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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11806 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Aug 2024 : 22:08:10
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As I already discussed, I agree with your idea that using ceremorphosis works best as a "shortcut" to making illithids (and I further it by stating that letting one grow "naturally" should be more likely to produce an "enhanced" version of illithid such as a ulitharid). If you don't mind though, it might be interesting to quickly discuss an idea surrounding neothelids.
I personally like the idea that neothelids are tadpoles that are found to be lacking mental capacity.... I guess similar to a human born with something like down syndrome... and maybe as a result of lacking mental faculties, their physical abilities are stronger. Thus, because they lack the mental capacity, they never get implanted, and they also don't form into illithids. The "official story" for them is that they would normally be eaten by the elder brain, so they have to come about as a result of the elder brain being gone, and then they have to consume a living brain to "awaken" their psionic abilities.
Where I think I'd change the neothelid story would be that the elder brain doesn't consume these "bestial" tadpoles, but rather keeps them kind of like guard dogs that it lets feed from portions of brains that are "less tasty" like the cerebellum that deals more with muscle control. These should lack the psionic abilities of the "classic" neothelid and be simple brutes. But then periodically an "awakened" neothelid comes about when one of these overgrown larvae eats the brain of a fallen illithid, and this awakens their psionic abilities and they turn against the elder brain. These awakened neothelids hate illithid society because they see that they were treated differently and are willing to attack an elder brain, which makes all illithids despise them, and the more illithid brains that they consume further enhances their abilities, if only temporarily.
With this scenario, the "guardian of the elder brain" versions could still have the acid breath weapon, tentacle attacks, and be able to swallow individuals.... they just would lack all the psionic abilities. They might also age/die much more quickly, but if they get awakened maybe they can live longer. They might also be colored differently, and this might be how illithids can tell when a neothelid "goes rogue". It would make them much more feasible for use as well since colonies might be much more willing to allow them to survive to adulthood.
As a further aside, one thing I've heard people say about children with neurological disorders is how loving they are towards the people that care for them. It occurs to me that illithids might look at the "guardian neothelids" who protect the elder brain in a similar way... they may see them as simple but "good natured" ... and they might get really pissy with people that hurt them (kind of like how someone might view a bully picking on their sibling that has a neurological disorder and might punch the bully in the face). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 05 Aug 2024 23:19:55 |
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[2e] Monster Mythology Update Project
