Dhole

Dhole
Sociocultural Characteristics
Also known as	Bholes Dôls
Origin	Dreamlands
Real World Information
First appearance	ADJ: "The White People"
Created by	Arthur Machen

“	Below him the ground was festering with gigantic Dholes, and even as he looked, one reared up several hundred feet and leveled a bleached, viscous end at him.	„
	~ H. P. Lovecraft and E. Hoffmann Price , "Through the Gates of the Silver Key"

Dholes, also called bholes, are huge, slimy worm-like creatures, at least several hundred feet long. Because they avoid daylight and are covered in viscous goo, their features are nearly impossible to discern. Similar creatures called bholes exist in the Vale of Pnath in the Dreamlands.

“	Now Carter knew from a certain source that he was in the vale of Pnath, where crawl and burrow the enormous bholes; but he did not know what to expect, because no one has ever seen a bhole, or even guessed what such a thing may be like. Bholes are known only by dim rumour from the rustling they make amongst mountains of bones and the slimy touch they have when they wriggle past one. They cannot be seen because they creep only in the dark.	„
	~ H. P. Lovecraft , The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

Behind the Mythos

• In The White People by Arthur Machen, there is mention of "Dôls", but no description is given.

• In The Illuminatus! Trilogy, both the Dôls of Machen and Dholes of Lovecraft are mentioned as being references to mythical creatures associated with the Illuminati.

• In addition, a Dhol appears in T. E. D. Klein's novel The Ceremonies in the form of a small, scurrying creature which possesses the bodies of various characters and animals. Klein makes reference to Machen's The White People throughout his novel.

• Dholes appear to be related to (or perhaps identical with) chthonians and their vermiform god, Shudde M'ell. Like dholes, chthonians are huge, worm-like creatures covered in viscous slime who live deep underground.
• In Ire of the Void (EXP) by Richard Lee Byers, the protagonists are confronted by a Dhole after escaping the Hounds of Tindalos, but manage to destroy it using dynamite.

Gallery

Dhole (Fantasy Flight Games)

Dhole (Pathfinder)

Dhole (Call of Cthulhu, French version)