#i love thinking about them

[addamii]

Harrow and Nona my girls forever. Close ups and notes under the cut

[bigmfrat]

Having a rough time so have some spec evo crumbs that have been sitting in the squidcord for months that I only just got around to drawing to distract myself with

Teeth fall out regularly and are quickly replaced.

Only Minor and Minor/intercaste (more on this below the line) have feeding Tentacles.

Feeding Tentacles are stiffer than your regular tenties and remain in pockets when not in use. The ends also have very small teeth for gripping, they feel like velcro.

Teeth are dull but their jaws are for crushing bone so it doesnt matter.

"Venom" (bone melting enzyme) is black, sticky, and viscous, can be spit but is always a last resort. Most bites are dry bites.

Claws come out of the tip of the finger as apposed to the top like humanoids

Like cats and dogs, Illithid have a quick, if damaged it will bleed (a lot)

Claws dull with use and must be taken care of to be sharp

Caste System

The Primordial Illithid society resembled that of an ant colony but on a smaller scale, their species naturally came in three basic castes that had their own biological functions. The modern Terrestrial illithids have retained the physical characteristics of their ancestors, though are now much smaller, and they no longer serve any function in their society.

The three base castes are:

Major

Height Range: 6'8 - 7'5

Prey species: Humans, Half Orcs, Dragonborn, High Elves, Tiefling

Physical Traits: Longer tentacles, Longer and usually pointed braincase

Birthrate: 1

Media

Height Range: 5'7 - 6'9

Prey species: Humans, Elves, Tiefling, Drow

Physical Traits: Medium tentacles, Rounded head, Most often have "beaks" - but not always, this trait is seen less with each generation.

Birthrate: 3

Minor

Hight Range: 4'5 - 5'9

Prey Species: Gnomes, Halflings, dwarves, Drow

Physical Traits: Shorter tentacles, Longer and pointed braincase.

Birthrate: 4

Minors have a few unique features and are the most faithful to their home world ancestors, the first being two long and thin feeding tentacles that remain retracted in their throats until they find prey, and two specially adapted tentacles on their forehead used as communication displays, these two traits have been entirely lost on the other two castes, Despite these 4 extra "tentacles" they are not to be mistaken for Ulitharids. Minors are also extremely rare outside of colonies despite being the most plentiful caste, this is due to their function in their original society as caretakers and homemakers, a Minor is more likely to take re-education over expulsion due to their social needs and most renegade Minors tend to be Inter-caste.

Each caste is biologically inclined to its individual food items, even with free access to enthralled meals of any race, they will usually stick to their preferred prey.

Three additional castes:

Ulitharid

Height Range: A foot above the intended caste's average height

Prey Species: Humans, Elves, Tieflings, Dragonborn, Half Orcs

Physical traits: Two additional tentacles, usually thinner but longer than the main four.

Birthrate: 0.002

Any caste can become an Ulitharid.

Inter-caste Inter-caste is the closest thing you will get to a hybrid when it comes to Illithid. Each tadpole holds the full range of natural genetic code and has the potential to become any caste, what determines the end result is the tadpole's lineage; If the parent was a Media, the child will also be a Media. In the case of Inter-caste, however, one or two traits from one of the other castes may unintentionally come through. This can result in a Major with shorter tentacles or an unusually tall Minor.

Apex (more on Apex Illithid found here) Illithid super soldiers. Built like a tank with an intelligence to match, while their psionics are rather basic, they make up for it with an insane might and an ingrained determination to get the job done. Very rare and will ALWAYS be pure Majors.

None of these castes are natural, Ulitharids and Apex specifically did not exist until Elderbrains took over the race and while inter-castes did happen on occasion, they were much rarer before the Illithids were domesticated.

Other traits unrelating to castes:

Illithid DNA is very malleable and significant changes can be made in a single generation, while Elderbrain aren't the best at gene editing some differences can clearly be seen between colonies. The most noticeable example is their foot configuration: while Illithid living in a more aquatic environment will have the standard two webbed toes tipped with a large claw, their somewhat "dryer" cousins may sport a more humanoid approach with 3-4 webbed toes in the traditional Illithid style. A mindflayer with Human hands or feet however would be seen as deformed.

[narratorsandall]

Better times.

[fishfingersalad]

i think the idea of the ais appearance slowly starting to mimic their freelancers appearances in little ways is so <3333 deltas hair is slicked up at the front like yorks, thetas hair gets slight curls from north and he gets dimples from south, gamma smiles crooked like wyoming, iotas hair is tied up like carolinas, omega gets scars where tex has been 'injured', eta mimics wash as well as carolina but his eyes light up the same way hers do when she smiles, epsilons hair is messy the way washs is rather than the way churchs is. sigma doesnt get any maine traits because he rejects their bond in favour of control. theyre so fundamentally changed by those they care about that becoming one again like sigma intends could never fully work

[whatwooshkai]

babysitting

[iamthecomet]

Can I piggyback the last Ask cause I love your ghoul thoughts? What was Mountain, Aether, and Dew's first heat Topside like?

Yes of course! I mentioned in the other ask that Aether's first heat was a nightmare. That's because he passed his first heat alone. He was very new. Confused. Dew and Mountain hadn't been summoned yet. And there was no one there to help him out. Ifrit, Zephyr, and Mist were around. But it was just after several other ghouls had been banished. The Abbey was in upheaval. And the three of them were wary of the new summon--and he was wary of them. He survived it, and those relationships changed and developed and got better. It wasn't fun or even remotely enjoyable. His packmates did apologize eventually and made sure to make it up to him. So, he doesn't really count that as his first heat topside. He counts the first heat as the first one with Dew and Mountain. By the time they were on board things had calmed down a little. The banishings weren't so fresh. Terzo was still running the show. And Ifrit, Mist, and Zephyr had opened their arms to the new ghouls--they were a pack, a real one. Aether's second heat, was a relief. He woke up drenched in sweat, with Zephyr standing in his doorway, wringing their hands. Looking at them, their white curls askew. And Aether had opened his arms to them, beckoned them in. It wasn't long before the others joined them. Mountain, stumbling and wild-eyed. Hard and trembling, and barely hanging onto his control. And then Dew. Shaking like a leaf, the front of his sweatpants wet already. Leaning on the doorframe for support and looking at the ghouls in front of him with glassy eyes. A murmured "help" falling from his lips. Ifrit and Mist showed up a little later, squeezing in until Aether's bed was full of heat-ridden ghouls. Hands and fingers and mouths everywhere. The more experienced ghouls coaching Mountain and Dew and Aether through what a good heat looks like with barely contained patience. It was easy. Fluid. A room full of cum drunk who just wanted to give and get as much pleasure as possible. By the end, they were all sore, and filthy, and blissed out beyond belief. Aether strives to give every new summon an experience similar to that one for their first heat. He doesn't want anyone, ever, to feel like they have to do it alone.

[liviacardew]

my list of the mentors' children!

Hello everyone! FYI, this list is all solely based off of my headcanons and they're all around the same age, but if I write '____ years apart', it means the second name mentioned is younger.

Aelia Ravinstill - Clemensia Dovecote and Felix Ravinstill's daughter

Athena and Flavius Creed, three years apart - Festus Creed and Persephone Price's children

Plutarch Heavensbee - Hilarius Heavensbee and Vipsania Sickle's son

Achilles Crane-Cardew - Livia Cardew and Arachne Crane's son

June Ruby Snow - Lucy Gray and Coriolanus Snow's daughter

Albert Canville - Io Jasper and Urban Canville's son

Rufus Vickers - Lysistrata Vickers and unnamed husband's son

Solasta 'Sol' Moss-Ring - Iphigenia Moss and Diana Ring's daughter

Antonia Ring-Anderson - Apollo Ring and Androcles Anderson's daughter

Marcella Friend - Florus Friend and Palmyra Monty's daughter

Tanner and Bobbin Phipps-Whimsiwick, two years apart - Juno Phipps and Domitia Whimsiwick's sons

Stay tuned for a special post about them!!

[cloudycaffeinatedcryptid]

I have been taken by the sickness again (curse you viruses!) and sleep eludes me. Brainrot does not. What do you think each of the counselors are like when they're sick?

booo viruses :( i hope you feel better soon!

i think Jacob is the most dramatic about it. if you've seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off, he's Cameron

total baby. even just for a cold. injuries, he barely notices, but gods forbid this man start to sniffle

Abi honestly prolly does what you're supposed to - she takes the day off, stays in comfy pants, drinks honey lemon tea & eats toast, takes the gross meds, a bath, & she's good by morning. couldn't be me but. yk. girlbossing

Ryan for sure just pretends it's not happening. he takes some cold n flu meds, keeps a water bottle close, and keeps having to blink spots out of his vision but he's fine! he's fine until his sister notices & chews him out bc he's always telling HER to take it easy when she's sick & "look here, mr. hypocrite, you better get in that bed or ELSE" so then he goes & lays in a dark room, listening to his podcast until he falls asleep

i think Emma prolly complains about it the entire time & spends an hour in a hot bath but i also don't think she stops working. if she can't go out, she's answering emails, keeping her social media updating, working on editing/scheduling/whatever an influencer does. picture Emma in her desk chair with atrocious hair, wrapped in a blanket, three mugs of tea, & a sinus strip just firing off emails

i see Dylan as a low-energy sick. barely awake, shuffling to the kitchen for crackers (he has a weak stomach when sick) wrapped in his comforter with his hair sticking up. sometimes he crashes on the couch, sometimes he makes it back to the bed, but it's all restless sleep, tossing & turning :( he keeps mumbling nonsense to his cat, who definitely tricks him into feeding him twice. you go schrodinger <3

Kaitlyn HATES being sick. she wakes up with a stuffy nose & a fever & she's like... "i'm gonna kill someone today & it might be myself". she has shit to do. she resists as much as she can & tries to do a bunch of things just to spite it, which usually ends up in her crashing hard & sleeping for twelve hours to recuperate. everyone knows to stay out of her way when she's stalking around, pale and clammy with a thermos at her hip, & just wait for the burnout

Nick doesn't get sick, even germs don't want this weirdo. i'm just kidding. kinda. anyway Nick one thousand percent just straight up goes comatose. dead to the world for 24 hours & then he's right as rain when he wakes up. how? no one knows. why? no one is brave enough to ask.

the love of my life, Laura, also tries to strongarm thru it but she's better about it. she takes her meds, sucks on cough drops, prolly drinks coffee to stay awake, & she's better about managing her workload. it's kind of just a background thing to her & it works great until her fever spikes high enough to be noticeable or she slips up & then Max finds out. he coaxes her to lay down on the couch while he makes them some soup & then they watch movies together until she falls asleep :,)

the other love of my life, Max, doesn't stand a chance. he coughs once & his girlfriend has a thermometer in his mouth & a mug of tea warming up. he always tries to downplay it, "honey, really, it's nothing" & it never works. he spends all day with a live-in nurse & he feels bad that she keeps doing things for him so he continuously plays the "i'm feeling better" & she lets him do it for the ten minutes before he throws up, then it's back to bed "& cut the bullshit this time, max"

[turning-the-kaleidoscope]

The concept of Reigen teaching Teru how to drive and helping him get his license is so endearing to me but also freaking hilarious Reigen would be a Disaster and Teru would absolutely be the “gun it through the yellow light we can make it dw” driver. Reigen’s more of a backseat driver than an instructor. No I Am Not Panicking Why Do You Ask HahBRAKE BRAKE BRAKE BR

[fazgoo-connoiseur-1987]

for your consideration - the song You're So Vain gives me bill/maggie vibes :')

YES!!! YES!!!! Bill would think that songs about him....

[pitske]

hey so I just want to admit that ever since I started actually writing Nathan's character every single time I brush my teeth I think of his over the top dental care routine and I will say that this alone has been the major factor for Improving my own dental care routine.

[spookyboywhump]

Alexei’s ankle heals after Nicholas breaks it and he can still walk, but he does walk with a limp and sometimes it’s just too painful and when he’s in a lot of pain Leon insists on treating him like his beloved king and insists he rests somewhere comfortably, he won’t let him get up for anything and he makes sure he has something he enjoys on TV or something he likes to read and he brings him food and drinks and pain meds and asks if he wants a massage and he treats him like the most special man in the whole wide world. Showering him with love is the only way to get Alexei to stay put long enough to rest and recover.

[mississpissi]

writing early carlos and janet… didn’t realize how much lore i had created in my head but there’s so much there TO ME

[cledubs]

cledubs…

[introvert-slushie]

Currently thinking about how much Ford tries to hide his hands a lot when he can…behind his back with this stance. Due to how often he’s been bullied for it.

And also, how Mabel is one of the ones who Ford feels happy about showing his hands to because she thought they were cool looking upon first shaking his hand, instead of him being judged for his six fingers.

[ID: Gravity Falls screenshots. The first three are of Ford with his hands crossed behind his back. The last two are of him shaking hands with Mabel, and letting her paint a turkey on his hand. He's smiling in both. End ID.]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The math just adds up!