NPCed


Once he'd recovered from the last effects of the mental domination, Garel came around to spread healing magic, and he was rather apologetic about it. "I- I am sorry for my actions. My mind and body were not mine to command. I should have been stronger." he said with shame in his voice.

Being the most wounded from the girallon's mighty fists, Balrok received the most healing, but Garel shared some around to everyone. Gurgun had gone easy on him in his efforts to subdue, and the priest could live with his bruises, with a sense of penance. "And now I am all out of magic. I will head back to the orc camp, but if you feel up to it, you might visit the final tower and find where the portals are controlled. It seems we've broken the back of undead horde now, so there can't be much left to deal with."


OOC:
Balrok: healed 24 hp (2x cure moderate wounds)
Gurgun: healed 8 hp (1x cure light wounds)
Slove: healed 11 hp (1x cure light wounds)
Jorn: healed 4 hp (4x cure minor wounds) (added to bio-line)

Gurgun wants to get this over with; let's go! Gurgun looks around one final time for any hidden doors or dangers before making his way up the staits again.

Balrok will walk side by side with Gurgun, checking anything that looks suspicious for traps.

Slove and Jorn had nothing against this, so they party was agreed on this course of action.

Before they left, Duladora popped in to see what had happened, and soon left when she saw the mangled brain of the dread Mourel Duskwalker. It had been a long, drawn out epilogue to the tale of that ancient tyrant, but they all hoped that this was his final end.

On the way back, Garel departed to inform Thraka of these developments. The orc chief was pleased with this, and mobilized his forces to begin the evacuation. All they needed now was the adventurers to activate the portal, if they could.

Bridge E
Time Unknown

They stood at the Nexus between the three bridges, looking out onto the third, which lead to the building that Duladora identified as the Portal Control Centre. They were the heart of any Star Elf citadel, she explained "...and they're usually heavily guarded. When the High Mages cut the Night Realm away from Sildëyuir, they would have disconnected it from their portal network as well. But they missed one, to the Stone Circle we entered through. Hopefully we can gain control over it."

Looming before them was an ominous inverted pyramid, which seemed set to topple over in the powerful winds. Its eight sides rose from a slim base to a massive platform topped by a great transparent dome, brightly lit from within. Just about glimpsed through it was a straight-edged glass replica of the stone circle they'd entered through back in the Yuirwood, so long ago.

Heavily guarded? Balrok better stay back while Gurgun scouts. Gurgun moves forward with usual speed and grace. He still held his sling loaded with a magic stone in hand.

OOC: Hustles towards tower attempting to make as little noise as possible

OOC: Roll Move Silently, Listen, Spot

OOC: 12:44, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 26 using 1d20+7. Spot.
12:44, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 16 using 1d20+7. Listen.
12:43, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 20 using 1d20+5. Move silently, full speed.

Balrok grumbles under his breath about being left behind, but doesn't try to follow.  He instead decides to sharpen his axe -- hacking through undead gorilla isn't the best thing for its edge.  He glares suspiciously at the orc chief out of habit, and keeps an eye on Muley as the orcs prepare the evacuation.

Jorn holds behind, next to his brother dwarf. While Balrok sharpens his axe, Jorn hefts a smaller throwing hammer in his hand while eyeing the surroundings of the monk.

[Private to DM BadCatMan: Jorn readies an action to throw a hammer at any enemy that might attempt to ambush Gurgun]

Gurgun crept across the bridge, and everything seemed to be fine and safe. Until something judged that he'd gone far enough, and the glass span began to shake.

With an ear-splitting squeal of glass on glass, shapes rose up out of the floor, thin wedges elongating into long tentacular shapes that began to whip around, always with the screeching of glass.

One erupted before Gurgun and tried to coil about his arm, but it missed him. Another slammed at his back, but he avoided the blow. [T1 touch attack 9 (1), miss. T2 slam attack 11, miss.]

Then a monstrous, many-facted humanoid form emerged before him with a great glassy roar. Its mouth was a maw of razor-sharp shards of broken glass, its head a crown of jagged spikes. It was transparent, but lit from within with a soft blue glow. Its legs melded with the glass itself, but powerful arms ending in heavy fists swung freely - once and twice at Gurgun, but the fast-moving monk ducked the powerful limbs. [G slam attacks 12, 13]

Two more tentacles extruded before those waiting at the end of the bridge, one snaking around Balrok's foot to hold tight and throw off his balance. They were working in tandem, for the next pounded him in the arm. [T3 touch attack 15, hit, Grapple check 29, unbeatable. Balrok is Grappled. T4 slam attack 19, damage 7 @ Balrok]

OOC: That was the surprise round. Jorn, you may take your ready action as you please, then act as normal.



Round 1:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
S: Slove
J: Jorn Brightcaller
B: Balrok

G: Glass Monster
1, 2, 3, 4: Glass Tentacles (can be attacked)

Effects:

Balrok Grappled

Initiative:
11 - Jorn
14 - Balrok
12 - Slove
 8 - Gurgun
 4 - Glass Monster & Tentacles
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:45, Wed 10 Nov 2010.

Oghma protect us! Guardian, these are the new lords of this realm; Mourel is slain and you shall let us pass! Gurgun calls out.

OOC: Roll Diplomacy. And speak in Elven. And being Star Elves would help. :p

OOC: Diplomacy 17

OOC: You don't speak Elven. Ah, it's also a mindless construct, so I assume Diplomacy won't work anyway.

Wait, what?  I thought Gorgun was scouting and Balrok had been ordered to stay behind...

In reply to Balrok (msg #311): you did stay behind; check the map. I'm all alone up there.

Deciding that squeezed between the tentacles was not the best place to be Gurgun takes a step closer to the towering construct, and slams his knee and elbow hard into the glassy being.

OOC: 00:31, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 10 using 1d8+3. Damage 2.
00:30, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 17 using 1d20+6. FoB 2.
00:30, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 4 using 1d8+3. Damage 1.
00:30, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 23 using 1d20+6. FoB 1.

Has anyone got a shatter spell memorized?

OOC: Yes, Gurgun went ahead and the rest of stayed at the end of the bridge, where you are now. It's a fairly long-range effect, however, covering the entire bridge.

If anyone has got shatter, don't forget that [sonic] spells are amplified in this plane.

Mid-Round Update:

It was like pounding a wall, but Gurgun's knee and fist impacted solidly with the glass construct, causing a spider web of cracks to burst upon its surface where he connected. [Gurgun hits and deals damage]

Updates:

Gurgun in D11

Glass Monster slightly damaged

Initiative:
11 - Jorn
14 - Balrok
12 - Slove
 8 - Gurgun
 4 - Glass Monster

"I knew it!" roared Jorn, as her hurled his axe overarm at the creature. His patience and wariness paid off: the axe struck true despite the distance between the two;

15:21, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 7 using 1d6+3. Damage.
15:21, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 26 using 1d20+6. Throwing Axe Ranged Attack. (OOC: Dang construct immunities! Also, forgot to apply distance penalties, but don't think it matters =/)

Not wasting a moment, the dwarf pulled out the chain wrapped around his waist, charging forward and hurling its spiked tip into the creature's hide. His thoughts raced as the battlemage fought, trying to recall what he knew of the guardian and its potential abilities.
0:43, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 8 using 1d8+4. Morningstar Damage.
15:27, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 29 using 1d20+9. Morningstar

15:26, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 19 using 1d20+14. Identify Creature and Weaknesses.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:43, Wed 10 Nov 2010.

Mid-Round Update:

The axe slid off one facet of the glass tendril, barely more than scraping it. But the morningstar did better, caving into its side and gouging a hole as broken shards came loose. [Jorn: axe does 2 damage, morningstar does 8]

Updates:

Gurgun in D11

Glass Monster slightly damaged
T4 moderately damaged

Initiative:
11 - Jorn
14 - Balrok
12 - Slove
 8 - Gurgun
 4 - Glass Monster & Tentacles

Balrok draws his warhammer and smashes the nearby glass tentacle threatening Jorn.

This may be a crit, I don't know the AC.  I rolled damage separate -- I think I did it right.  I'm so used to 4E now I'm forgetting the rules for crits in 3.5.

11:21, Today: Balrok rolled 13 using 1d8+5. Crit hammer damage.
11:21, Today: Balrok rolled 7 using 1d8+5. Normal Hammer damage.
11:21, Today: Balrok rolled 18 using 1d20+10. Confirm crit.
11:20, Today: Balrok rolled 30 using 1d20+10. Hammer Attack.

OOC: No crit for hitting constructs...

By the way, is each square 5 feet?  So Gurgun is about 20 feet ahead of us?

OOC: Yup... one mean hobgoblin, all alone.

OOC: Hammers do x3 damage, so if you had critted, you'd roll another set of damage. And yes, 5 feet. My advice: stop playing 4e. :p

Ah, and you were grappled back in last round, meaning you can't use your hammer. Eh, I can't be bothered going back and correcting. You're free, for now.


Balrok's hammer blow nearly destroyed the glass tentacle, but enough of it remained to be a threat. [Balrok: does 7 damage to T4]

Slove dropped his bow and drew his sword and in one smooth action, chopped it through what remained of the tentacle, shattering it into a million shards. [Slove NPCed. Attack 21, damage 14-5=9, destroys T4]

The glass monster didn't mourn this loss, but it did react, and opened its jagged maw wide. Suddenly a hail of glass shards flew out, slicing through unprotected flesh. [Shardcaster casts shards. Attacks: Gurgun 24, Balrok 15, Jorn 9, Slove 17. Balrok takes 10 damage, Gurgun takes 8 damage]

The other tentacles followed up swiftly, with one slamming down on Balrok's head (again!) and another wrapping around Gurgun and trying to crush him. [T3 slam attack Balrok, attack 17, damage 9. T1 touch attack Gurgun 22, GC 31, damage 8.]

But the one in the middle waved helplessly about, unable to reach Gurgun or move anywhere.


Round 2:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
S: Slove
J: Jorn Brightcaller
B: Balrok

G: Glass Monster
1, 2, 3: Glass Tentacles (can be attacked)

Effects:

Balrok Grappled

Initiative:
11 - Jorn
14 - Balrok
12 - Slove
 8 - Gurgun
 4 - Glass Monster & Tentacles