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Illithon, King of All Tears

Overview

The King of All Tears (Commonspeak), also Illithon (Elftongue \ˈɪləˌθɔn\ for madness), and Xael’Mourith Enkora (Farspeak \ˈzaɪəlkˌmɔrɪθ ˌɪnˈkɔrə\ for no known translation), is an Eldritch God associated with the Strange Realm of The Horizon, specifically the region known as The Nautilus Towe, and is recognized as the patron and origin of the Eldritch species commonly called the Thought Eaters.

Integral scholarship classifies the King of All Tears as a godlike phenomenon rather than a true god. It does not seem to manifest any consistent form of will, instead, manifesting through the amplification, fragmentation, and eventual weaponization of thought itself. Most information concerning the King of All Tears derives from Thought Eaters theological records, suppressed chronicles of the Dwarfhome incursion, and postwar analyses produced under the authority of the Lich Queen.

Among the Eldritch Gods, the King of All Tears is considered uniquely dangerous to scholars, philosophers, and spellcasters, as its influence does not merely distort perception, but collapses the boundary between thinker and thought.

History

The King of All Tears came into existence at the very beginning of the Shattered Age, contemporaneous with the collapse of The Orrery and the transformation of the Servitors of Destiny into Eldritch entities. As with the other Eldritch Gods, its prior identity as one of The Fates is inferred but unrecoverable.

Early Shattered Age records suggest that Thought Eaters society coalesced rapidly around the King of All Tears, forming one of the most internally coherent Eldritch cultures known to Integral scholarship. This coherence is believed to be a direct consequence of their shared cognitive structure rather than evidence of centralized command.

During the Shattered Age, the Thought Eater worshippers of the King of All Tears briefly manifested beyond the Horizon in the mortal lands of Dwarfhome, where it became the focal point of a short-lived but devastating dominion of mutated Humans. Contemporary sources describe cities where citizens wept constantly, not from pain, but from uninterrupted, unsilenced, internal monologue.

This dominion was ultimately dismantled by the Lich Queen, whose nature as an undead intelligence appears to have rendered her partially resistant to Illithon’s influence. The King of All Tears withdrew from the Integrum following this defeat, and no comparable incursion has since been recorded.

Description

The King of All Tears manifests in two primary forms.

Its anthropomorphic form is often described as a towering, regal humanoid figure draped in layered robes resembling ghostly visages. Instead of a face, it bears a smooth, elongated mask from which descend numerous thin, vein-like tendrils, as long as its body. These tendrils do not writhe aggressively, but sway subtly, as if responding to unspoken ideas in the minds of nearby observers. Witnesses report that when this form is present, internal monologues become painfully audible and impossible to silence, looping and repeating with increasing clarity until concentration becomes impossible.

The surreal form of the King of All Tears is a colossal, floating brain, vast as a castle, suspended from below by massive vein-like tentacles that wrap around the ridges of its exposed cortex. These tendrils pulse rhythmically, suggesting circulation.

Environmental effects associated with this form include spontaneous weeping, the manifestation of intrusive memories, and the sensation that one’s thoughts are being observed, catalogued, and weighed.

Personality

The King of All Tears embodies the Strange Epiphany of the sensation of thinking, specifically the phenomenon of self-awareness and internal cognition. Integral scholars emphasize that this should not be mistaken for intelligence in the mortal sense. Rather, Illithon appears to experience existence as an unbroken cascade of self-referential thought, where every idea immediately reflects upon itself.

Behavior attributed to the King of All Tears suggests an inexorable draw toward brilliant thinkers. It does not tempt through promises of power or pleasure, but through the unbearable intensity of self-reflection. Those who come under its notice often describe a sense that their thoughts have become too loud to endure.

Orisons

Most Orisons of the King of All Tears arise among the Thought Eaters, for whom Illithon represents both creator and pinnacle of existence. Illithid Orisons act as massive hivemind networks of invasive thought, capable of inducing paralysis, psychic feedback, and enforced introspection in others.

Among mortals, the King of All Tears most often draws the attention of philosophers, arcanists, and individuals suffering from obsessive self-analysis. Pacts may arise through misguided intention, particularly among those who believe greater understanding will bring peace. More commonly, Illithon’s mark manifests as an involuntary curse, imposed upon those who think too much, too deeply, or too constantly.

Notable Orisons include:

Călinescu the Unresting: Human, Man, Norhome, Dawn Age, Unknown. A philosopher whose treatise On the Inescapability of Thought reportedly caused readers to experience weeks-long states of uncontrollable weeping. He vanished shortly after completing the final volume.
Varesh-Imun: Hollow, Woman, Dwarfhome, Shattered Age, Dead. A court diviner who served the brief Illithid dominion in Vashad. Surviving records suggest she could extract truths by forcing subjects to hear their own thoughts spoken aloud.
The Pale Regent: Thought Eater, Dwarfhome, Shattered Age, Alive. An Illithid Orison whose role during the Vashad incursion remains contested. Some accounts name it a governor, others a priest, and others insist it never existed as a discrete individual at all.

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 =Overview=
-Illithon {{lang|Elftongue|ˈɪləˌθɔn|\ˈɪləˌθɔn\|madness}}, also known as ''The King of All Tears'', is named for its association with madness. Like all [[Eldritch Gods]], lore about Illithon is exceptionally rare and incomplete. The lore comes primarily from scholars who have studied the [[Obyrith]] and [[Eldritch Orisons]]. It is the God of the [[Illithid]].
+The King of All Tears ([[Commonspeak]]), also Illithon {{lang|Elftongue|ˈɪləˌθɔn|\ˈɪləˌθɔn\|madness}}, and Xael’Mourith Enkora {{lang|Farspeak|ˈzaɪəlkˌmɔrɪθ%20ˌɪnˈkɔrə|\ˈzaɪəlkˌmɔrɪθ ˌɪnˈkɔrə\|no known translation}}, is an Eldritch God associated with the [[Strange Realm]] of [[The Horizon]], specifically the region known as [[The Nautilus Towe]], and is recognized as the patron and origin of the Eldritch species commonly called the [[Thought Eaters]].
+Integral scholarship classifies the King of All Tears as a godlike phenomenon rather than a true god. It does not seem to manifest any consistent form of will, instead, manifesting through the amplification, fragmentation, and eventual weaponization of thought itself. Most information concerning the King of All Tears derives from [[Thought Eaters]] theological records, suppressed chronicles of the [[Dwarfhome]] incursion, and postwar analyses produced under the authority of the [[Lich Queen]].
+Among the Eldritch Gods, the King of All Tears is considered uniquely dangerous to scholars, philosophers, and spellcasters, as its influence does not merely distort perception, but collapses the boundary between thinker and thought.
 =History=
-Illithon, like all Eldritch Gods, is considered to be among the oldest [[Strange Gods]]. Illithon appeared in the universe during [[The Shattering]].
+The King of All Tears came into existence at the very beginning of the [[Shattered Age]], contemporaneous with the collapse of [[The Orrery]] and the transformation of the [[Servitors]] of [[Destiny]] into Eldritch entities. As with the other Eldritch Gods, its prior identity as one of [[The Fates]] is inferred but unrecoverable.
+Early Shattered Age records suggest that [[Thought Eaters]] society coalesced rapidly around the King of All Tears, forming one of the most internally coherent Eldritch cultures known to Integral scholarship. This coherence is believed to be a direct consequence of their shared cognitive structure rather than evidence of centralized command.
+During the Shattered Age, the [[Thought Eater]] worshippers of the King of All Tears briefly manifested beyond the Horizon in the mortal lands of [[Dwarfhome]], where it became the focal point of a short-lived but devastating dominion of mutated [[Humans]]. Contemporary sources describe cities where citizens wept constantly, not from pain, but from uninterrupted, unsilenced, internal monologue.
+This dominion was ultimately dismantled by the Lich Queen, whose nature as an undead intelligence appears to have rendered her partially resistant to Illithon’s influence. The King of All Tears withdrew from the Integrum following this defeat, and no comparable incursion has since been recorded.
 =Description=
-Illithon appears as a massive, floating, pale pink brain atop a tangled cluster of long, fleshy tentacles.
+The King of All Tears manifests in two primary forms.
+Its anthropomorphic form is often described as a towering, regal humanoid figure draped in layered robes resembling ghostly visages. Instead of a face, it bears a smooth, elongated mask from which descend numerous thin, vein-like tendrils, as long as its body. These tendrils do not writhe aggressively, but sway subtly, as if responding to unspoken ideas in the minds of nearby observers. Witnesses report that when this form is present, internal monologues become painfully audible and impossible to silence, looping and repeating with increasing clarity until concentration becomes impossible.
+The surreal form of the King of All Tears is a colossal, floating brain, vast as a castle, suspended from below by massive vein-like tentacles that wrap around the ridges of its exposed cortex. These tendrils pulse rhythmically, suggesting circulation.
+Environmental effects associated with this form include spontaneous weeping, the manifestation of intrusive memories, and the sensation that one’s thoughts are being observed, catalogued, and weighed.
 =Personality=
-Illithon, like all Eldritch Gods, cannot be said to have a coherent personality. Its only discernable motivation seems to be a compulsion to experiment with Integral lifeforms, creating monstrous Illithid hybrids. It also seems to have on obsession with thoughts.
+The King of All Tears embodies the [[Strange Epiphany]] of the sensation of thinking, specifically the phenomenon of self-awareness and internal cognition. Integral scholars emphasize that this should not be mistaken for intelligence in the mortal sense. Rather, Illithon appears to experience existence as an unbroken cascade of self-referential thought, where every idea immediately reflects upon itself.
+Behavior attributed to the King of All Tears suggests an inexorable draw toward brilliant thinkers. It does not tempt through promises of power or pleasure, but through the unbearable intensity of self-reflection. Those who come under its notice often describe a sense that their thoughts have become too loud to endure.
 =Orisons=
-Like all Eldritch Gods, it is not clear what draws Illithon's attention to a [[Mortal]] to create an Orison. While it is true that all Orisons of Illithon are mad, it is unclear if madness attracts Illithon's attention or if madness is caused by Illithon's attention.
+Most [[Orisons]] of the King of All Tears arise among the Thought Eaters, for whom Illithon represents both creator and pinnacle of existence. Illithid Orisons act as massive hivemind networks of invasive thought, capable of inducing paralysis, psychic feedback, and enforced introspection in others.
+Among mortals, the King of All Tears most often draws the attention of philosophers, arcanists, and individuals suffering from obsessive self-analysis. Pacts may arise through misguided intention, particularly among those who believe greater understanding will bring peace. More commonly, Illithon’s mark manifests as an involuntary curse, imposed upon those who think too much, too deeply, or too constantly.
+Notable Orisons include:
+* Călinescu the Unresting: Human, Man, Norhome, Dawn Age, Unknown. A philosopher whose treatise On the Inescapability of Thought reportedly caused readers to experience weeks-long states of uncontrollable weeping. He vanished shortly after completing the final volume.
+* Varesh-Imun: Hollow, Woman, Dwarfhome, Shattered Age, Dead. A court diviner who served the brief Illithid dominion in Vashad. Surviving records suggest she could extract truths by forcing subjects to hear their own thoughts spoken aloud.
+* The Pale Regent: Thought Eater, Dwarfhome, Shattered Age, Alive. An Illithid Orison whose role during the Vashad incursion remains contested. Some accounts name it a governor, others a priest, and others insist it never existed as a discrete individual at all.