443 443 Sadly Predictable

Max watched as the hope faded from the Cardinal's eyes, only to be replaced by horror at the action that the hypnotic suggestion was going to have him do. In his mind, the vial contained a Divine Will elixir that would keep the secrets of the Holy Truth safe from interrogators, but once he had heard the name of the poison, the suggestion was broken, and he realized that his superiors had brainwashed him into committing suicide if he was asked questions about the security of the Holy Truth.

This revelation was helped along by the Illithid, who had noticed the mental interference almost immediately, despite not being in the room with them. Their species was very sensitive to such things, and the thoughts of others were like background noise in a room to them. The dissonant noises of interference were immediately clear, like fingernails down a chalkboard or a bad remix of a familiar song.