Illithid
The mind flayers, or Illithids (this term comes from an old undercommon word that meant "brain master" when roughly translated to common) were a species of sadistic psionic beings from the everchanging dimensions of the Far Realm. These beings were feared across the multiverse for their inscrutable demeanor, incomprehensible biology, and the organized harvesting of humanoid creatures for the purpose of feeding on their brains.
They extracted their victims memories and personalities during feeding while they were still alive, learning intimately how to take down entire civilizations from within. They psychically dominated useful thralls. They communicated with each other telepathically, allowing them to advance in eerie silence with highly coordinated actions. They controlled nearly everything from the shadows.
Illithids travelled Wildspace in dreadnoughts of horrifying and unknowable eldritch machinery. They appear to be alive with their constant undulating movements. When magic was sealed, the Illithids of the Ground and Wildspace were separated for nearly 1500 years. In this time, a tadpole named Draozzizaussk completed its ceremorphosis (the process by which it dominates its host body and becomes a full mind flayer) on a Human child host. The newly minted mind flayer could not separate itself from the memories and emotions of its original host mind, causing many to refer to it as The Adversary. This mind flayer assisted the Starfinders in reverse engineering the magic required to make a spelljamming helm from a defunct eldritch tadpole brine pool. This pool was on a derelict dreadnought thought to be from the time when the Stars of Power were sealed away.
The Adversary, prophesied to one day destroy all Illithids, in facing the threat of the Draconians chose to visit the Illithids of Rolaraspace and entreat them to join the side of Rolara. The Master had other plans, however.
They extracted their victims memories and personalities during feeding while they were still alive, learning intimately how to take down entire civilizations from within. They psychically dominated useful thralls. They communicated with each other telepathically, allowing them to advance in eerie silence with highly coordinated actions. They controlled nearly everything from the shadows.
Illithids travelled Wildspace in dreadnoughts of horrifying and unknowable eldritch machinery. They appear to be alive with their constant undulating movements. When magic was sealed, the Illithids of the Ground and Wildspace were separated for nearly 1500 years. In this time, a tadpole named Draozzizaussk completed its ceremorphosis (the process by which it dominates its host body and becomes a full mind flayer) on a Human child host. The newly minted mind flayer could not separate itself from the memories and emotions of its original host mind, causing many to refer to it as The Adversary. This mind flayer assisted the Starfinders in reverse engineering the magic required to make a spelljamming helm from a defunct eldritch tadpole brine pool. This pool was on a derelict dreadnought thought to be from the time when the Stars of Power were sealed away.
The Adversary, prophesied to one day destroy all Illithids, in facing the threat of the Draconians chose to visit the Illithids of Rolaraspace and entreat them to join the side of Rolara. The Master had other plans, however.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Average illithids were about similar in size and shape to a humanoid creature, with purple smooth skin and typically four face tentacles. Some were smaller or larger, depending on the resources they consumed during and before ceremorphosis. Few illithids became an ulitharid or eventually an elder brain.
Genetics and Reproduction
Illithids were sexless and reproduced via a grotesque process called ceremorphosis. Rarely, perhaps once or twice in their life, a mind flayer would produce a clutch of tadpole eggs in a thick, disgusting brine. The tadpoles were kept in an elder brain tank or a special pool, where they were fed brains by caretakers and engaged in cannibalism for around a decade or so. The elder brain also fed exclusively on tadpoles. Tadpoles that survived to maturity were put through the ceremony of ceremorphosis, where each was implanted into a humanoid victim and devoured its brain, taking its place and merging with the body to transform it into a new illithid.
The tadpoles were not helpless themselves, and thralls or foolish explorers who came into contact with tadpole brine could not escape their transplantation. Rarely, the tadpoles would create a type of illithid that was larger and more powerful, called an Ulitharid. These ulitharids had more face tentacles that were longer than the average mind flayer's, and notably they were independent of the elder brain's influence. Eventually, this Ulitharid would take some followers and establish an independent colony, where soon after it would mysteriously transform into an elder brain.
If, for some reason, a mature tadpole did not undergo the process of ceremorphosis, it became a ravenous predatory creature known as an illithocyte or, if allowed to grow out of control, a neothelid. These creatures were considered abhorrent by the illithids and were mercilessly hunted.
The tadpoles were not helpless themselves, and thralls or foolish explorers who came into contact with tadpole brine could not escape their transplantation. Rarely, the tadpoles would create a type of illithid that was larger and more powerful, called an Ulitharid. These ulitharids had more face tentacles that were longer than the average mind flayer's, and notably they were independent of the elder brain's influence. Eventually, this Ulitharid would take some followers and establish an independent colony, where soon after it would mysteriously transform into an elder brain.
If, for some reason, a mature tadpole did not undergo the process of ceremorphosis, it became a ravenous predatory creature known as an illithocyte or, if allowed to grow out of control, a neothelid. These creatures were considered abhorrent by the illithids and were mercilessly hunted.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The sustenance of mind flayers were the brains and personalities of other creatures, mainly those of humanoids. Only brain tissue provided the required combination of the three essential components needed to sustain the mind flayer physiology: hormones, enzymes, and psychic energy. Mind flayers also ate other materials, such as plants or mushrooms that grow aroudn geothermal vents (in addition to requiring brackish water), most of which contained trace amounts the critical enzymes and hormones they needed, but not psychic energy.
While illithids are entirely one individual, the personality traits of their meals are occasionally integrated into their identity. This meant that illithid colonies sometimes shared cultural or aesthetic preferences of their primary food source. A diet of two to three humanoid brains a week is adequate for most, and less than one a week can lead to sickness and even death.
Illithids can eat the brains of other illithids but this process is difficult for them; the psychic connection that illithids share with their colony is intimate. When a threat forms from within a colony, it is often quickly neutralized because of this. Refusing to eat humanoid brains, the Adversary eats the brains of mind flayers he destroys.
While illithids are entirely one individual, the personality traits of their meals are occasionally integrated into their identity. This meant that illithid colonies sometimes shared cultural or aesthetic preferences of their primary food source. A diet of two to three humanoid brains a week is adequate for most, and less than one a week can lead to sickness and even death.
Illithids can eat the brains of other illithids but this process is difficult for them; the psychic connection that illithids share with their colony is intimate. When a threat forms from within a colony, it is often quickly neutralized because of this. Refusing to eat humanoid brains, the Adversary eats the brains of mind flayers he destroys.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Mind flayers were thought to be sensitive to bright lights, preferring to perceive the world around them with their strange psionic senses. They had far reaching telepath, and the ability to piggy back telepathic signals across distances using their thralls and each other as relays in a vast network. Lacking exterior ears, illithids are slightly handicapped compared to the average humanoid when it comes to hearing. While they could perceive sounds, they often had difficulty discerning individual tones or sound sources from others. Illithids lack the nose or olfactory senses altogther.
These aberrations have a variety of senses that other creatures cannot comprehend. They seem to have developed instinctual ways of perceiving the flowing energy between dimensions, and can detect the psionic energy of other living creatures over distances and through obstacles. Notably, they appear to have a more refined sense of touch in their face tentacles compared to their hands or other extremities.
These aberrations have a variety of senses that other creatures cannot comprehend. They seem to have developed instinctual ways of perceiving the flowing energy between dimensions, and can detect the psionic energy of other living creatures over distances and through obstacles. Notably, they appear to have a more refined sense of touch in their face tentacles compared to their hands or other extremities.
Origin/Ancestry
Aberration
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