H P Lovecraft, page 14
nature, those who had known him soon noticed a change in his personality,
and the area's inhabitants attributed a series of inexplicable disappearances
to him. Shortly after his cousin Stephen Bates vanished in 1924, an unknown
assailant slew Dewart on his property.
See Lapham, Seneca; Phillips, Winfield. ("The Lurker at the Threshold",
Derleth and Lovecraft (O).)
DEXTER, DOCTOR AMBROSE (1898-December 28,1973). Renowned physi-
cian of Providence who nonetheless maintained an interest in the occult and
folklore for much of his career.
T H E CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
D H O - H N A F O R M U L A T O D H O L E S
In 1935, Doctor Dexter took a minor role in the mystery of Robert Blake's
death by breaking into the old Starry Wisdom Church and bearing away the
Shining Trapezohedron and the church's library. He had been treating Robert
Blake, but his knowledge of the true situation and motivations still remain a
mystery. He left Providence for sixteen years following these events, taking up
an inexplicable study of nuclear physics and even acting as an adviser at the
Manhattan Project.
Following his return home in 1951, another baffling incident occurred
within the doctor's house, but the police did not detain him. Shortly thereafter,
he disappeared and was thought to have defected to the Russians. Documents
leaked from British Intelligence show that one of their agents killed Dexter
somewhere in the South Pacific in 1973.
("Coming of Age", Ballon; "The Shadow from the Steeple", Bloch; "Doctor
Dexter", Cabos; "The Haunter of the Dark", Lovecraft (O).)
DHO-HNA FORMULA (also DHO-NHA). Incantation that allows the wizard
to view the inner city at the two magnetic poles and the ultimate gulf beyond
space and time, along with other locations. The repetition of the Dho formula
gives the caster a view of the desired location (without the danger of attracting
the Hounds of Tindalos). The Hna portion gives the caster the power to travel
to the location visualized, as well as allowing contact between different realities
that can be amplified with sufficient power.
Both formulae may also be looped into a protective device to hold entities
from other dimensions, but exposure to such a diagram might be fatal for a
human.
The poem "They from the Air" in Azathoth and Others mentions that the
Dho formula may be used to manifest certain air-spirits who may then achieve
bodily form through the use of human blood. Sometimes the Hna portion of
the formula does not perform correctly; it is possible that it will only work
when the Great Old Ones return.
See inner city at the magnetic poles. ("The Book of the Gates", Carter; The
Necronomicon: The Book of Dead Names, Hay, ed.; "The Dunwich Horror", Love-
craft (O); "Past the Gate of Deepest Slumber", Pugmire; "The Atrocity Archives",
Stross; "The Concrete Jungle", Stross; "The Jennifer Morgue", Stross.)
DHOL CHANTS. 1) Book from the Plateau of Leng. A Chinese copy was dis-
covered in an Asian monastery of undisclosed location in 1650, and English
copies have appeared since then. Metaphysical research has proven a link be-
tween this manuscript and the beings known as "Dholes", but whether or not
they influenced its text in some way remains uncertain. Miskatonic University
holds a copy of the Dhol Chants.
This book contains five hundred and fifty-five different "chants", which
are not meditative in nature. They include one which calls the "Blue Glow"
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D I I O - H N A F O R M U L A T O D H O L E S
(whatever that may be), and others which are used to command spirits. The
reader should be warned, though, that the beneficial spells within are often
ineffectual, while the spells of vengeance (pp. 101-127) usually only take effect
after the caster's death.
See Leng; Nyarlathotep (Ahtu); Seven Cryptical Books ofHsan. ("The Hor-
ror in the Museum", Heald and Lovecraft (O); "Spaghetti", Lumley; "Yohk the
Necromancer", Myers; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
2) Before World War I, Heinrich Zimmerman wrote a German volume
of the same name. The book deals with similarities between the music of the
Caribbean and that of West Africa, but also presents a number of songs from
these traditions.
The chants in the books may be performed by a human voice or a unfret-
ted stringed instrument, such as a violin. One of the chants, when used in
conjunction with a golden amulet, will call up Nyarlathotep's avatar Ahtu,
while others can invoke lesser spirits. Also mentioned are a pair of binoculars
capable of viewing other dimensions. Zimmerman's volume may have incor-
porated material from the original Dhol Chants, whether the author credited
his sources or not.
("Dead of Night", Herber (O); "Asakusa Ryounkaku", Yasujiro.)
DHOLES (also DOEL or DHOL or DOL). 1) Creatures which resemble huge
white worms with an open cavity at one end which serves as a mouth. From this
cavity, the dhole may spit a huge quantity of mucus that engulfs its target.
Dholes usually are only encountered in the Vale of Pnath, but they may also
be found at other ossuaries in the Dreamlands' Underworld. They have even
been reported living on other worlds, tunneling through them and thereby
making them uninhabitable. Dholes have destroyed many worlds, including
Yaddith, in this manner.
How these beings travel between worlds is unknown. Some suggest that
dholes are the spawn of the Dreamland beings known as bholes, who send
their children through the universe through wormholes. More recent findings
indicate that infant dholes are parasitic organisms, taking up residence in the
bodies of other beings. Their waste products stop the host's aging process,
and so long as the host obtains suitable narcotics, the dhole's growth will
be stunted. Some say the Egyptian pharaohs used this dangerous method of
obtaining eternal life.
In most cases, dholes have been described as being larger than an ocean liner,
but their sizes often vary. Much smaller ones with pig-like snouts have been
reported, for instance, and the parasitic stage can take the form of wormlike
colonies or a single dhole the size of a snake in a person's abdominal cavity.
In the earlier copies of the Book ofEibon, there was a formula for the calling
of dholes to earth. Fortunately, the last edition to contain this ritual was the
Egyptian, of which all copies have been lost.
T E CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
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YJ TIUKNA-AMN E N E R G I E S TO L> R E A M L A N D S
It has been also said that the dholes have the ability to follow those who
escape them through their dreams and various incarnations, but no one knows
how these beasts may use this power. The dholes might also be the servitors
of Shub-Niggurath who pave the way for the arrival of her other minions on
a world.
[This is undoubtedly one of the most confusing problems in Mythos schol-
arship. Machen made a passing reference to "Dols" in his story "The White
People." Lovecraft, likely inspired by this, created a work called the "Dhol
chants". When his friend Frank Long created the creatures known as "Doels"
in one of his stories (possibly with the same inspiration), Lovecraft alluded to
them in "The Whisperer in Darkness". However, none of these are the worm-
like creatures Mythos fans are familiar with. In his "Dream-Quest", Lovecraft
mentions these beings as "bholes". August Derleth misread this as "dholes",
and Mythos authors since then have read the incorrect spelling and included
"dholes" into their fiction. In his corrected editions of Lovecraft, S. T. Joshi has
restored the spelling "bholes", which has created new problems (see bholes).]
See bholes; Book ofEibon; Dhol Chants; Ghorl Nigral; hounds of Tindalos;
Nug-Soth; Pnath,Vale of; Shub-Niggurath; Yaddith; Zkauba. {The Art of Playing
Mythos, Aniolowski et. al.; "Dreams in the House of Weir", Carter; "The Lamb-
ton Worm", Hatherley; "Locked Room", Henderson; "Sands of Time", Herber;
"Through the Gates of the Silver Key", Lovecraft and Price; "The White People",
Machen (O); Cthulhu Live: Shades of Gray, McLaughlin et. al.; S. Petersen's Field
Guide to Cthulhu Monsters, Petersen; "Sabbath of the Black Goat", Rainey.)
2) Another type of being known as a "Dhol" exists. This creature looks like a
black, quadrupedal animal that is able to secrete poison from its body. Usually,
a Dhol possesses a living creature, such as a farm animal or even a human, to
perform its mission. A Dhol-possessed being becomes extremely hostile, often
attacks or kills other creatures for no apparent reason, and might even have
a poisoned claw or bite. Whenever it desires, the Dhol moves from one body
to another, leaving its former host dead. This sort of Dhol may be connected
with the Little People of Welsh legend, and is believed to play a role in their
most important ceremonies.
See Green Book. (The Ceremonies, Klein; "The White People", Machen
(O).)
D'HORNA-AHN ENERGIES. Energy beings that communicate through
humming. The wizards of Mu seem to have used such beings to create spatial
pockets to protect the user from the dangers of space travel. This protection
has been known to fail at crucial times, however.
("The Book of Gates", Carter; "Something in the Moonlight", Carter; The
Transition of Titus Crow, Lumley (O); Elysia, Lumley.)
DIE UNAUSSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN. See Unaussprechlichen Kulten.
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T E CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
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DIMENSIONAL SHAMBLERS. Humanoid creatures with wrinkled hides
and huge claws. Shamblers live in the same alternate dimension in which
Yog-Sothoth dwells. Wizards often summon them to earth using a ritual that
requires a dagger of pure metal, but shamblers occasionally appear spontane-
ously in our dimension. When shamblers encounter humans, they usually
grab a victim and vanish with them. Little meaningful interaction with this
species has occurred.
("The Horror in the Museum", Lovecraft and Heald (O); Call ofCthulhu
Rulebook, 5th edition, Petersen and Willis; S. Petersen's Field Guide to Cthulhu
Monsters, Petersen et. al.)
DIRKA. Family who protected the mystical work TheSongofYste down through
the ages. The "Dirka song" is a spell that causes the death of a person in an
unspecified manner.
See Song ofYste. ("The Abyss", Lowndes; Annals ofArkya, Lowndes (O).)
DOELS. Flesh-eating creatures living in a dark dimension that only mystical
voyagers may visit. Often confused with dholes (which see).
("The Hounds of Tindalos", Long (O); H. P. Lovecraft: Dreamer on the
Nightside, Long.)
DOLS. See dholes.
DREAMLANDS. Alternate dimension accessible through a persons dreams.
Earlier in life, most people can enter the Dreamlands at will, but as adulthood
approaches, this gateway closes for the majority of these dreamers. Only a
few adults have been able to enter this land again, through the use of certain
narcotics or simply by searching their dreams. Some physical portals between
the Dreamlands and the waking world do exist, but these gateways are few and
often found in dangerous locales in both realms.
A journey to the Dreamlands typically begins with the dreamer descend-
ing the Seventy Steps of Light Slumber to the Cavern of Flame, where they
will meet the high priests Nasht and Kaman-Tha. If the two priests find the
dreamer worthy, they may then continue down the Seven Hundred Steps of
Deeper Slumber to the Enchanted Wood. After avoiding the dangers of this
wood, the dreamer is free to roam the lands of dream.
Waking-worlders are the Dreamlands' greatest heroes. These individuals
may create entire cities in their dreams, and many take up residence in the
Dreamlands following their deaths in the waking world. This dimension's
most famous individuals include King Kuranes, who dreamt of the timeless
city of Celephai's; Etienne-Laurent de Marigny, the New Orleans mystic; and
Randolph Carter, whose quest to the home of the gods on unknown Kadath
is one of the Dreamlands' greatest legends.
T E CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
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D u N O R D , GASPARD T O D U N W I C H
Usually, the name "Dreamlands" is only applied to that dimension visited
by humans, but other dreamlands do exist. Such worlds as Saturn, Jupiter,
and Pluto have their dream-reflections as well, which are visited by the re-
spective denizens of those bodies. Persistent dreamers may reach these lands
from Earth's Dreamlands, but such visits may prove quite dangerous to the
unprepared traveler.
The influence of Cthulhu and the other Great Old Ones in the Dreamlands
is minimal, though these beings do possess some power over this realm. Out
of all the Mythos, Nyarlathotep holds the most power in this land. The main
deities of the Dreamlands are the gods of earth, or the Great Ones, who are
weak beings that mortals may overcome or outwit, yet who do take part in
mortal affairs on rare occasions. These gods used to dance on the highest peaks
of the Dreamlands, but as humans began to climb their beloved mountains,
they withdrew to their home in Kadath in the Cold Waste, to be ruled by
Nyarlathotep. Only Randolph Carter ever ascended Kadath, and his journey
was fraught with the greatest perils.
[Many of Lovecraft's tales later said to be "Dreamlands" stories, including
"The Doom that Came to Sarnath", were actually set in the distant past and
incorporated into the Dreamlands later. Some authors, especially Lumley, have
placed locations from these earlier stories in the waking world.]
See Abhoth; Atal; Bahama; Barzai; Bethmoora; bholes; Bokrug; Carter,
Randolph; Cathuria; Celephais; Cerenerian Sea; Cold Waste; Crystallizer of
Dreams; Cthaat Aquadingen; dholes; Dreamlands; Dylath-Leen; Elder Gods;
Elder Sign; Eldin the Wanderer; Elton, Basil; Enchanted Wood; Fourth Book of
D'harsis; Ghadamon; ghasts; ghouls; Gleeth; gods of earth; gugs; Hagarg Ryo-
nis; Haon-Dor; Hatheg; Hatheg-Kla; Hero, David; Hlanith; Ilek-Vad; Inganok;
Kadath; Kadatheron; Karakal; Kiran; Kled; Koth; Koth, Sign of; Kuranes; Leng;
Lerion; Lobon; Lomar; Marigny, Etienne-Laurent; Nasht and Kaman-Tha;
Nath-Horthath; Nir; Nithy-Vash; Nodens; N'ste-Kaambl; Nyarlathotep; Oorn;
Ooth-Nargai; Oriab; Other Gods; Oukranos; Parg; Pickman, Richard Upton;
Phillips, Ward; Pnath; Sarkomand; Sansu; Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan;
Seven Hundred Steps of Deeper Slumber; Seventy Steps of Light Slumber;
shantaks; Skai; Sona-Nyl; Southern Sea; Tamash; Tanarian Hills; Thok; Thran;
Ulthar; vooniths; wamps; Yibb-Tstll; Zo-Kalar. ("Celephais", Lovecraft; "The
Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath", Lovecraft; "The Silver Key", Lovecraft (O);
The Clock of Dreams, Lumley; "The House of the Worm", Myers; "The Three
Enchantments", Myers.)
DU NORD, GASPARD. Wizard who dwelt in Averoigne, a part of modern-day
France, during the thirteenth century. Born of a well-to-do family, du Nord
earned his father's displeasure through his study of the magical arts. For a year,
he studied under the sorcerer Nathaire, but he eventually left his master due
to the wizard's repugnant acts. He then took up residence in Vyones, where he
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THE CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
D u N O R D , GASPARD T O D U N W I C H
continued his experiments. In 1281, Gaspard du Nord rendered Vyones a great
service by dispelling one of Nathaire's mightiest works of sorcery. Having done
this, du Nord earned himself immunity from any persecution by the church
and was able to live peacefully until his death.
Gaspard du Nord is best remembered for translating the Book ofEibon from
Greek to French later in his life. (Other estimates have placed this translation in
the twelfth century or around 1240, but this is impossible from what we know
of his age.) No one knows where du Nord obtained the Greek volume or why
he decided to translate it, however. Some claim that du Nord was a member
of Tsathoggua's cult, and that he called the dread god twice. The second time,
the god foretold the sorcerer's death.
See Averoigne; Book ofEibon; Selections de Livre dTvon. (Selected Letters V,
Lovecraft; Cthulhu Live: Lost Souls, Salmon et. al.; "The Colossus of Ylourgne",
Smith (O); "Ubbo-Sathla", Smith; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
DUNWICH. 1) (originally NEW DUNNICH) Town in north central Mas-
sachusetts, a few miles east of Aylesbury. Dunwich was founded in 1692 by a
group of settlers who left Salem just before the infamous witch-trials, along
