands of years later, Xorlich took advantage of its curse that compartmentalized its power, casting parts of its physical body through space back toward the earth. These attempts caused massive solar flares as its severed parts broke from the Sun's gravitational pull, dragging solar plasma with them. Knowing that if enough of its body could reach their target, it could transfer its consciousness to the majority of its biomass and return to earth once more. After its return to Earth it assumed the form of The Hoarfrost Opal. Those who wore the pendant were enslaved by Xorlichs will. Using its puppet they slowly collected the parts that held the majority of its power, The Fleshy Cloak, The Barbed Tongue, The Taloned Greaves and The Fanged Crown. Once collected, its bindings could no longer hold it and shattered. Its fractured power became a strength instead of a weakness and Xorlich had mastered it.
A horrible mockery of the humanoid form when at rest. Xorlichs head is topped with 4 large horns, its otherwise featureless face has a ring of small hornlets that circle its head. This face can split open to reveal an impossibly large mouth full of uncountable numbers of teeth. It has two arms that end in oversized, taloned, human-like hands. Inside its ribcage hides an unfathomable amount of writhing tendrils with various wicked ends. Xorlich can grow new body parts or regrow old ones it finds useful, at will. It's long legs end in dinosaur-like talons and its long tail its twice the length of its body. On its back it has a pair of massive bat-like wings that it can increase or decrease in size if need be. It is immortal and can never truly die. It can remove parts of itself to infect others to do its bidding. It can transform willing/unwilling cultists into monstrous beings called Apotheosis. Its most dangerous ability is its power to stop all atomic movement in an object, siphoning off the energy to feed, reducing the object into its constituent particles(inert neutrons). This extends to an aura around Xorlich causing the weather to change in its surrounding area, becoming a horrible frozen hellscape. Its other noteworthy ability is its power over ichor. The blood of the gods obey it’s every whim beware!
Xorlich creates Apotheosis by splitting its face open wide, revealing its sinuous tongue and driving it through the humanoid victims forehead, piercing their skull, puncturing their brain and flooding their body full of the viscous black ichor that swirls in the pustules on its body. This process is not... pleasant.
Apotheosis are immortal. The only way to end them is for Xorlich to absorb their biomass into itself. They have various abilities dictated by the random form they take. They are always at least vaguely humanoid. Their primary function is to spawn Contagions and the Naga-like Atrocities.
Atrocities are pure strain creatures birthed by Apotheosis . They have various abilities dictated by the random form they take. They always have at least a humanoid torso and a serpentine lower body. If killed they turn into a statue of solidified ichor. Their primary function is to spawn Contagions and the serpentine monsters known as Anathema.
Anathema are second generation pure strain creatures birthed by Atrocities made entirely of Ichor. They have various abilities dictated by the random form they take. They are always at least vaguely serpentine. Most are massive creatures, the longest over a mile in length. If slain they melt into a bubbling pool of ichor. Their primary function is to spawn Contagions and the beings known as Abominations.
Abominations are third generation pure strain creatures birthed by the Anathema and made entirely out of ichor. They have no set form and take a variety of shapes and sizes. When slain they release large bursts of ichor. Their primary purpose is to spawn endless amounts of the tiny creatures known as Contagions.
Contagions are pure strain creatures birthed by all Ichorborne except Amorphous. Small and wormlike with a variety of barbs, hooks, blades, mouths, teeth and pustules of ichor where their heads should be. These easily slain creatures' purpose is to enter the bodies of victims and turn back into ichor. Polluting their bodies and minds drawing them to Xorlich. Most infected humanoids become Cultists. Plants and animals infected become Anabiosis.
Cultists are humanoids that either via Contagion infection or through personal belief decide to worship Xorlich and infiltrate society to influence all manner of mortal affairs. Most Cultists will slowly turn into Abominations if they are not chosen to be transformed into Atrocities. However, If a Cultist is deemed unworthy of either they will melt into a creature called an Amorphous.
Amorphous are horrid, pathetic creatures.This is the punishment for failing The Cult of The Frigid One, any guilty of this transgression means a very painful forced injection of massive amounts of Ichor. This causes the victim to melt into a barely living pile of mobile ichor. Inhuman strength and dexterity paired with a mindless aggression that’s controllable only by Xorlich itself. If slain they are absorbed back into Xorlich itself.
Anabiosis are animals and plants being grotesquely mutated by the presence of ichor in their environment or direct infection from Contagions. Granting heightened intelligence, mobility and unwavering loyalty to Xorlich. If slain they melt into a puddle of ichor that will be reabsorbed by Xorlich. The being known as Gurble is the first of this kind of creature.
Yixchlar(Jeffrey) and the Yule Lads are Xorlichs first attempts at creating powerful servants on earth before its banishment. But when its power was fractured, they became willful and turned away from their sire wanting to take its powers for themselves. They stole parts of it away and went into hiding. Each one holds a power Xorlich and its followers fully intend to regain. The Yule Lads are named such due to mistaken identity. Tales and folklore have been spawned around these creatures. Like their sire they are Immortal and can only be killed by being reabsorbed into it.
Yixchlar is a small monkey sized creature who refers to itself as Cousin Jeffrey in an Australian accent. Called Jack Frost in folklore. It holds the power to physically invade the minds of victims and use them like a puppet or more often a meat suit.
Rudolph is a creature that has spawned many tales. From a red nosed reindeer to the wendigo. It holds the power of a red glow that emanates from within, any who gaze upon it freeze in place and then are able to be commanded to do as it sees fit.
Krampus is a large creature that has been thought to be Santa’s helper. Characterized by its goat like horns and long whip like tendrils. It holds the power to make clones of itself without diminishing its biomass.
Frau Perchta is a creature with a long birdlike beak equally as long as the rest of its body. It’s strong hind legs allow it to leap massive distances. It’s believed to slit the bellies of lazy children. It holds the power to drive one mad simply by looking at it.
Sinterklaas is a massive bulbous creature mistakenly referred to as Santa Claus and believed by many to bring gifts. Usually accompanied by the yule lad Krampus. It holds the power to absorb anything to increase its biomass.
Black Annis is a huge slug-like beast with a three part mouth. Its hands are three long retractable tendrils that end in large talons. It was treated as a bogeyman in various folklore. It holds the power to shapeshift.
Samhain is a towering skeletal spider-like being that is believed to be the patron of All Hallows eve. It holds the power to influence what people see and can trap them in their own psychic prison.
Snegurochka is a lithe feminine figure with four featureless heads and many tendrils sprouting from its back, called the snow maiden by folklore. It holds the power to change into different states of matter.
The Twins are a pair of creatures dubbed Rawhead and Bloodybone. Rawhead is a serpentine beast with a mouth of large teeth where its head should be. Bloodybone is also serpentine but with many fanged maws all over its horrid body. Together they connect in a horrid writhing mass of flailing limbs and gnashing teeth. They hold the powers of malleability and elasticity respectively.
The Trinity are a trio of creatures that join together to create a horrible monster. Grindylow is a quadrupedal thing with wicked taloned limbs and a bulbous body. Kkullas is a floating beast with long arms ending in razor sharp beaks. Its head is large and round with a four fanged mouth. Saalua is a hunched two legged creature with hooked tendrils and a gaping fang ringed mouth that houses a long tongue with a four fanged maw and a tongue in turn. Together they are a horrid amalgamation of limbs, fangs, talons and tendrils. They hold the powers of Spatial Manipulation, Temporal Manipulation and Psychokinesis respectively.
Amalgamations are two or more creatures of Xorlichs brood that merged together to form a new being. Their level of power is not determined by the categories of their constituent parts but by the total number of creatures it takes to form them. They have abilities determined by their combined form and any they had as separate beings that they still possess the parts to do so. When sufficiently wounded they will separate and then attempt escape. Xorlich is by definition an amalgam. Notorious amalgams are the Yule lads The Twins and The Trinity. Made up of two and three parts respectively. While Xorlich itself is made up of billions. Although its classification as an Amalgamation is tenuous at best.
Xorlichs goal is simple, to end it all. If it ever absorbs Yixchlar and the Yule Lads it will dominate the minds of all on earth. Harnessing its full power to wage war with The Great Ones, The Elder Gods, The Great Old Ones, and The Outer Gods absorbing each in turn, until It is the only one that remains. Then once it’s disposed of all other eldritch beings it will have the power to devour Shub-Niggurath, Nyarlathotep, Yog-Sothoth and finally Azathoth itself. If it succeeds in this it will find another reality to consume and move on to the next.
