Purple People Eater!

 After learning that the "Unseen Protector" had been looking for them, the party headed back north.  The Guardians asked the group to also do some recon in the forest.

About half an hour outside of town, the group notices what sounds like digging coming from underground and it is getting closer.  Torin casts invisibility on himself and heads west towards the source.  Suddenly a Giant Purple Worm bursts from the ground and attacks.

 

Purple Worm

Morganna is the first to be hit and is swallowed whole by the great beast!  The others began to do damage, but none more than Morganna does from the inside.  After a critical hit and over 60 points of damage and failing a Constitution save, the worm spits her out. While alive, she is critically injured and makes her way away from the battle.

Ash is struck by the tail attach and takes nearly 40 in poison damage.  His counter strike with intelligent sword Curoch not only damages the worm, but he uses its Planeshift ability to send it to the Astral Plane.

After the worm is defeated and Morganna and Ash have been somewhat healed by Torin, they notice there are voices coming from the hold the worm made.  Ash, Torin and Papi decide to take a look and find a Ulitharid commanding several Orcs.  They wisely exit the hole and Ash uses Mold Earth to seal them in.

Ulitharid

 

The group returned to Phandalin and led soldiers back to the hole to guard it and then headed north again.  In the forest, they find more Purple Worm holes. While investigating them, Torin discovers a ruby.  The party then runs into the "unseen protector" and he tells them there are many more holes like this throughout the region.  The Mind Flayers are using them to excavate and search for their lost Spell Jamming helm.  He tells the group he knows which path leads to the Illithid lair.

While deciding if they want to traverse the many tunnels also looking for the help, Gobby tells them he can help get the helm.  Then, for the first time, Vregroqai speaks in a serious tone.  He tells the party he has a Wish left from the Deck of Many Things and will use it to retrieve the helm, for a cost.

He wants to open a franchise of Acquisitions Inc in Phandalin and agrees to give the town 10% of his take. The party is shocked at the revelation that their small green friend has been acting this whole time!  They are a bit leery of the gesture, but wanting to secure the helm before the Mind Flayers is their priority.

"Gobby" makes the wish and they now have the helm. Palandrusk transforms brifly to his Gold Dragon form and reveals he is not strong enough to attack in open battle and must defend his people.

The group heads back to Phandalin to report and make preparations.

As the sun rises the next day, the Orc war tribe can be heard in the distance. The battle is coming...