Ever ready for the next stage in your quest, Bert needs only focus on the Shard of Envy he now holds in his hands. Doing so grants him another vision—this time he sees a towering green spire emerging from a ragged landscape.
Koriah Azmeren decides to stay on at Windsong for a time to help the priests rebuild. In any event, the reconstruction of Windsong Abbey is
a long-term goal. In the meantime, though, the priests are certainly willing to provide any spellcasting services you may need free of charge.
The undead priest of Groetus Kandamereus stays on as the keeper of the deep levels below Windsong.
You return to Magnimar to report your adventures to Sheila Heidmarch, who has the next ioun stone ready for you.
You can return to the drakes, who present little fight once they learn that Ardathanatus is dead and that their presence there is no longer protected. You can then re-collect the gift Brelar made to them earlier, as well as some of the treasures that were given to them by Ardathanatus.
Ardathanatus’s offering to the sea drakes consists of 1,300 gp and a stack of silverware looted from the abbey worth 700 gp in all. There is also a chest: Inside are five cracked leather bags holding 500 gp each, a ruined silk pouch containing 30 pearls worth 100 gp each, a masterwork dagger in a gem-encrusted scabbard (the scabbard is ruined but its 12 garnets are worth 100 gp each), a ring of wizardry I, and an amulet of mighty fists +2.
You also discover (as they are escaping) that they came in through an underwater tunnel that leads outside, where there is another cavern open to the elements. Bert and Brelar can tell that this has been maintained by castings of wall of stone and similar spells. It will likely revert to its natural state eventually.
"I see Guiltspur, on the Storval Plateau. Guess we have to go deal with giants now!"
Bert is also going to try to find out if Ardathanatus left any indication of why he did it. On returning to Magnimar, the halfling looks to get his rapier shrunk down to a more manageable size for him.
Sheila Heidmarch supplies you with a deep red sphere ioun stone, which she says should fit in the next shard, the Shard of Wrath. "Furthermore, I'be learned a bit more about the Sihedron while you were away. The ritual for rebuilding the Sihedron from the seven shards requires a special stone as a sort of mold to hold the fragments in alignment. Luckily, while reviewing your notes, I believe you have already discovered one of these stones-the Sihedron Shrine back in the lowest chamber of the Crow. I've got several agents on the task of hauling it up to the surface now."
"When the time comes I hope to host a grand ceremony atop the Irespan during which we will reforge the ancient artifact. Pathfinders and other luminaries from throughout the Inner Sea have taken note of your quest now, and many famous faces will no doubt be in attendance at the ceremony. But now, with two shards remaining to be found, I think you still have a bit of work ahead of you."
Argust breathes a sigh of relief since he sees the others are doing the same thing. Bah, he wasn't so tough. Upon the mention of giants the dwarf looks at Bert and exclaims, Giants! Well, us drawves can deal with them giants pretty well ya know!
Bert nods with his usual grin. "Yup! Counting on it, Argust!"
avoided even by the giants that call the
Storval Plateau home. The site is little more
than a strange green pinnacle of stone
protruding from the ground, but even this
is enough to send chills down the spines of
those who believe in the area’s curse.
The halfling looks at the ceiling, mumbling to himself and tapping one bare foot. "Hmmm...oh, that's right. We'll probably run into giants on the way there, but they tend to avoid Guiltspur--they say it's cursed. (So of course that's where we're going, right?) Now, one of my old teachers said that the place was actually a Thassilonian ruin buried by a lava flow when Thassilon fell, and before that Runelord Karzoug used it as some kind of a laboratory and embassy for outsiders, run by the church of the Thassilonian rune goddess Lissala and filled with portals to, well, other places. Lately, though, there's a blue dragon--a wyrm--supposed to be enslaving giants to excavate the place, and she was an absolute terror to the orcs of Belkzen before coming to Storval. She's bad news--word out of Belkzen is that she abandoned her lair there after she found another Thassilonian ruin in Belkzen and destroyed it. The orc tribes are terrified that she's going to come back, because after she found that ruin she turned even more violent."
Bert stops, struck by an idea. "Hey! Do you think we should go to Belkzen and see if there's anything more to find out from that ruin? It might give us a leg up on things when we try to get into Guiltspur."
"Not much, actually. I didn't exactly have a long adventuring career before falling in with you three. Let's ask Venture-Captain Heidmarch for advice."
Brelar takes all this in. "If this blue wyrm did indeed find the shard of wrath in the Thassilonian ruin in Belkzen...what could she possibly be looking for in Guiltspur? Another shard?"
Bert shrugs. "Who knows? Thassilon left a whole lot of things behind, and it sounds like Guiltspur has been largely left alone since the Runelords fell. I hope they didn't damage too much--have to take some really good notes. Oh, the books I'm going to write if we survive this!"
Aura overwhelming abjuration; CL 25th
Slot none; Weight 1 lb.
The Shard of Envy is made of shimmering green noqual. As long as the Shard of Envy is carried, tis owner can use dispel magic as a spell-like ability once per day, gains a +2 insight bonus on saves cersus abjuration spells and spell-like abilities, and gains a +1 insight bonus to AC.
Curse (not relevant since you have the ioun stone slotted, but just so you know): The owner covets the success, wealth, and appearance of all other creatures, and becomes sickened whenever she is within 30 feet of any creature of the same race or character class as herself. physical contact with such a creature nauseates the owner for 2d6 rounds if she fails a DC 20 Fortitude save.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Guiltspur is located about 530 miles northwest of Magnimar. The site itself is located in a particularly rugged range of badlands that comprise the foothills to the Kodar Mountains. Much of this land was born of ancient lava flows carved by centuries of wind into eerie shapes. This same wind creates mournful and haunting sounds as it blows through the landscape’s myriad hollows. The vision granted by the Shard of Envy dulls as you approach a valley in the badlands that has been walled off by a wooden stockade, beyond which a ramp switchbacks up to a higher plateau surrounded by rocky bluffs. Here, a two-story wooden building squats in the shadow of a towering green spire of strange stone—Guiltspur.
Scouting ahead, you can see that this area is watched over by four hill giants—one stationed atop each watchtower and two stationed behind the wall along with trained mastodon mounts. Each watchtower is equipped with a handy stack of a dozen boulders for throwing, along with a large horn carved from a mastodon tusk.
What'll we do now, Brelar? You think these giants would just let us in? I doubt it though... I ain't heard of friendly giants b'fore.
"I could use the shard of pride to create an illusion to draw some of them out perhaps." Brelar offers. "Or I could try and make us all invisible but we would need to get closer as that would only last for 13 minutes. I am sure we do not want them raising that alarm on us. Perhaps I could make that disappear..."
[i]Maybe you should dip one level in Barbarian, just to get +10' movement. That way, Bert would be the one holding the party up.[/ooc]
"Is there a way we can sneak around them? I don't have any good divination spells to tell."
Brelar uses an invisibility sphere and a dimension door to move the party in closer!
"Let me cast a good hope first."
Brelar will drop a stinking cloud on the to giants in front of the gate.
Brelar simulates some giant flatulence to incapacitate one of them!
G3: nauseated
Argust taps his heels and then charges one of the giants!
for plus
Argust charges out of the invisibility sphere and deals a stinging blow to the giant!
G2: 55 dmg
G3: nauseated
Bert shoots an arrow at the wounded giant.
Karn's blast burns the skin of the northern guard and his mount! Bert's arrow, however, doesn't make it through the tough hide of the giant!
(+2 underground)
The two mounted giants drink potions. The injured giant steps out of the fart-fumes and swings at Argust.
The other steps out of the cloud, puking on himself.
G2: 55 dmg
G3: nauseated 2 more rounds
G4: 15 dmg
M2: 15 dmg
Due to his Defensive Training Argust avoids both attacks! Argust then ends his Haste (thinking it could be a long day) and attacks the giant!
for
for
for
Brelar casts contagious flame at giant 3, giant 4 and mastadon 2
Argust has little trouble finishing off the giant near him! Meanwhile Brelar scorches one of the giants and a mastodon!
G3: 20 dmg, nauseated 2 more rounds
G4: 15 dmg
M2: 29 dmg
---
Karn blinds the giant off to the southwest!
G1: 13 dmg, blinded 1 round
G3: 20 dmg, nauseated 2 more rounds
G4: 15 dmg
M1: 13 dmg
M2: 14 dmg
The first giant, blinded by Karn's spell, gulps another potion.
The third giant continues throwing up....
The fourth giant lowers a huge tree-trunk lance and charges Brelar!
The mastodon tries to gore the wizard with a tusk!
G1:
G3: 35 dmg, nauseated 1 more rounds
G4: 15 dmg
M1: 13 dmg
M2: 14 dmg
Argust clicks his heels again Haste and charges the giant on to the west!
for
Argust moves off to a new foe and prevents the far giant from charging in with his lance!
G1: 48 dmg
G3: 35 dmg, nauseated 1 more rounds
G4: 15 dmg
M1: 13 dmg
M2: 14 dmg
The fire leaps from the mastodon to its rider and from the giant on foot to the mastodon!
vs. DC 15+4=19
Brelar yells to his companions, "You might want to step back!"
Brelar casts create pit and then activates his ring of feather falling.
Bert takes a short step back and sends a pair of arrows up at the elephant.
Brelar's fires continue to ricochet between the mastodons and giants!
Bert, meanwhile, puts a pair of arrows into the mastodon's side!
G1: 48 dmg
G3: 35 dmg, nauseated 1 more rounds
G4: 30 dmg
M1: 13 dmg
M2: 48 dmg