UNHUMAN GODS
CHAPTER 9
Table 9–1: Aberration Deities Deity Alignment Domains Favored Weapon Ghaunadaur* Chaotic evil Chaos, Corruption†, Evil, Hatred† Warhammer The Great Mother Lawful evil Law, Evil, Hatred†, Strength Greataxe Ilsensine** Lawful evil Evil, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Mind† Unarmed strike The Patient One Neutral evil Corruption†, Evil, Vile Darkness† Light flail Mak Thuum Ngatha Chaotic evil Destruction, Knowledge, Madness†, Travel Morningstar Tharizdun Neutral evil Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Force†, Madness† Dagger * 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.
THE ABERRATION HUNTER
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 impassthe 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 emerald hue that trails countless ganglionic tentacles through cults, mad priests, and ancient, hungry horrors in the shape the infinite planes. It gathers information from all worlds and of gods. 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 mouthis a primordial deity of Faerûn, the world of the FORGOTTEN tentacles, rendered in jade green. R EALMS campaign setting. It is the lord of oozes, slimes, and nameless underground monstrosities that slither and Mak Thuum Ngatha The Nine-Tongued Worm is an entity of the Far Realm. Unlike seep through the lightless places of the world. Aboleths and many of the terrible and powerful creatures that dwell in renegade drow seek its divine power, but Ghaunadaur is an 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 homage, but it has few worshipers among other races; only a Ghaunadaur is nominally considered part of the drow 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 be, but they are certainly inimical to every living creature on Ghaunadaur’s symbol is a purple eye on a black circle. 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 The terrible divine entity known only as the Patient One is knowledge in the cosmos, and in fact the Great Mother possesses secrets and lore that no other creature knows. However, patron to a number of aberration races such as aboleths, cloakthe 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
Worshipers Drow, aboleths Beholders, cultists Mind flayers Aberrations Psurlons, cultists Cultists
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