Case Study 73
24 Hammer 1468
Abstract
Here, we report the progression and outcome of a unique case of aberrant ceremorphosis, in which the subject fully retained the appearance of the humanoid host while experiencing significant alteration of the digestive and neurological systems. This is the most complete reported case thus far of physically 'failed' ceremorphosis in which the process still produced a mentally-intact newborn illithid with the potential to become a productive member of the colony.
Introduction
Partial ceremorphosis occurs when, for a variety of reasons, ceremorphosis is stalled or aborted at some point in the process. Partial ceremorphs may retain aspects of the host's anatomy, physiology, or personality to varying degrees. Failed or partial ceremorphosis is far more common than it may initially seem, given how few examples of such ceremorphs are seen in the ring caverns of Oryndoll. However, this is due to the high rate of culling of 'defective' newborn illithids shortly after - or even, during - the process of ceremorphosis.
There have, however, been anecdotal reports of entirely "failed'' ceremorphs surviving the process and retaining the anatomy of their humanoid host while gaining the psionic abilities of an illithid. Such cases are considered dangerous due to the high risk of partialism, and are usually culled at birth. However, attitudes toward these aberrations among aberrations (since, ironically enough, illithids are often called aberrations by other species…) have shifted in recent years. Assistant Creedmaster Qrr'Dekvin has recently endorsed a policy of tolerance in such cases unless partialism is confirmed, due to the potential utility of failed or partial ceremorphs for covert operations among humanoids on the surface of Toril. Here, I describe the first such case of physically failed ceremorphosis to be observed and cataloged throughout the entire process, in which the resulting illithid survived and was later accepted as a member of the colony.
Case Narrative
The subject was a male half-elf of approximately twenty years of age. He was selected from a group of captured surface-dwellers as a candidate for ceremorphosis rather than consumption or enthrallment. A tadpole of appropriate size with no visible abnormalities was chosen and inserted into the left ear canal. The subject tolerated the procedure well - albeit with a significant amount of protest that required brief mental domination to suppress - and was deposited into a ceremorphosis pod shortly thereafter.
Early neurological symptoms of ceremorphosis, including headache and confusion, appeared as expected within the first twenty-four hours after tadpole insertion. However, systemic manifestations such as fever were notably absent, potentially due to the failure of the tadpole to initiate an inflammatory response. The absence of fever was noted, but otherwise ceremorphosis proceeded normally for the first 48 hours.
An absence of typical skin discoloration was noted at the 48-hour mark, and from this point onward, the subject was observed at hourly intervals. Interestingly, the typical course of symptoms initially appeared to resume on the third day, with the subject complaining of nausea and becoming unable to keep down liquids without vomiting. Blood was present in the subject's vomit but there was no bleeding from the eyes, ears, or other orifices.
On the fourth day after the subject's arrival, I alerted Assistant Creedmaster Qrr'Dekvin to a potential case of aberrant ceremorphosis. By this point the subject was somnolent and only sporadically responding to direct commands, but his external appearance was still unchanged from the initial presentation. The tadpole remained alive and intact, as evidenced by a strong psionic signature. Upon inspection, Qrr'Dekvin instructed us to allow ceremorphosis to proceed without intervention or premature termination of the subject.
By the fifth day, the host was unconscious, but displayed intact brain stem reflexes in combination with a loss of higher brain function, which conforms to the typical timeline. There was no visible change in appearance or behavior between the fifth and sixth days. On the seventh day, the subject gained consciousness, but his demeanor was greatly altered and he claimed to have no memory of his previous life. Upon psionic examination, the subject's mind appeared to be that of a fairly typical newborn illithid, albeit one of slightly lower intelligence, potentially due to the lack of cranial expansion stunting the tadpole's growth. The subject was able to use rudimentary psionic abilities including telepathy and telekinesis at levels appropriate for a newborn illithid. There were no early indications of partialism in either memory or personality carryover from the host. The subject retained his host's gendered pronouns - which is within normal parameters - but chose a new name for himself on the first day of life as an illithid.
The subject's external appearance remained fully that of the host, but some internal changes occurred - most prominently, in the digestive system. Requests for vivisection from the Creative Creed were denied due to physical and psychological danger to the subject. Instead, indirect methods were used to assess these changes. The subject was offered a variety of foods, but was only able to tolerate a carnivorous diet. On the second day of life, he showed interest in accompanying the rest of the cohort (the rest of whom underwent ceremorphosis normally) to the thrall caverns, where he successfully dominated a duergar thrall and - when provided with a suitable tool - was willing and able to consume its brain. Based on these promising early behavioral indicators, we decided to educate the subject as a novice illithid along with the rest of his cohort, while closely monitoring his further development.
At six months of age, the subject appears to be developing normally, albeit with scores in the lower percentiles on the mental aptitude tests administered to novices. The subject has recently been observed to suffer social difficulties among his peers as they become more aware of his differences, but he has a strong personality and seems capable of holding his own in mock dominance competitions among the other novices.
Discussion
Qrr'Dekvin and I will continue to monitor the subject's further progress. It is our hope that, after basic education and apprenticeship to an appropriate Creed, he can serve as a covert operative among free-living populations of humans and/or elves on the surface. As the most dramatic case of partial ceremorphosis seen in decades, he has the potential to become a valuable member of the Loretaker, Influencer, Ariser, or recently reinstated Possessor Creeds. This case also illustrates that, even when ceremorphosis is proceeding abnormally, it is often best to wait and see what occurs rather than terminating the hosts prematurely, since there is still the potential to generate a functional illithid. Therefore, it is my recommendation that as long as the tadpole remains alive, hosts should not be culled until ceremorphosis is complete.
Author's Note: My brain is mush and this feels a bit like writing another scientific paper in addition to my real one, so apologies if some of Videx's usual dry humor is absent. Let's just say this is the squid equivalent of a journal article and he's gotta be a bit more professional...
