Trial of Tentacles

"**Trial of Tentacles**" (1x12) is the twelfth episode of the first campaign of *Plan B*.

## **Synopsis**

### **Episode Recap**

Back in Phandalin, Sildar tells the heroes about Ilsa Wisemantle, a noble from Neverwinter and friend of his, who recently came to Phandalin to help investigate the troubles that had been affecting the town. He asks them to travel to her base of operations inside a small cave at the base of the Sword Mountains and assist her.

Upon arrival, the party sees Ilsa tending to a mind flayer afflicted with some illness. The mind flayer introduces herself as Cerali, explaining that the elder brain of her colony has been acting strangely and recently performed a ritual that caused every creature in a 20-mile radius to go mad. She asks the heroes to escort her to the elder brain's chamber, where she can then stop the ritual.

Descending into the mountain, the party finds itself on an old nautiloid, which long ago lost its ability to traverse the skies. Cerali leads them through the structure, activating Qualith seals along the way. Eventually they succeed in reaching the elder brain's chamber and ending the ritual. The elder brain shows them a vision of four small eyes dancing around a larger eye, and tells them of a beholder who was once enslaved by the illithid. However, the beholder found an enormous source of power and broke free of the elder brain's control, reversing it and controlling the brain instead. The beholder is unstable and seeks ultimate superiority.

The heroes are allowed to leave with their lives, and return with Ilsa to Phandalin.

### **Notes**

* While sleeping, Cansteline dreams of being inside an enormous library, with a giant purple eye watching over a grand tome titled "METATEXT AND THE WEAVE". Cansteline later identifies the purple eye as the symbol of the god Deneir.
* Through communication with Cerali and exposure to the seals inside the nautiloid, the heroes are now able to identify and translate written Qualith language.
* During the encounter with the elder brain, Wilnan's mind is attacked by an intellect devourer and his intelligence is reduced to zero.
* Upon returning to Phandalin, Mehgrin is approached by a half-blue dragon paladin named Malsaadi Kimbatuul, who is followed by nine acolytes. They explain they have come to deal with the undead at Old Owl Well, and they collected the corpse of Hamun Kost in the process. Malsaadi speaks to Mehgrin about the balance of the Triad, and that perhaps the way Mehgrin dealt with Hamun may not have been the best way.
	+ Before departing, one of Malsaadi's cleric acolytes casts *greater restoration* on Wilnan, restoring his intelligence.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Plan B**

* Cansteline
* Krisella
* Mehgrin
* Patrick
* Skaus
* Wilnan

### **New**

* Cerali
* Deneir
* Dralkit
* Malsaadi Kimbatuul
* Maluum
* Sessavex
* Unnamed elder brain
* Ilsa Wisemantle

### **Returning**

* Sildar Hallwinter
* Trilena Stonehill
* Harbin Wester

### **Mentioned**

* Bahamut
* Unnamed beholder
* Volothamp Geddarm
* Ilmater
* Hamun Kost
* Torm
* Tyr

## **Loot**

### **Illithid Colony**

Conduit

* scroll of *lesser restoration* [x1]

Lab

* potion of hill giant strength [x1]

### **Ilsa's Cave**

Ilsa's reward for ending the elder brain's ritual

* 200 gold pieces
* potion of greater healing [x1]

### **Phandalin**

Malsaadi's gift to Mehgrin

* large sphere, marbled with red, white and gold [x1]

Town council's reward for assisting Ilsa

* 100 gold pieces