A Study of the Yellow King

I have been studying the strangest and most obscure religions of the world for the past five decades. I have met with the dwellers on remote Asian mountaintops and those who hide from light below the ground in northeastern America, I studied with a small infamous tribe deep in the Sahara, and wrote widely on the undercity devil-worshippers beneath the streets of London. But no tradition captivated me more than that of the Yellow King and the Carcosans who follow him. What you are about to read is something I found among the papers of my late grandfather, who appears to have prepared it for submission in a famous encyclopedia of his time. It does not appear he ever submitted it, and I am not sure if it is actually complete or not. I will submit it in full, and share my ideas at the end.

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Religion of the Yellow King

The religion of the Yellow King is a tradition which can be traced back with certainty to 1700s France, but which claims beginnings as far back as Ancient Egypt. It is a surprisingly unanimous tradition with no known schisms or denominations. Followers refer to themselves as Carcosans, based on the homeland of the Yellow King – Carcosa. Central to the beliefs of Carcosans are the Yellow King and the ideas of the Phantom of Truth, the Pallid Mask, the Yellow Sign, Divine Malevolence, Circular Time, and Memento Mori.

Beliefs and Philosophy

The Yellow King

Central to the beliefs of Carcosans is the Yellow King himself, around which the tradition is based. The Yellow King is seen as the one true and living God, dwelling within his city of Carcosa at the center of the cosmos. The universe exists solely for the amusement of the king, and he is recognized as an amoral if not directly malevolent being as opposed to the more common gods of Abrahamic traditions. Unlike similar traditions such as the Esoteric Order of Dagon and the Cthulhu Cult, Carcosans do not honor any other beings or entities other than the Yellow King, as all is a manifestation of his hateful will.

The Phantom of Truth

The Yellow King is accompanied by the Phantom of Truth, the truth behind the nature of reality which is ever present but rarely known by the inhabitants of said reality. This is the truth that all exists to suffer in misery for the amusement of the Yellow King. All happiness and enjoyment within the universe is an accidental side effect of the King’s imperfection, a glitch in the system, and brings the King displeasure.

The Pallid Mask

The Pallid, or Pale, mask is the face of one who knowns the Phantom of Truth, which then can never be denied again. It is a metaphysical state similar to an “aura”, and one who knows the Phantom of Truth will always give off a strange and unique energy to those around them, according to the tradition. The Carcosan shuns happiness and accepts suffering as reality and therefore not negative, and so exist in a state of un-excitement, stoically facing what come their way straight faced. It is taught that once one welcomes the Phantom of Truth into their hearts and dons the Pallid Mask it can never be removed again.

The Yellow Sign

The Yellow Sign is a symbol used by Carcosans to identify each other, and over the centuries there have become 3 or 4 consistent variations. More than a symbol, it is believed that the Yellow Sign has supernatural abilities which open those exposed to it to the Phantom of Truth and Yellow King. The Yellow Sign is also used for calling upon the servants of the Yellow King from higher realms, as well as the Phantom or King themselves (though this is not recommended). Some examples have been found suggesting the Yellow Sign throughout ancient history, but it cannot be confirmed if the tradition was practiced back then or simply took the symbol from older traditions.