Inspired by Lords of Madness (Updated with 65% more ideas, and 74% more confusion)!

[Vocenoctum]

Finally, it eats a sentient creature, and from that first intelligent brain, the latent psionic powers awake. Only then it is really a neothelid. Before that, it's just an ugly, oversize tadpole.

Right, it's just a matter of time before brain eating though, so I would assume 95% of UberTadPoles become Neothelids and becoming "full grown".

Wonder if Neothelids can reproduce?

 

[Vocenoctum]

Couple other points:
1) there are also animals from the Illithids "origin". A lot of things seem to have made the jump.

2) I wonder if you could build an illithid with Aboleth grafts.
(as in, add Aboleth grafts to a human and end up with a proto-illithid)

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Wonder if Neothelids can reproduce?

I think not.

 

[Darrin Drader]

I think not.

What are you talking about? The whole thing looks like one big reprodutive organ.

 

[Gez]

What are you talking about? The whole thing looks like one big reprodutive organ.

Eeew! Yours looks like this? You should sue the doc who snipped you, he really botched the circumcision.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Eeew! Yours looks like this? You should sue the doc who snipped you, he really botched the circumcision.

Yeah! I mean... purple?

 

[Darrin Drader]

Eeew! Yours looks like this? You should sue the doc who snipped you, he really botched the circumcision.

Need I point out to you (of all people) the fact that various animals have phalices shaped and colored differently?

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

Aboleth have perfect racial memory, so they can't be devolved illithid. But a tadpole ceremorped into an aboleth could make an (The "first") elder brain.

 

[BryonD]

No, he's right.
Usually, "ripe" tadpoles are sent through ceremorphosis at the very first opportunity - everything else would be blasphemy. There is no delay in that - it isn't happening that often, anyway. What you say is exactly the opposite. Those tadpoles that aren't "eaten" by the elder brain are the one that are turned into mind flayers.

But there can be extreme circumstances, usually the destruction of a illithid colony, inlcuding the elder brain. When that happens, the tadpoles aren't fed any more, so they become cannibals, and only one of all these tadpoles survives it. It becomes really large because of the psychic energy it absorbs from all the others. Finally, it has to leave the pool and go into the greater world, eating rats and vermin, growing even larger.

Finally, it eats a sentient creature, and from that first intelligent brain, the latent psionic powers awake. Only then it is really a neothelid. Before that, it's just an ugly, oversize tadpole.

Where did you get this story?

The XPH just gives a brief summary that fits your description, but with vastly less detail.
Is there somewhere else with more details?

Thanks

 

[Mouseferatu]

Where did you get this story?

The XPH just gives a brief summary that fits your description, but with vastly less detail.
Is there somewhere else with more details?

Thanks

Talks about 'em in some detail in Lords of Madness, actually.