DEX:
The poor warrior is battered by the full brunt of the ice storm.
"Well that worked at least, didn't particulary want another ice shower."
Elain says Should we rest for a bit? I can heal some people but i would not be able bring the power of torm as many times
Elain, checking on the wyrmling, its no where to be found. The rascal must've escaped.
Harshnag sees the party's hesitation and boldy steps through the portal heroically. A moment later he reappears "It's the Eye of Annam, the chamber of the oracle! I noticed a dead cloud giant but no other threats or exits."
"Ouch."
He takes cover before any further attempts are made. When it opens, "Thank Tymora."
"Question is what killed said giant."
Harshnag glances behind him for a moment "The wound resembled that of a many pointed morning star...sized of our kind. To kill a giant in the Eye of the All-father...only one of darkest heart or void of any intelligence would commit such an act."
"So, we got a insane giant locked in here somewhere with us most likely then."
Melgrom grins menacingly.
"Good"
Or evil beyond belief, even better. I suppose we had better set watch as we rest
Should the party choose to rest, there are many rooms that could be fortified and thus offer a pleasant if chilly respite. The source of natural gas burning brightly in the feast hall is the first choice of many. With Harshnag's help, the mammoth doors can be shut and barricaded.
In the morning "Now are we ready, warriors? The oracle awaits. I believe we will only be allowed a certain number of questions, so must choose wisely. Perhaps we need to know why the ancient ordning has broken, and how we can stop the giants from this rampage..."
"Those all seem like good questions, I'm not much good when it comes to matters like that, so i will leave it to the experts."
"I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to ask specifically. I suppose we should ask why the majority of the giants are so hostile. And we should keep an eye out for whatever killed that giant in there."
"Is it worth asking about those rukking rods that we found? And what about that rukking colossal statue we found those fire giants excavating? What the ruk are they doing with them?" Urth offers after his humor is restored with a good long rest.
"The better question is what they want them for, ain't much use knowing what they are, better to know what they want them for in mah opion"
Harshnag inspects the portal "Hmm, it must've closed while we slept. Perhaps I should stay outside, since I am the only one who can open it..." he once again taps the rune with the special axe and the portal crackles to life.
Urth will step through the portal. Sword, shield, and verbal curse ready for any inconvenience.
Elain steps through the portal, weapon at the ready
Molok also readies his weapon and steps through the portal.
Beyond the thundering archway lies a hexagonal chamber whose walls rise 50 feet before tapering to a 90-foot-high apex. Standing in each corner of the room is a life-size statue of a giant holding up a heavy, iron lantern with one raised arm. Each type of giant is represented: hill, stone, frost, fire, cloud, and storm. A cold, magical light radiates from each lantern, illuminating a giant corpse lying on the floor beneath a shroud of frost in the middle of the room. The corpse looks like it has been here for some time, preserved by the cold. Next to the body rests a giant, frost-covered morningstar.
"I don't see any way to open the portal from this side. I think we should have about an hour before it closes again though so let's not waste time. How do you suppose we contact this oracle person?"
Illuvin, there seems to be some writing and perhaps more runes on the floor at the center of the statues, but the layer of frost is making it unintelligible...not to mention the giant corpse blocking most of it as well.
Thumps looks around. "So do we melt the ice read the runes? Maybe."
Elain says Hey Molok, Mel. Let's try to move the corpse so Illy can read the runes
"I'll try this but if it doesn't work I'll need a torch to melt the frost." Illuvin begins casting a spell to 'clean' the ice off the runes.
Urth examines the giant corpse for a cause of death.
Illuvin's spell seems to be slowly effective, clearing the writing one cobblestone at a time. However, as Elain moves the giant corpse away, a flickering light erupts from its belly and materializing from another dimension is a specter with the same appearance as the corpse rising higher, and higher, and higher...a cloud giant ghost.
"Small folk? Here in the Eye? That is unexpected. You are not defilers, are you? No...surely not, why have you come?"
Urth, your inspection seems to match what Harshnag described: its a fatal head wound delivered by a blow from a giant-sized spiked morningstar. Perhaps the spirit would know more.
Urth, you also notice the breastplate it wears is obviously magical. In addition, it clutches some kind of stone that hums with a hidden power in its frozen fist.
"My name is Elain Botwright, Paladin of torm. These are my friends Urth the wizard, Illuvin the Bard, Melgrom the ranger, Thumps the Cleric/Rogue, Molok the Fighter, Sohar the Druid, Pindleton the Rogue, and Jax the wizard. There was some sort of disturbance with the giants, and we are trying to fix it. We seek the Oracle to give us more insight into this situation."
The ghost raises a spiritual eyebrow "A rogue cleric, you say? Interesting. I am Eigeron. Like many giants before me, me and my father, Blagothkus, came to the Eye of Annam seeking wisdom. The divine oracle told us that a great upheaval would upset the balance of power in the world, giving all giants the opportunity to win the respect of their gods and bring glory to their race. King Hekaton, the storm giant lord that presides at the top of the giant ordning, will vanish. The oracle told Blagothkus outright that he could never impress the gods enough to earn their favor, then urged me to step out from beneath my father's "dark shadow." Blagothkus was overcome with despair and envy. A terrible fight between us, father and son, ensued...in which the victor is obvious. I know not where he is today. If only the oracle worked for phantasms like myself..." he pauses a moment, flickering briefly as his emotions settle.
"If the great upheaval has come, Hekaton has indeed vanished, and you seek to fix it, then I must assist you. In the center is the Kong rune, one associated with Annam. There, in Dethek, are the words 'Ask Your Question and Know Truth'. Stand upon the rune and ask your question truthfully. See the 6 statues with their lanterns...each question will dim one of their lights until none remain. They will only relight the next day."
"Blagothkus... I feel like I should know that name but I can't place it. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear how you meet your apparent, uh, middle? It doesn't seem to be your end quite yet. I'm a sucker for a good familial drama but that's just to far.
Urth arches an eyebrow at being described as a wizard. Sailor first, acolyte of Volkur second, then maybe wizard...
Then, he asks the spirit (not the runes), "So, what's special about your breastplate and the stone in your hand. Mind if we use them?"
"Blagothkus was the ruler of Skyreach Castle, a flying fortress that supposedly crashed to earth recently when the Cult of the Dragon recently attempted to summon Tiamat." Urth replies to Jax.
Elain speaks up to say the same thing, suprised she knew something for once, but falls silent when the sailor speaks up
Yes I am sure we would be able to put it to good use. Who should ask the questions, and do we have a plan on what questions to ask?
"I won't know peace until I know what became of my father...if what you say is true...Skyreach! ...could it really fall? Perhaps Blagothkus is fallen as well..." he ponders "...oh yes, I have no need of those things anymore...both were won over friendly wagers in the Twilight Vale in better times... The armor is "Brass-scale", hammer blunter...stolen from the vaults of Andareunarthex. The firestone is the "Opal of the Ild Rune"...I never truly understood it and fondled it only in desperation."
The ghost raises a spiritual eyebrow "A rogue cleric, you say? Interesting. I am Eigeron.
"Good to meet you. Well I am in good standing with my church so not rogue in that sense. I am more of an agent of encouragement to those goodly folk who need it and a thorn in the side of those wicked who need the other side of the coin."
He listens to the rest of Eigeron's sad story. He hangs back and shrugs as the companions discuss questions, "I came at Elain's behest knowing your mission vital to understanding the chaos the gi . . . the chaos of the late unpleasantness. I think you who have walked this road longer would know better what to ask."
A silence comes over the party momentarily as they consider their questions. A divine oracle is an absurdly powerful tool to have laid bare before them...
"I guess the obvious question we need to ask is were is King Hekaton, as for our other two questions I have no much clue"
"Let's review the possible questions before rukking asking our six to the all powerful divine oracle:
1. Why has the ancient ordning broken?
2. How can we repair the ordning and stop the giants from this rampage?
3. How can we prevent the colossal golem from being assembled by the giants?
"Then, we rukking regroup with the answers for follow up questions." The sailor applies his rukking analytical mind to the process.
Molok stands quietly by listening to all that transpires.