Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacnter


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Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacnter

Posted By: UrsusArctos Date: 3/26/22 6:49 p.m.

Looks to me like there are Lovecraft references in Marathon that go beyond the familiar Cthulhu mythos, in this case from the story "The Rats in the Walls". In this story the protagonist keeps hearing phantom rats in the walls and comes to a horrifying discovery about his family heritage. It ends with the protagonist incarcerated in an asylum (which is no spoiler to anyone remotely familiar with Lovecraft's work!) uttering the following classically Lovecraftian lines -
They must know it was the rats; the slithering scurrying rats whose scampering will never let me sleep; the daemon rats that race behind the padding in this room and beckon me down to greater horrors than I have ever known; the rats they can never hear; the rats, the rats in the walls.
This doesn't sound all too different from this sentence in Tfear's description of the W'rkncancter's assault on Aye Mak Sicur in the failed timeline, does it?
But the trackless whisper chattering through
the hollow space in these cursed walls buzzes
and threatens madness.
Given that the W'rkncacnter is a creature of total chaos and is associated with doubt too, that it should also cause mental madness right out of a Lovecraft story seems appropriate.
Also, the association of an unearthly, buzzing voice or sound with madness comes out of Lovecraft too. There's the novella "The Whisperer in Darkness", which features choice descriptions of the voice of an extraterrestrial being, which, while not remotely as monstrous as Cthulhu or the W'rkncacnter, is nevertheless well capable of driving people mad -

I think I am going crazy. It may be that all I have ever written you is a dream or madness. It was bad enough before, but this time it is too much. They talked to me last night—talked in that cursed buzzing voice and told me things that I dare not repeat to you.
Perhaps Greg K. or someone else at Bungie was into classic Lovecraft? These really don't seem to be a coincidence in light of the previous thinly-veiled allusions to Cthulhu.
For the curious, both the stories I referred to are available in full at wikisource, but be warned that the name of the black cat in The Rats in the Walls (named after one of Lovecraft's own beloved cats) is monstrously offensive.
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rats_in_the_Walls
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Whisperer_in_Darkness/full

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: Looks to me like there are Lovecraft references in Marathon that go beyond : the familiar Cthulhu mythos, in this case from the story "The Rats in : the Walls". In this story the protagonist keeps hearing phantom rats : in the walls and comes to a horrifying discovery about his family : heritage. It ends with the protagonist incarcerated in an asylum (which is : no spoiler to anyone remotely familiar with Lovecraft's work!) uttering : the following classically Lovecraftian lines - : They must know it was the rats; the slithering scurrying rats whose : scampering will never let me sleep; the daemon rats that race behind the : padding in this room and beckon me down to greater horrors than I have : ever known; the rats they can never hear; the rats, the rats in the walls. : This doesn't sound all too different from this sentence in Tfear's : description of the W'rkncancter's assault on Aye Mak Sicur in the failed : timeline, does it? : But the trackless whisper chattering through : the hollow space in these cursed walls buzzes : and threatens madness. : Given that the W'rkncacnter is a creature of total chaos and is associated : with doubt too, that it should also cause mental madness right out of a : Lovecraft story seems appropriate. : Also, the association of an unearthly, buzzing voice or sound with madness : comes out of Lovecraft too. There's the novella "The Whisperer in : Darkness", which features choice descriptions of the voice of an : extraterrestrial being, which, while not remotely as monstrous as Cthulhu : or the W'rkncacnter, is nevertheless well capable of driving people mad - : : I think I am going crazy. It may be that all I have ever written you is a : dream or madness. It was bad enough before, but this time it is too much. : They talked to me last night—talked in that cursed buzzing voice and told : me things that I dare not repeat to you. : Perhaps Greg K. or someone else at Bungie was into classic Lovecraft? These : really don't seem to be a coincidence in light of the previous : thinly-veiled allusions to Cthulhu. : For the curious, both the stories I referred to are available in full at : wikisource, but be warned that the name of the black cat in The Rats in : the Walls (named after one of Lovecraft's own beloved cats) is : monstrously offensive. : https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rats_in_the_Walls : https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Whisperer_in_Darkness/full

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Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacnter	UrsusArctos	3/26/22 6:49 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Godot	3/26/22 11:31 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	UrsusArctos	3/30/22 5:11 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Godot	3/30/22 11:54 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Baileyi	12/1/23 8:53 a.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Godot	12/1/23 9:42 a.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Lion O Cyborg	3/29/22 1:05 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	UrsusArctos	3/30/22 4:43 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Durandal_1707	3/31/22 12:06 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Lion O Cyborg	3/31/22 1:47 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	UrsusArctos	3/31/22 5:29 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Lion O Cyborg	3/31/22 1:43 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	UrsusArctos	3/31/22 5:29 p.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Durandal_1707	4/1/22 4:50 a.m.
Re: Another Lovecraft reference with the W'rkncacn	Lion O Cyborg	4/1/22 2:48 p.m.



	Your Name:
	Your E-Mail Address:
	Subject:
	Message: : Looks to me like there are Lovecraft references in Marathon that go beyond : the familiar Cthulhu mythos, in this case from the story "The Rats in : the Walls". In this story the protagonist keeps hearing phantom rats : in the walls and comes to a horrifying discovery about his family : heritage. It ends with the protagonist incarcerated in an asylum (which is : no spoiler to anyone remotely familiar with Lovecraft's work!) uttering : the following classically Lovecraftian lines - : They must know it was the rats; the slithering scurrying rats whose : scampering will never let me sleep; the daemon rats that race behind the : padding in this room and beckon me down to greater horrors than I have : ever known; the rats they can never hear; the rats, the rats in the walls. : This doesn't sound all too different from this sentence in Tfear's : description of the W'rkncancter's assault on Aye Mak Sicur in the failed : timeline, does it? : But the trackless whisper chattering through : the hollow space in these cursed walls buzzes : and threatens madness. : Given that the W'rkncacnter is a creature of total chaos and is associated : with doubt too, that it should also cause mental madness right out of a : Lovecraft story seems appropriate. : Also, the association of an unearthly, buzzing voice or sound with madness : comes out of Lovecraft too. There's the novella "The Whisperer in : Darkness", which features choice descriptions of the voice of an : extraterrestrial being, which, while not remotely as monstrous as Cthulhu : or the W'rkncacnter, is nevertheless well capable of driving people mad - : : I think I am going crazy. It may be that all I have ever written you is a : dream or madness. It was bad enough before, but this time it is too much. : They talked to me last night—talked in that cursed buzzing voice and told : me things that I dare not repeat to you. : Perhaps Greg K. or someone else at Bungie was into classic Lovecraft? These : really don't seem to be a coincidence in light of the previous : thinly-veiled allusions to Cthulhu. : For the curious, both the stories I referred to are available in full at : wikisource, but be warned that the name of the black cat in The Rats in : the Walls (named after one of Lovecraft's own beloved cats) is : monstrously offensive. : https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rats_in_the_Walls : https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Whisperer_in_Darkness/full
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