Session 132: Counterattack of the Clones

General Summary

9th Sydenstar 836PD   The Unbroken take a short moment to inspect the rest of the Cloning Chamber. Orlando finds an ancient yet highly advanced control system, whilst Raven helps Arthur to pry open an empty Cloning Pod to inspect.   Suddenly a minor psychic wave pulses through the lab, causing the Pod to lock Arthur and Raven inside it. They warn the others to move on below quickly as it seems the Illithid have become aware of them. They’ll catch up to them as reinforcements when Raven works through the tough locks of the Pod.   Zeni casts Intellect Fortress to prepare their minds against the Mind Flayers, and they enter the staircase down to the next level of the laboratory.   As they enter into the first room, Enessa opens up the doorway of the eerily quiet floor to be met with a mutated mound of Karkematth clones, a Shoggoth!   The mound of melded clone body parts slams through the door, rolling onto Enessa and smothering her under its weight. The half-formed windpipes and twisted external lungs of the clone flesh, squeeze with horrifying piping sounds.   Orlando resists the sounds of the confusing cacophony, and fires into the mound but the lead shots barely pierce the mutated mass. Simeon burns it with sacred radiant flame, which lights the way for Enessa to misty step from under the aberration.   The Shoggoth continues to shrug off the attacks from the Unbroken, Zeni’s fire doesn’t even singe the hair on its flesh, and Raphael’s cold strikes from Frostweaver fail to cleave through the sludgy sinew. It strikes out with a tendon tendril to grapple Raphael, and the haunting pipes’ otherworldly sounds confuse him and Enessa.   However, help is on the way…but it’s for the Shoggoth! As 2 Clone Guardsman arrive from the other corridor and strike at Simeon and Ussi with their pikes. The tricksy Cleric doesn’t like it up him, and he misty steps behind the guards to cover them and the Shoggoth in his Spirit Guardians.   Enessa temporarily comes to her senses and volleys into the Clone Guards, and Zeni finds her magic mark with a Lightning Chromatic Orb that convulses through the Shoggoth. The screams from its multitude of faces summons another Clone Mind Flayer behind Simeon, it tries to Mind Blast the party but they resist its psionic powers.   Orlando takes careful quick aim and replies in kind, blasting critical shots through each of its eyes, killing the Mind Flayer. However, just as the Unbroken fell one of them, the Illithid fell one of theirs in kind as a Clone Guard’s pike pierces right through Simeon’s chest. Then mercilessly skewers his throat, killing the Aasimar.   The Shoggoth takes this as an opportunity to leave with its grapple prize of Raphael, and retreats back into the next room. Zeni and Orlando enraged with the death of Simeon, unleash a barrage of bullets and chromatic magic at the 2 Clone Guards, killing them in kind.   Enessa is momentarily lost to the confusing pipes, but Raph comes to his senses in time to misty step back and blast the Shoggoth with his eldritch magic.   Genetically drawn to this pure ‘Clone’, the Shoggoth performs a rolling charge back to capture Raphael but he dives out of the way. A slugfest ensures between the Unbroken and the Shoggoth, as they whittle each other down to the heavy breathing of near death.   Raphael gives the group the opportunity they need, locking the Shoggoth in a Mental Prison of endless mirrors that mock the once perfect clone with its ugly visage. Enessa lands the killing blow, breaking the confusing cacophony by shooting her arrows straight down the fleshy pipes, clogging them with the silencing poison of Death’s Whisper.   With the immediate coast clear, Orlando rushes to Simeon’s dead body and prepares a revivify ritual…again.   ---   In the dark of the Raven Queen’s realm, the spirit of Simeon hears a familiar Matronly voice, “Back so soon, Trickster?” The wry Aasmiar replies that he had “missed her at the Council meeting. Although I must admit I’m embarrassed to meet my Lady like this so soon”   The porcelain visage of the Goddess of Death appears before his soul, “In truth, Chosen of Sehanine, my patience to collect can only go so far, before this becomes an embarrassing habit. Perhaps, third times’ the charm?”   ---   Zeni hands the gnome her emergency diamond, and through her divination discipline she guides Orlando’s ritual to success, as the healing runes of Moradin’s soulforge mend the Cleric’s wounds. Simeon jolts back to life, clutching his formerly severed throat, trying to find his voice in the mortal world.   Before they can rejoice in the respite, several figures begin to move towards them from the surrounding rooms and corridors. The weary party prepare themselves to likely meet the Matron.   In defiance, the Cleric of the Moonweaver finds his voice and calls on the blessings of his Lady to let her light protect them from these aberrations. Through the depths of this depraved building, the room shines in blinding sliver moonlight as a flood of healing energy flows from Simeon into each of the Unbroken, mending their wounds. From the brink of death, comes life as the Aasmiar performs a major 9th circle miracle of Mass Heal.   Raised back to the peak of their health, the Unbroken prepare to face the next counterwave of Clones. But they don’t immediately attack, instead one of the Clones steps forward, and congratulates them on passing the tests, for they have now found Karkematth.   Raphael knows this Ulitharid Clone isn’t the real Karkematth, but is oddly unsettled by the genuine impression that it believes itself to be him. Tired of any more schemes or lies, Raphael initiates an attack on the clone, striking with Frostweaver but the Ulitharid protects itself with an arcane shield.   The Ulitharid attempts to cast a Time Stop, but is counterspelled by Raphael and so retreats back into the other room with 3 Clones Guards and a Mind Flayer Warlock as back up.   Raphael misty steps through the guards to pursue the Ulitharid, whilst Ussi provides a blockade to stop the Guards from entering the Unbroken’s room. Simeon steps to the doorway, ready to unleash a firestorm across the Aberrant room, but he himself is counterspelled in turn by the Ulitharid.   Enessa and Orlando volley into the Ulitharid, it’s panicked gargles force the Clone Guards to press past Ussi into the first room and shut the door, providing it with cover.   Raphael critically strikes into the gut of the corrupted ‘Karkematth’, and the Ulitharid grapples him with its tentacled maw. It tries to create a smoothie of Raphael’s brain with a Feeblemind, but the Winter Knight resists the aberrant magics.   Simeon seeks to press the attack, and Dimension Doors with Zeni through the closed room into the Mind Flayers room. The Karkematth Ulitharid tries to escape itself, but Zeni is quick to counter his spell.   Seeing its ‘master’ surrounded, the Mind Flayer Warlock slurps an arcane word of pain towards Raphael, assailing him in crippling agony. But the Knight is still determined and despite the pain, he strikes across the Ulitharid, severing some of the tentacles that grappled him.   Enessa drives an arrow into the ground, and conjures a barrage into the Clone Guards, whilst Ussi harries the other guards outside.   Gravely wounded, the Illithid Warlock comes to the Ulitharid’s aid and Dimension Doors away with him. Leaving the Unbroken with the Clone Guard puppets…