Kurag hits the frost giant all three times. He bellows in rage and pain. Brother Hawthorne readies a dagger to be thrown.
Agrimmosh appears to be a simple stone blacksmith hammer engraved with Minderhal holy symbol. It functions as a +2 impact warhammer that automatically resizes itself to match the size of its wielder. Once per day as a full-round action, the wielder of Agrimmosh can use the hammer to cast heightened enlarge person (Fortitude DC 23 negates). This effect lasts for 20 minutes. Whenever the wielder of Agrimmosh confrms a critical hit against a creature of the humanoid type, the target creature must succeed at a DC 23 Fortitude save or shrink by one size category, as by heightened reduce person. This effect lasts for 20 minutes.
Enlarge Person
+2 str, -2 dex, -1 AC, -1 attack, large, 10 foot reach
Rask invokes Agrimmosh special power and grows large. He readies himself for any giant attack.
Looking to ensure that the giants couldn’t trust each other, Sven repeated his prayer.
Yellow will walk over and stand 10 feet from Rask and tries to hit him with his club.
Sven cast murderous command on the frost giant.
He misses!
The ogres will throw javelins at Kurag.
Blue will throw a rock at Kurag.
The frost giant will attack Blue!
Kurag looks to put down the frost giant and follow up the death shot by targeting blue for the audacity for throwing a rock at him.
Frost giant point blank precise rapid deadly aim inspired favored for
Rapid at blue if frost is dead for
Iterative for miss
Agrimmosh appears to be a simple stone blacksmith hammer engraved with Minderhal holy symbol. It functions as a +2 impact warhammer that automatically resizes itself to match the size of its wielder. Once per day as a full-round action, the wielder of Agrimmosh can use the hammer to cast heightened enlarge person (Fortitude DC 23 negates). This effect lasts for 20 minutes. Whenever the wielder of Agrimmosh confrms a critical hit against a creature of the humanoid type, the target creature must succeed at a DC 23 Fortitude save or shrink by one size category, as by heightened reduce person. This effect lasts for 20 minutes.
Enlarge Person
+2 str, -2 dex, -1 AC, -1 attack, large, 10 foot reach
Now that he is as large as the giants, Rask stands and swings Agrimmosh at the giant and never having used his hammer in an enlarged state, misses badly.
Rask misses in his attack.
Brother Hawthorne will keep the song going, but otherwise delays.
Agrimmosh appears to be a simple stone blacksmith hammer engraved with Minderhal holy symbol. It functions as a +2 impact warhammer that automatically resizes itself to match the size of its wielder. Once per day as a full-round action, the wielder of Agrimmosh can use the hammer to cast heightened enlarge person (Fortitude DC 23 negates). This effect lasts for 20 minutes. Whenever the wielder of Agrimmosh confrms a critical hit against a creature of the humanoid type, the target creature must succeed at a DC 23 Fortitude save or shrink by one size category, as by heightened reduce person. This effect lasts for 20 minutes.
Enlarge Person
+2 str, -2 dex, -1 AC, -1 attack, large, 10 foot reach
Sven blessed his comrades.
Rask hits Yellow and Sven casts bless!
Blue will throw a rock at Rask.
Green and Red will throw javelins at Rask.
He misses.
Agrimmosh appears to be a simple stone blacksmith hammer engraved with Minderhal holy symbol. It functions as a +2 impact warhammer that automatically resizes itself to match the size of its wielder. Once per day as a full-round action, the wielder of Agrimmosh can use the hammer to cast heightened enlarge person (Fortitude DC 23 negates). This effect lasts for 20 minutes. Whenever the wielder of Agrimmosh confirms a critical hit against a creature of the humanoid type, the target creature must succeed at a DC 23 Fortitude save or shrink by one size category, as by heightened reduce person. This effect lasts for 20 minutes.
Enlarge Person
+2 str, -2 dex, -1 AC, -1 attack, large, 10 foot reach
"Die creature Die!" Rask yells as he continues to pound the giant in front of him.
Speaking in the Giant tongue, Brother Hawthorne yells, "I know we got off on the wrong foot, but you giants don't appear to be trying very hard here. Are you sure you don't wish to surrender, and join the winning side?"
He keeps his song going.
Seeking to cause dissection in the ranks of the giant’s, Sven targeted the one that Brother Hawthorne seemed to be addressing and tried to get into it’s mind…
Kurag continues to light up the giants that are attacking with ranger weapons starting with green then blue then red.
All the usual for
Rapid usual for
Iterative usual for
Brother Hawthorne keeps his song going. Sven casts murderous command.
Kurag's first two volleys kill Green and his third arrow kills Red.
Yellow will attack Rask.
He misses!
Red will attack Yellow!
He kills his ally!
The old dwarf charged in, hammer in hand. Inspired by Brother Hawthorne’s song, he decided to relieve the glory of his youth. Jumping as he finished his sprint, he brought him hammer down directly into the giant’s chest, right over its heart. He felt ribs break beneath the blow, causing the giant to die instantly.
He fell onto the giant, going down with it and then rolled onto the floor. With a groan he got to his feet, his free hand on his back. ”Ow…fook. I’m too old for this.” He grumbled as he got to his feet.
Sven, deciding to enter the fray puts down the last foe!
Kurag puts his perception skills to the test and searches the giants for anything of value. One the giants are searched he turns his attention to the rest of the room.
perception
Continuing on...
Huge crooked shelves of raw timber line the walls of this room, buckling beneath the weight of bulging sacks of grain, large crates, and cracked plates. A large washtub filled with murky water sits in one corner. In the opposite corner, an enormous broom is propped against the wall.
This pantry stores dry goods, including jerky, grains, and root vegetables, as well as blankets, eating utensils, nails, rope, wax, and other mundane items.
A young slag giant named Ferin is busy picking out a few things from the larder shelves.
She is startled by your sudden appearance. She starts to cry out for help then notices Agrimmosh in Rask's hands. She says in common, Wait! Is that? Can it be? It is! Please don't hurt me, I have so much to ask you about that beautiful piece of art, history and weaponry! She says pointing to Agimmosh. Her face is a mixture of awe and giddiness!
Rask waves Agrimmosh, "speak then."
Brother Hawthorne is a bit taken back at the casual attitude from one who should consider him a mortal enemy. "It's a weapon, like many others, except well washed in the blood of giants and wielded by a dwarf who knows how to use it." He lets that sink in and asks, "now, you who seem not wise enough to know when your life may be at peril, what do you call yourself, and how much would you like to survive the fortnight?"
The giant ignores Brother Hawthorne and instead speaks directly to Rask. My name is Ferin. I am an apprentice to Etena - The last of the Keepers of the Forge! She is the last living descendant of the ancient slag giants who immigrated to this valley after converting to the worship of Minderhal. Long ago, the elder priests of the cathedral appointed Etena to the revered position of Keeper of the Forge, a post that she has held for centuries, even after the giants abandoned the valley and the cathedral above.
Since that time, Etena has been the cathedral’s sole inhabitant, and every day since the forge went cold, she has lit candles and laid prayer symbols in the dust to honor Minderhal and bless the forge. In the hundreds of years that followed, she has come to believe that should Agrimmosh, the Hammer of Unmaking—a powerful artifact that once resided within the Cathedral of Minderhal and that possesses a mystical connection to Minderhal’s Forge—ever be returned to the cathedral, the sacred forge will once more roar into life, heralding a new age of glory for the cathedral and the worship of Minderhal.
You! You, noble Dwarf have returned Agrimmosh and you will be able to re-light the forge and awaken that beautiful weapon! Will you meet my teacher Etena?
"Yes" Rask growls at the giant. "Lead on, but if this is a trick, you will not survive."
”Minderhal.” Sven growled. ”The smith God of the giants. Whose abode is in Hell. He is the keeper of Giant traditions, stonework and smithing. A pale reflection of Torag’s glory. Trust these creatures as far as ye can throw them. To light the forge of such an evil deity….” He trailed off, as if though the words were poison.
Kurag follows along with drawn bow waiting for any ambush. While it seems that Fwrin spoke truly it seemed strange that a dwarven made item was needed to rekindle a giant’s forge.
Sense motive never mind…completely believable
Ferin ignores Sven and mootins to Rask. Come! I will take you!
She leads you all to a secret passage which brings you to...
Dust covers the floor and cobwebs drape the walls of this broad oval chamber. Near the center of the room stands a pillar of cemented soot-blackened stones illuminated by the waxy lumps of crude candles and surrounded by a ring of mystic symbols fashioned out of metallic dust sprinkled on the floor. To the south stand a large chair and a table laid with a single place setting, a clay bowl, a pitcher of water, and pot of gruel. A large framed box filled with straw and covered with a couple of heavy quilts and a few oversized pillows lies farther east beyond the pillar.
By your dwarvin heritage, you can deduce that the huge pillar is actually the furnace that once fueled the magic forge, but for the last few centuries, it has lain cold. Set into the northern side of the furnace is a great door of black iron with a latch handle and a sliding barred grate. Stone buckets holding ancient slag stand near the furnace door, along with a giant-sized bellows with cracked and worn leather, a huge broom, a large iron shovel, and a pile of coke for starting a fire. The candles surrounding the furnace provide only dim light within this room. The room’s only entrance is the flight of stairs to the west that you all came down from.
While the room initially appears empty, the decrepit guardian of Minderhal’s Forge, a venerable slag giant oracle named Etena, lurks in the darkness.
Ferin begins, Mistress! and is hushed by Etena. Dear child! I may be old, but I sense that Agrimmosh has returned to its home!
In a quavering but forceful voice, Etena excitedly says Greetings All! You are here to fulfill the prophecy! May I see the sacred hammer?
In times now lost, my ancestors built the sacred forge in the cathedral above to honor He Who Makes and Unmakes. Minderhal’s Forge is a repository of awesome power, but long have its fires lain cold. Only with Minderhal’s great hammer, Agrimmosh—which I sense in your hands— can the effects of long ages be unmade and the flames restored.
I, Etena, am Keeper of the Forge. I inherited my position from those who
walked this world before me, and those before them. I am the guardian of the sacred forge, but I am not its creator. Were that the case, I would have long ago renewed its fire, but this task is beyond my ability. You, however—you, the bearers of the Hammer of Unmaking—you have the power to relight the forge. But first, you must learn its history and what must be done.
According to the sacred texts, four ancient heroes first brought Minderhal’s Forge to life.
The first was Mymrith the Maker, priestess of Fandarra, who prepared fallen warriors for the afterlife by anointing their bodies with sacred clay. She lined the forge with the clay to contain the fire within.
The second was Aduromi, the Priestess of Crystals, whose veins ran hot with molten metal and who could temper steel to a hardness that would cut diamonds. She brought with her the secrets of the fire geodes, which once ignited would burn for a century.
The third was Jogrothir the Hunter, guardian of the sacred horn Drakesbane, which he used to call the ancient drakes native to the surrounding peaks. Jogrothir brought the forge to life, for he alone was able to capture the dragon’s breath, the only flame hot enough to ignite the fire geodes.
The last was Rosag, the Preserver of the Forge. A great priestess of Minderhal, Rosag held the secrets of water—both its ability to temper metal as well as its capacity to quench the sacred flames. She performed the Blessing of Rosag, the final incantation that stoked the fires and sanctified the forge.
Only by following in the footsteps of the blessed ancients, by repeating those acts which have been undone, shall the fires of Minderhal’s Forge once again blossom.
Kurag listens to the tale of the 4 heroes and can’t help but ask, So we’re these heroes humans, giants , or other creatures? And no offense but what do we stand tongain from relighting the forge? I mean the giants are threatening our land and home. If we relight the forge are we going to be able to broker some peace here or just make the giants that much stronger?
Sven's hand clenched his hammer, but he held himself back from simply attacking. Rather, he nodded his agreement to Kurag's question, curious to see what the giants might say.
Brother Hawthorne nods his head in agreement at Kurag's questions. It made no sense to give the giants such a resource as an ancient forge of unknown power.
Rask holds Agrimmosh and says to Etena, "answer my comrades questions."
Etena is befuddled for a moment, and sputters, Heroes? Dwarves? Are you... She takes a breath and then regains her composure. Sir Dwarf, the heroes were giants as this was a forge dedicated to a giant god. As for what you have to gain? I care not for the Storm Tyrant and his army. I am the keeper of the forge and you cannot keep a forge that is not lit. If you reignite the forge, Ferin and I gain a purpose and you gain access to a magnificent forge!
She looks directly at Rask, Tell me that what you hold in your hands cannot be so much more when the forge is re-lit?
"I do sense it can be more, but by Torag, I do not know what." Rask responds to Etena. "Do you know what it's powers will be, and if not why should we trust you and provide a forge for giants?"
”What would Torag say?” Sven cautioned the group, a grimace on his face. He was clearly unhappy with this situation.
"I am no priest, but I doubt Torag would say 'trust the giants, and give them their all powerful forge back!'"
”What would Torag say?” Sven cautioned the group, a grimace on his face. He was clearly unhappy with this situation.
"I am unsure. Both Torag and Minderhal are gods of the forge, have warhammers as their weapons, yet they do not have anathema towards each other, even though they be worshipped dwarves and giants. Torag would especially be interested in what Agrimmosh could become, and a forge relit would please him. But a giant's forge?" Rask says with a confused and concerned look on his face.
This being a religious matter Kurag takes a moment of silence to contemplate the future. He is no scholar and many times the ways of gods seem alien to him. He will rely on the multitude of others around him that are closer to their dwarven deities than himself. Until such time as they make their pronouncement, he stands keeping a lookout in silence.
"Do you know what it's powers will be, and if not why should we trust you and provide a forge for giants?"
Ah! Sadly I do not. Only when the flames of the forge tickle it will we know what it is to become. The only thing I do know is that it would be a weapon of immense power!
She eagerly looks at you all, So what say you? Do we have a deal?
"What will we and you have to do to make this work?"
"The only way that I would agree to this, is if the Forge is lit in Torag's name. He is the father of the forge! He is the lord of creation! For dwarven hands to be raised in supplication to Minderhal? I would rather forsake an artifact of great power, than to create one in the name of an evil deity." Sven said, crossing his arms stubbornly.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ignoring Sven as it seems like Rask is willing to work with her, she says We must repeat the steps of the forge's creation of course! Then you will see what Agrimmosh truly is!
"And what would be those steps be?" Rask asks Etena. "I am not convinced either way to do this thing, so make your answer good."
Sven held his tongue, for the moment. He wanted to hear what the giants had to say. It could prove useful in the future.
Kurag continues to stand by watching the drama unfold. From their previous exploits Kurag gathered that they held 3 of the objects in their possession already to relight the forge. He wasn’t going to let the giants know this though until a decision had been made by the rest of the group.
Etena sputters, Stupid dwarves! Must I repeat...
At this point Ferin interrupts her mistress. What my mentor means is that we think if we can get the same things that started the forge in the first place and a prayer to Minderhal and the forge should come to life! There is no need for us to be enemies in this. We all want the same thing - a forge that will create some of the most splendid weapons in the valley or the world!
Etena sulks while she is upstaged by Ferin.