[ShadowcatX]

If the horrors don't show up early they might we'll find Earth an uninhabited husk and everyone moved off world or dead.

[Crimsondude]

Unless they manage to hitch a ride or something.

[Mirikon]

They need a certain mana level to cross over. But once here, the level they require to actually stay is much lower. Great dragons can, in theory, leave the manasphere without getting killed (if they still have hardened astral armor, that is), so sufficiently powerful Horrors may be able to do that as well.

[PMárk]

Ok, quick question: I don't know if it was discussed earlier and I don't have time right now to go through multiple threads, so.

Are the Elder Gods in Dark Terrors are the Horrors? I'm still reading the chapter, but I'm curious. That those cultists seemed to break the "no teleportation" rule reminded me to all the talking in Forbidden Arcana, regarding Elijah's claims that "magic has different sources".

Yes, no, we don't know?

[lokii]

Haven't yet looked at it, but I'm guessing yes. Various freelancers have stated that they rather not use the descriptor "horror" because it's an Earthdawn term that was never really (or at all?) established in Shadowrun. But we should keep in mind the connection is really old. Using "elder gods" instead of the established "the enemy" may also indicate that they go in a new direction rather than just using a different name for Earthdawn horrors.

Also there is teleportation in Harlequin.

[PiXeL01]

I admit I got a Lovecraftian feeling instead of being Horrorfied when I read about the Elder Gods.
It would of course be grand if they reestablished the link between the two settings, at least on loose terms

[Osentalka]

It's odd, some of the elements used in the Elder God section were definitely associated with the Horrors in previous editions. Gum Toads and Crawlers were servants of Mr Darke in Harlequins back, who was an agent of the Horrors. However other things like Gaf from the Book of Gaf where not. Gaf was a Free Spirit who could be worshipped by human mages like the Aleph Society, I think from Threats 2. Gaf is a powerful being from our own set of metaplanes, not outside them like the Horrors are.

The way I interpreted it was this. The Horrors are still stuck outside our set of metaplanes and are inimical to metahuman life, a DM can use them if they want but should remember they won't be fully present in our metaplanes until the next Scourge at the height of the Sixth world in a couple of thousand years time. However there are other beings from our own set of Metaplanes who can be worshipped, make deals with human mages and are nearly as tricky and dangerous as Horrors but are already here.

I don't know, some of that section confuses me. I've no idea how the experiment of feeding ghouls with ghouls is supposed to relate to the rest of it..

[lokii]

Well, there should be a small number of horrors present in the Sixth World. According to Harlequin's Back some have reached Earth using temporary mana spikes or by being summoned. Since this does not seem to be related to the Ghost Dance or similar strong magic this route should still be open. And according to Beyond the Pale (third Dragon Heart novel) a few likely entered the Sixth World before the bridge they built using the Ghost Dance mana spike collapsed and the spike was wiped out.

So unless the dragon heart intervention severed all connections and every horror that made it to Earth has been hunted down, a few should be around.

[Osentalka]

So what are Gaf, Tak, Dru and Obe. Some of the minor Horrors that made the jump?  Could be, I'm perfectly willing to believe that, but as I said in Threats they just seem to be dangerous Free Spirits.

Still don't know what the Ghouls eating ghouls thing is supposed to be about.

[Wakshaani]

At this time, no HORRORS have been seen that anyone knows about, but there might be some Horrors and certainly some horrors.

That is to say, you'll find wimpy lil' footsoldier types, like Gum Toads if you search enough ... the Azzies were bringing those things in by 2050, for instance. They're the least of what you could see in the proper Metaplanes.

There might also be some Horrors, such as the corrupted dragon that may or may not exist in Aztlan, or othe rtypes of "Lieutenant" level Horrors.

But you're quite unlikely to see a full-blown HORROR just chillin' somewhere, melting faces and eating elbows while they chill in a theatre in New York. The mana levels are too low for them to exist here (yet) and the connective bridges were broken that they would have slid down.

The more worrisome part are the people who, willingly or not, are helping to bridge the chasm. They could accidently let something in. How long it could remain before it had to leave for greener pasture is a question that I don't think people want to have answered.

[lokii]

The mana levels are too low for them to exist here (yet) and the connective bridges were broken that they would have slid down.

I haven't yet collected all of the pertinent quotes, but I think the mana level dependency of horrors is an Earthdawn (possibly ingame) theory. The topic is of course not discussed at length in Shadowrun, but instead it's very clear. Harlequin in Harlequin's Back:

(p.19)
But the Enemy capable of entering our world now could survive and ravage the planet. They need a certain magic level to get in, but most of them could survive easily without it once they're here.

(p.21)
Some have already been summoned or slipped through. That's the way it goes. The problem is that when the rest come, they come like an army. A huge, un-fraggin'-stoppable army.

and

(p.23)
Some of the Enemy have already entered the world, through smaller, temporary spikes in the magic level. Some have been called accross through summoning rituals performed by ignorant fools. Most of those fools have paid dearly for their arrogance. For now, only a few, perhaps a score, of the Enemy exist in the world of 2055.

There might also be some Horrors, such as the corrupted dragon that may or may not exist in Aztlan, or othe rtypes of "Lieutenant" level Horrors.

But you're quite unlikely to see a full-blown HORROR just chillin' somewhere, melting faces and eating elbows while they chill in a theatre in New York.

I guess it comes down to what you consider "Lieutenant"-level. The one example we know of, Ysrthgrathe, seemed to do fine in the Sixth World.

[TonyK]

Unless they manage to hitch a ride or something.

*cue alternate campaign setting*
Monads make it to another system, and then get messed with by Horrors.

[Mirikon]

Unless they manage to hitch a ride or something.

*cue alternate campaign setting*
Monads make it to another system, and then get messed with by Horrors.

Aw, hell. Perhaps the reason Horrors can only come through at certain times is because while we assume their home is a deep dark metaplane, it is actually a planet in another solar system, and the rising mana levels allow them to form the bridge across stars.

[Shaidar]

OR...

What if not "all" metaplanes are only 'meta'-physical-planes but are also the astral planes of other real worlds and the physical (astronomical) distance could allow some astral threats to hop-skip to our gaia sphere.

[Wakshaani]

OR...

What if not "all" metaplanes are only 'meta'-physical-planes but are also the astral planes of other real worlds and the physical (astronomical) distance could allow some astral threats to hop-skip to our gaia sphere.

I have a mental map about the Metaplane structure.

One day, I'll try and get someone with decent skills to take a shot at it.