Aldani, also known as lobster men,[3][4][note 1] or lobsterfolk,[1] were a race of crustacean beings endemic to Chult. They inhabited its many great rivers[1][3][5] and lakes, but eventually isolated themselves to the swampy lakes of the Aldani Basin.[1][5]
Description[]
An aldani resembled a lobster, but was the size of a human being. They walked upright on two humanoid legs,[1][3] but swam like lobsters.[3] Their faces vaguely resembled that of a human, though encased in chitinous armor and their eyes extend upon long stalks.[1][3]
Personality[]
Despite their appearance, the aldani were highly intelligent and quite civilized race of beings.[3] They generally tried to avoid conflict,[1] thus whenever disputes arose among aldani they would try to settle them with courtly tournaments, though such privilege would not be offered to non-aldani that fell afoul of them.[3] When disturbed by outsiders, an aldani would not resort to violence. Instead they would try their best to frighten them away. Barring that, they would try to bribe the creature into leaving them alone, offering treasures that they had collected.[6]
Combat[]
When forced to engage in battle, alddani often fought to the death,[3] using their large pincers.[6]
History[]
According to Chultan legend, the Aldani were once a peaceful tribe of fisherfolk, but when they brought all of the lobsters in a river to extinction by over-fishing, this angered the god Ubtao, whose punishment was to turn them into the race of lobsterfolk.[7] The fisherfolk readily accepted their punishment and new state of being. However, they were scorned by the rest of their Aldani tribesmen and cast out into the rivers they had so greedily plundered.[6]
Around 1363 DR,[3] Mainu of Mezro, a bara, dwelt in the River Olung with a dozen aldani guards in her throne room.[3]
By the late 15th century DR,[note 2] no reliable witnesses had seen the aldani for over a century, causing most Chultans to believe that the lobster folk had gone extinct. In reality, they had chosen to abandon their homes in the rivers in favor of secluding themselves in the Aldani Basin.[5]
Society[]
These creatures once inhabited specific sections of the murky depths of Chults three largest rivers, the River Olung, River Tath, and the River Soshenstar.[3] By the late 15th century DR, they were primarily found within the Aldani Basin,[1][5] though they occasionally traveled back out into Chult's rivers.[8]
Alani lived in communities of up to twenty individuals. They almost never left the water, thus few outsiders saw them outside this environment. They strictly patrolled their territory, with patrols accompanied by up to twenty trained piranhas.[3] They also were known to scavenge for various treasures within the rivers and lakes they inhabited.[6]
Languages[]
In addition to speaking their own language,[9] the aldani generally understood and spoke Common.[1]
Relationships[]
The aldani were xenophobic creatures, preferring to keep to themselves.[1]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The book Serpent Kingdoms conflates the creatures known as yurians with aldani. Though both are crustaceans with humanoid traits, the other details given for aldani in Jungles of Chult and Tomb of Annihilation do not mesh with those given for yurians. Because of this, they are considered to be distinct creatures.
- ↑ Canon material does not provide a year for the events described in Tomb of Annihilation, however it is understood to take place sometime between 1488 DR and 1492 DR. The earlier date is based on the fact that Port Nyanzaru is stated to have gained independence from Amn nine years prior to the start of the adventure (p 15), which would be 1488 DR at the earliest given the city was firmly under Amnian control as of 1479 DR (as described in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, p 102). The later date is based on the presence of Volothamp Geddarm, who is promoting the in-universe Volo's Guide to Monsters during the adventure (p 24) but is stated to have concluded his promotional tour and begun a new book as of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (see pp 5, 24), which is understood to be set in 1492 DR. Unless a canon source states otherwise, this wiki will use this range for events related to this sourcebook. The adventure is also assumed to take place concurrently with or slightly after the events of Storm King's Thunder based on the subplot involving frost giants in the service of Jarl Storvald (p 13).
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
Video Games
Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir
Miniatures
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 210. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 James Lowder, Jean Rabe (1993). The Jungles of Chult. (TSR, Inc), p. 6. ISBN 1-5607-6605-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 117. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 211. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 92. ISBN 978-0786906574.