Sirens go off. Kenari runs to the door to keep an eye on the hallways. Mel digs deeper with the computer checks. Dinya sticks close to Mel.
An Illithid appears next to Etsuriko in loose fitting silks and does a flurry of blows to Etsuriko. Dinya uses Sanctuary on Mel as she works on the computer. Lenata summons a Spiritual Ally. Kenari flicker steps closer and shoots it. The Illithid Monk trips Etsuriko and she is now prone, and he shatters her collarbone with his elbow, then kicks back and trips Ef Utan before he mind blasts him and he is now unconscious. Len’s spiritual ally hits the monk. Len casts Touch of Incompetence on the monk but fails. Etsuriko attempts to grapple the monk but fails. Kenari shoots with another gun. The Illithid channels his ki/psionics to attack Etsuriko. Len attempts to change fate but it still hits. Finn sneaks down the hall. Mel breaks through the firewall to find out the location where the alarms came from. The alarm was auto, the response was manually triggered. Somewhere on this level is where it was triggered. Etsuriko strikes again and Ef wakes up to get an attack of opportunity at it. He then casts Scorching Ray at the Illithid and drops it to its knees. Kenari switches places with Dinya and Ef so she can get an attack on it. Vedis uses Energy Push on the Illithid but he dodges. The Illithid attempts to grapple Etsuriko but she pulls away as tentacles grab at her head. Finn shoots at it but it seems to bounce off like a force field.
Dinya strikes the monk and chops off one of its arms as the tentacles go wild. “Lunch time is over.” It’s engulfed in purple smoke and disappears.
Mel attempts to connect her portable computer to the ship’s computer. Most of the sensors are burned out. Most of the active functions are tied into systems the Illithds are tapped into. She accesses a number of diff files, a few that detail a project going on here: enslaving chronomancers and pooling their abilities, project used across realities. They attempt to tie the computer files to Finn’s circuitry. Also a smattering of info:
There is a report on the relative success and failure ratios of their thralls with Wayland Utani. In addition, there are notes of a number of alternates where they already have complete control. Note of an alternate
that is completely under Aboleth control. Note of the reason they are using this space as a base in this reality is that they followed this chunk of the Warden through a weak point in the alternates. One set of files say “Thune” – see Illithid Cultists of Thune says Klassath – that completely self-destruct when she tries to access it. The Cultists of Thune are a weird branch that are explorers of the planes/alternate realities. The mindflayers of Thune are what came back after an expedition into the Far Realm. Mel checks their ship databases for the word Thune, Far Realms, etc. Info on the Far Realms is sketchy. Occasional probes yield lovecraft-esque effects.
“Quintessence” – Illithid extraction drug. Are they extracting that from the chronomancers?
Lenata casts a spell Hero’s Fortune that gives everyone a hero point.
Kenari detects lightning traps on the door and finds a way to break them. Finn manages to open the door. There’s a block of weird Illithid machinery about as big as a car in it with not as much dust on it as the rest of the place. Seems to be active, with a hairlike line around it.
Kenari finds a variety of traps around it, but they are aimed inwards rather than outwards. No obvious interface. There’s a concealed panel in the wall and where one of the big conduits comes out of the wall into the machine is a lightly glowing emerald, green crystal imbedded into the machine on the side of it. Mel checks the panel. Whatever is pacifying whatever is in there is some kind of radioactive mineral turned to gas and pumped in there. There is a note as to its quantum signature. This can be used to
trace what reality it’s from. “Highest priority, limited access, Tamer’s Creed Only.”
Scry – Looks like a dark-haired male human in his late 30s
Mel discovers it’s a telepathic interface with the control panel. She turns off the traps and opens the box. Psionics take 3pts non-lethal dmg. Top half levitates into the air as mist rolls over the edges. Hand comes out. Skinny 5’9 short dark hair, plain clothes, white tunic leather belt and good boots. He looks really groggy. Lenata checks him medically. Not infected.
Finn reads his aura. LG Human, 5 lvls Fighter, 10 lvls Monk. Vedis offers water. Mel took the green crystal and put it in a radiation proof box. “Thank you for helping me.” “Kor” is his name.
He led a fight against the Illithid on his home planet of Earth. (Earth Prime?) “I hail from the colonies. We take in many immigrants despite the king across the ocean.”
Why did they take him prisoner and not kill him? What did the Tamers want with him? Last thing he remembers is cohorts were engaged in battle and they were losing. He’s not fond of magic. It’s not common where he’s from. Most often wielded by individuals with great power and little ethics.
Mel finds a small bank of subject files that might include him, but she can’t get into them yet. 367 entries under Earth, each with different quantum signatures. There are 8 files, his is one of the locked ones.
They were having a final battle in a place called New Amsterdam. His reality is one of the ones that fell. Kor was one of the last ones left who fought them till the end. For a brief period, he was under the control of the Illithids. He crumples a piece of iron debris like it was paper. “Some things make you more of a target.” Kor of the House of El. CALLED IT.
