"Fair enough. Let's get to it."
With a practiced routine the party sequesters themselves for some time. In the morning, no one knows what to expect. Maybe there will be an army. Maybe the Storm Tyrant himself will be waiting...
But, as it turns out, nothing.
In the morning the party emerges from the solace to find nothing. No one waiting for them. No hastily bricked over wall...
Insignificant, it seems, edges into the lead Ushyle says to no one in particular, hefting Milani's Thorn and placing his daily enchantment upon it.
Where to? he asks Raen.
With the party rested, and more motivated than ever, they take to the tower in the southwest. After climbing the stairs ,it appears to keep going for some ways. There's an arrow slit on the next floor, but it's too narrow for larger creature...
As has become her custom, in the morning Raen summons steeds for Doxon and Ushyle to ride, in addition to her own suite of personal spells. She also hands Doxon a newly balanced Hammer of Thunderbolts, to complement her work on Agrimmosh the previous evening.
* * *
"Curious," Raen intones. She gazes at the aperture for a moment.
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WP hops out of bed ready to see what else is in this castle and what giants he can kill next.
"I wonder if we can take this castle back to Trunau. It would make a home for everyone and Orcs and such wouldn't attack as much because we'd have a flying castle!"
He wicks out of sight and heads to the tower in the lead.
Raen casts a quiet spell, sending an arcane eye after Whistle Pig, to keep an "eye" on him.
Whistle Pig and the Arcane eye head up.
The tower stairs continue to the 4th floor where it continues even higher, but does also have two egresses.
Whistle Pig and the Eye turn east. This turret rises high above the castle’s roof and hanging garden. Inside are a giant-sized stool and a silver bell hanging from a hook in the ceiling. A single arrow loop provides a view of the sky outside. Relaxed upon the stool is a cloud giant, decked out like an archer-scout. He scans the outside of the castle. He doesn't seem to be aware of your presence.
With the better part of valor, he (and the eye) head the other way. An enormous archway opens this circular room to the sky. The floor here is almost completely occupied by two huge bird nests made of tree trunks and twisted, interwoven branches. The pace is large enough for 4 birds, even if each is the size of a mansion. There is a singular bird here. A roc large enough to carry an elephant away rests in one of the nests.
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WP marvels at the beast. He had heard of them and takes a step towards it to try and pet it and stops short. He wants to ride the bird so bad he can just see himself raining death down on the giants on the back of this animal.
Something from the back of his mind tugs his thoughts back to reality and he moves slowly out of the room.
The scouting team heads to the pinnacle. The floor of this chamber is little more than a ledge that leaves half of the room open to the roc stable below. On the ledge are four hooks for giant saddles, a weapon rack, and a padlocked chest. Two steel poles extend down from the ledge to room below.
Whistle Pig begins the descent back to the company, Raen sends her magical sensor floating quickly back to the main stairwell, then out an arrow slit, across the garden, and into the castle's main hall.
Whistle Pig returns to the party as Raen gets the most out of her spell. The magical eye gets stopped at the opening, foiled by a wall of force. It can still see within though.
This bedroom contains two giant-sized beds, cabinets, and stools. A large desk and chair sit in one corner, while an ornate polished steel stove sits in the opposite corner. A regal looking cloud giant relaxes in here. The giant looks like the female version of the archer-scout from below. They are clearly related. With her is an air elemental who looks like a bird.
Raen bounces the sensor to the next window, and each down the line, assessing whether any aperture constitutes an actual open window.
Raen's eye checks the next three windows, and finds them all completely covered in walls of force. Each room is similar in furnishing - clean and spacious with finely crafted giant-sized beds, cabinets, and stools. High-quality woolen blankets, quilts, and sheets cover the beds. A narrow arrow slit pierces the south wall where the eye is barred, and a polished steel stove sits in one corner.
After checking the third, the eye blinks out.
Raen comes out of her trance as Whistle Pig returns. She waits for him to finish his report on the archer and the rocs, then adds a note about the well-furnished quarters in the heart of the castle.
"I advise the rookery first."
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WP winks back into sight next next to Vael, ok, i'm back. the tower is three levels high. First one is empty. the Second level is really neat. There's an archer cloud giant to the east. tempted to kill him myself because, you know, slings are superior to bows in every way."
He continues,"To the west is really exciting! There are two ROCS! with riding gear on the third level. I REALLY want to ride a Roc."
he whispers under his breath which just accents his excitements."I REALLY want to ride a Roc..."
"Let us hope those of us with skill among beasts may preclude the necessity of dispatching the avians," Raen returns. She floats up the stairwell, then takes the southwestern passage at its summit.
The party heads towards the roc nest. Everyone knows a bird such as that is well trained (and it was wearing a saddle.) So a massive approach may not be the best plan. Once on the tower level, the party approaches with a plan...
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WP slips his backpack off and stows his sling staff. He rummages through his rations and pulls out all the jerky out of them. He calmly walks into the room and approaches the Rocs like he would a horse.
" Hello, my pretties." He coos."No, no... I'm not one of those nasty giants, but I smell like one, yes? I have their toenails all over me? So today I am a small giant." As he walks he approaches the left side of the closest rock, offering the jerky to it with his left hand, judging the beasts intentions...
Whistle Pig approaches slowly. He finds the massive bird to be leery, but not hostile. It appears that the roc is letting him approach...
When Whistle Pig returns from his scouting mission, Vael claps the halfling on the back. "Good work. Now let me see if the spirits can give us a hint as to where the Storm Tyrant is."
"Raen, can you hand me the letter our foe sent to the giantess? I may be able to divine the location of our target."
When she does, he works through the lengthy spellcasting to discern the location of the author of the letter.
Before Whistle Pig approaches the roc, during the recon mission, Vael settles into a strange trance. For a solid ten minutes he barely breaths and his eyes lose their whites, turning to a starry night.
Volstus the Storm Tyrant is pacing a place he calls the Suspended Gallery. He is roughly 300' east by northeast of you, and about 50' higher.
Vael's eyes snap open. "Volstus is up a level, pacing a hallway in a place he calls the Suspended Gallery. I cannot take us directly to him, but I can tell you that he's here. And not far."
He then lets the party move forward, especially as Whistle Pig approaches the roc. In a whisper he says, "It might be that we could fly around to where Volstus is. If the roc can be befriended, then riding it might give us the element of surprise. Though disintegration magic might be needed if there is a wall of force in the way."
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Since he hasn't been eaten yet, WP takes that as a good sign and presses on.
"Oh, my pretties. You don't want to have to carry those nasty cloud giants. They are sooooo heavy." Pig inches closer to the mounting side of the Roc. As he gets to arm's reach, he continues,"I'm much smaller you wouldn't even know I was on your back. Just think of how fast we could go together?"
Whistle Pig climbs into the saddle. It's so big that he can't use it at all. He shimmies up to the roc's neck. The gargantuan bird allows it.
The bird wears an amulet, the chain's clasp holds a name, Galescream.
It appears to accept Whistle Pig as a rider...
If you're looking to fly out, tell me where.
Whistle Pig takes Galescream out for a lap....
It turns out that the roc is flying into a rather busy air space...
Outside the tower, there is a storm below. The castle rests on clouds which frequently crack with thunder and lightning. Additionally there seem to be some aerial patrols. The creatures are strange, a mix of different animals fused together, with a bear’s torso and head, clawed ape legs, a furred tentacle arm and massive bat wings.
The party sees only two aerial guards though.
Raen squints fretfully at the flying creatures.
Raen instantly knows this is some kind of elite (advanced) flying Yaoguai
Oh, yeah! Enough of this skulking around! Take the fight to the king! We kill him and the rest of this place will fall apart! After a night's rest, we're nigh unbeatable. A disintegrate here and there and we're in! We'll catch him by surprise and overwhelm him before he can call reinforcements.
"Aye, it would be good to be done with all this hiding," Vael agrees with Doxon. "We just need to make sure we can actually get in there and take the fight to Volstus."
Vael turns to Raen. Maybe we can take down the magic that blocks entry through the windows. I know there's magic that will disintegrate walls made of force. Or we can shape the stone into a passage that will let us through. What do you think?"
"'Hiding' is not an apt descriptor of our conduct, nor is 'skulking,'" Raen replies, somewhat testily. "Rather, we have methodically set about eradicating the servants of Volstus, room by room. Any denizen that yet remains at this fortress, and is somehow still unaware of our presence, has the intelligence of an incontinent weasel. Forgive me if I do not estimate our enemy's mind to be so dull as that. I suspect, in fact, that whatever we might intend by way of 'surprise,' he has plans also."
"I am indeed capable of destroying a single window, or forcing an aperture in the rock. But should the melee go poorly in its first moments, where then should we flee, and how confident might we be of avoiding his rallying supporters? No. I advise that we continue to eliminate our foes in unitary fashion, until Volstus has none left to call upon for aid, when the balance of war tips to its apex in our favor."
While conversing, Raen scans the padlocked chest in the loft for magical auras.
Ushyle nods. Raen's counsel is wise, the half-elf says. Divide and conquer is the route to victory.
"I understand what you're saying, but think about this: Volstus is pacing a hallway right now. They are vulnerable, and the element of surprise would be ours. If you're thinking about strategy then these are things we want, right? But if we continue to methodically slay giants in this place, we will eventually lose that advantage," Vael says, shaking his head at this debate. "But if that's not enough, think about this: what does all this killing do to your soul?"
"Remember that we began this to protect Trunau. To protect the innocent, the vulnerable. Because it was Volstus who unified the giant clans into an army. Stopping Volstus is our goal, not a concentrated slaughter of every member of his army. We want them to stop, to leave us in peace. We get that when we stop Volstus," the shaman takes a moment to look at each of the members of this group. The Heroes of Trunau. "I want a safe home. I don't want to become what we've fought against. Passing up this chance is a mistake to me, but we have to stop seeking the murder of every single giant in this place. It will be a stain on your souls."
"We forfeited that advantage days ago," Raen replies. "Your estimation of our fortunes relies on assumptions that have no basis in fact. A chess player whose mind bends with such forceful anticipation towards the execution of their own cunning attack, to the utter neglect of defense, will find themselves suddenly staring down at their own checkmated king. Make not that mistake."
"As for your accusatory pontifications on 'murder,' you have selected on the dependent variable. I remind you that this fortress housed only the tyrant's most trusted and heinous henchmen. I doubt any denizen herein is redeemable, though I welcome you to try with each as we meet them. I remind you, too, that we have chosen the path of peace with many thousands of giants already. Have you forgotten our conduct in the Valley of Minderhal? Or with the stone giant herders at Ashpeak, and later the fire giant clans, not a week hence? That you have not met one willing to turn aside from the tyrant's cause in the past three days should not be a surprise, and should inform your judgment of the character of those who so embraced his banner as to gain his trust and a place at his seat of power."
"Being in this place, close to Volstus does not mean that they remain committed to this cause. Unless you've used magic to divine that, you are no more aware of the motives of the giants here than I am," Vael responds, his tone still calm and even. "And what do you expect them to do when a known enemy walks into their home, swinging swords and slinging stones? Should they expect us to then suddenly want to parlay? Aye, we've had some success forcing surrender with the clans. And now I'm suggesting we force surrender once more by taking the fight to Volstus."
Vael sighs. "But if you need proof, let us talk with the cloud giant Whistle Pig found. And I will talk with them."
"I need not magic to divine motives. We have evidence in abundance. 'Trunau: local casualty projected 80 percent. Slaves: below threshold, kill them all,'" Raen quotes from the documents now in her haversack. "Or do you believe that Volstus intended to achieve that alone? Even a storm giant must needs have allies to effect that goal. He has gathered them here. And should he fall, I do not share your confidence that another would not simply take his place. Remember, too, that the fire giants themselves proposed the Test of Steel, not we, and their allegiance was to their god, not the tyrant. I witness no evidence of such dual loyalties here."
"You argue that a surprise attack will bring us victory. I do not share this opinion. You further argue that we should expect peaceful intentions from his lieutenants, if your first supposition turns true and we successfully assassinate Volstus. I do not share this opinion either."
Raen sighs, like a sail losing wind. "But if you desire to test your theory and parley with the cloud giant watchman, I will not interfere, until saving your skin becomes necessary."
Vael bristles at the words 'saving your skin'. "If you are not brave enough to try for peace then know that, like you, I can take care of myself."
Perception
(See Invisibility)
(Darkvision 60')
---> (Darkvision)
(Darkvision 60')
(Extra +2 if Mountains/Hills)
I need not magic to divine motives. We have evidence in abundance. 'Trunau: local casualty projected 80 percent. Slaves: below threshold, kill them all,'" Raen quotes from the documents now in her haversack. "Or do you believe that Volstus intended to achieve that alone? Even a storm giant must needs have allies to effect that goal. He has gathered them here. And should he fall, I do not share yo---
A ballistae bolt appears out of nowhere.... bursting through Raen's chest.
"INTRUDERS!" The cloud giant scout, somehow, had snuck up on the party while they preparing to kidnap his roc. His utter fury is immense. With Raen dead, his bloodlust begins to show as he prepares a full barrage of arrows.