Page 77 - Volo's Guide to Monsters

tendencies.
thralls is roughly equal.
available to the illithids, they have some preferences and
Their brains all have a similar taste, and their utility as
maintain the colony. Among the variety of humanoids
and other similar humanoids as largely interchangeable.
direct oversight and lack the ability to use tools to help
cussed above, they tend to see ores, bugbears, humans,
proper anatomy. Animals, in contrast, require a lot of
fall into their grasp. Aside from the exceptions dis-
and mind flayers sometimes work with whatever victims
since they have a good balance of physical attributes and
Almost any humanoid creature can end up as a thrall,
Mind flayers vastly prefer to use humanoids as thralls,
firm control.
restored to normal when the final round of spells is cast.
it once per day for three consecutive days. The victim is
rarely transformed into thralls or otherwise kept under
humanoid thralls to control. Small humanoids are only
have regeneration, heal, and greater restoration cast on
palate. They are also relatively easy for larger, stronger
combination of spells and ministration. The thrall must
A thrall can be restored to its former self through a
flayer incursion make their brains tasty to the illithid
would never suspect its true nature.
groups, and their fear and despair in the face of a mind
flayer. This sort of thrall makes a perfect spy, since most
good food source because they tend to gather in large
anything except food. Small humanoids do make a
communicate with its new masters as if it were a mind
as well as telepathic power that allows the victim to
lins, kobolds, gnomes, and other small humanoids for
Only the most desperate colonies bother using gob-
ing it with a fanatical loyalty to the colony's elder brain
HUMANOIDS
know how to leave a victim's persona intact while infus-
psionic powers into their thralls. Also, some colonies
them under control.
psionic abilities during the process or how to implant
food, rather than relying on the quaggoth thonot to keep
Some colonies have learned how to salvage a victim's
motivate most colonies to convert them into thralls or
of proficiencies, a new alignment, and a new personality.
ifications. The quaggoths' chaotic tendencies eventually
To complete the process, the thrall receives a new set
ing them ideal shock troops without any additional mod-
over, its Intelligence score increases by ld6.
colony. Quaggoths are naturally strong and quick, mak-
ture's Intelligence is halved; when the second stage is
thonot (a psionic shaman) into pledging allegiance to a
Intelligence. After the first stage of the process, the crea-
cellent thralls.'When possible, they manipulate a tribe's
granted by race), and all of its ability scores except for
rarely manifested, talent for psionics makes them ex-
Hit Dice, hit points, racial traits (but not proficiencies
Mind flayers find that the quaggoths' innate, though
everything about the victim. The creature retains its
QUAGGOTHS
The process that creates a thrall changes almost
perform its intended function.
penned up or docile.
and the victim gains the skills and talents it needs to
ter capturing them, rather than attempting to keep them
illithids rebuild the victim's memories and personality,
psionic alteration. Thus, they tend to eat kuo-toa soon af-
This step takes 24 hours. Over the next 48 hours, the
great treat, but they prefer to eat them raw, unsullied by
former personality and leaving it a partially empty shell.
ficult to control. Mind flayers consider kuo-toa brains a
washes through its synapses like acid, clearing away its
for good thralls because their insanity makes them dif-
ity, the mind flayer bombards the victim with energy that
drove the kuo-toa mad. Nowadays, kuo-toa don't make
means. Using a low-power version of its Mind Blast abil-
peated exposure to the mind flayers' psionic intrusions
A thrall-to-be is first rendered docile through psionic
they proved quite easy to control. In time, though, re-
power to the effort while otherwise remaining inactive.
Illithids once used kuo-toa as slaves extensively, since
involved in the process is required to donate its psionic
Kuo-TOA
flayer to perform the process, any illithid not directly
ing it no small matter. Although it takes only one mind
gives their brains an exotic flavor that mind flayers love.
requires the entire colony's energy and attention, mak-
to pillage and slay. Also, the grimlocks' inability to see
The process of transforming a creature into a thrall
they are provided with food, shelter, and the opportunity
and attempt to turn the remaining followers into thralls.
lack the initiative and the cunning to rebel as long as
tion sufficiently, the illithids might move in en masse
subservience to the illithids. Strong but dimwitted, they
because their culture still centers on worship of and
-ELMINSTER
servants. Grimlocks are easily cowed by mind flayers,
-:-:-----~-------
sightless humanoids are among the illithids' preferred
l<"'IOW THIS,
ITE. R, ASI( ME NOT HO. Y.l 1
rupted by mind flayers in ancient times, and today these
MEMORIES AT EVERV 8
A"'IE WITH A FLOOD OF'
E
IVE HUMA"'IS INS
The first grimlocks were descended from humans cor-
P01so111ous, ANO DR
.
LITHIO BRAINS ARE
OL OF FOOLS IL
GRIMLOCKS
VOLO, VE ARE THE F'O
them and have been enemies of the illithids ever since.
threw off the long-ago attempt by the mind flayers to rule
••~
-Volo
dimwitted and easily controlled. The clever duergar
.lli,1 .;;.el''a brain t•stea hk.e.
1 9
illithids that any creatures that serve them must be kept
,.. Jer what a min.~
a delicacy. Duergar serve as a constant reminder to the
dwarves revolted against them, but consider their brains
Mind flayers have hated duergar ever since the gray
DUERGAR