It's a little bit of a trek for Albus and Laro to get to the source of the sound as it is coming from a surprising distance away. Finally about 400 feet away from the main group Laro sees through some trees what's happeing.
In a small clearing amidst the thick wood the halfling sees two giants. One of the giants, a female, has uprooted a small tree and is beating the other one over the head with it. The other one seems to be swaying as he pretty poorly tries to protect himself. The female is screaming at the male in Giant while the male is slurring in a mixture of languages, including Common. Ogres took ring! I find!
The giants are way too focused on each other to note anything else.
Laro sneaks back to Albus and motions him to follow him back further. "There are two giants up there arguing. It seems some ogres stole a ring belonging to them and they are having an argument about it. It might be best if we find that ring for them and return it so they can go back to the mountains. Let's head back to the others and let them know what's going on."
"What kind of giants? Any idea? And how big?" Javell asks, "And I wonder if we find the ogres, if we could lead the giants to them without being squished? Easier job all around."
Laro scrunches up his nose and says "Now let me think for a moment. You know to me they are all just all longshanks?"
Albus sees the giants wondering what brought them here then hearing the mention of a stolen ring thinks, Ah! They are chasing thieves.
Albus follows Laro back to the group.
What's up with the giants these days, options on how best to deal with this situation, preferably peaceably.
Albus replies to Javell, "Giants are rare here, most likely just passing through, this may not be a problem for us, or can be quickly and peaceably resolved. It seems they think an ogre stole some ring."
Albus just nods to Laro comment, while thinking over his knowledge of the area as well.
Laro did just see some very very long shanks and has no idea what kind of Giants they are.
Albus knows Giants aren't the most sensible or diplomatic of creatures but they can be communicated with, especially as it seems that at least one of them knows Common. There hasn't been any recent tenstions between the Giant Folk of the mountain ranges and the people of the Vale.
Gorat's face darkens though when he hears what Laro has said. Giants? Bah. A pox on the world. If the barbarians argue with each other then fall on them and rid Golarion of 'em I say!
Ogres aren't particularly stealthy creatures either so it should be possible to track them.
Aelerie offers their Dwarven guest an apologetic half-smile as Laro and Albus share their discovery. "Apologies, Mister Gorat. It looks like we may be a little delayed in getting to the monastery." Adding on to Albus's comments, she says, "I think trying to settle the matter peacefully is probably the better option. The idea of leaving a pair of irate giants to rampage through the Vale worries me. Maybe we could track down and convince this ogre to give back the ring they stole." Granted, they were at least a day's journey away from the Hollow, but that seemed a negligible distance for such large beings.
"To say nothing of the trouble we might be saving folks in the future by confronting this ogre now." Aelerie shudders as she remembers just a few of the awful stories she's read about ogres. If the one they are considering going after is typical for its kind, Aelerie considers it likely that they would have had to track it down sooner or later. "I don't suppose any of you speaks Giant...ish, do you?"
Laro sighs, "I speak alot of languages as it's always good to know how to ask for the pub and the bathroom; Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Halfling, Infernal, Orc, Sylvan. Unfortunately, Giant isn't one of them."
Albus shakes his head no, "Just the two you've heard from me. It'd be nice to learn others, but I doubt I've the time." At Laro's long list, Albus says, "I didn't know you were so learned a man, Master Laro; you seem to have many surprising talents. Of course your employment was as a man of letters, but I doubt any other clerks had your breath of skills."
Aelerie blinks owlishly after Laro's reply, indicating her own surprise at the list of languages the halfling spoke. "Indeed! That's about as many as I speak! I didn't think there was anyone in Falcon's Hollow who spoke Sylvan other than me and Mister Hildrinsocks," she says, a small smile playing on her face despite the troublesome task they were possibly about to undertake. "Jos puhumme yksityisesti, meillä on nyt salainen kieli, jota voimme käyttää," she tells Laro, her smile briefly growing.
Turning next to Albus, Aelerie assures the woodsman, "I'm sure anyone who can learn to speak Draconic fluently can learn any language pretty easily. And I'd be happy to help teach you, too." Then, her smile finally falters. "But for now, I think it's your tracking skills that'll be most useful. I'll try to think of a way we can communicate with it, but first we'll need to find that ogre."
Albus says,"Best we get the item, and see to this ogre, our quarreling giants here may not be the best of neighbors but ogre are less friendly mostly. The giants tend to live way into the mountains and this is a normal trail for them moving about. Maybe someone can talk them into leaving this matter in our hands and have them move on. Sorry Master Gorat, but I'd like to resolve this matter peaceably, and not cause trouble with the Giants of the Mountains, our small town doesn't need the
more problems."
Albus looks about hopefully for someone more talented in the art of getting cooperation than him to talk to the giants.
"I'll help, of course, but I'm not sure any one of us is more qualified than the others to speak with them," Aelerie says in response to Albus's expectant look. "If it helps, I know a spell that could temporarily increase our size to that of the giants. It might make them a little more willing to hear us out, if that's what you're concerned about."
Following the sounds of the fracas deeper into the forest, Aelerie prepares herself for a meeting with the giants by cloaking herself in a number of protective enchantments. At the edge of the clearing the arcanist signals the group to hold. "Perhaps you would like to stay back here, Mister Gorat?" she suggests, uncertain of how deeply the dwarf's hatred ran and concerned that it might be a mutual feeling on the giants' part.
Once everyone is ready, Aelerie steps out from the treeline and tries to politely interrupt the giants' fighting. "Hello! Pardon me! My friends and I were travelling nearby and we couldn't help but overhear the two of you discussing your little problem. We would be happy to find this missing ring for you, if you'd like. And that way you two won't have to track down that thieving ogre yourselves! You could just sit here... quietly... and we'll bring you back your ring in no time. How does that sound?"
Gorat just glowers No dwarven hero would have suffered such chaos to live. but he does agree to stay back.
Aelerie actually has a bit of a hard time getting the giant's attention, preoccupied as they are with each other. After the female giant catches the male a particularly vicious smack with her tree she looks over and sees Aelerie.
She shouts something in a harsh sounding language and waves her tree around before saying in common Him Lie! He hide Ring! Drink! Sleep with Ogre!
No No the male responds raising his wands to try and ward off as he sways and blood trickles down the side of his face Kardoblag no lie. Find ring little thing. In Ogre camp! Show Mitoglarb. Kardoblag be grateful.
The resounding thunk that follows the female giant's massive swing has Aelerie wincing in sympathy for her hungover—or possibly just concussed—husband. "Okay, okay," she tries to talk the giantess down with calm tones and coaxing gestures. "We'll get to the bottom of this, but Mitoglarb, if we learn that the ogre did steal the ring and your mate is innocent, aren't you going to feel a little bad if you've really hurt him?" Aelerie gives her words a moment to cross the language barrier and sink in, then continues, "So... try not hit him too hard until we know for sure if he deserves it. Okay?"
Once she has the giant's answer, Aelerie nods goodbye to them before zipping away to rejoin the others. The first thing she does is try to catch her breath. Despite how brief her chat with the giants was, her heart had been frantically pounding the entire time, fearful that one wrong word might have had her at the wrong end of a tree trunk. But while she's doubled over waiting for her heart to settle into a normal rhythm again, Aelerie also scans the forest floor for signs of the ogre's footprints.
"Did you get all that?" she asks once she's caught her breath.
Albus, keeping just within his excellent hearing range, walks back with Aelerie. "Yes, I got the gist I think. Wish we had a better description of the ring and a clue as to where the ogre camp is but it shouldn't be too hard to pick up a trail."
Albus tries to recall where ogres are about in or near the valley.
Ogres where?
Albus gives the quarreling giants a bit of room but starts looking for ogre tracks, "Let's check for ogre tracks, we may be able to find it or them quickly and end this fast. And if there is an ogre camp actually in the valley best if it's found and ... encouraged to be not here."
Track ogre +2 if forest terrain.
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Huh. Mitoglarb grunts as she slams her fist one last time into the back of Kardoblag's skull. As her husaband collapses with a moan she sits down next to his writhing form. Mitoglarb no feel bad when hitting thickskull Kardoblag. But will wait.
Albus knows Ogres and Giants don't really stay in the valley as there's not much in the Vale to really interest them. If they are in the Vale then usually it's small parties that are either travelling somewhere or nomadic.
Tracking the ogres proves to be... quite easy... actually. The two giants provide two pretty large trails to follow. Following Kardoblag's drunk meandering path to the north leads to a large clearing where the group finds about five very large comatose forms lying very still in various distances around the remains of a crude campfire.
Aelerie's eyes go wide as saucers when she sees just how many ogres are splayed out around the campfire. When Albus and Laro had first mentioned ogres in the area, the former shopkeeper had thought there was only one rogue giantkin that they'd have to deal with. After speaking to Mitoglarb and Kardoblag, that number had worryingly grown to two or three. The sight of five of the large, historically savage humanoids in the clearing—only a day or so's journey from town—is truly frightening.
Careful to keep her voice down lest she wake the sleeping giants, Aelerie says, "They may not be exceptionally clever, but ogres have been known to be somewhat cunning. We should be on the lookout for traps and possible ambushes. Hopefully these five are the only ones around." Peeking around one of the trees on the edge of the clearing, Aelerie searches the ogres' camp for signs of possible cruelty.
"Do we try to convince them to give up the ring and move on diplomatically, or should we come out with a show of force?"
Aelerie can't see much, but she does hear what sounds like snoring... maybe. She hasn't heard ogres snore before.
"I could sneak in there and see about stealing the ring if you want and if I wake them up you all come and save me. The other option is to kill them while they sleep as they are a danger to town. The last option is to wake them up with some show of force and make them turn it over and leave. They are not going to parlay with what they consider inferior creatures, ie us." Laro says as they discuss what to do.
Albus replies, "That may be the safest option, Master Laro, it appears to me that this is a temporary camp for the night, not an invasion. I'm loath to start an enduring conflict, simply travelling through has been going on since before the town was built. Still I'm not overly concerned about them, most giants are capable with being reasoned with, ogres not as easily." Albus looks around to see what, if any, consensus is made.
"Well... not for Laro," Aelerie feels the need to point out, giving the former Consortium scribe an apologetic shrug as she does. Nevertheless, if the sneaky halfling is willing to accept the risk that comes with his plan, she would support him by being ready in case things went sideways. "Good luck, Laro."
Laro smiles at his friends "Be back soon. Stay close and ready just incase!"
He then sneaks into the woods and then the camp and searches for the ring.
Laro creeps in and while he isn't as stealthy as he usually is (his hyper alert friends can hear the occasional twig snap or pebble go bounding away) the sleeping ogres are none the wiser.
His first sweep of the ogres doesn't find anything. However two of the ogres are female. One of them is large and has a very hairy mole on her lip while the other is slimmer but is snoring very very loudly.
Not finding anything on his first pass, Laro sneaks up to the larger ogre and searches her for the ring. If he doesn't find it he looks on the smaller.
Laro's instincts prove to be insightful. Carefully creeping up to the larger ogre he notices she's wearing a necklace. As he looks it over his appraisal skills help him realize that it's not really a necklace at all but a hastily made approximation with a large ring threaded through a rough rope to make a crude approximation of a pendant.
The ring/necklace is dangling out of the ogre's armor as she sleeps on her side. Laro should be able to cut it free...
Upon finding the ring Laro smiles. He slowly moves to the ogress and snips the ring out. Once done he drops the rope by the other ogress and sneaks out of the camp.
Laro neatly removes the ring, which is half the size of his head, and like a ghost, retreats.
Laro comes back to the group "Let's get moving before they wake up. I may have bought us some time and sown some dissension in the ranks but I don't want to be around when the big woman realizes it's gone."
Albus, "Masterful as always. Yes, let's be on our way, we've taken enough time for this." Albus will lead the group back to the other giants.
The group backtracks easily. When they get back to the giant clearing they see that Kardoblag is on his back and seems to be warbling something in Giant. Mitoglarb is still sitting with her tree-club in hand but she is covering her other hand with her mouth and making sounds that you think are the Giant equivalent of giggling.
"Hello again," Aelerie greets upon stepping into the clearing. Before addressing Mitoglarb, she gives a brief sideways glance to Kardoblag and is relieved to see that the giant doesn't seemed to have sustained any more injuries in their absence. Then, her curiosity gets the better of her. Shifting her concerned gaze from the prone giant to the giggling giantess, Aelerie asks, "What's he saying?"
Har! I was talking of my tree! Kardoblag says as Mitoglarb blushes a deep red which stands out even on her tanned skin. Do you find ring? From thieving ogres?
Aelerie looks from one giant to the other before giving a weak laugh. Whatever Kardoblag was referring to, the arcanist is fairly sure she's glad the meaning went over her head. Thankfully he keeps her from thinking too hard about the joke with his next question. "Oh, yes! I think we were able to recover it." Aelerie beckons Laro to come over. "Is this your ring?" she asks, hopefully.
Mitoglarb claps her hand with delight as she sees the ring. That is ring! You find on ogres? You kill thieves?
Laro smiles at the giants, "Let's just say I let them sort it out for themselves. I have a feeling there will be a few trees being used as clubs by the ogres when they notice the ring gone."
Albus stands quietly with Javell, letting the others handle the situation. This is going well, Oh, why did I think that? Albus looks around for whatever new thing is about to drop on them while stroking Whisper's fur.
Mitoglarb smiles wide, brown misshapen teeth dully gleaming in the available light.
Come husband. I take you home She grabs him by the scruff and starts to drag him off.
Kardoblag grins, seemingly very relaxed, as he is pulled across the rough ground of the forest.
For some reason he mouths a Thank you and waves as he's towed northwards on the same path that Mitoglarb came in from, presumably leading towards the mountains and home.
Aelerie gives a soft chuckle at the dopey grin on Kardoblag's face and waves goodbye as the two giants disappear deeper into the forest. "They seemed nice," she comments, ostensibly to no one in particular, but in reality to a certain Dwarven merchant. "It just goes to show you we're not that different after all once we get to know each other, huh?" Not wanting to belabor the point too much, Aelerie switches topics to something she hopes will put Gorat back in a good mood.
"Well, let's go see what other secrets this monastery holds, shall we?"
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Gorat is not at all mollified by the group of adventurers leaving not only a pair of Hill Giants alive but also a whole clan of ogres. There'll be no dwaven songs sung about you lot. I can tell you that. but does seem to brighten at the prospect of seeing the monastery.
The rest of the journey proceeds without incidence and it is early in the morning that the group crests a small hill to sees the monastery yet again. Gorat's eyes shine though as he beholds the ruin. The constant spew of ash coming from the crag is blowing away from the monastery this day and a soft gentle light covers the ancietn Dwarven building.
Ah, an outpost of Old Tar Kharradun, brought low by the Rending, what nearly three quarters of a millenia ago? And yet she still stands. I daresay nothing human or halfling would last that long without maintenance, or even with, no offence meant of course. Gorat starts down the path. Well come along. I am eager to see and hear everything of what you have discovered!
Aelerie shakes her head at the curmudgeonly dwarf, but his statement fails to wipe the gentle smile from her face. If feeling that she is doing some good in the world, even on a small scale, meant that she was forgoing glory, then so be it. Her Mama had taught her other songs she could sing anyway.
Although she is glad to witness Gorat's joy over seeing the monastery, memories of the dire circumstances that brought them to the ruins before keeps her from being able to share his enthusiasm completely. Still, she tries to focus on the history of the monastery rather than her history with the monastery. "750 years?! I knew this place was old, but I wouldn't have guessed it was that old."
Seeing the dwarf make for the entrance, Aelerie hurries after him. "Mister Gorat, wait! Among some of the things we found here before were darkmantles, Forge Spurned and rogue worgs. Perhaps you should let my friends here go first, and you and I can follow behind and discuss what makes Dwarven craftsmanship so enduring?"
Laro steps up front. "Let me go in first. That way I can see if there is anything nasty waiting for us." Laro then sneaks his way into the courtyard and pokes his head into the exits to the west north and southeast.
Albus nods at Gorat, "Sorry for not living up to your expectations Master Gorat but diffusing the situation with as little risk to the town was important to us, the giant-kin are rarely a problem. I strive for peace as much as possible here, so living with some evils about is necessary, abet not desirable." Albus' voice drops low, "And the worst evils are in town, not out."
Albus is a bit surprised by just how old the ruins are but has no knowledge of architecture. "Impressive works indeed, sad that it's state is in such hands, though less so."
Albus nods at Aelerie's words, stepping forward, "Very true, Master Laro, seems all but invisible in his movements. I'll stand in front, Master Javell please take the rear guard." Albus grips his axe.
Gorat pales a little as Aelerie recounts the evil beings that the group had found in the old Dwarven buildings.
Torag forgive us for letting one of our places go to such ruin. he sighs. This is not the only place of ours that is so degraded. It is one of the most tragic though. Did you know that somewhere under this stretch of the mountains lies what remains of Jernashall? T'was the capital and center of dwarven culture. It took two eruptions of the crag to bring it low and thus it was all lost and we changed the name from Torag's Crag to Droskar's Crag as only that evil god could bring such ruin. We call those eruptions the Rending and it spelled the end of Tar Khadurrm, and our retreat from this region back to High Helm.
Laro creeps in, as invisible as a shadow and finds the courtyard and the entrance to the main building deserted. The squat building to the southeast, which looks like a watchtower, however is barricaded by a door that seems to be stuck. It would take some strength to budge it.
Laro comes back to the group and reports "The main courtyard is empty as are the enterances. However, the door into the tower is wedged shut. Opening it will probably make some noise, unless I figure out a way without bashing it down. We can check it out first or check the rest of the building for any visitors and the the tower. What do you think?"
Aelerie continues to voraciously soak up all the information about Dwarven history that Gorat imparts. "Wow... And do you think your people will ever return to restore Jernashall, Mister Gorat? Or reclaim this monastery, for that matter? It might be nice to have some neighbors who won't try and kidnap our town's children to perform evil blood sacrifices..."
When Laro returns with his report, Aelerie takes a moment to consider the possibilities before answering. "Wedged shut? As in deliberately? Well, it could be another one of the kobold denizens. Do you remember when we ran into Gurtlekep?" Aelerie asks Albus with a faint smile. She had had high hopes that they could have built a peaceful, cooperative rapport with the little reptilian. It had been a shame what happened to him for putting his trust in the wrong... well, creature.
"I think we should try to find out if there's anyone making their home in there first. Between the three of us, we should know enough languages to be able to communicate with whatever might be hiding inside the tower. If we don't get any response, then we can force the door open?" Aelerie suggests before opening up the floor to countersuggestions.
The door looked like it was shut due to age rather than a deliberately set barricade to Laro.
Laro nods, "Lets go knock and then force it open. It looks like it was just wedged shut due to age."