Elans and Illithids: related?

[Alex12]

Consider: Elans are not born, they are created through some secret ritual unknown to non-Elans. Illithids are not born, they are made by sticking a larva-thing into someone's head. Elans can only be made from humans, Illithids only from humanoids. Elans can subsist on psionic energy alone, Illithids need psionic energy from brains to survive. The Elan-ification process removes all their class levels, skills, etc. So does ceremorphosis. Both races are innately psionic to some degree.

Now, I'm not saying that Illithids didn't come from the future, or that Elans are secretly Illithids, or Illithid spies, or anything like that. But I do have a theory. What if the Elans, at some point in the future, split (like the Gith into Githyanki and Githzerai) or otherwise changed into the Illithids. Sure, Illithids aren't immortal, and they need to eat, but they're far more powerful psionically than Elans.
Just a theory. Feel free to comment, critique, use (though if you do that, I wouldn't mind being told :smallsmile: ) etc.

[Mr. Friendly]

Well, the theory is possible in the sense that, according to (current) fluff, Illithids come from the far flung future. Of course in the past they have come from the Far Realm, Outer Space and parallel Primes.

I think it's also a possibility that Elans are an offshoot of mind-flayers who have (in this time-frame) developed a method of powering their hunger for sweet sweet brains through psionics instead. As a result they have evolved away from tentacles and such.

[Ganurath]

Illithids are Elan, after having reached several aging categories ebyond venerable. They're too old to live on their own psionic energy, so they all used Persistent Time Regression or whatever it's called to go back in time several days, then rest to get back PP, go back again, until they're to the dawn of time and able to enslave the multiverse. Unfortunately, they forgot the Gith...

[Zincorium]

Hm. Has anyone else ever wondered what happens if you stick an illithid tadpole into an Elan's skull?

[Alex12]

Hm. Has anyone else ever wondered what happens if you stick an illithid tadpole into an Elan's skull?

I have. I've also wondered if Illithids find Synad and Elan brains tastier than human brains.

[Mr. Friendly]

Hm. Has anyone else ever wondered what happens if you stick an illithid tadpole into an Elan's skull?

I believe, as per the outlines from the Half-Illithid template from Underdark, the Elan would become a half-illithid.

[Lord Tataraus]

I have. I've also wondered if Illithids find Synad and Elan brains tastier than human brains.


Limited time offer!
Synad brains: 3 for the price of 1!!!
We're practically giving them away!!!!

[AstralFire]

Limited time offer!
Synad brains: 3 for the price of 1!!!
We're practically giving them away!!!!

And why? Because we're INSAAAAAANE! Insane in the membrane! So hop on down to Insane Ilsy's Intellect Imporium [sic] today!

[Lady Tialait]

Must resist....................

:elan: All we wanna do is eat your brains.

may the gods of DnD and OoTs gave mercy on my soul.

[Alex12]

Must resist....................

:elan: All we wanna do is eat your brains.

may the gods of DnD and OoTs gave mercy on my soul.
I chuckled when I read that. Then I hit "Quote" to say something...and noticed the name. I don't know why I never made the connection before, but the fact that it says elan with the singing is just hilarious and win.

[Lady Tialait]

well, the Elan/Elan thingy is why i first started reading OoTs

i was reading a thingy on if a Elan was a level 10 Metamiind he could become invincible for a few minuets a day. anyway erm...this came up (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0025.html)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

http://my.photosleeve.com/TheVorpalTribble-albums/album03/ahk.jpg

[Ganurath]

well, the Elan/Elan thingy is why i first started reading OoTs

i was reading a thingy on if a Elan was a level 10 Metamiind he could become invincible for a few minuets a day. anyway erm...this came up (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0025.html)Invincibility is superfluous when everyone around you has been hit by a maxed augmented concussion.

Anybody else notice how the Elan iconic's hair looks like tentacles?

[Lord Tataraus]

Invincibility is superfluous when everyone around you has been hit by a maxed augmented concussion.

Anybody else notice how the Elan iconic's hair looks like tentacles?

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80491.jpghttp://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/lom_gallery/88115.jpg

Can't you see the family resemblance? Blue eyes and that trademark, pissed-off look...

[CabbageTheif]

so, wait, i'm confused.

elan, not Elan, is created by taking not-elans and doing a ritual that not-elans dont know. Elan, who is a not-elan, not elan, sung about not-living who want brains. illithids are from the future-past-alternateuniverse where they make more illithids by placing not-illithids into not-elans, not elans (and not Elan), and this is the ritual that creates elans sometimesmaybe. when the sometimesmaybe elans, not-illithids, become really old and cantancerous they become illithids. UNLESS the not-elan who have the not-illithid put in their ear becomes illithids but if they are from the past then they, in the future, figure out how to live off of brainwaves, not brains, and becoem elans, not Elan. then when syler eats their brain he has the power to use telekinesis and make d20 refrences. Syler then went to eat more brains at Insane Ilsy's Intellect Imporium [sic] where he met Elan, not elan, and said "sniff, no thanks, i'm good". distraught, Elan sung a song about elan hair and how elan hair is not not-elan hair, but tentacles.

did i follow?

[Solo]

so, wait, i'm confused.

elan, not Elan, is created by taking not-elans and doing a ritual that not-elans dont know. Elan, who is a not-elan, not elan, sung about not-living who want brains. illithids are from the future-past-alternateuniverse where they make more illithids by placing not-illithids into not-elans, not elans (and not Elan), and this is the ritual that creates elans sometimesmaybe. when the sometimesmaybe elans, not-illithids, become really old and cantancerous they become illithids. UNLESS the not-elan who have the not-illithid put in their ear becomes illithids but if they are from the past then they, in the future, figure out how to live off of brainwaves, not brains, and becoem elans, not Elan. then when syler eats their brain he has the power to use telekinesis and make d20 refrences. Syler then went to eat more brains at Insane Ilsy's Intellect Imporium [sic] where he met Elan, not elan, and said "sniff, no thanks, i'm good". distraught, Elan sung a song about elan hair and how elan hair is not not-elan hair, but tentacles.

did i follow?

You have chosen the Path of Defeat.

[tyckspoon]

so, wait, i'm confused.

elan, not Elan, is created by taking not-elans and doing a ritual that not-elans dont know. Elan, who is a not-elan, not elan, sung about not-living who want brains. illithids are from the future-past-alternateuniverse where they make more illithids by placing not-illithids into not-elans, not elans (and not Elan), and this is the ritual that creates elans sometimesmaybe. when the sometimesmaybe elans, not-illithids, become really old and cantancerous they become illithids. UNLESS the not-elan who have the not-illithid put in their ear becomes illithids but if they are from the past then they, in the future, figure out how to live off of brainwaves, not brains, and becoem elans, not Elan. then when syler eats their brain he has the power to use telekinesis and make d20 refrences. Syler then went to eat more brains at Insane Ilsy's Intellect Imporium [sic] where he met Elan, not elan, and said "sniff, no thanks, i'm good". distraught, Elan sung a song about elan hair and how elan hair is not not-elan hair, but tentacles.

did i follow?

You also win an Internet. It will keep you safe on the Path of Defeat.

[Lady Tialait]

so, wait, i'm confused.

elan, not Elan, is created by taking not-elans and doing a ritual that not-elans dont know. Elan, who is a not-elan, not elan, sung about not-living who want brains. illithids are from the future-past-alternateuniverse where they make more illithids by placing not-illithids into not-elans, not elans (and not Elan), and this is the ritual that creates elans sometimesmaybe. when the sometimesmaybe elans, not-illithids, become really old and cantancerous they become illithids. UNLESS the not-elan who have the not-illithid put in their ear becomes illithids but if they are from the past then they, in the future, figure out how to live off of brainwaves, not brains, and becoem elans, not Elan. then when syler eats their brain he has the power to use telekinesis and make d20 refrences. Syler then went to eat more brains at Insane Ilsy's Intellect Imporium [sic] where he met Elan, not elan, and said "sniff, no thanks, i'm good". distraught, Elan sung a song about elan hair and how elan hair is not not-elan hair, but tentacles.

did i follow?

Illithids...not nale...and not not-nale...:thog:

[StickMan]

Oh lord people are going to start posting about how they don't think Elan is human and that he is actually an Elan.

On Topic: I think having Elans and Illithids related is a good plot idea, they are similar in a lot of ways.

[Hyozo]

I know nothing about Elans, but as long as real world biology isn't fatal to any race, I don't see why a naturally psionic race couldn't evolve to become Ilithids given enough time and some unusual choices on what to breed/implant with. If Ilithids are from the future, the only thing I find more likely than this is "I'm my own grandpa" syndrome.

[Alex12]

Oh lord people are going to start posting about how they don't think Elan is human and that he is actually an Elan.
Improbable. We know he has at least 18 Charisma, and Elans get a -2 penalty to Charisma. Essentially, he'd have had to roll a 17 or 18 to have 18 Charisma, and being a bard with a racial Cha penalty doesn't strike me as the best idea.

On Topic: I think having Elans and Illithids related is a good plot idea, they are similar in a lot of ways.
Agreed. Even better if there's an Elan in the party and then they find the relationship out (whether the Elan already knows or not may be different, but either way is good)

[Baxbart]

Improbable. We know he has at least 18 Charisma, and Elans get a -2 penalty to Charisma. Essentially, he'd have had to roll a 17 or 18 to have 18 Charisma, and being a bard with a racial Cha penalty doesn't strike me as the best idea.

Wait... have you actually been reading the comic? Last time I checked, Elan wasn't exactly 'iconic'... His ideas are notoriously crap... :wink:

[Angel in Black]

Wait... have you actually been reading the comic? Last time I checked, Elan wasn't exactly 'iconic'... His ideas are notoriously crap... :wink:

First, charisma != intelligence. In fact, they are two separate statistics. Second, it was stated rather early on that he had an 18 charisma. This has probably increased since then. Thirdly, since when do bards have to come up with the good ideas?

[Zincorium]

Wait... have you actually been reading the comic? Last time I checked, Elan wasn't exactly 'iconic'... His ideas are notoriously crap... :wink:

Um, I do not think that word means what you think it means.

Iconic =/= good ideas, the two are completely unrelated.
Iconic means that Elan is a symbol of the comic, an 'icon' of it if you will.

Elan is very much a central figure in the Oots-verse.

Edit:
In retrospect, given all the words that have multiple meanings that are getting thrown around, I really have no idea what the conversation is actually about.

[kamikasei]

Wait... have you actually been reading the comic? Last time I checked, Elan wasn't exactly 'iconic'... His ideas are notoriously crap... :wink:

Others have said other things... I will just point out that a) the post you're replying to said nothing about anything iconic and b) the post that did mention the word said "did anyone notice that the Elan iconic's hair looks like tentacles". The Elan iconic's, that is, the hair of the iconic Elan character used as an example of the race in the book. Not Elan.

[Doomsy]

The Elans have no fluff, which I always found disappointing. But they are kind of really similar to kalashtar, come to think of it. I'd say they're better evolved than Illithids, though. That whole brain-dependent thing has to be a crimp in the lifestyle, even if you do get awesome mental abilities.

[Theodoxus]

1) Illithids are made of raw awesome
b) Elans are made of refined meh
3rd) There really isn't a third point, but DWARVES RULE!!! WOOHOO!!!

ahem