Mind Flayer Lair [45 x 45]

I recently asked my Patrons for some map suggestions to do a map challenge, and them randomly selected a winner from the list of submissions. This Mind Flayer Lair was the winner, so I went out to look for inspiration. Many of the existing maps I found were either set underground in a dungeon setting, an area taken over by the Illithid or seemed to be patterned after patterns of the human brain.

In seeing this, I thought, "Well, what does an octopus brain look like?" I found my answer in the 2nd photo in this post (or you can find it here: http://cephalove.blogspot.com/2010/06/view-of-octopus-brain.html).

With that layout in "mind", I decided to go for a shadowy and dark theme, along with deviating from the very normal "purple" color choice for such a location.

You will also notice a white fibrous material moving along the walls of the ship, which is connected to the Elder Brain control room, and can be used as a telepathic PA system throughout the compound by creatures touching it and joining the thought cathexis.

The map contains rooms with many potential purposes:

Prison Wing (west side) with several cells, entry/exit portals (for the Illithid) as well physical lifts in/out of the compound -- this could be a ship or a physical/stationary site.

Incinerator Room.

Botanical Study Room.

Meat Pressing room to feed failed subjects to larvae.

Slave Quarters (housed like cattle)

Individual Illithid rooms.

An "Eating Room" with caged prisoners and chairs with manacles, where the Illithid can take a prisoner, chain it down and have a snack.

An egg room and a larvae pool room, with small insects scurrying to manage and distribute said larvae to their destination(s).

An insertion room, where lucky individuals are poked, prodded and potentially given a roommate within their body.

A dissection room.

A planning room, with stations encircling a portal showing visions of a large map.

A discussion room, with two ends of the table having pools capable of showing distant locations.

A serious prison room for serious prisoners.

A crystalline power room.

A main birthing pod chamber and 4 additional pod chambers that could be used for sleeping/birthing/conversion, etc...

A waste site managed by helpful insects.

A master control managed by an Elder Brain in a large pool, connected to the web fibers running throughout the compound/ship.

A mundane world library filled with trophies and documents of mundane knowledge.

A few random prison rooms and power rooms.

A mimic sitting on a pile of bones. Why? Who knows. Entertainment?

This will soon be available on Patreon, so if you like it, consider coming and joining us!

Interested in your comments and feedback!