Crom will take lead in front of Nox and will open the door. "Allow me cousin, I got more armor and my head is a lot harder."
Wulfrum grunts and lets the two dwarves past him but prepares to charge into the room as soon as it opens.
"Ready when you are, Crom." Assuming there are no objections, Nox will open the doors with Crom.
Opening the door reveals a large chamber that appears to have recently undergone a renovation. Like other areas within the keep, the hill giants gutted this chamber to accommodate their massive frames. A broken wall partially blocks a dark alcove to the northwest, surrounded by broken bricks and scattered debris. The bricked-up wall remains, albeit with a 3-foot-diameter hole punched through it.
You see two dire wolves lounging near two double doors and lift their heads when you open the door.
Hill giant AC 24, touch 9, flat-footed 24
Dire wolf AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12
Crom = AC 25 & 90/90
Lys = AC 21 & 66/66
Nerak = AC 14 & 48/48
Nox = AC 27 with DR 2/- & 84/84
Gwenhyfar = AC 23 & 27/27
Wulfrum = AC 28 & 60/60
Zekel = AC 19 & 51/59
Zekal whispers very quietly to the others.
"There is someone back there... crying I think. Don't know the language."
As he speaks he readies an arrow.
"Yeah, I hear it too." Nox says, quietly. "Probably another of the bigguns. It'd be nice to be able to fight them on their own terms, look them eye to eye, y'know?"
Crom moves into the room with his ax ready - he keeps his eyes on the wolves. He addresses the crying giant in common. "Ma'am, come out nice and slow with your hands up and maybe no one gets killed. Call off these dogs or we'll give you somethin' to cry about."
Wulfrum steps into the room carefully "Anyone good with animals...nows the time to speak up." he said staring at them. He looks over his shoulder at the others mentioning the Giantess.
He says somewhat quietly to the others "That'd be the bride that was scorned. I'd imagine she's the one in charge of this here fort." he said softly. "We best take care of the wolves in some manner before dealing with her."
After the dwarves enter the room, the two dire wolves jump up and attack. Wulfrum gets missed but Crom gets bitten and not dragged down.
From around the corner emerges a female hill giant of considerable size and a cleverness in her eyes. However, a pall of melancholy shrouds her as she grits her teeth and tries to kill Wulfrum for interrupting her despair. Her handaxe whistles over his helmet.
Hill giant AC 24, touch 9, flat-footed 24
Dire wolf AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12
Crom = AC 25 & 90-7=83/90
Lys = AC 21 & 66/66
Nerak = AC 14 & 48/48
Nox = AC 27 with DR 2/- & 84/84
Gwenhyfar = AC 23 & 27/27
Wulfrum = AC 28 & 60/60
Zekel = AC 19 & 51/59
"I need to have a talk with some of you about not ruining ambushes, when your invading an enemy stronghold."
He cast a spell to speed everyone up.
[u] Readied Arrow [/u]
Well that seems about right.
Zekal lets his first arrow fly at the wolf with red eyes.
[u] Round 2 [/u]
With the arrow away Zekal steps further into the room to make way for his companions. He stops beside Nox, touching his shoulder and calling on the aid of his deity.
"Erastil hear me and inbiggen a champion of the people."
Nox dashes forward, whirling his longaxe at the giantess with incredible speed.
Crom power attacks the wolf in front of him.
; power attack
; power attack
; power attack
Wulfrum steps inward under the Giantess's reach but keeps his back to her as he attacks the Dire Wolf. The Warhammer sparking in flames.
He laughs as he swings "We'll eat good tonight, lotta meat on these pups."
Nox dashes forward, whirling his longaxe at the giantess with incredible speed.
Crom power attacks the wolf in front of him. The wolf splats with a whimper.
Wulfrum steps inward under the Giantess's reach but keeps his back to her as he attacks the Dire Wolf. The Warhammer sparking in flames. The wolf splats with a whimper. There's a scent of burnt dog hair.
Bleeding from three deep wounds, the hill giantess screams bloody murder and withdraws to the nearest double doors and opens them.
Hill giant AC 24, touch 9, flat-footed 24
Dire wolf AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12
Crom = AC 25 & 90-7=83/90
Lys = AC 21 & 66/66
Nerak = AC 14 & 48/48
Nox = AC 27 with DR 2/- & 84/84
Gwenhyfar = AC 23 & 27/27
Wulfrum = AC 28 & 60/60
Zekel = AC 19 & 51/59
Wulfrum turns towards the Giantess "Oh no you don't Bridezilla!" he yells in Giant as he charges forwards and smashes into her.
He stumbles a bit and looks up at her. "Sturdy gal....aren't yah" he says as he looks up confused.
Nerak strolls forward as the giantess starts seeking reinforcements.
"Oh your not running sweety."
He cast a spell making sure to keep his allies out of the way and slow down any would be reinforcements, while giving the big girl a little smack. Rocks fall from above, settling underfoot afterwards.
Zekal moves further into the room and launches two more arrows at this bringer of war.
"Pathetic. All this planning and sits in here crying."
With the demise of the giant wolves, a red-brown ball of fur streaks past Nox, aiming for the giantess.
As his companion speeds by, Nox feels divine power envelope him, feels himself grow to stand almost eye to eye with the giantess. Nox smiles, grimly. "Time for you to sing, fat lady." With that, he strides forward and brings his axe down. And again. And again.
Lys grins as the doors open. "Saves them coming to us!", she giggles, aiming her crossbow towards the giantess' rather sizeable torso. "Nerak, goose!", she shouts. Exhaling, Lys focuses on the iron sights of her crossbow, as bolt after bolt flies from the Messenger.
Crom double moves to engage the giantess.
Crom moves up to the giantess and attacks.
; vital strike and power attack
Nerak strolls forward as the giantess starts seeking reinforcements. "Oh your not running sweety." He cast a spell making sure to keep his allies out of the way and slow down any would be reinforcements, while giving the big girl a little smack. Rocks fall from above, settling underfoot afterwards.
Zekal moves further into the room and launches two more arrows at this bringer of war. "Pathetic. All this planning and sits in here crying."
As his companion speeds by, Nox feels divine power envelope him, feels himself grow to stand almost eye to eye with the giantess. Nox smiles, grimly. "Time for you to sing, fat lady." With that, he strides forward and brings his axe down. And again. And again.
Outside the open double doors throughout Redlake Fort, you hear screaming in deep, large voices.
Crom = AC 25 & 90-7=83/90
Lys = AC 21 & 66/66
Nerak = AC 14 & 48/48
Nox = AC 27 with DR 2/- & 84/84
Gwenhyfar = AC 23 & 27/27
Wulfrum = AC 28 & 60/60
Zekel = AC 19 & 51/59
Crom moves to block the double doors. "Sounds like we got more coming!"
Nox moves up to stand to Crom's rear, next to Zekal. He glances down at the archer "May want to shift back a bit if they're coming from this way, friend. And thanks for the extra height."
Gwen pads silently along in her master's wake.
Zekal retrieves his arrows and stretches his shoulders as they wait to just what kind of response the call for help will get.
"I hope we did not bring this whole place down on us. At least giants make big targets."
Wulfrum just shakes his head and looks around for the entrances that they could come through. "Best go ahead and make it difficult for em to do more than fight us one or two at a time." he said as he planted the artifact on the grown and uttered a few words quietly.
Rushing into the room, Lys starts putting in bolts in her crossbow. "I know, right?", she nods at Zekal, then looks up at the two eight-foot tall dwarves with a chuckles. "Mom was right. I should've drank my beer so I can become big and strong. But I didn't listen, did I...", she sighs, the crossbow clicking as a bolt appears between the bows, which she aims down the corridor.
Crom goes to block the double doors which are prevented from closing by the large corpse of a giantess.
Wulfrum was jealous of Nox's size and got bigger.
From inside the room, you can only see blue skies with some fluffy white clouds. You can hear more shouting below as the whole fort realizes that it is under attack.
Crom = AC 25 & 90-7=83/90
Lys = AC 21 & 66/66
Nerak = AC 14 & 48/48
Nox = AC 27 with DR 2/- & 84/84
Gwenhyfar = AC 23 & 27/27
Wulfrum = AC 28 & 60/60
Zekel = AC 19 & 51/59
"You know if we are going to be attacked. We should pick the battle ground or attack them first. If we are going to lure them, I would suggest the cage room. It will force them into a confined space and we can trap a few by dropping a cage on them. If we are going to attack then we should move out so they don't pin us down and remain confused."
They really didn't need to wait for a small army of giants to find them and swarm them without any tricks on their side.
Wulfrum looks around "I get what yer saying but I ain't seeing any difference between here and there other than a cage. They got two ways in this room I reckon same as downstairs really. Though, there is one advantage to this room....Three really large bodies to set up as something to block em up a bit." he said gesturing at the Ogress and the two wolves.
"As long as access points are limited either room works. Downstairs we can retreat but this room is very defensible I think. He goes and look on the far side of the room."
He moves to the far side of the room.
"Well last I checked we had the cage and a pair of vengeful and hungry manticores near by. Here we have some bodies that they can toss at us and we have to work around more then them. The cage acts like a trap and obstacle they can't take advantage of but we can. Regardless I'll be in the back."
There was a time and place to explain things, this was not one of them. Their size would last as long as their magic, the same with their enhanced strength. It was not the same for the enemy, their strength was not on a time limit.
Crom spits the wad of tobacco out of his mouth and against the wall. "We should consider Plan B if we get overwhelmed here. I suggest we retreat back down the stairs. Not too many of 'em will be able to squeeze down that narrow passage. Nerak, you may then have your chance to fight in the cage room."
Nox shakes his massive head. "Until we raised the cage, even we had a hard time maneuvering in the cage room. We drop it again and we'll be the ones at a disadvantage. Better to remain here and let the manti-whatsits have that room. Anyone passing through will have to deal with them first."
"Were wasting time here. Lets search the room and head downstairs. It is more defensible and has a back exit."
Zekal casts detect magic as he begins to search the room. Once done he will also check the room that the giantess came from.
Nerak cast a simple spell while looking around as well.
The geode atop the raised table in the southeast alcove is the second half of the map that you found in Trunau.
The giantess has a potion of cure serious wounds; +1 scale mail, +2 handaxe, masterwork handaxe, masterwork composite longbow (+9 Str) with 20 arrows.
There's a powerful item of necromatic magic behind the bricked up wall with a hole the size of a giantess's fist. After a minute in this room, you all feel very sad.
Crom = AC 25 & 83/90
Lys = AC 21 & 66/66
Nerak = AC 14 & 48/48
* Nox = AC 27 with DR 2/- & 84/84
Gwenhyfar = AC 23 & 27/27
Wulfrum = AC 28 & 60/60
* Zekel = AC 19 & 51/59* –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls
Fulcrum grunts "Aye, I suppose it's better to cut em off where they ain't expecting us." he says reluctantly before giving the room a once over.
It's a powerful curse of melancholy. Only a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell can end the curse.
Crom = AC 25 & 83/90
Lys = AC 21 & 66/66
Nerak = AC 14 & 48/48
* Nox = AC 27 with DR 2/- & 84/84
Gwenhyfar = AC 23 & 27/27
Wulfrum = AC 28 & 60/60
* Zekel = AC 19 & 51/59* –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls
"Bring the scale mail and handax, we can sell them even though they are too big to use. No sense messing with whatever is in there."
He gestures to the hole in the wall and heads downstairs knowing he cannot carry giant gear.
Lys' usual cocky smile seems to have all but evaporated. "Huh...", she mutters in a moment, before finding a suitable place to lean. "I guess this is it, then, isn't it.", she sighs. "I mean, she's dead, we're on our way out, and Trunau is safer, but... I don't feel that good...", she grits her teeth, moving to the table to grab the geode. "Although... that looks pretty interesting...", she bites her lips, shoving the geode in her bag. Her eyes scan Wulfrum looking at the wall, and a moment later she notices what the dwarf's been staring at.
"Hah. Cold day in hell where they'd catch a dwarf with that shabby bricklaying. It's like they weren't even trying, right? And I am here without my crowbar...", she walks next to Wulfrum, before turning to Zekal. "If it's hidden, then it's important. If it's important, we'd better know what it is, before it inevitably bites our asses at a later date."