Senna nods her thanks to Authion for downing the ogres then begins weaving another spell. A dancing ball of green fire launches into the sky then descends. It strikes the den mother on the flanks amid the smell of burnt fur, then caroms into her closest offspring before vanishing in a flash.
1st Spells (8): x
2nd Spells (8): x
3rd Spells (7): xxx
4th Spells (6):
5th Spells (4):
Dancing Light (3):
Dragon Breath (1):
Rod of Max (3): x
Fire Claws (9):
Stun Fist (3):
Jingasa (1):
Spell Effects:
Mage Armor - 10 hours
Haste - Extra Attack on FULL ATTACK ACTION; +1 ATT Rolls; +1 Reflex Saves; +1 Dodge AC; +30' Move - RND: 4 of 10
The rabid den mother and her child stand for a moment against the gale of fire launched by Senna, but eventually buckle, fur destoryed and flesh exposed as they collapse into unconsciousness.
Tathlan stumbles back as the wolves savage his armor with heavy blows, sure to leave bruising in the morning. Thankfully the enchantments hold for now, though he knows it is a matter of seconds before the two beasts land killing blows.
The moment never comes, however, as moments later the two beasts are knocked into unconsciousness by a rain of fire from Tathlan's sorcerous companion.
Wasting no time, he steps forward and unleashes a new flurry of crossbow bolts into two wolves menacing Sir Haldern.
The air thrums as Tathlan's arrows cuts through it, dropping each wolf to the floor one by one.
Senna surveys the destruction with satisfaction, nods to her allies, spins her horse around and moves quickly up the brass ramp aided by the lingering affects of the Haste spell. She keeps her eyes peeled for more threats - either from the giants raiding the keep or the wizard's defenses.
1st Spells (8): x
2nd Spells (8): x
3rd Spells (7): xxx
4th Spells (6):
5th Spells (4):
Dancing Light (3):
Dragon Breath (1):
Rod of Max (3): x
Fire Claws (9):
Stun Fist (3):
Jingasa (1):
Spell Effects:
Mage Armor - 10 hours
Haste - Extra Attack on FULL ATTACK ACTION; +1 ATT Rolls; +1 Reflex Saves; +1 Dodge AC; +30' Move - RND: 4 of 10
"If these creatures are evil then we cannot let them live. To do so would be a false mercy, since they will doubtless strike again. I'll do what is necessary while you see if they have anything of use, either information or valuables that can be put to better use than littering the ground"
"Jensal, make sure that Senna doesn't get into any trouble on her own"
Sir Haldern dismounts and goes to the bodies of the fallen while Jensal takes off and flies a little behind Senna.
Assuming that nothing happens that makes things a higher priority, he does the following:
Sir Haldern then takes the time to detect evil on the Giants. Assuming that they do so, and assuming that nobody objects, he'll slay them all. Any that do not detect as evil he will quickly bind the wounds of and then leave.
Once that is finished he'll start up the path and call Jensal to him.
Haldern beheads the giants and ogres one by one.
Vaulting further up the spiral, Senna finds a huge gash in the castle wall; she can hear loud retreating footsteps within.
Senna debates clandestinely pursuing the footsteps through the wall - despite the inadvisability of such a move. And if the enemy were just a group of giants, even a sizable troop of giants, she'd be tempted to do so.
As long as it isn't a fv<k-load of giants... I can probably handle them or escape. she mulls silently, But the boys will harangue me endlessly if I take such a risk.
Even that argument isn't enough to dissuade her... but the final factor serves to cool her bravado. Giants can be avoided, but this is a wizard's keep and his defenses likely don't distinguish between friend or foe. And they are undoubtedly set up to circumvent my obvious tricks. Fearless and crafty as Senna is, she isn't a fool - you don't tread on a wizard's turf without taking every precaution possible. She harrumphs at the gap in the wall, leaving it alone for the moment, and proceeds up the ramp to the main entrance of the castle, hoping the wizard has magical eyes on the front door.
Best to announce myself as a friend before being mistaken for a common robber.
Authion makes his way over to Dwin, jumping onto his war saddle. The pair make their way up the bronze walkway towards Senna, keeping an eye out for a secondary band of giantkin or worse...
Senna's loan to him for the horse has left Tathlan in a state of penury, so he is forced to take a quick look through the bodies for any kind of portable wealth, distasteful as the task may be.
In addition he looks to see if he can recover any of his crossbow bolts. There won't be a fletcher inside the giant's castle to resupply him, and even if there were he is without coin.
While looking through the bodies, he says to Haldern, "Sir, what do you think these giants were doing here? Just attacking a castle descended from the sky for no reason? Is this their territory?"
"The name is Haldern to my friends. I am far from being an expert on giants, I'm afraid. But we now seem to have picked sides, at any rate. Lets hope we're on the right one.
Shall we rejoin the others?"
Haldern quickly tops himself up with his happy stick.
"Do you require any healing?"
Lay on hands - 9 of 10 remaining
Currently afoot
113/114 HP
AC 28
77/77 HP
AC 31
Senna fails to detect any active defences that have not thus far been breached by the giant raiding party. She feels the immense spell keeping the castle floating, vestiges of alarm and strength spells, little else.
The keep awaits.
Just in case the wizard has a watcher not detected by her spell, Senna introduces herself at the gate. "I am Senna Proviso, sorcerer of Varisia, sometimes called the Daughter of Dragons. We seek the assistance of the wizard Zoarth... and it seems we may be of assistance in return - in helping defeat the marauders invading your home."
She waits briefly for a response before wheeling around and heading back to the gap in the wall.
Senna almost instinctively looks up and sees, of all creatures, a cat looking down at her from the roof of the keep, tens of feet above. It looks tabby, before it moves out of sight. After a few seconds, a different cat emerges from within the keep, moving blinking into the light. Its coat is ginger, and it speaks.
“Please. I need your help. I’m in the central hall holding off the main force, but some… thing is at the foundation. Somehow, it’s causing damage. I don’t know how that’s possible, but please find it and stop it. Any stairway that you find can take you down to it—it’s at the very bottom of the keep.”
Finding nothing of use on the dead bodies, Tathlan gives a nod to Sir Haldern. "As you say. Let's make our way up." With that said, Tathlan begins his ascent up the winding bronze pathway.
He arrives at the top just in time to catch the end of the cat's pronouncement. "Sounds like the master of the castle is in trouble. Are we going to believe this creature is telling the truth?" he asks, looking to the others.
Senna nods to the cat. "We're on our way."
She turns her attention to Tathlan. "I believe Zoarth is speaking through the cat. It would be well within his skills to do so. The odds that the giants have a wizard among them who is capable of the same trick and would think to place his own familiar at the gate to mislead wandering strangers is very, very, unlikely." She concludes, "You are free to make your own choices but I'm going to be looking for stairs down... Also, if there is some force eating away at the foundation, you can bet this assault is being led by creatures more formidable than Hill Giants."
If Haldern arrived in time to detect evil on the cat he would have done so.
"I'd agree that the cat is much more likely the voice of the owner of the castle than the attackers. Let's do what he asks"
Haldern remounts Jensal.
"if one of you is particularly stealthy and wishes to scout ahead that is fine with me. Otherwise I suggest that I lead
"You're all right; based on their trappings and accent I'd say these hill giants hail from one of the eastern tribes. They're not known for tact or subtlety, even among giantkin.
"We can come back to clean the corpses; there's no shame in taking anything of use." He says with a smile, noting Tathlan's sheepish expression.
"I'm coming with you Senna; anything powerful enough to damage the foundations of such a fortress would surely be a threat. You'll need all the help you can get.
Once their order is set, the sorceress moves through the gap cautiously, eyes alert.
The keep is beautiful on the inside, serene and elegant in its construction and decor. Most everything is white, blue, or silver. Rare woods and stone can be found throughout, and silver inlay, other precious metals, and even semiprecious stones were used liberally to tastefully adorn every aspect. Everything inside the structure is scaled for a giant
about 15–18 feet tall. The doors are all massive and heavy, made of brass with inset wooden panels. The furnishings are far too large for humans to use easily. A full-grown human sitting in a chair found here would appear smaller than a child or a halfling. On average, ceilings range from 30 to 50 feet in height.
The duo easily discover a spiral staircase, running up and down throughout the entire structure. They proceed down to the foundations, as directed.
The stairway spirals down an open shaft through the thick mist. Eventually the stair stops and the mist becomes solid like a floor. This area is a chamber of sorts whose the floor, walls, and ceiling are also solid mist. The central portion of the chamber is a column of white mist sixty feet across. Near it is a bizarre creature that looks like a humanoid insect, twelve feet tall with a long tail and a thick, ice-blue carapace. It wields a wickedly barbed spear in both hands and is stabbing it into the misty column. With each blow, a portion of the mist turns to ice and shatters into a thousand brittle bits. Every third blow or so, the entire castle shudders and shakes. A giant with pale, blue-white skin and a scraggly white beard crusted with its own frozen drool guards the creature. The giant stands hunched over and looks toward the staircase with a weird, half-vacant look.
Senna's detection sees a mystical connection between the giant and the ice-blue insectile creature.
Authion raises a finger to his lips, then nocks an arrow in his bow. Taking aim at the giant creature, he readies to let fly.
Authion recognizes a frost giant.
Authion motions for Senna to stay back, his other hand reaching up to pat the scruff of Dwin's neck. He points toward the demon, and makes an almost imperceptible growling noise, signalling for the wolf to ready to charge.
Senna makes a staying gesture to Authion and his companion then points back up the stairs. She mouths Be ready. I bring them (emphasized with pointing up) quick (emphasized with mystical finger gestures). Senna takes a long look around the mist filled room - committing it to memory - before she creeps back upstairs to confer with their allies.
On the level above, Senna gathers the team and lays out the situation in quick whispers. "We have a icy-looking giant magically bound to a large ice-spear wielding insect-like creature that is destroying the magic mist which I suspect supports the castle. Authion and his wolf are ready to attack. I believe I can transport us directly into the room... assuming Zoarth didn't put something in place to prevent it." She gives an unsure smile... expressing the possible danger. "I'm thinking I jump us into the middle of the room where you boys can go hand-to-hand or crossbow as suits your mood."
Caution ever being her watch-word, as her allies consider her plan, Senna casts a spell on herself.
Tathlan warily glanes at the fine though hugely over-sized furniture from his vantage near the palace's entrance. This is certainly much different than patrolling the walls of Fort Ramgate, if nothing else.
He waits patiently with Sir Haldern near the palace's entrance while Senna and Authion scout ahead, remaining silent so as not to draw any unnecessary attention.
The group link arms, and in perfect formation blink below to charge and strike at their foes.
Senna forges the mystical linkage with the others and quietly mutters "I really hope this works..." before completing the spell with a phrase of arcane power. The group vanishes from reality only to instantly reappear in the strange, mist-shrouded room in an explosion of forcefully displaced air. The sorceress breathes a small sigh of relief. Had the spell failed, they may have all been forever lost in the vortices of nil-space... which would have been embarrassing were it not almost instantly fatal.
1st Spells (8): x
2nd Spells (8): xx
3rd Spells (7): xxx
4th Spells (6): x
5th Spells (4):
Dancing Light (3):
Dragon Breath (1):
Rod of Max (3): x
Fire Claws (9):
Stun Fist (3):
Jingasa (1):
Spell Effects:
Mage Armor - 10 hours
See Invisibility - 1 hour 40 mins
Didn't Jensal come in the D-door? I thought there was capacity for 2 medium and one large plus the caster.
If Jensal came I'll smite and charge the blue thingy. If he didn't I'll still declare smite on the blue thing and then advance 3 squares to my right then one diagonally up/right (on tablet so can't move on map right now). You managed to position me so I can't reach either opponent :-(.
Jensal will start making his way down here as quickly as possible (80 ft fly speed when not carrying me).
As the others suddenly appear within the room, Authion let's fly an arrow at the frost giant. He barks, and at the sound Dwin springs to action.
Assuming Jensal isn't down here, moved myself on map.
Authion fires an arrow aimed squarely at the giant's head, forcing out a terrible and angry cry of pain.
Senna suddenly appears and whisks Tathlan and Haldern away after the sorceress briefly explains situation.
In the few seconds he has, he prepares his crossbow to fire at the first enemy he sees right between the eyes- which just happens to be a particularly dumb looking Frost Giant.
More arrows slam into the giant, causing it to redouble its cries.
The blue insectile creature cocks its head to the side, surveying the party; it then raises a mandible and summons a terrifying blast of frost. Rising up, it presses itself against the ceiling.
Tahtlan stumbles away from Senna, coughing as the wave of cold washes over him. He can't take another such blast so he pulls a small bottle of scarlet-red liquid from his pocked and downs it.
Moving 30 feet and quaffing a potion of cure moderate wounds.
Darn. Coming alone was a mistake. Should have stayed on Jensal
"I'll keep the giant at bay while you kill the blue thing"
He advances on the Giant (does not charge)
for damage
Buffs: None
Lay on hands - 9 of 10 remaining
89/114 HP
AC 28 vs Giant, 32 vs Blue (Cha +5 but have a +1 deflection bonus already)
Another wound is struck onto the giant's form.
Tathlan stumbles away from Senna, coughing as the wave of cold washes over him. Once he is what he hopes is a safe distance to prevent being caught in another blast, he levels his crossbow at the ice insect and fires as soon as he sees it move, as Haldern instructed.
Letting out a great roar, the frost giant charges forward, greataxe ready.
Throwing back its insectile head, the creature lets out a horrifyingly screechy imitation of a laugh; zipping along the ceiling, it raises its hand and lets loose another terrifying blast of frost. It washes over the giant, leaving its blue skin unmarked. Tathlan's arrow misses its carapace.
Haldern's mount appears atop the foundation mist, soaring through the air.
Senna avoids the worst of the arctic blast but it still leaves her half frozen. She quickly casts a slow healing spell and follows it with a greater magic. A coiling worm of fire launches from her chest streaks past her allies and engulfs the Frost Giant before launching into the air as it hunts the icy insect.
The sorceress pulls the rod from her bandolier and glares at the strange creature skittering along the ceiling.
Senna dodges in the general direction of the exit and then launches a spell at the ceiling crawler. A roiling black cloud engulfs the insect creature, scouring it with a virulent acid.
1st Spells (8): x
2nd Spells (8): xx
3rd Spells (7): xxx
4th Spells (6): xx
5th Spells (4): xx
Dancing Light (3):
Dragon Breath (1):
Rod of Max (3): xx
Fire Claws (9):
Stun Fist (3):
Jingasa (1):
Spell Effects:
Mage Armor - 10 hours
See Invisibility - 1 hour 40 mins
Infernal Healing - Fast Healing 1 - 2 of 10 rnds