Ch25 - Re-reunions

Ch25

We begun to search just about everywhere, bumping into a few survivors here and there, they were killed quickly. Marching forwards we entered through another sphincter, where a panel in front of a large oval hole sits. Naturally, I activated the panel without looking it over first.

A great system of transparent lines lit up, with nodes on either end labelled: memory, emotion, mind. It seemed quite straightforwards, just link them up and don't cross the lines. I was completely right, it took me about two minutes to do it. On completion, a great fleshy wall opened up revealing a tapestry of the great illithid empire.

"The ghaik empire! A disgusting future we shall stop!" Lae'zel spat out. To the left of it, a brain in a jar sat, just like many others have around the area. I wanted to test a theory about it and set up a telepathic mind link, "Hello? Are you still alright in there?"

It took a moment but I got a response back, "Hm, no body just in a jar it seems, who are you? By your tone you are no thrall."

"Ah I'm Charles, I'm on this mission to stop the illithid plan. I got curious to see if you were still sentient, so I set up a telepathic mind link." I respond back politely, I vaguely remember a githzerai brain in the game, I could glean some interesting stuff from this if I found the right one.

"Ah a master in the mind arts, much like myself. The githzerai pride ourselves on this, though it has resulted in my perpetuation in this mind prison." Well she confirmed my theory at least. "I have a request of you, I will give you what I know of the mind arts, in return I want you to destroy my brain. For too long have I been held prisoner to the ghaik."

"I can only begin to understand, very well. But if you don't mind, could you give me more knowledge on the githzerai as a whole? I've been trying to learn but my only sources are the githyanki that I've come across." It's true, I've asked Lae'zel but she only talks about how Orpheus was betrayed by Vlaakith, but doesn't know finer details.

"Very well, as long as you end my suffering" Suddenly images surged to mind of the hellish meditation training the githzerai endured, the education, the social aspects, a general concept of them that I was searching high and low for.

"Thank you, I will make this quick for you" I cast [Sleep] on the brain, followed by [Undiagnosis] to remove PTSD. Finally, a quick ray of frost gave the brain a quick end.

"What did that brain do to deserve that?" I turn around to see Gale ask me, the rest of the party seem confused. I forgot it was a telepathic conversation, no one else heard me.

"Oh I forgot you guys couldn't hear, so that brain was a githzerai. She was still fully sentient and aware, so she offered me knowledge in return for her death. Speaking of which, who wants to learn how to get their own Githzerai mind barrier? I'll beam it into your minds if you want it."

Fortunately, everyone wanted it, especially Durge, seems he's still a bit shaken up from his relapse. Beaming the relevant knowledge to everyone, they all became able wielders of:

[Githzerai mind barrier -

A githzerai originated mental ward, grants advantage on intelligence saving throws. Granted to the party by a captive githzerai brain grasping onto sanity by a thread.]

And with that, we move on.

We came into a room lined with pods either side of the room, looking into them, a range of mindflayers and people fill them. One of those people is Zevlor, the valiant paladin blamed for the deaths of many tieflings.

"Come on, let us get them out" Jaheira stepped forwards to the panel, hand an inch away from the button.

"Wait! I've got an idea first, let's see if we can get rid of the mind flayers." I click open my lighter again, a swirling figure appears next to me finally forming to the appearance of… Eminem.

"Right, err Eminem, can you float through the pods of the mindflayers and use your ability until they all die?" I don't know why but it just felt like Eminem wasn't supposed to be chosen, a bit weird. Yet he seems to be effective, judging by the mind flayer beatboxers following behind him.

'38/50'

They all came back eventually, Jaheira then pressed the buttons needed. Zevlor and some flaming fist mercenaries fell out of the pods, me and Zevlor never really spoke and I wasn't there for the grove too much so I took the mind flayer bodies.

Coming back to them, Zevlor and the fists decided to run further and wait by the final door for us. A good deal in my eyes at least, the next room was filled with brine pools, Zevlor and the fists had already killed the intellect devourers, so we started searching the room for anything useful. I picked up the intellect devourers and took 6 tadpoles from the brine pool.

Making our way to the left-hand side of the room, a familiar face was trapped within a pod.

"Mizora, I should've known!" Wyll shouted towards her.

"Yes yes, big surprise it's me! Anyway get me out of here." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Wyll sighed for a moment, looking around at us he asked, "Any of you know how to open this?" Before anyone could respond, Lae'zel ripped it off its hinges.

"Well that does it I guess" Mizora mumbled. Stepping out she cleared her throat and said clearly, "Ahem, henceforth as section 7 of panel BY states, ending the pact requires a 6 month notice period, so by the power of the contract you will be free in six months.

"Not too bad, I thought something worse would happen." I said openly to everyone. Everyone seemed to disagree however.

"6 Months Mizora! I can't believe I expected you to be fair about this!" Wyll accused her with a pointed finger.

"Fair? This is fair! You willingly signed this after all." She wafted the contract in his face before giving a quick wave and disappeared within a wave of hellfire. I think I need some kind of resistance to hellfire, since it bypasses my normal fire resistance.