Morlock

monster cleared

Current state

Morlocks are pale gray-to-white-skinned subterranean humanoids with distinctive mushroom-shaped eyes that hurt to look at, armed with clubs and capable of speech [S6]. They first came to the party's attention before any direct encounter: Skrawng reported that a group of them had driven Boss Crog's mifflits out of the dungeon level beneath Gauntlight just days earlier [S2], and Boss Crog tasked the party with clearing them out and bringing him their king's head [S3]. Rin warned that more Morlocks would keep appearing as long as Gauntlight was active [S5]. Early direct contact ranged from hostile to uneasy. The party first fought a pair of them in a hallway [S6], later discovered Morlocks had a leader who expected a report on the "Mortar Lord's" head [S9], and eventually battled leaping swarming-stance Morlocks during a boss fight, after which the party considered the upper Morlock population mostly cleared [S15]. Butchered Morlock bodies were subsequently found in a meat-locker bedroom and a jailer's cell, suggesting other forces had also been preying on them. Deeper in the vaults, Morlocks reappear as a broader subterranean society. A large population crowds the Warp Brood Tavern — as audience, bartender, and gamblers — with many actively seeking to be flesh-warped by the Sagathi [S47]. Venris fleeced one at the gambling game Towers. The Sagathi lab itself uses Morlocks as the base biological stock for its Dreshkin flesh-warp experiments; Morlock parts and specimens were catalogued throughout the lab [S52]. Most grimly, one Morlock's severed head was found kept alive in a flesh-golem machine of tubes and wires, screaming in agony, and was mercy-killed by Venris when the machine was disconnected [S53]. As of S53, Morlocks remain a persistent underclass of the deeper vaults — sometimes neutral bystanders, sometimes victims, and sometimes adversaries.

Recorded status cleared · Last seen S58

Why this matters now

Latest recorded development

S58 A ghoul previously encountered in a room the party passes through; this session his room is found empty ('goodbye, Mr. Morlock'), implying he is gone/dead. [S58 · 03:59:11 · turn 1876]

No open hook is currently recorded.

Recent appearances

S58 A ghoul previously encountered in a room the party passes through; this session his room is found empty ('goodbye, Mr. Morlock'), implying he is gone/dead. [S58 · 03:59:11 · turn 1876]
S55 Fleshwarp Morlocks fitted with mechanical pieces, seen through a peephole deeper into the complex. The party recognized them on a perception/recall check; considered 'no problem' but noted they explode. [S55 · 05:03:28 · turn 4833]
S53 A Morlock whose severed head Jafakai kept alive in a flesh-golem machine of tubes and wires, screaming in agony. Mercy-killed when Venris disconnected the machine. Jafakai had organized labeled Morlock parts and flesh-warp remnants throughout the lab. [S53 · 00:21:24 · turn 0184]

Open hooks

No open hooks are currently recorded.

Relationships

Morlock leader (Ralphus) — Ralphus, the Morlock leader who issued bounties to the party.
Tinker Morlocks — Oversized engineer Morlocks of the forge room.
The Ghost Queen Cult (morlocks) — Likely the same mushroom-like humanoids later encountered as the Ghost Queen's morlocks; identity held for review.

Full history

Show the complete record (14 sessions)

First seen S2 · All sessions S2 S3 S5 S6 S9 S12 S15 S16 S47 S48 S52 S53 S55 S58

Recorded beats

S6 First contact: club-wielding mushroom-eyed humanoids in a hallway; they flee when hurt, one shot down by Venris. [S6 · 03:23:51 · turn 2053]
S9 Their leader waits for the party to deliver the 'Mortar Lord's' head; the party skips reporting back. [S9 · 00:00:00]
S12 Uneasy ally relationship; a lone fevered Morlock befriends Venris and shares his reading chamber. [S12 · 00:56:54 · turn 0528]
S15 Boss fight against swarming Morlocks; the area is considered mostly cleared. [S15 · 03:12:03 · turn 1554]
S16 Butchered Morlock corpses found in a meat-locker bedroom and a jailer's cell. [S16 · 04:07:12 · turn 2580]
S47 The common subterranean Morlocks crowding the Warp Brood Tavern — the audience, the bartender, and the gamblers. Most are hoping to be flesh-warped by the Sagathi. Venris fleeced one at the gambling game 'Towers.' A 'Morlock boy' is also referenced in the caves on the route home. [S47 · 00:32:46 · turn 0292]
S48 The cave-dwelling Morlocks of this floor, many of whom idolize the Sagathi and want to be flesh-warped by them; the band and other tavern patrons are neutral. Morlock corpses appear in the tomb-jelly/slime room. Cid spoke with a Morlock bartender at the Warp Brew tavern. [S48 · 00:04:43 · turn 0052]
S52 Morlocks are the base creatures the Sagathi lab flesh-warps into Dreshkins; the morlocks occasionally roam the vaults. Referenced as the source stock for the electrified Dreshkins and as the screaming living head specimen. [S52 · 01:30:54 · turn 0772]
S53 A Morlock whose severed head Jafakai kept alive in a flesh-golem machine of tubes and wires, screaming in agony. Mercy-killed when Venris disconnected the machine. Jafakai had organized labeled Morlock parts and flesh-warp remnants throughout the lab. [S53 · 00:21:24 · turn 0184]
S55 Fleshwarp Morlocks fitted with mechanical pieces, seen through a peephole deeper into the complex. The party recognized them on a perception/recall check; considered 'no problem' but noted they explode. [S55 · 05:03:28 · turn 4833]
S58 A ghoul previously encountered in a room the party passes through; this session his room is found empty ('goodbye, Mr. Morlock'), implying he is gone/dead. [S58 · 03:59:11 · turn 1876]