Illithid Empire
An illithid, or mind flayer, is a sinister, alien humanoid with a smooth, mauve-hued head crowned by four writhing tentacles surrounding a lamprey-like mouth. Born of both psionics and fleshcraft, illithids feed on the brains of sentient creatures to sustain themselves and absorb their memories. They are cold, calculating intellects driven by domination and the pursuit of knowledge. Guided by a collective elder brain within each colony, they operate as parts of a single vast will—masters of mind control, subversion, and manipulation. To encounter one is to face a being of terrifying intelligence and absolute contempt for all other life.
The Illithid Empire, once a vast dominion that spanned countless worlds, now exists only in fractured remnants. Its former unity collapsed after the gith rebellion, leaving scattered enclaves of mind flayers struggling to rebuild their supremacy. In its current state, the empire is a shadow of its former glory—composed of hidden colonies, secret citadels in the Underdark, and drifting nautiloid fleets in the Astral Sea. Each enclave pursues its own agenda: restoring the elder brains’ network, harvesting thralls, or seeking ancient psionic technologies to reclaim dominion over the planes. Despite their decline, the illithids remain a silent, insidious threat—patient, calculating, and driven by a singular belief that the multiverse rightfully belongs to them.