Rocko's series of attacks devastates the Eye. The Axe slices straight down its center, and the shield rips it further asunder. The substance of the Eye becomes ever more ethereal, until all that remains is a fissure where the Eye once stood; two small Earth Elementals peer questioningly out at Yoltzin.
Combat Over
Amideo raises his eyebrows at Rocko's attack, "Gods, what a mighty swing! Well done, friend."
Djack lowers against the wall, beside the eye... hand drawings down his face.
I don't know if hanging out with you guys increase my odds of growing old. A half chuckle.
The elf gave an approving nod do the elementals, before laving them both with some last orders. "If you may, please investigate the cavern for any other out of place features. Please get my attention if you find any."
With a half turn towards Jack, "Is it not a thrilling experience all the same? It feels something all to human, at least from the stories I have been told." A pause, "Though I have not heard of many stories such as this."
Yoltzin's summons return, having explored this cavern and the exits. They indicate the next cavern is smaller, and contains only a few Kobold skulls placed in niches on the wall. They also indicate there is a rough-hewn stair in the next chamber leading down into another.
Rocko frowns at that description of the niches, "Didn't them kobolds say this be a mine? 'Skulls in walls' be soundin' more like a tomb."
Djack continues...
The next, very small, chamber contains the displayed Kobold skulls, as reported by the summoned elementals. Djack examines them momentarily; they do not appear to be a danger of any sort.
Steps lead down into the next chamber. Continue?
Making certain he hasn't lost the others, Djack moves on.
"It is quite curious, I wonder as to the purpose... Burial rites perhaos?" She considers.
The next cavern (down the stairs from the skulls) appears to have been some sort of outpost. What appears to be several furs covered with goods ranging from foodstuffs (rotten, at this point), pick-axes of various makes and sizes, cloaks, and makeshift face-covers (presumably for filtering dust while mining) dominates the southern wall.
The room also appears to have functioned as a camp-ground for miners. A narrow chasm to the northwest leads down to a flowing underground stream; across the chasm, the explorers can see the backside of the room where they fought The Hand.
1 Yoltzin; 2 Zia; 3 Amideo; 4 Rocko; 5 Djack
A Will Save from Yoltzin.
Damage (16 was 1 short of making the save)
Suddenly, Yoltzin feels a splitting pain in her head, as if a dagger has been inserted into her very mind. Immediately after, a creature that looks like a brain with legs, the size of a large dog, appears in the room to the west.
I am the Mind.
Roll initiative.
The Mind:
5
Amideo:
Amideo alone has the presence of mind (lol pun) to recognize that this creature is likely related to the scream Yoltzin let out from the immense mental attack. He alone may act before "The Mind".
"Hold! We are here on behalf of the Kobold miners to stop violence, not inflict it further! But we will defend ourselves, as you have seen."
Diplomacy (dispute between two parties):
"No parley with the infestations! Only death!"
Will Save Amideo.
Rest of Party may act, Round 1.
Djacks's rapier pulses, eager to engage.
Until you yield... Djack charges the creature.
Djack's attack comes in short, failing to jab the odd brain-creature by inches. As an odd note, his blade seems to be pulling his had to specific regions of the creature.
Assaulted with such skull shattering pain as she was, the elf found herself having great difficulty focusing on the battle at hand. In an effort to keep her feet steady in the event of another brutal attack, she pressed a soothing hand against her own head.
Rocko moves up to join the melee around the creature and then takes a mighty downward swing with his axe.
Rocko realizes a moment too late that adding the extra oomph made him miss his mark. He gives off an amused 'heh' as he prepares his next assault
Zia, seeing her friends struggling to hit this odd being, decides to introduce some damage with a powerful spell she learned during their time in Santa Merceda.
Speaking in the mystic tongue of dragons, the air around her becomes ionized, and a powerful bolt of lightning flies from her fingertips.
The Mind takes minimal damage from Zia's rather unimpressive lightning bolt.
Top of Round 2. Amideo's up.
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Zia, seeing her friends struggling to hit this odd being, decides to introduce some damage with a powerful spell she learned during their time in Santa Merceda.
Speaking in the mystic tongue of dragons, the air around her becomes ionized, and a powerful bolt of lightning flies from her fingertips.
5d6
Amideo moves around to try to get a better angle for melee (double move).
Startlingly, The Mind disappears. For a moment the heroes are uncertain of its position, as they realize they face an opponent that can become invisible. But a second or two later...
On Rocko:
the creature lunges forward and rips into Rocko with sharp claws. The strike is precisely aimed to maximize damage.
Rest of party may act in Round 2. Creature's position has not significantly changed, it just blinked out then attacked Rocko and reappeared.
Djacks sees the abomination rend into Rocko.
Sorry, your judicious-ness... Djack tumbles, trying to get opposite Rocko as the creature is distracted.
Then he attempts to skewer the brain-beast, his class urging him to a specific region at its base.
While the creature seemed especially fleshy with it's cerebral body, it didn't move the way a creature wholly without a skeletal structure might. hoping to sieze on this, the elf clawed her hands like a puppeteer and attempted to forcibly wrench the beast backwards, closer to the spike pit. Perhaps one of her bulkier companions could capitalize on this even further.
Djack manages to move agilely past the bizarre opponent into a more advantageous position. He strikes, and this time, the point of the blade strikes home!
In their minds, the party members hear a scream of pain from Djack's attack. But the creature is far from done for.
Fort Save:
The creature manages to avoid the movement Yoltzin had hoped for. Nevertheless, it does seem damaged from the core effects of the spell, somewhat at least.
Rocko may act in Round 2.
The gnoll decides that maybe quantity of attacks is in order here. With the benefit of an ally on the other side providing distraction, hopefully more hits will provide a better result than a few powerful ones
Rocko's second Axe strike hits the creature solidly in the frontal lobe. It is definitely starting to seem ragged, but still has will to fight.
Zia decides to stick with the tried and true this round. Drawing her wand of Magic Missile, she lets three fly and the injured brain-creature.
Amideo's action, Top of Round 3.
Amideo steps map-northeast 5' (toward Rocko at an angle) and lashes out with his longsword.
The knight slashes and stabs the brain, who seemed unprepared for this adversary.
Undaunted, The Mind seems bent on destroying these invaders.
It attacks psychically once again, this time thrusting it's ego toward Amideo.
Amideo Will Save:
Amideo screams as he takes the full brunt of The Mind's psionic attack.
Yoltzin, Rocko, and Djack may act.
No! STOP! Get... out of our... heads!
Djack once more tries to bring the thing to heel, his very interested blade trying to guide his strike.
Djack's thrust misses the creature, who seems almost preternaturally dexterous. A canny combatant, Djack instinctively realizes the creature is very close to defeat.
Rocko and Yoltzin may act.
Rocko will once again go for the most number of attacks, hoping to land one or maybe even two hits on this thing.