Gnome squidling

Gnome squidlings were creatures that resulted from unsuccessful attempts at performing a modified version of ceremorphosis, in which an illithid tadpole was implanted into a gnome.

Description
Squidlings were small, deformed mind flayers with weak, malformed limbs and oversized facial tentacles. They constantly relied on their innate ability to levitate, while using their tentacles to pull themselves forward in order to move.

Behavior
Squidlings were driven by a blind hunger for brains, but did not display a consistent interest in anything else. They were incapable of reasoning and lacked any kind of emotional control, but possessed a certain shrewdness comparable to that of a cat.

They communicated by emitting muffled whimpers or by telepathically transmitting single words that were accompanied by bursts of emotion. They required the constant attention and care of other creatures.

Combat
Despite generally preferring to avoid combat, gnome squidlings were somewhat capable of defending themselves by emitting very weak mind blasts and by performing weak attacks with their tentacles. They tended to attack unconscious creatures in order to feed on their brains.

Ecology
The normal process of ceremorphosis, if conducted on a gnome, invariably resulted in the death of both the host and the tadpole. The reason the process failed was unknown, but it was thought to be related with the different way that gnomish minds worked, or tied to their quasi-magical nature.

However, by slightly modifying the ceremorphosis process, it was possible to produce a viable gnome ceremorph from a gnome host. If the process did not succeed, it resulted in a gnome squidling. Since they were usually killed on sight by mind flayers, squidlings were extremely rare creatures.

Like ordinary mind flayers, gnome squidlings relied on a diet of brains to survive.

Notable Gnome Squidlings

 * Rin, Rix, and Zglarrd, crew members of the nautiloid Id Ascendant.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden