Elder Thing by RAFM

Over the last few months I've spent my scant free time working (and reworking) a set of rules I've been writing up. I was jonesin' to put paint to lead though and figured a one-off figure would be a nice break from staring at a word processor.

I plucked this "Elder Thing" from RAFM's Cthulhu line, intending to prime it white and do a series of quick ink washes to pick out all the gribbly details on the critter's torso. "This will be a great mini to post to the blog for Halloween!" I optimistically thought. With Thanksgiving arriving in a few days and this post just going up, you can perhaps sense the trouble this miniature gave me.

I read "At the Mountains of Madness" years ago in which the Elder Things make an appearance. I don't recall much about the story, but I do remember that author H.P. Lovecraft had been inspired by the recent discovery of prehistoric crinoids which influenced his description of the alien "Things" that menace the Antarctic explorers of the story.

Fossilized crinoid. Creepy.

With a nod to these underwater origins Elder Things, I thought a mix of blues, purples and pinks would suggest the colors of tropical coral reefs and the sea creatures that make their homes there as well as looking suitably otherworldy.

Getting that balance of shades proved trickier than I imagined. I used washes, inks, drybrushing, airbrushing, and repainted the whole thing three times before I was satisfied with it. And of course I missed my Halloween deadline, but self-prescribed timetables are no use if you aren't happy with the result, right?

I've used the creature in a few playtests of my rules where the creature has devoured a number of hapless security guards and military police. Who knows, maybe my rules will be ready by next Halloween!