Article:
D&D 4th ed: The Forces of Thoon

When an expeditionary force of Mind Flayers plunged back into the Far Realm, they later returned to reality chanting the word Thoon, and brought with them a whole new technology, one which combines flesh and metal using an arcane substance known as Quintessence.

The original Mind Flayers were fantastically altered by their encounter with Thoon, and are now known as Madcrafters. They are hulking, slug-like creatures with flesh twisted and melded with metallic parts, most of which are canisters containing glowing green fluids. They have a head warped out of proportion due to a huge mouth, constantly drooling a burning acidic spittle. Unfamiliar organs with interconnecting tubes of flesh and metal all pulse and throb with the weird life force of the aberrant far realm, and despite a complete addiction to the quintessence that they require to live, they have minds just as keen and cunning as any other Mind Flayer.

Madcrafters, true to their Illithid nature, still love to indulge in the consumption of fresh brains, but as they now subsist entirely on the mysterious quintessence, the eating of brains is more like ingesting a potent narcotic, one which they crave constantly.

The living constructs that the Madcrafters are able to assemble within their own bodies are unusual in that the quintessence that powers them is a self regenerative spark of life force, and like other living things, they heal slowly over time.

The Stormclouds of Thoon serve as watchers and scouts, seeking out new sources of quintessence and humanoids suitable for enslavement as thralls of Thoon. While the Stormclouds are nowhere near as intelligent as a Mind flayer, they are thinking beings in their own right, able to operate independently for as long as they require, and quite capable of directing a force of Scythers or Thoon Thralls as a tactical commander. In combat, the Stormcloud will maintain some distance and make use of its lightning bolts, moving in when needed to better assist the Scythers or Thralls in melee.

Scythers are consummate shock troops, able to close quickly and engage multiple opponents, they simply attempt at all times to dominate the field of combat and put their targets down as efficiently as possible. On their own, they are simple brutes, taking on targets as they come, but under intelligent guidance, they are capable of demolishing magical barriers, isolating and overwhelming specific threats, coordinated tactics and more stealthy, hit and fade strategies.