Mind or Matters? So many Choices ... Report

General Summary

Finding themselves in the middle of a horrific crime scene our Heroes investigate and discover that Emmek Frewn  seemingly snapped upon discovering his wife penning a note to leave behind as she ran away with the children.  It seemed he murdered his wife in a fit of rage and then more dispassionately dispatched his young children.  Our Party tried to follow but lost his tracks after seeing them travel West of Frewns Brews.  They called the City Watch who took over the investigation.    In a later conversation with Laeral Silverhand  our Heroes discovered that Emmek Frewn had been murdered and that eyewitnesses reported he had been killed by a copy of himself.   Following this TTAB decided to finally hunt down and face the Mind Flayer Nihiloor  in the Xanathar Guild Hideout they had first seen it at at the beginning of their adventures.   They also recalled a secret entrance in the cellar of a local Hostel and after some saucy misunderstandings and haggling they found themselves in the Hostel cellar entering the Sewer hideout.   They quickly came across Nihiloor and forewent any type of questioning or parley in favor of swift violence.  After a heated battle with the Mind Flayer and it's hench-creatures the party found themselves battered and bruised but still alive.   The took the bundled corpse of the Mind Flayer back to Vajra Safahr  & Laeral Silverhand for questioning under the influence of a Zone of Truth/Speak with Dead magical combination.   The 5 Questions and Answers were:   1) Q: Do you know Vierasti ? A: Yes. It is the reason I am here. To observe, to watch                                                        2) Q: What does Vierasti want? A: The Creature wants to return to Ch'Chital and destroy it.  It wants power to make that happen.   3) Q: Why did Vierasti  want the Blackstaff? A: The creature wants it's power. The power to control. To lead to power over death itself - it needs the staff to do this ...   4) Q: Are Vierasti  and the Cult of Asmodeus connected? A: Yes. Vierasti  wears devotion to the Cult of Asmodeus like a "false coat"   5) Q: What is Vierasti next step?  A: I'm not sure ... it needs more power ... it needs a vessel for the power it stole.     Laeral Silverhand reminded our Heroes that Renaer Neverember told them all that Vierasti needed a simple Sentient Weapon if it wasn't able to take the whole Blackstaff.  Laeral Silverhand indicated to our Heroes that she believed her "dead" Sister (and Chosen of Mystra) Embrae Aloevan could assist in giving the party information on the location of any known weapons of this sort as she was stuck between planes and had Sight.   Laeral Silverhand & Vajra Safahr ask TTAB if they would be willing to travel to the Glen of Aloevan to consult with Embrae Aloevan .