Vuzyl holds out the gem to show the monk.

As he sees the gem, the monk's eyes widen.  "We must exchange it for the dragon's maw gem.  It is folly to try to destroy the demogorgon.  That gem must go into portal to draw the demogorgon."  He points at the familiar altar of the dragon, which lies about halfway between you and the demogorgon.  The sounds of the crashing of water, of the rushing of rancid air from the portal, and the stomping of the demogorgon force the monk to raise his voice to make sure you can hear him.

As before, the altar is an ornate altar with a dragon twisting around it.  The mouth of the dragon faces up, is open, and holds in its jaws a gem about the size of a person's open hand. 

The demogorgon looks down from its 18 foot height at you.

Tahldar casts stoneskin on Borimer.  Immediately thereafter, Borimer is running to the demogorgon to attack.

Kahan is casting.  (Prayer spell cast.)

Shae is casting.  (Bless spell cast.)

Leo runs forward between Vuzyl and the dragon.  He is about 10 feet behind the altar.

The demogorgon stands squarely, looking down as if sizing up your group.  Its tentacles whip around backwards, ready to strike.

Shae stands mesmerized.  She moves to the side to create a target away from the others, waving her spear to distract the demogorgon.  She yells to Vuzyl, "Put the gem in the altar and get the other one.  Quickly, please!"

Unsure of what to do next, Tahldar goes on the defensive and cast mirror image.

OOC: Cast mirror image.  4 images total.

Kahan draws his mace and prepares for the worst. "We must be swift, in whatever action we take. Vuzyl, you hold the gem, you you tell us what to do," the priest states, his shield held up at the ready.

PM

Thanks, Borimer.

Borimer rushes off to nearly certain death against one of the Prince Demons of the Underworld that towers above him...

Vuzyl runs to replace the gem at the altar and take the other gem.  The monk is hot on his heels.

Shae runs out away from the party to distract the demogorgon from what Vuzyl and the monk are doing.

Tahldar casts mirror image, suddenly surrounded by four more Tahldars.

Kahan prepares to defend or attack as he follows to protect Vuzyl.


DEMOGORGON
hp: 476/476
AC: -10
Speed: 6
Special Attacks: (Too numerous to list)
Special Defenses: (Too numerous to list)


The demogorgon, having spotted the approaching Borimer, Shae and the rest of the group, turns his attention toward you.  You hear in you heads the sibilant word "Hethradiah".

A spiked tail sweeps down at Borimer, hitting him.  (15 dmg.)  Borimer immediately feels weakened by the blow as his tissues begin a process of necrosis.

The left head also looks down at Borimer with a disruptive gaze.  Borimer feels his body slowed.  (All moves and attacks at half speed.)

Then in your minds you hear the utterance of "Aameul".  The right head gazes at Shae...

Shae is dominated.  She is now in the total control of the demogorgon.  She turns to fight her friends...

The right head then turns quickly to face the monk and Vuzyl.  Its tentacles whip out, and Kahan, Vuzyl, the monk, and everyone near them feels a wave of air fly by them, but the attack has no effect.

Vuzyl changes out the gems, pocketing one.  The monk says, "Give it to me," asking for the newly acquired gem. "Before it is too late."

Borimer is slowed, and the pain in his right shoulder where the tentacle hit is rotting, but he reaches and strikes out, hitting the demogorgon once with his sword.

Tahldar moves to occupy Shae, hoping his four images protect him.

OOC: Tahldar will see to protect his friends if Shae attacks.

Borimer moves as though sinking into quicksand when he takes a single slow swipe at the towering inferno of imminent death...
This message was last edited by the player at 20:33, Tue 01 Nov 2016.

Leo does whatever he can to stay between the gem holders and the demon.

"What do you intend to do with it? We cannot lose this gem, and I apologize if I seem untrusting in these circumstances," the priest asks, putting himself between the monk abs Vuzyl until he has been given a proper answer, demogorgon or no.

Shae is helpless to do anything but be dominated.

The monk looks nervously at the demogorgon and then back at Shae. "The gem must be taken into the portal to send the Demogorgon back to its hell and shut the portal.  Fighting it is folly."

Vuzyl sidesteps Kahan while the monk waits for an answer.  Vuzyl hands the gem to the monk.  "Do it," he says, "Do it while you still can."

Vuzyl then makes a wide circle to the right to make sure the group is not all together in one giant group target.  He will try to distract the demogorgon by throwing daggers at it and taunting it.  "You think you're all tough, do you?  Try this on for size."

The monk takes the gem from Vuzyl and begins running toward the demogorgon.

Borimer takes another 5 damage from continuing necrosis. (5 dmg until save made)

Borimer, though slowed, makes a hit (critical hit) that actually slices through the tendons and bone of the foot of the demogorgon.  One head howls in pain, and the monk uses the falling demogorgon to his advantage...

Meanwhile, Shae attacks and hits one of Tahldar's mirror images.

The demogorgon focuses on Borimer.  Its tentacles strike down at the slowed warrior.  He is hit.  (13 damage, and feels another necrotic rotting in his leg. 10 dmg until save made).

The demogorgon's other head focuses on Leo, and Leo feels a psychic pull as he is suddenly teleported to 10 feet away from the demogorgon.

The monk makes an amazing acrobatic jump atop the demogorgon's wrist, swings around its arms while pummeling it in the chest with inhuman strength, causing another wail to escape, this time from the other head.  And then, grasping fur and bracing, the monk jumps into the portal with the gem in hand.

You hear a loud "whoosh" and feel air being sucked in around you.  The portal converges on itself, dragging the demogorgon back into the abyss, and snapping shut with a pop, leaving you in the darkness in ankle deep seawater from another plane of existence...and the severed foot of a demogorgon where the tree and drow had been.  Both of those have now been sucked into the nether regions.

Tahldar looks a bit dumbfounded at how quickly the battle is over.  But he remains steadfast in ensuring Shae won't attack anyone but himself and his remaining three images.

Shae is released from the domination and Borimer is back to normal speed.  All effects from the demogorgon are lifted.  The necrosis is still present on Borimer, but its advance has stopped.

The gem on the dragon maw altar has now turned a milky white, just like the gem that was taken into the portal.

In reply to Tahldar of Tyrannia (msg # 177):

Is it over? Ask Borimer the last time he thought a demon battle was over.  :)

"Well, that worked better than I thought it would. Borimer, let me look at those legs. I don't know what I can do for it, but perhaps this will help," Kahan states, leaning down and casting a spell on the warrior's legs.

[]

Kahan casts cure disease, which heals the necrosis (though the hit point damage still remains).

Tahldar looks around.  "What do we do next?  I'm guessing we take the gem and look for a way out."

(The burning briar exposed a way out behind you and to the right (northeast), and the gem can be taken now.)

Leo nods.  "Makes sense to me.  We seemed to have managed to get by but lets not press our luck.  The sooner we are out of here the better."

never comes to mind...


Borimer pushes back on the horror of decaying flesh until Kahan cures the affliction through the power of his god. Borimer stands back up, thanks his friend, and then moves to the severed piece of Demon Prince flesh (and presumably, hoof). He smiles with grim satisfaction and wipes off the worst of the ichor from the Godslayer. He sheathes his blade and picks up the unholy foot of Demogorgon. He places it in bag.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:17, Sun 13 Nov 2016.