Page 1 of 1

Episode 82 - Illithid Negotiations and Amadeus Makes His Move

Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 9:38 am
by DalamarD
After a brief bit of planning, the Forsaken buff up and Teleport directly into the room with the amplifier, intent on the destruction of any nearby mind flayers. We teleport 15 feet away from the amplifier, and when we arrive, we see that there is also an unusually large and imposing looking Illithid in front of the amplifier. It has spiny face tentacles and some strange looking chitinous armor. Wasting no time, Xander blasts it with necrotic energy, sending the Mind Flayer reeling. Suddenly, the amplifier speaks loudly, voicing the Elder Brain residing somewhere unknown. It asks us to wait, and says it wishes to parlay. We warily agree, and listen to its request. It explains that it doesn’t wish to fight us, and only wants to take its amplifier safely somewhere else. After further discussion, it agrees to remove the amplifier, mind-flayers, and all the kobolds from the mine, leaving the gems for the deep gnomes to resume mining. Once we tentatively agree to these terms, it informs us that it must protect knowledge of the amplifier’s very existence. It wants to do this by psychically delving into our minds and erasing all memories regarding the mind flayers and the amplifier. The party mulls this over, but Amadeus and Valak refuse to have their minds tampered with further. After more deliberation, we suggest a geas that would prevent us from speaking of our interactions with the Illithid and their device. The Elder Brain agrees and offers to add its power to the spell, allowing it to bind all of us at once. Thus decided, Amadeus casts a geas on the party with the help of the Elder Brain that renders us unable to speak of any interaction with Illithid in the Glittergold mine at all, upon penalty of debilitating pain. Our transaction completed, the party leaves the mine via the main shaft, and heads back to Blingdenstone with our haul.

Once there, we approach Pingtu’s hut with the white ruby. We attract an unofficial escort of rangers along the way, as they can sense that something momentous is about to occur. We bear the ruby to the gem circle at Pingtu’s behest, and when Valak sets it in place, the giant ruby suspends itself there with the other gems. Pingtu bids us to stand back, as he begins working his ritual to enable the singing stones. As he chants and gestures, the stones begin emitting a bright light and a melodious chime. The light becomes too much for the non svirfneblins, and they shut their eyes tightly to avoid being damaged by the light. The light and singing reach a crescendo as Pingtu finishes the ritual and the singing stones are fully operational. The watching rangers and other deep gnomes looked overawed, and many are weeping in joy at the sight.

With nothing left to do there, the Forsaken depart for the Flawed Ruby. Talk of the singing stones are on everyone’s lips, but so is talk of the Crown, and who will be chosen to lead the deep gnomes into their future. Amadeus begins to plot, with the intent of taking the crown for himself. He enlists the aid of the other Forsaken, who agree to back whatever play he concocts.