Can or will the antagonist communicate with humanity? If it does, is it capable of elucidating its goals or rationale, even if they're something as simple as "you have something I need" or "I'm hungry"? Is its method of communication so bizarre or obscure that humanity has to go to great lengths just to be able to understand it, let alone reply ( let alone be understood in return)? Can it be reasoned with, or does it simply make declarations, with no attempt (or, likely, ability) to hold conversations?.Bonus points if it's so divorced from the spectrum of human perception that it causes permanent insanity, brain damage, or death just by looking at it, and/or distorts reality because it is just that incompatible with the laws of this world. Are the antagonist or its minions indescribable - literally? Lines like " I cannot find the words to describe the vile thing I saw." are a hallmark of Cosmic Horror Stories.Are the antagonist or its minions so alien in appearance or mentality that simply being near them or even seeing them is enough to drive a human to madness?.Is the attitude of the antagonist towards humanity disregard, simple pragmatism, or incidental hatred or disgust? (A godlike antagonist that actively hates humanity and its works is more in line with Rage Against the Heavens or God Is Evil.) Does the antagonist have a worldview and motivations that doesn't really seem to take humanity into account? Is it just a predator looking for prey? Is humanity just a means to an end? Are the motivations of the antagonist difficult to explain using human terms?.Bonus points if the Big Bad has no concept of loyalty or if their idea of a reward is to kill their worshippers first - to these beings, the cultists are just Loony Fans who happened to do the right things to attract their attention, and their attention does not take into account voluntary service or any other sort of allegiance.
And there's a good chance that if he's not killed before the Big bad enters, the Big Bad will kill him anyway. Expect the cult's leader to be the secondary villain, and be very charismatic. Their goal is typically to open the door so that the Big Bad can enter.
And that's where its agents or worshipers in the mortal realm come into the fray. note Or it just doesn't care about Earth, in the same way you don't care about any one particular stone in the gravel in your driveway.
Lovecraft, pioneer, Trope Maker, and Trope Codifier of the Cosmic Horror Story. The vile essence of an alien disease lurks in the recesses of your own family tree, a genetic time bomb just waiting to go off. Ghosts hover unseen and unheard around you, discerning and mocking your every thought and secret. Parasites and worms slither unseen in whatever food or drink you dare put into your mouth. Demons gibber in the tunnels beneath your feet. Take one step away from the comforts of home, and you will find danger hiding almost anywhere, terror and madness on every nook and corner - dark cults, hideous monstrosities, truths so terrible that none may comprehend them and remain sane.
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