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KingsOfEvilArt avatar KingsOfEvilArt — Smith - Formless Spawn, Shoggoth?
Smith - Formless Spawn, Shoggoth?
#ashton #clark #formless #lovecraft #monster #shoggoth #smith #spawn #tsathoggua
Published: 2016-12-08 19:07:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 7884; Favourites: 165; Downloads: 61
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Description Okay, for some reason the Formless Spawn by many is believed to be a different type of creature than a Shoggoth. This statement, in my opinion, is wrong. Amorphous blobs of black goo that form temporary limbs are already present within the Mythos universe and I think it is baseless to assume there are two different types of creatures that fit almost identical description especially as the two writers  have many times shared each other's concepts in their work.  

Small differences between the two, I think might come from the environment they lived in. Antarctic Shoggoths were very much active creatures and had plenty of food didn't need to conserve energy. Therefore creating multiple temporary eyes on their surface seemed an agreeable deal. Formless Spawn, on the other hand, works as a temple guardian. It is dormant most of the time and only feeds on desecrators if there are any. In such circumstances, the creature would naturally aim to conserve as much energy as possible and not waste it on creating temporary, "expensive" organs such as eyes.
Their legs and mouth are also an interesting case. I believe it is due to the Shoggoth/Spawn "learning" anatomy of its handlers. The shoggoths have obviously copied vocal organs of the Elder Things as they could mimic their sounds. It is also natural that they had multiple tentacles, just as Elder Things did. I think it's believable that the Shoggoth being trained/cared/commanded by a human being would learn to copy some of the vertebrate characteristics such as legs and mouth.


"Then two arms—if one could call them arms—likewise arose inch by inch, and we saw that the thing was not, as we had thought, a creature immersed in the liquid, but that the liquid itself had put forth this hideous neck and head, and was now forming these damnable arms, that groped toward us with tentacle-like appendages in lieu of claws or hands!"

Clark Ashton Smith, The Tale Of Satampra Zeiros
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Comments: 61

KingsOfEvilArt In reply to ??? [2022-12-26 18:15:56 +0000 UTC]

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MonstersandJunk [2020-10-05 21:43:46 +0000 UTC]

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to MonstersandJunk [2020-10-06 07:00:36 +0000 UTC]

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EmmetEarwax [2020-07-28 01:49:53 +0000 UTC]

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to EmmetEarwax [2020-07-28 06:27:32 +0000 UTC]

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EmmetEarwax [2020-06-16 10:56:32 +0000 UTC]

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EmmetEarwax [2020-06-11 02:06:46 +0000 UTC]

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EmmetEarwax [2020-06-11 02:01:02 +0000 UTC]

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to EmmetEarwax [2020-06-15 18:21:49 +0000 UTC]

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EmmetEarwax In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2020-06-18 19:56:02 +0000 UTC]

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to EmmetEarwax [2020-06-19 17:01:00 +0000 UTC]

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human-groveback [2018-05-20 03:27:24 +0000 UTC]

Something else I know from experience: not only are the Formless Spawn & Shoggoths separate species, apparently, the 2 species hate each other.

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to human-groveback [2018-05-20 05:02:24 +0000 UTC]

What do you base this on

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human-groveback In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2018-05-20 05:05:10 +0000 UTC]

My own real-world experience with the 2 species. I used to date a girl who was 1/4 Shoggoth, on her mother’s side (don’t ask).

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EmmetEarwax [2018-02-18 18:02:50 +0000 UTC]

In the Lovecraft-Heald "collaboration", "The Mound", the scientists of K'n-yan, exploring Yoth and penetrating into N'kai, found trenches of fused rock and an idol of Tsathoggua, and that the trenches were used for roads by the Formless Spawn. The Spawn were quickly found hostile and those scientists who escaped, sealed the abyss . K'n-yan destroyed all the idols of Tsathoggua and re-consecrated - or re-desecrated a temple to Tsathoggua , as a temple to Shub-Niggurath.

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to EmmetEarwax [2018-02-20 09:37:12 +0000 UTC]

I think the story suggests strongly that T. Spawns are in fact Shoggoths. Lovecraft describes them almost identically.

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MonsterousOperandi [2017-11-20 16:56:25 +0000 UTC]

what ever you do, don't grapple it...

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to MonsterousOperandi [2017-11-20 17:34:14 +0000 UTC]

Good advice

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Ursumeles [2017-07-28 08:58:40 +0000 UTC]

Now this is a scary Shoggoth.

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to Ursumeles [2017-07-28 10:38:59 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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Angle-RAD [2017-02-27 18:29:03 +0000 UTC]

Shoggoths are like the elder things equivalent of robots. 

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to Angle-RAD [2017-02-27 18:39:34 +0000 UTC]

Yup, and in the end they go Skynet XD

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EmmetEarwax In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2020-06-19 18:47:19 +0000 UTC]

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MythicalRaptor3 [2017-02-13 13:00:32 +0000 UTC]

I like how you put tour own take on things, and rhis one is amzing! More life like than most shaggoth drawings

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to MythicalRaptor3 [2017-02-13 15:30:04 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Shoggoths need to be very dynamic in my opinion

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MANNIMARC0 [2016-12-20 10:59:23 +0000 UTC]

Again, great picture. I love how the shading is just right. Might want to edit out the scan lines and smidgens though.  You can use Pixir's browser editor.  Select the areas effected with the smidgens and erase them. Then I'd play with the contrast in that area to make the erasing a little more neutral. Usually scanners are a bitch though.

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to MANNIMARC0 [2016-12-20 11:13:46 +0000 UTC]

Really? I find the scan quallity very good actually

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MANNIMARC0 In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2016-12-20 12:50:36 +0000 UTC]

Well to be honest, your scanner is probably better than mine. I wasn't trying to nit pick at all- just giving out pointers. 

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NibiYugito [2016-12-09 17:35:39 +0000 UTC]

Wygląda jak słodka koza z nosa

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to NibiYugito [2016-12-09 18:02:11 +0000 UTC]

Pffff xD smacznego

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ZaubererbruderASP [2016-12-09 09:07:53 +0000 UTC]

Am I the only one who thinks shoggies are cute?

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to ZaubererbruderASP [2016-12-09 09:14:19 +0000 UTC]

Definately not

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ZaubererbruderASP In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2016-12-09 09:40:49 +0000 UTC]

Glad to hear this

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TheDerpasaur [2016-12-09 03:27:06 +0000 UTC]

Thats so awesome looking!

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to TheDerpasaur [2016-12-09 08:00:29 +0000 UTC]

Thanks

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TheDerpasaur In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2016-12-10 01:02:16 +0000 UTC]

No problem!

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JoeRB [2016-12-08 21:32:27 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Admin

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to JoeRB [2016-12-09 07:53:20 +0000 UTC]

Thanks. Yea, I have read 'The Mound' and their description is pretty much exactly referring to what a Shoggoth is

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JoeRB In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2016-12-09 08:09:08 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Admin

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to JoeRB [2016-12-09 08:17:42 +0000 UTC]

Waiting to see those

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EmmetEarwax In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2020-06-19 18:48:42 +0000 UTC]

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to EmmetEarwax [2020-06-19 18:57:24 +0000 UTC]

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niggiddu [2016-12-08 20:33:12 +0000 UTC]

Ciekawa wizja i świetnie narysowane, obrzydliwe kształty, choć zawsze widzę antarktydzkie Shoggothy jako pełzające "pociągi" galaretowych baniek z oczami, przewalających się na wzór zwielokrotnionych segmentów czołgowej gąsienicy

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to niggiddu [2016-12-09 07:54:12 +0000 UTC]

No ale to nie Shoggoth antarktydzki tylko Smithowski ale dzieki

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grassa48 [2016-12-08 19:21:59 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Admin

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to grassa48 [2016-12-09 07:57:47 +0000 UTC]

Sounds like you had many traumatizing experiences.

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grassa48 In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2016-12-10 00:29:18 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Admin

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to grassa48 [2016-12-10 11:14:42 +0000 UTC]

It's really awesome you have such a cool and humorous approach to everything

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grassa48 In reply to KingsOfEvilArt [2016-12-11 05:49:22 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Admin

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KingsOfEvilArt In reply to grassa48 [2016-12-11 09:54:40 +0000 UTC]

True

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