Before go into my theory, I will briefly summarize for all who are not aware:
Last month, Tari and myself picked up a client request to handle sporadic missing peoples, entire ships, and sightings of "shark people" around Gwenlynn on Aris. Our investigation landed us facing one of these. . . things. . . and ultimately concluded that something is leveraging abberance to create these beasts out of innocent people whether it be humans, goblins, etc. This has called for the involvement of (forgive me for not adding/knowing your respective appellations) Gideon, Kleiden, Caelvan, and various other individuals for further investigation and to ensure their vassals are safe and taken care of. Caelvan has personally uncovered its lair and name, Aboleth, and was able to retrieve a sample of what is believed to be used to transform people into the beasts we see. Caelvan described Aboleth as a "catfish with three vertical eyes" and tentacles. Conversation with Aboleth concludes in "thinks everything should be able to survive underwater, so it mutates people by covering them with a sticky substance from its tentacles, which hardens into a cocoon looking thing, which hatches into half fish-half people." You might think just outside the Dragons Claw Inn's doors isn't the best place for experiments, but Tari and Kestral managed well and drew some conclusions from this sample: Weaving purity into the sample sort of separated the abberance from water, leaving a hard shell-like mass. This mass of nearly pure abberance is not chaotic and actively attempted to infect once touched. Forgive me if I've failed to explain this part properly, I was not there in person to witness it.
Onto my theory which is in two parts; 1) Is it possible that, alongside the vessel that is used to inject aberrant magic into, thus creating these beasts we are dealing with, Aboleth also requires either a second life force or its own personal essence to complete the process? Perhaps it simply chose aquatic life as it is the most attainable option personally? What I mean by this is, Aboleth's power may not be limited to creating just half-fish beings. Rather, it's ultimate goal is conveniently achieved by what it can do. 2) The "shark people" are indeed sentient and understand what they are doing whether the instruction is active or predisposed. This is not to say they can communicate, rather that what they do is not instinctual. There has to be an academic correlation between the motivation for choosing sentient beings as vessels and Aboleth on this hellbent path of conversion other than it's personal goal. While being able to convert beings at the same time, it is initially curating sentient life to instruct in an effort to exponentially grow.
I would personally prefer Aboleth not be destroyed. There is much we could learn as even our most educated persons are challenged so far. Given we understand its full intentions in due time and they are reasonable, perhaps my colleagues at Darkwood Academy would be interested in containing and hosting Aboleth humanely . . .somehow. . . Take care and I look forward to your responses, Jeanne-Vierre Desmos
Professor of Psionics, Darkwood Academy.
Thank you for your patience as always, Tari. I shall finish work and stand by to head out once we have given enough time for others to show interest.
Make no mistake. I have no heart.
Gabriel.
Caelvan, I am afraid I can not swim, but I am willing to figure something out to get to this creature.
Jeanne do not go alone. As far as Gabriel is concerned, he is correct when he speaks of Abberant creatures. However please do not get angry with him. I recognize that you are attempting to learn about abberance, all of us had to start somewhere.
I am avoiding for your questions if you want to know more
I will not let allow an abberation to go unimprisoned or unsubjugated. If you want to study it, study it as it's dealt with. If you capture and hide it I will find it and it will bend to my will, assuming an exemplar does not beat me to it first. I do like big hunts though. -Narcissus Malagan
Dearest Gabriel,
I implore you to step down from that throne of parchment and quills to open that. . . what I assume to be a heart under that arrogant head of yours. . . to see that this world has educators who are open to, and actively seek, educating themselves as they perfectly understand their limits. Said educators respectfully look to their fellow peers to expand their knowledge past its boundaries.
With that I said Hello again, I am Professor Jeanne-Vierre Desmos. Brought on at the recommendation of Dirge, vetted by Wren, whom both had direct involvement with my mastery. My studies focus on opening and connecting our student's hearts with their mind through various Psionic arts.
Seeing that you treat time as some sort of currency, lighten that haughty trunk of clocks and attend one of my intro seminars. You could use it. My apologies to everyone else witnessing this. I've been working very hard to hold my tongue, or writing in this case, with individuals as this. You've managed to strike perfect consonance with my nerves in the nick of time, for I was just about to take leave from the Proper and deal with the actual situation at hand. - Jeanne-Vierre
Gabriel,
We will need a large group to go after this thing. The size alone would make it difficult for a small team. Add on that there were at least 4 tentacles that could grab people and start the transformation process, it would increase the difficulty of fighting this creature.
I wish I had more information, but as I know very little of aberrant magical creatures I tried finding out as much as I could.
Tari,
If we can get a large enough scouting party, I will gladly guide you there. It is about a day's travel to the cave I found by foot, and there will be some swimming involved.
-Caelvan
A second thing you are incorrect on. You have all the time I determine you have.
You claim to be a professor, and yet you show such a painfully basic oversight of how aberrant energies interact with the weave that I cannot fathom how you attained such a rank. Aberrant energy does not 'toy'. It is an extremely destructive force. Aberrant creatures are either bound and consumed or, if you lack the stomach, returned to Myrinod to be returned to the weave as non-aberrant energies.
The creature should be hunted down and dealt with as quickly as is reasonably possible. Aberrant energies on this world are destructive, and the longer they gather in a single creature the more dangerous they are.
Gabriel
Chronomancer
Binder of Argolarium the Bound King
Gabriel, Care to explain my words rather than the apparent jab that I have no time for?
Caelvan,
I would like to go. As the one who touched it, I will say that it actively tries to infect the touches with abberance, the reason I was less affected because chimera fought back, however there was an exchange of power. My hands became burned where I touched the shell, and in turn the shell I touched became brittle and easily breakable. However the substance dealt with is absolutely used to transfer abberant magic from the Aboleth to its victims
"toy with strands"
A poor choice of words for one who proclaims themselves a professor.
Gabriel
That indeed is a very important detail. This is the first time I've experienced what I now understand are Abberant beings. It was quite interesting witnessing how abberant magic toys with strands.
Given the origin is already understood and there are various people that are already aware of these beings, I rescind my suggestion to relocate Aboleth for further study. I will do what I need to for personal experience until it is destroyed, voluntarily aid in relinquishment of its existence, and consult texts to continue study.
Jeanne-Vierre Desmos
Professor of Psionics, Darkwood Academy
Sorry, you forgot a pretty important detail. The Aboleth itself is an Aberrant Arcane creature. These creatures do not belong here and I am pretty sure there are a bunch of White Sorcerer's and Soul Binders that would disagree with you on it not being destroyed. I join them in that. This thing is perverting natural life into something it shouldn't be. I saw the process happening to a Lizardkin in person. It is horrific. It deserves to be dealt with the way that the White Sorcerer's or Soul Binders do. And nothing more. To that end, if there are any who wish to go to the lair that I discovered, I can lead you there to learn more, or even better, destroy it.
-Caelvan Renaith