"We'll probably have to deal with that eventually, which way did he say to go... we'll go the opposite".
"Lets go through the southern door. I'm out of my more powerul spells for now." Hob sighs before shrugging.
"I'm with Hob on this one," Talliree says as she tosses the dead duergar and headless human over to the northern door in a probably futile hope that the easy meal would slow the blob monster.
The decision made to avoid the blob behind the northern door, the group moves to investigate the way to the south.
Taking the fore as usual, Talliree finds no evidence of traps or locks on the door, opening it to reveal a corridor that turns to the south immediately.
Up ahead, the group can see a set of stairs rising up, dim light illuminating the upper steps.
Advancing carefully, they once again pass under the gurgling sewer above their heads.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Talliree making ready to scout ahead, the group hears the sound of fist hitting flesh and the vicious words that follow, "Tell me, damn you! Tell me!".
Renaer surges forward, his eyes blazing, "It must be Floon!"
Talliree charges up the stairs sword drawn and goes straight for the guy torturing the man they are there to save.
Ellena tries to slow down their valuable charge, but curses as she doesn't manage to get a grip on his clothes. Instead, she runs after them, hoping that they are not about to get all killed.
Hob steps infront of Renear in a low stance and somehow manages to bring the man twice his size to a dead stop. [smaller]"Let us go first!"
Mitchel moves to slow the man down, but nods with a smile at Hob. He admonishes Renaer in a terse whisper. "Rushing in willi nilli is what got you guys in trouble in the first place".
Just as he thinks things are under control, and they can strategize Talliree dashes off up the stairs. Mitchell simply shrugs and rushes up after her.
Talliree rashly bolts up the stairs, pre-empting the wishes of Renaer, brought up short by Hob's intervention.
As Renaer glares at Hob in frustration, Tania runs up the stairs after her friend.
With a shrug, Mitchell joins the two in climbing the stairs, quickly followed by the others, Renaer following behind.
As the group gets to the top of the stairs the following is revealed:
Threadbare curtains hang on the east wall of a long
hall, in the middle of which a muscular half-ore in dingy
robes stands with his foot on the chest of a male human
with wavy red-blond hair. Fire burns around the half-orc's
clenched fist, and his victim cries and squirms helplessly
beneath him.
Seated on a raised platform to the south is a nightmarish
figure wearing black robes. It has large white eyes and
rubbery purple skin, with four tentacles encircling its inhuman
mouth. It cradles and gently caresses what looks
like a disembodied brain with feet.
This is the creature on the chair : Creature 1
The creature it is holding is this : Creature 2
Battle map is here : Hideout Battle
Upon seeing the adventurers appear at the other end of the room,the small creature jumps down and bounds towards them...
... focusing on Tania. It stops right in front of her and stops, just sort of quivering.
Tania holds a hand up to her head as if she had a terrible head ache, but then recovers, "Ugh....that thing was in my head!!! "
Turn order ( bold moves )
Hob and Creature 2
Creature 1
Ellena
Talliree
Mitchell
Tania and Renaer
Grum'shar
Hob swings a bolt of fire in an arc towards the half orc that lands about five foot behind it... "That was a warning shot, next one is going into your eye!"
Mind flayers, also known as illithids are evil and sadistic aberrations, feared by sentient creatures on many worlds across the multiverse due to their powerful innate psionic abilities
An intellect devourer resembles a walking brain
protected by a crusty covering and set on bestial clawed
legs. This foul aberration feeds on the intelligence of
sentient creatures, taking over a victim’s body on behalf
of its mindflayer masters
The seated creature allows it's pet to sally forth against the party, then stands and contemplates the newcomers with alien eyes.
The party feels its regard like one would if one was prey being observed by the predator.
With what one can only describe as a dismissive gesture, it calmly walks down the nearby steps and makes its way towards the double doors on the right.
Turn order ( bold moves )
Hob and Creature 2
Creature 1
Ellena
Talliree
Mitchell
Tania and Renaer
Grum'shar
As the light from the firebolt illuminates the area and Hob gets a better look his face goes pale. A hand raises and a shaky finger points at the tentacled figure. "Oh we are *?!$£!"
Ellena freezes as she recognizer the Mind Flayer, to breathe in relief when the monster moves to leave. Still, her mind fails to find any insult sharp enough to throw at the intellect devourer, and she's not even sure that the creature has ears to hear her. Instead, she focuses on raring Talliree up, as if she needed it.
"Swords! Teach this thing that decapitation should be final!"
Talliree looks at the three combatants and decides the brain's the most dangerous to them at the moment. She grins as her blood rushes through her and her heart pounds like a wardrum. The thrill of combat, of testing her strength, makes her almost giddy as she gives into it.
"Gladly," she replies, her voice halfway between a growl and a purr.
Sparks fly as the disgusting beast dives out of the way of the vicious chop and Talliree leaves a gouge in the floor.
Turn order ( bold moves )
Hob and Creature 2
Creature 1
Ellena
Talliree
Mitchell
Tania and Renaer
Grum'shar
One at a time. Take care of one at a time.
Mitchell joins Talliree in her assault on the brain.
Longsword
slashing damage
Tania and Renear
Mitchell's slash cuts the brainy creature, grey ichor splashing the dirty cobbles at Tania's feet.
With a disgusted look, she slashes at the aberration with both of her blades, angry that it tried to do something to her head...
The creature skitters aside, avoiding the shortsword, but Tania is quicker with her dagger driving it viciously into the side of its...head?....brain? It's small...but tough, still standing.
Behind the group, Renaer stands tall , trying to see what was going on, looking between people's legs, but he stays put....for now.
Grum'Shar
Grum'shar looks up as Hob's fire bolt splashes against a nearby wall, his face a grimace of anger...and fear. He calls out to the departing creature, "Please stay and help me, he knows something! "
But the creature ignores him and continues on his way.
His fate revealed, Grum'shar straightens with new found resolve and steps between the departing creature and the party.
He moves his hands in a sequence of arcane movements and the air in front of him shimmers for a moment...
Turn order ( bold moves )
Hob and Creature 2
Creature 1
Ellena
Talliree
Mitchell
Tania and Renaer
Grum'shar
"Don't shoot the one with the tentacle face, it will kill us all if we annoy it!" Hob calls out to his allies before hurling another firebolt at the distracted half orc and hits it square in the chest.
The tentacled creature continues on it's way out the side door, completely ignoring the battle it leaves behind.
Grum'shar glares with hatred at the departing creature, then is struck by Hob's firebolt, jolting the half-orc back to dealing with the party.
The brain creature continues to fight...
As Tania was the last to strike it, it once again graces her with it's 'attention', it's brain-body quivering, Tania once again grimacing, gasping, "Get out of my head!!!"
Tania's head jerks from side to side, then with a grunt and a final spasm, she recovers from whatever the brain creature was doing to her...
Turn order ( bold moves )
Hob
Creature 1
Ellena
Talliree
Mitchell
Tania and Renaer
Grum'shar
Ellen'a Up!!
Talliree snarls as the disgusting little creature hurts her friend yet again.
And misses yet again. A corner of her mind begins to wonder if it's affecting her as well.
As Grum'shar turns to the party, Ellena is ready with a quip on her lips. "Hey, big dark and ugly! You've dropped your brain, not that you use it!"
Mitchell deadly determination fueling his rage, swings again in his attempt at a frontal lobotomy.
Longsword
Edge
The Half-orc glared at Ellena, his appearance and intelligence insulted in on fell swoop!
Mitchell succeeds with his operation, effectively cleaving the walking brain in twain, malodorous brain ichor splashing the wall.
Her brainy adversary vanquished, Tania runs at the half-orc, twin blades flashing...
... cutting him down with brutal efficiency.
Renaer runs forward, skidding to his knees beside his friend, who raises his puffy and bruised face and says, "One more round, Ren?"
"Lets just hope the monster left. It was an Illithid though most know them as Mind Flayers. They have powerful psionic abilities and are rightly feared."
Mind flayers, also known as illithids are evil and sadistic aberrations, feared by sentient creatures on many worlds across the multiverse due to their powerful innate psionic abilities
At Hob's statement, Tania looks through the doors through which the Mind Flayer had departed. What she sees makes her grunt a bit in surprise.
"That Illithud thing just disappeared. Had a glowing stone in one hand , and just up and disappeared."
Renaer looks up from tending to his friend , "Do any of you know any or possess any healing magic?
The brain no longer an issue, Talliree turns her attention to the only combatant left and almost feels sorry for him.
Almost.
Her grin, now even more bloodthirsty as she channels her frustration into more fuel for the roaring inferno of anger and adrenaline as she steps up to her orcish opponent and swings to gut him like a catch from the Mist ward. She only manages to knick him, but the half-elf is only emboldened by the hit.
"Are ye gonna stand there lookin' like an idiot or are ye gonna fight," she asks, laughing as she flourishes her sword.
"We're alive- he wasn't interested in us- heh heh heh..." Ellena breaks in a spot of histerical laughter as her brain tries to process what they just encountered. A bard hears tales, and the illithids feature in the darkest and grimmest of them all. That she was in the same room as one and still has her mind feels nothing short of miraculous.
"I'm, uh, I fear I'm spent for magic" she says finally, addressing the young noble.
"Maybe we can find a church of Lathander and with a suitable donation get him healed... or wait til tomorrow when Ellena has rested. Any church might do."
"Well, I can try to help him," Tallliree says as she comes down from the rush fo battle. She feels like ehr limbs had been replaced with lead, but she pushes through and begins administering what first aid she can.
Floon slowly sits up and pushes his friend Renaer's hands away with a low laugh, "I'm sore fer sure, but not dyin' quite yet! I felt worse after that brawl at the Scutter's Oar! You remember that one, Ren?" he chuckles, then winces at a pain in his side.
Talliree arrives to clean some of the cuts on his face and wrap a bandage around his forehead, Floon grows quiet watching Talliree's face as she works, despite her obvious fatigue. "Thank you, m'lady " he says seriously.
Standing, he rolls his shoulders a bit, wincing some more, "He, " he says, indicating the body of Grum'shar, " had a weak punch, all of this was done by that grey skinned dwarf and his buddy, Mr Eyes-all-over."
He puts a hand on Renaer's shoulder, "Thanks my friend, " then turning to the party, "And thanks to you as well, that orcy might have been weak, but he had some magic...so I might have been a gonner if you hadn't shown up. "
He gives Renaer a look and asks, "He kept asking me about some Stone of Golorr...but then again, he thought I was you. You know anything about that?"
Renaer shares a looks with the party and says, "Let's talk about that later, let's get you out of here."
He then looks expectantly at the party...
"You, sir, are obviously punch-drunk. I am no fine lady from the nicer parts of Waterdeep," Talliree says with a laugh when Floon calls her m'lady. At the mention of the dwarf and the bald monk, she pulls out her sword and points to two stains on the blade.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about them. That's the dwarf, and that's Mr. Baldilocks," she says, her voice disturbingly cheery, like a child pointing out who's who in a crude drawing. Seeing the looks, she at least has the grace to blush.
"Oh, right, we need to get out of here still. I guess we could go that way," she says pointing to where the mind flayer had gone and vanished. "Not sure if we want to try the other way seeing as there's some kinda thing and the sewers."
"I'd rather go back the way we came... they're really really dangerous. Lets get back up onto the streets."
"Can we? They were trying to keep something from getting through the door."
"I'll check if the way is clear." says Ellena, going to check carefully if whatever is confined behind the worrying door is going to make an unwelcome appearance.
"Oh, c'mon! At least take Tania or me with ya," Talliree grouses as she picks her sword back up and follows Ellena.
Knowing that even his freshly oiled armor is not the best for being sneaky, Mitchell relies on his more lightly armored friends to scout things out.
He turns to Renar. "I suggest you come clean when we get out of here... or maybe you'd better spill the beans now... just in case something happens on the way out". He lays a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.
Persuasion.
Ellena and Talliree move into the next room, seeing an empty room with only one thing of note. On the floor is a mosaic...a perfect circle with ten equidistant spokes radiating outward from its circumference. In the middle is a tile that bears a passing resemblance to a lidless eye.
Tanis enters after, saying "That's where the thingy as standing..." pointing at the mosaic.
Renaer looks at Mitchell, then nods, kneeling down with his friend, talking quietly with him about why he had to go through with his ordeal.
Talliree nods and looks for a door.
Hob takes a closer look at the Mosaic while the others consider where to go. He does a quick sketch of it for future reference and considers how much it resembles the chalk marks in the sewers and if there were any differences.