Anauroch - The Great Desert

[Omen of Peace]

[OOC]

Correction: the mound has taken 39 dmg.
Waiting on TT for some rolls and on the others for a response to Mael.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

OOC

AoO: 28 to parry: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2660039/ 27 damage: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2660040/

Does the thing get another attack or is it next round?

[Omen of Peace]

[OOC]

With BP's ruling you inflict damage but you don't parry the grapple (except if you have a specific ability that says so). So 66 dmg total for the mound and it's your turn but you're grappled.

[Brainpiercing]

Well, I've had one opinion on this issue so far, and I don't want to actually make it a house-rule until I get some more. So for the time being we're still sticking to the RAW, which means you break the grapple attempt if the AoO hits.

[Omen of Peace]

<OOC: insert response(s) to Mael's earlier query>
The halfling, seemingly less fearful than earlier, cautiously approaches the two titans duking it out.

"STOP!" he shouts, but even so he is barely audible above the din. He pauses, draws a wand that he waves sharply [Amplify] then repeats:
"STOP!"

Whether they heed his call or not:
"Thanks to the both of you for ridding us of the threat" he continues with his amplified voice, oblivious of the truth. "We would know who you are and what your intentions are."
It is not immediately clear who the "we" refers to - perhaps the halfling's riding dog.

The only visible reaction he gets from the mound is an especially big stone that detaches itself, rolls towards him slowly at first but picking up speed... then stops suddenly, looming over him.
"Ah, a tentative truce. The reserves you harbour toward me are, um, duly noted."

Mael turns toward the giant, ready to duck should he prove hostile.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

The iron-giant took advantage of the "mound"'s distraction and pressed the attack.

"Foe!!!"
The kris-like adamantine tongue-blade retracted into the mechanical sculpted dragon's head that was the golem's fist. The crystaline eyes of the dragon flared as it bit deeply into the mound with a savage tearing motion, sending chunks of rock and rubble flying across the cavernous keep.

34 hits AC 11 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2663136/ Adamantine fangs bypass hardness doing 31 more damage: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2663140/  one iterative attack left this round...

Sorry Omen but the Marc is enraged and this thing which is foreign just attacked it on it's home turf...

[Omen of Peace]

[OOC]

The mound is only in your reach when it tries to grapple you AFAIK (but I don't know your current reach). Otherwise you need to close in, meaning either Tumble or granting the mound an AoO.
It's messy, I don't want to go there (because the next logical thing to do is for the mound to start hurting you), so:

After the enraged titan chops stones into tiny pieces for a while, he comes to realize the mound hasn't budged in a while. Is it already vanquished or waiting for a moment of weakness?

The halfling has edged away during the commotion - he seems to have a conjured a haze around himself [Mithralmist Shirt] - and is now eyeing the Marc quizzically, perhaps wondering if he's going to tear down the walls next.

[Brainpiercing]

[ooc]

I realise I have missed something on the battlegrid: the second entrance to the circular tunnel.

Also, I'm going to stay out of any PC vs PC fights unless you need rulings! So be nice and play fair.

Cat still watched the battling (or so he thought) giants with awe.
So I guess the stone guy got beat by the other one...., he mused privately to Daelric. Should we be interfering with all the friend or foe stuff? After all, the stone guy seemed like an enemy, it killed the half-dragon. I wouldn't want to face that pile, though.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

The gargantuan goliath continued to pound into the rubble until the pile crumbled into a mass of mishappen stones once again, a process which took a minute or more.  When it seemd to be satisfied that the rubble had been thorougly defeated it stopped and stood erect to it's full height.  The red angry glow from it's eyes subsided back into a lantern-like yellow.

Turning it's attention now to the diminuitive creature that had addressed it before it stomped one step closer, shaking the whole cavern with it's titanic footfall.

Raising it's dragon-mounthed appendage, the mechnical jaws opened and a baleful fiery light began to flicker from within.

"Friend or Foe?"  it asked.  The depth and thunder of the construct's voice reverberated through the bones of everyone within earshot.  

[Omen of Peace]

Mael spares the stones a quick look. If it knew!

"Friend of course. I am naturally friendly, as most everyone who knows me well is keen to say. I daresay I like your direct approach, fellow, and it suits me all the more that we can now resolve this situation peacefully. I mean, it's not like I would pose a challenge at all! My expertise lies in other domains, like the crafting of speeches. Not my best, this one, by the way, but you can bet that's because I am quite taken with your overwhelming power..."

Few will find fault with the web of his words [Bluff 57], which distillates a mix of subservience and smugness (stemming from his assured position in the pecking order). The hallmark of a bureaucrat, as anyone who has met one knows ; the hallmark of someone easily duped or bullied.

[OOC]
@Suhala: Mael is next to the inner wall SW of the entrance (I didn't mention his exact position but I didn't know we had guests incoming) so he can't easily be seen without stepping into the inner circle. He can be heard though.

[Brainpiercing]

[ooc]

For anyone in the central hall it's a DC25 listen check to notice the new arrivals AFTER MARC has stopped clobbering the mound. Before that... well... maybe 35, with all the noise.

[Sohala]

Forgot I could do this.

Aura check, 11

Detect Evil, only catching the construct in it.

28 spot check, if you can see space AB17

A small figure poked its head around the wall, surveying the room within. It is about to pull its head back when it hears the start of an eloquent speech. At the conclusion of the speech, the figure nods it head in acceptance, and then disappeared behind the wall again.

Unsure on the listen DC for this one.

Whispering to its companions, "It would appear we are not the only ones watching that fight. Others are farther in, beyond our vantage point. There may be good news, the large construct is not evil, so it is not clear if it would be an enemy or not. It would be a close contest if it turned on us though."

[Brainpiercing]

Cat's range is lower, but Surreal's posting has been sketchy, so I'll do the honours for the mindsighters...

Cat suddenly perked, some time during Mael's speech.
We've got incoming from the other side of that hole. One intelligent human-like, three slightly different ones. he relayed to Daelric privately. They seem to be waiting on the other side of the wall, he added a little later.

[Sohala]

Results of detect Evil are up to relevant players. You obviously don't see invisibles.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

Seeming to be satisfied that the diminuitive one is no no threat the lumbering hulk gaits over to the clothing and equipment that once belonged to Agnak.  As it walks, plates compress and pistons contract until the mechanical man is once again merely huge.  Kneeling down it picks up the clothing as if confused about the body.  It then goes over to one of the draconic skeletons littering the area and picks up a horned skull, examining it with an almost pensive countenance.  For something so artifical it seems to display a remarkable range of expression.

Suddenly it jerks up, it's glowing eyes shifting again from latern yellow to electric blue.

"WHO GOES THERE?"  it booms, looking directly at the invisible party members.

[Sohala]

Bound to happen at some point, so lets nudge it along.  

The two powerfully built humanoids with the armored diminutive figure remained silent, as if thinking the situation over. The wiry figure next to them on the other hand glanced between the three, and then spoke in a low worried tone, “Am I the only sane one left here? It doesn’t matter what its philosophical beliefs are, if it doesn’t like us, it will probably crush us. Take me for example…” It pauses a moment, “Okay maybe I am not…” They heard a roar come from the room. “See, it has found us, let’s get out of here…” Glancing around it saw it wasn’t going to get the others to go anywhere, the thin figure became silent.

The armored figure glanced around the corner, and then turned back to the group again, “It is looking towards those others I mentioned, now calm down. We should be prepared for if we get attacked.” Looking towards the pair of muscular humanoids, “Do you have anything that might aid us?”

The one on the left nodded, “It is only a minor blessing but we may need all we can get.” Together they intoned words softly, touching each of them as they continued, until they had blessed each of them. “That is the best we can do.”

The small figure nodded, “It will do; now why don’t we go make some introductions?”

“This is a bad idea…” Whispered the skinny figure, but knowing it was no use, it made no move to stop its companions, “Damn crazy dwarf…”

The small figure turned the corner, followed by the muscular humanoids. Shaking its head the thin figure hurried after them.

Aid (11 temp hp, +1 morale attack/save vs fear) for everybody, hopefully it won't matter, but introductions can get, complicated.  

Movement can be heard from the newly made hole in the wall, as it grows louder a small figure immerged into the light. A rather diminutive figure in a green suit of armor stands before you, at first glance you could almost swear it was a small golem. On closer inspection you see a rather long white beard coming from the crystal helmet, where a face is hiding. He is too small to be a dwarf and as such you push that thought aside, but then what is he? As you observe him you see that he carries himself like a dwarf, even has the gruffness of the dwarven people, so he must be a dwarf after all.

His armor is flawless, being of dwarven make, and it has spikes scatter over its surface. Strangely these spikes are not of the same green metal as the armor, but of a clear crystal. The armor itself appears to be producing some faint smoke. From his back you can barely see a pair of faint, translucent wings. To match his armor, he carries a large shield with similar spikes in his left hand. In his right hand you see a large hammer, with a head of crystal. Closer inspection of the hammer shows small dwarven runes on each end of the head.

Behind him two powerfully built humanoids with the head of a dog come into the light, followed closely by a slender humanoid with jet black skin and white hair, which is attempting to block some of the light from its eyes.

The dwarf spoke first, "Afternoon." He gave a nod of greeting.

[Snizor]

Daelric hastily stepped back from the large construct, momentarily startled at the construct’s ability to perceive him.

“We”, he gestured to himself and to where he suspected Cat was, “are companions of the halfling”, Daelric replied warily. He wasn’t foolish enough to blindly trust this creature just because it had had some quarrel with Agnak’s killer, especially since it could probably dismember him in several particularly gruesome ways without much trouble if it were so inclined.

“Are those your companions”, Daelric asked, glancing over at the hole in the wall.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

A tremendous growling radiates from the construct as if it were gearing up to attack, but it soon becomes apparent that it was merely "hmming" to itself as if in thought.

With it's oversized hand it crushes the draconic skull and then watches as the dust floats to the floor.

"What happened here?  The war is over?  Who won?  Are you friends of the fallen One?  What happened to the body?"

It gestures toward the scattered belongings of Agnak.

I'll try not to be obnoxious about the supersized font anymore for when it is talking.  It isn't roaring or shouting anymore but it's voice is still tremendous, loud, deep, and alien/mechanical sounding.

[Sohala]

The dwarf's companions whispered among themselves, "What is this; I thought you said this place was abandoned?" Said the black skinned one.
"We only did minor research of this area because of its connection to the portal." Replied one of the canines.
"It was not our job to map this area." Added the other.
"Do you at least know what it is?" Asked the dark one.
"Not a clue, neither of us has encountered one before." Answered the first canine.

The dwarf merely waits patiently.

[Omen of Peace]

The red-headed halfling looks on, eyes dancing back and forth beyond the curling mist, and says nothing.

[OOC]
I'm a bit busy these days, so don't wait on Mael.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

OOC

Well someone better say something...