“Is that a normal question?”
“No, this is our lives, when do you think is the last time I’ve asked a normal question?”

—Keen and Orkira, Heroes of the Vale

Watch Heroes of the Vale – Chapter 2, Episode 14: Before The Storm

You can also listen to our show as a podcast! 

Dramatis Personae

Our heroes are 8th-level characters:

• Todd Kenreck as the Dungeon Master
• Keen, Eladrin Eldritch Knight Fighter played by TJ Storm
• Briv, Half-Orc Oath of Heroism Paladin played by Adam Bradford
• Penelope, Halfling Circle of Land Druid played by Hope LaVelle
• Alyndra Alexandria Garanahil Sarrbarand, Lorekeeper of Rime Spiro, Kinscribe of Clan Monkeymouse, High Elf Cleric/Wizard played by Jen Kretchmer
• Orkira, Dragonborn Light Domain Cleric played by Lauren Urban

Full Summary

Our heroes stand on the edge of a massive canyon, looking across the expanse towards the ruins of an illithid structure. Their new friend Lihi has left on her own mission, but with swirling leaves and a dark portal their old friend Keen appears. The eladrin has new scars, now long healed, from an errand for the Eternal Council. While glad to be back with his friends, the Shadowfell still depresses Keen greatly and he wants everyone to escape it with haste. The group fill him in on the plan; make it to the mind flayer castle which should match up to where the Elder Brain ship is on their plane, teleport back so they can avoid the trip through the ocean and all the enemies in between, then attack the Elder Brain directly.

The trip to the castle will take many hours, so the group begins the trek down through the steep cliffs. The ground is treacherous, causing Keen to take a tumble, but Orkira is able to swoop down and grab him before he can fall too far. Eventually, they discover an outcropping of rock that Alyndra can use to cast Alyndra’s accommodating abode on, and everyone takes the opportunity to rest for the evening. Briv compliments the wizard on her skills and thanks her for providing a safe and secure place to rest for the evening. This feels very out of character to Alyndra, who takes the opportunity to voice her surprise at the way their half-orc companion is acting. Everyone agrees that Briv has become much more patient, friendly, and complimentary, and while the changes are welcomed they are also surprising. For his part Briv remembers several different versions of himself, many of which lacked the experience and temperament to deal with the current dangers. Keen is delighted by this more mature Briv, and the two exchange a hug. Briv goes on to explain that as a paladin he serves himself and the people of his realm. His tenants are to protect the weak, free the oppressed, perform mighty deeds, and hopefully become so great and beloved that others will choose to serve him.

Both Alyndra and Penelope are bothered by these proclamations, remembering how closely that sounds like what Saranthis preached in her golden temple. Alyndra points out that everyone is different thanks to the apparatus, and that means not only are they unfamiliar with each other again, but it could be the perfect opportunity for an impostor to be among the group. Orkira offers to cast zone of truth to help remove lingering doubts about anyone’s intentions, but only feels comfortable casting it on friends if everyone is willing to participate. With permission given the cleric casts the spell and includes herself in its effects. Briv, Penelope, and Alyndra all choose to submit to the spell. Keen is amused by the situation and attempts to resist for fun, but fails and is unable to avoid telling the truth. Walton comes out from his bag, having succeeded against the spell, and starts telling outrageous lies to everyone’s amusement. Even Flo appears, admitting that she likes cheese as she succumbs to the spell, before returning to her hiding place.

As Orkira announces the results, she admits that she’s unsure how to prove her own truthfulness as she is the only one with confirmation of who the spell worked upon. Reaching into her bag Alyndra pulls out a letter written by the cleric many years ago, and quizzes her on its contents as a way to prove her identity. After correctly identifying a passage in the letter, Orkira offers to go first in answering any questions her friends might have. Penelope asks how she is feeling, if there’s something missing now that the Elder Brain’s influence has been removed. With a smile Orkira relays that she feels good, how relieved she is to have the illithid gone, and that there was one other thing she had removed while in the apparatus. Nothing about her past has changed, as she believes all the problems caused by her wish were proof that she should never try to alter history. But going forward she is no longer turning into a dragon. She’s accepted what has already been changed, but can once again call herself a dragonborn without qualifiers, and going forward won’t have to worry about turning into something that causes so much fear.

Alyndra asks a few follow up questions about Orkira’s six years in another bag world, as well as asking for confirmation that the mind flayer is completely gone from her brain. Briv comments that everyone is willing to accept such outlandish stories as truth, but are having a hard time believing he could emerge from the apparatus a changed person. He recommends they all be more willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, and his friends take that suggestion to heart. When Orkira asks Briv if he is happier now, the new paladin replies that he has never been unhappy. He offers his greatsword to Alyndra to examine, calling the blade Steadfast, and she can tell it’s a magical weapon that will grow and change as it is used. It is a family heirloom that needed to be recovered and restored.

Penelope inquires about what Alyndra has changed, and the elf replies that while she remembers all the different timelines she has not changed anything about herself. With the belief that altering her past would make her lose the knowledge and experiences she has accrued, Alyndra thinks she would lose what makes her who she is. However she did come back with the gift from her father, the blue dragon egg.

Alyndra asks Briv if he is married, and with tears in his eyes the half-orc replies that he was once, but is no longer. He doesn’t want to discuss the details further, so respecting his privacy Orkira changes the subject to Keen to ask him about any changes. The knight replies that he is always changing as Eladrin are in a constant state of flux, and is forced to leave and return as the Eternal Court summons him to go on missions. He mentions that after completing his most recent mission he stopped at Stormherald for supplies before returning, which surprises his companions as they all remember the destruction of the flying city while in Avernus. Keen knows this is the Feywild version of Stormherald, where his weapon’s master instructs the residence how to defend themselves as well as control the city. He warns that there is probably a Shadowfell version of Stormherald, and worries that it is an extremely dangerous place. He does not like the Shadowfell, it creates shadows and dark things.

As everyone turns to Penelope to see what she has to share, the halfling admits that the removal of the dark parts of her time in Avernus was a surprise. She thinks it was a subconscious decision, as she strives to always be a positive force of light to balance out the darkness in her friends. There is some regret losing that part of herself, as if her suffering was all for nothing. When Briv asks if she remembers the courage to survive that long in Avernus, the druid replies that she does, and that prompts Briv to remark that she must still have that strength.

In the final moments of the zone of truth Keen asks if anyone harbors any ill will or desire to harm any among the group. The heroes all say they have no such feelings towards anyone among their friends. With renewed trust in each other all five settle in for a long rest.

The next morning’s preparations are suddenly interrupted as Penelope is hit with an eldritch blast and knocked off the cliff side! Laughing high above them is the black eyed, evil version of the halfling. As Alyndra casts feather fall on the good Penelope and Briv grabs a rope to throw down to the druid, Keen starts to rush up the path towards her doppelganger. Alyndra is also blasted off the cliff side, but Orkira is quick to catch her and they fly up to land next to where Neverember is standing. As Penelope is pulled up to safety, she casts spider climb to be able to rush up the cliff to confront her twin even as Keen shoots her with arrows and Briv attacks with a guiding bolt.

Standing in front of Neverember, Orkira asks the simple question of “Why?!” The response that “You want to hurt us.”  along with claims to know why they are here, make the cleric think that the Elder Brain has actually taken over this version of her friend. She casts protection from evil and good in the hopes of removing the possession, but the spell has no effect. Alyndra casts banishment on Neverember, sending the creature away for a minute in the hopes of making it permanent as the rest of the heroes arrive. Penelope pleads with everyone for a chance to talk with Neverember, feeling responsible for her actions and hoping to reason with her twin. While Orkira warns that Neverember might be controlled the Elder Brain, everyone agrees to give Penelope the chance to try to talk first.

The evil version of Penelope reappears, confirming that this creature is native to the Shadowfell. The druid quickly casts charm person on Neverember and demands to know why they are being attacked. Now temporarily charmed and subdued, the evil twin admits it is not Neverember and was trying to kill everyone to protect “us." It points to Orkira, announcing it was inside the dragonborn previously, confirming that the creature before them is an Intellect Devourer that has completely taken over the body. When it cannot come up with a reason for Penelope to spare it, she casts blight and kills her former self. The brain on legs appears twenty feet away but Orkira is looking for it, casting guiding bolt as she points it out to everyone. Alyndra finishes the creature off with toll the dead.

For a moment Penelope is distraught, upset at killing something that looked like herself and feeling like she might still have some darkness of her own. She forces a smile and insists they continue the journey to the castle so they can finally escape the Shadowfell. As most of the group starts to move on, Keen searches the body of Neverember, finding exact copies of most of the things their druid carries, and gives them to Penelope.

After several more hours of travel the heroes finally arrive at the completely abandoned alien structure. It’s filled with curving tunnels of a myriad of colors, with architecture so strange it leaves everyone uneasy. Orkira stops the group before they travel too far so plans can be discussed. Her visions have left her with a clear layout of the structure, and she knows where the central room is located that would contain an Elder Brain. Alyndra uses clairvoyance to make sure that room in the Shadowfell is empty like the rest of the building. Keen confirms that they can use the Rod to transport the group back to their home plane, and everyone hopes that by moving to the spot where the Elder Brain is located that they can avoid most of the other illithids and appear right near the creature itself. Just in case things have shifted and they appear in the ocean, Alyndra casts water breathing on everyone.

Alyndra expresses her misgivings about the whole plan, worried that this is a trap and the visions Orkira has seen are planted there by the Elder Brain intentionally. While the dragonborn is positive that what she has seen is really there, she cannot offer any insight into if this is a trap or not, and unable to come up with any alternative plans she offers to cast death ward on two of her friends. Keen accepts one, and eventually the cleric gives the other to Alyndra as she reasons everyone else has both healing and heartier constitutions. Then she leads everyone through the building to a huge, domed room filled with dust and sand. This room is the mirror to the room in the Material Plane that contains a few feet of pinkish brine that the Elder Brain swims in. She reminds everyone that the Elder Brain dug through her head for a while and probably knows what each of her friends are capable of, so she suggests they try and do something it would not expect.

Briv is confident the Elder Brain does not know about his new form and abilities, and he takes a position in the middle of the room as he summons his armor. Penelope wild shapes into a dire wolf and takes the Rod into her maw. Alyndra polymorphs herself into a tyrannosaurus rex, and Keen and Orkira prepare for transport!

Is this the final battle with the Elder Brain? Can our heroes prevail, and will that end the illithid threat? Find out October 2nd at 2pm PT on twitch.tv/dndbeyond

EPILOGUE: On the edge of the cliff the dead body of Penelope Neverember is eclipsed by the shadow of a horned devil. It places a hand on her head and says “Not yet. We’re not done. You want to be a hero, don’t you?” as it casts revivify.

Lauren "OboeCrazy" Urban is the Community Manager for D&D Beyond, as well as a professional classical musician on oboe and English Horn. When she's not playing a Bard in real life she's a prolific Dungeon Master and player on a variety of livestreams and podcasts. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband Luke where they spend their free time playing video games and drinking tea. The best way to keep up with Lauren's busy schedule is to follow her on Twitter at @OboeCrazy.