Illithoid style guide.

by Verithrax

Back to Chronicles of the Basin.

Gwylifar2007-05-16 20:30:31
Time to point out this thread from long, long ago.
Diamante2007-05-16 20:31:48
You press the corpse of a huge lindwyrm to your chest and allow your sternal
mouth to open up. The sinuous feeding tendril of your inner self snakes out and
latches onto the corpse, feeding on its psychic residue until nothing remains
but a dried up husk that crumbles and blows away.


It has a tendril!
Verithrax2007-05-16 20:37:26
When I think of tendrils I think of something longer. Like sea anemone. Those are tiny horns, or protrusions, or bumps or even abscesses. Not tendrils.
Diamante2007-05-16 20:38:58
I picture the sternal mouth to be like the reaper vampires in Blade 2.

Something slightly like this

Noola2007-05-16 20:40:43
QUOTE(Diamante @ May 16 2007, 03:38 PM) 408739
I picture the sternal mouth to be like the reaper vampires in Blade 2.

Something slightly like this




That's awesome! How cool would that be coming out of someone's chest!
Amarysse2007-05-16 21:03:42
QUOTE(Cuber @ May 16 2007, 12:22 PM) 408638
Fleshy tendrils are okay in my book - Illith was a squid-thingy after all, and even if she wasn't, it isn't as far from the norm to be RP-breaking.

Really, there are much bigger attrocities (if you could consider tendrils one - which I don't) walking around the basin. I remember a half-human dracnari whose description EXPLICITLY mentioned lactating nipples.


I have that description saved to my HD as an example of the verbal atrocities people will commit in their character's descriptions. Sadly, she was a Spiritsinger when I saw her, and ignored my admittedly unsubtle hints IC to change it and cover herself. unsure.gif

As far as the Illithoids and "fleshy tendrils" go, I agree with Verithrax to a certain extent. These are nubs in the illustration, not tendrils, which seem to imply a certain degree of length and mobility. It's a matter of semantics, I think, but if someone genuinely wants to make their Illithoid emulate the leviathan more closely, I say more power to them.
Unknown2007-05-16 21:16:02
I saw the sternal mouth being similar to a tape worm. The reaper vampires are based off of tape worms too. Maybe the sternal mouth's tendril to just be a bit smaller. This small worm snaking out attaching it's self to a corpse and quitly sucking away. I just don't see a basic feeding function being -that- showy
Daganev2007-05-16 21:29:32
Here is your human illithoid hair tongue.gif



Visit the website so its not stealing, the gal went through a lot of trouble to not have people snag his images.

Or this one tongue.gif


These are clearly not Ilithoids, but they might be humans with illithoid ancestry.
Verithrax2007-05-16 21:33:05
Not.
Unknown2007-05-16 22:12:36
QUOTE(Verithrax @ May 16 2007, 02:35 PM) 408707
The things in the illustration aren't fleshy tendrils; they're dents or tiny horn-like protrusions, which is more acceptable.

And yes, adding new appendages apparently so important they bleed if you cut them off is a big deal.


That is what I ment by chicken head parts. A crest-like body part that only functions to impress members of the opposite sex.
Unknown2007-05-16 22:22:18
I am sorry Verithrax, that because not everyone lives up to the style you think illithoids should look like, and therefore can't rp. I will not change my description because you think otherwise, if all looked the same, it'd be boring.

So once again, Verithrax, I am sorry.
Verithrax2007-05-16 22:48:22
This isn't "what I think illithoids should look like," this is what illithoids look like.

QUOTE
This short illithoid is wrapped from head to toe in black leather armour that blends easily with the shadows around him, while the sapper takes care to avoid any light which would reveal his presence. His two beady, baleful red eyes churn with violence and anger, the only part of his face that is visible. His head is abnormally large in proportion to his body, which is slight of build and extremely agile. An assortment of wicked blades, crafted from a lusterless metal which absorbs light, hang from his belt and are stuffed delicately up his sleeves and in his padded boots.

Ever clicking his mouthful of spiny teeth, this illithoid paces ravenously, the blue veins of his enormous head pulsing with a visible beat. His unusually large illithoid body is pale and clammy, and is encased in cruel flaps of leather that protect his purple skin. Long, sharp fingers thrust out from the wrappings of leather around his palms, and his crimson sunken eyes glower with an inner light that emanates strong psionic will.

Swaying his large head back and forth sinuously, this scrawny-limbed illithoid blends in with the dark terrain. His grey purple skin is clammy and thin, and several pulsing blue veins can be seen lining his bald, oval forehead. Sunken red eyes stare at the surroundings hungrily as he gnashes his circle of spiny teeth, and the web of blood vessels on his body gives him a bruised look.

Regarding you haughtily, an illithoid Grand Cenobite chants softly under his breath. This slithering illithoid has an enormous bulbous head, criss-crossed with dark purple veins that throb in rhythm with some unseen beat. His dark robes are richly embroidered in blue and silver, and mark him as belonging to the ruling priestly caste. His eyes are recessed into his sockets and extremely bloodshot, streaked with angry reds and purples. He holds himself with an arrogant, self-absorbed bearing which bespeaks his haughty demeanor. A cruel smirk teases across his thin lips, which part to reveal serrated, gnashing teeth.

This serpentine illithoid is small and lithe, yet stands with an authoritative, unquestioned bearing that makes him appear to tower over those around him. His moist skin is a purple-grey colour, laced with webs of yellow and dark blue veins that pulse softly. His cranium is abnormally large and ovoid, devoid of any hair. Recessed deep into bony sockets are burning red eyes that glitter with malevolence and cunning. Deep emerald silk robes wrap around his body, heavily embroidered in silver, and a wicked golden dagger hangs from a ceremonial chain, crusted with dried blood.

Carrying a book of gruesome, flesh-filled recipes, this illithoid chef is short and thin, his head small for his race - barely larger than a human's skull, with only hints of the veins that mark their kind. He is clothed in a stained, blood-splattered apron, and wields a large butcher's knife threateningly in his free hand. His dark eyes glitter with hunger as they drink in your visage.


This is what the designers and builders invisioned for the race. An illithoid with "fleshy tendrils" on his head is precisely as bad as a human with the same, or as a an aslaran. Illithoid can look more human and have hair, even, sixteen years from now - But they can't have "fleshy tendrils", or tentacles, or suckers, or metal skin, or built in umbrellas or any other sort of fanciful feature you made up because you want to be "different". Look at those descriptions; they're all distinctive, and some of them aren't even meant for specific characters.
Arix2007-05-16 23:02:12
when I read the description, I get the image of a bald guy with a gaunt face, purple skin and sharp teeth, serrated like a sharks. I also picture clawed hands with long fingers, and glowing red eyes.
Unknown2007-05-16 23:34:43
Kinda have too agree with Verithrax. The fleshy tendrils hair is a bit silly too me. Illithoid's were obviously intended too be bald. I see the human/Illithoid hybrids having very dark hair, very oily, and just gross. But not exactly Tendrils. However I'm not gonna just cry foul. If you can make the tendrils work more power too you.
Unknown2007-05-16 23:34:46
double post please delete
Unknown2007-05-16 23:34:53
triple post please delete
Unknown2007-05-16 23:44:07
QUOTE(Cuber @ May 16 2007, 01:22 PM) 408638
Fleshy tendrils are okay in my book - Illith was a squid-thingy after all, and even if she wasn't, it isn't as far from the norm to be RP-breaking.

Really, there are much bigger attrocities (if you could consider tendrils one - which I don't) walking around the basin. I remember a half-human dracnari whose description EXPLICITLY mentioned lactating nipples.


Psh, I remember a trill wi-. ... no.

Psh, I remember a kephera with -four legs-...

On Imperian I saw a female Lycean's description that actually explicitly mentioned having three pairs of nipples instead of the normal two.
Yrael2007-05-17 00:01:19
They'd have to be either bone growths from the skull for some as yet unknown reason (They're psions, right? Perhaps that has something to do with it) or little fleshy nubs. Sort of like tumors, but not.

QUOTE(Cuber @ May 17 2007, 03:22 AM) 408638
Fleshy tendrils are okay in my book - Illith was a squid-thingy after all, and even if she wasn't, it isn't as far from the norm to be RP-breaking.

Really, there are much bigger attrocities (if you could consider tendrils one - which I don't) walking around the basin. I remember a half-human dracnari whose description EXPLICITLY mentioned lactating nipples.


..sexy.
/slitwrists
Unknown2007-05-17 03:37:58
Things in this thread that are going to keep me up all night -laughing-...

Glow Butts
lactating dracnari nipples
Illithoid skin wallets (this will prolly make me cry--I have an illithoid char)

The official art of an illithoid doesn't look like it has red eyes...almost like a bright violet color.

Not sure on the Inner Worm....the way I think of it, it would probably be a silvery sac with small feeding tendrils that emerge when the sternal mouth is open.


...they could have given the illithoid a lot more personality than they did, though. Sure, make them -all- horrible monstrosities that want to EAT YOU AND YOUR BABIES.
Verithrax2007-05-17 04:11:23
I don't think they're horrible...