This is a feature, not a bug. The mod's author did not like that the portraits do not reflect the character, so be blacked them out.
The mod is "Complex Breeding". It changes pretty much everything in the game.
You can adjust its effects with the help of "Complex Breeding For Dummies".
About tentacle rooms - the effect is written in words. The number and the plus or minus sign is the price of that effect. Improving slaves has a cost (minus sign), while draining other slaves pays for that.
Here is
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, it might help.