Justin reaches out to lay a gentle hand on the barbarians shoulder.
"Yes, I think we ALL heard that Hamar. It's OK." Justin assures him, but he is only looking at the crystal formation ahead. He takes a step forward.
"Greetings Pando. Thank you for allowing us to visit you. I had no idea that we were expected." Justin says aloud, glancing at their guide with a questioning look that plainly says 'Did YOU know it could do that?!?'
Justin finds himself missing Nari. She would know, or at least have a much better idea, how to deal with a mind-speech entity. That, and he missed her calm, shy yet fiercely supportive spirit.
Ah well, nothing to do now but work with what they had.
"I confess, I was fascinated when I read about you in a journal of an adventurer who visited you once long ago, but his description did NOT do you justice." Justin admits freely, admiring the blue crystal island and it's shimmering crystal spires. (Hey, it's not (only) flattery if its TRUE right?!?) And a little flattery never hurt anyone.
"Sorry, you may have known we were coming, but we haven't introduced ourselves. I am Justin. It is a great pleasure to meet you Pando."
Justin looks over at the others, and makes 'go ahead' gestures at them.
"I am Hamar of the Hyena Tribe but this is known", states that Barbarian looking around as he is not sure where to direct his comment to.
Justin covers a grin, and subtly points to the small blue crystal island with the clear crystal spires on top.
Pando’s voice replies. It originally had been rather loud-sounding, but it seems as if it has scaled the mental power back a bit. It now sounds like an educated person speaking in everyone’s native tongue to them
**I apologize if I anticipated introductions. I often get tangled up in the sea of future potentiality and forget to allow people to properly introduce themselves. Why don’t you tell me why you have come here, and I will not guess beforehand **
Alessia hisses like an annoyed cat, keeping a wary eye on the pools of liquid energy.
Justin doesn't know whether or not to smile, (he doesn't want to be rude to their host)
"That's quite alright. I have a far more limited frame of reference, so I can only imagine it must be difficult to relate to us if you can see possible future timelines."
Justin wishes idly that HE had the ability to know the answers before the questions were even asked.
Justin goes around the group, allowing them to make their own introductions (but not afraid to speak up if they seem uninterested, or unwilling, to speak to the crystal entity.)
"As for our reason for visiting you, I myself wished to meet you. I hope that I may be able to return and visit you from time to time and learn from you, if you would allow."
Justin gestures to Hamar, "But I confess that we had hoped to ask you for a boon. A fellow you once met claimed in his journal that you were able to provide him with a particularly potent Ioun Stone. We were hoping that you might be able to provide one for Hamar here. We would of course offer something in exchange. But I confess, I have no idea what you might be interested in." Justin explains politely.
Alessia hisses like an annoyed cat, keeping a wary eye on the pools of liquid energy.
Justin glances at Alessia, sees what shes staring at, and bites his tongue.
He would have EXACTLY the same reaction to a liquid pool of negative energy.
From what he knows of her personality, he decides she probably doesn't want to talk about it. At least not in front of everyone.
The transparent menhirs coruscate with swirling patterns of light, shining off the crystals above them in a glittering display
**Just so. You seek such a crystal, and I can find one for you, or rather, tell you how to bring me one to craft for you. But, I would ask you a boon**
**I am not an entity such as you. I am more akin to Yggdrasil, who I know you have had dealings with. I see her mark upon your feline companion **
Merle starts, realizing that the crystal thing is talking about her
**I dwell across planar space, on a higher dimension. This is my root existence, but I live in many more places, and in many more forms. In some worlds I am a grove of trees. In others a circle of stones, still others I am a clutch of volcanic vents on the ocean floor. Here, I can defend myself, but in many of these worlds I am constrained by the laws of the realm to passivity.
On one such world, I am a small forest of fir trees. My trees were venerated by the elves that lived in the place for many years, and I communed with their shamans. However, a band of giants came to the land and slew this tribe. They now claim the forest and are deaf to my pleas. They fell my trunks for wood.
This will not kill me, but it weakens me. I also seek vengeance for my friends the Drasvir Tribe. I would have the giants driven off. Would you consider doing this for me?**
Somewhat unexpectedly, Alessia speaks.
"sssss... I will do this..."
The lights swirl within the crystal columns
**Thank you Alessia of Keoland**
Alessia:
**For your bravery, a prophecy. Nothing is foreordained, but knowing the path ahead makes it more likely. You seek vengeance. A dire path lies ahead, but these beings are your surest way to your goal. Assist them with their quest and it will lead you to yours. The lich still lives, and vengeance can still be had**
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Hamar nods in agreement, "I have never slain a Giant, that will soon change".
The transparent menhirs coruscate with swirling patterns of light, shining off the crystals above them in a glittering display
**Just so. You seek such a crystal, and I can find one for you, or rather, tell you how to bring me one to craft for you. But, I would ask you a boon**
**I am not an entity such as you. I am more akin to Yggdrasil, who I know you have had dealings with. I see her mark upon your feline companion **
Merle starts, realizing that the crystal thing is talking about her
"Oh yeah we helped her out of a tight spot..I'm sure we could help you out of this tight spot as well?"
Justin nods while listening with interest.
As his companions speak up, he shrugs.
"I think we have a deal Pando. Drive off a tribe of giants in exchange for your assistance."
Justin looks thoughtful for a moment,
"So, where exactly IS this plane with the grove of trees part of yourself in danger?"
Justin's eyes get wide, as he realizes something else,...
"Out of personal curiosity, how many Planes DO you exist is simultaneously? More or less?"
**Currently I exist on 5,345 discrete Prime Material dimensions. This is the only presence I have in the elemental planes. I exist on the Astral and the Ethereal. I also exist on 14 Outer Planes realms, mostly in the good and chaos side of the Wheel**
The colored lights run liquidly through the clear stones
**If you will arrange yourself within my central area, I can send you to the destination**
The group climbs up onto the blue crystal island and arranges themselves within the crystal menhirs. The lights sparkling and swirling with the columns brighten to an almost painful intensity. The group feels the stretching sensation common to planar travel. Suddenly Pando’s cave fades and they are on a hill in a summer evening. Granite stones surround them. Then they are in a autumnal-colored forest of slender aspen trees. Two humans in odd clothing stare at them in shock for a second then they are in a dark starless evening amid a circle of oaks. Faeries dance around a central stone, suddenly halting as the party appears, then ...
Faster...
A cave of crystals
A circle of marble pillars
A forest of flame-leaved maples
Faster and faster the scenes blink, days and nights shifting as rapidly as the scenery. Sometimes they see others within the area, but mostly the scenes are empty.
Suddenly it halts. The group is within a deep fir forest. The trees are large, about two meters in diameter on average, and they climb up to the sky in straight ranks, some topping 40 meters. It is predawn, and snow lies thick on the ground. It is COLD. The party is used to Sigil’s constant temperatures and the mineral plane had been warmish and dry. Here it is well-below freezing. The forest seems to be nestled in a valley surrounded by large snow-capped mountains. Two moons ride high in a starry sky. The forest is very quiet, but there is a distant campfire visible to the north through the trees.
**Currently I exist on 5,345 discrete Prime Material dimensions. This is the only presence I have in the elemental planes. I also exist on 14 Outer Planes realms, mostly in the good and chaos side of the Wheel**
Justin blinks.
"Wow. I, actually wasn't expecting an exact number. Thank you.""Note to self, discuss the point of view of 'Self' while existing simultaneously in thousands of Planes with Pando. And the various interactions of magical energies on non-Prime Planes."
The colored lights run liquidly through the clear stones**If you will arrange yourself within my central area, I can send you to the destination **
"Well. THAT'S convenient. Thank you."
Justin turns to their guide.
"I'm afraid that we didn't contract with you to travel to anywhere except here. And I can't ask you to risk your life. Your welcome to accompany us if you wish, or wait here until we return? Either is fine."
Once Rovuk decides, Justin joins the rest on the central area of Pando's Island-self.
And his minds whirls at the trip as much as the trip itself,...
As they arrive, Justin first makes sure that his lunch isn't going anywhere it shouldn't.
Then he decides he is glad that his normal travel/work clothes include a heavy leather coat. It is decidedly cold here compared to where they just left.
As everyone gets their bearings, he admires the natural beauty around them.
"It's the natural, foresty-version of where we met Pando. Just trees instead of crystals. Nice."
The wizard indicates the campfire glow they can see through the trees.
"well, we need to get our bearings. And that is either a band of Giants, or someone who doesn't fear them to have such a large campfire going."
Justin turns to Karrin.
"Well fearless leader, shall we go introduce ourselves?" he grins.
"Fearless? Leader? Man I though we knew each other way better than than Justin," Karrin says with a shrug, "But come on, we got a scout, this seems like a job for a scout. What do you say Hamar? You interested in seeing what we're dealing with?"
Hamar nods to Karrin and heads towards the light sticking to the shadows.
Stealth
Perception
Rovuk nods to Hamar
"I can go with you. I have some training in stealth"
The two head off to the distant campfire
Rovuk moves quite stealthily in the darkened forest, the two make good time. About half a mile on they come to the forest's edge. The forest ends abrubtly, the landscape ahead a clear-cut area of massive stumps.
GM rolls
As the two edge towards the forest's edge, Rovuk taps Hamar's shoulder. two shadowy forms resolve in the treeline. They are tall, bulky forms, each holding a large spiked chain. They freeze, and there is a heart-stopping second as one of the sentries swivels towards their area, moving about. The other grunts
"Wot's up?"
"Heard summat in the trees."
"ahh, it's almost dawn. Probably some vermin. Foxes are about this time"
The two settle back, but look a bit more alert
"It's the natural, foresty-version of where we met Pando. Just trees instead of crystals. Nice."
"Yes, much nicer..."
In the icy silence, with the prospect of an impending fight (and with a distinct lack of glowing pools of liquid energy), Alessia appears... well, not exactly relaxed, but definitely less tightly-wound than usual.
"It's the natural, foresty-version of where we met Pando. Just trees instead of crystals. Nice.""Yes, much nicer..."
In the icy silence, with the prospect of an impending fight (and with a distinct lack of glowing pools of liquid energy), Alessia appears... well, not exactly relaxed, but definitely less tightly-wound than usual.
The night is blessedly calm, and Alessia feels a sense of relief now that the almost constant pressure of positive energy she has felt for more than a week has been lifted from her. The cold bothers her not at all.
Blayze stares wide-eyed as they rapidly travel across worlds. Once she has a moment to experience the new climate, the divine gunslinger shivers, for once closing and buttoning her coat against the cold.
"Damn! That fire looks pretty welcoming right about now."
Blayze stares wide-eyed as they rapidly travel across worlds. Once she has a moment to experience the new climate, the divine gunslinger shivers, for once closing and buttoning her coat against the cold.
"Damn! That fire looks pretty welcoming right about now."
"Be patient. One gets used to the cold. You will too, in time."
Blayze raises and eyebrow, exhaling a plume of mist that serves as a commentary on what Alessia's outlook was unlikely to apply to her anytime soon.
Blayze raises and eyebrow, exhaling a plume of mist that serves as a commentary on what Alessia's outlook was unlikely to apply to her anytime soon.
Alessia is uncharacteristically less than unfriendly.
"...Forgive me. How does this...? I was attempting to be... sympathetic? That is the word, yes?"
"Please let them come back soon so I can kill something..."
Hamar is irritated with himself, were Rovuk not here he would be facing those two larger opponents, alone.
After some time he gestures to the Planar Ranger, that it is time to head back to the others.
Once they arrive, "Giants, two large sentries nearly spotted me. Both wielding spiked chains. There is a clearing which I could not safely cross. Rovuk did not try.
If we cannot all see at night, it may be wise to wait until light to fight these foes. Study their habits, then perhaps strike in the late afternoon as we do not have a count of just how many we face here".
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Sophie spends her downtime sharing firearm knowledge with Blayze, and her travelling time keeping to herself and apparently speaking to the air in a strange, sibilant language. Occasionally Erebus will poke his head out of her shoulder, glare around slit eyed at the brightness, and then retreat back inside her.
She remains quiet, but for introductions, when they have their dealings with Pando, and is glad when they are finally back into darkness, the constant light and positive energy causing her no end of headaches.
"I'm happy to attack under the cover of darkness," she replies at Hamar's assessment of their foes, "although more scouting of other forces would be in order, as I feel that I do tend to prefer louder displays of force." She nods in Blayze's direction and adds, "we tend to prefer louder displays of force."
"Could just try fireballing them?"
"What are they guarding?" Karrin muses, "I mean did you see a camp? How many more are there? If we go in loud on a couple of guards we might take them out pretty quickly but they could still do their jobs if we light up the sky and pop them with our guns. We still got the element of surprise so something less flashy to take those two out or we avoid them altogether and take advantage of raining down ruin on the main body."
"Hey, I'm all for turning their bonfire into an explosive Bar-B-Que, But Karrin is right. At the very least we should know how many there are before we 'light up the night'."
"OK, so what DO we know? Well we found the giants. There's a large enough group that they set guards, presumably on all sides. But is it the MAIN camp? And do we want it to be the main camp or a smaller group?" Justin shakes his head.
"Need more data. If we can't get it ourselves,... we need a source."
"Hm,... Maybe we could bait them? Tempt them into chasing what seems like a harmless, lone humanoid? Something non-threatening that they would feel like they wouldn't need to warn the camp? And of course we lead them to the rest of us. Far enough away from the camp that we catch them and ask them to answer our questions for us."
Justin looks around, then looks at the ground.
"Yeah,... or maybe I'm over complicating things again. I do that sometimes."
"I can scout again but they are edge now and the light will soon be against us. I could not get close enough to see more than the two sentries to know they are indeed Giants.
Is there magic that can be used to spy on them Wizard?"
The Sky is lightening as they discuss. Dawn is likely less than an hour away
"I can scout again but they are edge now and the light will soon be against us. I could not get close enough to see more than the two sentries to know they are indeed Giants.
Is there magic that can be used to spy on them Wizard?"
Justin nods.
"There is. But I tend to focus on the 'Flash, Bang, BOOM' type of spells. I don't have any 'sneaky-spy' spells in my spellbook. Yet."
Justin looks at the sky.
"It'll be a moot point soon. Sun'll be coming up. Any other ideas? Plans of attack? I just dont want to charge in blindly and find we're facing an army of hundreds. Even if its just a small group, I'd at least like to know how they're camped. Better to aim the Fireballs." He smirks.
Justin stops, blinks, and facepalms himself.
"I have GOT to get out of the habit of making things harder than they need to be,..." He mutters crossly.
"Give me a sec,..." He moves to the side and sorts through some arcane bric-a-brac from his pockets until he finds the bit he is looking for. Then he closes his eyes, focuses and chants a short phrase in a lilting, lyrical language. A small ring of glowing arcane symbols appear on the ground in front of him. From out of the circle flies a swift, small form.
The golden eagle makes it to the treetops before turning around and returning to land on Justin's outstretched arm. Justin says a bit more in that language and launches the eagle into the air. It flies up and towards the direction of the firelight.
Justin turns back to the rest of the group.
"Sorry. Conjured a Celestial Eagle. he'll only stay summoned for a short while. A couple of minutes at most. But it should be long enough to do a fly over of the camp, return and tell me what he saw. It'll be simple and in general terms, but at least we'll have an idea."
Seeing Justin's idea, Sophie cocks her head and thinks, then says something in her strange hissing language. Suddenly Erebus erupts from her neck and takes flight, following the path taken by the golden eagle.
She shrugs at the raised eyebrow from Justin. "Two sets of eyes are better than one, and I'm sure that Erebus possesses more intelligence than your conjuration."
Erebus takes flight as he jumps from within Sophie's neck, screeching at the party before surging after the departing eagle.
Between Goldy the eagle and Erebus, the party rapidly gains an idea of the camp. It lies by a frozen river in a large patch of clear cut trees. There are six large tents ringing a massive bonfire. Goldy saw one giant at the bonfire with a cauldron. There were two sentries just within the forest, and one by the river. Three large sleighs are just outside the camp, partially filled with logs. A large pile of branches sits near them. Smaller humanoids seem to be bringing branches to the bonfire. They are chained in pairs with leg shackles
Seeing Justin's idea, Sophie cocks her head and thinks, then says something in her strange hissing language. Suddenly Erebus erupts from her neck and takes flight, following the path taken by the golden eagle.
She shrugs at the raised eyebrow from Justin. "Two sets of eyes are better than one, and I'm sure that Erebus possesses more intelligence than your conjuration."
Justin smiles, and bows his head to Sophie.
"Much obliged, and I'm sure your right. Celestials are smarter than the common animals you find.But Goldy is still just a bird-brain." he chuckles.
Justin thanks the eagle with a head scratch before it fades into golden motes of light. He crouches down and draws a rough diagram in the frozen dirt with a stick. He confers with Sophie and adds details from Erebus.
"OK, Four giants we know for sure. But Six tents, even if they are only one to a tent that's at least two more. So, guessing the tents hold at least 2 per,.... best guess, at least twelve, but up to twenty-four total. Mostly sleeping for a little bit longer. IF we hurry."
"And we have prisoners to worry about. I'd like to free them and NOT have the giants stomp on them during the fight."
Justin looks thoughtful. Not worried, but very thoughtful.
"MY personal preference, is to drive them away, not slaughter them all. But Pando says they've already proven they're not friendly. I'm guessing the prisoners are the remaining elves that Pando said were killed. So, yeah."
"OK, IF the casters can get close enough to fireball the tents as a first strike before they wake up, that would hopefully take care of a lot of future fighting. Or at least slow them down. Our artillery and casters keeps any who survive that barrage pinned down. While the heavy hitters show the guards how a real fight goes."
Justin looks up for any comments.
"Hamar has already shown HE can be anywhere he needs to be, when he wants to be." Justin smirks.
"Karrin, Alessia, Mel, YOU all have the most large-battle experience. Any better ideas?"
Justin looks pointedly at Karrin.
(Not TOO pointedly, just, you know, welcoming her to take over. Anytime.)
"MY personal preference, is to drive them away, not slaughter them all."
"Karrin, Alessia, Mel, YOU all have the most large-battle experience. Any better ideas?"
"Slaughter them all."
Hamar nods at Alessia's comments, "I have never encountered these creatures but I know those who have claimed so, they will not run from us. We will have to kill them all, whether you want to or not Wizard.
Who knows, maybe a Giant eyeball is a component for a spell eh? You will have plenty of such when we are done here..."
Sophie nods at Justin's assessment.
"Fireballing the tents was my first thought as well. That should, if not fully take care of, at least severely hamper a good portion of our opponents. Even more if we do it at night."
She looks at the crude drawing in the dirt.
"If Blayze and I concentrate our fire on the guards, while the casters fireball the tents, then the melee combatants can race in after the initial attack and engage with the survivors."
"I can get fun sized on the edge of camp, other melee mashers set up an ambush, then we blast them, when the rally and charge the biggest target, me, we pop the ambush and then round up the stragglers. Pretty basic plan. But if they got any chanters or spell casters we'll need to switch priorities and take them out fast," Karrin says with a shrug, "I mean I'm no tactical genius or anything, but using that element of surprise is pretty key."
"Slaughter them all.""MY personal preference, is to drive them away, not slaughter them all."
"Karrin, Alessia, Mel, YOU all have the most large-battle experience. Any better ideas?"
Blayze turns slowly to face Alessia. "Given the likelihood that they are in fact evil, I'm fine with taking them out once the fight starts, even taking out a sentry....but I am NOT murdering anyone in their sleep." she says calmly, but in a tone leaving no doubt of the truth in her statement. "I will take down the sentries, that's all part of a tactical assault."
Hamar shrugs at Blayze and grimaces at her statement, "These are Giants, the fight is unfair when they are awake, you wish them to awaken and threaten both ourselves and their prisoners? Slaying sleeping men is despicable, slaying sleeping monsters is sensible..."
"Given the likelihood that they are in fact evil, I'm fine with taking them out once the fight starts, even taking out a sentry....but I am NOT murdering anyone in their sleep." she says calmly, but in a tone leaving no doubt of the truth in her statement.
"I was not asking you to do this. I will do it myself."
Justin looks around, taking in all of the opinions & options. Even the unhappy ones.
"I completely understand Blayze. I'd never consider fireballing an innocent, Even to save another life. But I feel fairly certain that none of those in the tents are innocent." The wizard shrugs.
"So, basic plan still intact. Artillery takes out the sentries with the skirmishers as casters fireball the center of camp. I'm fairly certain that with the way MY luck's been running, it will only tick them off, not kill them. Karrin becomes the giant's biggest target, so arrange yourselves to be able to focus on them as they focus on her, and the rest of us rain down Unholy Hades on whoever, or whatever else shows up. Yes?"
Justin looks around.
"OK. Lets go raise some havoc. Oh, stay centered on Merle, so she can haste everyone before we take off."
Justin looks at the felines with a wicked grin.
"Merle, Seph? You two might want to stay close to me. If we need to move, I have us a ride." He hints, obviously pleased with what ever he has in mind,...
"Okay how do you feel on sneaking up and beating unconciouss?" Merle to Blaze before realising Justin had mentioned her "Oh yeah and everything he said I guess?"