Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

The "Year of the Crown" Campaign

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DM Theophanies
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Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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Discovery

The Conclave sent out a request to the public that they were hiring individuals to clear an important blocked trading tunnel into the city. Blocked with slimes. There had been reports of increased slime activity as of late but nothing like this. The latest report indicated a whole patrol was lost when they came into such a blockade unexpectedly.

A group quickly picked up the chance to make some gold off the Conclave. Extra insensitive were given for retrieving any information regarding their rapid increase in population as well as any unusual or unique samples or items that are brought back for study.

Jarven the Conclave Rep met the group and teleported them to the outer tunnels to begin their work. The group began clearing the tunnel and came across a room with a large skeletal corpse with the walls covered in dried and hardened slime.

Image

The investigation over the odd scene in the room commenced leaving the group with the underlying feeling that something was behind this. The unblocking of the tunnel was left far from over as the Conclave representative had to leave to deal with another matter that came up. Reports from the participants to follow.

Participants:
Jarzyr
Irrtana Sshamath
Xan Sshamath
Nawiel Jr'eine

Rewards:
-2 bags for the work
-Bonus loot for providing good samples to study.
-More potential jobs in the future after showing high aptitude for investigation.
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Nachti
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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/// What happened to the campaign?
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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//The UD emptied out and I am awaiting players to return.
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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UD are refilling with fresh blood, many mages for *cough* "unknown" reasons, and some oldies make reappearances presently.

Game on?
"Drojal zhah obdoluth dorb'd streeak, Lueth dro zhah zhaunau dorb'd ogglin."
"Existence is empty without chaos, Life is boring without enemies." So sayeth Lady Lolth, Queen of Chaos.

PC: Natalya, wandering enchantress.
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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If I see a decent group, or even just a decent number of UDers online while I am in game, I may stroll on down to further the will of Theophanies once more.
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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Trips and "bumps" his head.
"Are you Thor? God of Hammers?"
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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Lost Patrol
Several drow were enjoying some downtime exchanging stories and drink at Gloura's Wing when an armored drow bearing the insignia of the School of Illusion entered. He studied those gathered for a long moment before he introduced himself as the Master of the School of Illusion and Phantasm's personal guard and that he was looking for some able mercenaries. Even though they were not mercenaries and most were students of Sshamath's schools, they were curious of what someone like Mistress Felyndiira would need.

The warrior explained how a patrol vanished west of Varalla's Passage when they were investigating the disappearance of the local displacer beasts. Mercenaries may be able to find out what was going on much faster than a funded patrol from the city, and keep what they find a secret for his ears only. As a last point, he told them how he had been given a purse to hand out to anyone that solves the mystery. Satisfied with his recruits, the warrior returned to the School of Illusion.

The group finished up their drinks and bought last minute supplies before heading out, and along the way, managed to pick up a gnome as well. A few of the drow thought to use him as bait, others believed he'd be useful in a pinch. Regardless of their goals, they eventually convinced the gnome to tag along before leaving the city. The party stopped in the tunnel above Sshamath to speak with those guarding the entrance. They asked the guards if they knew anything about the missing patrol in hopes to uncover more intel. Nothing important was gathered, only that a few followed the patrol already, but they too disappeared.

Just a few bends away from the city's entrance, the group was stopped by an ambush of slimes. The necromantic knight sliced through them with ease, but every time he severed one, it would turn into two slimes. When he overcame the slimes, the drow knight from the School of Necromancy expressed concerns he had over the effectiveness of his sword against the slimes while the others were satisfied with simply overcoming their foes. They pushed onward, meeting with some Sshamath guards before entering the tunnels leading westward out of Varalla's Passage. They pressed them on information on the missing patrol, but before the guards could respond, a slime formed on the ceiling and dropped down on the guards. The acids inside the slime made quick work on the guards as the drow hunting party made quick work on the slime. The drow shook their heads and continued with their search.

The group walked through the tunnel leading to the large caverns that were known as the hunting grounds for the displacer beasts, and as they emerged into the caverns, three drow stopped them. The drow, clearly not from Sshamath, told the group to leave, to return to their city or they would end the group. They were investigating something within the caverns and could not be interrupted. Not happy, one of the apprentices from the School of Necromancy demanded entrance while the other attempted to agree to cooperate in their investigation while they conducted their own. The guards refused and attacked. The drow guarding the caverns were skilled, but they were clearly outmatched with the magic of the apprentices against them. Once they were cut down, the group quickly discussed their next move. Gathering no clear clues from the corpses, they began to search the caverns.

As the party neared a large clearing, they found a three legged displacer beast running towards them. They stopped and lured it closer. The apprentice Shynt'Riina attempted to speak with the creature, but they were soon joined be a couple drow chasing after the displacer beast. They shouted about finding the beast for a ritual before they were ambushed by the drow from Sshamath. A talisman of Ghaunadaur was found on a corpse, and as the group began to search deeper in the caverns, the displacer beast ran off. Startled, they began to give chase as it was one of their clues, but before they got far, slimes began to pour into the clearing. The knight Belor hacked and slashed as did the undead the group commanded. The mages blasted the slimes and the gnome unloaded on them with his sling. Some of the Ghaunadaur drow followed the slimes into the fray. Exhausted and magic spent, the drow hunting party fought until they thought they would fail. The number of slime began to thin as the drow warrior from the School of Illusion appeared and helped the tired party.

When the caverns were quiet once more, he told them that, with help from the School of Divination, they uncovered the existence of a cult working in the tunnels. Having already uncovered this, the party was unimpressed with the information. They handed over the Ghaunadaur talisman as proof. The drow warrior returned to the city to relay the information and the hunting party followed the trail of slime deeper still until they arrived in some tunnels filled with umber hulks. Two tunnels were before them. With a brief scan of the area, one tunnel was clear while the other had slime along its walls and floor. A clear path to follow. Several hundred feet through the tunnel, the group stumbled on some slimes feeding on a couple umber hulks. The umber hulks were trying to fight back, but they were covered in the ooze. Moments later, the umber hulks fell to the ground and the slimes advanced on the group. They smashed through the slimes and continued.

The party soon found another fork in the tunnels. A green glow and fog drew their attention to one, as did the voices of several drow. They stumbled on what appeared to be a priest and his guards standing near a green orb. Two giant gelatinous cubes formed from the green orb as the party attacked the Ghaunadaur cultists. In the confusion, the cultists were attacked by the cubes as the priest called a devil to his side. One by one, the members of the hunting party were thrown from the fight until only Belor remained. He faced the priest, as everyone else was battered and beaten around the green glowing cave. They went back and forth until the priest's wards failed and Belor's sword found its mark. The priest's head flew across the cave and bounced off the wall.

One of the apprentice mages fought for her footing as she stood, and together, they administered first aid. It seemed no one was fatally wounded, only knocked unconscious by the devil and the warriors' maces. They quickly recognized Belor for his ferocity as they may not be alive still without him. The group gathered what books and scrolls and other items, including a blade that was enchanted to fight against unruly slimes, and returned to the city by use of a teleport spell.

Standing outside the city in Varalla's Passage, the guards greeted them and made comments on the failure of the patrol. They were tossed a bloody sack of heads and smirked as the party told them to pike the heads of the traitors to Sshamath. Deciding to head to the School of Illusion, they were distracted as a familiar three legged displacer beast found its way to the clearing. The guards drew their weapons, but Shyt commanded them to stand down as they needed the animal. The drow from the School of Illusion appeared from the portal and greeted them. The party handed in what items they found, save the sword, and told him how the beast was intended to be used for a ritual. He nodded and took the creature with him into the city.

The party stood up in the cavern above the city for a moment before one in the party turned to Nymrath Urlbrak, an apprentice from the School of Illusion and demanded compensation that his school promised. With a smirk, he handed the drow one plakla a piece and entered the city. The others laughed, but some made comments to the effect that they needed real compensation to purchase supplies they spent.

Image
Characters involved
Elith Te'lein
Belar Arabt'tar
Uelaereene Sai'zzel
Nymrath Urlbrak
Zakn'Atar
Ukga
Shynt'Riina
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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Assault of the Dead
Several drow were gathered at the edge of the market when Felyndiira's agent Val'kyn approached with information regarding the cult outside the city. He told them of the experiments on the wounded displacer beast and the interpretation of the scars and markings upon its body. Many wizards between the Schools of Illusion and Divination believe the cult is working on a ritual to somehow circumvent the wards on the city. Those gathered agreed they must be stopped and Val'kyn handed an enchanted finger bone to Nymrath. It will call a necromancer from the School of Necromancy to open a portal to allow entrance into the cult's hideout. Val'Kryss, the necromancer, was currently in the field preparing.

Moments later, after some of the group headed into the city to take care of some personal business, those left headed towards the goblin caves to uncover the cultist cell. As they progressed through Varalla's Passage, just as they were attempting to pass the guards leading into the western tunnels, a small hole burst into the side of the small cavern and several cultists jumped through and attacked. With the help of the guards, the party defeated their foes and continued on their way.

Together, they followed the trail of slime and dead creatures into the goblin caves. The caves seemed empty as they cautiously worked their way down. As they entered the large cavern leading down into some of the deeper caves, slimes oozed into the cavern from all angles in an effort to overcome the drow and gnome. They beat the slimes back with the smart use of their magic and combat tactics until all was quiet once more. They looked around, expecting more, when a single drow entered from the cave leading down. He stood before a pool of strange colored slime. Uelaereene tested the slime with her finger, and as it burned her, she shouted out in pain. Acid. Nymrath summoned a wall of fire to prevent the drow from warning his allies down below, and as they charged across the acid, it held them tight to the cave floor, slowly working its way all over their bodies until they were covered. Within moments, the group succumbed to the searing pain and passed out.

The group felt themselves being carried, unable to intervene. At least they weren't dead. When they were finally able to focus and open their eyes, they found themselves in a sealed cave. They heard people talking on the other side of the freshly made wall. They spoke of a ritual and using the prisoners for the sacrifice. Startled and unprepared, the drow readied for battle. Suddenly, the finger bone came to life and a black robed jaluk wearing a skull mask appeared.
"About time you called me. I thought you'd never find your way." the necromancer told them.

The party filled Val'Kryss in on the situation and he nodded. He then began casting, using the gem on the end of his staff to focus his powers. An army of bones formed from those lying around the chamber. He then summoned a devil from the lower planes.
"Lead my army, then return to the city. I need to know what happened." Satisfied, Val'Kryss teleported away. With the addition of the undead army, the group was ready for the assault. The cave opened, and as cultists entered, they were quickly overwhelmed. Skeletons and Uelaereene led the charge through the tunnels, smashing drow and slime alike, until they reached a massive open cavern. Nearly a hundred cultists stood before them, backed by what appeared to be an endless mass slimes.

The group charged, moving through the renegade drow. Spells were thrown by Nymrath, Ukga the gnome, shield before him, launched stone after stone into the mass. Uelaereene danced through with her mace and blade followed by the undead. Fire fell from the cavern's ceiling as the devil tossed his own magic into the fray. Within moments, the cultists had fallen and the slimes slipped through cracks once control had been lost. The bones fell to the floor, lifeless once more, and the devil offered to return them to the city.

Moments later, the group stood at the edge of the market once more. They found no priest, but they stopped the ritual and ended the cultist cell beneath the goblins' cave. It was a clear victory.

Image
Characters involved:
Nymrath Urlbrak
Uelaereene Sai'zzel
Ukga
DM Silverfox
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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Devastated Outpost

An outpost was under attack and the forces of Sshamath responded quickly. The Conclave granted guards to be sent out to investigate while Jabbress Felyndiira of the Magthere of Illusion sent one of her Archwizards to meet with a High Necromancer from the Magthere of Necromancy. The High Necromancer gathered some students together and sent them to look into the attack. Those students, then, hired others to escort them and as they began to leave, a guard came through the portal and attacked. The struck him down, but were taken aback. Many asked why the Mythal didn't prevent the attack. They then set out into the Underdark tunnels above.

The guards above were dead as well, as were those standing their post near the tunnel leading west away from Varalla's Passage. As they made their way towards the outpost, they were attacked by a mass of assorted creatures, including more guards, outcast drow, and many other residents of the Underdark. They pressed on. When they reached the outpost, they met another force similar to the first. After the battle, one split open a skull, realizing some form of enchantment magic was at work that resisted dispelling, and found their heads hollow. They were puppets.

Two more Sshamath guards entered the outpost, weapons lowered, as did an illithid.
"Join our family." The illithid purred. "Do not resist, it will be painless and over shortly." Sensing a drow behind it, the illithid vanished. The two drow purred the tempting call of the illithid in its absence, but none wished to be a mindless puppet. Belar walked up and sliced their throats.

After a brief search of the grounds, they decided they'd head back to the city and send for the bodies now scattered throughout the Underdark.

Image


Characters Involved:
Belar Arabt'tar
Zarra
Shynt'Riina
Zakn'Atar
Shryl
Schezalle Melarn
Oki Yodhaku
Izzrar Hunep
DM Silverfox
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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Touch of the Illithid

Two drow were out hunting, slowly dwindling down the numbers of the goblins near the city. Something didn't feel right, something was lingering at the back of their minds. They continued to fight their way through the tunnels, alert to the presence of another being nearby they couldn't see. They stopped to catch their breath, and suddenly, a goblin walks past as if they were invisible. Not once, but twice. They decided to follow the goblin, when an illithid appeared before them. Not fully formed, the creature was more of an image of itself. It offered to let the drow join its forces against the city Sshamath, and in return, it wouldn't devour their brains. They refused and it quickly vanished. The drow were no longer invisible, they realized, as a nearby goblin attacked. The illithid still lingered, they knew, as it continued to stroke at the back of their minds.

They managed to capture a goblin attempting to flee and warn its brethren. Uelaereene spoke with it in the goblin tongue, which Xuneera did not understand. After some negotiating, she convinced it to take them to their chief where they would form an alliance to fight the illithid. Along they went. Once outside the Stonespear compound, the goblin guards ordered them to halt while they retrieved their new chief, newly appointed after the previous chief had been poisoned. Chief Pidwick spoke with the drow for a moment, but in the end, he left with clear orders to his kin. They ran a spear through the traitorous goblin that brought the drow and swarmed all over the drow, beating them down until they were barely breathing.

Hours seemed to pass before they regained themselves. They were locked up somewhere below the entrance deep within the Stonespear compound. They tried to bash the door, but it seemed impervious to their magics and weapons. The illithid appeared again, explaining that the cultists originally inhabiting the cave had enchanted their cell door and the wards remained. Xuneera agreed to join the illithid in exchange for their freedom, but the mindflayer added something new to the agreement. It wanted a piece of Uelaereene's sweet essence for himself to feed from. It would not be as painful as they thought, it promised, and the bond would allow the young drow to touch into the illithid's own powers. Hesitant, she agreed, and the illithid opened the door before vanishing. The drow walked out of their cell oblivious to the goblins around them.

Once outside the compound, where they were attacked, the guards still stood their post. As they walked past them, each one fell to its knees in agony before collapsing. Not long after, Xuneera no longer felt the pulling of the illithid. Uelaereene, however, has not stopped feeling it since.

Characters Involved:
Xuneera
Uelaereene Sai'zzel
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ScreechOwl
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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Lis'intha Dev'lin makes her way to the Duergar mines. A jaluk in tow that she has in mind to post as a protector for her sister. Once there Lis'intha and her sister have a bit of a ... falling out? and argue openly.

During their argument the walls of the mine are suddenly covered with black ooze, seemingly flooding the area they are in. Lis'intha aids the others in their removal of this ooze, but, merely sees it as an inconvenience to her argument with her sister. thrice more the ooze flood over them and thrice more are repelled. Only then does Lis'intha look around and try to determine what the vith was happening.

By her glorious webbing sister! What have you been doing here to bring this all down on us?

Lis'intha would then go back the next cycle, enhancing herself with magics, to look things over a bit closer to try and determine what had happened there.
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DM Theophanies
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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The Call of Confrontation



For the majority of the year, the Conclave have been battling against the ever raising number of slimes found in the outer tunnels. Through their grand reserves of resources and means the Conclave have managed to keep the threat to a minimum but it continues to operate outside Sshamath's immediate realm of influence. A few trade tunnels have needed to be carved and burned out and more than a few caravans have been assaulted by the slimy doom lurking in the shadows.

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Recent rumors and speculation involving the added involvement of the Illithid have only esculated the situation and now the Conclave have set out a missive requesting those loyal to Sshamath to join representatives of the Conclave to report what they have seen, offer any solutions and to prepare for the conflict to come. Although clearly not written, promises of power, wealth and influence are written between the lines.
///Sunday October 25, 15:00 GMT
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DM Theophanies
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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*Notes are dispersed from the meeting*

The Conclaves Attack Strategy:

There are three targets identified in a conspiracy against Sshamath:
1) The nearby Illithid hive
-The conclave have contacted a small sect of Illithid which wish to make a deal and fill the power vacuum once the Elder Brain is removed.
2) Two large populations of slimes
-One in the northern trade tunnels
-One due east of Mist Lake around the river leading towards Sshamath
3) Mysterious drow on the far banks of Mist Lake.
-Little is known beyond their presence through scrying.

The Conclave is currently mobilizing the slaves and soldiers of the city and the initial attack will be focused on two fronts:
1) a particularly large blockade of slime filling the frequent trading routes where many potential supplies may be present from attacked caravans and
2) outer stores of resources in the illithid hive.
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Halo Deity
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

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After sending Lisintha to the temple in the city, she brings her scribe into her quarters, him resting a long piece of parchment on her table. She motions him to sit, his long purple and gold robes flowing over the velvet cushion of the mahogany chair. His frail, slender fingers reach across to the sharpened bone dipping gently into the pot of deep sooty coloured ink, his fingers guiding the bone in a swirling pattern. A small scratching could be heard against the mixed parchment of skin and other materials garnered from the darkest tunnels of the Underdark.

Our esteemed and most favoured wizards of the Conclave, rulers of the greatest city these tunnels have ever known. We have been scouting as promised, and have some extremely important information for you. Our findings are as follows and we hope that you may find it pleasing.

We brought it upon ourselves to gather many men, and scouts including the very skilled Tedia Dev'lin. We came upon many slimes in the area and they seemed used to the presence of Drow. Upon entering further into the depths of endless tunnels, we discovered guards and followers of a cult. The cult follows the pitiful God of Ghaunadaur; they spoke of being approached by the Illithids and their want to crush the city. The cult has a feeling that your mighty strength had not prevailed in the protection of the Underdark against them, and decided to work in their favour. A promise had been given; and they took it upon themselves to work with the Illithids, rather than against. We have made arrangements with them to essentially 'work against' you in order to keep them happy, however, we do this in order to warn and give you the upper hand in dealing with this threat. We have found details of where this Citadel is being built, it is needed in order to bring upon a deadly force with some ritual to transcend living beings into slime itself. We do not know much of this and the workings involved, as it was gathered from a journal that was left untouched according to the cult following. With this parchment is a rough map of where it is, and an extended offer to give any details that we have found within the journal for its destruction. We serve Lolth, we serve Sshamath and the children of our Queen that reside there. We serve you and your ever growing power.

Yours,

Qilintha Dev'lin
Ilharess

Quellar Dev'lin
Scribe Asunta'il Dev'lin

Image
Last edited by Halo Deity on Mon Nov 09, 2015 1:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Qilintha Dev'lin Ilharess "All great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
Rose Valexe Songstress "Aspire to inspire before we expire."
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ScreechOwl
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Re: Sshamath / UD 1351 Campaign Thread

Unread post by ScreechOwl »

Halo Deity wrote:After sending Lisintha to the temple in the city, she brings her scribe into her quarters, him resting a long piece of parchment on her table. She motions him to sit, his long purple and gold robes flowing over the velvet cushion of the mahogany chair. His frail, slender fingers reach across to the sharpened bone dipping gently into the pot of deep sooty coloured ink, his fingers guiding the bone in a swirling pattern. A small scratching could be heard against the mixed parchment of skin and other materials garnered from the darkest tunnels of the Underdark.

Our esteemed and most favoured wizards of the Conclave, rulers of the greatest city these tunnels have ever known. We have been scouting as promised, and have some extremely important information for you. Our findings are as follows and we hope that you may find it pleasing.

We brought it upon ourselves to gather many men, and scouts including the very skilled Tedia Dev'lin. We came upon many slimes in the area and they seemed used to the presence of Drow. Upon entering further into the depths of endless tunnels, we discovered guards and followers of a cult. The cult follows the pitiful God of Ghaunadaur; they spoke of being approached by the Illithids and their want to crush the city. The cult has a feeling that your mighty strength had not prevailed in the protection of the Underdark against them, and decided to work in their favour. A promise had been given; and they took it upon themselves to work with the Illithids, rather than against. We have made arrangements with them to essentially 'work against' you in order to keep them happy, however, we do this in order to warn and give you the upper hand in dealing with this threat. We have found details of where this Citadel is being built, it is needed in order to bring upon a deadly force with some ritual to transcend living beings into slime itself. We do not know much of this and the workings involved, as it was gathered from a journal that was left untouched according to the cult following. With this parchment is a rough map of where it is, and an extended offer to give any details that we have found within the journal for its destruction. We serve Lolth, we serve Sshamath and the children of our Queen that reside there. We serve you and your ever growing power.

Yours,

Qilintha Dev'lin
Ilharess

Quellar Dev'lin
Scribe Asunta'il Dev'lin

Image

The same cycle the letter is sent to the conclave, Lis'intha hand delivers a copy to the school of Divination.
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