Aboleth (Ab-ah-lith)

Aboleth are a race of malevolent eel-like aberrations from the Far Realms with potent psionic abilities and are primarily aquatic creatures. They use their psionic abilities to dominate the minds of other creatures turning them into little more than thralls, the thrall can eventually undergo physical transformations making them more akin to their Aboleth masters.

Description

Aboleth are eel-like amphibians of immense size, often reaching 20 feet (6.1 metres) in length and weighing up to 6,500 pounds (2,900 kilograms), though can continue to grow as they aged and some fantastically ancient specimens might reach truly immense sizes. They resemble bizarre eels, with long, tubular bodies, as well as a tail at one end and two fins near the head and another along the back. Aboleths' mouths are lamprey-like, filled with serrated, jawless teeth.
Aboleth underbellies are often orange-pink, while their topsides are typically sea-green. A little bit back from the head are four long tentacles, two sprouting from across each other on the top, and two more of the same on the underbelly. Their heads are roughly triangular-shaped, with a spherical, somewhat beak-like nose. Above the nose are their three eyes, each one set atop the other. Tendrils and a few shorter tentacles dangle from the bottom of the head. Four blue-black slime-secreting orifices line the bottom of their bodies. Aboleth blood was green and thick, oozing like sap.
Aboleths breath through a thick grey mucus-like substance, which covers their body and which they exuded from four pulsating organs along their body as they moved. If robbed of the ability to exude this slime, an aboleth would suffocate in water or land.. Out of the water, an aboleth's membrane-like skin dries out quickly, but this does not prove fatal in and of itself. Instead, the aboleth would eventually enter a state of suspended animation, called long dreaming, a fate considered far worse than simply dying amongst aboleth. During this process, the aboleth forms a tough, waterproof membrane. However, if this membrane was pierced, liquid flooded out and death was usually not far off for the aboleth.

Abilities

Aboleths have powerful psionic powers and were natural psions like Illithid and many other denizens of the Far Realm. Aboleths are also capable of secreting a viscous grey fluid, much like mucus, which brought about a terrible transformation in air-breathing creatures. The skin of the victims are transformed into a membrane that allows it to breathe in water, and changes the creature's consciousness to that of a mindless servant. This allows aboleth to retain masses of thralls totally subjugated to its will.
Aboleth are born with a racial memory, with each individual inheriting the memories of all its ancestors. Furthermore, it assimilates the memories of those it consumed. Each aboleth's memories are stored within an ever-growing part of its brain that extended down its back as it aged. Aboleth enjoy spending time lost in particularly fine memories of their ancestors, and they might relive entire portions of their forebears' lives.

Reproduction

Aboleth are all hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive organs. When aboleth breed, they did so in private, laying roughly one to three eggs once every five years. When laid, the eggs gestate for five years before hatching into fully formed aboleth. Although these young aboleth are functionally adults, they typically remained with a parent for roughly a decade, obeying the elder aboleth without question before setting out on their own.

Psychology

Aboleth are both extremely cruel and highly intelligent. As a result, they were among the most dangerous foes that existed among the planes. They hold many terrible secrets thanks to their unique genetic memory. Aboleth are well aware of their weaknesses, and are loath to attack land-bound foes if they consider it to their disadvantage.
Aboleth are utterly self-centred; they knew they were among the first beings in existence, and saw all things as theirs, having a particular loathing for land-dwelling creatures. They are greatly unsettled by the similarly powerful Illithid, in part because they lacked knowledge of the race's precise origins.

Culture

Aboleth society was utterly alien in many ways to that of more familiar races, in part due to the racial memory all aboleth exhibited as well as their generally bizarre psyches. Aboleth formed clusters known as broods, ruled over by powerful sovereigns. These broods were often accompanied by aboleth servitors or other minions, such as the kuo-toa who were known to sometimes serve the race.
Aboleth had no deities that they worshipped. They acknowledged the presence and power of deities, but they have memories of the times before and the world that was. Aboleth are not concerned with an afterlife they either intend to live forever or recognise they will forever live on in all of their descendants' memories. Some aboleth do, however, have a certain respect that sometimes approached reverence for the powerful beings known as Elder Evils.

Homelands

Like most aberrant creatures, aboleth are originally from the Far Realms, though long ago many of them emigrated from the distant plane to the Prime Material Plane, where they settled in the Underdark. However, they can also be found in haunting ruins, deep lakes, old temples, and on other planes of existence. Aboleth cities are vast affairs of bizarre and alien architecture, located deep underwater, the only known cities are within the Underdark, although there are other rumoured to sit deep in the oceans.

History

Aboleth are believed to be amongst the oldest inhabitants of Runetalras, arriving upon Runetalras when the world was young. Not much is known about the Aboleth’s history, but they linger in the oldest myths and legends haunting the mortal races. For centuries the powers of the Underdark have remained locked in cold and hot war for control of territories and resources.

Origin/Ancestry

Far Realms

Lifespan

Aboleths do not die of old age, they live on indefinitely, barring violence or disease.