Piscaethces
Encyclopedia
Piscaethces the Blood Queen is the aboleth
deity of domination and oppression, in the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game. Her symbol is a sphere of mucus surrounded by droplets of the same substance.
by Carl Sargent
, where she was called simply the Blood Queen. She was given the name "Pisaethces" in Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark by Eric L. Boyd. Lords of Madness
named her Piscaethces and interpreted her as more of a Lovecraftian elder being than a traditional god.
and opposed by Callarduran Smoothhands
, Laduguer
, Lolth
, and Vhaeraun
. Ilxendren, lesser god of the ixzan, both respects and fears Piscaethces and her creations. Juiblex
and Tharizdun
are occasional rivals for aboleth devotion, but Piscaethces cares nothing for this.
Other Elder Evils
honored by the aboleths include Bolothamogg, Holashner, Shothotugg, and Y'chak.
, where the mucus that bleeds from her body becomes a vast bog. The aboleths themselves believe that she "travels the currents of probability between infinite realities, spreading her seed almost as an afterthought as she moves from one world to another."
. The aboleths teach that the Blood Queen is uncaring and unfeeling, caring nothing for her creations. She created them by accident as a by-product of the interaction between her body and the physical world; the aboleths accept and even appreciate this. They see the disinterest of their creator as a liberating condition, enabling to make their lives as they desire it, not as some extradimensional being demands.
In Lords of Madness, savant aboleths are portrayed as casters of arcane spells only, and Piscaethces is portrayed as a being too uncaring even to grant spells to her followers.
, drow and other beings to honor their goddess.
Aboleth
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, aboleths are a fictive race of malevolent, eel-like aberrations with potent psionic abilities...
deity of domination and oppression, in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game. Her symbol is a sphere of mucus surrounded by droplets of the same substance.
Creative origins
Piscaethces was first introduced in Night BelowNight Below: An Underdark Campaign
Night Below: An Underdark Campaign, often known simply as Night Below, is a boxed set for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
by Carl Sargent
Carl Sargent
Carl L. Sargent is a British author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels.-Early career:...
, where she was called simply the Blood Queen. She was given the name "Pisaethces" in Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark by Eric L. Boyd. Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Contents:It includes new content for aberrations including new aberration monsters and monsters related to them, and information on how to hunt aberrations.-What Is an...
named her Piscaethces and interpreted her as more of a Lovecraftian elder being than a traditional god.
Description
Piscaethces is portrayed as a gigantic, bloated aboleth with no tentacles, surrounded by mucus the color of blood.Relationships
The Blood Queen is allied with KiaransaleeKiaransalee
Kiaransalee is the fictional drow deity of slavery, undead, and vengeance. She was created for the AD&D Second Edition, first appearing in Monster Mythology, and as such is a general deity not specific to any one game world.-Publication history:Kiaransalee was first detailed in the book Monster...
and opposed by Callarduran Smoothhands
Callarduran Smoothhands
Callarduran Smoothhands is the gnome god of the earth in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.He is the patron deity of the svirfneblin , and is not very popular among other gnome subraces. Unlike other gods of the Underdark, he is not an outcast...
, Laduguer
Laduguer
In many campaign settings for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, Laduguer is the evil deity of the duergar, the Underdark-dwelling cousins of dwarves. He is a strict and unforgiving god. His holy symbol is a shield with a broken crossbow bolt motif.-Creative origins:Laduguer was...
, Lolth
Lolth
Lolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
, and Vhaeraun
Vhaeraun
Vhaeraun , also known as the Masked Lord and the Masked God of Night, is the drow god of thievery, drow males, and evil activity on the surface world in many Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings.-Publication history:...
. Ilxendren, lesser god of the ixzan, both respects and fears Piscaethces and her creations. Juiblex
Juiblex
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Juiblex, also called The Faceless Lord, is the demon lord of Slimes and Oozes. Juiblex's lair is on the 222nd layer of the Abyss, which he shares with Zuggtmoy, the Demoness Lady of Fungi. In Gary Gygax's Gord novels, Juiblex is alternately called Szhublox...
and Tharizdun
Tharizdun
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Tharizdun is the god of Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity, and Cold....
are occasional rivals for aboleth devotion, but Piscaethces cares nothing for this.
Other Elder Evils
Elder Evils
Elder Evils is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game.-Contents:It includes new content for epic level characters, in the form of extremely powerful, alien monstrosities intent on destroying the world .The book presents nine “elder...
honored by the aboleths include Bolothamogg, Holashner, Shothotugg, and Y'chak.
Realm
Piscaethces is said to have a realm in Minauros on the plane of BaatorBaator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
, where the mucus that bleeds from her body becomes a vast bog. The aboleths themselves believe that she "travels the currents of probability between infinite realities, spreading her seed almost as an afterthought as she moves from one world to another."
Dogma
Piscaethces seeks to dominate all existence, though her interests are primarily directed in realities other than the Prime Material PlanePrime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
. The aboleths teach that the Blood Queen is uncaring and unfeeling, caring nothing for her creations. She created them by accident as a by-product of the interaction between her body and the physical world; the aboleths accept and even appreciate this. They see the disinterest of their creator as a liberating condition, enabling to make their lives as they desire it, not as some extradimensional being demands.
Clergy
The closest thing to clerics of the Blood Queen among the aboleths are the savants, who cast spells both as clerics and wizards. They are the leaders of their kind, dominating it from within their great cities. They are very few in number, and it may be true that Piscaethces selects them individually.In Lords of Madness, savant aboleths are portrayed as casters of arcane spells only, and Piscaethces is portrayed as a being too uncaring even to grant spells to her followers.
Temples
Piscaethces is honored in aboleth architecture by the inclusion of large domed windows of red crystal, and by stone murals depicting aboleths sacrificing sentient beings to the goddess as a sign of respect. Great stone altars with statues of the Blood Queen on either side are used for sacrificial rites.Rituals
Aboleths sacrifice humans, derroDerro (Dungeons & Dragons)
The derro are a fictional species of monstrous humanoids in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. They were first devised for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition adventure Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth...
, drow and other beings to honor their goddess.
The Once and Future Queen
Piscaetheces left the Prime Material Plane long ago, and the aboleths do not expect her to return from her wanderings. However, they believe that if she does return, this is a sign that all of existence is circular, and therefore can be completely dominated.Additional reading
- Boyd, Eric L. Demihuman Deities. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.