Aboleth
Possibly the most dangerous living thing to ever move through the Material dimension, aboleths are aberrant outsiders with terrifying psionic powers, a compounding genetic memory, and a deeply-ingrained belief in their right to rule over all other beings.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Aboleths cannot be said to resemble any other creature in the material realms, but they have been compared to eels and cuttlefish. Detailed descriptions of aboleths are rare, as those who encounter them in person rarely survive the experience with their memories intact. However, most agree on their enormous size, their lamprey-like mouths, their prehensile tentacles, and their multiple eyes. Some anatomists have theorized that the constant expansion of their genetic memory has resulted in an oversize brain which extends the length of their body.
Aboleths secrete a thick mucus across their whole bodies which allows them to breathe in any environment, making their exact colouration difficult to determine.
Genetics and Reproduction
Aboleths are hermaphroditic, allowing any pair of them to mate and produce offspring. They go through ovation cycles every three to five years, and a single clutch is usually between two and five eggs.
Growth Rate & Stages
Aboleth eggs take a staggering five years to mature. However, the hatchlings are functionally identical to adults, growing only in size and strength from that point.
Ecology and Habitats
Though they prefer the pressure of deep water, Aboleths are amphibious and can survive in shallow water, facing no breathing trouble above the surface. However, their anatomy is not ideal for movement on dry land.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Aboleths are obligate carnivores.
Behaviour
Aboleths occupy most of their time in pursuit of eternal life, but like any creature that needs to eat, they also need to rest. Aboleths do sleep, but they also find relaxation in reliving particularly-fine memories from their ancestors.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Aboleths' inherent psionic abilities come first to mind when considering their powers. There may not be any manipulation of mortal minds an Aboleth cannot accomplish, but it is important to recall that the potency of these powers is owed to a different trait: their genetic memory. When an Aboleth is born, its mental maturation is instant, and it inherits the memories of all its ancestors, resulting in millennia-long chains of learning and advancement shared without any time lost on study or experimentation. A data bank the Aboleth only adds to as it grows, both from its own experience and by absorbing the memories of its victims.
Perhaps more impressive than even these traits, however, is the fact that no aboleth has ever been known to die of old age or even show physical signs of aging.
Civilization and Culture
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Aboleths hold no reverence for gods, as their racial memory allows them to remember a time before the gods were born. They similarly have no beliefs regarding afterlife, as death is considered the ultimate failure, and living forever the only worthy goal.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Aboleths believe they are the first sapient beings to ever exist, and given the advantage their genetic memory gives them on history, they might just be right. Unfortunately for the realms, this belief leads many aboleths to believe they hold a racial superiority over the "younger" peoples of the world.
Origin/Ancestry
Abberation
Geographic Distribution