Fifteen minutes after leaving Arial in the cave, you find yourself in the trees at the edge of the clearing where the giant's steading is built. The main building is enormous, suitable to the giants that inhabit it, and above the front door is what seems to be a crude watch tower. No giants are apparent, either in the tower or at the door. To the rear, a second building is joined to the first by a 15 foot tall wooden palisade. Two gates lead into the enclosed yard between the two buildings. The entire compound is roughly 300x500 feet.
Turning to the others, Malaki motions towards the door and then begins creeping forward, keeping to any cover he can find. Upon reaching the gates, he stops and listens for a moment, then begins searching the gates for locks or other obstacles to entry.
Oskar stays back not wanting to ruin Malaki's stealthy approach with the clanking of his armour. He looks about for the spore of giants on the ground trying to figure out where the guards might be.
Malaki approaches the door, silent as a whisper, and checks it carefully. Aside from its sheer size, it seems to have no traps, locks or other protections on it. As he searches, he does notice a loud, deep rumbling from the other side of the door.
As he checks the door, Oskar examines the ground outside. The woods are a bit too thick for giants, but in the clearing and the roads that leads out of it - one north to Sterich, the other west, towards the far higher Crystalmist Mountains - there are numerous prints of hill giants, dire wolves, ogres, bugbears and smaller things. On the western road, he notices a few signs of even larger things passing.
How tall is the tower?
Roughly 60'
Olden winks at the dwarf and monk and follows Malakai, stashing his lute in his bag and drawing a wand.
Luthia sidles up to the giant door beside Malaki, casing the approach and craftsmanship.
"That palisade between the buildings might be a better option..."
Oskar moves down as well trying to keep his armour from clanking to much.
" There's been bigger things than hill giants movin' about out 'ere. " he whispers to the group pointing at the western road. " Anything on the other side of the door? " he asks taking a listen for himself.
On the plus side, you all have gathered in front of the door without, apparently, raising any sort of alarm. The rumbling sound continues, rising and falling slowly.
Still moving quietly, Malaki attempts to scale the wall just high enough to peer over and take in his surroundings.
I thought we were gathered outside one of the two gates leading into the enclosed yard.
Then that's where you are. Your first post said door and then gate, so I wasn't certain.
In that case, let's have another stealth roll.
You creep up the palisade by the west gate, and peek over the top. The yard here has a few well worn paths, leading to and from the two gates and two doors, one leading into the smaller building to the NE, the other leading into the main building. Between the paths, the yard is a muddy mess, where fourteen dire wolves pace, tongues lolling out of their mouths, occasionally snarling or snapping at one another.
29 Stealth...im a Ninja.
Luthia moves nimbly around to join Malaki at the palisade.
Looking at the others, Malaki holds up 10 fingers, then 4. Pointing into the yard, he looks down at Luthia and mouths the words Large Wolves.
Luthia grimaces, then grinning, mimes cutting off her own arm and slinging it over the fence. She unslings her crossbow and mimes sighting down it as if from the top of the palisade.
Oskar watches the exchange between Malaki and Luthia and then whispers to the Half Orc " Fourteen wolves. Any fight we have in the yard could rouse enemies from both buildings. I say it would be better to go in the front door, if there isn't a back door. "
Olden nods emphatically at the dwarf's comment.
Luthia takes the dwarf's point on board.
Then she makes a feral grin.
"Sure. Or we could toss a bunch of flaming oil on the dire wolves and the back building and then go in through the front..."
The Dwarf smiles at Luthia's suggestion " A diversion? Now that's an idea. " he sets down his pack and takes out five pints of lantern oil and makes ready to prep them with strips of cloth to act as wicks. Then he waves for Malaki to climb down. " How flammable is it in the courtyard lad ? And what's the roof of the rear building made out of? "
Nothing much flammable in the rear courtyard. The roof is made of thick, moss-covered wooden shingles. The damp wood would be slow to catch and to burn, but would be likely to produce a lot of smoke for just a little fire.
Malaki climbs down and moves to the others.
The courtyard is large, with 14 Wolves roaming about. There is little besides the beast themselves that would burn. The roof is covered in damp wood shingles and moss. A flame would do little besides make a lot of smoke.
Malaki grimaces in disgust and points at the front door.
Though the idea is anathema to myself, it would unfortunately appear our best course of action is a swift frontal assualt. If we strike hard and keep the momentum, we keep our foe off guard. I shall take point and perhaps may even be able to scout. Oskar, your armor and dwarven resilience would make a powerful anvil to smash our foe upon. I will engage beside you, if that seems like a wise tactic to a soldier such as yourself? We can use that fire inside to corral the giants into our blades. What say you?
" The front door does seem like the best place to start. " Oskar lights two of the oil flasks and then packs the rest away. " One the roof to cause our diversion and one for the courtyard to set the wolves a bayin'. " he says quietly and then lobs one onto the roof and one into the courtyard.
Once he's done he heads back to the front door.
Once back at the door he listens to see if the diversion is working.
Malaki moves quietly to the front door, and as soon as everyone gives the signal, opens the door, bow at the ready. He will try to be in a position of stealth to surprise the first creature he sees.
Luthia follows Malaki back to the front door and enters with him, ready to pounce on any guards.
The four of you make your way around to the front door and slowly, carefully pull it open. The rumbling grows louder, as the two hill giant guards snore on, one on either side of the door, a nearly empty barrel of ale between them.
The room is 60'x120' mostly bare, except for many pegs along the walls, holding the cloaks, bags and capes of several dozen giants. A flight of stairs leads up from here to the tower. A huge (even for being giant-sized) set of double doors is in the center of the north wall, and smaller (only 15' tall) doors lead north from the NW and NE corners of the room.
Olden contemplates the guards and the myriad exits. He poibts to the giants and makes a neck slicing action then shrugs. After a moment he shakes his head and points at the stair.
Malaki draws his blades and moves silently over to one of the Giants. He looks at the others, ready to cut the creature's throat if they so choose.
Oskar draws his axes and carefully moves next to the second guard.
He then nods at Malaki and swings his axe up over his head and down at the giants neck.
As Oskar swings, Malaki will also slide his blades across the other Giant's neck.
First Attack=12
Second Attack=24
Third Attack=23
First Attack Auto Crit with Sneak Attack Damage=
Second Attack Auto Crit with Sneak Attack Damage=
Third Attack Auto Crit with Sneak Attack Damage=
The noise from behind the double doors, many loud voices talking over each other, roaring commands for food and drink in the language of the giants, is loud enough to drown out the sounds of the two giants being rudely awakened.
=17
=24
=24
Shocked that the.giants lived through their assaults, Olden moves to strike th giant that Oskar hit.
OR
OR
If attacks are an auto-crit Stunning Strike DC is 14 (8 + 3 (Prof.) + 3 (Wis.)) or be stunned until Luthia's next turn.
Luthia is vaguely startled by the decision to opt for murder rather than subdual or securing the giants - no wonder the enmity between goblins, giants etc and more "civilized" humanoids endures...
Seeing as the bloodshow has begun she assists in despatching the drunk guards.
Oskar continues to hack at the prone giants head/neck area as it groggily gets up.