If I am understanding the cutscene correctly, the population of the city didn't matter at all. They absolutely steamrolled through it and picked up the people they needed to pick up.
Im not sure if i understand this sentence ...
Do you imply that they were picking people? Since it seemed more like harvesting to me, just roll through and grab litteraly everything that gets in the way.
But now im thinking about another theory!
- we know that tadpoles that was picked up from THAT caudron (or w/e you wish to call it) was special ...
- we know that this alterned tadpoles can remain dormant for unspecified period of time ...
- we know that this alterned tadpoles can turn their victims by "pulling the lever" ...
- we know that Nautiloids are extremely rare ... yet this Flayer of Mind was flying it to hugely populated area ...
Concidering this all ...
What if, that actualy WAS harvest? What if all those people was tadpoled, in the past ... needed to be harvested and delivered to Moonrise Towers, so their "True Soul" potential is awakened? O_o
Would that explain why risk such rare thing as Nautiloid? o_O
The issue is that Githyanki tracked them (which the Gith typically don't care much about Faerun cities) and attacked the ship with dragons. that said,
But we know they were not after the ship itself ... but after someone (actualy something) that was onboard!
Kithrak said so, when we meet their patrol!
So, i presume they indeed didnt care about Faerun city, at all actualy.
escaping to hell of all places was probably the dumbest idea.
The question is how that teleportation works ...
What if (and i know this is wild theory) ... somewhere nearby was in the same time created falling whale? Or petunia flowerpot?
But I guess in that case, Mind Flayer would have a towel around his neck. :-/