We last saw the adventurers battle Scarecrows, and Flesh Golems, just outside the palace walls, meeting the Samurai for the first time.
This last session saw us missing another two players: Lokrim, and Thor. At the same time, we were also introduced to another new charachter, Skaar. Skaar is a half-orc barbarian that a friend plays in another game. With Thor and Lokrim missing, I found it suitable to have him enter as a captive, albeit in a weakened state.
So this session saw the adventurers deciding what to do, and how to prepare for the final showdown between them and the Samurai. They correctly took the opportunity to take a long rest, and to check out the occupied cages near the palace. They also checked out some of the cages along the cliffside, quickly realizing that they were all bearing emaciated captives.
After being freed from on of the cages, Draco was able to tell the party that the Samurai was actually a demented Mind Flayer Arcanist who hates magic, and who has imprisoned all of these beings to serve as either food, or to use in some cruel experiments. This mind flayer, whose name is Guan-Long, named this realm after himself, and ironically, uses magic to detect new beings within his realm, after which he sends his flesh golems to capture, and imprison. His mind is so twisted, and the loss of his hive was so great, that he actually severed most of his four tentacles, as penance for using magic, and in hopes that this would serve to help lead him back into the hives acceptance.
So the party checks some cages, and sees that at least on of them is holding Skaar. They soon let him out, and he joins the fight against the Samurai.
Meanwhile, the Samurai is himself preparing for the fight, casting Dominate Monster on Thor, who fails the saving throw, and is put under the Samurai's thrall.
As the warriors are discussing their plans, a Gibbering Mouther emerges from one of the portals, at the base of the palace. The battle is on!
Although they quickly dispatch the mouther, Skaar does take some serious damage, and needs to be healed. During the fight, though, another five Grimlocks emerge from another door, as does a flesh golem! They didn't think I would let them win that easily, did they?
After some time, and after spending some valuable resources, they finally finish off the monsters, only to face a relatively fresh mind flayer.
Although the battle is well fought, they did have to contend with a controlled Thor, and very few resources left to battle the sinister being. The mind flayer did assume some disadvantages though, as he was insane, and did severe his own tentacles, so I did not grant him advantage to his saving throws vs magic. I also limited his own use of magic to telekenesis, and force shield, or wall of force, as well as his various cantrips. Nonetheless, he was a mighty foe!
Even with those weaknesses in place, the warriors did take one hell of a beating, and both Thor and Draco went down. Still, they beat him eventually, with Avacyn getting the killing blow in, as an enraged mind flayer stood towering over a freshly fallen Draco. Caught off guard, Avacyn was able to remove the flayer's spine, ending his evil will over the land.
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