"Heh. No no no. Just keep your weapons sheathed for now and don't draw them unless they get aggressive. Sef- why don't you stay out of sight but be ready to make new friends if things go poorly."
Illes sits down on a rock, spreads out a little food beside him as if he has stopped for a bite to eat and pulls out his flute. He winks at Alwyn and begins to play.
Sefayll nods and steps into the bushes off the path, preparing to cast charm monster and trying to reach out with her helm to get the tenor of their thoughts.
Three stone giants stroll out of the trees and reach the bridge. Then they spot Alwyn, Illes and Hudak in the middle of the path and pull up. One of the them says to the others:
Illes looks up, waves and takes a drink from his waterskin before going back to his meal.
The giants unlimber their clubs and move cautiously towards the group. They look around, suspecting a trap.
"I see it. Metal armour, spear."
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Care for a game of cards?"
The giants shout out at Alwyn.
They edge closer .
"Relax, guys. The nearest forges are far from here; we don't want to risk throwing our swords and damaging them. We'll just keep them in our sheaths. You don't see us waving weapons and making threats, do you? All we want is a friendly chat."
The giants look confused but move forwards, weapons still raised.
One of the giants stops, leans on his club, and listens intently to Illes' flute. The others look at him, then at each other, then Illes, shouting angrily.
Illes replies in Giant in a calm and reassuring voice,
Giant:
Illes ends the fascination.
The giant who seems in charge squints at Illes and Alwyn, and nods over to where Sefayll is hiding.
"Sef- Do me a favor and step out here. You're making our friends nervous over there."
In Giant- "The real crux here is whether you all are part of Mokmurian's crew. I don't feel too shy in saying that the big man is overstepping by attacking our towns and we don't intend to let that go unanswered. But the way I understand it, more than a few of your folk feel like he's overstepping too. Different reasons maybe, but the trails lead to the same place."
"So what do you think? We have a little talk or do you want to throw down over Mokmurian's honor after all?"
The giants puff out their chests proudly. "We are in Lord Mokmurian's army." Then they look a bit confused. "So... Are you challenging us? Or surrendering? Or just want to parley?"
The enchantress considers, then leaves her halberd on the ground and removes her eyeless helmet before stepping into view. She carries the helm under her arm and steps clear of the cover she was hiding behind.
Illes cocks an eyebrow, "Well to parley of course. You really think Mokmurian has the numbers and defenses to hold out against us once we get organized? What does he have, 25... 30 of you guys and a few cave bears?"
"Mokmurian has a mighty army!" replies the giant. "Many tribes have come together, and we have many hundreds of warriors! We shall grind your armies into the dirt!"
"We recently spoke with some giant elders that don't share your optimism. Which tribe are you from, anyway?"
"We are of the Crannoch tribe. We are all mighty warriors and hunters! Those you speak of are weak and pitiful. We shall make slaves of them when we have taken your cities as our own. And we are just one of many tribes the Lord Mokmurian has gathered at Jorgenfist."
"You know that Mokmurian's talk about 'restoring the giant empire' is nonsense, right? The giants were slaves to human Runelords back then. Anyway, how do you think Mokmurian aquired his magic? Why is he not observing the taboos of the Black Tower? I think he's someone's puppet, setting the tribes back up for re-enslavement."
"He's right you know. There is a reason you all should be worried about the things he's been delving into. It is incredibly dangerous. I guess Sefayll could explain it better than me." Illes turns and looks back at her while offering a wink, "Tell him what we're talking about Sef, make him understand. We're liable to end up banging around swords and clubs unless you can convince this guy Mokmurian is on the wrong path."
She walks toward the giants to get into range as she speaks. She has no weapon in hand, only the helm that she holds between her arm and side.
"Of course, it is attractive to listen to someone with apparent power that tells of the greatness of your race in days past and claims that he can return you to those days. But Mokmurian was outcast, exiled by the tribe, and went into hiding. You should ask yourself where he went, who he talked to, what bargains were made, before he reappeared with this sudden power. I fear what my friend says is right - the giants under Mokmurian's banner are not to be the beneficiaries of his plan."
As Sefayll walks towards them, the giants become curious at the human woman. Then she casts her spell.
The giant doing the talking breaks into a mildly horrific grin. "You people seem alright to me!" he burbles.
"Huh!" "Wha...!" The other giants round on Sefayll. "What did you do to him?" The two angry giants loom over her.
"I did nothing. You heard the same thing he did. Perhaps my argument resonates with him, with doubts he already harbors. Please, explain to your friends."
"You cast a spell! We saw you! Prepare to die!"
Telepathically, the enchantress tells her 'new friend', "We are not here to fight you and your friends. Someone is controlling Mokmurian and using him to control the clans. That someone doesn't care about stone giants. You must make your friends understand or someone will get hurt."
She moves back toward the rest of the party.
"We don't need to fight. We merely want to talk!"
She puts her helmet on.