THE MIND FLAYERS
CHAPTER 4
other creatures to distinguish whether that is a true emotion or Ulitharids a display to impress outsiders or enemies. Because of this, mind An ulitharid is immediately distinguishable from an illithid flayers are assumed to have either few emotions or tremendous by two characteristics: it towers over its cousins, standing 7 to self-control. Both assumptions are wrong. 8 feet tall, and it has six tentacles rather than four. Illithids feel intense emotions but internalize them almost The “birth” of an ulitharid is a significant event in an illithid colony. They are sufficiently rare that a colony with a single completely. A mind flayer that looks calm might be raging ulitharid considers itself lucky. with a cauldron of emotion beneath the surface. In addition, an illithid’s emotions are entirely negative: Anger, fear, envy, As a tadpole, an ulitharid is indistinguishable from other tadpoles. However, it spends twice as long as a tadpole—twenty hate, shame, indignation, contempt, pride, and anxiety comprise nearly their entire emotional repertoire. The closest they years, compared to the standard ten—before reaching maturity. come to experiencing joy is the feeling they get when eating Its true nature does not become evident even to other mind a brain, but even this is mixed with such sadistic and hateful flayers until ceremorphosis. Once an ulitharid begins its overtones that it can’t be considered “happiness” as most races transformation, it is greeted as something akin to a prophet. would define it. These creatures rise to positions of civil or military leaderThis constant negative emotional state colors an illithid’s ship within their communities, and they frequently receive every thought and perception. Because it knows no happiness, diplomatic embassies from other colonies that are not so it spends no time planning how to become happy. Pride, satiblessed. In addition to their greater stature and revered status, ated curiosity, and self-satisfaction are a mind flayer’s highest ulitharids live twice as long as other mind flayers, compensating somewhat for their rarity of birth. emotional states. These feelings motivate it to action. For ulitharid statistics, see Chapter 8.
Illus. by W. England
ILLITHID VARIANTS
64
Illithids are not a homogenous race. Their decade-long incuba- Illithid Sorcerers tion as tadpoles and the mysterious process of ceremorphosis Considering their powerful intellects, it’s not surprising that spawn numerous mutations and variations. Most of these do many illithids study wizardry. What is surprising is that a small number of illithids are actually sorcerers. How sorcerous not survive. talent manifests itself in creatures as nonhuman and alien as
An elder brain in its pool
