Those Unknowable: The Shadows over Innsmouth
(commonly abbreviated TSOI) is a webcomic by Seth Witfoth, set in a version of the
Cthulhu universe. It has two sets of protagonists, who come into conflict with one another as the story progresses. The first is a group of fishmen (and one pterodactyl-man) who operate out of the town of
Innsmouth under the leadership of a “dimensional shambler” named Jaunt (who is in turn working for the outer god
Nyarlathotep). The second is a group of humans from the nearby town of Arkham, who for various reasons are drawn to investigate the strange occurrences in and around Innsmouth.
TSOI provides examples of:
- Affably Evil: Jaunt. He is an extra-dimensional monster who will eviscerate you on sight if you stray into his business, but he is also very sharply dressed and genteel and seems to show concern for his underlings.
- Alien Blood: Many of the monsters are alien to Earth and so have differently-colored blood. However, the Deep Ones, being native to Earth, and formerly human, have ordinary red blood.
- Benevolent Boss: Jaunt, who genuinely cares for the well-being of his minions, and goes to great lengths to ensure their healing when they are wounded.
- Big Bad: Nyarlathotep, from the Human POV.
- Big Good: Nyarlathotep, from the Mythos Creature POV.
- Blood Magic: Jaunt practices this occasionally to enhance his powers.
- Blood Knight: Jaunt, who is a natural predator and likes to fight and kill.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: Very common among Mythos Creatures, from a Human POV. Complicated by the multi-species nature of the Mythos Creature side in the series.
- Bruiser with a Soft Center: Hugh. Sweet-natured for an eldritch horror but terrifically strong.
- The Chessmaster: Nyarlathotepis one of them, at least.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Hugh.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: When Jaunt and Hugh arrive at the Tombstone House, Thigg and Irwin have no trouble taking down the most threatening combatant in the story.
- Extra Eyes: Thiggwin.
- Eyeless Face: Jaunt. As a Dimensional Shambler, he lacks natural eyes; instead, he can sense the life-energies of other beings.
- Eyes Do Not Belong There: Thiggwin.
- Fat and Skinny: The Deep Ones, Hugh and Barry.
- Half-Human Hybrid: The fishmen of Innsmouth
- High-Class Glass: Jaunt sports an enchanted monocle that allows him to see in wavelengths of visible light.
- Inverted Trope: The hybrid Deep Ones are quite happy about their transformations to fishmen. This comes explicitly from H. P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," in which it is clear that the Hybrids want to take to the sea, and the narrator himself is happy with his own transformation by the end of the story. This makes sense, as the ones which make the full transformation are the lucky ones — they get to be immortal.
- Lovecraft Country: “Elsewhere – Massachusetts countryside”
- Manly Gay: Marco, who is huge, strong and rough-hewn.
- To a lesser extent, his beloved, Hugh, who is almost as big and strong, though nicer.
- Noble Demon: Jaunt. He's on the other side, and a natural predator who likes to fight and kill, but his concern for his own minions makes it clear that he's not particularly evil.
- Perspective Flip: Half of the comic is about the Cthulhu Mythos world seen from the POV of the "monsters."
- Portal Crossroad World: Yizix where Jaunt does a bit of shopping, some research, and gets into a bar fight.
- Puppeteer Parasite: Thiggwin in their darker moments
- The Symbiote: Maybe Thiggwin will learn to get along after all?
- Thinking Up Portals: Jaunt has this as an innate ability of his species. He also knows how to use this power strategically in combat, to deadly effect.
- Town with a Dark Secret: Weird stuff happens in Innsmouth
- Uplifted Animal: Jaunt, who is a member of a race normally of bestial intelligence. His mind has been uplifted by Nyarlathotep, to make him a better minion. Jaunt is now as smart as a highly-intelligent Human, and has adopted many features of upper-class Human culture — though he doesn't think exactly like a man.
- Quirky Miniboss Squad: The four main fishmen characters, who have distinct and sometimes loveable personalities.
