Of goblin kissing and brain eaters

So we decided to check out the supposed hideout for Xanathar's Guild. With Chase's directions it wasn't too hard to find. Why do creepy people _have_ to hide out in the sewers, though? Can't they find a less smelly place?! Anyway, I ran around like a maniac looking through the walls and managed to find a couple of outlookers, goblins, one of them who was sleeping. Also found an entrance, so we went in (I snagged a shining ball floating in the air, nifty!), snuck up on the sleeping goblin, and I managed to charm him so he would follow us out. I promised him to do all kinds of things to him, and even kissed him - I will never feel clean again. It worked though, and he told us he answered to a mind flayer, a nasty creature with a tentacle mouth that eats brains apparently. We bound the goblin and Daar asked her sister to come and pick him up. She did, and also brought her boss. We told them about the guild and the monster, and were promised a reward for proof of killing said monster.
 
It feels good to not hiding what we are doing from the Watch. I understand Jay is hesistant, considering her past, but I prefer to be on the right side of the law, if it can be helped.
 
We had a good plan for taking the hideout. It of course went to pieces. My fault entirely for managing to fall into a pit trap full of spikes piercing my leg. It hurt like hell, almost as bad as when I lost my finger. Of course I couldn't stay silent, even though I tried (and I might have peed my pants just a little, but I don't think anyone noticed), and alerted the lookout, who turned out to be a tough goblin to kill.
 
The element of suprise lost, we stormed the main room with the help of a water elemental, of whom I quickly lost control. The fight was difficult, that mind flayer creature and its pet brain were truly nightmarish, and they had help from a whole bunch of bandits. We won in the end, but not before the walking brain had somehow stolen Jay's mind. It might be one of the scariest things I've ever seen. She didn't react to anything, just followed along as we dragged here. It was like she wasn't in there at all. I was so afraid we had lost her forever, but Daar seemed pretty confident they could do something at the temple of Oghma, and I decided to believe her, because I couldn't stand the thought of losing her.
 
While I looked after Jay, the others searched the place. They didn't find much, apart from a spellbook. And Tograk somehow removed a magical pillar from a room. That man continues to baffle me.
 
We brought Jay to the temple, and true enough, and to my immense relief, they could sort Jay out. I paid them from my own pocket. It felt right, even though Daar said we could take it from the party funds. I felt very protective of Jay when she came back so I decided to keep her company as she went to look for Cat at an old teacher's (?) place.