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.
