Leng is making my brains hurt.(Nitpicky).

[MisterEntropy]

Maybe someone could clear this up for me. I'm trying to put together sort of an illustrated guide to Cthulhoid stuff and I'm having a lot of trouble pinning down the Plateau of Leng.

Now, I understand that the place is sort of dimensionally co-existant, but some things aren't lining up for me. In the Dreamlands, Leng is way towards the North, more or less Arctic...no biggie there since its' completely geologically different from plain-jane earth. But from there it gets stickier...theres Tsang or Tsung in Central Asia, but some source put Aphoom-zhah and Ithaqua (supposed to both be at the Boreal Pole) thereabouts as well-whereas It's supposed to extend into Antarctica as well (if my reading is right and the Elder-thing city on the Plateau and Antarctica are one and the same) then there's the complications from the Hyperborean stuff--It seemed to me as if Mt. Voormithadreth (which I understand to have split up and moved around) was more or less part of the same range of mountains, but that was in Greenland...and I'd read it inferred somewhere that Atlach-Nacha was around the Central Asia location being revered by the Tcho-Tcho. On top of all this is Ubbo-Sathla, who was under Voormithadreth as well, is referred to as being somewhere under Antarctica, and having been there at the time of the Elder Things.

So, can anyone make sense out of all that? Continental Drift? Just conflicting information between authors? Or have I just got part of that completely wrong?

[KenFinlayson]

So, can anyone make sense out of all that? Continental Drift? Just conflicting information between authors? Or have I just got part of that completely wrong?

Your second guess is best. The Mythos is a set of stories that tell of human encounters with those things which are truly representative of the universe. Humans, cosseted by and confined to a lesser, aberrant form of reality, find the nature of such beings, places and knowledge to be beyond their comprehension. One cult may tell such-and-such a tale about Great Cthulhu, while another group may tell a completely different tale.

Both groups would be wrong. Indeed, the true nature of the beings of the Mythos cannot be comprehended by humans.

So it is, too, with the places of the Mythos. One legend may speak of Leng in Central Asia, while another might claim it lies beyond Antarctic mountains. The contradiction shows only that neither legend knows the truth, for the truth is unknowable by humans.

Lovecraft deliberately employed such contradictions in his stories, because he wished to evoke that feeling that real-life myths have.

Short answer: Put Leng wherever you like. No one can contradict you with any authority.

[Wood]

Of course, it might move around, too. Or be a state of mind, like Carcosa.

Bunch of investigators lost near Angkor Wat - stumble onto Leng. They escape with their lives.

Few years later, they're in Alaska... suddenly they're in Leng again. It could be agreat way to torment people.

[ThothAmon]

It is a mistake to assume that there is consistency amongst Mythos authors - there is a lot of conflicting material. Leng is one example of this. Another would be the relationships between GOO and Elder Gods. Yet another would be the locations of underground caverns containing Mythos entities such as Ubbo Sathla, Tsathogghua et al.

My take on Leng is that it is indeed multi-dimensional, existing primarily in the Dreamlands (hence Men of Leng in the Dreamlands stories) but can manifest temporarily in a few places where the fabric of reality is weakened (NW China, Tibet, Mongolia etc). Furthermore, it is possible for a skilled dreamer to get to Leng from anywhere in the globe.

As regards Ubbo Sathla, IIRC he is supposed to be beneath Antarctica but there are portals beneath Eibons home in Voormithwhatsit that lead to the Antarctic caverns.

Leng can be anywhere / anywhen you like. Don;t get hung up on minor details. It's your campaign after all

Cheers.

Peter.

[MisterEntropy]

Of course, it might move around, too. Or be a state of mind, like Carcosa.

Hmm...I like these ideas.

Thanks for the help, all.