Illithid

The **mind flayer**, also called the **illithid**, is an evil and sadistic being that feasts on the minds of humanoids. They are considered the chief servants of the daelkyr.

## History

The mind flayers are known to be present in the plane of Xoriat, the Realm of Madness.

The mind flayers accompanied the daelkyr from the plane of Xoriat to Khorvaire during the Daelkyr War and terrorized the goblinoids and orcs of the Age of Monsters.

It is possible that the **mind flayers** were created when the daelkyr destroyed the native world of the githyanki and githzerai. Under this theory the **mind flayers** would be the equivalent of the dolgaunts and the dolgrim for the goblins and hobgoblins.

## Appearance & Personality

The mind flayers are humanoid in appearance, but with a four-tentacled octopus-like head. Mind flayers are sadistic creatures who often serve the daelkyr.

They feed on the brains of sentient creatures and are thus feared. Their natural psionic abilities also make them a potent threat in Eberron.

They are capable of speaking Undercommon, but prefer telepathic communication and will attempt to mentally dominate any non-slave, non-illithid they meet.

## Abilities

The mind flayers are feared by all beings in Eberron because of their great mental prowess. Every illithid has a small array of mind-affecting spells to take control of their prey as well as a powerful *mind blast* to affect a multitude of foes. The mind flayer's *mind blast* is a 60-foot (20m) cone that stuns anyone caught within it. The mind flayer can also innately cast three mind-affecting spells: *charm monster*, *detect thoughts*, and *suggestion*. Mind flayers are also capable of casting *levitate* and *plane shift*.

Normally, a mind flayer will use its *mind blast* ability to stun a few foes and then drag them away to feed. Once it has its victims, it will attach all of its tentacles to the head of its victim. Then, the mind flayer uses its *extract* ability to suck out the brains of its victims, instantly killing the victim, as long as it only has one head. The mind flayer uses its other spells mainly to enslave its minions and keep them under total control, as well as on the battlefield.

## Types of Mind Flayer

Alhoon
An undead mind flayer that has achieved lichdom.
Ulitharid
A superior verson of an illithid.
Urophion
A Urophion is a sub species mind flayer created as guardians for a mind flayer community. A Urophion is a Roper that has survived the tadpole implantation process. They are usually treated as second class citizens but may join with the elder brain upon death.
Vampiric illithid
A feral illithid with vampiric powers.
## Society

Mind flayer communities range in size from two hundred to two thousand, and that is counting only the illithids. Each mind flayer in the community likely has at least two slaves to do its bidding. In these communities, the number of slaves often far outstrips the number of mind flayers.

   When problems arise or the mind flayers wish to discover some secret, they form inquisitions. These inquisitions are made up of a team of mind flayers, not unlike an adventuring party – each mind flayer gives their own talents and abilities to achieve the inquisition's goal. If a situation is too large for just an inquisition to handle, the mind flayer community puts together a cult. A cult is much larger than an inquisition and is spearheaded by two mind flayers who constantly vie for the greater power within the cult.

Some mind flayers undergo process called laceremorphosis, which makes them bigger, stronger and more powerful than regular mind flayers. They become Ulitharid or illithid-nobles, and posses six face tentacles instead of the regular four.

Although mind flayers willingly come together to achieve an end, they are always vying for more control in the community, but even then they are always beneath the elder brain. The elder brain is the heart of the community. Held in a pool of briny fluids, the elder brain consists of all the brains of the dead mind flayers in the community.

Mind Flayers may lead individual Cults of the Dragon Below on behalf of the daelkyr. They are considered icons for Xoriat and the Cults.

## Notable Personalities

* **Xor'chylic the Old:** Xor'chylic is the mind flayer governor of the city of Graywall in Droaam. He was discovered trapped beneath the city, and now administers the city on behalf of the Daughters of Sora Kell. He holds a grudge against the lords of Xoriat.
* **Chyrassk:** Chyrassk is a mind flayer who rules over a Cult of the Dragon Below in the abandoned Citadel of the Closed Circle of Khyber's Gate in Sharn.

## References

1. ↑ The illithid are indicated as being native to Xoriat on page 305 of the Eberron Campaign Setting
2. ↑ The psionic illithid variant may be found on page 204 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook
3. ↑ Per the Eberron Campaign Setting on page 47, as mind flayers they would be able to speak Daelkyr.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 ***Expanded Psionics Handbook***.
Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 ***Monster Manual***.
Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook (July 2003). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 ***Eberron Campaign Setting***.
Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, and James Wyatt (2004). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Keith Baker (07/04/2005). Eberron Expanded -- Lords of Madness. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 07/14/2018. Retrieved on 02/07/2019, 2019. Retrieved on February 7, 2019.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 ***Lords of Madness***.
Rich Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (2005). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3657-1.
9. ↑ Keith Baker (10/23/2006). Eberron Expanded - Complete Psionic. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 01/23/2016. Retrieved on 02/15/2019.
10. ↑ ***Eberron Campaign Guide***.
James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
11. ↑ ***Sharn: City of Towers***.
Keith Baker and James Wyatt (2004). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3434-4.