Illithids

Parasitic Aliens from The Space Outside Reality

Also known as Mindflayers, Illithids are known as powerful and intelligent beings. They invaded Zol from The Space Outside Reality during the First Age. Their home world is a poorly understood, and abstract place that Illithids captured and interrogated during The Illithid Invasion spoke of. Their species seems to have a hybrid of individual and hive consciousness. Most records tend towards the latter, where a large group of Illithids share their forms with a more powerful being called an Elder Brain. Little is know about Elder Brains, but they manifest as massive brains with tentacle like protrusions that span huge distances like a slime mold. However, an Illithid seems to have the capacity to break free of an Elder Brain with a great deal of effort. This gives them an agency of their own, but so little is understood about them this may only be one facet to the complex species.

They reproduce parasitically, Illithids produce tadpoles which can enter a host, and take over their body. This process takes time, but when it is complete the host will be 100% Illithid in their biology. This change also effects them cognitively, and most seem like completely different people. The minds of a host are very pliable at the time of this change. It is usually at this time an Elder Brain will take over the mind, and bring it into the hive. Each changed Illithid will have their own unique appearance which slightly reflects that of the host.

The beings are fascinated with magic, and knowledge. They even seem to be able to feed off of Cognitive Energy, however they can partake in normal food as well. The purpose of their invasion is not well understood by academics, but it is largely considered that they came to Zol in search of something. However, they poorly underestimated the people of Zol and were defeated. When the survivors fled, they left a few of their species behind. Now Illithids lurk in the dark corners of Zol, barely reproducing enough to keep their species alive. Some conduct horrors to strange, unknown purposes. Others merely attempt to hide, and lead a normal life in disguise. They are so few in number that most forget the possibility of even encountering one.

• Illithids are usually extremely intelligent, regardless of their host’s past. This makes them excellent scholars. The raided lairs of some Mindflayers have held knowledge about Zol that had escaped academia for generations.