Cephalon

Cephalon, or Brains, is an Illithid wizard and officer in the Vanguard.

Appearance
Cephalon is an amphibian humanoid in appearance but with an octopus-like, ridged head with four tentacles surrounding his lamprey-like mouth. His hands have long, reddish fingers and lack an index finger, and his feet are two-toed and webbed. While maintaining a healthy diet of at least one brain a month, Cephalon excretes a slimy mucous substance that coats his mauve skin.

Personality
An anomaly amongst the Illithid, Cephalon has replaced an intense dislike for humanoids for curiosity. His diet still remains their brains, but he is very interested in learning about the emotions and habits of humanoids. He has discovered it is more rewarding to experience these emotions himself rather than learn of them from consuming a creatue's brain. When he is biologically incapable of experiencing something like drinking ale, Cephalon requests to places his tentacles upon an ally's head to understand their emotions. This often causes distress considering many of his allies has observed Cephalon gruesomely extracting a brain.

When given the opportunity, Cephalon perfers to speak with telepathy, although he is more skilled at verbal speech than most Illithid. Humor translates poorly in telepathy, and Cephalon's attempts frequently come off very dry. He believes the word "Mind Flayer" portrays a distasteful stereotype of his kind.

Further alienating himself from other Mind Flayers, Cephalon practices the arcane arts in addition to the psionic ones, an act which is considered blasphemous to Elder Brains and Illithid society. His previous colony would likely see him executed for his research. No longer a member of Mind Flayer society and unable to join a collective, Cephalon constantly researches immortality and time manipulation itself.

Background
For years, Cephalon developed as an Illithid should, in a matter which pleased the Elder Brain.

This all changed when an adventuring group delved into the colony attempting to rid the city of its mind flayer influence. They reached quite deep into the lair, slowing being picked off until only the wizard remained. The flavor of the creature's emotions were enhanced by the fear it experienced as Cephalon's tentacles wrapped around the creature's head; it was an exquisite meal.

The spellbook Cephalon looted from the wizard's corpse proved an interesting read. When the Elder Brain recommended Cephalon discard such knowledge and power because it was blasphemous, Cephalon declined to. He spent weeks studying the arcane incantations in the spellbook, and subsequent weeks studying in the brain library about the arcane. He learned magic was capable of manipulating time itself, possibly to restore the Illithid empire. But any attempts to convince the Elder Brain to accept arcane practices were fruitless. It demanded Cephalon stop under threat of excommunication or execution.

Cephalon openly agreed, but secretly continued his research. His first spell brought forth a strange dragon-like creature named Smolg. It claimed to be a familiar to one Adrian Velkenov previously, and was now sworn to Cephalon. The Illithid considered implanting the creature with a tadpole to validate the importance of his research, but ultimately declined for sentimental reasons. The creature was... interesting, and over the weeks he found himself becoming fond of it. Such emotions were weakness found in lesser creatures, but Cephalon came to enjoy them. Cephalon's other initial attempts at more complicated magic and time manipulation proved paltry; he would need time and experience to master his new craft.

It quickly became apparent the colony would likely execute Cephalon if the truth was revealed, so he set about an escape plan. The wizard he consumed months ago belonged to a group called the Vanguard. He sent a mindless thrall to the Vanguard to negotiate for extraction and protection. In return, Cephalon intended to replace the wizard's role in organization. He believed such an organization would value the superior intellect of an Illithid over the inferior human wizard he had killed previously.

Contracts
Cephalon has been a part of the following contracts


 * W1-491, The All Fruit Job
 * Chronicler

Notable Items

 * Spellbook

Companions

 * Smolg, psuedodragon familiar

Spells

 * Cantrips
 * Mind Sliver
 * Minor Illusion
 * Prestidigitation
 * Mage Hand (Psionics)
 * Mending
 * 1st
 * Absorb Elements
 * Alarm (R)
 * Comprehend Languages (R)
 * Detect Magic (R)
 * Disguise Self
 * Find Familiar (R)
 * Gift of Alacrity
 * Id Insinuation
 * Identify (R)
 * Mage Armor
 * Shield
 * Silent Image
 * 2nd
 * Blindness/Deafness
 * Cephalon's Transposition
 * Detect Thoughts (Psionics)
 * Hold Person
 * Invisibility
 * Mind Whip
 * Mirror Image
 * Misty Step
 * Suggestion
 * Wristpocket (R)
 * 3rd
 * 4th
 * 5th
 * 6th
 * 7th
 * 8th
 * 9th
 * 8th
 * 9th

Quotes

 * "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."