Raen pokes her head out the door at the saddled Trunauans. "In such a hurry?"
"Aye, we're not done yet," Vael rumbles. He walks over to Raen and waits for the rest of the group.
The party spends the rest of the day travelling east. By nightfall the valley opens much wider. The river itself doesn't grow at all, leaving plenty of room to spread out.
Whistle Pig and Ham concur that there is plenty of giant sized traffic through here, but there's no patter to give a hint as to which way to travel.
You decide to camp at a four-way intersection of options. The night passes quietly.
The morning of the 24th of Calistrial is clear and sunny, though breezy.
The party takes the morning and scouts to the north. It looks like a dead end with nothing worth note.
By lunch time, they return to last night's camp.
(Darkvision 60')
(Darkvision 60')
---> (LLV)
(Darkvision 60')
(Extra +2 if Mountains/Hills)
The party strikes further east. As the sun sets, they find themselves at a fork in the valley.
Thankfully, it's another quiet night.
The party strikes North, checking out a few dead ends before looking at the main path.
A small river runs through the center of this valley. The precipitous slopes of the rocky canyon walls are dotted with a few dozen dark cave entrances. Whistle Pig catches the sound of particularly basic giantish from one of the caves...
(Darkvision 60')
(Darkvision 60')
---> (LLV)
(Darkvision 60')
Whistle Pig moves forward like a shadow. Unfortunately a giant around the corner catches the halfling from an angle he wasn't expecting.
"ARRRRGH!!!!!" Immediately a trio of giant voices call to battle! Bestial tusks jut from the jaws of thesehunched-over giants. They're clad in armor patched together from the bones of past victims.
Cave Giants! these are tough looking for their kind, but the giants are brutish and violent, devoid of any civilization.
Surprise Round:
Whistle Pig
Blue Giant: TBD
Round 1:
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Raen: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Doxon: TBD
Giants: TBD
Whistle Pig makes good on the threat, slamming a stone into the giant's face!
Not to be outdone, the massive figure hurls a ready boulder at the halfling. , but it sails over his head!
Round 1:
Vael: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go
Giants: TBD
Blue: 21
The half-orc assesses the situation as he moves in, careful to stay out of Ham's way. That one's all yours, he tells the mounted ranger, pointing at Black.
Ushyle takes up a better position as Whistle Pig strikes hard again!
Round 1:
Vael: Go
Whistle Pig: Hit
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Move
Doxon: Go
Giants: TBD
Blue: 39
Doxon lets out a battlecry and rushes forward.
As he closes with the giants, close on Ushyle's heels, he summons the blessing of Torag into Agrimmosh.
Hamilton spurs Applejack into a charge against one of the giants [black]
Heartspit:
Damage on hit:
Vael's morning spellcasting...
==============================
The shaman moves forward, surveying all the danger before them. He calls upon the Spirits of Heaven to grant him the power over lightning. A pair of globes of concentrated lightning appear a moment later over one of the giants!
The ball lightning favored by Vael makes an appearance:
. The giant dodges one ball, but steps on the other!
Hamilton charges, but his lance is turned aside!
Doxon, slow and steady closes, building up his divine power as he approaches.
Round 1:
Vael: Bzzzzt
Whistle Pig: Hit
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Miss
Ushyle: Move
Doxon: Close
Giants: TBD
Black: 11
Blue: 39
Raen lowers her hands to her sides, where shimmering blue-white sigils crystallize around them. Thrusting her arms skyward, she calls forth from the earth a wall of solid ice to cut off one of the giants.
Raen knows there's nothing special about these giants beyond their brute strength, but she does know that these seem stronger than normal.
A wall of ice immediately blocks off the northern giant, who tries to bash his way through , but only bounces.
The giant close to the wall charges Whistle Pig for
The final giant aquares off with Hamilton, opting for a pair of quick axze swings:
for
MISS
Round 2:
Vael: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go
Giants: TBD
Black: 11
Blue: 39
Vael's life force flows to Whistle Pig...
Knowing that the quickest way to help the halfling is to give the giant a bigger problem, Vael chants and swirling starlight surrounds Doxon. A moment later, the dwarf is on the other side of the creature!
Raen ducks behind Whistle Pig and half-sprints to the half-orc. "Cover for the halfling! Go! Go!" she shouts amid an incantation.
Seeing the familiar swirl of starlight envelop him, Doxon girds himself for quick action. In a blink, he is standing in front of the monstrous giant and wastes no time bringing destruction to it. He bellows a mighty roar and attacks!
Swift action to Fervor and swift cast Divine Favor.
Vael makes a quick decision, bringing Doxon into play a lot sooner.
Whistle Pig continues his barrage, scoring two solid hits.
Raen gives Ushyle a distinct advantage, letting the half-orc ply his trade.
When Doxon sets to work he strike the giant with a trip of blows that are simply too much, and the hulking figure drops to the ground, bleeding out.
Round 2:
Vael: Bampf
Whistle Pig: Hit
Raen: Invis
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Kill
Giants: TBD
Black: 11
Blue: 39
Fire Giants? Cool.
Ham lances out twice.
Heartspit: Damage on Hit:
and not going to bother with damage.
Guide AJ back one square.
Hamilton scores a single quick stab, but it's a severe one.
Meanwhile Ushyle barely scrambles up a boulder to take on a giant behind the Wall of Ice.
The giants, despite their power, know this is a fight for their life.
The giant penned in tries again to bust free of the icy cage: , and does so with a mighty roar!
To the south the giant ignores the balls of lightning in order to exact a toll on Hamilton:
but misses!
and misses again!
Round 3:
Vael: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go
Giants: TBD
Black: 32
Blue: 39
Life energy continues to flow to Whistle Pig...
Vael mentally moves the balls of lightning to continue striking the giant.
He then goes looking for Ushyle, and curses when he can't see where the powerful half-orc went. He instead moves closer to the danger before them, looking to stay central to the group.
Vael directs magic, both offensive and defensive.
The wounds begin to mount, but even an injured giant is dangerous.
Round 3:
Vael: Shaman-fu
Whistle Pig: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go
Giants: TBD
Black: 40
Blue: 49
Ushyle scrambles invisibly up the boulders to get at the remaining unengaged giant just as he breaks through the wall of ice. He curses silently to himself and slides back down the boulder, activating bane as he hits the ground running and takes a hack at Blue!
Raen re-positions herself behind Vael's longspear, and then attempts to make the move unnecessary.
Knowing Giants tend to have great reach, Doxon opts to take the shortest route to the closest giant(Blue), taking position opposite Ushyle to force the beast to split its attention between them. He brings Agrimmosh down.
Whistle Pig suffers a rare double miss!
Raen's spell catches the giant and he falls with a crash!
Ushyle brings his blade down and decapitates the giant!
Round 3:
Vael: Shaman-fu
Whistle Pig: Miss
Raen: Grease
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Kill
Doxon: Go
Giants: TBD
Black: 40
Hamilton continues to lance and kite the giant before him.
Heartspit: for
and... Confirm...
Damage on hit:
Crit Damage:
Free Grapple from Heartspit: plus another 3 if I get Heartspit's enhancement bonus to that.
Hamilton aims well and drives Heartspit not once, but twice into the giant's chest. It's NOT enough to kill him, but it's dang close.
Doxon, now without a foe, sees the opening. He dashes towards the final giant and knocks the body off Heartspit. He's dead before he hits the ground.
After catching their breath, the party looks around. There seems to be nothing of value... until the final rock is overturned. Underneath Ushyle finds a battered [ooc]broken[ooc] +2 Dwarven Urgrosh.
These caves are extensive, but old. It'd take months to determine if they're viable for excavation. They're also a veritable maze. You determine that exploring these, and hunting down the Storm Tyrant are mutually exclusive.
"Although these caves are probably interesting to you all, they're very old and likely a complete maze. Whatever you do with this, it'll be taking time away from hunting down the Storm Tyrant. Satisfy your curiosity another time. Tulia advises the group, having an obviously thorough understanding of cave exploration.
Vael lets his life force continue to flow to Whistle Pig, then pulls out a wand from his backpack and attempts to close his own wounds.
No time then. Let's back out to the southwest, to that split in the river and turn south. Moving the icon.
The party closes in on the last finger of this series of valleys. In this direction, there is only one option forward. A giant scarecrow, crudely formed from tree trunks lashed together, stands at the entrance to this forested vale. On either side, steep, rocky escarpments climb sharply toward the sky. Clinging boulders jut from the slopes, entwined by the thick roots of twisted ash trees determined to hold themselves fast. A cold breeze whisks through the rift, sending a blizzard of silvery ash leaves scattering through the air.
You can date the effigy as only a few months old.
This is a warning sign to giants. KEEP OUT. DANGER.
"That giant scarecrow be an effigy. Only been thar for a few months, methinks. Someone set up show recently."
"By custom among giants, a scarecrow like this is a signing of warning. The way ahead is dangerous. Keep out," Raen adds quietly. "I can hide us from sight, for a time."
Drawing her rod, the Varisian wards herself with defensive spells before shrouding the adventurers in a clever glamer .
"Danger FOR giants? Be this then still tha wrong way for us? Do we want ta be sure ta face somethin' that scares giants? Forgive me, but I dinna hold tha same optimism as Whistle Pig."
The party moves beyond the scarecrow as an invisible troop. The ground here is swampy, and smells a bit of brimstone. After about half an hour, and moments before someone makes a comment on it, the scent of death hits you like a fist. Whatever it is, it's more than simply swamp gas...
A quartet of disgusting giants, rotting and clearly undead close on you from different directions. Cold, eye sockets glowing with red light stare out from their fish-like faces of these hideous green-skinned, web-fingered, and obese giants.
These are...WERE... marsh giants creatures of low intelligence with some minor magical abilities. Well, when they're alive.
Wights! Undead whose touch will drain your life force!
(Extra +2 if Mountains/Hills)
Round 1:
Hamilton: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Undead Giants: TBD
Raen: TBD
Doxon: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Hamilton charges the undead monstrosity [red], aiming to ride past (off the map) after the attack.
Charge: Damage on hit,
AJ and Ham ride past (by as much as we can, really) and line up for another charge.