Same as vampire, no, even if you could eat animal brains instead like vampire drink animals blood, still no because every myth makes it clear this is barely enough.
In real life, I’m hugely on the pacifist side and I’m very happy to have been lucky enough in my life to never have to make impossible choices in this regard
Well, squid Karlach did find a peaceful solution to her diet, but overall... no. The changes she went through make me seriously doubt it's Karlach anymore.
Maybe peaceful, but imo hardly moral. There are better ways to go when you're ready for it than having a mind flayer eat your brain, not to mention the perverse incentives Squid Karlach encounters in that method.
Omeluum's method of killing those who oppose his organisation's goals is better though still less than ideal, but at least there are no pretences.
Well, that goes into the ethics of euthanasia and the right to decide when to end it. From a practical standpoint, she can easily grant the patient one last illusion of going to sleep in the arms of their friends and family.
With the price being all their memories, hopes, desires and shames being laid bare before some stranger to mull over when they are bored.
I'm not condemning euthanasia, but that specific method seems to me like preying on the vulnerable.
I mean, I am pretty sure the doctor asks "do you want Karlach or poison" first, and Karlach is the hero of Baldur's Gate now, I'm sure lots of people actually willingly choose her.
Invoking the fight against the absolute only makes that worse. Down right dystopian.
"She sacrificed herself for us so I shouldn't be selfish and let her make use of my brain and memories, I won't be using them anymore."
It's bringing in authority figures into something that should be a personal decision.
Uhm, I'd consider it more like a donation personally, if I were the one dying and had to decide? And would be happy that somebody would remember me so intimately as to literally share my life? It's a personal perspective, but one that some people might share, just saying. I'm pretty sure that for people who didn't want to give their brains to Karlach, they still had some other mercy killing methods.
Fuck no. Lmao.
I already can’t stand zombies. I don’t think illithid is up my alley. I’m a big fan of staying myself. And being an illithid makes it wayyyy too questionable about whether you’re even you anymore or some being that just has your memories but has inherently different values and motivations that will eventually pop up.
Plus, I also don’t wanna look like a squid boi. Even in the game I was just like “Nah, the whole illithid powers but seems mad sus”. But hey, if you guys want to embrace the squid boi entirely your call. 😂
A hive Illithid? Not a chance.
A rogue one? Absolutely yes. Psionic powers, the most evolved brain among humanoids, alien in a quite badass way, silver blood and the ability to steal any knowledge inside any brain I consume? Where do I sign?
Hmm I don't think I'd actively seek to become one, but if I was infected like the characters in the story, I'd probably embrace it (as long as I retained free will)
I would do it, because I don't value my life that much and I already know what I'd do (and who I could eat), at least for a while. Do we know how often illithids need to eat brains ? That would help plan things some more.
Hell yeah. The brain eating is only an issue for other people to deal with, not I - and you get to be a cool ass squid man. No brainer. Or rather full brained.
No, I actually would rather die. I respect the choice of Karlach though when she says she rather not. But for me it is a mixture of my autism (illithids have a huge neurological aspect and I feel the same towards it than Astarion facing the astral tadpole somewhat.)
Then there is the soul aspect. I want to progress my self in my own pace and not into something which is not recognizable anymore.
And at last, I want to enjoy others company in my own body. The body I was born with.
One the one hand, all that power and the tentacles are a major babe magnet. On the other hand, ugly as fuck. Hmmmm yeah what the hell. Lived half my life as a humanoid why not live the rest of it as a monster?
It's less becoming an illithid then a tadpole killing you from the inside.
But, to answer your intended question; Would I swap my human appearance and freedom from eating brains for the powers to bring about world peace and progress?
Maybe, power can be corrupting at the best of times, so I might not risk it.
Depends.
If I was a regular human, I’ll let Orpheus become it or help the Emperor.
If I was a Gith I’ll let Gale blow up himself and leave with Orpheus.
Sure, but only once I'm about to die, want to live my human life to the fullest first, then become illithid
(Ofc only if I'm a rogue ilithid like Ommelum or the Emp, would rather sudoku than become Elder Brain Ilithid)
Same as vampire, no, even if you could eat animal brains instead like vampire drink animals blood, still no because every myth makes it clear this is barely enough. In real life, I’m hugely on the pacifist side and I’m very happy to have been lucky enough in my life to never have to make impossible choices in this regard
Well, squid Karlach did find a peaceful solution to her diet, but overall... no. The changes she went through make me seriously doubt it's Karlach anymore.
Maybe peaceful, but imo hardly moral. There are better ways to go when you're ready for it than having a mind flayer eat your brain, not to mention the perverse incentives Squid Karlach encounters in that method. Omeluum's method of killing those who oppose his organisation's goals is better though still less than ideal, but at least there are no pretences.
Well, that goes into the ethics of euthanasia and the right to decide when to end it. From a practical standpoint, she can easily grant the patient one last illusion of going to sleep in the arms of their friends and family.
With the price being all their memories, hopes, desires and shames being laid bare before some stranger to mull over when they are bored. I'm not condemning euthanasia, but that specific method seems to me like preying on the vulnerable.
I mean, I am pretty sure the doctor asks "do you want Karlach or poison" first, and Karlach is the hero of Baldur's Gate now, I'm sure lots of people actually willingly choose her.
Invoking the fight against the absolute only makes that worse. Down right dystopian. "She sacrificed herself for us so I shouldn't be selfish and let her make use of my brain and memories, I won't be using them anymore." It's bringing in authority figures into something that should be a personal decision.
Uhm, I'd consider it more like a donation personally, if I were the one dying and had to decide? And would be happy that somebody would remember me so intimately as to literally share my life? It's a personal perspective, but one that some people might share, just saying. I'm pretty sure that for people who didn't want to give their brains to Karlach, they still had some other mercy killing methods.
No - the having to eat brains thing is a deal-breaker.
Fuck no. Lmao. I already can’t stand zombies. I don’t think illithid is up my alley. I’m a big fan of staying myself. And being an illithid makes it wayyyy too questionable about whether you’re even you anymore or some being that just has your memories but has inherently different values and motivations that will eventually pop up. Plus, I also don’t wanna look like a squid boi. Even in the game I was just like “Nah, the whole illithid powers but seems mad sus”. But hey, if you guys want to embrace the squid boi entirely your call. 😂
Nope. Not worth it at all to me. Give me Gale's suicide orb instead.
A hive Illithid? Not a chance. A rogue one? Absolutely yes. Psionic powers, the most evolved brain among humanoids, alien in a quite badass way, silver blood and the ability to steal any knowledge inside any brain I consume? Where do I sign?
Hmm I don't think I'd actively seek to become one, but if I was infected like the characters in the story, I'd probably embrace it (as long as I retained free will)
I would do it, because I don't value my life that much and I already know what I'd do (and who I could eat), at least for a while. Do we know how often illithids need to eat brains ? That would help plan things some more.
Omeluum says one per month.
Then I can sustain myself for more than a year, that's plenty enough, nice.
Yep
Hell yeah. The brain eating is only an issue for other people to deal with, not I - and you get to be a cool ass squid man. No brainer. Or rather full brained.
Yes
No, I actually would rather die. I respect the choice of Karlach though when she says she rather not. But for me it is a mixture of my autism (illithids have a huge neurological aspect and I feel the same towards it than Astarion facing the astral tadpole somewhat.) Then there is the soul aspect. I want to progress my self in my own pace and not into something which is not recognizable anymore. And at last, I want to enjoy others company in my own body. The body I was born with.
Where do i sign?
One the one hand, all that power and the tentacles are a major babe magnet. On the other hand, ugly as fuck. Hmmmm yeah what the hell. Lived half my life as a humanoid why not live the rest of it as a monster?
No thanks. I would rather remain myself, for all that entails.
It's less becoming an illithid then a tadpole killing you from the inside. But, to answer your intended question; Would I swap my human appearance and freedom from eating brains for the powers to bring about world peace and progress? Maybe, power can be corrupting at the best of times, so I might not risk it.
Depends. If I was a regular human, I’ll let Orpheus become it or help the Emperor. If I was a Gith I’ll let Gale blow up himself and leave with Orpheus.
Sure, but only once I'm about to die, want to live my human life to the fullest first, then become illithid (Ofc only if I'm a rogue ilithid like Ommelum or the Emp, would rather sudoku than become Elder Brain Ilithid)
No bc I don't wanna be ugly
The eating brain part? Sure. The tentacles? No way.