Page 178 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

UNHUMAN GODS Some human cultists revere beholders as deities in their
Aberrations have an entirely different notion of divinity from own right; the Great Mother answers their supplications on
that of humanoids. Human cultures perceive a discontinuity behalf of her spawn, thus perpetuating the cultists’ belief in
between mortal and divine, a dividing line as vast and impass- the divinity of the beholder race.
able as a great ocean. Master aberrations, on the other hand, The Great Mother’s symbol is an eye in an egg.
regard their divine patrons as exemplars of their kind—older
siblings that have achieved divine power through age, knowl- Ilsensine
edge, and fearlessness. Every aboleth believes that it holds the Deity of the mind flayers, Ilsensine is a cold and calculating

potential to achieve godhood, or something very much like it, being that embodies the illithid ideals of mental prowess,
with sufficient study. infinite knowledge, and purposeful dominion over all other

Those who battle master aberrations must confront dark forms of life. Ilsensine manifests as a disembodied brain of
cults, mad priests, and ancient, hungry horrors in the shape emerald hue that trails countless ganglionic tentacles through HUNTER CHAPTER 9

of gods. the infinite planes. It gathers information from all worlds and THE ABERRATION
planes simultaneously, learning every secret and perceiving
Ghaunadaur every thought.
Also known as That Which Lurks or the Elder Eye, Ghaunadaur Ilsensine’s symbol is a stylized illithid face with four mouth-
is a primordial deity of Faerûn, the world of the FORGOTTEN tentacles, rendered in jade green.
REALMS campaign setting. It is the lord of oozes, slimes,
and nameless underground monstrosities that slither and Mak Thuum Ngatha
seep through the lightless places of the world. Aboleths and The Nine-Tongued Worm is an entity of the Far Realm. Unlike
renegade drow seek its divine power, but Ghaunadaur is an many of the terrible and powerful creatures that dwell in
unpredictable patron at best. It might reward casual worshipers the mindless chaos of the Far Realm, Mak Thuum Ngatha is
by granting great boons, or it might devour or maim its own interested in the Material Plane. Psurlons, tsochari, and nilshai
high priests without warning. (Unapproachable East page 67) pay the Nine-Tongued Worm
Ghaunadaur is nominally considered part of the drow homage, but it has few worshipers among other races; only a
pantheon, but in truth the Elder Eye is simply a dark power of handful of alienists, cultists, and half-farspawn monstrosities
the deep underground. All who venture there would be wise even know of its existence. No being outside the Far Realm
to respect its hunger. can say what the Nine-Tongued Worm’s desires or goals might
Ghaunadaur’s symbol is a purple eye on a black circle. be, but they are certainly inimical to every living creature on
the Material Plane.
The Great Mother Several other entities of similar power and disposition
Progenitor of beholders, gibbering orbs (Epic Level Handbook exist in the Far Realm, some with their own cultists and
page 191), and less well-known aberrations, the Great Mother adherents.

exists to fill the multiverse with its offspring. By replacing all Mak Thuum Ngatha’s symbol is a fan-shaped glyph of nine
other creatures with monsters spawned in its own image, the squiggly lines.
Great Mother intends to remake the multiverse. Beholders
believe that the Great Mother’s mind encompasses all the The Patient One
knowledge in the cosmos, and in fact the Great Mother pos- The terrible divine entity known only as the Patient One is
sesses secrets and lore that no other creature knows. However, patron to a number of aberration races such as aboleths, cloak-
the entity comprehends so much that it is virtually impossible ers, chuuls, avolakias (Monster Manual II page 28), and other

for it to communicate with beings that lack nigh-infinite monsters. It waits and watches in the darkness, whispering
knowledge themselves. Students of the monstrous gods believe sibilant secrets to the shadows, until it is time to feed on the

that the Great Mother is hopelessly insane—whereas in truth humanoid sacrifices its worshipers offer. The Patient One is an
they simply lack the intelligence to perceive the reason in the old and alien divinity, an elder power similar to Ghaunadaur
beholder god’s actions. or Tharizdun. It is possible that these terrible dark powers are

Table 9–1: Aberration Deities
Deity Alignment Domains Favored Weapon Worshipers
Ghaunadaur* Chaotic evil Chaos, Corruption†, Evil, Hatred† Warhammer Drow, aboleths
The Great Mother Lawful evil Law, Evil, Hatred†, Strength Greataxe Beholders, cultists
Ilsensine** Lawful evil Evil, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Mind† Unarmed strike Mind flayers
The Patient One Neutral evil Corruption†, Evil, Vile Darkness† Light flail Aberrations
Mak Thuum Ngatha Chaotic evil Destruction, Knowledge, Madness†, Travel Morningstar Psurlons, cultists
Tharizdun Neutral evil Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Force†, Madness† Dagger Cultists
* If you have the Player’s Guide to Faerûn, add the domains of Cavern, Drow, and Slime to Ghaunadaur.
** If you have the Player’s Guide to Faerûn, add the domains of Slime and Tyranny to Ilsensine.
† New domain described later in this chapter.
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