Lolth held on tight to these ones. Powerful the spell must be, if breaking her hold it do.

"Your... your magic is much appreciated, earthblood-honoured... if a little unexpected."

"I certainly do not share good Schnicklegulp's trust your turn to the light - some drow manage to turn away from the darkness forever, but far more fall back into it. Nonetheless, the spider queen must always be fought. I had not expected her to hold you so firmly. She does not let go lightly of such a curse; it is likely that more driders will be sent for you, and even possible that one of her handmaidens will come if they fail. I fear there is no place for a drow like yourself anymore.
Now, let us set off - the devourers will grow stronger by the day."

Schnickle raised an arm and pointed heroically. "Onwards!"

Yuthel leads the way to the city - having recently been a thrall, he remembers his way there. This time, little gets in your way.

"The city is only a short distance away now - the upper part of the city will contain thralls pretending to live in a normal town, but there is a secret entrance in the town hall to get into the sept below. We can only hope that the elder brain has not yet grown to its full power - every delay increases the chance that it is awoken."

[Private to DM Daniel: Manifesting Conceal Thoughts for the next five hours...]


Schnickle sighed. "Here are we." He turned to Yuthel and asked "Know you of guards or watchers in the upper town?" If this was to work, they needed total stealth.

Deepwalker steps ahead, Thank you showing us the way.  Now it's time for the warriors to begin their work.  Going to the Minotaurs he points and says, There's a city a short way in this direction.  This city's population are all thralls of the mind flayers.  Time for you to do what you do best and kick some thrall butt.

Yuthel replies "The thralls will delay you while the mind flayers prepare to slaughter you. You would do best if you can prevent any of them from ringing the gong in the town square, but that will not be easy. In any case, I will not be left behind - I want to be the first to spit one of those damn squids on my blade."

"Innocent victims are the thralls - we should not kill them." Schnickle protested. "Unless absolutely necessary it is. Valuable allies they can be once freed."

He considered a plan. "Sneakiest and quickest of us should reach the gong and disable it."

Deepwalker replies, Having a bunch of Minotaurs rampaging through town is a hell of a distraction for some of us to get to the town hall and take out the mind flayers.

"Well, we need to come to a decision, and quickly - Schnick can be one sneaky guy, but how do you disable a gong?"

Schnickle thought for a moment. "Steal it." He turned to Kharona. "The gong is how big?"

"About one meter in diameter. It's held in place by two chains and a wooden frame. Now that I think of it, maybe stealing the hammer would be a better way to go. The thralls won't be extremely alert given how the illithids treat most of their prisoners."

"Still they could hit or kick the gong. Sure we must be." Schnickle considered the size of himself and his magical bag. It probably wouldn't fit. Maybe he could carry it away and hide it someplace?

I could shatter it from a distance - this is the sort of exercise I was put through back home. On the other hand, that might make more noise than the gong itself. Perhaps if I melted it, then gave the signal to attack?

Seeing Illianka and Schnickle figure a coward's way of fighting the Mind Flayers; Deepwalker walks back to the minotaurs and says, Anyone who is ready to kick some ass come with me.  At that Deepwalker starts towards the dity and he isn't being quiet about it.

"Ideas of yours are good." Schnickle said to Illianka.

Then seeing Deepwalker blundering off, he called after him. "Wait! Planning we not done yet!"

Though Schnickle had to admit, Deepwalker and the minotaurs would make good fodder.

Schnickle hurriedly conferred with the svirfneblin commanders, suggesting that the svirf warriors and scouts run interference for the minotaurs - "Worst of it let them have. Safety to you." Then he selected some svirf spies to aid him and Illianka take out the warning bell.

Not slowing Deepwalker calls out over his shoulder, We'll be the distraction.  If you're set on doing things the unhonorable, cowardly, and sneaky way go ahead.  I prefer to face things head on with honor.  Hoping that his words will have a rallying effect on the minotaurs.  Since the minotaurs and Deepwlker have long legs they should quickly outdistance the slower gnomes.

"Smart way it is, but whatever. Luck be with you!"

The minotaurs, alongside Deepwalker, charge forward. Kharona ran ahead with them, seeing that the situation left no better way to fight. The svirfs took up the rear cautiously with Illianka rushing to keep up with the larger fighters.

As they approached the city, you come across a pair of Troglodytes. Sniffing the air, they immediately turn and begin running, howling at the top of their voices. The Minotaurs charge forward chasing after them, as the sounds of a gong being hit loudly echo through the tunnels. Running as fast as they are, they have no hope of noticing the trap waiting for them as the tunnel opens up. Ignoring the Troglodytes, strands of sticky rope fly out at the minotaurs, quickly catching 23 of them from four central points. Staggering about in surprise, the minotaurs quickly begin to be dragged back towards the rocks that launched the tentacles.

Schnickle looked up the minotaurs being dragged to their dooms and sighed. So much for the invasion. "Thanks be to you, Deepwalker. Leadership qualities of yours are impeccable."

The Svirf leader steps into the room shortly after, and immediately shouts out "Ropers they be! Often as guards are they used by devourers. Stand away from the left side - I will seal them away where they deserve to be, and cut the strands as fast as you can."
As everyone tries to stand to the right side of the passage, the svirf cleric holds out his hands and slowly raises them, and a ground cracks and breaks before them. He pulls a wall of stone up, lifting until it meets the ceiling and cuts off two of the ropers.

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[Private to DM Daniel: I have a little problem with this trap thing.  First off Minotaurs have the scent ability, and second they have natural cunning which means they're never surprised and have a +4 bonus to their spot and listen checks.]

[Private to Deepwalker: The ropers are immobile, so they don't have to make move silently checks, and they have +18 to hide underground and take 10 on their hide checks for 28 total. Minotaurs with +7 cannot roll well enough to beat that. Troglodytes have an intense and overpowering smell so unpleasant that it forces a fortitude save, negating the scent quality.]
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[Private to Deepwalker: Additionally, this is taken from a listing of standard guard encounters around mind flayer cities.
Is this satisfactory? Your feedback is important, PM me.]
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