Grand Design

The Grand Design was an illithid philosophy that involved the re-establishment of the once-great Illithid Empire.

"The Grand Design is what all ghaik seek. The restoration of the Illithid Empire, which spanned the entirety of the multiverse. For centuries, their elder brains sought to bring back their dominion."

- Ch'r'ai W'wargaz.

Description
The idea of the Grand Design was to rebuild the lost empire of the mind flayers. Mind flayers would work on accomplishing the Grand Design as soon as they had established their colonies.

Part of the Grand Design involved enslaving (or eliminating) all gith, as they once had, as well as other humanoids. To achieve the Grand Design, illithids spent much time studying different phenomena and subjects, such as the culture of other creatures.

Illithid colonies had different methods of contributing to the Grand Design. Some may have thought to rediscover the method of creating nautiloids, whilst others may have thought to find and destroy the homes of the gith.

Resistance
"I have broken free from the elder brain's yoke. I no longer serve the Grand Design."

- Omeluum

Not all mind flayers wished to further the efforts of the Grand Design. In the 15 century DR, an illithid, known as Omeluum, had broken free from the elder brain's influence. As such, hr no longer served the Grand Design.

History
In the, an elder brain in the Western Heartlands manipulated the chosen of the Dead Three into "enslaving" it with an ancient artifact, in order to further the schemes of their gods. In truth, the elder brain sought inflict ceremorphosis upon hundreds of thousands of innocent mortals in the city of Baldur's Gate and the Sword Coast beyond, in furtherance of the Grand Design.