Motley Force Game, 2000-07-22 (Players present: Rich, Shadow, James, Heather)
We go back to the Mangled Badger to find a way to get to the pink wall, but the place is almost empty. Mr. Slant the bartender tells us that the gnomes don't come in there anyways; they have their own bar they go to. As we arrive there, we see Sven being thrown out by two gnomes. We talk for a while, then decide to go and get some gems to barter with. We pick up ten 500-gp gems from the half-ogre proprietor of a shop, Seldom Bucket.
Before we get back to the bar, though, we run into a gnome leaning up against a wall tossing a coin. He tells us that he's heard about what we did to Zaxum, and suggests that it would be unpleasant for us if the other gnomes found out about it. For a price, he will not only keep silent, but guide us to the pink wall as well. We agree. When we get there, he offers to draw us a map so we can get back. There go the rest of the gems, thanks to Karnov the bonehead ranger who wasn't tracking!
When we get to the "pink" wall, we see that it actually looks like a brain. It pulsates and drips sweat, pus, and blood. We find that we are unable to touch if because it's protected by a force field; however, Ulthar is able to dispel it. Karnov throws a rock at it, and it immediately begins to pulsate faster and glow yellow. A beam shoots out, engulfing and paralyzing him, but Windrush is eventually able to dispel it.
Ulthar casts Bigby's Grasping Hand to try and push the brain away; instead, it pushes a hole through what turns out to be the outer wall of a maze. The brain reacts by shooting a blue ray at Ulthar, but he saves. We encase ourselves in an Otiluke's Resilient Sphere and start rolling through the maze, but quickly realize that the spell will expire long before we find our way through. Meantime, disgusting flying amoebas with translucent wings and huge sucker mouths appear. We all prepare for combat, and Ulthar casts pyrotechnics just before the sphere goes down. When one of these beasties is killed, it can burst, spewing acid over everything. Or they can vomit on you, which is worse. Later, three more large ones appear, which pulsate red.
As we continue to travel through the maze, we find places where we have to punch through a wall again. Apparently, anything that causes enough damage will open a hole in the wall. At one point, unfortunately, Ulthar punches a hole through with a lightning bolt and winds up with a spear shot through him for 60 points damage.
Eventually, we come to a section of the wall that is bright red and filled with veins. It takes a full strength lightning bolt to break through this, and as Ulthar does, we see beyond the opening two huge black amoebas similar to the ones we encountered before. Floating in mid-air with grey tendrils emanating from him, is an illithid [267 hp, -11 AC]. It is in communication with another of its loathsome ilk, whom we see in a portal of some kind. He is saying to the other illithid "Yes master, I am coming..." until we punch through the wall and break his concentration. "NOOOOO!" he screams... and attacks us with psionic blast. In short order, he gets all four tentacles around Ulthar's head, but releases him to do mind blasts against the entire party because of the horrific damage he has taken from the mighty Windrush. Karnov succumbs and is driven permanently insane. Unfortunately, he later attacks Windrush, whose brain is drawn forth from her skull. Ulthar is left as the only party member standing, and takes terrible damage from the black amoebas as the illithid turns his attention back to him. As the hideous creature fastens all four tentacles on his head, Ulthar frantically tries to use his talon to feeblemind it. In the last round of combat, as Ulthar's brain is about to be ripped from his head, he succeeds in the attempt, but only as the mind flayer has begun to tear his head open [simultaneous initiative, Ulthar's skull is split open and he is reduced to a single hit point]. Nonetheless, he disables the last amoeba with Power Word Stun. After taking his dagger and cutting the amoeba's throats (he had paralyzed one earlier), he rummages through Karnov's backpack and finds an Elixir of Health and pours it down Karnov's throat, restoring him. He then beheads the illithid, intending to take the head as a trophy. As it dies, the brain maze begins to dissolve, revealing the room as a normal cavern. Apparently something alien had crashed through the roof. Breaking open a chest-shaped protrusion in the floor, we find a fabulous treasure, including a Ring of Three Wishes, which Ulthar uses to bring Windrush back to life. The mind flayer's head is stuffed, mounted, and put on the mantle in our house in Faust Frozen, to which we return.
NEXT GAME IS 08/26/2000 AT 1100 HOURS.
Monocle of Bagthalos: strapped to one eye. True sight, immune to all gaze attacks, immune to all effects or menaces, magical or psionic, that employ hypnotism, bright lights, shimmering colors, mesmerizing patterns, or eye contact. 3X/day: fire a bright orange ray for 60 yards. Remove 1d8 hp from me, but dishes 4d8 to everyone in my sight (no hit roll required). Anyone hidden by solid objects gets a saving throw at +4 vs. death, or it goes through the solid object and hits them anyway. +1 on surprise roll. Detect Snares and Pits (constantly). Divination 1X/day. Wind Wall 1X/day. Malec-keth's Flame Fist 3X/day. Conjure Water Elemental 16HD 1X/week. Fist of Stone 3X/day. Bad things will happen (tm) if worn constantly [i.e. It's an artifact]. It seems to whisper to me, feelings of sorrows and regrets of my past life, makes me start to feel depressed.
+5 magical quarterstaff: 6-36 damage, 6' long, but can be extended to 12'. The staff is unbreakable.