Illithnid - Lesser Mind Flayer

Physical Description. Usually lean, thin and lanky, Illithnid are the failed spawn of one of the last Mind Flayers. A pet project tossed aside, resulted in these spawns. Skin tones range naturally from blue and purples, light and darker tones. The head is large and visibly inflates with deep breaths. Narrow, small eyes, pale with no pupils to be seen, are visible on either side of the head. Three to four tentacles sproud from above where the mouth would be. Under said tentacles, a rubbery circular mouth is hidden, lined with razor sharp teeth. The mouth is able to widen quite impressively, to bite onto the backheads of unfortunate targets. Gaunt flesh, pulled taut across the skeletal frame of the body. Each hand has four fingers, tipped with knife-like nails. While sharp, they are frail enough that trying to attack with them, would break these nails.   History. Created by a single Mind Flayer, cut off from any Elder Brain to server, who survived the great disconnect, as an attempt to resurrect its race. The Illithnid are the bastard spawn of true Illithids. Several subjects underwent the process and most survived, unharmed, unscathed, and unchanged, save for a small wound in the back of their necks. Later experiments resulted in the first Illithnid's. A small enclave of these were formed in a hidden ruin beneath the surface of Edeth Orion. Unable to server as en Elder Brain, the True Illithid let them loose, as he was. Letting them form their own lives and culture, as he left them to do as they pleased. With no way to reproduce it departed, knowing a secret that made most lives pointless in it's eyes. As one of these Illithnid's, you've suffered mental and physical trauma, as you attempted to survive and to piece together anything from your past life. Finding some clues and semblance of yourself within your disconnected and scattered memories, you've build yourself up once more, a new you, a new time. Until hunger and personal goals, drove you to the surface.   Age. The Lesser Mind Flayer live on average around 120 years, starting from the day they transformed.   Alignment. The Illithnid usually serve their creator, or an Elder Brain. In case both dies, or disconnects the connection, they are free to choose their own path in life. Open hostility towards their alien apperance often drives them from cities and settlements, often driving them towards a path of Evil.   Twisted Mindset. The transformation failed to destroy all of your past life, but has made the world bleak, and drained some of your empathy. You don't quite relate to other races. You have a Disadvantage on Charisma checks, in skills you are not proficient in.   Devourer of Brains. Like all Illithid's you must sustain yourself on the memories and thoughts of other intellegent beings, and thus, eat brains. You can keep your hunger at bay, with the brains of lesser beings, animals, children, and young beings. But at least once a week, you must devour the brain of a fully adult being with an intellect score of at least 11 or higher. Not any average pig farmer will do, but his brother who at least put some time aside to learn how to read, might. To do this you must approach a creature that have been reduced to 0 HP, and have not been dead for more than an hour, and begin to extract the brain from their skulls. Behind your tentacles, you have a circular mouth with razor sharp teeth, that allows you to bite on, and rips a portion of the scalp off, to get to the brain and extract it to feast upon. Once the actual feasting begins, the target dies. Failing to eat a brain daily will cause you to start starving, as per the normal rules. If you fail to eat one intellect brain in a week, you suffer a psionic backlash, and suffer 6d8 psychic damage, and gain a point of exhaustion.   Darkvision. You can see in total darkness up to 60ft. Your vision is in black, white and grey.   Mind Blast. You can use your action to emit a psionic blast in a 15-foot cone. When you use your mind blast, each creature in the area of the blast must make a Intelligence saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d8 psychic damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d8 at 6th level, 4d8 at 11th level, and 5d8 at 16th level. After you use your mind blast, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.   Past proficiencies. You can pick a proficiency in one skill and one tool. These represent the skills of your past life.   Telepathy. You can communicate with any creature that you can see within 60ft of you. The creature needs to at least know one language. The creature understands you, but is unable to respond, unless they also have the ability to communicate telepathically.

Languages. Deep Speech, Telepathy, one language you spoke before your transformation.