G’lyh’rul is an enslaved aboleth dwelling in the lake within the Tomb of the Nine Gods. When Acererak bound the creature to his service, the trauma shattered G’lyh’rul’s mind, resulting in a split personality disorder.
Personalities
The aboleth alternates between two distinct personas (determined randomly each encounter):
Dominant Personality (Servitor): In this state, G’lyh’rul faithfully awaits the rise of the death god, believing it will herald the downfall of all divinity. The aboleth obeys Withers (whom it knows by his original name, Gorra) and attacks anyone who threatens the atropal’s ascension to godhood.
Recessive Personality (Child): This persona behaves as a harmless, gleeful, insanely curious humanoid child. In this state, G’lyh’rul poses no threat and flees if attacked.
Behavior and Tactics
The aboleth ignores characters exploring the lake in rowboats (from area 66) unless they attract significant attention. In combat, G’lyh’rul fights without lair actions, as it is not the true master of the lake—merely a prisoner bound to it.
Knowledge
Ancient beyond reckoning, G’lyh’rul possesses tens of thousands of years of accumulated knowledge. If characters establish telepathic communication when the aboleth is willing to speak, it can provide information equivalent to a commune spell. This supernatural insight bypasses the tomb’s normal restrictions on spellcasting. After sharing such knowledge, G’lyh’rul loses interest and retreats to the lake’s depths to dream dark dreams.
Relationships
- Withers (Gorra): The aboleth recognizes and obeys the tomb’s caretaker by his original name
- Acererak: The demilich who enslaved G’lyh’rul, breaking its mind in the process
- The Atropal: G’lyh’rul serves as a guardian, protecting the nascent death god’s ascension