Question about Illithid religion, etc.

Maanzecorian. A 'kinder, gentler' brain-sucker.

From 2e's Monster Mythology: "...He considers that there are things which illithids may profitably learn from other brains before they eat them, and eating is a pleasure which is most delightful after lingering anticipation."

Has associations with the Arcane and philosophy.

A follower of Maanzecorian is more likely to view the edible races, or at least some of their members, as more than prey and livestock (though he will still enslave or eat them if he wishes). I think that those illithids who don't immediately seek to eat or enslave other races upon initial contact with them, or who actively choose to mingle with non-illithids, are more likely to be associated with Maanzecorian.

I'm trying to decide whether Thought Taker from the Cloakmaster series of novels (at least, the way he was portrayed in 'Into the Void,' not the later novels) might be an extreme example of what a Maanzecorian follower might be like. He traveled among 'lesser races' as an ivory-tower scholar and actually befriended numerous humans, including the protagonist. He also dined well on the brains of kobolds (i.e., hated racial enemies of whoever he's working with) and pirates -- basically, those whose de-braining wouldn't offend those humans/others that he lived among.

In any case, Maanzecorian was bumped off by Orcus (or maybe Tenebrous) using the Last Word. I would love to see something like a module dedicated to the resurrection of Maanzecorian someday.

If I were to render Maanzecorian in 3e terms, I'd probably make Ilsensine more closely associated with pure psionics, telepathy, and the conquest and enslavement of other races, while Maanzecorian would be more devoted to the Arcane, philosophy, and particularly scholarly or 'free-thinking' illithids.

[hi Azure]

No, it wouldn't be in bad taste. Cthulhu's powers over the mind and physical appearance would probably inspire many mind flayers to gather and attempt to draw him forth from the depths.