by Floyd Fiftynames,
Licensed Bard
While clearing out another crevice of Sector 6, Lothar, Riordan, and Phillip the Gnome discovered a breach in the wall, which led to a hidden, long forgotten passageway, and therein, they discovered an ancient dwelling belonging to a long-gone group of illithids, or mind flayers. Lothar was not aware of the existence of these creatures, but Riordan and Salem had come across information about them in the course of their research, and they filled him in on their appearance and ways. Lothar, who tried his best to be understanding of other creatures and forms who made their home upon the earth, couldn't help but feel uncomfortable by the thought of their existence, and the fact that he wasn't necessarily a prime target of their voracious appetites did little to abate his revulsion.
The dwelling had a chapel, and underneath the chapel was a cavern, which contained the skull of what had once been an enormous sort of illithid. Underneath the skull was a staff made of stone, which Riordan took for further study.
After searching the rest of the dwelling, the group encountered an envoy from Matthias, the leader of the prisoners, who offered the olive branch of peace. The party leadership found itself conflicted over how to handle Matthias' entreaty, as the group had sympathetic feelings for the prisoners, but found Matthias to be someone who could be very dangerous once he was fully empowered. They would not have to wait long to find out how, dangerous, though, as the anti-magic field permeating Sector 6 was soon lifted, and many of the prisoners were restored to their former state of power. Also, the party found a treasure trove of confiscated materials, which would likely be very useful to them in their future endeavors.
FF
