Game: Blades of Git'riban : Primal State

Layout of the area is as follows:

The alley the ulitharid initially fled up leads to The Tunnels. The courtyard here is the last fully above ground landmark. After the archway the 'alley' continues by itself through half a dozen underground rooms and hallways before branching off in 3 directions from another courtyard a couple of hundred feet away from this one.

The side-alley that branched off before the courtyard leads back to Gith Lane. The alley has several doors and balconies along its length, but there is only one more branch, an open doorway that leads into The Tunnels (and actually loops back around to that 3-way courtyard). Further on ahead, the main 'alley' is actually routed through a couple of ruined buildings, then into a series of adjoining cellers, and finally back out onto Gith Lane.

Du'minh folds himself between the spaces and steps out in front of the open doorway to the tunnels. He quickly searches around for any sign of illithid blood, but finds none. He moves up the alleyway. Still no sign of passage. He passes under a pair of balconies, then past a few doorways, before coming to a pair of doors set into a wide archway where the alley takes a sharp turn.

Less than a dozen feet later, Du'minh sees a few little purple-black splatters on the ground. Excited, he strides forward, looking around in every direction for his foe. He quickly comes to a point where there is a partial hand-print on the wall, about eight feet up, and the little splaters are closer together. No illithid blood can be seen beyond this point.

___

Ar'dru takes to the air again. He clears the roofs of the buildings and searches the courtyards and alleyways for any sign of movement. He quickly catches sight of the warrior with the two-handed flail, moving down the alley back towards him.

___

Daraz moves with hunter's speed down the alley, but sees no sign of his prey.

___

Jank'kor steps between the spaces to emerge at the yawning archway to The Tunnels down the side-alley. He steps into the shadow of the archway. Beyond the threshold, the 'alley' continues down a short hallway wih a pair of doors before plunging down a flight of steps. Jank'kor knows from his own travels around The Tunnels that this passage leads straight to the 3-way courtyard with only one side-tunnel inbetween, which leads nowhere except deeper into Undersigil.


[DMing : Ar'dru needs to make another will save, this time DC17 because he already resisted once. Jank'kor must make a will save at DC20.]

[Ouch. Sorry, Az. As you may have guessed, you do NOT see a ulitharid. You will, however, be able to see Du'minh's actions.]

[Du'minh sees no sign of the ulitharid other than the trail of blood. However he does notice that the trail leads off in the direction he just came. If he backtracks even a dozen feet back to the wide archway with the double doors, he notices that there are purple spots of blood where there where not any before, when he came down the alley only a few seconds ago. Specificly, he knows there was not any blood on the stoop of the double doors before, but now a fairly large (palm-sized) pool lies there, as if the bleeding ulitharid stopped there for a few seconds before continuing down the alley.

BTW, I'm sure you, as players, have all figured out what is going on. Ar'dru has certainly figured it out, and Du'minh could now realize that somehow, the ulitharid slipped past him without being seen. (In fact, it stood to the side in the wide archway as Du'minh stalked past.)

Well... the talisman is not a charged item right? If there is no disadvantage to using it, why wouldn't Jank'kor activate it as second-nature anyway, seeing as how he's TRYING to engage a mind flayer? So... sure! He can activate his talisman, why not?

So, question: Where is Jank'kor? Is he in the open archway, in the hallway beyond, in the alley, or is he going to try to get up on a balcony after all? He has only 1 more d-door to use today, and the only place with enough darkness for his robe to be effective is at the bottom of the stairs at the end of the hallway.

Jank'kor sets up his ambush in a dark alcove beside the stairs. He activates his talisman in readiness. Suddenly and without warning, a darker shadow falls upon the stairs. The form is too great to be a gith, but the only detail Jank'kor sees are a triad of pale lights, stooping down to fit under the archway at the top of the stairs. As the massive shadow sweeps down the stairs, the topmost of the lights looks right at him. Jank'kor instantly knows that he has been spotted, dispite his cloak, and not just spotted. Jank'kor *knows* that the ulitharid sees him, all of him, including the scar...

----

Ard'ru lands just a head of Du'minh. He sees the trail of illithid blood snaking down the alley. Daraz catches up to Du'minh. He saw the markings where the ulitharid must have teleported in, lened on the wall for a moment, then went down the alley. How it got past Du'minh was a mystery. The trail of little pea-sized purple-black spots led them onward, until they reached the open doorway. Ar'dru, being in front, sees the trail turn and lead into the hallway.

----

[DMing: It will take one round for the pursuers to move down the hallway and to the top of the stairs, so Jan'kor and the Ulitharid are alone for the first round. The corridor is only 5' wide, so only one warrior can directly engage from a particular direction. It widens out in at the bottom of the stairs, however, so assuming a fight is going on there, the second and third guys on the stairs can d-door down if they want. They won't be able to do anything else that round, but they will at least be there to engage on round #3. I'll assume from here on in through The Tunnels, two fighters can stand and engage side by side.]

Jank'kor uses his arcane formulae to conjure the ulitharid's ghreatest fear. From down the corridor emerges a great worm nearly the size of a dragon. four long tenticles lash the walls and floor as the great beast slithers forward...

The ulitharid pays it no mind. Instead, it charges forward straight at Jank'kor. The nine-foot monstrosity bowls right into him, knoking him aside. A stabbing pain made of distain shoots into Jank'kor's head when the ulitharid's telepathy touches his mind, *Feeble Thrall!*

[DMing: Jank'kor does get an attack of opportunity as the ulitharid trips him. Ar'dru, Du'minh and Daraz will reach the bottom of the stairs just as Jank'kor is picking himself up off the ground.]

Jank'kor smacks the ulitharid with the charred illithid head as it bowls into him. In his mind he feels it's revulsion and rage. In fact, instead of continuing it's flight, the ulitharid turns back around towards the prone form of Jank'kor with an angry hiss.

[DMing: Jank'kor must make a move-equiv action to get back up, but at this point Ar'dru is sweeping down the stairs. Ar'dru needs to make a will save (DC18) to see the ulitharid, and roll initiative. If Du'minh and/or Daraz d-door to the bottom of the stairs they must make will saves as well. Otherwise they won't be coming down the stairs until next round.]

Daraz cannot get into position this round, but he'll be in the mix for round 3. Waiting to hear from Az, as Ar'dru is able to charge down the stairs this round. Jank'kor has to spend this round getting back to his feet (well, if that's what he wants to do). Du'minh can attack next round.

Du'minh focuses his mind, and when he opens his eyes, he at first sees only darkness. Bobbing near the cieling are three pale glowing lights in a triangle. Du'minh sees that each has a magical aura. He focuses on them, and the rest of the ulitharid comes into view.

There is a large burn mark on the right side of it's head. Blood soaks the right sleeve of its regal silk cloak, dripping little purple spots on the floor.

[The ulitharid has been wounded twice. Both were big energy effects that caused considerable damage each in its own right, but that is all Du'minh can tell.]

...

I haven't forgotten anyone. Jank'kor has managed to get his spell off. Daraz can see the rest and can fire his x-bow at the fleeing ulitharid. The ulitherid isn't (quite) down yet. I can't reveal hp totals, but I will say (since ye are all experienced warriors who can judge wounds) the ulitharid is under 25% right now.

Sorry Ben, I confused your initiative roll with Dun's. The ghaik flicks his tentilcle at you after the spell goes off.

oh, and wei, you have to will save at DC20 to see the ulitharid (yes, still.)

Weishan wrote

According to Daraz's (and Du'minh's for that matter) intel, there are 3 ulitharid that run Illithid House; Knowledge, Sight, and Will. Knowledge was assassinated two nights ago. Those that can see the ulitharid will easily notice that it has crystal orbs in place of eyes and a third one in its forehead.