Ham needs no compelling. He lifts the axe.
Raen ponders the name of Hhurrun Springbane. Has she read it somewhere?
Finally, she gazes about the room with an eye for magic.
Vael simply nods when he sees Hamilton pick up the axe, as if saying that this is the right thing to do.
Hamilton hefts the axe. It was likely once an exquisite example of dwarven craftsmanship, but it's now rusted, cracked, and dull.
Raen recalls the name Hhurrun Springbane, but little more. He was leader of a famous trio of Skirkaling hunters. They were renowned warriors and killers of dwarves. The illusionist finds no magic during her scan.
North. Then East.
Battleaxe?
Realizing that he can help Ham, he walks over to the roughrider and holds out a hand for the axe. "It may not be a prayer to Torag, but I'm a dwarf and I can fix it. I'll need some time though."
When Hamilton hands over the weapon, the shaman begins a long, droning chant. He punctuates the process by clapping his hands at irregular intervals, as if mimicing a hammer striking an anvil. After several minutes, starlight seems to glow from the axe.
Finally, he finishes the process. The weapon looking better than before.
Vael stops when the weapon has healed enough that the Broken condition is removed.
Whistle Pig nods and heads off while Vael works his magic on the axe. Working on the axe feels good. It's a strange feeling, like there's something sharing the emotion with Vael....
In half an hour, the axe is no longer broken. The rust flakes off, the metal un-cracks, and the edge sharpens a bit.
Ham nods to Vael, and reclaims the axe with great reverence. He gives it a couple of swings to get used to it, then nods and hoists it on his shoulders.
Let's see it done. Where's our scout?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Pig stops at the door and smacks himself in the forehead (since he's invisible no one notices...).
Raen watches the translucent halfling and says nothing. Once he leaves the plane, she cannot monitor his status until his return, so she contents herself to count the seconds.
Fear, and the feeling of an absent friend, are added to her emotional cage to contend with the rest.
Whistle Pig finds that the doors lead to a hall which shifts to the west a bit before ending in yet another set of double doors.
The floor of this spacious chamber is tiled in black stone, with a large sunken area in the middle. Four columns of white marble, each carved with the faces of giants along its length, stand in the corners of the room, supporting the vaulted ceiling overhead. Double stone doors are set in all but the north wall. A short flight of steps leads up to a raised platform to the west where doors of black stone stand in the wall.
There is a single creature in the room. It's a frost griant. No... It's an undead frost giant. It's dry, hovering chest is a prison of jagged ribs, within which is trapped a small tormented ghostly form!
|
WP quickly moves back into the middle room and back to is friends. He walks through the final set of door and moves the hood of his cloak. Instantly, everyone's form turns more solid and less shifty.
"Two door down there is a undead frost giant. It's like something I have never seen. I has a spirit trapped inside it's rib cage!" After a moment to catch his breath, he recounts with as much detail as possible the two rooms and the giant inside it.
Yes.
Would Favored Enemy (Giants) let me make a knowledge check on this? I know traditionally this is Religion, but maybe the Giants have a myth or a legend that tells us something. +5
Yeee-ah. Whistlepig, is this north and to the east? Or is this... Thing... In our way, regardless?
Ghostly spirit in the chest has gotta be something...
"Thank ye, Whistle Pig. Ken ye look through into the room to the west? The double doors there may have other dangers, and I'd prefer then not be behind us."
Hamilton hasn't the foggiest.
Whistle Pig checks out the room immediately to the West.
The walls of these passageways are rougher than the stonework in other areas. The ground is dirty, dusty, and bone-chillingly cold. Giant sized skulls protrude in clusters from the walls, where they have been mortared into place. Words are chiseled into the rock walls near these clusters, some in short phrases, others merely listing names.
Doxon considers Little Beaver's description of the undead and wracks his brain for what it could be.
Raen considers the halfling's report.
A devourer! Devourers are the undead remnants of fiends and evil spellcasters who became lost beyond the farthest reaches of the multiverse. Returning with warped bodies, alien sentience, and a hunger for life, devourers threaten all souls with a terrifying, tormented annihilation.
Raen notes that the halfling has returned to the material plane, but is not nearby. She begins to worry and splits her personage into illusory images overlaid upon the true self.
Raen knows that the scariest thing is a Devourer's ability to swallow a soul. No matter what though, it's touch drains life force. It's resistant to spells, and even when a caster can get around that, some spells reflect back at the caster. It has no vulnerabilities.
Whistle Pig doesn't know anything about this thing.
The spirits in his chest are the souls which he currently holds. Devourers are also competent and powerful spellcasters with spells from arcane and divine traditions.
Raen listens carefully, brow furrowed, and shares her own knowledge afterwards. After some further discussion and preparation, the group moves to the double doors, beyond which the devourer awaits.
Once the others are ready and in position, she summons a huge elemental of rock and stone to lead the way in.
Raen prepares the group by bringing forth a huge elemental! As it opens the massive doors, the creature turns and roars!
Surprise Action:
Raen: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Hamilton: Go
Doxon: Go
Round 1:
Enemy: TBD
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Doxon: TBD
The door busts open, and Ham has his shortbow readied. He launches a shot.
Shortbow +2:
...Which falls to the ground as Ham's bowstring twangs him in his forearm. Ham audibly yells, Ow!
"Alright slinger, time to shine. And may fortune guide yer hands!"
Hamilton takes an opening shot, and misses wide. Meanwhile Vael gives Whistle Pig good fortune!
Surprise Action:
Raen: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Doxon: Go
Round 1:
Enemy: TBD
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Doxon: TBD
Sensing that the best thing to do is to keep the dead giant away from the group, Tulia calls upon her innate magic to weave an illusion: Another huge earth elemental appears, but this time closer to the devourer!
With a look of grim determination, Doxon holds for Agrimmosh. He focuses on the hammer and it begins to glow. It begins to vibrate in Doxon's steel hand as it gathers power. Doxon chants.
One, two, three,
Small ye be,
Three, two, one,
Now ye weigh a ton
The gathered energy blasts out from Agrimmosh to envelop Doxon, Hamilton, Ushyle, Vael, and Whistle Pig. All grow to a size commensurate with their foe.
Tulia tries to buy some time as Doxon digs deep into the earth and enlarges most of the party to fight this horrible foe!
Surprise Action:
Raen: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Round 1:
Enemy: TBD
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Doxon: TBD
Knowing that devourers are accomplished spellcasters, Raen readies a counterspell.
Under her direction, the elemental lumbers forward at it's breakneck pace (20ft).
Ushyle spends his standard action casting divine favor on himself, and will study the devourer as a swift action.
Surprise Action:
Whistle Pig: Go
Round 1:
Enemy: TBD
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Doxon: TBD
Whistle Pig moves in a bit... The creature steps up and swipes at the illusory elemental!
It's hand passes through and it immediately snarls at the illusion, looking to and fro for the caster.
Round 1:
Enemy: TBD
Raen: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Hamilton: Go
Doxon: Go
"Yes!" Tulia says with a fist pump.