how can i convince my loyal customers to worship an eldritch abomination?

[Mr.nyalathotep]

The world is going to hell. Global warming, overpopulation, economic crises and other such issues plague humanity. The only logical solution is to summon Hastur, The King in Yellow, an elder god from beyond the void. He will Institute a random genocide across the earth, irrespective of race or creed, killing billions and restoring balance to the planet and making me the savior of the human race.

World leaders are more concerned with playing politics than finding common sense solutions to real world problems, and the liberal lame-stream media has ludicrously decried me as " a lunatic with delusions of grandeur", easily manipulating the sheepish masses. So I have taken the initiative on my own. I have founded a company called C.A.R.C.O.S.S.A which has cornered the market in electronics and computer related equipment. Through nefarious practices, the company has bought out Apple and Microsoft, bringing them under my umbrella corporation. We now have access to billions of loyal customers around the world.

The Elder god requires worship of its followers in order to weaken the barrier between our realms. I obviously can't tell these people that the purpose of this company was to summon this being, and revealing myself as a cult leader will make people think that I am crazy. What is the best way to get my employees and customers to unknowingly worship a god?

[Tvtyrant]

The world is going to hell. Global warming, overpopulation, economic crises and other such issues plague humanity. The only logical solution is to summon Hastur, The King in Yellow, an elder god from beyond the void. He will Institute a random genocide across the earth, irrespective of race or creed, killing billions and restoring balance to the planet and making me the savior of the human race.

World leaders are more concerned with playing politics than finding common sense solutions to real world problems, and the liberal lame-stream media has ludicrously decried me as " a lunatic with delusions of grandeur", easily manipulating the sheepish masses. So I have taken the initiative on my own. I have founded a company called C.A.R.C.O.S.S.A which has cornered the market in electronics and computer related equipment. Through nefarious practices, the company has bought out Apple and Microsoft, bringing them under my umbrella corporation. We now have access to billions of loyal customers around the world.

The Elder god requires worship of its followers in order to weaken the barrier between our realms. I obviously can't tell these people that the purpose of this company was to summon this being, and revealing myself as a cult leader will make people think that I am crazy. What is the best way to get my employees and customers to unknowingly worship a god?

Pretty simple really.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTZuDEfWEAAV2-y.jpg

Make him the mascot for a massive conglomerate and put him in commercials and theme parks. Make him a team mascot, get people to chant his name, etc.

[Yuki Akuma]

Clearly, you need to design your electronics so that the circuits draw out eldritch symbols that give power to your patron. And maybe include profane prayers to His Glory in your EULA.

[drunkonduty]

Make every major software require a EULA. Make sure there are a lot of "major" software updates. Hide prayers in the EULAs. Every time someone signs a EULA they send a tiny prayer to the King in Yellow. Before long billions of tiny prayers have called Him down to Earth.

For your own benefit make sure the EULAs have a bit stating that, by accepting the prayers the beneficiary of the said prayers (i.e.: Hastur) owes you a little something.

[Mechalich]

Clearly, you need to design your electronics so that the circuits draw out eldritch symbols that give power to your patron. And maybe include profane prayers to His Glory in your EULA.

The King in Yellow is noted for having a rather distinctive symbol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Sign). If you incorporate this into your logo, then you can make it so that every time some clicks on an associated application they are indicating their submission to Hastur. However, this sort of chicanery, along with manipulating the EULA to contain agreements favorable to the elder god still probably falls short of 'worship.' You probably need either ritualized physical activity or actual sacrifices linked to the god. I suggest both fitness programs and mobile games with micro-transactions could easily off a suitable window. Also, you should probably try to develop an injectable technology - maybe something that burns fat by sacrificing the relevant flesh to the god - that you then name HASTUR (it will take some effort to generate that acronym), to mark people as worshippers.

[Maelynn]

Make him the mascot for a massive conglomerate and put him in commercials and theme parks. Make him a team mascot, get people to chant his name, etc.

Only risk would be that some people have actually heard of or read about the mythical Elder God, figure out the references, and see the company for what it really is. Who find likeminded people and start working together to bring it down before it's too late. Who will have to work in secret, so as not to be marked as crazy conspiracy theorists who are in need of a white hugyourself jacket.

Which imho would make a great plot hook.

[Goaty14]

Only risk would be that some people have actually heard of or read about the mythical Elder God, figure out the references, and see the company for what it really is.

Translate "Hastur" to a dead language, and the likelihood of it being realized drops dramatically (how many people speak a dead language, and how many of those people will make the connection?).

The PCs will, but let's be honest, the PCs would've found it out anyways.

[Eldan]

You got Hastur all wrong. First of all, it's a place, not a god. How else could it be linked by a lake to the Hyades. What you are thinking of is the King in Yellow.

Anyway. Do what cult leaders always do. Lie. Make stuff up.

Look at Cthulhu worshippers. They actually believe that Cthulhu, a powerful alien priest, would do something good for them, before taking back ownership of the planet. Show them freedom and let them have a giant murderparty first before wiping out everything. How would they even know any of that? Cthulhu is too alien and has never communicated with anyone properly. And yet, those worshippers believe.

So. Go straight back to the Repairer of Reputations. What did they believe there? That they would have a new regime, with themselves at the top. A giant network of co-conspirators, ready to overthrow the government and make them emperor. The network was just so secret that no one could see it right now. But totally existed. Start with that. Then, start a mystery cult inside the wider conspiracy. Initiates. You'll find a new nutcases who will semi-seriously practise some rituals to advance in the conspiracy. There's enough evidence of that all over world history. It worked for Nigel Engram.

Now, the next question is, does involuntary worship actually work? If someone doesn't know what they are doing, does the worship count? You control electronics. Make drawing the Yellow Sign your phones' unlock screen. If it works for prayer mills, why not that. Call it a gag, if anyone asks. Call the next patch update 1.03 Hasturhasturhastur and get people to install it on their phones.

But honestly, it seems that Hastur mostly finds his worshippers himself.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god.

[Maelynn]

You got Hastur all wrong. First of all, it's a place, not a god. How else could it be linked by a lake to the Hyades. What you are thinking of is the King in Yellow.

I'm sorry, chap, but he doesn't. While Hastur is a city in the original stories by Chambers, he has become a Great Old One in the Cthulhu Mythos (http://lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Hastur). He is, in fact, Cthulhu's half-brother. The King in Yellow is considered to be one of his avatars.

[Eldan]

I'm sorry, chap, but he doesn't. While Hastur is a city in the original stories by Chambers, he has become a Great Old One in the Cthulhu Mythos (http://lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Hastur). He is, in fact, Cthulhu's half-brother. The King in Yellow is considered to be one of his avatars.

Yeah, see, I refuse to acknowledge anything by Derleth. He's an utter hack. The phrase "Half-brother" is only the start of it. The Mythos gods should never be put in categories of good and evil, or in family trees, or an elemental classification like damn pokemon.
Especially because Cthulhu is a member of an entire race, not a unique being. And not a ****ing water elemental god. Water was what imprisoned him.