Balrok moves forward at Gargun's side, axe and shield in hand, ready to strike at the first sign of treachery from the elf--and Balrok is certain of treachery.

As Jorn wandered up the stairs to fetch Thraka, Gurgun and Balrok marched forward to meet the legendary Mourel the Duskwalker. Together their darkvision pierced the ancient gloom, bringing into view the deathless tyrant.

The aeons had not been kind.

The hulking, furry form they'd glimpsed was a great gorilla-like thing, grey-skinned with moldering white fur that hung in straggly clumps, around patches of bare rotten flesh. Four powerful arms emerged from its torso, two of which safely clutched to its belly a large glass jar, filled with murky water. In this a grey shrivelled lump floated and bobbed. It was a brain.



I may not be as handsome as once I was, but as you can see my brain and intellect are fresh and powerful as ever! The voice whispered, and it was surely coming from the brain. They weren't hearing the sound, the words were being inserted directly into their minds.


OOC: If I had my way, the girallon zombie would have its head replaced by the brain jar. :D

Combat seems inevitable at this point, but I'll start it later. Roll Init. If you beat 12 you may act. See Areas #48 and #49 in the map thread for a sense of the area (you're around the stairs, Mourel & Friend are at the other end).

Initiative:
12 - Undead Girallon
 3 - Brain

Init 20

OOC: Just posting battle details and map. I've rolled Inits for the rest of you.

Round 1:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
S: Slove
G: Garel Aster
J: Jorn Brightcaller (upstairs)
B: Balrok

M: Mourel The Duskwalker & Friend

Effects:

Initiative: green - you may act
20 - Slove
20 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
19 - Balrok
18 - Garel
12 - Undead Girallon
 3 - The Brain Of Mourel The Duskwalker
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:06, Tue 07 Sept 2010.

Mourel don't need dead ape anymore. Mourel has Gurgun now. Let ape rest and peace return to elf-plane.

OOC: Diplomacy 15

Did Jorn wander far?  Balrok wouldn't have let him go--that was Balrok's overriding concern, keeping the group together.

OOC: Jorn's player only has access on weekends, so we planned for him to wander back in a maybe two rounds. Your last post had you stepping forward with Gurgun. If you want to hurry back for Jorn, you could have him back a round earlier, but you wouldn't be doing much in it.


A hint of surprise edged into the toneless voice. Oh? You wish to serve as my mount? That is good. Come closer...

Sense motive (25)

"Jorn!  Get yer ass back here!  This chimp-fer-brains ain't lettin' us leave without a fight, an' it's startin' soon!"  Balrok glances at Gargun, wondering how the monk would take it if he simply charged the chimp-brain.

Does Balrok have any idea of how Gurgun would react if Balrok struck first?

OOC: Roll Sense Motive on Gurgun: 20 will get you a hunch something's up with him, 25 to sense an enchantment. Or you could ask him. :)


[Private to Gurgun Nightwhisper: Given that his existing 'mount' was a rotting zombie, this didn't seem like a good idea...]

Gurgun whispers to Balrok, hoping Mourel wouldn't hear: Stay fast, Balrok. We destroy ape, Gurgun will try and grapple it to remove brain jar; it should give Balrok and Slove opportunity to slay dead-that-walk.
Louder he replies to Mourel No. Order ape to set Mourel down, then destroy it so that Gurgun can pick up brain-jar safely.
the sling re-appears in Gurgun's hand, armed with one of the blessed stones.

OOC: ready action: fire stone at gorillon if it moves towards group. And if isn't clear from above Gurgun tries to hold back Balrok hoping to draw the gorillon closer before engaging in battle.

Balrok nods warily at the monk's instructions not to attack, but he does not take his eyes off the chimp, and keeps his axe ready.

Mourel was dubious. And why should I let a faithful servant be destroyed? I would be a poor master if I allowed that.

"This is getting us nowhere." Slove growled and raised his a bow, an arrow nocked. He left the shaft fly, and the head glanced off the glass jar, causing a crack. [Slove NPCed. Attack 24, damage 5 @ Mourel]

Fools! the brain hissed in outrage. Dead or alive, you will serve me! Attack them! The four-armed gorilla didn't do anything however, not yet.

Suddenly several feet of hard wood was cracked over Gurgun's head, sending him spinning. Turning, he saw Garel in some kind of daze, and readying for another assault.
As you see, I have already found a new servant. Mourel cackled. [Garel Dominated. Attack 26, rolled a 20. Critical confirm 14, fail. Damage 3 @ Gurgun]

Advance! Mourel spurred his girallon zombie into motion, and it made its ponderous way forwards. Stop! It came to halt at the mouth of the corridor, where its rotten bulk blocked all passage past.

The brain, sloshing around in its tank, shone with an eerie purple glow, and Balrok's own mind began to be wracked with agonies and madness. Ha! Ha! Ha! [Balrok, make Will save DC 16 or take 13 damage]

Round 2:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
S: Slove
J: Jorn Brightcaller (upstairs)
B: Balrok

Big G: Undead Girallon & Mourel The Duskwalker
G: Garel Aster (dominated)

Effects:

Initiative:
20 - Slove
20 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
19 - Balrok
18 - Garel
12 - Undead Girallon
 3 - The Brain Of Mourel The Duskwalker

Balrok bursts into a rage as he sees the fight is heading for combat.  "Now we're talkin'!" he roars.  He shakes off the assault on his mind and charges the brain-in-a-jar-carried-by-huge-evil-monkey, swinging down at it with his axe.  His axe glances off the jar (I think), but the dwarf places himself firmly between himself and his comrades, shield raised.  "No charmin' me, chimp-fer-brains--ya ain't me type.  Now, on the other hand, ye and me axe might get along real well, heh heh heh."


NOTE:  I rolled a 17 to attack, rather than a 15, if I'm remembering right that Charge is a +2 bonus--I forgot to add that in.  I'm still guessing that misses.

12:53, Today: Balrok rolled 12 using 1d10+7. damage.
12:53, Today: Balrok rolled 15 using 1d20+12. Attack v. Brain-in-jar.
12:20, Today: Balrok rolled 17 using 1d20+9. Will save (raging).

RAGE, Bio Line 1:  Init +0, AC 15 / same / 8
RAGE, Bio Line 2:  HP 80/80, Saves +12/+1/+9
This message was last edited by the player at 17:10, Fri 10 Sept 2010.

Gurgun goes for Garel instead, trying to stun him: still dazed by the blow however he feels clumsy and unbalanced.

18:52, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 9 using 1d8+3. Damage. (non-lethal)
18:51, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 14 using 1d20+7. Unarmed strike/Stunning fist.

Get your sword out and help Balrok! I'll hold down Garel! Gurgun roars at Slove, knowing the weakness of zombies against slashing weapons by this time.

Assign dodge to Garel
This message was last edited by the player at 18:44, Fri 10 Sept 2010.

OOC: I forgot to explain: the Brain (tiny) and the Girallon (large) occupy the same space, but you can target them separately. The Girallon holds the Brain Jar, and gives it Cover.

Balrok, you hadn't Raged before the spell, thus you can't use your improved Will save to resist it (unless you have an immediate Rage ability). It seems you failed.

Also, monkeys are not apes, and chimps are not gorillas. :p

Mid-Round Update:

Balrok barreled into the undead girallon, and it slammed a meaty first down on his head, juddering his bones. But he was a dwarf and that was his strongest body part, for Balrok more than others, and he soon shrugged it off. [Girallon: AoO, attack 30, damage 13 @ Balrok]

But the girallon quick moved the jar away, and Balrok's axe blade narrowly missed it. [Balrok: attack vs brain misses]

Garel might have been a cleric, but he was no stranger to the fighting ability of a monk himself, and he easily dodged Gurgun's blow. [Gurgun misses]

Updates:

Balrok Charged to H5

Initiative:
20 - Slove
20 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
19 - Balrok
18 - Garel (dominated)
12 - Undead Girallon
 3 - The Brain Of Mourel The Duskwalker

OK.  I was trying to interpret the init order and thought I had time.  Since Slove acted before me on the Init order, and Balrok acted before the monsters, I thought Balrok would have time to rage after Slove fired at the brain and before the brain attacked.  But maybe that was just a "story combat start" and the monsters got to act first.

OOC: That was the first round, but you and Gurgun spent the whole time talking. :) In the Init list, PCs who are green can go in any order (I respond in updates according to either init order or whatever reads best as a narrative), but anyone I have to NPC goes last.

And don't forget to update your hitpoints.

Jorn returns to see the room in chaos. Most startingly of all however, was Gurgun suddenly engaging Garel. A quick look showed him the brain, the undead Girallon, and comprehension dawned on Jorn's scaled face as the fuzziness from earlier faded away, leaving only rage;

OOC: Assuming Alter Self still in effect...

"Mind control!" snarled the dwarf, "and on me'n my friends too! By Moradin's Axe I shall not forgive yer, you unnatural, foul creature..."

Pulling a wand from his waist the dwarf rushed over to Gurgun, quickly tracing a circle around the monk's head. There was a faint glow as the circle took shape and the warding sealed itself around Gurgun's mind.

[Move] To, draw wand
[Standard] Cast Protection from Evil on Gurgun

Jorn trotted down the stairs and past the melee with the possessed Garel, who pushed out his staff in attempt to strike him, but missed. [Garel AoO: attack 9, miss]

Reaching the hobgoblin, Jorn cast his protective ward, and Gurgun found his mind cleared of strange compulsions. [Gurgun: suggestion suppressed]

Slove was loathe to leave Gurgun alone to face and attempt to subdue Garel, but it was more important to deal with the undead horrors. With a scowl he tossed aside his bow and marched past, drawing his greatsword. Following close behind Balrok, he hacked his sword at the girallon zombie. [Slove NPCed. Drops bow, draws sword, moves to H4, attack 26, damage 12 @ Girallon

For his troubles, the girallon returned with a bone-shaking slam from one of its free arms. [Girallon: slam attack 26, damage 14 @ Slove, included in bio]

Keeping Gurgun at bay with the butt of his sphere, Garel prayed to Mystra, and was filled with her favour - if only the goddess could see this distant realm and what her servant was forced to put her blessing to. He moved behind Jorn, to disrupt the wizard's own spells. [Garel: defensive casting, Concentration 21, success. Casts divine favour. Moves to K5]

Meanwhile, Mourel's brain seemed to glare at Balrok, and again his mind was assaulted with wracking headaches. [Balrok, make Will save DC 16 or take 11 damage]

Round 3:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
S: Slove
J: Jorn Brightcaller (upstairs)
B: Balrok

G: Undead Girallon
M: Mourel The Duskwalker
G: Garel Aster (dominated)

Effects:

Initiative:
20 - Slove
20 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
19 - Balrok
18 - Garel
12 - Undead Girallon
 3 - The Brain Of Mourel The Duskwalker

Balrok pays no attention to the mental assaults; his mind is not so much prepared to mentally defend itself as so stubborn that it is like trying to mentally blast a stone.  He instead roars and attacks the overgrown chimp.

12:31, Today: Balrok rolled 21 using 1d20+11. Will save (rage, spell).
12:29, Today: Balrok rolled 9 using 1d10+7. Monkey damage.
12:28, Today: Balrok rolled 31 using 1d20+12. Attack vs. Monkey.

Gurgun tries to grab Garel, but it's a clumsy attempt doomed to fail.

OOC: Tries to initiate a grapple, Melee touch 9

Mid-Round Update:

Balrok slashed his axe across the gorilla-monster's leg, opening up the moldy rug of its hide and but slowing it not in the least. [Balrok hits, deals full damage]

Updates:

Girallon slightly damaged

Initiative:
20 - Slove
20 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
19 - Balrok
18 - Garel (dominated)
12 - Undead Girallon
 3 - The Brain Of Mourel The Duskwalker

Jorn decides to hold back this round, given the cramped space of the corridor. Instead, the dwarf taps Balrok's shoulder with his wand, causing a faint aura to appear around the other dwarf;

OOC: Would a disarm attempt on the Gillaron work to knock the brain out of its hands?


[Standard] Cast protection from evil on Balrok as well.