8 replies to this topic

[ultimate26]

Im wondering if shes just schizophrenic and is hearing voices or if theres an actual deity or elder god guiding her?

 

this also makes me think of all items in games like eldritch, arkham and elder sign where there are "Holy artifacts" and "Blessed water" like items, are they blessed and holy because of human religious gods or are there elder gods that secretly protect and bless humans to help them out?

 

I have a hardcore cthulhu lore fanatic friend and he says that shes just crazy and there are no human religions with actual gods in the universe.

 

Could any cthulhu lore professor share insight?

 

 

[Samea]

Lovecraft wrote about a mechanistic universe, filled with godlike beings and powers, but devoid of meaning and moral. So no, no Christian god, no power of good, no holy blessings in Lovecraft's stories.

There is the supernatural, of course, but without Good and Evil, magic and inhuman powers work more like technology: They can have beneficial effects (like the "Elder Sign"), but they are never inherently "good" and come with limits, drawbacks and side effects. Also most of it is alien to humans and human thinking and will change if not destroy people that come too close.
So categories like "blessing", "protection" or "healing" do not apply - there are, for example, powers that can change living tissue and can be used to mend wounds, but just as well to cause horrible injuries or monstrous changes to the body.

So, with Lovecraft there is no God, but there are powers and they drive humans crazy. From that view, Zoey could be "just" crazy, clompletely imagining powers and angel voices. Or she could have actual powers and hear actual voices that so far fit her Christian world view. Or she could be stark raving mad because of the powers and voices.


BUT. The Arkham Horror universe is not exactly Lovecraft. Lovecraft was some guy 100 years ago, writing stories about everyday people being destroyed, physically or mentally, by their brush with inhuman beings and powers. Arkham Horror is a series of games about everyday people fighting evil beings and their master plans to take over the world. It draws heavily on the post-Lovecraft "Cthulhu Mythos" and the "Call of Cthulhu" RPG as well as pulp stories from Lovecraft's time.
And while the outlook is grim for the characters and theres a good chance for them to be eaten or become insane, there is hope and there is heroism and humans can make a difference and fight the powers of evil. With holy blessings having definite rules in all of the games and holy and church themed characters and items appearing everywhere, it is likely that in the world of Arkham Horror, that whole stuff can be real and that at least Faith is a real power that aids humanity against the monstrous demons of the Mythos...


tl;dr:
Zoey would just be a nutter in Lovecraft's stories, but in the Arkham Horror universe, she might be the real deal.

[mnBroncos]

I'm pretty sure human religions are in the world. 

But doesn't mean that theory can't be what is actually happening. 

[MightyToenail]

The whole point is that she is guided by... something. You aren't supposed to know, that would take the mystery out of it? But I wouldn't take Arkham LCG as the definitive proof of God by any means.

[Gaffa]

Lovecraft's stories, by themselves, are pagan compared to Christianity at least; there appears to be no manifestation of the Christian god in the stories. On the other hand, older gods worshipped before Christ do exist as actual gods (Nodens and Hypnos in particular), or as monsters mistaken as gods (Dagon), plus whatever the heck Hastur is. That being said, nothing in Lovecraft denies Christianity directly, beyond saying that the true ruler of the universe is Azathoth (which is a pretty big heresy); the Christian god could just be another powerful magical being a la Hypnos or Nodens whom we just don't meet in the stories. In particular, the Christian god could easily be one of the unnamed gods of humanity milling around the summit of Unknown Kadath during the climax of the Dream-Quest.

 

Additional writers who have expanded the setting, including those who were friends of Lovecraft during his life, made Christianity and the Christian god a real thing, and a force for good in the setting (as with much of Lovecraft's mutation away from his original ideas, we have his Ultimate Fanboy August Derleth to thank for this, although to be fair Robert E. Howard brought in that as well with his Solomon Kane stories, which take place in the setting because of Kane's link to Conan). Lovecraft didn't particularly care as long as the stories were good. Additional post-Lovecraft writers, especially Brian Lumley, have brought in all manner of theological wackiness to the setting.

 

Zoey's theme from earlier Arkham Files games is that she's an insane serial killer who just happens to go crazy on monsters far more often than on humans, and uses the chef job just as a way to make ends meet until she snaps again and starts stabbing things.

[Doma0997]

Also it's a common thing for characters to cling to religion in lovecraft stories, and there seems to be some sort of power behind it at times. Dreams in the Witch House really hammered this one in, and while there was no divine intervention, it seemed to lean into the idea that faith is its own force. However, they always go back to the idea that clinging to such ideals is pointless at the end, as the ancient ones are the true driving force of the universe. It's like... the ancient ones are truth and faith is a side branch of magic.

[phillosmaster]

In the Dream Cycle it is established that the religious pantheons of the world do exist (for example Bast is very real and is implied to be the catalyst for the Cats of Ulthar).  It is rumored that they live in Kadath. Therefore there could be real power in Zoey's Christianity.  That said even just using religion to help cope with the horrors and incomprehensible mysteries can be an effective tool for an investigator.   It's a very powerful way to hold onto their world view in spite of all they witness.

[Friman]

And remember: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you".
God could exist in this universe, but that doesn't imply that Zoey is not completely nuts and hears voices that really didn't exist. So, pick your own theory, mine is she's crazy and God doesn't exist. (Not willing to enter a RSP debate here)

[Radix]

Even if God does exist, that doesn't mean it is his voice that Zoey is hearing.