Аболет
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Эта статья в данный момент активно редактируется участником Gereint. При редактировании её в этот момент могут возникнуть конфликты редактирования. |
Аболет (англ. Aboleth, ударение на первом слоге[1]) — один из видов монстров в Dungeons & Dragons различных редакций. Аболеты обитают в воде, внешне напоминая больших рыб. Они обладают могущественными псионическими способностями, что делает их очень опасными противниками. Согласно рулбуку «Lords of Madness», аболеты являются одними из самых древних существ во вселенной D&D.
Содержание
История публикаций
Аболеты были придуманы Дэвидом «Зебом» Куком для первой редакции Advanced Dungeons & Dragons и впервые появились в модуле «Dwellers of the Forbidden City» (1981 г.), а затем — в первом издании «Monster Manual II» (1983 г.). Их подробному описанию была посвящена статья Брэндона Гриста (Brandon Grist) «Ecology of the Aboleth» (рус. Образ жизни аболетов) в № 131 журнала «Dragon» (март 1988 г.), в которой фигурировали также разновидности аболетов: великий аболет (англ. grand aboleth), величайший аболет (англ. greater aboleth), благородный аболет (англ. noble aboleth) и правитель аболетов (англ. ruler aboleth). В № 12 журнала «Dungeon» (июль 1988 г.) описывается аболет, обитающий в солёной воде (англ. saltwater aboleth).
Во второй редакции AD&D аболеты вошли в «Monstrous Compendium Volume Two» (1989 г.) и затем были перепечатаны в «Monstrous Manual» (1993 г.). Псионические способности аболетов детализированы в «The Complete Psionics Handbook» (1991 г.). В книге «Night Below: An Underdark Campaign» (1995 г.) и затем в «Monstrous Compendium Annual Two» (1995 г.) описывается учёный аболет (англ. savant aboleth).
В третьей и 3.5-й редакциях D&D аболет включён в «Monster Manual 3» (2000 г.) и «Monster Manual 3.5» (2003 г.) соответственно. В монстрятнике 3.5-й редакции описывается также аболет-маг англ. aboleth mage). Аболет-псионик (англ. psionic aboleth) включён в «Expanded Psionics Handbook» (2004 г.).
Аболетам посвящена одна из глав книги «Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations» (2005 г.), где также описываются аболет-амфибия (англ. amphibious aboleth), стигийский аболет (англ. stygian aboleth) и воздушный аболет, или уобилит (англ. uobilyth (aerial aboleth)).
В четвёртой редакции D&D аболет также включён в «Monster Manual» (2008 г.). Наряду со «стандартным» аболетом, там описываются также хлещущий аболет (англ. aboleth lasher), слизевый маг-аболет (англ. aboleth slime mage), аболет-наблюдатель (англ. aboleth observer) и аболет-служитель (англ. aboleth servitor). В сеттинговой книге по Forgotten Realms для D&D 4, «Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide» (2008 г.), описывается подвижная крепость аболетов Ксксифу (англ. Xxiphu), которая поднялась из Моря упавших звёзд (англ. Sea of Fallen Stars) после пробуждения её обитателей от тысячелетнего сна.
Описание
Aboleths are fishlike amphibians, twenty feet long and weighing about 6,500 pounds; they continue to grow as they age, however, and some fantastically ancient specimens reach much longer lengths. They are a kind of hybrid of fish and eel with some insectoid and annelid qualities; they have long, tubular bodies, like that of an eel, but fish-like tails at the end and two fins near the head and a dorsal fin near the back. Their bodies are also segmented, which is a worm or insect-like characteristic. Their underbellies are orange-pink, and their topsides sea-green. A little bit back from the head are four long tentacles, two on each side, two on the topside and two on the underbelly. Their heads are roughly triangle shaped, with a spherical, somewhat beak-like nose. Above the nose are their three eyes, each one set atop the other. Tendrils and a few shorter tentacles dangle from the bottom of the head. Four blue-black slime-secreting orifices line the bottom of their bodies.
Aboleths have powerful psionic powers, being natural psions like the illithids. However, the aboleth, like the other archetypal aberrations, has a much more fearsome ability: aboleths secrete a viscous grey fluid, much like mucus, which brings about a terrible transformation in air-breathing creatures. The skin of the victim is transformed into a membrane which allows it to breathe in water, but robs the creature of air-breathing. This allows the aboleth to keep slaves, which it dominates and keeps captive with its mind. This same mucus is the only way aboleths breathe at all — if robbed of the ability to extrude aboleth slime, they suffocate in water or on land. Out of the water, an aboleth’s membranelike skin dries out quickly, but this does not prove fatal. Instead, the aboleth will eventually enter a state of suspended animation, called long dreaming, a fate considered far worse than simply dying. It forms a tough, waterproof membrane, but, once the membrane is pierced, liquid floods out and death is usually not far off for the aboleth. With the exception of the gained damage reduction and increased armor class, an aboleth out of water is simply a sitting duck.
Another strange feature of aboleths is their memory. An aboleth is born with a racial memory, each individual inheriting the memories of its ancestors. Furthermore, it assimilates the memories of those it consumes. An aboleth’s memories are stored in an ever-growing part of its brain which extends down its back as it ages. Aboleths enjoy spending time lost in particularly fine memories of their ancestors, and if they have nothing better to do, they may relive entire portions of their lives.
Aboleths do not die of age, and so live on indefinitely barring violence or disease.
Сообщество
Aboleths are utterly self-centered as a race; they know they were among the first beings in existence, and see all else as theirs. Their enmity towards other races stems in part from their perception that these «upstart» races have stolen what is rightfully the aboleths'. All that stops them from conquering the surface is their weakness on land (though an aboleth is always a fierce opponent) and the fact that they would rather enjoy themselves than waste time subduing feeble creatures such as humans. By contrast they are greatly unsettled by the Illithids due to their lack of information over that race’s creation.
Aboleth cities are vast affairs of bizarre and alien architecture, located deep underwater. The Shape of Water, located in the Underdark's Glimmersea, is the largest known Aboleth city. This is where the leaders of the race reside and hold council.
Aboleths have no gods. While they acknowledge the presence and power of gods, they have memories of a time long before any modern gods were worshipped and recall such gods' birth and often demise. They are not concerned with an afterlife since they intend to live forvever, considering death a failure. They do have a certain respect and reverence for the ancient beings known as the «Elder Evils» Bolothamogg, Holashner, Piscaethces, Shothotugg, and Y’chak, based on the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. According to the 2nd edition box set Night Below they do have a god, known as the Blood Queen.
Other sources also indicate that a minority of them worship Juiblex.[2]
In the 4th Edition Underdark sourcebook, it is noted that some sages are unsure whether aboleths have a true self-awareness, or instead have a form of psyche utterly alien to all existence. It is also noted that aboleths were originally native to the Far Realm, and they actually seek to have not just the world, but the totality of the Astral Sea and Elemental Chaos as well, subsumed by the Far Realm.
Образ жизни
An aboleth brood consists of a parent and one to three offspring. Though the offspring are as large and as strong as the parent, they defer to the parent in all matters and obey it implicitly.
Aboleth have both male and female sexual organs. A mature aboleth reproduces once every five years by concealing itself in a cavern or other remote area, then laying a single egg and covering it in slime. The parent aboleth guards the egg while the embryo grows and develops, a process that takes about five years. A newborn aboleth takes about 10 years to mature.
The omnivorous aboleth will eat any organic matter, usually algae and micro-organisms, but they are also fond of intelligent prey so they can absorb nutrients and information at the same time. Aboleth have no natural enemies, as even the mightiest marine creatures give them a wide berth.
Аболеты в Pathfinder
In the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, the Aboleths are responsible for shaping much of the pre-history of humanity and many other races of the setting’s world, Golarion. This ended when the Aboleths called down a massive meteor in retaliation when their human slaves revolted.[3] The ubiquity of Aboleth influence on and creation of the races of Golarion is so widespread that it has become a subject of cautionary humor among the authors.[4]
Примечания
- ↑ Frank Mentzer. «Ay pronunseeAY shun gyd». «Dragon» #93 (TSR, 1985)
- ↑ Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992)
- ↑ MadBrew (September 28, 2009). «Tested: Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting»
- ↑ James Sutter (September 27, 2010). «Inside the Pit: Monster Design 101». Paizo.com. «The attached image, sometimes known simply as the Aboleth Flowchart, represents a basic but often overlooked tenet in the creation of new monsters for Golarion.»
Ссылки
- Wolfgang Baur. «Secrets of the Sunless Seas». «Dragon» #222.
- James Jacobs. «The Ecology of the Kaorti». «Dragon» #358.
- F. Wesley Schneider, James Lafond Sutter. «The Lightless Depths». «Dungeon» #144.
