Abolethic Sovereignty

The Abolethic Sovereignty were the original aboleths of the Realms, who dwelt in the flying, obelisk-shaped city of Xxiphu, that has existed since prehistoric times.

Activities
The main goal of the Abolethic Sovereignty was to unlock the Far Manifold with the Key of Stars and open the gate to the Far Realm to unleash their masters onto the world. They were also greatly interested in the Spellplague, and searched and studied active plaguelands across Faerûn. They also wanted to control the power of the primordial Maegera the Inferno, and created the the dreaded Symphony of Madness to that end. The aboleths kidnapped many living creatures for their ambitious experiments to improve the Symphony of Madness.

Xxiphu was a mobile city, and that allowed the Abolethic Sovereignty to operate throughout all Faerûn. However, they focused their efforts on the region of Sea of Fallen Stars near Akanûl, and in the Underdark below Neverwinter. They also held total control over the city of Olleth.

Possessions
Besides the dreaded Symphony of Madness, the Sovereignty also possessed the powerful Hex Locus.

Membership
The aboleths of the Abolethic Sovereignty were unlike the normal aboleths native to Toril. The aboleths of the Sovereignty were far older and had thought patterns different to those of the Torilian aboleths. Torilian aboleths usually avoided, or even opposed, aboleths of the Sovereignty. It was believed that aboleths of the Sovereignty were in fact the ancestors of the Torilian aboleths.

This was truer for the aboleths of the Sovereignty's cell working in Neverwinter, as exposure to the Spellplague had plaguechanged most of them, making them even more alien than the other aboleths of the Sovereignty. However, thanks to their plaguechanged condition, aboleths of the Neverwinter cell were more powerful than other aboleths.

For their covert operations, the Abolethic Sovereignty used the Symphony of Madness to control humanoids in subtle ways, making them excellent spies and sacrificial pawns without arousing suspicions in people around them. The rest of the servants of the Sovereignty were aberrant creatures: foulspawn, gricks, grell, kuo-toa, krakens, mind flayers and nothics, as well as plaguechanged creatures created during their experiments.

History
The Abolethic Sovereignty originally came to Abeir-Toril when the world was young, when Xxiphu plummeted to the world and settled deep below what is now the Sea of Fallen Stars. The oldest-known aboleth and possibly the progenitor of the entire species, the Eldest, was an enormous creature that rested atop the city like a throne. When Abeir-Toril was sundered into two twin planets, Abeir and Toril, the city of Xxiphu remained on Abeir.

During the Spellplague of 1385 DR, Xxiphu was transported to Faerûn, and the members of the Abolethic Sovereignty took great interest in the world of Toril. Sensing the presence of Maegera below Gauntlgrym, the aboleths wanted to use the primordial's power for their own ends.

In 1396 DR, Xxiphu was raised over the Sea of Fallen Stars and the Sovereignty compelled many kuo-toa tribes into their service. Shortly after its raising, Malyanna moved Xxiphu to the Citadel of the Outer Void on the fringe of the Feywild to open the gate to the Far Realm, but failed.

In 1429 DR, Xxiphu returned from the Citadel of the Outer Void to the sky above the Sea of Fallen Stars. Not long after, members of the Abolethic Sovereignty moved against Akanûl and destroyed the city of Brassune before the genasi could repel the aboleths.

In the following decades, a branch of the Abolethic Sovereignty became interested in a pocket of Spellplague in the Underdark below Neverwinter and began to use it to further the experiments that would aid them to create the Symphony of Madness. The first tests of the Symphony occurred a few years later, when the Sovereignty used the Symphony to corrupt the elder brain of a colony of mind flayers living in Gauntlgrym, something that in turn corrupted the mind flayers, turning them into plaguechanged puppets of the Sovereignty.

The Ruining of Neverwinter in 1451 DR tore a giant chasm through the earth of the southeastern quadrant of the city. Reaching all the way to the depths of the Underdark, this rift opened wide to an underground lake where the Neverwintan cell of the Abolethic Sovereignty was experimenting on the plagueland located there. To the aboleths, the arrival the Shadovar–Thay War and the accompanying flurry of activity was a threat to their plans. They began to send minions to keep the other factions in the city busy while covering their own actions, using the succubus Arunika as one of their agents, until she was killed by an Oghman priest, Brother Anthus.

In the late 1470s DR,the succubus Rohini was sent to Neverwinter by the erinyes Invadiah to create conflict between the Sovereignty and the god Asmodeus. Her mission was to infiltrate the Oghman priesthood, to steal their methods to create spellscars, and spread false information to force the Sovereignty to attack the Nine Hells in a doomed crusade devised to either destroy or to enslave the aboleths. In 1478 DR, Rohini was able to seduce Brother Anthus, infiltrating the Oghman faith successfully. She later killed Anthus in revenge for the death of her sister Arunika, earning the attention of the Sovereignty.

Unfortunately for Rohini, Brother Vartan, a Sovereignty-corrupted priest, attempted to enslave her mind using a powerful relic known as the Hex Locus. Rohini was able to survive her contact with the Symphony of Madness and fused with the Hex Locus while maintaining her own free will. The aboleths convinced her that serving them was better than to serve Asmodeus, and that now that she had been fused with the Hex Locus she had a greater role in their plans. Rohini was reluctant at first, but eventually accepted to join the Sovereignty.

As of 1479 DR, the Abolethic Sovereignty was investing their efforts to thwart the New Neverwinter movement or to use it to advance their own agenda. They also advanced their plans to conquer Gauntlgrym, releasing toxic slimes and oozes to attack the duergar living in the ancient city. However, this drew the attention of the Ashmadai, and soon both factions began to fight over control of Gauntlgrym.

Notable members

 * The Eldest
 * A'Drx'l
 * Chartilifax
 * Malyanna
 * Rohini
 * Soman Galt

Appearances

 * novels:
 * Abolethic Sovereignty (series)
 * Plague of Spells
 * City of Torment
 * Key of Stars (novel)
 * Brimstone Angels series
 * Brimstone Angels


 * Games:
 * Neverwinter (game)