Page 30 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

ABOLETH LANGUAGE RELATIONS WITH
Aboleths employ a fantastically complex language that is difficult OTHER CREATURES

for creatures with only one mouth to reproduce. Aboleths speak Although the aboleths see themselves as the rightful rulers

through the numerous vents along their flanks, the same orifices of creation, they are also logical and realistic. They have come
they use to breathe and spew mucus into the surrounding water. to accept the fact that the world is a crowded place, at least

The simplest aboleth words require only one orifice, but the more compared to the way it was during the primal empire of ages

complicated a word or concept is, the more vents are required past. These new, powerful races would pose a significant threat
to properly pronounce it. Without exception, scholarly aboleths to the aboleths were they to simply attack.
have more mouths than their poorly endowed kin. The aboleths mostly ally with other aquatic races. Since
Lesser creatures with only one mouth can speak Aboleth, their lairs and cities are always located in water (and are
but they are either limited to only the simplest words or forced completely submerged), terrestrial and airborne races have a
to ape the complex sounds via improvisation or additional distinct disadvantage when it comes to assaulting an aboleth MASTERS CHAPTER 2
tools (such as flutes, bagpipes, or large brass horns like tubas in its home. Aquatic races, on the other hand, have no such THE DEEP

or trombones). In either case, to an aboleth, the speaker comes disadvantage. The aboleths thus ally with aquatic races and pool
off sounding uncultured and dull-witted. their resources to wage war against and defend themselves from
The written language of the aboleths is likewise complex, the surface races. The aboleths figure that once the nonaquatic

with hundreds of thousands of intricate glyphs similar to races are conquered, they can focus their attentions on their
abstract hieroglyphics. An aboleth writes upon stone or aquatic neighbors and reconsider old alliances as needed.

metal with tiny, thimblelike devices made of crystal that fit The aboleths are now primarily a race that dwells in the
over the tips of its tentacles. The aboleth dips the crystals into farthest reaches of the flooded underground or in the light-

dense acids that are not easily washed away by water, and then less trenches of the deepest oceans. These haunts severely
etches the runes directly into the stone or metal tablets. All limit the number and variety of races the aboleths interact
four tentacle tips are used simultaneously to etch the runes; with on a regular basis. Specific relations with other races

a creature with only one or two hands takes a proportionally of these regions are summarized below. As a general rule,
longer time to write in Aboleth. aboleths treat any race not mentioned here as fodder for
Aboleth names (both for themselves and for their cities) slavery, dinner, or both. Illus. by R. Spencer
run the gamut from wildly complex to ominously simple. The Drow: The drow, one of the most numerous and successful
aboleths make little distinction between a specific aboleth’s of the underground races, find themselves regularly coming

name and the name of its city; often, an aboleth city’s name is into contact with the aboleths or their allies. Usually, these
the same as the savant aboleth that founded the city. Arche- meetings result in warfare, but an increasing number of
typical aboleth names include Dupapn, Mavad’Nidhuned, aboleths and drow find a strangely comfortable connection

Nevek’Dithasig, Sochsna, Torop’Jethixur, and Urdol. in the veneration of Ghaunadaur. Since the worship of this

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An aboleth tries to ruin Regdar’s day