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Lovecraftian Influences in DA Universe

Débuté par Guest_SirShreK_* , juil. 18 2010 03:19

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#1
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 03:19

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I am of the belief that most gamers don't read a lot of books... So prove me wrong and tell me if you think that the Old God/Forgotten Ones/ Dreaming into the Fade/ Black city (Kadath) smack  very much of Lovecraftian horror....

Cthulhu is described as Dragon for heaven's sake!:o

EDIT: Corrected spellings
EDIT: By influences, I meant NO DISRESPECT towards the originality of the writers... Its interesting to note that post-modern fantasy is heavily influenced
by Lovecraftian themes and imagery.. That's not bad mind you...
Lovecraft was a great visionary and his contribtion to horror literature
was almost of Philosophical nature..... i would applaud the great
efforts David Gaider and Co have put to create the DA universe, very
refreshing as it is... Fantasies do not become epically great unless
someone puts originality and scholarship into them... DA definitely has
it...

Modifié par SirShreK, 19 juillet 2010 - 11:49 .

#2
Lord_Saulot
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 03:21

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I thought the cult in Haven from the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest had a Lovecraftian feel to it. Questing grail-knights versus Lovecraftian cultists - best quest in the game.

#3
Lucy Glitter
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 03:21

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Hm, not really... to me at least.

Lovecraft is more... grotesque, ominous... Dragon Age is more heroic and gritty. I thought Cthulhu was more like a winged human/octopus thing?

Edit: I'd agree that Haven had that feel most definitely (and man was it awesome), but not the overall game.

Modifié par Lucy_Glitter, 18 juillet 2010 - 03:22 .

#4
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 03:21

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Lord_Saulot wrote...

I thought the cult in Haven from the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest had a Lovecraftian feel to it. Questing grail-knights versus Lovecraftian cultists - best quest in the game.


Yes... There are also rumoured to be other Dragon cults in existance!

#5
Arttis
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 03:23

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I dislike reading but am forced to everyday.

When will they introduce Voice recordings for Forums.

Instead of typing we talk and post the audio.

Oh poor me with all these words I read.

#6
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 03:24

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Lucy_Glitter wrote...

Hm, not really... to me at least.

Lovecraft is more... grotesque, ominous... Dragon Age is more heroic and gritty. I thought Cthulhu was more like a winged human/octopus thing?

Edit: I'd agree that Haven had that feel most definitely (and man was it awesome), but not the overall game.


Well.. Grotesque is the perfect word I would use....

But perhaps it can't be applied as is to video games.. so perhaps the ugliness was toned down?

Otherwise the sense of mystery... the sense of impending doom are environments that match Lovecraftian worlds..

Especially, dreaming Old Gods..

If you read Call of Clthuhu.. Lovecraft writes the following:

"In the sunken city of R'lyeh Great Cthulhu lies dreaming"....


EDIT: Aaahh. I know what is grotesque in DA. Broodmother... yeeeeeech!

Modifié par SirShreK, 18 juillet 2010 - 03:32 .

#7
Who is that Masked Man
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 03:56

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Haven has a bit of an Innsmouth feel to it, but... no. Cultists in of themselves could be a good element of a Lovecraftian story. Cultists who worship a big dragon could not. Reason being, "regular" dragons just aren't scary, at least not in the Lovecraftian sense.



Lovecraftian monsters are brain-breaking just to look at them. Yes, like the Broodmothers. Now, if there had been a sicko darkspawn-worshipping cult worshipping the Mother and her Children in Awakening (as is hinted at in the Warden's Fall Machinima series), that would have been an extremely Lovecraftian touch.



Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I don't really want much Lovecraft in my Dragon Age. I mean, a side quest as a shout-out to Lovecraft would be kind of neat, but treating the Old Gods (i.e. big dragons) are slumbering cosmic horrors would basically derail the dark fantasy angle that the series has had so far.

#8
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:00

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Who is that Masked Man wrote...

Haven has a bit of an Innsmouth feel to it, but... no. Cultists in of themselves could be a good element of a Lovecraftian story. Cultists who worship a big dragon could not. Reason being, "regular" dragons just aren't scary, at least not in the Lovecraftian sense.

Lovecraftian monsters are brain-breaking just to look at them. Yes, like the Broodmothers. Now, if there had been a sicko darkspawn-worshipping cult worshipping the Mother and her Children in Awakening (as is hinted at in the Warden's Fall Machinima series), that would have been an extremely Lovecraftian touch.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I don't really want much Lovecraft in my Dragon Age. I mean, a side quest as a shout-out to Lovecraft would be kind of neat, but treating the Old Gods (i.e. big dragons) are slumbering cosmic horrors would basically derail the dark fantasy angle that the series has had so far.


Conan used to take on Lovecraftian horrors quite often... The devil in Iron anyone? And He still used to KICK-SOME-SERIOUS-ASS!

Modifié par SirShreK, 18 juillet 2010 - 04:00 .

#9
_Dejanus
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:03

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I keep expecting the Maker to actually be a Lovecraftian, tentacled, apathetic monstrosity. Maybe that's just me.

#10
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:05

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_Dejanus wrote...

I keep expecting the Maker to actually be a Lovecraftian, tentacled, apathetic monstrosity. Maybe that's just me.


Its just not you. Count me in... Just that I don't think its the traditional chantry maker... There does seem to be some Lovecraftian monster/s there...

#11
Kalcalan
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:11

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Lucy_Glitter wrote...

Hm, not really... to me at least.

Lovecraft is more... grotesque, ominous... Dragon Age is more heroic and gritty. I thought Cthulhu was more like a winged human/octopus thing?

Edit: I'd agree that Haven had that feel most definitely (and man was it awesome), but not the overall game.


One more point, you can't really defeat the Old Ones (or any foe in the Cthulhu Mythos) so the heroic outlook in DAO doesn't mix well with the desperate almost nihilistic perspective that is espoused in Lovecraft stories.

The idea is interesting I'll give you that.

Modifié par Kalcalan, 18 juillet 2010 - 04:12 .

#12
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:16

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Kalcalan wrote...

Lucy_Glitter wrote...

Hm, not really... to me at least.

Lovecraft is more... grotesque, ominous... Dragon Age is more heroic and gritty. I thought Cthulhu was more like a winged human/octopus thing?

Edit: I'd agree that Haven had that feel most definitely (and man was it awesome), but not the overall game.


One more point, you can't really defeat the Old Ones (or any foe in the Cthulhu Mythos) so the heroic outlook in DAO doesn't mix well with the desperate almost nihilistic perspective that is espoused in Lovecraft stories.

The idea is interesting I'll give you that.


Conan can and did. Repeatedly.

#13
Snowbug
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:21

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Maker = Yog-Sothoth



*nods knowingly*

#14
Khayness
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:22

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The Dream-Quest of the Unknown Kadath describes Kadath way too colorful and developed compared to the Fade.

#15
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:26

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Khayness wrote...

The Dream-Quest of the Unknown Kadath describes Kadath way too colorful and developed compared to the Fade.


AND it's in a dream (==Fade??) and Great Ones lived there once!

#16
Lord Gremlin
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:28

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No. Cthulhu is described as a fat amphibian ass with octopus look-a-like head and - mind you - very, very small wings.

Also, you're wrong. Gamers who like RPGs usually read a lot of books.



Haven indeed had some Lovecraftian feel, but it was ruined when it appeared that villagers were just common mad cultists.

#17
Kalcalan
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:32

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SirShreK wrote...

Kalcalan wrote...

Lucy_Glitter wrote...

Hm, not really... to me at least.

Lovecraft is more... grotesque, ominous... Dragon Age is more heroic and gritty. I thought Cthulhu was more like a winged human/octopus thing?

Edit: I'd agree that Haven had that feel most definitely (and man was it awesome), but not the overall game.


One more point, you can't really defeat the Old Ones (or any foe in the Cthulhu Mythos) so the heroic outlook in DAO doesn't mix well with the desperate almost nihilistic perspective that is espoused in Lovecraft stories.

The idea is interesting I'll give you that.


Conan can and did. Repeatedly.


Well, I'm not sure Conan did win against Yog on a long term basis... I know Howard made some references to Lovecraft's Mythos but are you thinking about something more specific?

By the way, I wouldn't consider what Howard wrote as really comparable to what Lovecraft wrote. When you base stories on a heroic character embodying strength and primal force and raw energy you're not drawing your stories to the same conclusion.

But it's a good analogy to draw nevertheless.

#18
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:39

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Kalcalan wrote...

SirShreK wrote...

Kalcalan wrote...

Lucy_Glitter wrote...

Hm, not really... to me at least.

Lovecraft is more... grotesque, ominous... Dragon Age is more heroic and gritty. I thought Cthulhu was more like a winged human/octopus thing?

Edit: I'd agree that Haven had that feel most definitely (and man was it awesome), but not the overall game.


One more point, you can't really defeat the Old Ones (or any foe in the Cthulhu Mythos) so the heroic outlook in DAO doesn't mix well with the desperate almost nihilistic perspective that is espoused in Lovecraft stories.

The idea is interesting I'll give you that.


Conan can and did. Repeatedly.


Well, I'm not sure Conan did win against Yog on a long term basis... I know Howard made some references to Lovecraft's Mythos but are you thinking about something more specific?

By the way, I wouldn't consider what Howard wrote as really comparable to what Lovecraft wrote. When you base stories on a heroic character embodying strength and primal force and raw energy you're not drawing your stories to the same conclusion.

But it's a good analogy to draw nevertheless.




The Bold part. I think that Bioware is doing exactly that. Howard was an author deeply influenced by Lovecraft. I am guessing you have never read Savage Sword Of Conan by Marvel comics .There is an issue there where he fights Yoggy-bear? NO. Yog-sothoth/soggoth himself... :P I know its just tooooooooooooo cheesy and goes against everything that Lovecraft taught us.. but when you level up your Conan too much and there is no cap, I guess you can expect anything...

But on a non-pastiche note, In the story "The Devil in Iron", Khostral Khel is described as a Lovecraftian God, with similar origins and powers of creation....  AND that's why I love R E Howard and Conan. His heroes are men enough to overcome the primeval fear of the unknown and charge the Darkess with all the abandon of a titan...


EDIT: Spell errors.

Modifié par SirShreK, 18 juillet 2010 - 04:41 .

#19
Khayness
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:40

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Robert E. Howard was a pen pal of H. P. Lovecraft, and as contemporaries, they had a lot of influence on each other.

#20
Chairon de Celeste
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:41

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Warden's Keep dlc:

Avernus probably recites passages from Lovecraft novels / short stories

- when he summons the demons in the flashback cutscene

- when he seals the fade portal to the keep.

(the gibberish wich begins with a sentence wich contains a word that
roughly sound like 'Nyarlathotep'

#21
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 04:45

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Chairon de Celeste wrote...

Warden's Keep dlc:

Avernus probably recites passages from Lovecraft novels / short stories

- when he summons the demons in the flashback cutscene

- when he seals the fade portal to the keep.

(the gibberish wich begins with a sentence wich contains a word that
roughly sound like 'Nyarlathotep'


yay. I should have listened closely.. :(

but thanks.

Its interesting to note that post-modern fantasy is heavily influenced by Lovecraftian themes and imagery.. That's not bad mind you... Lovecraft was a great visionary and his contribtion to horror literature was almost of Philosophical nature..... i would applaud the great efforts David Gaider and Co have put to create the DA universe, very refreshing as it is... Fantasies do not become epically great unless someone puts originality and scholarship into them... DA definitely has it...

#22
Kalcalan
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 05:05

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I'm familiar with the Conan stories by Howard (but not with the comics) I haven't been struck by the analogy you're drawing before and to be frank I don't believe that you can go too far with such an analogy.



That the devs made some references is probably true (check the codex entries for things like the "Asunder" quest although it's probably not the best example).



But I wouldn't say that the Archdemon is a Great Old One...



There were actual references to the Cthulhu Mythos in the Fallout series (from 1 to 3).

#23
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 05:10

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Kalcalan wrote...

I'm familiar with the Conan stories by Howard (but not with the comics) I haven't been struck by the analogy you're drawing before and to be frank I don't believe that you can go too far with such an analogy.

That the devs made some references is probably true (check the codex entries for things like the "Asunder" quest although it's probably not the best example).

But I wouldn't say that the Archdemon is a Great Old One...

There were actual references to the Cthulhu Mythos in the Fallout series (from 1 to 3).


oh! Of course not a Great Old One (cringes in fear) but perhaps a Small Old One? B)

#24
TMZuk
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 05:12

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Howard and Lovecraft were indeed pen-pals, and Howard even wrote a few Cthulhu Mythos stories.

However, DA is nowhere gritty and bleak enough to be Cthulhu Mythos. For one thing, in Lovecraft's universe there's no heroic defeats of monsters. There's only screaming insamity or merciful death.

Modifié par TMZuk, 18 juillet 2010 - 05:12 .

#25
Guest_SirShreK_*
Posté 18 juillet 2010 - 05:13

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TMZuk wrote...

Howard and Lovecraft were indeed pen-pals, and Howard even wrote a few Cthulhu Mythos stories.

However, DA is nowhere gritty and bleak enough to be Cthulhu Mythos. For one thing, in Lovecraft's universe there's no heroic defeats of monsters. There's only screaming insamity or merciful death.


CONAN THE CHASIND/AVVAR/ALMARRI!!!

Modifié par SirShreK, 18 juillet 2010 - 05:14 .

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