The mind burners are a quartet of mind flayers famed far and wide as mercenaries and assasins for hire, their special talents making them quite attractive to better serve their shadowy employers' needs.

Their mercenary career began little over a decade ago, when the underground community of the original mind burners (the three magical ilithids) was destroyed by a drow raid after the mind flayers had tried to enslave the seemingly small drow group for tresspassing into their territory; unfortunately for the ilithids, the drows were but a small scouting group sent before a much larger drow contingent sent to extend the drow's domination over the underdark.

The trio never entered the battle at all, knowing that opposing the wrath of so many drows is nothing short of suicide. They fled as fast and as far as they could. However, they were not the only ones to survive, and their cowardice sealed their fate, they were now fugitives, hunted for abandoning the elder brain. They also could not join any other mind flayer community, since if they ever heard the story, they would probably slay them.

And so they fled from place to place, stealing and murdering to etch out a living. One of those times, the mind flayers had attacked a group of Kua-toas guarding a wagon, in hopes of finding slaves or gold. To their surprise, the creatures were carrying another ilithid, one very different from themselves (he was a psionic ilithid).

As the prisoner later explained (after convincing the other ilithids that he would pay handsomly for his life and freedom), he was an outcast from his own community, after he had staged an internal rebellion to seize control of the community and failed. After several months of hiding, the kua toas had found him and were about to sell him back to his community.

The psionic ilithid, named N'talla, kept his part of the bargain and paid them in jewels for his freedom, and so the others set him free. N'talla was as desperate as the other three, and saw in them an opportunity to survive, he spent a long time following them and convincing them that they could survive together, for he had greater plans for all four of them. Eventually, the persecutions forced the three mind flayers into bargaining with N'talla.

The four creatures went to the surface and established an amazing reputation as mercenaries, taking on any assignment that would make them famous as killers for hire.

He has the following powers:

• Medallion of non detection
• Ring of protection +2 (AC and saving throws)
• Ring of invisibility
• 2 potions of Extra healing
• Robe of blending

N'talla is brutal and ambitious even for ilithid standards, he was never pleased with serving the elder brain because he has an enormous craving for power and dominance (through pain and blood) over those he considers inferior. The mind burners are but a means to an end to him, completely expendable once they have outlived their usefulness.

He is the brains of the entire operation and the one who closes all the deals, as a matter of fact, he always asks for magic items as part of the payment and always keeps them to himself.

His greatest ambition is to one day crush anyone of his former peers or associates who ever opposed him, but for the moment is pleased with hoarding treasure and acquiring magic.

Their preferred method of attack is a Mind Blast, projected in a cone 60 feet long, 5 feet wide at the mind flayer and 20 wide at the other end, anyone within the cone must save against wands or be stunned and unable to act for 3d4 rounds. They can also use the followings spells, one per round, at the 7^th level of ability (saving throws are made at -4): charm person, charm monster, ESP, levitate, astral projection and plane shift.

The former leader before N'talla's arrival, Githk does not trust that "psionic scum" one bit, but he is happy with their current situation and is not ready to make any move, not just yet.

Magic items: A potion of speed, a ring of blink, and 5 beads of force (which he is saving for a special ocassion, at least one is meant for N'talla)

Githk's faithful follower, he is mostly in the same situation as his former leader, and is always ready to strike N'talla as soon as the time comes.

Magic items: Portable hole, potion of fire breath.

While the other two think him to be on their side, Chtelf has gotten quite used to the life of a highly paid mercenary, and would even consider betraying his old companions to N'talla should the opportunity come. He will follow N'talla as long as the rewards keep coming.

Magic items: Ring of the Ram, potion of fire resistance

As you can see from their magical equipment and their natural abilities, the mind burners would give a good fight even to an experienced and fully armed adventuring party, but the fact is they never fight face to face unless they are absolutely sure they can beat them. If they must fight, they like to have all the advantages, they like to be ready and on a battlefield of their choice, especially close quarters since in that way their mind blast can be most effective.

Improved Mind Blast: The Mind Burners have learned to fight together over the years and so are able to meld their Mind Blast powers making them even more powerful. When faced with a group of opponents, all four ilithids use their mind blast at once on the first round of combat, if all four are present, they will direct the cone on the same direction, forcing the enemies within the cone to save four times (once per ilithid present) against wands at a -4 penalty (-1 for each ilithid), failing to save even once means the mind blast has full effect (stunned for 3d4 rounds).

If an adventuring party ever forces the Mind Burners to retreat without completing their assignment, they can be sure they will meet again.