Mindflayers 1

The long and twisting tunnel gradually widens as it flattens, showing signs of being worked by intelligent hands. The designs carved into the rock are hideous to everyone but one particular member of the group. "Look everyone, another tentacle!"

"We saw, Agar."

"And look how it's attached to this carved monster's head! Fascinating bilateral dissymetry. Not something you normally find in nature, all things considered." He draws on his pipe in contentment and lets out a stream of fragrant smoke.

"We saw, Agar."

"This is the work of dominated slaves," declares Galthia. "Probably dwarven and gnomish. Definitely mind flayer architecture. Be on your guard."

"What can we do about them?" asks Agar. "My brain is precious to me."

Velendo harrumphs worriedly. "I've been worrying about this for more than a week. Protection from evil is important, as is anything that can beef up our will power. What we want is to avoid being dominated and stunned by their mind blasts."

Galthia's normally laconic voice is tense. "I knew fellow monks who were killed when my people attacked this illithid city years ago. If there are any mind flayers left now that the ghouls attacked them, I'm looking forward to repaying some debts."

They fly through similar tunnels for more than fifteen minutes, Stone Bear passing on the travel directions given to him by his spirit guide. Ahead of them, the tunnel finally rises to a wide and flat ramp. At the top of the ramp is a cave opening that looks like a beaked maw – and behind that, darkness.

"Stop, everyone," says Velendo. "We need to examine this." The group solidifes back into solid form, and both Agar and Velendo scrutinize the door. Stone Bear joins them.

"Definitely magical," says Velendo as he uses his arcane sight. "What are these bone bowls that have been inserted into the stone all around the opening? There must be twenty of them."

"Skulls," answers Galthia flatly. "Pried open skulls."

"Oh. Right. Uck."

"I'm seeing substantial amounts of abjuration, conjuration and necromancy magic," reports Agar. "True seeing is telling me that this is definitely locked off from casual entry. This is psionics, so I'm not sure exactly what they've done to keep people out."

"So you don't see them?" asks Stone Bear, surprised. "Or hear them?"

"See what?"

He looks around in surprise, eye sockets shadowed. "The ghosts that are trapped in the doorway." His raven caws uneasily, the harsh shriek startling several people.

There's a moment of silence. "No," says Velendo slowly, "I think it's fair to say that we don't see any ghosts."

"I can detect them, though," says Malachite. "My detection powers are working right now, and there is definitely undead there. Think the ghouls did this?"

"Or the mindflayers. Or ghoulish mindflayers; how's that for a fun idea?"

"They've been bound there somehow," says Stone Bear. "I can hear them screaming. That's their skulls which are imbedded in the stone, and the bone is keeping the spirits in place. They won't want to let anyone in." He frowns. "I think they're hungry for life energy. They don't like us."

Galthia takes a deep breath before stating the obvious. "They're githzerai ghosts?"

"No. Mindflayer ghosts."

Everyone turns to stare at the shaman. Velendo sounds incredulous. "They killed their own people for a door lock?"

Stone Bear shrugs, still feeling the hatred streaming from the entrance. "Apparently."

Tao snorts. "Charming. I'm sick of this place. Think we can turn them now, please?"

"I doubt it," muses Velendo. "They'd think of that. I think I know what we can do, though. I'm going to cast dispel evil on it. That should remove any evil spell holding the spirits in place. Then you folk need to turn them. All ten of us ready?"

"No." thinks Burr-Lipp as he hops forward. "I like fighting things that bleed when I stab them. Anyways, there are twelve of us. Eleven if you don't count Cruciel."

Velendo frowns. "I wasn't counting her. Who'd I miss?"

Priggle sighs.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Priggle. Let's get this over with." With careful timing, Velendo casts as Malachite turns – and the spirits are scattered, screaming, blasted away from the entrance portal by holy energy. From somewhere inside some sort of discordant alarm begins keening, quickly followed by another one farther away.

"Quickly, everyone!" warns Agar. "The magic is already repairing itself. We need to get through."

Stone Bear agrees. "I don't want to be standing right there when the spirits are dragged back." The group rushes through into a nightmare of stone and slime.

No mindflayers are in sight. The Defenders stand at one end of a huge cavern that arcs out of sight overhead, the ground sticky beneath their feet. Near them, a hideous flesh-tree made from psionically melded living creatures has set up a terrible howl. The noise slithers into the ear, confusing and disrupting concentration. Nolin reacts by setting up a counter-melody. His rollicking song doesn't echo in the huge space, but it strikes some chord in the near-ruined brains of the treelike flesh sculpture, and it falls silent. A similar creation farther away keeps wailing.

Nolin looks around as his song ends. "Some mindflayer thinks himself an artist and a musician. I think there are dozens of these flesh-trees, and I'm pretty sure that each one is tuned to scream at a different pitch. Music, alarm system, art and horrible torture all rolled into one. Charming."

Tao blinks. "I can feel something trying to burrow through my mind. It's like this whole place is alive. I hope - " The divine agent is interrupted by her eyes glowing vibrant green, and a glorious voice cascades from her mouth.

Tao Camber, my Knight of the Horn. The time has come, for they rise up against us. Here you are needed, but in your sanctuary on the surface a horde of creatures approach the Al'Quith with torch and axe. Where will you choose to go? It is the voice of Galanna, her goddess.

Tao doesn't even hesitate as she turns to the others. "It's time. You can get on without me here, but I'm needed on the surface if I'm going to save my temple. They can't burn down the holy tree, and Raevynn and our acolyte will need help."

"Go, Tao," says Velendo. "I won't pretend that we're not going to miss you horribly, but you need to do what's best for you." He hugs her, and many of the other Defenders follow his example. Tao specifically remembers to say goodbye to Priggle in particular.

"There's one thing I can do before I go," says Tao with a grin. "Wouldn't you say that those wailing flesh-sculptures are abominations?" She brings out her rod of true nature and holds it over her head. It flashes green and gold, life energy surging out of it. When the light fades, every flesh-pillar within sight has been transformed to an actual, living tree.

Tao gives a nod of satisfaction, smiles, and dissolves into a puddle of water. In the silence that follows, Nolin slaps the side of his head.

"What?" asks Mara.

Nolin sighs in mock exasperation. "We forgot to borrow her unneeded magic items."