🐙 Illithids, or Mind Flayers

... are extremely interesting species.

Classified in $MTG$ as $Horrors$ and $Aberrations$ in $D﹠D$, they are both from the ancient past and the distant future.

They represent the cosmic horror that materialized into the world. They take slaves, control wills, extract brains and consume minds.

Even in the worlds where Magic is common, their abilities come from a whole different source, more common in SciFi literature: Psionics.

Capable of a great deal of mental powers, these creatures lack empathy for others, as they see them as lesser creatures.

But Mind Flayers don't reproduce as any common creature. They use their leeches to infect and absorb other creatures into the hive.

As such, Illithid communities need to absorb other creatures periodically to maintain their numbers.

The personification of the Hive Mind trope, they absorb humanoids into their communities by infecting them and absorb them by transforming them into these creatures.

One survival strategy may be keeping a secret lair. From an island to a cavern or sewers in a city, Mind Flayers can be anywhere.

Probably they will keep a hunting ground, but move forward to dangerous new grounds when the need arises. From hunger to survival, to conquest and empire building. Any reason may work for your $Hive$ to expand.

Illithid see their community mind with extasys and devotion. Transcending individuality, they connect to the collective and find purpose in the greater good.

They may take slaves and see them as liberated. They may kidnap the fallen and forgotten from a city, take them to the darkness, and show them catharsis.

They may violently take thousands, or maybe a few. They may need specific knowledge to keep their community when individuals die. They may see their transformation as mercy.

But... do you lose all of yourself and your personality when absorbed into the $Hive$? Maybe, but maybe not. Maybe you keep parts of your personality and knowledge when you ascend into Illithid form.

Just as a network of individuals gets enriched by variety, a Hive will benefit from independent thinkers. As any mind flayer believes in the superiority of their new form, transcendent from the individual to the collective, they will not desert from their lines, but they will seek new ways to assure the survival of the species.

Illithid don't need to limit themselves to Humans or Gith. Take a moment to find out how different would be for the $Hive$ to have Dwarfs, Elves, Dragonborn, or even Giants.

When absorbed, mariners may transform into horrific pirates. Darfs into nightmare artisans. Elves into silent mind devourers. Soldiers would become knightmares. Druids into horror nature corrupters.

Other creatures that accompany a $Hive$ are as horrific as Illithid. An Intellect devourer is a dog-size brain creature that can possess an individual by hugging their face to death and substituting their brain.

Another creature you shouldn't forget about is the Elder Brain. Source of the Network that connects all Illithid in the vicinity, they are a great brain in a bath. They connect by mindpowers and need a lair and many subjects to keep them alive. It is very tempting to fall into the "Modership trope" with them (basically, defeating this creature would destroy the hive. Don't do that) Keep in mind that an Elder Brain is just a Hub, a connection point. They can execute control over the individual Illithid, but they are still individuals.

The process to become an Illithid needs larvae leaches that infect the host's brain through the eye. These larva transforms the brain and body of the host, though it's not a complete transformation as knowledge and some personality traits are maintained.

If these Larvae don't infect a host they grow into monstrous size worms that seek brain matter. If they consume enough brains they may develop consciousness and psychic powers.

I keep going back to the thought that these creatures should be pirates. They can use telekinetics to move a ship against wind. They can keep an Elder Brain in the ship and hunt in many different ports, keeping away hunters and adventurers (Gith) to their location. They can keep greater and older Eldest Brains on an Island that would make a great lair. And they are very sea-creature looking. And in every victory against a ship, they can convert the troops gaining a navy of great soldiers. Consider them as horrific pirates that fight and fly before you can answer to their attack. And grown larvae become great monsters that resemble krakens of horror.

The other very interesting story hook for mind flayers is the Secret Invasion. A tale of cosmic horror of the kind of Lovecraft himself. A hive, weak but gaining power, slowly rising from the sewers by cleansing the city. Taking first the sick and forgotten in the streets. The homeless and the urchin. They give them shelter and food, but absorb them into their embrace. Mercy in a way. Purpose. Safety. A better life than what the streets offer. And then, slowly rising from the Underdark. Capturing key influential people. Making them only partially Illithid (a process that uses young larvae that only transforms the brain), being part of the hive but looking humanoid. Except for some weird quirks and talking to themselves way too often.