UNDERDARK
We take the boat into the raging underground river. After a half day, we moor the boat and enter into the Elder Brain Territory, towards the Coliseum. Codex contacts the Brain, showing it the Mentis Imperium and our rescue of it. Codex enters into terms, an exchange of the Mentis Imperium in exchange for the Dwarven and Gnomish slaves. The negotiation goes strangely, the Brain wants this to happen in the Colosseum, but it needs 4 hours to make preparations. We don’t understand why, but they are firm on the 4 hour delay. We agree and arrange to wait outside the coliseum.
Once we get there we see writing along the tunnels to the Coliseum. One is “Follow the rules”. We find rules at the Coliseum doors. They are:
1. No fighting outside the coliseum floor
2. Colony rules apply
3. No Credit
4. All slaves are property of the Colony
We then find out that what Codex arranged wasn’t an exchange, it was a wager. We are to fight the Elder Brain’s champions, and the Elder Brain needed four hours to advertise and pack the stadium with attendees.
When we enter in we are met by a Mind Flayer named Qezzakt. He is the representative of the Elder Brain. He speaks to us about the terms. Knowing the rules, we insist that they free the Dwarven and Gnomish slaves, so that the Colony doesn’t claim them. They agree to the terms. We are taken first to a tavern, where a mind controlled bartender offered refreshment. Then we are taken to a preparation room, where there are weapons and armor to prepare. Berdyn sneaks into the slave chambers adjacent and sees the hooded figures, all the Dwarves and Gnomes are there waiting.
Then we enter into the coliseum floor, and on the other side the champions come at us. A Dire Troll, a horrible plant creature, and a skeletal Beholder comes at us, and the crowd in the raised stands cheer as we dismantle the creatures.
Victorious, Bale hands Codex an old Mind Flayer token we found. Codex uses this token at the end of the fight as well as a gift of the Mentis Arcanum to secure safe passage out of the Colony.
Qezzat takes us to the prisoner cells to collect our “prize”.
Within the cells, we find not only Gaela and Ferin Goldbringer, but also a number of others. Of the servants there are 11 dwarves, 5 deep gnomes, and 5 Duregar. There are also a Human, a Red Dragonborn, a half elf, a rock gnome, a Tiefling, and a half orc.
We make arrangements to go to the river’s edge with them under control, and free them from mind control next to their boat. After a very tense moment saving those dying from the shock of being removed from the Elder Brain’s control, we convince them to come back with us, except for the 5 Duregar, who opt to just leave into the Underdark. One of the mountain dwarves dies, and does not come back from revivify. Ferrin tries to escape but Berdyn stops him, and they wrestle until Simon paralyzes Ferrin and then Codex hits him with some morphine. Codex also uses morphine on a few of the panicked dwarves.
We get to know some of the people. They include:
Arkzer – name of the Tiefling. She is an inhabitant of Sigil, and wants
Jura – name of the Dragonborn. The Dragonborn is an outcast of his people in the Underdark, they are all worshippers of Xiammantoneldrym, and he is most certainly not.
Sakini – name of the Rock Gnome. The Gnome is from another part of the world, she explored through a teleportation gate, using her gatecrasher ability, that connects her lands to the Underdark near Chrysoprase.
Gavin Chaucer – name of the Human related to Tristan Chaucer, he is his uncle. We plan to get him back to Everlife. Gavin knows that the Mad Baron Grenor Olbundar is turning people into lycanthropes, and ruling over them. He fled Grenor and was then captured and enslaved by the Elder Brain.
Charles Wheatflow - Name of the half elf, a bard who went north to find the lost elven lands. His father was a farmer, his mother was an elf.
Lalsere – Name of the Deep gnome bartender, an inhabitant of Chrysoprase.
We get them all into the healer’s house, for deprogramming. We spend the night at Sarode’s inn.