The Haunter of the Dark
THIS SITE DISCUSSES THE MONSTER IN THE DARK.
This site explains the Monster in the Dark as a Hunting Horror, also known as the Haunter of the Dark, printed in d20 Call of Cthulhu, pg. 173. It aims to be a resource for readers after the reveal.
Why Did Rich Pick The Hunting Horror?
Thematic match.
In its own setting, the Hunting Horror serves evil sorcerers, lurking in shadow until summoned to fetch or kill. That role overlaps closely with the Monster in the Dark’s stated purpose: To lurk in darkness until ordered to kill the main characters.
Both creatures have yellow eyes. The Haunter of the Dark’s are described as burning, and the Monster in the Dark’s are visible even in darkness.
Why Did Rich Stick With the Hunting Horror?
Story opportunities.
The Snarl, a god-eating horror, more real than the gods themselves, shares thematic ground with the eldritch horrors of Call of Cthulhu. Rich may have introduced the Snarl to take the narrative place of Nyarlathotep, the eldritch horror associated with the Hunting Horror, preserving that connection without importing unwanted elements.
Call of Cthulhu rules emphasize sharper divides between PC races and monsters than traditional D&D, and that contrast may have helped inspire Rich’s decision to center the story around the same theme after choosing the Monster in the Dark.
Call of Cthulhu does not put alignments in their monster descriptions. This may have inspired Rich’s decision to place the Monster in the Dark in a morally ambiguous role: accepting evil around it, yet inclined toward good behavior.
Where to Next?
The Summary of Powers offers a straightforward review of the Hunting Horror’s key abilities and where they appear in the story. It’s not as exciting as the name suggests, but the site is missing something if I don’t include it.
The Fine Line highlights changes Rich made to the base stat block: what he added, what he removed, and what he bent for dramatic effect. This includes the Escape spell.
The Enlightening Start of Darkness tracks early references to the Hunting Horror found in Start of Darkness, which are uniquely clear compared to other references.
If You Listen, You Can Hear Rich Laughing collects material tied to the long-running “What Gate?” joke and the puzzle of the Monster in the Dark’s apparent invincibility.
Not Really Foreshadowing gathers scenes where characters reference Hunting Horror abilities without the Monster in the Dark explicitly demonstrating them.
Actual Foreshadowing! covers scenes unrelated to the Monster in the Dark that still prepare the audience for a Hunting Horror reveal.
A Curious Volume of Forgotten Lore is primarily concerned with Knowledge (Occult) and its unique place in the rules. Possibly the lowest significance-to-text ratio on the site.
Timeline analyzes Rich’s comments about when key decisions were made in the story, including but not limited to the choice of the Monster in the Dark’s base monster. While the section currently avoids drawing conclusions, one plausible candidate for the point of commitment is Comic #96, which may be the first moment the Monster is written with the Hunting Horror as the primary inspiration.