Knightly Argument. Left undisturbed, two female
githyanki knights argue quietly with one another in
the middle of the room. One of the knights has a de-
capitated mind flayer head hanging from her belt.
The older githyanki knight, Yaveklar, commands the
githyanki forces on this level. Though she is eager to
slay the ulitharid and wipe out the mind flayer colony,
Yaveklar is cautious and patient. She has suffered more
losses than her superiors would consider acceptable, so
she's waiting for reinforcements before launching any
further assaults.
The younger knight, Lashiir, stands ready to take over
in the event that Yaveklar is removed from command.
Lashiir is proposing to attack the neothelid in area 8,
using misty step spells to bypass the walls of force con-
taining it. Yaveklar is not convinced that her forces are
strong enough to defeat the neothelid and still maintain
a foothold on this level.
If the characters can communicate with the knights,
they can attempt to forge a truce with the githyanki.
Yaveklar orders them to slay the neothelid as proof of
their worth. If the characters kill the neothelid but re-
turn to Yaveklar in a very weakened state, she takes ad-
vantage of their situation and tries to finish them off. If
they kill the creature and return with strength to spare,
Yaveklar agrees to let them travel through Seadeeps
unmolested and will even commit forces to a joint op-
eration to conquer the mind flayer colony. IfYaveklar is
neutralized, Lashiir readily fills the power vacuum and
behaves much like her predecessor.
The illithid head dangling from Yaveklar's belt is a
trophy from a recent skirmish. Resourceful characters
can animate the head and use its writhing tentacles to
unlock doors equipped with Qualith locks (see "Qualith
Door Locks," page 222).
Treasure. Each githyanki knight wears a suit of
baroque half plate armor set with three alexandrites
(500 gp each) and ten citrines (50 gp each). In addition,
Yaveklar carries a potion of supreme healing.
- OPERATION: EAT THEM ALL
The mind flayers have spawned a neothelid and trapped
it behind magic walls of force controlled from area 16c.
The illithids are waiting for Extremiton to give the order
to unleash the savage creature on their githyanki ene-
mies in Seadeeps and the Crystal Labyrinth.
8A. NEOTHELID'S CAVE
Magic walls of force seal off all tunnels leading to this
enormous cavern (see "Walls of Force" below). The
floor, while uneven throughout, has been worn smooth
by the creature trapped here. The cavern has the follow-
ing features:Neothelid. A 210-foot-long neothelid (see appendix
A) is curled up in the middle of the cavern, waiting
to be fed.
Ceiling. The ceiling is uneven- ranging in height from
60 to 90 feet-and festooned with stalactites.
Ledge. A ledge climbs the western wall to a maximum
height of 20 feet. At the back of this ledge are two tun-
nels leading to area 8b.
Food in the form of humanoids is delivered to the
neothelid through a stone door set into the east wall, be-
yond which is a smoothly carved tunnel leading to area
16a. The door is sealed with a Qualith lock (see "Qualith
Door Locks," page 222).
The neothelid is always hungry and tries to devour
any creature that enters its cave. It lacks the intelligence
to distinguish one kind of prey from another and feeds
indiscriminately.
Tunnel to Expanded Dungeon. If you decide to ex-
pand the dungeon southward, the passage in the south
wall exists but is sealed off with a wall of force.
Walls of Force. The illithids have a psionic device in
area 16c that generates the magic walls of force sealing
off the neothelid's cavern. Each wall is identical to that
created by a wall of force spell, with these differences:- The walls last until the psionic force generator in area
16c is deactivated. - A disintegrate spell cast on a wall destroys it for 1 min-
ute, after which the psionic force generator in area 16c
resummons the wall.
8B. STANDING GATE TO LEVEL 19
In the middle of this otherwise empty cave is a pair of
standing stones topped with a lintel, carved into which
is a symbol of an arrow. The standing stones form
a magic gate (see "Gates," page 12). Its rules are
as follows:- If an arrow or a crossbow bolt is shot between the
standing stones, the gate opens for 1 minute. - Characters must be 15th level or higher to pass
through this gate (see "Jhesiyra Kestellharp," page
10). The first creature to pass through the gate trig-
gers an elder rune (see "Elder Runes," page 12). - A creature that passes through the gate appears in
area 15 on level 19, in the closest unoccupied space
next to the identical gate located there.
8c. DEAD-END CAVE
The tunnel leading to this cave narrows dramatically,
but not enough to keep the neothelid from reaching prey
that flees here. The cave is empty.- GUARD POST
The doors to this area are made of stone and sealed
with Qualith door locks (see "Qualith Door Locks,"
page 222). Unless they are held open, the doors au-
tomatically close and lock. This area has the follow-
ing features:
Sentries. Two mind flayers stand behind eight orogs
(lined up in two rows of four) facing the double door
to the west.
Pillars. Two stone pillars with glowing veins of crystal
stand to either side of the western hallway.
The mind flayers have orders to thwart any frontal
assault on the colony. The orogs are thralls under the
illithids' command and defend their alien masters to
the death.
LEVEL 17 I SEADEEPS