Page 19 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Central Nervous System
The most highly developed of an aboleth’s organs is its cen-
tral nervous system—in particular, its brain. An aboleth’s
brain is a massive structure that accounts for nearly one-fifth

of the creature’s body mass. The brain is various shades of
purple and looks somewhat similar in shape to an aboleth
without its long tail.

The brain consists of five major sections, each of which
is discussed below.
Frontal Lobe (1): Located at the front of the brain,
CHAPTER 2 THE DEEP MASTERS two primary functions. First, it generates an aboleth’s
this cone-shaped lobe is pale purple and covered with
thousands of tiny, hornlike protrusions. This lobe has

powerful enslaving mental attack. Second, it functions as
a telepathic core that enables the creature to converse with
its enslaved minions, while preventing the minions from

sensing anything in the aboleth’s mind but its unyielding
domination and control.
Primary Lobe (2): The primary lobe is located directly
behind the frontal lobe and above the ventral lobe. It is
here that an aboleth’s primary brain functions occur:
thought, logic, intelligence, reason, and everything else
that brains make possible in other creatures. The creature’s
three optic nerves attach to this portion of the brain.
Ventral Lobe (3): Although the ventral lobe looks like
Illus. by E. Cox A typical aboleth brain (numbers keyed to text references) on the underside of the brain. The four arms of the lobe are
four separate tentacle-shaped lobes radiating out from
below the primary lobe, it is in fact a single lobe, connected

they store the memories an aboleth has created for itself and
pumps blood throughout the body and maintains blood pres- striped with alternating bands of dark and light purple, and
sure, just as a normal heart does. This heart is connected to the racial memories it gained at birth. These arms continue
the secondary heart (10) via a large artery and a large vein; the to grow as an aboleth ages, and in the eldest savants, the arms
artery passes through the creature’s nilthast, where it meets of the ventral lobe can reach all the way back to the base of
the respiratory system. The second heart provides blood to the the tail. Where these arms extend out of the skull, they are

aboleth’s immense brain and seems to vitalize the blood with surrounded by a tough but flexible sheath of tissue. The lobe

a mysterious chemical or enzyme that only the brain needs. itself is nearly as strong as bone while remaining as flexible
Aboleth blood comes in two colors; the blood that fuels its body as the creature’s tentacles.

is bright red, while the blood that flows from the secondary Dorsal Lobe (4): While the ventral lobe might be the largest
heart to the brain is deep purple, almost black, in color. portion of an aboleth’s brain, the dorsal lobe is easily the most
visually stunning. Located behind the primary lobe, it consists
Reproductive System of a writhing mass of purple tendrils with tips that flash and

Aboleths have both male and female reproductive organs. To an pulse with multicolored light. The light arcs and dances from
aboleth, reproduction is a deeply personal process that should one tendril to the other, representing the vast stores of psionic
happen in isolation. An aboleth is typically seized with the and magical energy at an aboleth’s command. This energy is
urge to lay eggs once every five years, at which time it retreats apparently generated by the dorsal lobe and focused by the

to an area of solitude. It lays 1d3 eggs at a time, quickly encases primary lobe to create the numerous illusions that aboleths
the eggs in mucus, and fertilizes the surrounding water with are notorious for using.
a jet of fluid emitted from between the flukes of its tail. This Rear Lobe (5): This is the smallest lobe, consisting of six

fluid clings to the mucus, seeping into it and fertilizing the long, tendril-shaped extensions connected to a central spheri-
eggs within while making the entire mass fairly cohesive and cal hub at the farthest section of the dorsal lobe. This portion
solid as a whole. An aboleth usually cements the egg mass to a of the brain takes care of the body’s autonomic functions, such

stone wall or floor, but if none are available, it allows the egg as breathing, circulation, digestion, and the like.

mass to float free in the water.

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