HP Lovecraft and the Nightshade flower?

[Guest]

Ok so I'm a fan of HP Lovecraft but not huge I've only read his books Call of Cthulhu, and Shadow over Innsmouth all of my other knowledge on the cthulhu mythos is from other fans and references to it in other media speaking of that's another thing I love is HP Lovecraft refrences and themes in video games and no video game company makes more refrences to HP lovecraft than Bethesda who's games can be seen littered with HP Lovecraft references such as the Dunwich Borer Company and the cult the CEO Charles Dunwich founded, the book titled the Krivbeknih, and the dagger Krimvh's tooth in Fallout, then in the Elder Scrolls games you have the entirety of Hermaeus Mora his realm Apocrypha, the black books and the oghma infinium, and the daedra he commands like the seekers, lurkers, and the watchers, and maybe the Ascended Sleepers, and then there's the topic of this story the town of Hackdirt and the quest surrounding it "Shadow Over Hackdirt" in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion, since this thread is already super long I'll just give you a link to a youtube video that tells you the story of the quest and the town, aswell as some theories on the mysterious creatures/entities worshiped by the townsfolk called "the deep ones" here...

I highly recommend watching the video before reading onward if you've never seen it before. Now the deep ones are obviously a reference to the fish like creatures in Shadow Over Innsmouth but in the Elder Scrolls lore the deep ones are a mystery but I think I may have found a clue as too what they are(even though it is likely that they are daedra or maybe another demonic entity that calls Oblivion it's home, like the hist trees) but I digress, I believe I found another HP Lovecraft reference in Oblivion that is unknown to the fanbase, In the game if you kill a member of the brethren they will always be carrying a nightshade flower, now I was wondering what significance nightshade has in the Cthulhu mythos if it does at all?

[A Bitter Doggo]

"no video game company makes more references to HP Lovecraft than Bethesda"

 

*cough* Frictional Games *cough*

 

In all sincerity though, if you like Lovecraft, I'd definitely recommend playing just about anything by Frictional Games. The creators of the Penumbra series, but more known to a wider audience (I think) with their excellent Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and more recently their amazing SOMA. All these games touches masterfully upon subjects that Lovecraft loved to play around with; such as cosmic/existential horror, the insignificance of mankind in the greater schemes of the universe and the futility of our actions, the grotesque, and the fragility of the human psyche; our inability to comprehend the supernatural forces that surrounds us.

 

I'd personally recommend Amnesia: The Dark Descent which is literally teeming with lovecraftian themes and visuals, and personally one of the best story driven games (and horror games, for that matter) that I have ever played.

 

Fun fact: Even Frictional Games' own game engine is named the "HPL Engine" in honor of the author.   

[Guest]

Thanks friend I'll be sure to look into that, as Lovecraftian horror is one of my favorite genres (Fun Fact: my first Lovecraftian Horror game was Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth, also can't wait for the upcoming Call of Cthulhu game ) 

 

 

 

but back to the question do you know of the significance of nightshade to HP Lovecraft?

[morgananinuala]

I don't believe he ever mentioned it.

 

However, the broader base of Lovecraftian horror DOES make use of a flower called Black Lotus, which gives mystical dreams, and the nightshade might be a reference to that.

 

On the other hand, it's probably just another part of the whole nightshade=evil happenings thing Bethesda does.

 

It also grows heavily in cemetaries and outside Dark Brotherhood Sanctuaries.

[A Bitter Doggo]

Thanks friend I'll be sure to look into that, as Lovecraftian horror is one of my favorite genres (Fun Fact: my first Lovecraftian Horror game was Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth, also can't wait for the upcoming Call of Cthulhu game ) 

 

Ah yes, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth was amazing. Buggy as hell, but still a genuinely good Lovecraft game. Currently looking forward to the official Call of Cthulhu game by the end of this year.

[Guest]

the only conclusion I can make of what bethesda is referencing with the nightshade flowers in the inventory of the brethren is a book made by a close friend of H.P Lovecraft named Frank Belknap Long who also wrote horror novels, one of which is titled "House Of The Deadly Nightshade" I don't know much about the book so it's a stretch but it's possible.