Session 87, January 11, 2024 - Notaloids and surprisingly civil Mindflayers

Session begins as the party trudges SouthEast towards the aberration Shar sensed that is affecting Ifrea's head. As night draws near they choose a campsite according to Kethra's advice for tactical advantage. They crest a hill to get the high ground and search for caves or accessible crevasses. As they draw near to the top of a precipice they see a large dark shape. A Notaloid (giant mollusk shell thing laying on it's side). They can't tell if the shell is occupied, though it definitely appears to have been a living creature at some point, the structure of the shell could definitely house other smaller creatures It's about 100 feet tall and looks very alien. There are points of damage and the snow is disturbed around it perhaps from it crashing out of the sky they surmise. Directly below the precipice the wind has carved out some more sheltered areas that would provide a good base for setting up camp. They all want to rest before any possible alien encounters. Ifrea asesses them and one actually makes him more uncomfortable. There are some large drag marks going towards it. They avoid it with as much distance as possible and set up in another more open spot, still backed by the cliff and sheltered by its overhang. Ifrea doesn't want to build a fire but Savari and Rys make small flames to warm up a bit before settling in. Shar and Rys take first watch, and occasionally hear some squelching sounds but see no movement. They chalk it up to animal movements, and trade watches with Kethra and Ifrea peacefully midway through the night. Ifrea notes a car-sized creature slowly crawling down the slope a short ways away and points it out to Kethra. They decide not to engage since it doesn't appear to have noted them or have special malicious intent. As it crawls it leaves a sort of bore-hole in the snow and it stops and chews on something for a bit, again making the squelching sounds that Shar and Rys initially noticed. Ifrea warns Savari of it but she doesn't see much during the third watch. The sun rises a little, and the party wakes up refreshed. The snow is mostly undisturbed around the Notaloid though they note some tunnellike tracks from the creatures of the night. Ifrea attunes to his crystal and is shocked by a high-pitched shriek that then dulls to a rhythmic bleeping in descending pitch. Savari hears and translates deep speech to relay the distress message. Notaloid down, crew safe, needs psi crystal. As they attempt a stealthy approach, they can see a dim purple light emitted from the creature. Ifrea checks for traps as they approach the lower level of the ship. The creature has been melded with manufactured structrual pieces--platforms of wood and metal. One platform looms over the entrance they are approaching, and Savari sends her bird up to scout. It has a larger entrance and long deck. There are three sphincters in total, and Ifrea attempts to scale the smooth shell up to the mid level. He cleverly employs an ice pick for assist, and makes his way up to the top, securing a rope from there to help the rest of them. He then hears a wet and goopey voice (speaks undercommon/gnomish) in his head asking if he's quite finished or wanting to make entry. The massive sphincter on the upper deck opens, and a purple light spills out. He sees a large squid-like head with tendrils, but as it steps into the daylight the facade drops and a small less terrifying creature emerges. He welcomes Ifrea, expecting the crystal that he could sense since Ifrea attuned to it. He bids them welcome to the Notaloid, the Ascendent and introduces himself as Dredavex. He ushers them inside away from the bitter cold. His co-captain Vorin is inside. There is a total of 5 crewmembers, all safe. He seems very friendly and keeps saying he means no harm. He explains that the crew are a particular type of Ithalid shorter in stature and perhaps more intelligent. They were enroute to tentowns to find individuals who wouldn't be missed to experiment on as he himself was experimented upon and created. The mechanics are those of a host body that the powerful Ithalid inhabits and obtains the abilities of. They discuss what will be exchanged in trade for the psi crystal that they need to restore life support within the next few hours. He offers 2 laser-pistols with 30 shots (energy cells). They try to bargain for transport southward along with the weaponry, though he is quite skeptical, knowing he'd be seen and unappreciated by many. They settle and Ifrea hands over the psi crystal. He plugs it in and the purple light gets brighter and spreads through the control panel. He says ship preparation will take about an hour. They eventually set off southward, watching in awe from the command deck as the Ascendant lifts off into the air.