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It is a happy half-orc that sees the grak-grak collapse decapitated to it's knees. Only now does it become truly obvious that it was a construction of many limbs and components of other people. It fascinated him that anyone could put so much effort and investigation into the dead.

With the dwarf squawking new holy curses Haynuus was relieved once more yet it was Ameena that now required their help. She looked in a bad way. Perhpas, he imagined, back to her natural state of 'survival of the pack' and throwing yourself at the enemy until the sheer weight of your allies numbers would change the fate of the final battle, yet readily sacrificing yourself.

There was no room for a bull rush, and the idea of grappling the grak-grak to get it away from Ameena was his circlet's suggestion... Or maybe just a couple of thwacks with his sword would do it? (1d20+13=24, 2d6+4=13, 1d20+8=13, 2d6+4=12)

Through the haze of pain, Ameena could recognise that her two pin-prick stabs of the grak-grak's flesh seemed to have widened, smoldering from the holy effect of the potion. Sadly, the last stab - though it did connect - did not seem to distract the grak-grak from her friends. It flicked a leg absentmindedly in her direction but otherwise did not take her on.

Haynuus's mad dash at the grak-grak was met by a scream and talons. The half-orc's first blow connected, but his patented follow up move was blocked by a powerful punch to the face. Blood flowed into Haynuus's eyes for a moment, although at least his circlet stayed firmly squashed to his head.


Haynuus takes 14 damage!


Deephold started at Petal's speech beside him. Any hesitation he might have had was cut short by the oozing of his terrible wound. He took the offered potion, and splashed it quickly onto his wound in triage.

However, something strange happened, and Deephold yelled as there was a visible steaming of his wounds. The dwarf staggered, yet when the steam disappeared his wound was as if it had never been. HAd it been the offering of blood, in good faith, to the power of VI?

Further to the strange occurence, Deephold's eyes seemed to hold a strange understanding when he looked to the pixie. "I..I forgive you," he stuttered. Seemingly aware of the situation, and caught unawares by the magics he had just felt, Deephold quickly rushed for his mace now that it was free to be plucked up.

At the distraction, the grak-grak did not press its attack on Haynuus, but instead took a step backwards. As if doubling over in pain, the grak-grak hunched and contracted into itself. There was a sickening blending of arms and legs, and the thing's flesh became fluid for a moment.

However, after that moment passed, a disturbing sight was beheld. The thing it had turned into was deformed, as if too fat for its skin. The diminuitive figure was bulbous, as if on the point of bursting, and tottered back and forth on its grotesquely swollen feet.

However, what was most disturbing was the glimmer of familiarity in the features. The group were now staring at a close to exploding gnome. And to those who had met him before, the face of Soorec was unmistakable even when inflated like a balloon.

With a pleasant small grin that threatened to split its face open, the faux gnome looked around at the group. Then with theatrically knotted eyebrows, the figure flicked a sausage-like finger back and forward, in a universal 'no' action.


And there we go, round over! To explain the potion thing, I rolled a 17 for the 3d6 healing. I thought such a good roll, but the nice blood RP deserved some respect. And so Deephold's subtle distrust of Petal got reversed with a temporary empathy indced by the powerful potion

Also, funny Ameena scored a 3 then 2 then 1 for damage rolls there, and scored three damage rolls in a row!

Right, so there we go. You now perhaps know why grak-graks don't usually duplicate small creatures. The reason it doesn't duplicate people like Aldur (who isn't properly a small sized creature) is something else. And also, you now know that you got Soorec's attention. This might not be a good thing! Also, what happens if a grak-grak remotely pretends to be a creature? How can you fight it? Ameena's current experimentations might hold the key, or they might be a dead end. Who knows

Map:

Ameena pauses for a moment, staring at the grak-grak. She wonders whether killing the grak-grak will kill Soorec - after all, the grak-grak has definitely been wounded, while she has no reason to believe that Soorec has been. Therefore, she reasons, maybe any damage done to the grak-grak, while in this form, won't be enough to kill Soorec provided that too much damage isn't done.
Or at least, that's what she hopes.
With little else to do, and with the bulging, mostly gnome-shaped grak-grak currently ignoring her, she pushes through her own pain for long enough to rise herself as high as she can and upend the last of the healing potion onto the creature's bulbous head.

OOC - So that's, I think, the remaining 2d6 of Westian's healing potion gone, leaving Ameena with two empty flasks and no potions. So hopefully she won't take too much damage out of this 'cause she's gonna need a hand to top up her hp . In case an attack roll is needed for pouring the potion, I roll 15 (7+8), or 17 (7+8+2) if I have a flanking bonus.

Petal looks horrified at the nasty mutated creature. You sure like gross copies of NPCs, dear beo. "That is what!?" she yells to any of her companions within earshot. She thought she had grasped the concept of these being, but this...thing...was on par with the worm-bikas she had seen in her imprisonment. What should she do? She had assumed this thing copied her friends and caused them to get hurt. But what was this horrible bloated thing? Should she hurt it? What if it was another friend that wasnt here right now.

She decides to hold off on attacking or moving until she has a better grasp of her situation

Petal delays. Oh, what did Deephold do with the flask, too?

Haynuus saw with disgust the sight beholden to him (OOC - Yes that means your imagination as well, Beo!) yet even his orc-blood inside of him knew that they were things that were unnatural and, perhaps obviously for an orc, must be destroyed. His human side was open to morbid curiosity, however, and when Ameena started to unscrew the topper off the VI Potion he knew exactly what she would do. The gnomes form of rotting flesh suited him, although he dare not move close for the smell was too strong. The stubby finger gesture deserved a response, however, before they were left with Ameena's gloopy pool of overripe corpses.

"We saw your twisted elf mage friend, and he will do you no more harm. He is trapped forever, unless they can get the prison cell open without the key." It was then he saw with satisfaction what Ameena was doing with the VI Potion. The wicked wizard may well have a fate which involves melting and screaming.

OOC - Lol Ian - remember that Soorec dying is a bad thing, due to the fact it makes his grak-graks go utterly berserk as there's no longer anyone controlling them. Ameena is hoping that because the grak-grak has already been wounded, even though it's now taken (or rather, attempted to take) Soorec's form, damage enough to kill it won't quite be enough to finish off the gnome as well because she presumes him to basically be at full health. And she didn't need to "unscrew the stopper" from the flask (though I've always presumed they have a cork rather than a screw-top) because she'd already opened it about two turns ago in order to use it on her knife . Actually, I've forgotten the exact sequence of events by which she's managed to use both her potions...I know she poured 1d6 of the first potion onto her blade and used it on the grak-grak, then poured the remaining 2d6 onto Deephold. Then she started on the second flask and I think used another 1d6 of that on the grak-grak which then wounded her (before it got ganked by Haynuus) or something, then lashed out with no potion on her blade in her last attack - she's now dumping the remaining 2d6 of potion onto the head of the Soorec-ish grak-grak in the hopes it'll have some kind of effect ultimately beneficial to the party .

Deephold kept the flask for now And aww, why do people not like my wonderful NPC thingies? Yeah, I admit, it's a cheap and easy way to create something crotesque is fool with a recogniseable NPC. So sue me! Hey, I made Chaos cute, there is balance in the world.


Ameena's gambit did not seem to pay off. There wasa slight hiss from somewhere, but the grak-grak did not react more than pushing the emptied flask away. The flicker of strange emotion on the face could have been distortion as much as anger.

"What is this?" hissed Deephold, gripping his mace as if a security blanket, instead of the powerful ward it should be. "Is Soorec one of those creatures?"

Before the distended gnome could do anything though, nor Deephold be answered, Haynuus's voice rang out. The fake Soorec stood as tall as possible, wobbling a little. It's eyebrow shot up, making its eye bulge out, and its face almost split open with the recogniseable grin of the gnome.

Ok, ok, I'll stop :p

In the odd silence, there was a flash of green and the butterfly returned from wherever it had been. It settled on the still slowly dissolving body of the other grak-grak. It settled on the neck, forming a strange head. It twitched its feet, as if rubbing them together.

The fake Soorec had apparently missed the butterfly's return. Instead, with a final look to Ameena, the grinning gnome suddenly exploded out. However, instead of a gross explosion, the blob of it seemed to unfurl and in an eye twisting moment the shape resolved into a figure stretching from a crouch. Petal could once more be forgiven for not knowing the far more normal human face that was revealed. Ameena and Haynuus both recognised the figure. It was up to Deephold, however, to put a name to the face in the shocked silence.

"Helm! The thing's turned into Helm! What sorcery is this!"

Helm grinned a grin that belonged more to the departed gnome than the human thief the group had met before. Certainly the unpleasant smile was not something they had seen on Helm's face either.

'Helm' extended a hand, looked to each member of the group in turn, and then slowly curled a finger repeatedly in beckoning. It stepped backwards, still smiling.


And with that, I declare the weekend here! Still, if you guys are all around, then I guess we'll continue on as normal (I'm not planning on going into work, unless it's briefly on Sunday)

What to do then guys?

"Uyyy. Whuuyyy. This is bad." Very bad, his circlet suggested. If he understood correctly the evil twisted gnome wanted them to follow the Helm construct, whom they now couldn't or at least shouldn't kill. What to do? If Westian was here they'd chat amongst themselves and come to a reasoned conclusion and consensus but the brainier part of the team was elsewhere. "I don't think I can hit him?" he quietly hissed to the dwarf. It was then he remembered that Deephold did in fact know the thief called Helm. It was Helm who was supposed to have lead the Dwarf down here into the dungeon and steer him away from danger to which he had very obviously failed... "Can I?" Also, wasn't Helm supposed to have actually escaped by now? "Should I?" Maybe he's back in a town already and a little teleported-concussion might keep him out of mischief for a while. "Even just a little bit?"

Ameena stares in shock as the grak-grak takes on the semblance of a figure she recognises, but up till now had temporarily forgotten due to her messed-up memories.
"But...but I..." she begins, not quite sure what to say. She remembers how she and Helm parted company, and can't quite figure out what must have happened to him in the intervening time that Soorec now chooses to have a grak-grak take on his form.
She also realises that, though her natural social instincts are almost trying to tell her otherwise, there'll be no point in saying to this grak-grak anything she wants to say to the real Helm, because...well, because this isn't him.
"Does this mean Helm is with Soorec?" she asks the grak-grak, not really sure whether the creature is capable of answering.
At least, she presumes, she can be sure of one thing - that Helm is still alive. At least, for now.

Petal looks at the faces of her companions. They look shocked, angry, and confused. But they dont seem to be attacking anymore. So, with a thought she releases the mana that is whispering around her, singing its elemental Songs in her ears. It leaves her with a quiet mental song goodbye and as always, she feels slightly bereft. As if the time she was holding it, she was indeed one with the Forces of Nature and understood the mysteries of life. Now she is just tiny Petal again, not the sorceress with eyes of fire who has the forces of nature at her beck and call.

She shakes her head, clearing her ruminations from her mind and looks around again. She hears Ameena's high pitched voice ask the disgusting creature about a helm. And a word she doesnt recognize, Sore-ik. Maybe it was a name. Perhaps thats what these people were looking for, a magic helm. Well, she wasnt going to attack if they werent. Last thing she needed was that...creature...coming after her.

"Follow him, we do?" she asks her companions.

OOC - Raixel, you may want to refer to the following post as it contains Ameena's already-given explanation of grak-graks and Soorec - http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/vie ... 20#p118454

Deephold shook himself enough to answer, "no, we cannot. Fex was obviously the one who betrayed myself and...and Umgold. At worst, Helm surcumbed to his fears, and there are far far worse things in this world to be accused of. We cannot harm this man." Deephold looked to his mace and the fake Helm, as if gauging if Larethian's power could break the strange link causing this manifestation.

Certainly, Deephold did not look as if he were going suggest such a thing as follow the creature, though, in response to Petal's question. ThoughInstead he took a step sideways as if to protect her from the creature.

'Helm must be with Soorec, he must be alive,' whispered Haynuus's circlet to the half-orc in response to Ameena's question.

The grinning grak-grak nodded slowly, andd his beckoning became more insistant.


While it looks cut and dried, your options aren't actually that limited right now. Still, since you guys did agree to stop Dolo, since you've just said he's stopped, and since as far as you know Farel and Aldur's wellbeing might still rely on your deal, and also the butterfly returned, then it might not be the worst thing. Maybe.

OOC - Aldur? Dont you mean Ardur?

BIC - Thinking things over, Ameena looks up at the Helm-grak-grak. She puts her head to one side, though winces as her every movement causes pain to shoot through her from the wound in her back.
"Are you trying to lead us back to Soorec?" she asks. "I can see we have reason to go, but I'd prefer not to just yet. Not without Westian and Aurek."
She also looks over to the petal-dancer, to see if the little creature will give her any clues as to what the grak-grak (and therefore Soorec) currently intends.

Petal has a lot of trouble understanding Ameena due to her switching topics and rapid speech. So the way I play her is that she really only understands a third of whats actually said to her. Proper names, ect are very odd for her to understand and translate. Unless she can see the being and makes a direct connection between the name and the being, names are just odd sounds as her people follow completely different naming conventions. And coming from an isolated people who only dealt with a few human traders and sylvan races, she knows very little of gnomes, orcs, murafu, ect. So its not suprising she doesnt know who Soorec is. And a helm as far as she knows is something you wear.

Petal whispers quietly to Deephold. "A spell I have. To make a trail of I go where to follow, it does. Cast it I could, the creature we could follow. Or, if a parchment you have, a map we could draw. Then, to back here we could go if not to be trusted these beings are. And, honestly, Not to be trusted they are I think."

Cool RP. And yes, Ameena has definitely established she rabbits on far to fast for the uninitiated to follow at times Oh, and Petal doens't actually have magic footprints, she has magical sight instead. Unless you meant to make the swap on ressurection.


The helm figure nods slowly once more, its grin not fading. It only twists wider when Ameena mentions Aurek and Westian. The creature pauses as if for affect, and then beckons once more.

The butterfly stops rubbing itself on the neck of the dead grak-grak, and alights to move across to side on Ameena's shoulder once more. As if on cue, the dead grak-grak then falls over sideways, a leg coming away.

The is the faintest of twitches on the face of Helm.

Meanwhile, Deephold responds to Petal. "I can find my way underground no matter where we go," he says definiteively. He taps his head. "A dwarf never forgets." However, he does not look any more convinced about following the creature.


Just need to wait for Ian to throw his comments in, and then you guys can all come to a consensus - stay or go?

"If we must go, then it'll be with my sword in hand." He then explains to Deephold and Petal about the twisted gnome and how they made an agreement, under duress, to go to an evil elf mage. These things were the gnome's creation, that he was someone completely lacking in remorse or empathy. He duplicated Ameena's comment that Helm, a human thief, was probably very close to the gnome or at least one of his minions.

"In fact, what ever we decide... I think I'll carry a sword just in case, like."

He pondered for a moment and realised how far they had gone since last they met the gnome. "You never know. If we follow it maybe we get lucky and get attacked by trolins or something."

OOC - I think Ameena made the same mistake the first time she heard Helm's name too, with regard to it being something people wear on their heads .
The following post assumes Ameena didn't quite hear what Petal and Deephold were whispering about, since she's presumably still standing in a flanking position from the combat and therefore is on the opposite side of the grak-grak from everyone else. And covered in blood, again, aawwww she only recently got herself clean, lol.

BIC - "Well, we won't get lost." says Ameena to the others. "I can smell the way back, wherever we end up going. But..."
She looks up at the grak-grak again. Somehow it seems to be implying that it wants them to follow it because of Westian and Aurek. Maybe the creature knows where they are? Or at least, maybe Soorec does. Though perhaps those two facts are one and the same.
"I suppose we should go." she says, a little reluctantly.
She has noted the return of the petal-dancer to her shoulder, and has taken that to imply that they at least don't need to try and run away or fight again just yet. The pain in her back is very severe, however, and she returns the knife to her belt in order to attempt to reach around and groom herself, though it's somewhat difficult as any kind of movement she makes in order to twist around causes further pain, and there's so much blood she realises it will probably be rather difficult to clean up as it is.

Cha. Why in my notes does it say magic footprints but on the board it says magic wall see. I think I meant to switch. Oh well, no biggie. I'm wondering if the look thru wall spell will ever have a use in this game, I suppose I should look thru doors w/it.

Petal puts her face close to the butterfly. She feels the little 'OH' puffs coming off of its wings every time they move. Then she looks at Ameena. "Ameena, murafu. Know you if friend yours, go it wants to, the direction that is the same as the grak-grak?" she asks very quietly hoping the grak-grak doesnt have enhnaced hearing, while pointing to the butterfly.

She turns to the main group. "Personally, a bad idea I think it is, the horrible being to follow. But, if go you all want to, go I shall with you." she says to everyone.

Ameena looks at Petal, who has come near.
"The grak-grak is in the shape of a friend of mine, whom I...left behind, a while ago."
Somehow, the words are difficult to say - she rather feels as though she abandoned Helm to his fate, though she also doesn't really see how she can have done anything else, given the circumstances, and she realises, now, how she managed to forget about him - the same way she's forgotten so many things recently, and her thoughts are even now continuing to put themselves back together again.
"If we hurt the grak-grak, we hurt Helm. That's his name - my friend. Maybe that soldier brought him to Soorec, or maybe Soorec came and found them, or...or something."
She looks at the petal-dancer, which doesn't seem particularly fazed at the presence of the grak-grak.
"If you want us to go somewhere else," she whispers to it, as quietly as she can, "I hope you'll show us the way..."

Haynuus agreed with Petal about it being a bad idea. "I think we're agreed to follow the horrible thing." Which was followed by a horribly dirty thumb pointing in the horrible thing's direction. "But we must prepare ourselves for the worst. Deephold, can you prepare more potions?" He knew that he held a few empty flasks, and although Haynuus still had his it would be a good idea to get themselves up to 100% while they travelled.

Petal nods to the orcish man. "Yes, Potions a good idea is. Afraid mana I am getting low on, though. My strongest Songs, I cannot use." The pixie sways slightly in midair, as if tired. She turns to the dwarf. "But still, a potion I will make, if the flask mine back you will give." she tells him.

When Ameena speaks, she stops a second to ponder the murafu's rushed words, as if she isnt quite sure she understands correctly. "Your friend, after a hat he is named??" The pixie looks very confused.

"Next, suppose I will meet someone after a shoe named." she mutters to no-one in particular. That comment is followed by a string of Sylvan words and an odd wing guesture where for just a second she holds one wing flat against her back while the other three beat harder to keep her aloft. The words sound something like ie, neebla ka metainth nekona naetha meto Alorthin nis ke. Whatever it means, the pixie chuckles slightly to herself and shakes her head.

Deephold is reluctant to follow the creature, but lowers his mace as the general consensus seems to be edging towards following the thing. "Indeed, Helm is...in a way...my responsibility. He would not be here but for my mission. Fex cannot make amends for his trecherous actions that left the three of us vulnerable. It therefore falls to me to ensure that harm does not come to the man." Deephold looked across towards Petal nervously, but nodded to her. "I share your reluctance, from the little I experienced of the gnome, and from what I have seen of his horrors, his is the last place I would wish to visit." Deephold offered the empty flask back that Petal had given him. "Thank you for your aid," he said, again oddly sheepish.

Meanwhile, Ameena's questioning of the butterfly seemed to provoke no response. Which seemed to be the response - for now, the butterfly seemed happy to be passive in this matter. Apparently, it had no alternative route to take the group around.

Deephold nodded to praying for potions, especially given the state of Haynuus and Ameena infront of him. The fake Helm look suspiciously at the comment, but for the moment didn't make a move to stop the group. He did give a black look at Ameena though.

"Do you wish the healing waters of VI, or the strengthen that flows from the sweat of the mountains in YA?" Apparently, the dwarf did not see any problem with the second part of the sentence as he looked to the group.

The fake Helm looked to the group once more, and began moving, making sure they were following him as he turned to regard the way forwards.


Heel, no doubt! said a whispy voice that only Petal could hear.

'Heel, indeed,' came a voice in Haynuus's ear, sounding like the circlet. Although, of course, he had not heard the reason for the exchange.

If Deephold heard anything, he did not show it. And Ameena merely had the occasional flapping of her butterfly's wings for company.


Hehe. Can you guys roll me a d20 for no good reason?

In general, I assume you lot are moving forwards. Can you give me an idea of your party order, and what precautions (like Haynuus's drawn sword) you are taking. Deephold is offering to make either VI or Ya potions - or a max, of course. Can you guys also figure out if you want to keep powerful VI potions on hand and heal, or if you want to boost your maximum hit points temporarily with YA potions. Assume that you probably get maximum effect from the YA potions as long as Deephold keeps casting them, though that will basically tie him up for spell casting.

Also, feel free to make any other rolls, etc for things you want to be on the look out fpr front or back. And finally, any conditionals that would make you stop following, or try to force a diversion?

Oh, and of course, Petal and Haynuus can react to the possibly imagined voice

OOC - a d20 for no good reason (1d20=16)
Can I try a perception check (1d20+2=13) to see if he can work out where the voice came from?

The half orc scratched his nose pensively. The circlet was not warrant to whisper randomness in his ear. It was perhaps a sign? Healing the grak-grak would do great damage but any other reference it could mean he wasn't sure. He briefly looked around for a moment. "I'll take first row behind our friend here. If you can Heel me fully Mister Deephold then that would be spendiddly." He emphasised the word heal but wasn't sure if he'd even understand if a reaction arose anyway.

Canh I try an Arcana/burn a 0 lev spell if needed to figure out anything about the voice?

The pixie thanks Deephold and busies herself casting an UM level VI potion into the flask. As she summons her mana, beads of condesation seem to appear on the outside of the flask, but instead of forming larger droplets and rolling down the sides to drip on the floor, the small beads of water instead roll up and appear to hop over the lip of te flask and into it. Once they are inside, the pixie draws the UM VI symbols out the outside of the flask in the remaining condensation where they flicker with a dim blue glow. The tiny glow seems to be pulled within, and as it fades, the water has taken on its color and as usual appears to be bubbling merrily away. To the pixies ears, a tiny VI VI VIVI sound comes from the bottle, much as you could hear the ocean by putting your ear next to a seashell. But she doesnt think her companions heard the same things she did. She wonders briefly what it would be like to go through life without being able to hear the natural forces of life.

After casting the spelll, Petal shakes her head for a second. Her companions notice a blank look come into her green and-gold speckled silver eyes. When the half orc makes his comment she quickly whips around to look at him. She flies close to him and says very quietly "Heard that, you did too?"

A d20 = 1d20=14 Petal is currently flying near Haynuus, and has her dagger out and ready. If Haynuus dioesnt respond/after the conversation she will drop back and stay as close to the ceiling as possible

OOC - Just to note, consider Ameena to be making a deliberate effort to (by her standards) speak slowly, ie, at about the same speed as everyone else. If she forgets herself and starts speaking more quickly, I'll say so .

BIC - Not being one to ask for healing herself when her friends need help themselves, Ameena says nothing more as she turns and begins to move slowly after the grak-grak, trying to make her movements as careful as she can in order to minimise the pain. She imagines that she might well be dripping blood onto the floor right now, but from the fact that she's still moving, she decides that her injury isn't lethal.
She does try, however, to remain as aware as she can of the group's surroundings in order to attempt to detect anything that might be...well, detectable.

OOC - Requested d20 = 4. Ohh I hope those weird voices aren't that bloody Dolo up to his tricks again...but since Ameena hasn't heard anything, she can't notice/comment. And a general Perception check for awareness of surroundings, the usual thing she does = 23 (12+11). Ameena is moving on all-fours but not as fast as she normally would due to her injury - obviously this is just narrative rather than mechanical, but I figure that if you've had your back torn open, it's gonna interfere with your locomotion . And of course her wound will be rather obvious to anyone currently walking behind her. She has two flasks, both stashed away in pouches, and both empty.

"I heard... Heel? I don't know why and for what." He looks at the VI potion clutched in the hands of the Pixie. It looks quite large being held in her hands, relative to her diminutive form. "Why did we hear that?" The next statement was a whisper, "I think healing the grak-grak with your potions of life would do much damage to it. Apart from that, I don't know what else it could mean."