Chapter 11 - Deep in the Downs

The party pursues both mindflayers up the long corridor and out into the gloomy daylight. They emerge from the depths onto a narrow ledge overlooking the deep ravine on the western side of the Abbey. The party spots Aryanne making her way up to the Abbey tower, a partially ruined structure that reaches nearly 100 feet above the gorge. From atop the tower, unusual flashes of light dance in the mist.

As Aryanne climbs the crumbling tower stairs, Arranis quietly makes chase. Emerging at the top of the tower, he spots the illithid mastermind kneeling before a set of crystals on the tower floor. An unnatural brilliance pulses in the crystals and a small tear in space begins to open. Aryanne is nowhere to be seen.

The rest of the party soon joins Arranis on the tower stairs and they advance to confront the illithid. At that moment, Aryanne reveals herself from concealment, drawing the party’s attention away from the mastermind, who is still focused on the otherworldly portal. Davlyn bloodies Aryanne with an arrow through the midsection, and Kilgorin’s magic blows her off the side of the tower, where she plummets to her death.

Arranis darts toward the kneeling mastermind, who avoids the monk’s strikes without distraction. Arranis then swipes at the crystals on the tower floor and narrowly avoids the psionic blast that leaps out from their touch. The tear in space, now nearly a foot in diameter, draws Zantus’ attention from combat and he steps forward to peer into the portal. He is met by infinite darkness and the chaotic, howling winds that fill the space between spaces. After momentarily considering a leap into this curious, otherworldy state, Zantus remembers his friends and rejoins the fray.

Reeling from successive blows by the party, the illithid finally takes to its feet and rises into the air above the tower. Most of the party becomes entangled in a rush of thorny tentacles that burst from the floor of the tower. Meanwhile, Davlyn, emotionally worn by the cruel transformation and death of Aryanne, succumbs to the powerful psychic influence of the mindflayer. She enters a serene and dreamlike state, draws her bow, and fires a critical hit against Kilgorin, who staggers in disbelief at this sudden act of betrayal. Then, with her party looking on in horror, Davlyn runs to the tower’s edge and throws herself off.

Amid the chaos, noting the portal has grown large enough for passage, the mindflayer quickly descends to the roof and passes through the ethereal gateway. Arranis attempts to grab the illithid, but is pushed back by the force of the portal as it snaps shut. The psionic crystals pulse once more before exploding into mist, leaving no trace of the illithid mastermind.

Reeling, the party races to the tower’s base where they find Davlyn’s body dashed in a crumpled heap beside that of the young illithid who was once her ward. Zatch, calling on the strength of Bahamut – the ancient Abbey’s patron, lays hands on Davlyn to restore her to life. Davlyn recuperates for several days, while the party helps the cultists to regain their senses and start the work of restoring their community.