Derrik hussle's forward to catch up with Balmir and Mouser.
As Mouser closes in, the long reach of the giant allows him to take the opportunity to slice at the halfling. It is a nasty cut, but Mouser manages to push through and get into position.
With Balmir and Mouser cutting at it from both sides, and Somer landing one arrow, the giant is starting to bleed from multiple wounds.
Using its long weapon, and trying to get out of a flanked position, the giant moves and double slices at the dwarf. The first one makes a deep gash on Belir's arm, but the second blow is absorbed by his armor and years of training against giants.
Balmir HP 7/41 AC 22/11/21
Derrik HP 33/33 AC 19/10/19
Mouser HP 15/36 AC 20/17/14
Somer HP 18/27 AC 19/15/14
Tamxander HP 26/26 AC 13/12/11
Somer moves, matching the giants movement and again fires two frost arrows at the beast.
It will not be standing long I think.
Tam hurls another small bolt of acid, this time scoring a hit!
Derrik slowly moves forward, not wanting to get in reach of the giant.
Derrik holds his Morning star High, "Milani grant us your blessing of Defense, protect us from this vile creature."
Balmir follows the giant, staying close in to her. He slams his hammer at her midsection.
As Balmir steps up, giving the giant no room to attack, she lashes out with a fist instead.
Balmir HP 27/41 AC 22/11/21 +4 vs giant
Derrik HP 33/33 AC 19/10/19
Mouser HP 15/36 AC 20/17/14
Somer HP 18/27 AC 19/15/14
Tamxander HP 26/26 AC 13/12/11
Derrik Inches forward not wanting the giant to break his defenses.
HP 33/33
Special Attacks channel positive energy 5/day (DC 14, 2d6)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +8)
2nd - aid, barkskin, blessing of courage and life (DC 16), weapon of awe (DC 16)
1st—bless, magic weapon , shield, shield of faith , summon monster I
0 (at will)— detect magic , guidance, spark (DC 14), virtue
D Domain spell; Domains Protection (Defense subdomain), Liberation
Healers Kit 18/20
Wand of Cure light wounds 40/50
Holy Water 2/2
Smoke Stick
Soothe Syrup 2/2
Thunder Stone 2/2
Somer again lets fly with a couple of arrows. As the giant is not being particularly effective he again uses his smallest of cold spells.
[i] I need to study this giant. There must be more efficient ways of killing the blasted bug things.
Tam fires another coruscating beam at the giant, a blinding ray that strikes the behemoth squarely!
The party works together to thrwart this giant. Tam blinds the beast, and she tries to attack Mouser again, as the target she most recently knew the location of, but fails. This allows Mouser to do his thing.
Balmir HP 27/41 AC 22/11/21 +4 vs giant
Derrik HP 33/33 AC 19/10/19
Mouser HP 15/36 AC 20/17/14
Somer HP 18/27 AC 19/15/14
Tamxander HP 26/26 AC 13/12/11
Smile that the lumbering giant has been blinded Somer smiles wreaths his bow in scorching heat before firing off two more arrow. Now is the moment to try and end this.
Balmir steps smoothly around the giant again in order to allow Mouser to flank it. He unleashes another powerful blow with the hammer against it.
Derrik moves forward, maintaining his aura to defend against the Giants swings. Derrik brins his own morning star down on the creatures exposed flank.
HP 33/33
Special Attacks channel positive energy 5/day (DC 14, 2d6)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +8)
2nd - aid, barkskin, blessing of courage and life (DC 16), weapon of awe (DC 16)
1st—bless, magic weapon , shield, shield of faith , summon monster I
0 (at will)— detect magic , guidance, spark (DC 14), virtue
D Domain spell; Domains Protection (Defense subdomain), Liberation
Healers Kit 18/20
Wand of Cure light wounds 40/50
Holy Water 2/2
Smoke Stick
Soothe Syrup 2/2
Thunder Stone 2/2
Derrik steps up and smashes the knee cap of the giant, as Somer puts another arrow into the creatures thick hide. As the arrow hits, a searing burst of flame explodes in her chest, and she drops into the swamp, dead.
"Well that was interesting, Balmir allow me to tend you wounds." Derrik produces a wand and touches Balmir with it.
Somer moves to the giant, wincing at the smell of the natural functions of death, and examines the body. He spends a good deal of time looking at the wounds, noting what seemed to be most effective and what did not.
We did well against this big thing. Still room for improvement.
"Balmir, your people are well trained for fighting giants. If you think of things that will improve our abilities feel free to share them from time to time."
Balmir raises the hammer above his head for another swing to bring down the giant but then he sees her crumple. With a sigh he slumps. He lowers the hammer so that its haft rest on his thick shoulders. Within a few minutes Derrick comes over and heals his body. Balmir shakes his head and drops of sweat flip from his beard.
"Thanks Derrik," he says gruffly. He kicks the giant's body. "Chok kallum bahck jooral," he spits at it in Dwarvish. "For my family." He turns and walks a few paces away and finds a rock to sit on.
He looks up at Somer when he addresses him. "You know, I just don't know. Maybe try to get close? Or try to stay out of their reach." Balmir nods his head as he realizes that he's not making any sense. "When I see giants like this, I just lose my head." He looks at the ground with a look that could be either intense hatred or deep despair. "They killed my family, Somer. My whole family."
A flash of pain crosses Balmir's face but he pulls it together quickly. He raises his gaze and looks Somer in the eye. "I have vowed to take my revenge. I will kill every giant in Golarion, if necessary, to appease the ache in my soul."
Derrik gives Balmir his space, "Killing them all may not ease the ache though my friend. In time you will find what will give you peace. I also should have a longer weapon, maybe just a long spear to help keep me away from the close up fighting where you Balmir and Mouser do shine."
Derrik looks at the giant, seeing if there is anything magical on it or a compulsion.
"Ingrahild is this one of the giants whom attacked your party? I wonder where these witches are."
Somer frowns and nods thinking back to the amount of time he spent drinking wine and doing nothing recently.
"Well... being out of retirement for such a goal is a good thing. My bow will be with you. The soft spots on a giant must be close to that of a man, only bigger. I will work to end them quicker."
Tam lets out a heavy breath as the giant falls.
"It's bad enough navigating a world of big humans and elves, but these things too... whew," he mumbles. He scurries forward to gather with the team.
"You know," he says more confidently, "this probably won't be the last giant we face. Somer's right, we should work on our team tactics. That blinding ray that I used is a good opener - lets you get inside the giant's reach. And the vanish spell on Mouser - so he can slip in and then clamber up and stab-stab-stab."
After a moment's reflection, he mumbles again and casts detect magic, then turns in a slow circle.
"Yes, Derrik - I believe this is the witches pet. I don't see any sign of the witches, but this giant might have eaten them."
You don't find anything magical on the giant's body or the surrounding area, but the standing stones in the circle do radiate some magic.
"Ingrahild can you show us to the place with the Will-o-wisps? We would be most appreciative, you can just show us and return to your camp and we will meet you there after." Derrik says
"Of course, I will lead the way."
She leads the way east from you current position, and it doesn't take long to find another clearing.
"Based on what I've heard, my magic will be useless against it," says Tam. He takes out his pipe and starts packing it. "So good luck, everyone!"
"Do they talk? Maybe we can make a deal?" Derrik says to the attitude from his smaller companions
As you enter the clearing, you hear a voice scream, "Where did you get that? Your theft will not go unpunished! Give that back to us"
"What are we meant to have stolen? We just go here as you can well see. Now who am I talking to?"
"I will destroy you, thieves!"
You still do not see anything. There are a number of white, spongy globes scattered around this clearing, however.
"Silvermane gave it to us, he asked us to come here and open the way to the Vault of Thorns to get armaments to fight back against the Orcs." Derrik says.
Just before you were viciously attacked by an invisible will-o-wisp, you see it appear right next to you.
"Silvermane, you say? Yes, yes... this is necessary to find the entrance to the Vault of Thorns. If Silvermane sent you, then you have business here. My name is Mossmoon. Follow me."
He leads you to a concentration of the strange collection of pale, spongy spheres, each about 1 foot in diameter.
The spongy globes are dead will-o’-wisps, recognizable as such with a successful .
In a solemn whisper, Mossmoon informs you that this is the resting place of the fallen members of the Council of Thorns. The will-o’-wisp then says to Derrik, "Gently, son, please place one of these spheres into your lantern. Then it will show you the way."
|
Mouser grins broadly at Derrik as he negotiates peace with the will-o-wisp.
[i]I'd like to learn to be invisible like that...whenever I want. I'd be the best burglar the world has ever seen![/ooc]
The halfling listens to Mossmoon, and then with uncharacteristic reverence takes one of the spheres and places it in the lantern.
"Like this?" he asks.
Balmir jumps as the disembodied voice screams at them. He instinctively grabs his hammer and readies for combat. Looking side to side he cannot see anything but he notices the white spheres scattered around. Will-o-wisp bodies. He is about to warn the others when Derrik starts talking to the invisible creature.
When the will-o-wisp appears Balmir relaxes. He follows the wisp as it leads them to the group of fallen wisps. He watches as Mouser cautiously places one of the globes in the lantern.
Derrik holds the lantern Steady for Mouser to place the husk inside.
"Thank you Mossmoon, I am glad we did not come to blows. A common enemy a good way to bind a friendship. Can you tell us of the Vault?" Derrik asks
Mossmoon tells you a story.
When the druids of the Council of Thorns stood against
the orc hordes of Belkzen, they made their last stand here
in Ghostlight Marsh. Close to death and with the majority
of their powers exhausted, the druids knew that defeat
was imminent. But if their bodies could not defeat the
rampaging orcs, then perhaps their spirits, reborn and
rejuvenated, would stem the tide. Feeling they had no
other choice, the Council of Thorns decided to sacrifice
themselves in a powerful ritual. Reincarnated as vengeful
will-o’-wisps, the Council of Thorns managed to drive the
orcs from the swamp, feeding on the orcs’ terror. Although
the reincarnated druids lost their druidic powers when
they transformed into evil aberrations, they retained their
memories of their former lives, and the will-o’-wisps have
remained guardians of Ghostlight Marsh ever since.
As soon as a dead will-o’-wisp is placed within the lantern, the lamp emits a beam of light that points to the druid circle at the area you just came from. Mossmoon can confirm Silvermane’s account of how to open the portal (by washing the lantern’s light over the central menhir), and also informs you that the central menhir is trapped to cause the others to fall on you... unless you bath the sentral one in the light of the lantern first.
"I can't confirm that all still is in place, but there was a treasure trove of weapons specifically crafted to combat orcs."
"Thank you again for your hospitality and allowing us to proceed with yoru blessing." Derrik says
"So you are one of the druids then? Still here guarding after all this time."
Orcs, more orcs. Still I feel better equipped to kill them quickly now.
Somer waits for the others to operate the lantern.
Balmir begins walking towards the druid circle. "I guess we'd better do what he, or I guess, it, said we should do." He eyed the large menhirs. "I would want even one, let alone all of them, to fall on me."
"Yes, I am, although a druid no more. I may even be the last. We gave up much, including our need for balance, but at least we did drive those orcs away. It will please me to see the Vault opened for the purpose of further punishing those filthy beasts!"
With that, the wisp blinks out of view, and wanders off.
It is easy to find your way back to the circle with the lamp lighting the way. As you shine the light on the central menhir, the thick vegetation covering the monolith quickly withers away, revealing a faintly glowing, olive-hued stone.
"Looks like we know where we are going. Would have loved to have some work done on my bow first but better to get this going. She we wait the night or head stright in?
Balmir HP 51/51 AC 23/11/22 +4 vs giant
Derrik HP 41/41 AC 21/12/19
Mouser HP 44/44 AC 20/17/14
Somer HP 31/31 AC 18/14/14
Tamxander HP 32/32 AC 13/12/11
Morning comes, and you have a nice breakfast, ready to go.
Needing little sleep Somer is up early to make preperations. He spends some time reviewing his spellbook before selecting what to prepare for the day. He even remembers the pearl of power and loads it with a shield spell, just in case.