Urth starts creating minor illusions of mist raising up to block the line of sight from the longhouse to the small cleft.
Molok takes a few steps towards the archers but notices the others moving away and turns to join them.
Jax, the archers seem more concerned with defending the compound rather than pursuing, at least for the time being.
Urth bends the light in the region into small crystals of mist, creating a concealing curtain.
Dymm pulls back with the others. "Whats the plan. Do we want a hide out for a bit. Something the enemy cant come in? I can make a tiny hut while we interrogate this guy" He gestures toward the passed out Hobgoblin.
What do we need to interrogate him for? Just kill him and move on. There's more giants to kill.
Urth drags the bound and unconscious hob into the hidey hole and makes room for everyone, even if they have to use the hob for furniture.
While answering Jysson's question, he starts removing the plate armor from the hob. "Have you ever rukking seen a giant before last week? Have you ever rukking heard of giants raiding this far south? I rukking haven't. This rukking flying hub knows stuff. He must fly between forts of hobs, so there's an army of hobs and orcs supporting the rukking giants. So, what the ruk is going on? I bet this hob knows stuff. Like:
1. What's in that longhouse? How many rukking giants? Support troops? Why are they rukking there?
2. Where else does he rukking fly to? He said he raised that wyvern from an egg. Where is he rukking from? Where is his rukking tribe? Where's the next rukking longhouse?
3. Who are rukking calling the shots? What's their rukking plan? He may not know details, but he would rukking know what he's been told.
I want to kill everyone of these rukking giants and their servants. And we need to rukking know where they are, why they're rukking here, and what they're rukking doing.
Make sense?" Urth looks around at his new crew.
Uhh.. giants have always been in these parts. And they always been a problem; f~@&ers killed my whole tribe.
But now they acting up 'cause of the Ordning. Their whole caste system is all f&$*ed up and some of those a bit lower on the scales are trying to prove they're better than those higher up. That's why they're using the orcs and hobs. Ain't nothing more than that.
Seeing Urth take the armor, he says, Um.. You seriously gunna wear that? A fur covered flea-ridden hobgoblin has been sweating in it for who knows how long. And it's covered in blood and dents.
"Jysson, you didn't answer any of my specific questions, about what's in this longhouse, where's the next longhouse, and who's directing the troops.
"Does anyone know the answers to those questions? Do we think we're clear for a short rest? Anyone want to block the gap with a magic hut?" Urth replies.
Then, he scoffs at Jysson's last question, "That's what magic is rukking for." He says "instaurabo," and then, "mundus" at the hob armor. First, the damage to the armor is physically repaired like new. Second, the armor becomes hygienically clean and polished.
The hobgoblin wakes up not long after you gather your thoughts from the battle. "What...what is this, where am I? Grr...you pink-taints will get nothing from me, you killed N'tasha! You are damned...do your worst, I will find you slugs from beyond death..."
About this same time a giant approaches the dome with a nearly naked human male with a heavy chain leash. The giant prods the human few times and a single little purple missile gets ejected from the man's hands, a quite pathetic magic missile that bumps harmlessly off the hut. The giant proceeds to beat the man into the mud before shrugging its shoulders and leaving.
Jysson, you run out to the place where the chains and body lie cold on the ground. Sadly, there is little that can be done for the man. His skull is badly fractured, and in life must have been extremely malnourished. You note the chains have multiple cuff links, who knows how many other prisoners are inside.
On the way back the orcs take a few more potshots but again using the lay of the land you can avoid any piercings.
Twilight is starting to turn to night.
Molok sees the poor mage getting pummeled into the mud. When Jysson go to help the poor man, he follows him to protect the ranger.
Seeing that the poor mage is dead, Molok yells in his startling deep voice towards the building in giant.
"Coward! Come and face me. You hide behind your walls and send your lackeys to fight for you."
He stands just out of the range of the archers and waits for a response.
Molok you hear the same oddly obese sounding female voice echo out "Huhuhuhuhhh! Fools! The great Guh moves for no man! Come be my next dinner, you are invited!"
"There is nothing great about a coward. You could not eat me, for I would choke you if you tried. You are no giant...I am Molok of the Granite Fist and I have more blood of giants flowing through my veins that all your degenerated offspring."
Molok hopes that the rest of the group realize that he is creating a distraction for them to move against the remaining creatures within the log structure.
Guh's voice is lowered but still audible, seemingly consulting with someone "...manling think he giant? No, he make poor husband..." then she offers, louder "...maybe eat sheep, twice daily. Come back in year!"
She will continue to "match wits" with Molok as long as he wishes to keep it up, taking only small breaks for snacks.
Either Dymm or Jax can create a tiny hut. Using ritual. Attemping to match the dark color of the sky and ground. Somewhat hidden and blending in as much as possible.
Dymm would like to spend some time with the Hobgonlin. Trying to find out more details about the layout of this place, and any creatures within it.
"Come on man.. You are already caught. Just tell us the layout of the building over there. I am sure there are some of your superiors even you are afraid of. Someone who stole a girl from you, or is actually just kinda a bummer to be around. IF you give us some good information we will let you go. I know you have a life elsewhere you want to get to. Some pretty hobgoblin girl, or guy, who you never really had a chance with. Give us the info and you can go live the life you always wanted"
"Pfft...whats that, you trying to act sweet, giblet boy? Do I look like a dam architect to you? The giants wallow in s%#~. I mean they just smear it all over like warpaint. Keep me out of that hell-hole..."
He seems to be telling the truth. ;)
+18 = 26
+26 = 34
+34 = 43/46
During the short rest, Urth recovers his breath and a bit of magical resources. He dons his freshly repaired and cleaned plate armor.
Urth punches the hob with his familiar plate-armored gauntlet and asks, "why are you working with the giants? Where is the rest of your tribe?"
He raises an eyebrow and almost laughs "Giants? ...you've never seen Guh, have you. I wouldn't call it a giant, she is...Ba'al Zebub" his eyes get distant "...a demon of gluttony."
While they're doing what Jysson considers useless interrogation (after all, it's never worked for him), he decides to do some scouting for himself.
Molok provides the distraction needed, and Jysson skirts the compound to see what he can learn.
Jysson, the compound is on alert, but Molok is holding most of the attention. You can see a few orc archers at the ready, with hobgoblins taking positions of command...even a few normal goblins scurrying around. The main entrance to the longhouse has been sealed with a large boulder. The rush of water is drowning out most of the sounds from inside, with the exception of Guh's fat voice and a steady chopping sound, almost mechanical.
Should you move far to the east, the tower is itself a massive structure being roughly 60 ft in width, breadth, and height. There is a side entrance there accessing the longhouse, but its blocked with a curtain. You also note on the north side, the side touching the river, there is a large docking complex.
There are a few vessels docked, but none out further upstream that you can see.
Urth looks threatening, "so, this is your tribe? You're not working for any other giants, other than this Guh?"
He snortles, seemingly resisting your intimidation "Tribe? We are a war party not family. The only swaddling baby I see here is you. If you had any sense you would work for Guh, too...she is a magnet for resources."
Urth looks threatening, "so, this is your tribe? You're not working for any other giants, other than this Guh?"
"Yeah, alright. You're done." Urth punches him into unconsciousness. He stuffs a gag into his mouth and double-checks his restraints. He wouldn't kill him, but he wouldn't miss him.
The warlord's face seems to be in a permanent grimace, despite being unconscious...his upturned nose running blood slowly over his gag.
Nodding to Jax "I have a bit more in me, but if we are going to go in full force, I am going to sleep. We already have the tiny hut up to sleep in if we want"
Jysson will return and report what he saw. After that, if everyone is going to rest, he'll spend the next several hours keeping watch. He only needs four hours of rest to get his long rest.
If we’re long resting, Urth suggests to Jysson to continue yelling at Guh and then visibly to the longhouse leave. Then, backtrack and sneak back to us.
omg
Throughout the night more hobgoblin warlords arrive via wyvern, some with prisoners in tow, some without. Prisoners are quickly escorted into the compound via the slightly scorched stockyard. The riders and their wyverns remain posted. Late in the night, an hour or 2 before sunup, 3 more hill giants approach from the east carrying humongous sacks of god-knows-what, who also meander about the stockyard after depositing their goods.
Over breakfast inside the hut, Urth asks the crew, "So what's the rukking plan? Looks like there a many holes into that nest. Where do we want to push first?"
"I really want to burn that whole rukking longhouse down, but there's probably more slaves in there that we should save." Referring to the chained magic user who the giant brained.
During breakfast, "Why don't we go after that smaller building. If we clear it out and then make a big ruckus there, we might draw some attention from the bigger building. Might act as a good staging area"
I'm the morning, Jysson bring back some fresh meat and berries for someone to cook and everyone can eat.
I'm down for whatever, he says through a mouthful, Let's just kill some f$$$ing giants, yeah?
"Aye, the smaller building. Then, up that ladder to go through the back door behind that curtain."
"Let's stick together and move as a rukking crew. There are three more rukking giants in there, so we need to work together to kill them all." Urth offers.
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