Worms of the Earth (race)

For the short story by Robert E. Howard, see Worms of the Earth.

The worms of the earth, also called the Children of the Night, are a race of almost-human beings created by Robert E. Howard. It is said that they came to the British Isles at a very early time. They were followed by the Picts and later the Celts, who fought the "worms" and drove them out. By the time of Bran Mak Morn (somewhere between 100 and 300 C.E.), the "worms" were horribly degenerate things that lived underground. They appeared to be individually weak but wielded powerful magic as a group.

Howard's stories make it clear that the "worms" are descended from humans and had once been human, before degenerating into bestial, reptilian-looking things. However, the role-playing game Cthulhu Dark Ages re-interprets the worms of the earth as being descendants of the Serpent Men that worshipped Tsathoggua and were cursed by Yig to slowly degenerate into beasts.

Appearances

• Cthulhu Dark Ages
• Robert E. Howard - "Worms of the Earth"
• Robert E. Howard - "Children of the Night"