Chapter 16: A Feast of Memories

The savage seven delved into the underground structure at the bottom of the well beneath hilltop. They found a mixture of hewn stone and natural caverns, with the structure resembling a temple. Before long, they were assaulted by pools of black corrosive slime that dissolved armor and mundane weapons. Nalzmyr and pan were badly wounded, but Kathra's and Pan's restorative magics brought them back into the fight. Yelmic battled the oozes up close, not fearing their acidic touch thanks to his black dragon ancestry. As the rest of the group fought on from afar, Nalzmyr threw a bead of force at one of the creatures and contained it in a sphere of force--rendering it harmless while they dealt with the other ooze. Eventually, the free ooze was defeated and the group prepared to finish off the remaining one when the sphere of force expired. Nalzmyr unleashed his eldritch blasts upon it and obliterated the thing.
While exploring, the group found several staircases leading up into collapsed stairwells. Keladrien summoned his familiar to scout out the temple, and reported back his findings to the group. With knowledge of waiting enemies, they ventured deeper. As they crossed a narrow hallway, two gelatinous cubes fell upon them from the ceiling (blocking them into the hallway). Nalzmyr again unleashed a bead of force and trapped one, while Kathra banished the other to a harmless demiplane. They retreated out into the hallway, where they awaited the return of the banished cube and for the trapped cube to be freed from his force prison. In a better location for battling the meandering creatures, the group managed to destroy both before they could reach them (with Yelmic again fighting the oozes from up close).
The group then decided to go down a hallway where several red oozes (similar to the simulacra of the innkeeper) waited. These oozes proved much more agile and difficult to hit, and once in melee combat with them Yelmic was assaulted by their psychic attacks. Drained of memories and badly wounded, Pan joined him in battle and was also assaulted by the red oozes' psychically charged attacks. Eventually, both oozes were defeated and the group decided to take a short rest and retreated into Keladrien's tiny hut spell. After tasting some of the red ooze again, Pan was mentally assaulted by memories of townsfolk who had been the victims of the oozes.
After resting, Keladrien led the group to the main chamber of the temple where the Elder red ooze awaited. Keladrien blasted it and its smaller ooze counterpart with a fireball, while commanding his skeletons to open fire on the massive creature. Nalzmyr again trapped the smaller one with a bead of force before the Elder ooze blasted Pan, Nalzmyr and Yelmic with psychic energy that paralyzed them. As Kathra, Keladrien and his undead minions battled the monstrosity Yelmic and Pan broke free from the paralysis. Pan and Nalzmyr were attacked by the Elder ooze and memory drained, leaving both dying on the ground. While Yelmic and Keladrien continued to fight, Kathra called upon her goddess to heal everyone, bringing Pan and Nalzmyr back from the brink of death. Eventually, Kathra finished the beast off by burning it in holy light. As it melted, it unleashed a torrent of red liquid across the chamber. The group waited for the remaining ooze to be freed from its force bubble, then Keladrien and Nalzmyr blasted it into oblivion with combined shadow and fire magic. Pan tasted the elder ooze, and again was presented with memories (this time of dozens of townsfolk and one possible memory from Nalzmyr). He glimpsed the creation of the elder red ooze by Mind Flayers in the underdark after experiencing one of its own memories.
As they explored the rest of the temple, they came upon a vault wherein lay a few gold coins and a small folded cloth. After using his wand of magic detection to determine it was magical, Keladrien identified it as a portable hole. As he unfolded the cloth on the ground, it turned into a 6 foot diameter hole ten feet deep and filled with coins, gems and a few potions. They took the magical trinket with them along with the treasure, and as they ventured further they found a tunnel leading down into the underdark and an emblem of Juiblex engraved into the stone floor of one chamber. The group chose to return to the surface and investigate the town.
After climbing up an intact stairwell that led into the town's general store, they emerged in the street and found a commotion at the inn. A crowd gathered there were agitated by their fellow townsfolk having melted into red liquid. Pan explained everything, using the power of his sentient cloak to enhance the performance of his tale. The crowd dispersed, and the group spoke with the town mayor Bill Ferguson (a questionably tall halfling). After explaining that the threat may not be over completely, they offered to help the town financially so they may hire guards and shore up defenses (giving them 400 gold). Kathra also used her magic to fabricate a heavy iron lid to seal the well down to the temple. After resting for the night, the group left town and headed back east towards Sundabar.
After 3 days of travel, they passed the Staunt Pools but chose not to swim down to its depths and investigate rumours of sunken treasure. They instead traveled another day and arrived at the town of Jalanthar, where their next adventure awaits.