Outsiders

Raksha

From the eldritch nightmares of the Elder Gods the Raksha were created, hideous monstrosities of terrible form and alien mind with the singular purpose of awakening their creators. If successful, all of reality would be undone, plunging the universe into a void of nothingness. To this end the Raksha scheme from the shadows, causing destruction and chaos within the Creation with a mind that the upheaval in reality will wake the dreaming gods beyond the stars. To outsiders, their plans may seem at odds with one another, their plots often undermining those of another Raksha. Yet even as the Raksha strive against one another, their machinations somehow turn in unison towards the goal of destroying all that is.

The Raksha work their plans in the shadows, calling to Men in strange dreams, bending mortal will to madness and servitude through mind-warping psychic powers. The sensitive can feel the stirrings of the Raksha in dreams and waking nightmares, though they cannot name the malice that overshadows them. The Raksha's influence is subtle, felt by the soul rather than the senses. In and around their strongholds of power, the dread glory of the Raksha can be seen in skies perpetually darkened, a fog in the air and in the mind, gnarled trees, gaunt creatures, a pervasive sense of foreboding, and an unidentifiable stench in the air. Only the mad, the dreamers, the artists, visionaries, and psychics among the mortal races feel in their spirits the true essence, the wicked intent of the mad shadow that eclipses all light and obscures all hope.

The Raksha are eldritch nightmares born from the dreams of the Elder Gods. They lurk in the void space beyond The Sphere, prodding at the cracks in reality and whispering to mortals, begging to be let in.

In hushed whispers, mortals tell tales of these beings, afraid to whisper the otherworldly names chanted in their nightmares lest doing so somehow draw the attention of the beast. Those who study such heresies classify the Raksha into three distinct categories according to their age, power, and influence.  

• Outer Things are also called The Firstborn, for they were the first beings in all the universe created by the Elder Gods. Their immeasurable power dwarfs that of the Celestials, spirits, and any other being within Creation. They reside far from the realm of Men and gods, in distant, dark corners of the universe where their influence is felt in whispers rippling across the void. Though a mortal will never cross paths with an Outer Thing directly, they may feel the echoes of such a being's will...a terrible woe that shatters mortal minds and bends desires towards the horrible purposes of the Outer Things.
• Old Ones are great and terrible beings, some with power enough to challenge the Celestials. They are called Old Ones, for they entered Creation from Outside in ancient times after The Collapse and buried themselves deep in the depths of the worlds like burrowing parasites. From cyclopean temples beneath oceans and mountains, they call to their servants and worshipers in strange dreams, bidding them to enact their manifold schemes. There are few records of mortal encounters with Old Ones and those which are not dismissed outright as lunacy or fiction are hidden away deep in the forbidden vaults of remote libraries to keep such abominable truths from the light of day. 
• Servitors are the most numerous of the Raksha and are divided into Greater and Lesser Servitors. Weakest among the Raksha, Greater Servitors are monstrous, nigh invulnerable beings with mind-shattering psychic abilities and a mastery of The Mystery no mortal can match. Though they prefer to act discretely, a Greater Servitor is mighty enough to overcome an army of mortals or a Court of spirits if the need arises. The ranks of Lesser Servitors are filled with mortal worshipers and hideous creatures. Such foes should not be taken lightly, for their connection to the Elder Gods grants them psychic abilities and uncanny physical strength. Mortals who investigate the strange and terrible often encounter such cults of Raksha servitors and the nameless horrors they summon. Yet for every cult discovered and subsequently destroyed, two seem to rise in its place.