The Illithiad.Pdf
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Introduction -Illithid Theology, 40 —Illithids: The Legend, 4 Ilsensine, 40 —The Bowels of the World, 4 Maanzecorian, 41 —Encounter in Darkness, 5 —Consequences, 6 Psychology and Society —Inside the Illithid Mind, 42 Beliefs, 42 Illithids: What They Emotions, 45 Concept of Time, 45 —Mind Flayers at a —Society, 46 Glance, 7 Lot of the Thrall, 46 s Abilitie , Anatomy Inter-illithid Relationships, 46 and Limitations, 7 The Elder Concord, 47 Creeds, 48 —Illithid Social Customs, 53 Life Cycle and Coming of Age, 53 Variations 3 5 , Brain r Elde e th g Joinin —Eggs, 10 Entertainment, 54 —Tadpoles, 10 Nonpsionic Communication, 56 —Ceremorphosis, 11 Illithid Names, 56 —Adults, 12 Outcasts, 56 —Illithid Variations, 14 Illithids and Undead, 57 Arcane Illithids, 14 Illithids and Githyanki, 58 Ulitharids, 15 Illithids and Githzerai, 60 Elder Brains, 16 Alhoons (Illithilichs), 17 An Illithid Community Illithid Vampires, 18 —Abstemious, 61 Urophions, 18 72 , Dwelling r Flaye d Min l Typica A — Neothelids, 18 —Engendering New Communities, 74 Psionics: Options, Abilities, and Drawbacks —Philosophy of Psionics, 20 y Technolog d Illithi Optional Psionics Rule #1, 21 —Psionic Item Distribution, 77 Optional Psionics Rule #2, 21 Psionic Item Descriptions, 77 Psionic Attack and Combat, 21 Unique Psionic Items, 83 Quick Psionic Rules For Illithids, 22 Illithid Psionic Attacks, 23 Illithid Psionic Defenses, 24 Mind Flayer Quick Stat Reference Illithid Psionic Disciplines, 25 —Standard illithids, 86 —Unique Illithid Psionic Disciplines, 28 6 8 , illithids e —Arcan Unique Psionic Power Menu, 28 —Ulitharids, 86 Unique Psionic Power Descriptions, 28 —Alhoons, 87 —Psionic Drawbacks, 33 —Illithid vampires, 87 Psionic Cascade, 33 —Brain golem, 88 Psionic Disease: The Ashen, 34 Psychic Flareback, 34 —Grimlocks, 88 Partial Personalities, 35 —Lugribossk (Ilsensine's Proxy), 89 History and Theology Monsters —Origins, 36 2 9 , Brain r —Elde —Ancient History, 38 —Urophion, 94 9 3 , Empire f o l —Fal —Neothelid, 95 —Recent History, 39 —Gohlbrorn, 96 Introduction Illithidsf O . : Thnot) r o t i eo t t Legenadmi y the r d (whethe s elve k dar e th course, sifting the underdark for valuable items suitable for resale on the surface requires constant exploration Colloquially known as "mind flayers," illithids t i , end e th n I . routes e trad f o n expansio e requisit e th d an universally. elicitfeared imaget mos sI os f horror creature an e dth fead r infoun I th t e mindtha e s of inevitabl s wa surface dwellers and underworlders alike. Illithids shock and repulse other races due mostly to their practice of The Bowels cephalophagy, otherwise called brain-eating. This of the World abominable habit has such power to appall that the saying, Always quick to exploit new opportunities, I orga- "The 'flayer hasn't eaten yet!" was coined centuries ago to nized an underdark trade expedition as soon as news convey hope ir n the facrocksee ee of near-impossiblelusiv f o y colon a e g situationsconcernin . e m d reache elves. I was familiar with the rockseers only through sto- s "Wakeman' f o r operato d an r owne e principl e th s A t agreemen e trad a t tha e m d convince s tale e thes t bu , ries - se n upo s depend e lin m botto y m " Exotics, n Subterranea could prove profitable. As usual, my associates Rasteno cure trade routes into and out of the underdark, a realm and Cazpar accompanied me, along with a dozen sea- g Usin . earth e th b honeycom t tha s tunnel d an s cavern f o soned mercenaries. My associates tended the goods we the mos- t stringenmerce e th t cautionare whil , y measuresgrainohol) d an , me y agent(kaffe e s antrad do t I d wishe y b d feare s illithid g brain-earin s viciou e th d avoi o t y tr s encounter e aggressiv t agains e insuranc d provide s narie g underdark—includin e th g inhabitin e rac r othe y ever . world e th f o s bowel e th n i - vol d long-dea a f o r interio e th o int d descende e W - Caz . darkness p dam e th o int d journeye d an t ven c cani e multi-stag e th n i l vita e wer s skill g mountaineerin s par' belay downward. While not the easiest access to the ; anonymity e relativ s u d assure e rout l vertica r ou , depths an annoying band of drow bandits had recently begun harrying our regular paths, and we wished to avoid them. After a descent of some 3,000 feet, the vent finally e th f o s fringe e Th . tunnels l horizonta f o s serie a d pierce underdark lay before us. Encounter in Darkness Three days of rapid travel through previously mapped tunnels brought us to the edge of familiar terri- - un n ru o t e wis t no s it' s a , progress r ou d slowe e W . tory prepared through the uncompromising ecosystem of the s ha h eart e th w belo s resource f o h deart e Th . underdark elevated competition among predators and intelligent species to a lethal degree unknown in the world above; d foo s underdark' e th f o t par e becom o t g wishin t no r ou t scou o t s mercenarie e th f o o tw d deploye I , chain forward trail. Soon we were off, hunting for rockseer elves and profit. How does the old saying go: "What does it profit a man..."? I can't recall, but I have a feeling that the lesson contained therein addresses the subsequent n i d ahea s pres o t n decisio y M . expedition y m f o s fortune spite of the scouts' report of unfamiliar spoor was incautious at best—though sheer folly is a more apt description. s a l wel s a , close g passin s bolt w crossbo f o e whistl e Th screams laden with blood lust, announced the sudden, savage attack. Two well-aimed bolts destroyed the t ignoran l stil , darkness o int d plunge e wer e w ; lanterns of our foes' identity and number. Ringing steel and the sudden warning cries and shouts of the mercenaries left no doubt in my mind that the enemy pressed its advan- - desper w gre s mercenarie e th f o s exclamation e Th . tage ate before I produced my lampstone. Golden light washed across the cramped cavern, revealing half a score of blank-eyed, gray-skinned humanoids in mortal combat with the outer ring of mercenaries. The warriors had fared poorly during the lightless seconds—fully half my men lay dead or s A . floor n caver g unyieldin e th n upo d wounde y mortall e abl s wa I , however , illumination l magica e th f o t resul a to put a name to our enemy. We fought cannibalistic e liv o t t ligh e th k forsoo s ancestor e whos n me , grimlocks . earth e th h beneat s live d blin , brutish It was touch and go for a while, but with the return of vision, the remaining mercenaries—as well as Rasteno and Cazpar—began to repel the grimlock onslaught. s a t Jus . however , lived t shor s wa y victor g seemin r Ou face of the illithid's obvious mental attack. I finally the white-orbed humanoid" dead! l al s e gavewe'r r groundo , thing , t ourtha mercenarl "Kil , out y d choke captain turneds fropart m l the equa enem f o p u y e to bury a loncry—mad s g thi swor r dafte t tha d afrai m I' . compatriot a f o k bac e th o int p dee o t e du y probabl , out d passe I desperation— d an r terro The mercenaries wavered in reaction to the sudden the aftereffects of the illithid's brain blast. betrayal at their flank, and their line collapsed completely when the grimlocks renewed their ferocious Consequences n captai y mercenar e th d watche I , Horrified . advance A . command e erstwhil s hi n dow w he o t e continu Unrelieved blackness defined my world. I lay for . mind... y m n i w gro d an t roo e tak o t n bega n suspicio some few seconds bereft of memory, the cold, hard stone Just then, Rasteno's arm whipped forward, pointing pressed against my face. I uttered an involuntary moan down a dare kth sidf o es tunnel. memorie "Something' s a s hand y sm bacd k there!clutche y " he reflexivel d an screamed. Those were the last words I ever heard him preceding moments trickled back into my consciousness. speak. y m n i d nestle l stil , lampstone e th n o e pressur d Renewe I turnedg quicklyrevealin , to look and illumination behel f o e d the incarnatioresurgenc a d n of produce , palm my fear staring back at me from the flickering shadows my plight. of the tunnel. The robed figure stood just out of the light, The dead lay everywhere, their bodies intertwined in - mis s it d reveale y diml n illuminatio s lampstone' e th t bu their final struggle, a grisly metaphor of the animosity shapen hea. d and thdarkness eo t writhingn bor e , coilinthos d an g t clusteligh o t r on f slicbor n k me n betwee tentacles that depended from it.