The Presence drops from the ceiling and announces itself as matetial with a resounding impact on the flour that nearly knocks you over. The voice resounds with self-confidence.
I am Artarguilus, favored servant of Baba Yaga.
A huge white dragon materializes before you, but it is not normal. Magma oozes from between it's scales and in its maw flickers an intense flame.
The minions you seek have already negotiated passage. It says with a gesture toward the fresher bones. And you still haven't answered my question. No-one enters here as ineptly as you have because they are chasing giants. No, you have done higher plan. Like chasing the Demon Lord's soul, hmmm?
Oliveo- the drain is telling the truth, and will probably attack if not placated soon.
Near the back of the group Toska's teeth start grinding loudly enough for those standing beside him to hear.
"Artarguilus, to be a favored servant of Baba Yaga only confirms what my eyes suggest: that you are as wise as you are mighty. While I can't claim to see eye-to-eye your mistress on all matters, I believe today we have common cause.
"As you are of course aware, the servants of Kotchtchie as well as the Kind Grandmother's upstart daughter both desire to capture the torc, which Baba Yaga in her wisdom sealed away.
"We can aid in thwarting both parties, if you would allow us passage--or better yet, to provide information about each party's presence in the Veil to date. Surely at a time such as this one, with multiple foes approaching, Kind Grandmother could benefit from new allies."
The Dragon snorts a puff of steam. As if she needs allies.
The Issiriani have been here weeks. They were first. The giants came later. The upstarts I ate, though some got through. The giants, however, proved much more reasonable. Like yourselves. I will allow passage on the oath that you will clear this place of the Isiriani nuisance and teach them their lesson in blood.
As he proposes his terms, you feel magic that will make avoiding your obligations... Complicated.
Oliveo nods. I dislike the thought of magical coercion...but Elvanna and cronies are unlikely to be halted by any means but violence so I'm not sure this really changes our path in any way.
"Very well then. If we're to be of the most service to you and your master, what can you tell us of what's in store ahead? A map or description? Hazards to look out for? What you know about the Irissiani who're here and where they are or aren't?"
I am keeper of the gates. The Watcher Who Waits. Baba Yaga did not see got to give me access to ask that happens in the veil. You will have to find the answers to your questions yourself. Only do not disturb the Troll Shaman. We have an agreement.
"We are in agreement. So I swear, to remove all the taint from the Veil!" Rosaline solemnly nods.
Oliveo nods again. "Do you have any information about how to find (or avoid) this Troll Shaman? If not, please point us forward and we'll do our best to thwart the Irissiani upstarts."
"How will we recognize the Troll Shaman?" Johnne rasps. "We understand there are many giants and giant-kin present."
The dragon looks at you all like he suddenly doubts your abilities... It's a shaman. Dangly totems, weird chants, indecipherable mutterings... Have you never met a shaman before? Now get out of my sight.
He points to the stairs leading upward.
Stairs emerge through the floor near the base of a forty-foot-high wall topped by a balcony. Another set of stairs across the room climbs to the balcony itself. These stairs bear a glistening sheen, as if wet, and scattered pieces of broken wood lie at its foot. You can hear giant activity at the top.
Charlotte, skilled at flight, simply floats upwards.
Charlotte floats over the ridge of the balcony. She immidiately locks eyes with four giants. They lock eyes with her. She then has to start evasive maneuvers due to huge chunks of ice flying at her!
Fortunately, none hit for meaningful damage, though one in particular comes withing a hair's breadth of taking her head off.
Oliveo's magic carpet flies up just behind Charlotte. Do we have some advantage to be gained through a temporary alliance with these giants? Perhaps but they serve the demon lord Kostchtchie. While I can brook an alliance in this case with the Witch Queen, I doubt there's anything I'd want to promise to these giants.
Pursing his lips at the violence to come, Oliveo begins to sing of Triumphant Beauty while holding his flag of Shelyn high. As he does so he weaves some enchantment into the melody and sends an explosion of sparkling dust toward the giants.
He felt like an idiot... He didnt bring a bow, he always brought a bow why didnt he this time... with a scowl of annoyance he skirted forward in the shadow until he had a good line of sight at the giants.
He felt like an idiot... He didnt bring a bow, he always brought a bow why didnt he this time... with a scowl of annoyance he skirted forward in the shadow until he had a good line of sight at the giants.
Boots are a corner case. I'll give you a +4 due to that ice clause.
You can get a bead on the giants, but they have cover.
Sneak attack works on single target rolled attacks, yes
The second special function produces three shooting stars that can be released from the ring each week, simultaneously or one at a time. Upon impact, they deal 12 points of damage and spread (as a fireball) in a 5-foot-radius sphere that deals 24 points of fire damage.
Any creature struck by a shooting star takes full damage from the impact plus full fire damage from the spread unless it succeeds at a DC 13 Reflex save. Creatures not struck but within the spread ignore the impact damage and take only half damage from the fire spread on a successful DC 13 Reflex save. The range is 70 feet, at the end of which the shooting star explodes unless it strikes a creature or object before that. A shooting star always follows a straight line, and any creature in its path must make a successful DC 13 Reflex save or be hit by the projectile.
"More petty giants!" the flying halfling calls out to the party below. "Should I waste them, or do you all love your swords too much?" And, while she waits for a response, she lazily drops a web spell (DC 21) on the assembled giants.
"I don't have any sword!" Rosaline replies with a grunt just in time to realize she *does* have one, since a few hours back. With another grunt, in annoyance this time, she flings her spear at the closest giant.
Clinging to the edges of the magic carpet, Johnne's eyes flash as he fixes them on one of the giants, sending pain coursing through its body.
Rosina shrieks and flies up after the carpet, casting her teary eyes over the giants. Gnashing her teeth, she lets out a piercing wail, a sound filled with despair and hopelessness.
The light and time of day prevented him from doing too much, he was used to doing his work at night. He took off for the stairs at full speed, the ice however kept him from making any traction.
With a barrage of magic and the arrival of the martials, the balcony is cleared in under 20 seconds.
"Right," the floating halfling calls downwards. "Anyone need a lift, or have we all got this?"
Youall hear a rumbling growl coming from the next room.
Rosaline glares at the icy path. It was impervious to her flailing attempts at walking upwards - and losing to such a mundane obstacle was grating. With great annoyance, but obviously directed at the ice, she replied.
"I'm *fine*."
With one last futile attempt she called upon her blessings and simply walked across the air over the icy path.
"Ah, well." Charlote shrugs, casts Invisibility again, and scouts ahead to see what's rumbling.
Charlotte, you see a huge hulk of a giant (even by giant standards) just finishing the process of strapping on his armor. His weapons, a huge ax and a few javelins, are on the ground next to him. He seems twisted and deformed, but these deformities don't seem to hinder him in any way.
"Boo!" Charlotte shouts, and casts Prediction of Failure before calling down the stairs for help.
He ran forward as fast as possible while remaining hidden his weapons already drawn he moved to a spot along the wall where he could perhaps slip behind the giant for the most effective damage.
The Giant roars at you as you cast. That roar morphs into a groan as the magic has it's way with his internal organs.
Oliveo rallies the troops toward victory, while floating up the stairs on his carpet.
Rosaline closes somewhat slowly, taking the time to fling her spear at the giant. As it strikes?, a ray of sunlight briefly connects the spear and her hand buffeting the giant with intense force.
The party catches him almost literally with his pants down and Rosaline quickly slams him against the wall with a power surge of solar energy
Stepping closer to the giant the skilled master of stealth struck with full fury on the creature.
As the carpet soars easily up the stairs, Johnne closes his eyes and tries to focus on not being motion-sick, even as he sends a spell to his ethereal companion.
Rosina follows fast behind, soaring after the carpet and charging recklessly at the giant.
The giant is stabbed, spelled, depressed, slammed, and eviscerated into oblivion.
This icy chamber has been turned into a campsite. A number of water barrels, wrapped in furs to insulate them from the cold, stand in the center of the room. Scattered around them are a number of giant-sized bedrolls composed of various mangy furs from arctic and mountain beasts enough for ten giants. Against the north wall sits a mound of massive cuts of frozen, raw meat. To the east, a stair climbs up to the next level. Easily visible on the south wall due to some bloody handprints is a hidden stair leading downward.
Among the furrs you find a small stash of coin and there is also a delicate ice sculpture of a beautiful maiden (worth 1,800 gp)
that bears a powerful curse. Anyone touching it must make a DC 30 Will save or be compelled to worship before the altar in area 6 (down the secret stairs) to the exclusion of all other activities (the target also gains a +10 bonus on the Perception check to find the secret door). A new saving throw is allowed every 24 hours to break the curse, but if the statuette is touched again, the curse starts anew.
"Ahhh, isn't it lovely to find things of beauty, even amongst such brutes?" Oliveo picks up the ice sculpture to admire it's beauty...and feels a strange compulsion attempt to overcome him.
"Arrrgh...this thing...is cursed. It's trying to...compel me..." With a feat of will, he manages to throw the cursed statue down and to shake his head, resisting the mystical compulsion.
"Best not to touch that thing again. It tried it's best to get me to go down through that secret door there, to worship at some altar that's down there." He shakes his head again, like a hound shaking off water after a bath, and sighs, massaging his temples.
"What do you think? Do we ignore that secret passage and continue up? Or take a peek below first? Asselus, do you want to scout ahead?"
An alter? Im sure my wives would want me to consecrate it or some such, but as for scouting, of course... I beleive that is why miss Silvershaper brought me along.
He said simply wiping off the giant blood on one of the mangiest bedrolls. He made a mental note to come check the furs later in case their were any that werent completely filth as she slid to the front again somehow suddenly seeming to blend into the shadows.