The Last Sentinel of Gorm

Session 91

Characters: Terus, Anthony, Cael, Grim, Balin, Julian, Davvin.

NPCs: 500 Deep Gnome refugees, 12 Ropers, Great Zurkhwood mushroom, Deathless Sentinel of Gorm Gulthyn, 2 Greater Stone Golems.

3 Aulturiak 1374 - 5 Alturiak 1374

3325 XP

When all were gathered together in the now consecrated bathhouse, Davvin casted a Find the Path spell upon Julian. With the help of Balin's Control Water, Julian was able to find a upper tunnel leading to an underground river above. The party flew the Deep Gnomes out one by one and began to travel down the low underground river. Hours passed and soon the party found themselves in a cavern with many streams and pools flowing around large stalagmites and Daymold. As they led the Deep Gnomes through the party was attacked by hidden Ropers from all. Julian and Grim were wrapped up instantly, but before Grim became paralyzed he casted a Firebrand which left many of the Ropers dead and burning. Julian and Grim were soon devoured by the Ropers however Terus and Davvin saved them with their spells and powers. The Ropers had been killed, but at a high price for Davvin had expended many of his divine spells to save his near fallen comrades. The party rested for the night.

The next morning the party woke in the dimly lit cavern and continued to follow Julian's direction. Later, they discovered large claw marks and others signs that a gargantuan beast had been present at one time. Shortly thereafter, the Deep Gnome trackers warned Balin and Julian of another cavern around a bend. Inside was the vile bone pit and skin sheddings of an absent Deep Dragon. The Gnome noted that luckily these dragons often have many small lairs and that it had not been living here for some time. They continued on and found their first sign of the Gnomish village Zaspug. It was a massive white Zurkhwood mushroom roughly 30 feet tall with many ripe spores hanging under its cap. It spoke with Balin who promised it that its children would be planted well and that the Gnomes would be taught how to properly harvest them. Not long after they had indeed found the Gnomish village of Zaspug and rested for a night. In the morning Balin futilly attempted to educate the Gnomes and the party was given a bag of 30 Blue Mushrooms as provisions and thanks for their incredible help.

Grim teleported the party directly to the scryed location where Electrismo was hiding, the only non-ruined temple in all of Gildabarr. Its blank stone walls and adamantine door looked untouched for millennia. Julian and Terus Blinked through the great door and were met with 2 huge Stone Golems crafted like dwarven warriors. A powerful voice called and revealed itself as the holy sentinel of Gorm Gulthyn's temple. Terus and Julian fled in terror and convinced the party that they should raid this last temple of Gildabarr. Anthony and Grim refused to defile the lawful good protector diety's ancient temple. Julian however, Knocked the great adamantine door and a fierce battle ensued. Anthony tried to stop his comrades but was locked in stone by Davvin. The fearless dwarven defender drained Cael and Terus of their intelligence and stood fast at the entrance to his diety's temple. The two Stone Golems nearly smashed Cael to death if it was not for Davvin's fateful healing. Finally, the party had crushed the Golems to pieces and slayed the Deathless Ghost guardian. A thick taint filled and darknened the temple of Gorm as well as the hearts of the party.

A Holy Miracle

Session 90

Characters: Davvin, Anthony, Randal, Grim, Balin, Cael, Julian, Samael.

NPCs: Arthynax and Scyldynax the juvenile Copper Dragon twins, 500 Slave pit refugees, 6 Tainted refugees, Elena Leyshon the Helruan wizard.

1 Alturiak 1374 - 3 Alturiak 1374

2160 XP

The party finished searching through the newfound treasures and heard screaming from the higher levels of the bathhouse. They rushed quickly up to the 2nd highest level and found a number of tainted refugees defending a corner with spears where a female refugee was being raped. Anthony and Davvin moved carefully through the masses while Julian and Grim pushed their way agressively through. With a single spell, Grim had put all the tainted refugee rapists to sleep and proceeded to bind them with rope. But the masses of refugees began to riot for the rapists' blood to be spilled and pressed forward to kill them. Grim, was pulled to the ground, Anthony, and Balin tried to resist the mob's grapples.

As the mob began to grow with cries of injustice, many of the sick and dying suffering from starvation and purple rot were trampled and killed needlessly. Without hesitation, Davvin knew what must be done and called upon Kelemvor's might in a miraculous burst of positive energy, stunning and hallowing the tainted place. For minutes all was quiet and soon Julian was directing the awestruck refugees into order. Balin and Julian found and created a salve to stop the spread of purple rot. Meanwhile, Davvin, Amthony, and Samael cremated the bodies of the dead in holy fire. Elena had finished her preparations and began to teleport 15 refugess to the surface. Within minutes she had said her last thanks and goodbyes and was gone.

The party rested and Anthony was haunted by more terrible nightmares. In the morning the Copper Dragon twins begged Davvin to return this bathhouse to its former blessed glory. Many hours and spells later Davvin had concencreated the entire bathhouse and greatly impressed the grateful young dragons of the Death Guardian's power. That day Davvin Gated the rest of the refugees along with Randal, Anthony, and Julian through the Ethereal Plane and into Zassaspur. The citie's blue flagged were raised at the terrible sight and the Fortress of the Faitherful's servants gathered quickly to attened to the dying refugees. Later, Anthony and Randal each held personal confessions with former fallen servants of the Triad. Julian, meanwhile would sell and purchase many new strange magical items and bank the party's dwarven treasure in the city treasury. The party members all returned through Davvin's Greater Teleport to the old bathhouse of Gildabarr. They are rested and ready to return the Deep Gnomes to their lost farming cavern village.

The Petrified Wizard and the Glittering Hold

Session 89

Characters: Julian, Balin, Anthony, Cael.

NPCs: Polymorphed Illithid, Elena Leyshon the Helruan wizard, Hrathdorr the giant slaying Large Spear.

1 Alturiak 1374 - 1 Alturiak 1374

0 XP

Julian and Cael began to examine the unnaturally realistic stone statue in the center of the pools. They soon realized that the Illithid and Human pair were petrified into stone and were able to break the feeding Illithid and unpetrify the remaining statue. A near deadly wounded female now laid helpless on the pedestal. Balin healed the woman and after some initial frightened confrontations, the party settled her down. They learned that she was a Helruan wizard of some considerable power, and quickly she re-discovered her spell book and began to immerse herself in arcana.

Soon after, Julian found numerous traps and complex locking mechanisms on the exposed portion of the pedestal. After some time he successfully disabled them and opened a large trease hold filled with glittering metals and gems. The party set to work at separating the magical items and among a number of them they found an intelligent Long Spear. His name was Hrathdorr and apparently at one time was a famed barbarian giant slaying Firbolg. After much investigation of the treasure the party recollected and is now preparing to move out of this these terrible bathouse halls.

The End of Xfureba and the 30th of Deepwinter

Session 88

Characters: Terus, Julian, Grim, Randal, Balin, Davvin, Cael, Anthony.

NPCs: Arthynax and Scyldynax the juvenile Copper Dragon twins, 500-600 Slave pit refugees, Bone Devil, Xfureba the Illithid.

30 Hammar 1374 - 1 Alturiak 1374

3650 XP

With the teleportation trap successfully disabled, Julian and the rest of the party cautiously went into Xfureba's empty personal quarters. Balin discovered and examined a large stone shelf filled with the magically preserved skulls of some of Xfureba's victims. Terus found a large sketch book which contained many schematic drawings of complex experimental equipment, a submerged tank, his own psicrystal, and a number of detailed sketches of some mysterious embryonic creature's growth. Grim looked over an alchemical work bench where he found evidence that this had been used to create the deafening sonic bombs which had damaged the party so terribly. Finally, it was Julian whose compulsion to search led him to find the rest of the party's belongings.

Armed and dressed once again, the party began to look through the many pools and flooded walkways that made up the largest central room on this bath house level. In the central pool, under Xfureba's striking stone statue, the party found a submerged laboratory with the same visualization equipment that Terus had taken note of in the large sketch book. Julian, Terus, Randal and Grim examined the platform and began to experience debilitating headaches. Once Grim had cleared away and repositioned the visualization equipment they saw in the center a moderate sized box filled with a pinkish grey fluid. They carefully disconnected the box and took it into the kitchen area to examine it further.

Meanwhile, Davvin and Balin had been further reading into the dissection manuals and lab notebooks of the Illithid wizard. In the kitchen the box was opened and out sprung a large brain-shaped creature with 4 tentacles. It pulsated a dazing blast and put Julian into a Suggestion to drown himself. While Julian when to do this Randal followed suspiciously and watched over the curious sorcerer. Anthony, Davvin, and Terus feverishly grappled with this strange creature and finally pinned it, and strapped it down to the dissection table in Xfureba's laboratory. Terus knew that his psicrystal was being absorbed by the embryonic brain and that it must be carefully removed in order not to kill it. Balin and Davvin set to work in a risky and vile operation in which they gradually cut through the writhing brain creature and removed Terus' near drained psicrystal. The party could now finally rest.

The set camp in Dxyquel's personal chambers and rested for a full 8 hours. Some time later, the party awoke suddenly as nearly half were shrunk to the size of halflings by some baleful spell. Xfureba had returned. The party mobilized quickly and began to use their new learned spells to protect themselves. Randal was Forcecaged, and as he slipped out he was Forcecaged again, locking him in a small cell and blocking off the only doorway out of the chamber. Grim teleported the party out and Terus set out to find the Invisible caster. Meanwhile, a Bone Devil appeared adjacent to Cael and engaged the spellsword in a melee. Cael was able to both free Randal through disintegrating the Forcecage and kill the Bone Devil in a blast of energy. Terus had found Xfureba floating high in the cavern ceiling, however the wizard blinded Terus with a powerful spell. Davvin, Balin, and Julian brought an onslaught of powerful spells against the caster, but in the end it was a disintegration ray from Grim which turned the terrible Illithid criminal to dust.

with the sorcerer dead, Julian went up to the high levels of the bath house and found the refugees starving and in disarray. He used Grimm's entire wand of Goodberry to feed only half but for a day, and settled the rest with great words of assurance. The party gathered back together following the battle with the Illithid and stand ready to search through the remaining pools and chambers of this lower bath house.

Reclaiming the Bathhouse of Gildabarr

Session 87

Characters: Terus, Julian, Grim, Randal, Balin, Davvin, Cael, Anthony.

NPCs: Arthynax and Scyldynax the juvenile Copper Dragon twins, 15 Deep Gnome prisoners, 2 Young Mindflayers, Goblinoid/Underdark Thrall, 4 Goblin sonic bombers, 500-600 Slave pit survivors, 4 Mindflayer Prison Guards, Tiny Fire Elemental.

30 Hammar 1374 - 30 Hammar 1374

2400 XP

Immediately after the Apprentice was slain, Julian began to speak and calm the Deep Gnomish prisoners. The twin Copper dragons approached Balin and asked forgiveness for their acidic breath weapons. They had apparently been searching through the deep caves of the Starspire Mountains in search of a new lair when they were captured by the Illithid Dxyquel. Meanwhile, the Gnomes fearfully told Julian of a horrible pit where more prisoners like them were dying nearly every minute, packed in like livestock. Below that, they told of a place where many had entered and none had left.

The party searched the rest of the massive area and its many pools finding a number of large dwarven statues which had been stoneshaped and warped with magic. The perfect edges of the bathhouse stone were smoothed, while the large columns supporting the vaulted ceiling looked as though they were melted candles. Grim in particular took note of the significance of the number 4 as they searched through the bathhouse. Julian and Terus decided to investigate the large buildings on either side of this pool cavern. Inside they found that these buildings could have served as a spa or resting area. However, it was apparent that Xfureba had twisted them into an expansive, flooded barracks. A number of rooms in particular showed the signs of recent use by Young Mindflayers. During their investigation of the second building Terus and Julian were attacked by 2 Young Mindflayers. Julian was fixed in horror while Terus dispatched the pair.

The party asked the Copper twins to guard the Deep Gnomes and then moved down the staircase into another expansive level of the old bathhouse. An old athletic center, lit with torches, and filled with a hoard of evil mindslaves. Goblins, Kobolds, Orcs, Hobgoblins, Flinds, Ettercaps, Lizardmen, and Ettins worked mindlessly side-by-side carrying rocks and equipment. A number of Drow archers watched over a massive pit, filled with an unimaginable amount of dead and dying prisoners. The party did not hesitate to act, and in concert assaulted the old athletic area with their last volley of Firestorms, Force Bombs, and Cloudkills. In a final deafening blast which shook the staircase, a group of 4 goblins armed with sonic bombs trusted themselves into the party.

The group found a number of small kitchens to the sides of this room where Kobold drones were chopping up cadavars and boiling them in huge cauldrons. Davvin, and Cael set to killing the Kobolds while Randal argued that they ought to be subdued. Anthony went to the aid of Julian who had nearly succom to a poisonous Drow arrow. Balin shifted into a number of creatures and healed and lifted the suffering mass out of the death pit. With the entire Thrall dead and the prisoners lifted from their confines, the party continued down a spiraling staircase towards the Illithid's personal lair.

Downward they went and although Julian lead the party diligently searching for traps, he set off a powerful Symbol of Weakness which caused Julian, Grim, and Balin to fall into paralysis. Davvin healed the party and Julian continued to search setting off another which weakened the party further. They had entered a smaller area with 9 smaller pools which had been magically smoothed from their former square dwarven shape. Only Anthony's and Randal's holy auras lit the cavern. Julian searched and fell succom to a number of powerful magical traps however he was able to skillfully disable them all. The first room appeared to be a personal eating kitchen for the two wizards. A Tiny Fire Elemental heated a pristine cauldron where humanoid bodies were boiling into a pinkish grey stew. Magical cookbooks along the walls revealed a number of infamous Mindflayer recipies for body stew.

A second room seemed to be the personal laboratory and resting place for Dxyquel the apprentice. Balin examined the fine glassware and experimental setup to find that the chemical process culminated in a low yield organic solution that was almost unnaturally nutrient rich. Similar to the embryo fluid they had previously been immersed in, but much purer and more concentrated. Julian and Terus discovered a critical reagent, and identified it as Mindflayer cerebral tissue. Grim found 2 arcane scrolls, while searching through the Mindflayer's experimental journals. A similar third room was again an experimental area, but much larger. Terus made note of a meticulously well kept dissection table and experimental notes revealed that the brains of Mindflayers were being experimented upon. Equipment for upscaling the apprentice's experiments to larger volumes were also found.

Finally, Julian disarmed a number of traps leading to the resting place of the missing Xfureba. There was one however he did not get. Stepping through the doorway he was immediately teleported into an Illithid dungeon somewhere else on Ferun. Randal and Davvin fearlessly charged in after and found themselves force caged in the same dungeon. Both escaped and slayed 2 powerful Mindflayer prison guards. From a slightly ajar door down the hall Randal saw 2 Mindflayers preparing to feed upon Julian's brain. The pair rushed in and killed the two Illithid guards just in time to save Julian. Davvin casted a powerful teleport spell and returned the three to Xfureba's lair and rejoined the party. The group has re-taken Xfureba's bathhouse palace and now are preparing to finally search through his personal room and wait for the Illithid Wizard's inevitable return.

The Flayer's Apprentice is Slain

Session 86

Characters: Anthony, Randal, Samael, Balin, Cael, Terus, Julian.

NPCs: 2 Unfurled Giants, Cave Troll, Dxyquel the Ilithid apprentice, 8 Young Mindflayers, 15 Deep Gnome Prisoners, Arthynax and Scyldynax the juvenile Copper Dragon twins.

30 Hammar 1374 - 30 Hammar 1374

4600 XP

Outnumbered and surrounded by the brain hungry flayers and Dxyquel's thralls the party continued to fight for their lives. The 4 remaining Young Mindflayers were slain, however the Unfurled Giants continued to smash into the party. Julian overcame both darkness and deafness to cast knock spells upon the great chains holding the Deep Gnomes against the attacking Unfurled Giants. Meanwhile, the unseen caster was still enervating members of the party from deeper in the pooled cavern. The Cave Troll was finally slain and the party moved forward into the cavernous swimming room.

Just then, more Young Mindflayers surrounded the party and began to grapple and feed with their powerful tentacles. Terus forced one back and noticed it was wearing his own armor and some other magical items his allies had once carried. One Ilithid from a distance began to use Julian's own Rod of Wonder against him Enlarging and paralyzing him instantly. Soon after he sent out a flurry of butterflies and a great Fireball towards the party. Cael moved toward Terus and resourcefully pulled feathers off his arrow shafts casting Fly on both Terus and Randal. Julian, and Randal had detected the evil spellcaster floating in the darkness above the largest pool.

The caster repelled Randal and Terus back with Terus' Ring of the Ram before they could batter him to the ground. Meanwhile, Balin had been approached from behind by Dxyquel's prized pets, 2 twin juvenile Copper Dragons. They shot out acidic bursts into his back and attacked Anthony Manton in melee. Anthony however, called upon the might of Tyr and dispelled the evil mind effect freeing the Copper Dragons instantly. Randal and Terus continued to battle against Dxyquel in the vast cavern ceiling. Just before Randal's last attacks the Ilithid shouted in a twisted undercommon that his master would have no mercy for them this time.

So with one final blow from Randal's exalted fists the Mindflayer Dxyquel was slain and fell helplessly into the pools below. The rest of the party now stands on the flooded landing around the bloody corpses of the flayer's thrall and the now freed twin Copper Dragons.

The Ilithid Thralls

Session 85

Characters: Julian, Balin, Cael, Grim, Samael.

NPCs: 2 Unfurled Giants, Cave Troll, Ogre, 5 Orc spearman, 3 Drow spearman, Dxyquel the Ilithid, 4 Young Mindflayers, 20 Deep Gnome prisoners.

30 Hammar 1374 - 30 Hammar 1374

0 XP

Wading down the bloody staircase the party reached a lower landing and peered out into the darkness. Those whom were not deaf heard the echoing sounds of many footsteps splashing toward them in a very large room. Julian, casted light on a number of arrows as Samael shot them into the four corners of this vast flooded swimming area. Charging forth the party saw 2 Unfurled Giants, a Cave Troll, and an Ogre each wearing as armor a number of Deep Gnome prisoners. In front of these monstrous creatures were 8 humanoid spearman with mirrory eyes.

Samael did not hesitate to shoot down nearly all of the spearman as the waded forward with the last of his scavenged shortbow arrows. Cael and Grim casted magic missiles at the large monsters and damaged them without harming their Deep Gnome prisoners. Balin called lightning down upon one of the Unfurled Giants nearly killing one of the Gnomes as they cried for help. Grim was enervated yet again by a black ray from afar. Julian used his arcane sight to find the mysterious spellcaster and then casted a fiery spell at him but it fizzled. Cael continued to smash into the Ogre with his dwarven rune brick.

Just as the battle began to turn in the party's favor 4 Young Mindflayers flew in from above and began to wrap the party in their tentacles. Cael and Grim grappled with one as it attempted to feed. The party defensively stands in desperate battle against the Mindflayers at the entrance to massive flooded swimming arena.

Blood and Water

Session 84

Characters: Randal, Grim, Julian, Terus, Cael, Davvin, Tulgar.

NPCs: 2 Umberhulks, 4 Orcs, 6 Blue archers, 4 Young Mindflayers, 8 Cave Trolls, Dxyquel the Ilithid.

30 Hammar 1374 - 30 Hammar 1374

4400 XP

Looking into the darkness of the open archway with Julian's light spell, the party saw more enemies approaching. 2 Umberhulks appeared in the light charging forward along with 4 Orcish warriors and 6 Blue archers. Grim acted without hesitation and casted a powerful cloudkill spell, killing all but the Umberhulks and 2 Blue archers. The monsters attacked as Tulgar and Cael battled them back wielding bricks of loose stone. Terus made short work of the remaining Blues.

After searching the bodies of the fallen mind controlled thrall the party moved into another large flooded room with a stone fountain pool in the center. Overlooking the fountain area were dull stone buildings which the party investigated. Inside they found the remnants of a dwarven massage parlor which had been recently turned into a horrible feeding chamber. Further down a hallway the party found two flooded bathrooms which had been serving as living quarters for 2 low ranking Ilithids.

Moving out of the surrounding structures, the party heard the splashing of heavy feet as more attackers came from a great staircase. Tulgar and Randal held the front of the stairwell while the rest of the party remained behind and defended with spells. Up came two rushes of Cave trolls and Young Mindflayers. While Randal and Tulgar battled the trolls back the Mindflayers began to grasp onto Cael and attempted to feed. Julian, Terus, and Davvin slayed the hungry flayers and rescued Cael. A second rush of Cave trolls and Mindflayers followed, however there was an invisible spellcaster who enervated and exhausted Julian with necromantic rays while Cael and Terus were also enervated.

Julian used his arcane sight to located the hidden caster which promptly fled down the staircase blocked by Evard's Black Tentacles and Randal followed. The rest of the party continued to suffer ferocious onslaughts from the Cave Troll rending claws and bites. However, Tulgar prevailed and finally slayed the last of the Ilithid thrall. The party now sits on the bloody staircase among the soaking bodies of many Ilithids and Cave Trolls.

Ceremorphosis in the Dwarven Baths

Session 83

Characters: Anthony, Julian, Balin, Grim, Randal, Cael, Terus Tulgar.

NPCs: 8 Mindflayer Tadpoles, 8 Purple Ooze walls, 2 Otyughs, 4 Cave Trolls, 2 Young Mindflayers.

30 Hammar 1374 - 30 Hammar 1374

5400 XP

Anthony Manton awoke from a numbing slumber with a terrible pain in his occipital bone and neck. His divine body had resisted. Anthony was floating in a foul pinkish fluid in a small circular pool. Reaching to the back of his head he pulled away a Mindflayer Tadpole which had been attempting to burrow through his skull. Hours later he awoke again from the pain and found Balin with him in the pool. After pulling Balin's Tadpole away from his skull Anthony and Balin prayed for strength to their gods. Hours passed and they decided to slam through a doorway blocked by a Purple Ooze. As they passed through their agility was slightly sapped.

Finding themselves in a hallway with more purple doorways the pair smashed through a second and rescued Tulgar and Julian. Bald, naked, and coated in a foul slime the four returned to the old dwarven hallway and were assaulted by two mirror-eyed Otyughs. One flung Balin through a Purple Ooze and drained him of his agility further. After slaying the two sentries the four prisoners rescued Randal, Cael, Grim, and Terus. Once the party had regrouped they went down to the end of the hallway and Cael smashed through another Purple Ooze. They found a large vacant dwarven bath area similar to the ones they had been captive in. Terus suggested this would be the final place of ceremorphosis if it had been allowed to continue.

As Cael broke through the opposite hallway entrance a Symbol of Suggestion was triggered and sent Julian, Terus, Grim, and Tulgar back to their cells whenever they were not in the presence of Anthony's aura. Balin finally dispelled the ward and they found another large bath area empty of activity. Julian fearfully casted a powerful force spell and destroyed nearly everything in the room in a massive whirlwind. The noise echoed through the quiet, moist hallways and soon the party was seiged by 4 mirror-eyed Cave Trolls and 2 Young Mindflayers. They bravely dispatched the trolls and ilithids despite their lack of equipment, however Grim was torn down by a Cave Troll's rending claws.

They searched the room quickly and regrouped just in time to see down the two adjoining hallways of this great pool room. There were more enemies approaching in this twisted dwarven bath house.

Master of the Mirror-Eyed Ones

Session 82

Characters: Anthony, Samael, Terus, Grim, Balin, Cael, Tulgar, Julian, Randal.

NPCs: 14 Hunched Giants, Xfureba the Ilithid.

29 Hammar 1374 - 30 Hammar 1374

2000 XP

After investigating the burrow further, the party decided it would be wise not to rest as they were still being hunted by the mirror eyed creatures. Instead, they crept towards the large garrison entrance to the Dakul burrows. Moving forward, the party saw the closed portculli and through them the main level of the dwarven civil ward. Samael examined one door into the fortress while Randal and Julian examined the other. Randal hearing noises from inside opened the door and was nearly hit by a massive ballista bolt. Inside were 4 massive hunched figures in waiting with mirrored eyes. The party outside was ambushed by more of these creatures as they began to meld through the stone and attack.

Just then as the party began to engage them, the giants let out massive roars that deafened, stunned and nearly killed all in the party. Anthony saved the life of Grim the wizard and the party began to retreat from the hunched giants overwhelming attacks. Randal and Anthony bravely held the giants attention while the rest of the party fled in all directions. Both holy warriors were beaten into submission by a barrage of powerful slams from their warhammers and carried off into the unknown.

The party had all regrouped except for Cael who without sight or hearing in the darkness carefully crept into a burrow and hid in hopes he would not be found. The remaining party rested for 8 hours away from the burrow entrance and attempted to search for Cael afterward. During Cael's searching he found a luminescent mold-covered fountain with a broken dwarven statue in the center. The sculpture was lined with gold-hizagkurr alloyed runes which Cael could not decipher. Later, Cael found the party and they decided to once again break through the gate fortress by force. Grim located Anthony's position to be under the coliseum in Gildabarr.

The party had prepared with many mighty spells and protective auras. They marched toward the gate and were assaulted by 8 invisible Unfurled Giants as well as Xfureba the Ilithid wizard. Xfureba mindblasted Samael, Julian and Grim into submission in an instant. Surrounded, the party began to battle back against the giants. Tulgar was overtaken by the flayer's domination and assaulted his allies. Lighting was called down from the cavern ceiling, and Balin's attempts at summoning were disrupted and counterspelled by an unseen spellcaster. Terus however, sensed the presence of the Ilithid and dimension stepped into his presence. His attack missed, and Xfureba reduced him to a weakened shamble. Cael fought bravely against many onslaughts of giant attacks, but soon all in the party were beaten horribly into submission and captured by the evil flayer's minions.