"I was hoping for something like that", Alwyn smiles. "We'll be back, Father - until then, take care of yourself and your flock." He shoulders his pack and walks out of the chapel.
Sefayll nods to the man again. "Pleased to meet you." And she follows the cleric into the open air.
"I'm hongry."
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Outside, the extent of the rebuilding since the last visit is plain. The tower that Hudak dropped on to Black Magga is now swathed in wooden scaffolding and masons swarm about on it. Similarly, the flood-damaged buildings are in the process of being repaired. People nod amiably at the group when they see them, with the possible exception of Sefayll whose intimidating mask and hellknight emblems put off a friendlier welcome.
At the Turtle's Parlour, the single inn in Turtleback Ferry, a deal is quickly struck and an hour later the heroes are riding along the banks of the Skull River towards Fort Rannick. The sun is warm on their backs and the forest creates a fresh green canopy overhead. The woods are less forbidding than before now that the Grauls have been cleared out.
As the sunn reaches its zenith, the fort comes into view. Like the town, there are plentiful signs of rebuilding following the destruction wreaked by the ogres of the Kreeg clan. The gatehouses have been patched up, the new stone and mortar showing brightly against the more weathered originals, and the moat dredged and redug. Piles of building materials lie just outside the walls, waiting to be used, and the metallic clink of stone being shaped with chisels and the rasp of wood being sawed fills the air. New wooden buildings - smithy, barracks and so on - are rising within the bailey. And just as welcome, bowmen stand sentinel on the walls.
The portcullis opens as the group approach, and they thunder across the wooden bridge and into the fort. The first thing they hear is Dravite's voice, raised at full volume.
"I dinae care aboot ye budgets, ye wassoch! We need the men!"
"You right fuzzy bastard! What are you doing?" to Dravite.
Sefayll rides quietly, taking in the sights of the area. She'd seen many reports of the party's exploits, of course, but this was her first trip to the area. The damage that had been wrought was extensive, more so than the reports had indicated.
"Dang. I still feel bad about knockin that tower over."
"Yak droppings. Knocking down buildings is awesome."
"Also, the alternative was pretty grim."
People nod amiably at the group when they see them, with the possible exception of Sefayll whose intimidating mask and hellknight emblems put off a friendlier welcome.
"It's okay. She's with us...she's more of a heck knight...."
"You right fuzzy bastard! What are you doing?" to Dravite.
"Hudak, you ugly bald Shoanti fokker! It's great to see yous!" Dravite gives Hudak a waist-high bear hug, lifting him off his feet. "Wait, where Vethran, Illes and wee Ellie? They aren't...?" He lets the question hang, not wanting to say it.
"Of course not. Sandpoint was hit by a giant raid recently; the cousins are helping with rebuilding the town. Elisile... She's been gone for a while, but I think she's OK. I would have known if anything bad had happened to her."
"Other than that, a lot has happened since we last spoke. We've faced boggards and demons, and Hudak got himself killed by a Chelish gangster. But we're here about giant trouble." Alwyn gives Dravite a quick run-down of the giant raid and the interrogation of the dead enemies. "So we're headed for this Black Tower. I was hoping to talk a bit with Jakardros and plot a route to the place. Also, do you have any food? I'm starving."
"Bah! We've got bigger problems than your belly. This here gentleman" - he casts a disparaging glance at the man he was arguing with, dressed in a scribe's robes and with ink-stained fingers - "is an auditor sent by the Lord-Mayor's office in Magnimar. He tells me we have no money for soldiers' wages. But the ogres of the Kreeg clan are on the warpath again after the drubbing we gave them, and our rangers report they are led by giants now. Sounds like a coincidence, no? Seems they're ready to strike out of Hook Mountain and we've got nothing and no one to fight back with.
"Looks like ye showed up just in time."
"I would have accepted this as a coincidence some time ago. Not any more, though. And I have been thinking about Hook Mountain for a while as well. Looks like we'll need to make a small detour. Maybe they'll know more about our friend Mokmurian and his plans."
"As for troops, I am under the impression that your monetary and manpower problems are about to be solved. We had a... chat with some senior Hellknights, and they would, ah, provide security here. The easiest way to do that would be to fund it properly. Your bean-counter should talk to a guy named Ghorth."
Sefayll realizes from the reactions in the street that her helmet is a more of a barrier than an asset at this point, so she removes it and carries it under her right arm while they are walking.
"Bummer. Buddy, I got some gold; I'm a simple f+!!er; don't know if it's enough to make much difference. I don't do those tallyings too well.
I can't really throw it at giants, so it's yours, Dravite. For the cause."
"You're a daft fokker, more like! With yous back, I don't need those soldiers. And they're sending hellknights, ye say? You're keeping interesting company these days." Dravite looks curiously at Sefayll. "Ach, let's talk aboot it over some food." He ushers the party past the disgruntled-looking accountant and inside the keep.
"I have no idea if there are inbound hellknights, or what else they have planned. But think things will change around here."
"We need to make our way through the Iron Peaks, and could use some advice about how to best do that. We can pay a visit to Hook Mountain to see what's going on there along the way."
"We need horses...."
That evening, Jakardros comes and finds the adventurers where they are resting in the keep. "I hear you want to get to the Black Tower," he says, getting straight to the point.
"You heard right. Mokmurian, the giant witchdoctor that is stirring up the bigguns, has based himself there. However, we could use some advice in how to get there."
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"I've only ever seen the Black Tower from a distance, and it was a while ago. The giants used to shun it as taboo, but that doesn't mean they liked anyone else going near. It's right in the middle of giant territory, deep in the heart of the Iron Peaks. There's a hanging valley above the Muschkal River, and it's there, overlooking the river. The river rises in the mountains and runs north through a gorge before it turns east and then south, flowing into the northern part of the Storval Deep.
"There's two main ways of getting there from here. The most obvious is north, from here to Skull's Crossing and along the shore of the Deep to the mouth of the Muschkal, then following the river north, west and the then south. But the shore of the Deep isn't easy terrain and it's open, so you can be seen from miles around. It's unlikely the giants will miss you, and there's wyverns to worry about too. I reckon it's going on for a hundred miles from here to the Black Tower that way, taking into account the route doubles back on itself as it follows the river bend.
"The other way is to go back to Turtleback Ferry and follow the Coal River north to Bitter Hollow and then round the east shore of Lake Coal. Past the lake, the Coal carries on up into the mountains towards its source in the Iron Peaks. At the top there is a pass which drops down into the top end of the Muschkal valley, and then you head north to the Black Tower. It's a shorter journey, about seventy miles, but it's a tougher path - you might struggle with horses on the mountain passes. And while you won't be so obvious, there's still a lot of giants up in those mountains and you'll be walking through the territories of several clans.
"And no matter which way you go, you'll be passing near Hook Mountain. There are paths and overlooks to both routes from the ogre den, and they've become active again. You've heard the rumours about them being led by giants too, no doubt."
"I guess the second route is best then. Lesser of two evils.
We can unlimber our muscles on those Hook Mountain freaks I wot."
"What are the tactics of these ogres? Are they mindless brutes who win by virtue of sheer numbers?"
"Pretty much. Kinda like my tactics. Except, you don't want to get captured by them. Keep a dagger handy to off yourself."
"They have minds. But they are not used for... subtle things. Hudak's right - if you fight ogres, save a dagger for yourself."
"Damned deviants. I like to fight. But ogres I like to kill."
Jarardros looks grim at the turn in the conversation, fully aware of what ogres do to those they capture.
"Want to ride out, take the second route as far as the horses can go then turn them loose?"
"Maybe get some muls to ride? IDK."
"Horses won't help us much either way. I'd like to bring a pack mule, but nothing more."
"Aye," says Dravite. "Crag's got a few friends here ye can have. But ye'd better look after them. But what to do aboot the ogres of Hook Mountain in the meantime?"
"Should we go clean them out?"
"We'll look into that for you. It's on the way."
"Let's ride the second route. We can go by Hook Mountain on the way, maybe clear out some ogres."
Sounds good. Let's do it.
Sefayll just listens, having no argument with the plan and no familiarity with the closer foe.
"They're just dumb and evil, like orcs. Except kinda big. And you don't want to let them kidnap you. Best to keep a knife for yourself."
"Och aye, Hudak" replies Dravite. "I'll come with ye to Hook Mountain. I cannae let ye have all the fun, and someone has to protect ye pretty little backside from a randy ogre. I cannae come to the Black Tower wit ye - I've too much to do here - but I cannae miss oot on clearing oot Hook Mountain once and for all.
"So, we'll get ye supplies and some mules and set oot tomorrow, early. There's some ogres in need of a hooking."
The next morning dawns. It is a pleasant, warm morning with bright sunshine, belying the bloody vengeance that the day was fated to bring.
"Killin' time," Alwyn grins, cracking his knuckles theatrically. "Let's get to work."
Hudak's good to go.
"Let's get out of here, before I do more damage to the temple for some crazy reason..."