“More brains!” the neh-thalggu chittered in excitement.
Kildo was instantly repulsed by the two monsters before him. The neh-thalggu were five feet tall with six crab-like legs resembling those of a crustacean. They had maggot-white skin and a bloated, rounded body. The head had four insect-like bulging eyes and a tooth-filled maw dominating its hideous visage. Behind and above these features, pulsating lumps protruded from their backs. Either the creatures had several brains, or it had collected the organs and placed them under its skin. They were abominations.
“There’s two more out here in the corridor!” Kai yelled as the clash of battle was underway. “Look out Scomatch!”
Throwing up his shield, Kildo didn’t have time to see what was happening as the neh-thalggu in front of him furiously snapped its jaw and claws. The attack’s weight was massive.
Peering over, Guo Gan had more room to maneuver in the ransacked bedroom as he bashed with Qiekamis. It looked like he was playing whack-a-mole as the quarterstaff tried to bash into the neh-thalggu’s brains, but they squirmed away right before the impact.
The roar of a furnace proceeded the room becoming engulfed with flames. The fire sculpted around Kildo. It was a tell-tale sign that Scomatch was still in the fight throwing his massive fireballs. He saw the halfling in the corridor behind him. He began chanting, “Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life.” Guo Gan, Scomatch, and himself glowed from his Bless spell. While the neh-thalggu were burnt and hurt, they were still in the fight. Their crustacean claw snapped. He felt a pinch clamp around his plated leg and saw Guo Gan cry out as a hook slashed his front.
“Are you guys even doing anything in there?!” Scomatch yelled. “This spider maggot out here is trying to get Kai’s brains!”
“We’re a little busy!” Guo Gan called back. The monk lunged with Qiekamis. The tip rammed deep into the neh-thalggu’s mouth. Teeth shattered. Its eyes quivered and rolled into the back of its head as the creature died. Retracting the quarterstaff, he brought it smashing downwards on the neh-thalggu attacking Kildo.
“Fine! I’ll continue to do everything!” Scomatch shouted. Flames again engulfed the room as he cast, Fireball. The neh-thalggu on Kildo burned and shriveled up. Its six legs curled up upon themselves.
The immediate threats in the charred bedroom put down, Kildo emerged into the corridor. There were two heavily burnt neh-thalggu in the corridor. One was on top of Kai. Its pincers were trying to slice through his plate helm.
“The nine hells!” Kildo cursed. He ran forward, pushing one neh-thalggu out of the way with his shield. He brought his war hammer crashing down. Weakened by the two fireballs, it smashed into the creature’s side. Puss and ichor exploded out. It slumped to the floor dead. He then helped Kai to his feet.
Nodding in thanks, Kai gripped Wave. Lunging like a spear, the three prongs sank deep into the remaining neh-thalggu. Radiant damage coursed up the weapon’s length. It was blasted against the wall. Its innards left a streak as it slid dead to the floor.
Ensuring there were no other neh-thalggu, Kildo flung spider-goo from his war hammer when he saw Guo Gan examining the creatures. “Lad, I don’t be thinking they have any treasure.”
“No, but they have pockets.”
“Woit?”
“Yes, there is something inside of them.” Poking at the lumps on top of the creatures with his quarterstaff, Guo Gan said, “Brains, but their different shapes indicate they are from various beings. Looks like they had some empty pockets too and from the actions toward Kai, wanted to add ours to their growing family.”
“Let’s hope there aren’t any more of these things around,” Kai said.
“Right, let's continue exploring,” Scomatch said and bounced down a set of stairs.
“Scomatch!” Kai called out after the mage. “What is that halfling doing?”
Following Guo Gan and Kai, who was trying to catch up to Scomatch, the smell of a slaughterhouse greeted him. They were in a large and long cargo hold. Barrels and boxes, most intact but some smashed, lined the northern and southern walls. In the middle was a massive battle scene, but it seemed one-sided. Blood stained the walls and floor. Ten human bodies, swords, and crossbows were strewn around an arachnid. It had eight legs, many broken. Its head, with dead-reflective eyes, sat upon a long neck. It had a hairy but blood-matted abdomen and was somewhat a cross between a wolf spider and an eel. It wore a semblance of blue clothing but was torn to rags.
Bending down and examining the dead humans, Kildo noted their brains were still intact. None had been stabbed or shot, but there were deep, circular bite marks on their body, presumably from the eel-like creature, which no longer had its brain. It had been cut out.
Scomatch moved quickly through the room. The halfling’s head turned one way and then another. Kai was right behind him.
“It looks like here is where they kept the food for their prisoners,” Guo Gan said, opening a crate. The monk then moved over to a barrel. From the sloshing sound, it contained liquid. Smacking the top with his fist, it popped open. Lifting the lid, the elf dropped it and said in disgust, “Brains.”
Kildo approached and looked in. Pickled, gray brains were floating throughout. He snorted cursing, “Mind flayers.”
“I found stairs and a door,” Scomatch called out to the west. “It’s locked! Guo Gan unlock it!”
There was no locking mechanism but another orifice. He jammed Qiekamis in the tight sphincter. Using the quarterstaff as a lever, he began to pry. The door snapped open.
It led to a mess hall. There were a number of tables and chairs, most broken and turned over. The sounds of liquid squishing emanated from within. A huge green protoplasm of ooze squelched toward them.
“Close the door!” Kai bellowed.
“It won’t shut!” Guo Gan yelled as he attempted to close the door. The ooze moved through the opening.
Kai stabbed wildly with Wave. The trident’s prongs sunk into the organic floor. Lunging again frantically, one of the tips hit. Radiant damage coursed through the weapon into the ooze.
Taking a step back, Kildo was horrified at the green sludge monster before him. It grew taller than all of them as it pushed its form into the room. “Rigga protect us,” Kildo said as he began chanting as he cast, Bless. Kai, Guo Gan, and Scomatch glowed from the protection spell.
A thin green ray shot into the arcane ooze from Scomatch. A large section of the slime disintegrated, but its bulk remained, and while hurt, it didn’t slow it down.
Guo Gan swiped with Qiekamis. The ooze pulled back as the quarterstaff smashed into the floor. Bringing the other end around, the sentient weapon bashed into the slime. His blood fury tattoos ignited as it absorbed its life force.
The arcane ooze rose and went into some sort of seizure. The atmosphere around it changed. A strong aura of impending doom washed out. Then, in what could only be described as a protective barrier, the pulse of energy stopped reaching Kai, Guo Gan, and himself. For the briefest of moments, he saw the outline of a dwarven woman holding out her hand toward the arcane ooze. It was then gone.
“Rigga!” Kildo exclaimed in excitement.
The ooze retreated momentarily as if its primitive brain, if it had one, was confused by what had just happened. It recovered quickly as it lashed out with its pseudopods and grappled both Kai and Scomatch.
“Bad mistake!” Kai bellowed. Radiant power coalesced throughout Wave. Plunging the trident deep into the arcane ooze, the accumulation of energy blasted into it. The slime’s form shook and exploded. Bits of the green ooze splattered against the far walls.
“Now that’s done, can we go down the stairs?” Scomatch asked as he moved toward them.
Descending to the bottom of the nautiloid, the bottom of the steps curved to the west with six sphincter doors spread evenly north and south. Another door went east.
Pointing westward down the long corridor with the six orifice doors, Scomatch said, “Go to the last door and start opening them.”
“Char?”
“We’re here. Don’t worry,” Scomatch said, reassuring his familiar.
“Char, Char?”
“Just go do it.”
“Char,” Charmander sighed.
One by one, the flame familiar opened the six doors. Each contained sleeping quarters. All had been ransacked. There was nothing of value in any of them.
Coalescing around the eastern door, it snapped open at Kai’s touch. A long corridor with prison cells to the north and south ran the length of the room. The floor was covered with blood spatter and several bodies. Another headless mind flayer was near the entrance. In the middle of the room were three quaggoths. They were tall and bulky beast-like humanoids. They had long, shaggy, white hair covering their entire bodies. They each had multiple wounds from sword strikes.
Carefully stepping over their bodies, they check the cells. Most were empty and unlocked. Peering a light source in each, they came across three humans, one dwarf, a space monkey hadozee, and a plasmoid, which was an amorphous being in a humanoid shape. Each had a sword strike through their heart. A quick, clean kill.
At the far eastern end of the prison area was another door. Touching the organic sphincter. It snapped open. A low growl emanated within.
“There’s something in here!” Kai shouted in warning. Channeling divinity, there was a ‘Pssshhew’ sound as a bright green light traveled down the length of Wave. Its light spread from the weapon, lighting the area.
A massive quaggoth roared and lashed out from the darkness. Similar to its slain cohorts, it was massive and bulky. Its’ long, white hair was matted with blood and mucus. It seemed deranged in its maddening charge.
A one-foot ball of emerald acid streaked in as Scomatch cast, Vitriolic Sphere. It bathed the quaggoth. Half of the acid ran harmlessly from its matted fur.
Guo Gan’s quarterstaff came sweeping in. It bashed into the quaggoth’s left shoulder and was stopped cold. The yeti-like creature looked to the weapon and then at the monk.
“Sorry,” Guo Gan said dragging the word out.
The quaggoth batted Guo Gan away with a backhanded fist.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life,” Kildo chanted as Kai, Guo Gan, and himself glowed briefly.
Lunging with Wave, the trident points struck the quaggoth in the chest but failed to penetrate deep. He pulled the weapon away hard, ripping fur. It further angered the creature.
A thin green ray shot over the quaggoth’s head as Scomatch attempted to disintegrate it. The spell melted a large hole in the hull.
Qiekamis came in again, but lower, and struck the quaggoth in the left knee. Guo Gan’s blood-fury tattoos burned bright as they absorbed the creature’s life force.
The quaggoth was insane. Possibly through hunger, isolation, or some other cause. It seemed immune to pain, and getting through its thick, matted hide proved troublesome for the fighters. The corridor was also tight, and he doubted he’d be able to get in a weapon strike. He’d just make matters worse by trying to engage the beast. Casting, a vertical column of divine fire roared down from behind the quaggoth. While igniting the back of the creature, the flames were quickly snuffed out by its mucus-covered matted fur.
The holy fire only enraged the beast further. Like a great ape, it lashed out and pummeled Kai with its meaty fists.
Kai rose and spat blood. The quaggoth’s attack also did nothing but enrage the triton. The sound of sizzling energy followed Wave as its three prongs thrust into the creature's chest. Wave glowed from Kildo’s bless spell. It sunk deeper into the beast. Radiant damage traveled the weapon’s length and blasted into it. The quaggoth's resounding roar of pain boomed and echoed throughout the prison area.
The creature gripped the end of Wave and pulled it from its chest. It pushed against it, knocking Kai back.
“Oh my god!” Scomatch lamented. A thin green ray sprung from the halfling’s fingertip and struck the quaggoth in the abdomen. The middle of the creature disintegrated. It had a disparaging look in its eyes as the spell ate its form until there was nothing but a pile of fine grey dust.
Stepping inside the quaggoth’s room, Kildo covered his nose. It was difficult to tell what the area was used for. Blood and remnants of eaten bodies were in the room. The quaggoth had been feeding off of them. Around a corner was a nook. It was filled with a multitude of emerald green eggs. Getting closer, he could see things squirming inside.
A maggot-like creature burst out. It had a rounded mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
Guo Gan snatched the thing before it could latch onto the dwarf. A moment later, the monk crushed it and let the corpse fall to the ground. “That was a freebie.”
Nodding his thanks, Kildo turned to Scomatch. “Best be burning-”
“On it,” Scomatch said, interrupting his sentence. He stepped in front of the dwarven cleric. Flames roared to life as the nook ignited in cleansing fire.
Finding nothing else useful or of value on the mind flayer nautiloid, except the mystery of who attacked the spelljammer, the party returned to the Space Dragon.
As they boarded their craft, a dark, shadowy shape glided across the face of a nearby asteroid. Pitch black, its gigantic spider-like spelljammer form was outlined as it blocked the light from the stars behind it. Kildo realized the mind flayer nautiloid was bait, and they flew right into the predator’s web.
Treasure:
· We explored a Space Hulk!
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