3 Tarsakh 1462

Even though twenty years have elapsed since this incident, it remains the most grievous breach of Oryndoll's security to have occurred in recent memory. This incident was mediated in large part by the understaffing and incompetence of this very Unit, which remains a blemish on our reputation.

In acknowledgement of the recent anniversary of this event, and in the hopes of learning from our former mistakes, I have enclosed a copy of the original incident report below.

-Videx


Incident Report #34:

Employee filing report: Videxthrod

Type(s) of incident: Trespassing, Theft

Incident Location: Ceremorphosis Unit 3

Incident Date: 26 Ches 1442

Employee on duty: Zul

Description of Incident: A party of three humanoid adventurers (a female half-elf and two male dwarves) used long-range teleportation magic (likely some kind of homing ritual targeted to the location of their two captured companions) to bypass Oryndoll's numerous outer defenses and arrive directly into the Nourisher Creed complex. Wearing rings of mind-shielding, they posed as thralls and entered Ceremorphosis Unit 3 along with one of the existing department thralls reporting for their shift.

Note: The effects of such magical items are obvious to even an untrained illithid, manifesting as an absence of surface thoughts rather than alteration of their content. However, due to a combination of bad luck and negligence, no members of the Nourisher Creed were located near enough to intercept the trespassers and detect their use of these items.

Once inside the Unit, the trespassers encountered suspicion followed by outright resistance from the Unit's two remaining thralls on duty. They defeated these thralls, along with the third they had followed inside, during a brief struggle in the antechamber. Two thralls were killed and one incapacitated before they had the chance to raise the alarm. The invaders managed to avoid drawing the attention of the illithid on duty (Zul), who was taking an unauthorized break in the private baths on the opposite side of the Unit. The surviving thrall reports they used a scroll of Silence, but Zul should still have detected the psionic disturbance caused by the battle. Though he will not admit it, it is likely that he was asleep at the time this portion of the incident occurred.

Note: It was later determined that Zul was suffering from the early stages of infection with the Ashen, with an onset of symptoms occurring during his shift. Symptoms of the Ashen include pale skin, fever, fatigue, altered mental status, and alternately impaired or overactive psionic abilities. However, rather than reporting to a supervisor that he felt unwell, Zul showed poor judgment by staying on shift yet leaving his post to rest.

After gaining access to the central chamber, the trespassers smashed the glass covers of the ceremorphosis pods containing their two former companions. These included a female human and a male elf, both of which were approximately twelve hours post tadpole insertion. Since the adventurers had already used their silencing scroll, the sound of the glass shattering finally alerted Zul. However, by the time he arrived at the central chamber, the trespassers had already activated return teleportation scrolls and absconded with their former companions.

Note: Out of the three direct perpetrators of this crime, one was later captured based on information involuntarily given by Phindalos (see Note below). However, the other two were unable to be located, and are still at large.

Damages: Permanent loss of one tadpole, one host, two ceremorphosis pods, and two department thralls. Temporary loss of a second tadpoled host, which was later recovered as an illithid. Termination and exile of one incompetent employee. (Once he had recovered from the Ashen, of course. We're not complete monsters here.)

Prevention: Additional security measures will be implemented to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Every illithid and thrall entering the Unit must do so individually, allowing the psionic sensors on the doors to recognize their unique mental signature. The illithid on shift should always be present and attentive at their post, and periodically observe department thralls - particularly new hires - for unusual behavior or mental activity. Also, a line of investigation will be launched into the source of patronage for this intrusion into Oryndoll, since the adventurers were concerningly well-equipped with scrolls containing powerful arcane magic.

Note: After further investigation by the vigileators and members of the Loretaker Creed, it was determined that the funding and equipment for this invasion was provided by a human wizard known as Phindalos who harbored interests in biology and alchemy as well as the study of magic. He offered to sponsor the adventurers' expedition to recover their missing comrades while withholding the knowledge that he could not cure them if they had already been subjected to ceremorphosis. The wizard's goals included the capture and study of a newborn illithid, as well as the harvesting of illithid mucus, tentacles, and brain tissue as alchemical components. Unfortunately, he was successful in these endeavors, but he was found and terminated shortly thereafter. One of the Loretakers involved in his apprehension stated that they "should have made [his] death far longer and more painful than it was." Based on the mutilation of the illithid corpse found in the wizard's laboratory and the state of the surviving newborn recovered from his custody, I am inclined to agree.


Author's Note: Yes, I'm a big ol' nerd who looked up the Forgotten Realms calendar and arranged the dates of the incident report + the retrospective so that the retrospective was posted on Eldriss's twentieth birthday (the day they came of age as an adult in illithid society). Also it's today, since that date corresponds to April 3rd. The original incident report was filed 7 days earlier than that date because ceremorphosis takes a week... Anyway, happy birthday Eldriss even though I doubt illithids celebrate! :P