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Valin ends up on the trail of a Giant who has clearly broken off from the main stomp of giants that came here, while Makda winds up on the proper trail.
It takes 5 days of travel on foot following the trail - a farmers furious over trampled crops confirm youre hot on their trail.
Ahead is an ugly, simple camp of crude, hide tents gathered around the side of a rocky, barren hill. A few illkept fires burn lazily in pits, roasting large haunches of meat or boiling pots of stew whose contents are better left unknown. By human standards, the tents are large, but the giants that live here likely find them barely big enough to sleep in. Piles of crudely painted stones lie near a pile of various weapons; most of the weapons are immense clubs, but there are also a few massive axes, swords, and spears. A few giants wander slowly about the camp, not terribly vigilant or energetic. The entire area stinks of dung, rancid meat, wet leather, old iron, and offal.
Standing at the entrance of the camp are a pair of hill giants speaking with an enormous Ettin with one female head and one male head all talking some sort of strange pidgin language.
One of them upon seeing you excitedly waves and throws a big raw partially maggot eaten steak at T'Khan.
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The halfling is caught off guard by the initial response, including the steak thrown to TKhan. She pauses a moment before speaking, carefully at first.
"Hello, large ones! Thank you for your... warm welcome! This place is quite... homely. How come your band to such a location? What purpose does such a camp serve?"
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They look at each other and laugh and puff their chests up as they approach you - it appears to be two male hill giants, a female hill giant and an ettin We just kinda go whatever and do whatever we please! He shouts in an awful pidgin that only Arisira somewhat understands.
YOU WALK RIGHT INTO DA CAMP OF THE JURN KINGS AND YOU WANN ASK DUM QUESTIONS? The woman shouts
WHAT GIVE YUU DA NERVE?
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OH DAT OLE FUDDY DUDDY WE BEAT HIM CASTLE REAL GOOD! They laugh and start boasting to each other about how awesome they were but Arisira is able to get back on track.
DEY TALK MAYBE BUT ENFORCERS LIKE TO SMUSH LIL RACES AND MAKE RAISINS OUT OF EM JUST FER BEIN HERE AND THEIR LIVING ROCK BUDDIES SMASH EM GOOD
Knowledge planes?
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Mak'da remains at a distance watching Arisira do her thing. T'Khan carefully approaches the meet, gives it a sniff and then turns tail on it and pads off into the surrounding rocks.
At the mention of living rocks Mak'da perks up a bit and floats down to Arisira.
Maybe earth elementals, she whispers. Suggests this chief might have some magical power, maybe try and find out more.
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"I must be careful then, being a little race and all. I'll admit I am pretty quick though."
"Are you certain there is nothing we could offer or discuss that would be of value to the enforcers and to the Chief Jurn? It seems like the smashing of the castles put all of you at risk and that the chief may have risked you for some personal purpose or gain. But, that would completely of his character right? He would never do something like that to a fine group of giants like yourselves..."
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Turning back to her companions, Arisira keeps the youths in the edge of her peripheral vision.
"Well, I guess we go and talk to the boss, right? We didn't come all the way here to parlay with some teenagers"
She pauses a moment, making eye-contact with each of her companions and looking for the subtle signs of assent. After an accord is reached, she turns back around...
"Can you point the way to chiefs? I would be much obliged" and she heads off
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The warrior giants and the elementals all split their path and nod Speak fast tiny creatures
You are allowed into the cave where you encounter a group of ornery trolls who appear to be in charge of sewing the hide tunics everyone here is wearing who nearly grow hostile til they realize how powerful you all are.
You! Puny HUMANS who fought the JURN at the Cloud Castle! Why have you followed us here! The chief shouts as soon as he sees you.
He is a big tattoo covered hill giant flanked by a Cyclops who appears to be the brain trust of this operation.
You come for big feast! Chief Grunf HONORS strong ones who come to his court!
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The chief produces big slabs of meat that have clearly been carved from sort of giant cat - they look fresh but severely undercooked.
The cyclops mutters something to him quietly WE DID NOT MEAN ANY OFFENSE TO SUCH STRONG ONES AS YOU BY ATTACKING THE CASTLE! He tries to assure you as he drops one such cat-haunch in front of Vera, expectantly.
BUT THE STORM QUEEN PAID VERY WELL FOR THAT CLOUD GIANTS HEAD He says whilst bitting some of the raw meat himself.
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STORM QUEEN SOUGHT US OUT WE SWEAR. YOU WANT US TO GO KILL BIG WIZARD GIANT FOR YOU TOO? He asks with a big appeasing grin on his face.
STORM QUEEN IS HUGE STORM GIANT. SHE HAVE BEEF WITH OTHER STORM GIANT. BUT SHE NOT TELL US ABOUT ALL THE AIR CATS! BUT SHE WAS SO PRETTY. AND RODE ON GIANT BIRD. PROMISED MANY THINGS TO ME IF WE CAPTURED SKY CASTLE.
SHE TOLD US TO MEET HER FOUR DAYS WALK FROM HERE BUT WE SCARED TO GO BACK. BUT SHE PAID IN BIG BUNDLE OF TREASURE, INCLUDING MAGIC SWORD. TOOK SIX STRONG JURN WARRIORS, OBVIOUSLY TO BE GUARDS
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"Ah. That makes much more sense then. Such strong warriors as yourself, of course she wanted your people as her guards. There is no way that she is going to be holding them hostage, or torturing them for your failures, or anything like that"
"What was her name again? You seemed to have not mentioned that part..."
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The Giant Chief looks caught in a loop of complete indecision when asked which powerful force he wants to lean towards Well...if they are done serving her then yes return them home!
The trip northwest is likely uneventful, although cold.
You arrive at the spot described and...nothing is there.
You wait and wait and then ultimately, Arisira spots it - this massive rolling in formation of clouds that she recognizes as being unnatural - a sort of Sky Barge. But how to reach it?
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"It seems like our friends prefer penthouse views. I am not sure what defenses they might have, but it would be easy enough to fly up, I would suppose. At least Mak'da could check it out for us, if necessary. Regardless, it looks like our next path is up and not forward."
A moment later, wings unfurl from her Armor and Arisira begins to lift off the ground.
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The party flies its way up to the flying castle and finds it somewhat taxing (Valin ends up chugging two potions)
And en route you are chased by two hillgiants on Rocs!
(we will be doing theater of the mind for this because there are no good sky maps)
spoiler=Initiative]
[/spoiler]
Mak'da
Valin
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Hill giant on Roc 1
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Vera
T'Khan
Arisira
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Hill Giant on Roc 2
