Ithaqua

. . . inconceivable abnormalities slyly hinted into a horrible half-knowledge by words whose innocence we scarcely doubt till the cracked tension of the speaker’s hollow voice bids us fear . . .

— H. P. Lovecraft

The Wendigo’s howl is unmistakable, and those who hear it do not forget it. This huge, roughly humanoid being appears to walk on the winds. It is found only in the far North and is generally accompanied by freezing sleet or blizzards.

While Ithaqua is sometimes found alone, a host of lesser beings often accompany it. Included among its entourage are hapless humans who are discarded after a time, to be found frozen and half-buried in the tundra.

Ithaqua is able to transform lesser life forms into lesser versions of itself, to serve it as scouts, companions, or in un-guessable ways. In humans, this transformation leads to the complete destruction

Comparative height chart

of the feet, immunity to freezing temperatures, and unendurable cannibalistic tendencies which bring on madness.

The title wendigo or windigo is Algonquian in origin, originally a term for a human which Ithaqua has transformed.

Habitat : outer space, frozen ice-flats, tundra, and alpine terrain. Earth, even the arctic, is warmer than this creature prefers, so it does not dwell here permanently.

Distribution : Antarctica would seem an amenable abode for the Wendigo, but no reports have been made of its presence in the southern hemisphere, for reasons which are unclear. Ithaqua travels throughout the solar system, visiting at least the colder worlds. It may spend much of its time in our system’s Oort cloud, whence comets originate. Ithaqua frequents at least one other star system.

Other beings similar to this one probably inhabit the galaxy; Ithaqua may be one member of an extremely powerful species, each one possessing enormous territories of one or more solar systems (Hike, 1983).

Life and Habits : the Wendigo spends most of its time traveling through its dominions. It comes to Earth more often than would seem natural, considering Earth’s high temperature. Perhaps the toothsome prey available on Earth encourage it to visit frequently.

Distinguishing Ithaqua :

• Spawn Of Cthulhu are rarely associated with arctic climates and fly only by means of wings.

• Abnormally large Deep Ones never fly and are always found near the sea.

Fig. 16—A Wendigo A transformed human. Traces of the thing›s humanity are clear, but the overall change is profound and visibly bestial. This illustration is draw from a report given by a trapper in Northern Qubec, who claimed to have survived an encounter with the creature.