Battle with the Mind Flayer

After months of play, the players finally had the epic final battle with the Mind Flayer who had been engineering attacks upon them. But the Mind Flayer is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. Maybe I can finally introduce the campaign plot.

Session 70: Confronting the Mind Flayer

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alonso (human fighter), Aashdoshan (human necromancer), Domago (human cleric NPC), Lantosh (human fighter NPC), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon has brought their fallen comrades, Domago (priest of St. Aleena), and Vervork to the Church of St. Cuthbert. Their friend Abbot Marta has agreed to Raise both of their dead comrades.

“There is more work on this earth for Brother Domago and for your friend Lord Vervork, but there will be a price put forth by the God of Law!”

After a few of the adventurers pay for healing prayers they all leave the church and head back to their Manor House. Lakima asks Aashdoshan to spy on the Laboratory of the Mind Flayer using his Crystal Ball. Aashdoshan does this for a while and observes the Mind Flayer enter the area and place the dead octopin abomination in the tank. While most of the adventurers decide to rest, Lakima, Alonso, and Aashdoshan walk across town and visit Malyn at the apothecary. Malyn tells them that they are being scryed upon and takes them back into the Temple of the Dark Lady where they are protected from scrutiny. Lakima tells Malyn of their encounter with the Mind Flayer and asks for help. Malyn tells them he is not interested in challenging a Mind Flayer. He does examine a tentacle Aashdoshan had removed from the Octopin creature they killed. He is unable to tell them very much.

Aashdoshan, Lakima, and Rune Frost take turns watching the Mind Flayer with the Crystal ball. They see it pour green slime into a pool before the main doors to its lair. It also replaces the wooden bar on the doors with an iron one. There is some indication that the Mind Flayer may be abandoning the lair, they see humans and zombies packing books in crates in the laboratory.

The next day Brother Corwin of the Church of St. Cuthbert arrives to tell them that Domago is awake and asking for them. Lakima, Eathwund, Lantosh, and Alonso go to the Church to visit Domago. Their comrade is alive but weak from the ordeal. He also appears a little delirious. He asks Lakima to promise to find and return the Mace of St. Aleena. Brother Corwin listens intently. Lakima advises Brother Corwin that documents the Black Dragons found suggest the Mind Flayer may know that St. Cuthbert’s cudgel is here in this church. Corwin tells them that this is a secret they must not tell anyone. He also slips up and implies that the cudgel is missing.

On the return to the Manor Lakima and Aashdoshan drop in to meet Malyn again. Lakima asks Malyn to search for records of a Manual of Learning. A rare magical tome sought by many magic-users.

They continue to spy on the Mind Flayers lair for the next few days. The Mind Flayer rarely appears in the view of the Crystal Ball. During this downtime, Aashdoshan purchases a cow in the market and has it lowered down into the cellars for some unspeakable purpose.

Alayna collects her entire stock of Healing potions and Neutralize poison potions to prepare the group. Lakima argues that they should wait for Domago and Vervork to recover before going up against the Mind Flayer again. But others are concerned that the Mind Flayer will get away. They decide to question their doppelganger prisoner.

The doppelganger maintains the guise of Nevain, Alayna’s father during much of the interrogation. Lakima places a Circle of Protection around the doppelganger in hopes to remove it from the domination of the Mind Flayer. But the creature still seems beholden to the Mind Flayer. The creature does tell them that the Mind Flayer instructed them to capture Aashdoshan by infiltrating the Company of the Black Dragon. It does not seem to know much else. It changes its appearance to that of Aashdoshan and taunts the necromancer. Aashdoshan responds by stabbing it in the heart with his dagger. The creature dies. Aashdoshan then uses Speak with Dead to determine if it was lying but it seems to know little. Aashdoshan raises the corpse as a zombie minion.

The adventurers have one more visit with Domago who seems better now. He worriedly asks if the Mind Flayer is still alive. With some convincing from Domago, they decide that now is the time to confront the Mind Flayer in its lair. They prepare spells and potions for the expedition. The smaller group consists of Lakima, Eathwund, Alonso, Aashdoshan, Lantosh, and Fenris. Rune Frost and Glason decline to join the group. They enter the abandoned Cold Forge Smithy at noon and descend into the sewers. They are forced to wade through some stagnant water to get to the entrance to the caverns. Inside they pass over the burned-out areas that provide evidence of their last foray. In the cavern of the naga they find the naga’s skeleton picked clean of flesh with the bones polished clean. Lakima uses Animate Dead to raise the skeleton as a minion. As they watch, a horrible black ooze slowly advances on them out of the darkness. The black pudding ignores the raised naga skeleton and slowly moves toward the living prey. The adventurers are able to kill it with lantern oil set on fire from a distance, magic missiles, and well-placed arrows fired by Eathwund.

In the next cavern, they find the cleaned bones of the Drow they had killed a few days earlier. They see that the portcullis to the south is now open. They pause while Aashdoshan raises four of the skeletons as minions under his control. As they cautiously advance into the cavern, three of the octopin abominations slide down the walls from the ceiling and move to attack them. Aashdoshan and Lakima both cast Fireball and immolate the area in flames. Two of the Octopins are killed but the third moves forward and destroys all of Aashdoshan’s minions and the Naga skeleton. Lantosh attacks the remaining Octopin but it strikes him with both pincers crushing in his chest. His lifeless body falls to the chamber floor. Alonso and Eathwund manage to kill it before it can do much more damage to the group. Alonso gives Lantosh a healing potion and revives him. Lantosh drinks three more of his own healing potions before declaring himself ready to continue.

Finally, they arrive before the stone doors to the Mind Flayer’s lair. A large pool of Green Slime lies before the doors filling the cavern. Lakima casts the spell Luminous Bridge and funnels light from his staff into a bridge of light. The adventurers quickly walk across the bridge and stand before the stone doors. Aashdoshan casts Knock and they hear a clang as the door bar falls to the stone floor and the doors swing open.

The adventurers pass through the chamber of the stone brain and enter the laboratory – the scene of their battle with the Large Octopin days earlier. The corpse of the abomination rests in the iron tank. The chamber shows signs of being cleared of useful items.

Fenris checks the door from the chamber and tells everyone it is unlocked. But they decide to head up the ramp leading from the chamber which they saw the Mind Flayer using when they spied on it. At the top of the ramp is another unlocked stone door. Fenris pushes it open but an obstruction blocks it. The door opens only about 2 feet. In the chamber beyond, they can see a display case and a zombie standing near it. The zombie stares vacantly into nowhere and does not react to the door opening. Aashdoshan moves up and uses his necromancy to take control of the zombie. Fenris and Lantosh slip into the chamber and yell out in surprise. The rest of the adventurers join them. They find three humans and three more zombies emptying display cases and placing items into wooden crates. Aashdoshan takes control of all of the zombies and uses them to grapple with and hold the humans. The humans behave as if they are under the control of the Mind Flayer – shouting that they are under attack by intruders.

Looking about the chamber the adventurers realize that they have entered a museum. There are three display cases some partially emptied. Several wood crates, a large glass tank with an iron lid, and in the center of the chamber on a marble pedestal is an onyx statue of a winged demon.

Feeling the Mind Flayer is nearby, the adventurers leave the zombies and captives behind and leave the chamber down a spiral ramp. The wall of the ramp is carved with an elaborate frieze depicting Mind Flayers ruling over all other creatures of the surface world. As they reach the bottom of the ramp they see their adversary, the Mind Flayer.

They reach a large round chamber with a high ceiling. The Mind Flayer floats 15 feet up in the air over a stone pool of green liquid. Behind the Mind Flayer is a black stone obelisk with glowing green sigils on its surface. The adventurers feel a sense of disquiet looking upon the obelisk.

Lakima shouts for his comrades to spread out just as the Mind Flayer hurls a small flaming bead at the floor. The bead strikes the floor and a fireball explodes amongst the heroes. Several of the heroes are badly burned or injured. Aashdoshan’s Ring of Fire resistance protects him from the worst of the flames. Aashdoshan casts dispel magic at the Mind Flayer and it falls with a splash into the pool of liquid. The Mind Flayer pulls itself unceremoniously from the pool while Lakima tries casting Confusion upon it without success. Eathwund hurls his Javelin of Lightning at the Mind Flayer and the Lightning bolt that is generated strikes it in the chest knocking it prone again. The Mind Flayer struggles to its feet and levitates up in the air again. Alonso hurls a spear at it but misses. Eathwund fires arrows at it and hits once. The Mind Flayer hurls another Fireball at the party and it explodes hurting everyone but Aashdoshan. Now Lakima casts Dispel Magic and the Mind Flayer falls ten feet and strikes the hard stone floor beside Lantosh. Getting to its feet the Mind Flayer’s tentacles wrap around Lantosh’s head and drag the struggling fighter to the Mind Flayers' mouth. Lantosh begins screaming as the creature bites into his skull. Before the Mind Flayer can remove Lantosh’s brains and consume them, Alonso, Eathwund, and Fenris all join the melee and the horrid creature is finally struck down. Lantosh is released from the tentacles with only a bloody and scarred head.

With the battle over, Lakima yells for the group to quickly search the body and the area. The Luminous bridge will only last for a short period of time. They spot small tadpole-like creatures in the pool of green liquid. When no one is watching Aashdoshan scoops a sample of the liquid and a creature into a jar. Eathwund searches the corpse and finds a magical rod, a magical necklace, and a simple, iron key. He tosses the key to Fenris. Fenris opens a wooden door into a small chamber. Inside they find a Ledger in an unknown language and an iron chest. The key fits the chest and inside Fenris finds bags of coins and gems. Lakima places the ledger into the Bag of Holding. Back in the main chamber, Lantosh dumps his last flask of oil in the pool. He sets the oil on fire and the entire pool is set alight with flames.

The heroes return to the museum and discover that the humans are now free from the domination of the Mind Flayer. They plead to be released from the grip of the zombies. Aashdoshan drops his control of the zombies and they collapse to the floor. The rescued humans plead to leave immediately but Lakima stops and begins looking into the chests. One of the humans warns that they were told by the Mind Flayer not to touch anything or they would die. The zombies moved all of the items that were being packed up. Lakima then promptly picks up a large book to examine it. As he does this Alonso’s sword, Nuldrang immediately shouts a warning in his mind, “Demon!”

The onyx stone statue of a demon animates into a demon that roars in anger and fixes its glare on Alonso. Lakima tries threatening it but it ignores him and moves to attack Alonso. The human prisoners flee from the chamber screaming. Alonso attacks the demon and it manages to bite him on the shoulder. Eathwund strikes the demon twice knocking it off of Alonso. Lakima and Aashdoshan both try casting controlling spells on the demon but they do not take effect. Luckily, Alonso and Eathwund are able to kill the fiend on their own.

Lakima begins picking up everything small in the room and dumping them into the Bag of Holding. While he empties the crates and display cases, Eathwund runs off to find the humans who fled, and Alonso removes the demon’s wings and stuffs them into the Bag of Holding. By the time Eathwund returns with two of the humans they are ready to leave the museum. As they pass out of the Mind Flayer lair, they find a third captive, and this one they realize is actually an elven woman. They all reach the luminous bridge over the green slime pit before the bridge enchantment ends. They then travel out of the caves without further problems. The two humans, who introduce themselves as local merchants, and the elf are sent on their way to friends or family in the town. The adventurers return to the Manor House.

In the next few days, Lakima and Aashdoshan examine the artifacts taken from the museum. Lakima casts Comprehend Languages and reads through the Ledger they found. It details the transactions in magical devices that the Mind Flayer has been conducting. They note that someone named Loris Raknian had made some recent purchases. Loris Raknian also requested the Cudgel of St. Cuthbert should be “procured” six months ago. He also finds a letter from Loris requesting the capture alive of the necromancer known as Aashdoshan.

Retreat

I never really had a group of players who were willing to retreat or regroup from a Dungeon. When they do this it requires some work for the DM. On the one hand, the dungeon maps and notes are already prepared but now you need to think about how the inhabitants of the dungeon will react with time to recover from the hero's first foray.

Session 69: Chambers of the Mind Flayer

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alonso (human fighter), Aashdoshan (human necromancer), Domago (human cleric NPC), Lantosh (human fighter NPC), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Vervork (human fighter NPC).

In the previous session, the players had finally located the Lair of the Mind Flayer who has been pulling the strings behind a number of attacks on their characters.

Fenris continues to lead the adventurers through the unused sewer tunnel until they come to a point where there is an intersection. Lakima tells his mimic to form a bridge across the open water. They cross over using the mimic as a bridge. Soon after they come to what looks like a natural cave opening in the side of the brick wall of the sewer. Fenris peaks into the cave but it is dark. Lakima lights the entrance with his staff and they see a patch of giant mushrooms and yellow fungus and mold. The light triggers several shriekers to let out painful, piercing wails. Lakima decides to fireball the cave destroying all of the fungal life. Once the fires have burnt down, the adventurers proceed into the cave and find a natural tunnel.

While moving carefully along the tunnel, a glass bottle drops from above shattering at Lakima’s feet. Oil that they now see on the floor of the tunnel explodes into flames. Lakima drinks a potion of Fire Resistance, while Aashdoshan’s Ring of Fire resistance prevents him from harm, but Fenris and Eathwund are burned. A wall of flames rises in the tunnel cutting off Fenris, Lakima, Aashdoshan (and his skeleton minion), Eathwund, and Domago from the rest of the party. Fenris points up at a ledge where they spot three drow warriors. The drow fire crossbow bolts at the adventurers from above. Eathwund uses his Magical armor to step into the ethereal plane and drift up behind the drow. He manifests and attacks them with surprise on his side from behind. Fenris climbs up the tunnel wall and joins the fight.

One of the drow is killed by Eathwund. One drow casts faerie fire on Eathwund and the other drow casts a globe of darkness over the area. However, Lakima summons a Glow Minion and it dispels the darkness. They catch the remaining pair of drow as they are trying to run for it. Eathwund kills one and pushes it off the ledge. It lands with a thump at Aashdoshan’s feet. The necromancer immediately raises it as a zombie. The last Drow is killed before it can get away. Lantosh uses water from his waterskin to put out the worst of the fires. The party is able to regroup together.

Fenris leads the heroes deeper into the caves. Aashdoshan raises another drow as a zombie. As they enter a large cavern with a stream and pool of water crossing it, they see an enormous snake uncoil from around a stone pillar. As the snake rears up they see that it has the head of a human female. Aashdoshan yells, “a naga!”

The Naga demands to know who has disturbed it, and Lakima proudly answers. The naga asks for proper deference and tribute or it will kill the adventurers. Lakima suggests the same if the naga does not want to die. The naga begins to cast a spell while at the same time but a little quicker Lakima casts Charm Monster but it fails. The naga finishes her spell and an area of silence settles over Lakima and Aashdoshan.

Spurred into action, Alonso and Eathwund attack the Naga with their swords and are joined by Lantosh and Vervork. The 30-foot long naga is stabbed and slashed repeatedly until a dagger thrown by Aashdoshan catches it in the head and it collapses in a heap. Aashdoshan busies himself inspecting the corpse. Lakima uses his Wand of Metal Detection and discovers there are several metal objects at the bottom of the large pool. Aashdoshan sends his skeleton minion into the pool to retrieve whatever it can find. While Lakima sends the glow minion. The skeleton returns with a femur bone while the glow minion returns with a few gold coins, a stoppered crystal jug, and a large emerald.

Waiting for the party at the tunnel exit from the cavern are a number of Drow warriors and several giant poisonous snakes. Lakima yells for the fighters in the party to move to the front. Eathwund, Alonso, Vervork, and Lantosh push to the front and into the tunnel. The tunnel widens into another cavern. A confused melee results with the Drow and the snakes, and more Drow including a priestess attack from a ledge overlooking the melee. At the height of the battle, the Drow priestess leaps down from the ledge to attack Aashdoshan. But Domago is nearby and intercedes. Domago is badly injured in the fight. The Drow manage to kill all of Aashdoshan’s undead minions but first, their snakes are killed and then the warriors fall. The Drow fight silently with single-minded attacks but soon only the priestess remains. She refuses to surrender and dies fighting.

The adventurers take stock after the tense battle. Domago casts healing on Lantosh. They find an iron gate leaving the cavern into a dark cave. Aashdoshan senses undead on the other side so they decide not to open it. On a nearby ledge, Fenris finds a shrine to a spider god. He pockets the crystal idol of a spider. At the back of the cave, they find another tunnel. Fenris takes the lead again.

Fenris comes back to report a trap ahead. Lakima tells him to disarm it but Fenris tells him that it is a magical trap. Aashdoshan and Lakima follow Fenris until they are within 15 feet of a purple, glowing glyph set into the floor. Aashdoshan casts dispel magic at the glyph and it vanishes. Fenris cautiously leads the way down the tunnel followed by the rest of the party. As Domago passes the spot where the glyph was set into the floor there is an explosion of flame without warning. Only Domago is caught in the fire trap. The fires burn briefly and then dissipate. But when the fire dies away, the party sees their companion Domago lying dead on the floor of the cave. His flesh, blackened and peeling revealing protruding bones. With no healing for this kind of damage, the group decides to stuff Domago’s corpse into the Bag of Holding.

They proceed with more caution and arrive in another cave. On one wall of the cave, they find two large, marble doors. The symbol of the mind flayer inscribed into the doorposts. Fenris checks the doors and reports that it is blocked by a bar on the other side. As they discuss the dilemma, three hideous, eight-tentacled creatures slide down stone pillars from the ceiling and start to move towards them. Lakima instantly casts Wall of Iron. A thick iron wall appears dividing the chamber and blocking the creatures in the other half.

Safe from the creatures, Vervork, Eathwund, and Alonso take turns putting their shoulders against the stone doors. Finally, they hear a crack when Alonso strikes the doors. The doors swing inward revealing a strange circular chamber. In the center of the chamber rests an enormous 15 foot in diameter, a 12-foot-tall stone carving of a human brain. The stone is slick and green with darker green veins shutting through it. The veins pulsate and glow with green light like they are alive filling the chamber with a green glow. Fenris and Alonso cautiously advance toward it – Alonso hears a strange voice in his head and feels intense pain before he fights it off. He warns the others.

“Smash it, Alonso!” Lakima yells.

Alonso strikes the glowing stone brain causing cracks to appear. Eathwund moves up to join him. Alonso again feels the strange presence in his mind, but this time he listens to it. He must protect the brain and kill the intruders! Alonso turns and swings his sword at a surprised Eathwund. Eathwund falls back from the onslaught trying to protect himself. Lakima casts Confusion on Alonso but it fails. Eathwund continues to stay on the defensive as Alonso continues to attack. Lakima now casts Mikda-Err’s Practical Tilt and Alonso stumbles and falls to the floor.

“Quickly, smash it!” Lakima yells.

Eathwund, Lantosh, and Vervork all smash away at the brain opening cracks in the surface. Finally, the brain grows dim. Alonso gets to his feet and shakes his head. Back in control of his actions, Alonso apologizes to Eathwund. Eathwund just pats Alonso on the shoulder.

Fenris continues to lead up a ramp leading from the chamber of the brain. The ramp leads to what is clearly a laboratory. The chamber is dominated by a 10 foot in diameter iron tank filled with bubbling green liquid. Strange metal boxes and pipes are attached to the tank’s sides. Against the wall are a number of enormous glass jugs filled with green liquid.  Against another wall are two large bookshelves filled with books. Before the bookshelves is a small table and chair. The table is covered in books, parchments, and writing implements. A stone door leads from the chamber and a large passageway that heads out and up.

Aashdoshan and Lakima are immediately drawn to the bookshelves and desk. Aashdoshan notes that the book spines that have titles are all written in infernal and all have to do with the subjects of anatomy and magical fusion of species. The desk is covered in notes in an unknown language. Lakima tells Alonso to smash the glass jars. Alonso walks toward them, sword in hand but Lantosh cautions him that they might explode if damaged. Lakima then casts Aztazibar’s Acrid Finger and burns a hole in the side of the iron tank. Green liquid sprays out onto the floor. The rest of the party enter and begin to look around. Then they hear a splash from the tank and an enormous tentacled creature with a single eye rises up out of the bubbling liquid. The creature drags itself out of the liquid and slides to the floor, tentacles lashing out at Aashdoshan and Vervork. One tentacle that ends in pincer-like claw clamps over Aashdoshan and nearly cuts him in half. When he is released Aashdoshan slides to the floor. Lakima yells for everyone to get out of the way and then casts Lightning bolt at the creature – but it seems to revel in the electricity and actually grow in size.

Eathwund, Alonso, and Vervork lead the attack against the creature. It strikes Eathwund and clamps down on an arm. It hits Alonso twice with clawed tentacles. Meanwhile, the attacks from the fighters hit the creature but its tough, leathery hide seems to deflect much of the blow. A pincer grabs Vervork and crushes his chest. Vervork falls to the floor dead. Lakima casts slow on the creature and that does affect it. But it still fighting on – only more slowly. With the creature slowed, Lakima yells that it is time to run. Most of the heroes run up the ramp which they find leads to a closed door. Eathwund stays to take two more desperate swings at the creature with his sword. The attacks strike home and the creature finally stops moving.

The party comes back to the laboratory to regroup. Rune Frost and Glason arrive – they had hidden for the entire battle in the room with the stone brain. Lakima feels they are close to the final lair of the Mind Flayer, but everyone decides the smart thing to do is to retreat. Vervork and Domago and dead and Aashdoshan is barely alive. Even Alonso and Eathwund are laboring. The heroes move back through the caves without incident and exit into the cellar of the blacksmith’s shop.

As they leave the smithy, they see that the sun is just rising. They make their way across town attracting a lot of attention as they drag Vervork’s body. They head directly to the Church of St. Cuthbert. Brother Wakefield greets them and immediately calls for Abbot Marta once he sees the state of the party. The bodies of Domago and Vervork are laid out on the floor. Abbot Marta tells them he can save the two men - but the cost will be great (and not in gold). Lakima tells him to save their companions and that they will pay the cost.

Several priests arrive with a stretcher and carry Domago and Vervork back into the private rooms of the Church.