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Farin leaps off of Haggis and sips from his jacket, disappearing from sight as he closes on the guards.
Jorgan works with his mastery of the earth and shapes the ceiling to collapse down on the gate guards,
The mud-like substance drips down onto the giant's heads and shoulders, bruising them and weighing them down.
Rogzul uses the distraction as his spirits urge him to strike now! He stabs his spear through the Vanguards shoulder.
Kraygan leaps in challenging the giants to focus on himself rather than the others while Wren tries to get away from the wall of boulders.
Stepping back the Vanguard quickly shortens his grip on his glaive and strikes at Kraygan.
Kraygan is able to fend off the attacks with his now battered armor. The giants left behind in the rear grab a handful of stones and move to trap the Trunau Militia in between the gates while the Lieutenant draws his Greatsword and sets to follow in if his subordinates should fall.
Haste
Farin- (90/90)
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (77/106; sickened)
Kraygan (149/151)(Haggis 84/92)
Wren (64/85)
---------------------------------------
Fire giant Vanguards (Green -59)
Fire giant Lieutenant (-30)
Stone Giants
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Jorgan casts strong jaw on Spirit, who readies his spiked horns against the oncoming giants.
Deciding the best tactic is to hack them to pieces as soon as possible, Kraygan taps his baldric to enhance his axe and begins chopping.
"ARRGGgghhh!!"
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Round 3, Init 10
Wren spins to cast Cone of Freakin' Cold back at the two giants, then he flies closer, trying to stay out of danger.
cold damage vs. DC 22 Reflex for half
[ dice]1d20+13+2+1[/dice] to hit; (Haste, Heroism)
[ dice]1d8+3[/dice] magic damage.
[ ooc]Haste (round 3/13): +1 to hit, AC, reflex, attx, yadayadayada. [/ooc]
HP: 79/79
AC: 18 (+4 w/mage armor) +1 haste
[ dice]1d20+11+1[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice]1d6+6[/dice] acid damage.
Effects: mage armor, overland flight
Right: bow
Left: Staff of Frost
Iron Ring 0/1 used
Rod Lsr Extend 0/3 used
Rod Lsr Quicken 2/3 used
Firestorm 0/3 used
Staff of Ice: 0/10 used
Acid 0/10 used
Blip: 0 of 78 5' steps
12th Level: The bow counts as a +2 Adaptive Flaming Composite Longbow. Scorching Ray now only costs 1 charge and replaces the arcane bolt. The fireball spell is now under the effects of the quickened metamagic feat though only for the use of a full attack with the bow itself with the fireball itself counting as one of the attacks.
[ dice]1d20+13[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+3[/dice] magic damage.
Rog continues pressing the attack against the nearest giant, timing his spear strikes between Kragans chops,
When Farin appears between the giants, Rog begins prepping himself to cast healing magic soon.
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Farin is able to get right behind the Vanguard and sticks his blade straight up into the fire giants groin region. Blood and other bodily fluids slowly drip to the ground as the Vanguards leg spasms in pain.
Jorgan pats Spirit's on his head and readies the ram for any possibility as the giants surround the Trunau Militia.
Rogzul presses his assault to try and keep the giant at bay, though it isn't enough to bring the giant down. Kraygan backs Rogzul up as the combined strength brings the giant to it's knees and even faster to its death as Haggis' horns gore through the fire giants neck.
Wren blasts the giants encroaching on their space with a blast of frigid air.
The cold air seems to be quite effective as the Fire giant slows it's pace. The giant slowly grabs a stone from the ground and hurls it back at Wren.
Another stone smashes into Wren's chest as floating in the air proves to be much slower to dodge boulders.
The Lieutenant is surprised to see Farin so close, with his blade in hand. "Almost missed the small one right in front of me. Let's fix that nasty thorn quick for you."
Farin's magical blade shatters in his hands as metal shards fly in all directions. A look of shock on his face leaves him dumbfounded as the giant slashes at his body one final time.
Farin is devastated and left open as the great sword splits his side open. His organs gaping and open to the world.
The stone giants cover down further as the blue tinted giant hurls a pair of stones at Wren.
A second stone clips Wren's leg, mangling the bone as a grotesque crunch is heard throughout.
The Lieutenant looks down at Farin. "Submit and live out your life shoveling s%&*." The flames weave in it's beard as they are almost mesmerizing with each chuckle.
Haste
Farin- (18/90)
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (77/106; sickened)
Kraygan (149/151)(Haggis 84/92)
Wren (31/85)
---------------------------------------
Fire giant Vanguards (-49)
Fire giant Lieutenant (-30)
Stone Giants (Blue -33)
---------------------------------------
With one giant down, Kraygan taps Haggis with his heels and sends the yak bounding over the corpse and into the Leiutenant.
"YAAARRRHGHHGHGHH!"
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"I may be in trouble, here. Stop breaking my stuff!"
Using his menacing sword to try to distract the big oaf, Farin flashes blades and hopes for the best.
vs 10+BAB+Wis or 10+Sense Motive, and if successful, target is denied Dex for the round.
+2 Str Dmg + DI
+2 Str Dmg + DI
+2 Str Dmg + DI
+2 Str Dmg + DI
Farin then takes another sip from his jacket, disappearing from sight, and takes a five foot step to the left.
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Round 4, Init 10
After the second and third stone strikes Wren, he does consider giving up but also realizes the dwarves would never allow him a sweet and quick release from his life.
Mouthing the words Piddlespot This!, Wren moves back and doesn't even need to try to look terrified of the next volley of stones...which will probably break him.
As a readied action, he will prepare a 20' invisible wall of force, (as indicated on map in red) to block the next stone coming at him.
[ dice]1d20+13+2+1[/dice] to hit; (Haste, Heroism)
[ dice]1d8+3[/dice] magic damage.
[ ooc]Haste (round 3/13): +1 to hit, AC, reflex, attx, yadayadayada. [/ooc]
HP: 25/79
AC: 18 (+4 w/mage armor) +1 haste
[ dice]1d20+11+1[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice]1d6+6[/dice] acid damage.
Effects: mage armor, overland flight
Right: bow
Left: Staff of Frost
Iron Ring 0/1 used
Rod Lsr Extend 0/3 used
Rod Lsr Quicken 2/3 used
Firestorm 0/3 used
Staff of Frost: 2/10 used
Acid 0/10 used
Blip: 20 of 78 5' steps
12th Level: The bow counts as a +2 Adaptive Flaming Composite Longbow. Scorching Ray now only costs 1 charge and replaces the arcane bolt. The fireball spell is now under the effects of the quickened metamagic feat though only for the use of a full attack with the bow itself with the fireball itself counting as one of the attacks.
[ dice]1d20+13[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+3[/dice] magic damage.
Not knowing Wren's plan, Jorgan charges forward against one of the giants to protect the elf. He lowers his spear as Spirit lowers his spiked horns and both give a respective shout and snort as they close on the giant!
"Farin, get out of here before you're cut in half!" Rog growls as he steps up and stabs the final foe, trying to keep out of reach from the powerful sundering blow he has.
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Farin easily feints the fire giant lieutenant, though he stumpier giants aren't very dexterous to begin with letting Farin land three strikes. Farin moves to quickly cripple the giant.
Seeing Wren also in trouble Jorgan spins Spirit around and smashes Heartspit into the stone giant's knee.
As Farin disappears from sight Rogzul and Kraygan dive in to distract the lieutenant further. Rogzul's spear slips into the fire giants neck as he attacks from higher ground while Kraygan goes low, toppling heir foe.
Wren prepares a spell as one more stone hurtles in his direction while the stone giants turn to Jorgan and his ram.
The heated stone explodes about 5 feet in front of Wren as it strikes a magical wall of invisible force.
Jorgan and Spirit recoil back as the blows smash into their armor. A new noise causes Jorgan's head to snap towards the western tunnel as a fire giant patrol emerges. "Told you I heard them in here. Go get the others. Hurry!" The lead fire giants arm swings back as he pushes one of he fire giants down the tunnel as him and his companion break off some stone from the wall nearby.
Haste
Farin- (18/90; +3 Dueling 14/35-broken)
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (77/106; sickened)
Kraygan (149/151)(Haggis 84/92)
Wren (25/79)
---------------------------------------
Fire giant Vanguards (-49)
Stone Giants (Blue -99)
Fire Giant Patrol
---------------------------------------
"Uhhh, Wren... you got another one of those ice storms ready? I think I'm gonna need some help over here!" Jorgan calls back as the focuses on the stone giant before him.
"Jorgan!!" Kraygan cries, seeing giants begin to converge on his cousin. "Gorum's giant balls! Wren! Get him back here!"
Kraygan grabs one of the special javelins of lightning from his harness and eyes the supports in the cave. "C'mon! Should be safe up here!"
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"Uhhh, Wren... you got another one of those ice storms ready? I think I'm gonna need some help over here!"
Wren's eyes bulge as more foes enter the room.
"I can slow them down OR I can wall off this side of the room for a while, but a good ice storm isn't going to stop them too much. We either need to make a stand together or get gone."
Without any helpful spells, Rogzul assists Farin in looking for any keys or inspecting the door to see if there's any obvious mechanism to open it.
"Just bring them this way Jorgan!" he shouts over his shoulder, hoping the dwarf does not get cut down in the meantime.
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Farin bends over and startes digging through the Lieutenant's pockets.
A ledger recording the comings and goings of Ashpeak’s giants. The lieutenant on duty makes note of not only who passes between the farm levels and the Grinder, but also the number of giants who currently occupy the barracks, as well as the tribe to which each belongs and commander to whom each reports. Currently, the ledger shows that dozens of giants of all types are staying in the barracks.
More importantly Farin digs out an oversized-key! As well as a couple of potions of CSW (2).
Jorgan and Spirit crumble the stone giant into a pile of boulders that should leave the Vanguard well stocked to hurl at the group of interlopers.
Rogzul sees he hole for the lock. What would be plan as day to a giant sized key looks like a hole the size of a large cat.
Kraygan looks at he beams lining the cave and finds a few weaknesses in the braces though none that he might be able to exploit.
Haste
Farin- (18/90; +3 Dueling 14/35-broken)
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (77/106; sickened)
Kraygan (149/151)(Haggis 84/92)
Wren (25/79)
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Fire giant Vanguards (-49)
Stone Giants (Blue -99)
Fire Giant Patrol
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"Farin, the keyhold is right here, open the door quickly!"
Rogzul says, not wanting to turn his back on the on coming giants any longer and trusting the halfling to do it quickly, he moves back with both hands on his spear, ready to aid Jorgans retreat.
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Rogzul flies in closer to cover Jorgan's retreat while Kraygan readies a magical javelin as he further studies the support beams. Wren prepares a spell for once the opportunity presents itself.
The fire giant patrol tactically moves in while the boulder hurlers turn to focus on Jorgan and his ram.
The rocks bounce harmlessly short or off of Spirit's thick horns.
Haste
Farin- (18/90; +3 Dueling 14/35-broken)
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (77/106; sickened)
Kraygan (149/151)(Haggis 84/92)
Wren (25/79)
---------------------------------------
Fire giant Vanguards (-49)
Stone Giants (Blue -99)
Fire Giant Patrol
---------------------------------------
Jorgan follows the advice of his companions and falls back to join the others at the door.
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The tumblers all fall into place as the key unlocks the pair of massive doors. As Jorgan falls back Wren places up a wall of stone as the volcanic ground rises and joins with the ceiling, sealing off most of the chamber.
Haste
Farin- (25/90; +3 Dueling 14/35-broken)
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (77/106; sickened)
Kraygan (149/151)(Haggis 84/92)
Wren (25/79)
---------------------------------------
Fire giant Vanguards (-49)
Stone Giants (Blue -99)
Fire Giant Patrol
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Kraygan was just about to hurl his javelin when Wren's stone wall appears.
"Balls! I was gunna try n' bring the roof down. Will that wall hold em?"
"I thought that was the plan, what the hell have we been doing?" Rog asks when he sees the tunnel hasn't collapsed.
Rog communed briefly with his spirits to see if they might help.
He begins casting a spell. "Just get ready to lock the door behind us! I'm summoning an Earth Elemental in." He grunts.
Kraygan doesn't wait for magic.
Jorgan, safe behind Wren's wall, works his spell again to weaken the ceiling.
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Rogzul begins to summon some aid to hold the giants off. His spirits commune with the elements of the earth as an elemental begins to form from the body of the fallen stone giant.
Kraygan still can't seem to find a weakness in the structure but hurls his javelin regardless. The javelin strikes rue as it sizzles through the air and past Wren's wall. Lightning cackles across the beam and wood, starting a small fire within.
Jorgan helps out a bit himself as he weakens the integrity of each of the beams buy turning the ceiling to mud in specific locations. The earth softens enough that a pair of the supports don't have much more to cling onto as they shift in the soft soil.
At first small cracks form as rocks and mud fall from where the joints help, though very quickly large boulders and slabs of stone crash down into the cavern. A slab the size of Spirit drops onto the fire giant's shoulder, nearly tearing it's arm clean off as it dangles uselessly. It is too late for the giants as a decent size section of the volcano collapses down on the farming level crushing all occupants within, burying them alive. As for the Trunau Militia, they will have to find another way out of the Volcano if they are to survive. The collapse hinders movement between the Farm Level and the Grinder. It also achieves collapsing the lava tube connecting the barracks to the rest of the facility so it will take the giants a lot longer for reinforcements from the rear.
With no more giants at their back Farin is able to open the doors at his leisure. Roughly midway between the two-door system to keep the foul air from the lower level from ascending through the rest of the complex and area is a now collapsed tunnel that leads to the chambers the giants use as barracks for recruits. This is the only passage to and from the barracks.
Although the officers and nobles call this part of the facility the Siege Tactics Training Station, the common soldiers have given it the nickname of “the Grinder,” referring not only to how it wears down the giant trainees, but also to how it often turns slaves (used to test and demonstrate traps and defenses) into delicious, bloody gobbets for the giants’ stewpots.
Because the purpose of this training is to teach giants how to overcome obstacles such as town walls and castle gates, the caverns in this area have been built up and decorated with facades of these structures. At first glance, it might appear that these caverns are actually open spaces under the night sky, with simple dirt roads, wooden palisades, and mortared stone walls, but a second look reveals that these structures are just a sham, little more than elaborate sets against a natural stone backdrop.
These structures are built to last, however, so the giants in training can’t cheat by smashing through a prop wall. Any actual damage is repaired within a few days using magical means or slave labor, giving these defenses a patchwork appearance if they’re closely inspected.
Torch sconces mounted on the walls allow the officers to train the soldiers in simulated daylight, twilight, and near-dark conditions; the officers sometimes illuminate only the false walls and force the giants to maneuver and attack in the dark. Although many of the training areas have continual flame spells, each has a heavy cloth drape nearby that the giants can use to darken the room if necessary for a training exercise.
The double doors behind you keep the stench from the lower level’s farms out of this level allowing Rogzul's stomach to settle a bit more. There is a single tunnel continuing on though at the first major intersection is a large crude poster with a scribbled picture of an orc, an elf, a halfling and a pair of dwarves riding a ram and a yak.
Farin- (25/90; +3 Dueling 14/35-broken)
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (77/106; sickened)
Kraygan (149/151)(Haggis 84/92)
Wren (25/79)
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"This is why I don't use magic." Rogzul grumbles as the earth elemental he conjures is crushed behind them all.
His mood improves, however as they finally make it through the second set of double doors and he breathes something like fresh air, or at least, air without the hint of feces.
"They're keeping their eyes on us." The orc grunts, ripping the poster off the wall. "They already know we have Farin." He shrugs. "Should we find a place to rest and heal, or keep going?"
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"I suspect that it will take them some time to sort out what happened here. I say we re-lock this door, and then if anyone wants to rest, let's find someplace to lay low. I could use a few minutes to heal some of these wounds, and these damn giants keep trying to break my weapons, so I may need to rethink my approach here."
After the dave-in...
Kraygan chuckles to himself as the house comes down on the giants.
"Heh. Bloody Idjits. Silly giants, caves 'r fer dwarves!"
He then takes the time to thoroughly search the giants near the door before heading inside.
At the pseudo-city...
"Oi. Tha's almost impressive." He kicks out at a structure to test the sturdiness. "Not meant ta break easy. Should've built th' rest o' ther caves this way."
Glancing over Rogzul's shoulder at the picture, he frowns. "Not very good art. Look at Wren. Not nearly old n' frowny enough. Maybe we could pretent t' be a different group of orc, elf, halfling, dwarves, goat, an' yak."
Glancing over Rogzul's shoulder at the picture, he frowns.
"Well, I was going to heal you, but since you both have wands I guess we're can keep going." Rog peers down the tunnel and listens for anything that might be ahead.
"I dont know how good this training ground was, but we might expect these giants to be a little smarter than the rest we've seen, and I if they keep trying to break our weapons we're going to need efficient back-ups."
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"I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if they have some lying about this fake town, you know - to make it more realistic? Hey, Wren - do you think you can make an illusion to make us all appear like flat boards with paint? I would love to see a giants eyes when he thinks he is attacking a wooden cutout, only to get a dagger in the eye!"
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Wren takes his time to examine the battle staging area, casting Detect Magic and trying to ascertain the depths of the magics used to build the simulation.
"This is terrifying. They have been *practicing*. They have been *plotting*. They are getting *prepared* to attack the small people. I never expected this level or organization...it's terrifying," Wren comments with a worried look on his face.
"I can only hope that the warnings we left with the Dwarves (as if Torgan wasn't warning enough as he was) and in Kaer Maga have taken root. If they have not listened to us and are not preparing themselves, this will all go very badly. Our people cannot stand against an organized giant resistance. There is no chance." Wren shakes his head, taking his time in examining the training areas.
"If I had known, I would have prepared a way to communicate our findings to the rest of the world. Foolish FOOLISH!!!" Wren facepalms and breathes deep, another failure on the ledger of his life.
When he recovers himself, he shakes his head scornfully at Farin's request. "Illusion magic? NO! NEVER!! I will not deal in dishonesty and the magic of lies. I try to keep myself pure. It...it...is the only way I know."
Wren moves over to examine the drawing. He moves his head closer to absorb every detail.
"Not bad at all. What a majestic looking Elf."
"Shall we press on?"
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Rogzul attempts to peer down the tunnel, but each new tunnel twists and turns in on itself every few hundred feet as they were built purely for tactical reasons.
Kraygan takes the time to search the lieutenant near the door finding the usual:
- Large +2 Halfplate
- Large +1 Greatsword.
- A ring that feels cold to the touch.
The group continues down the tunnel with each intersection containing a single crude drawing of the Trunau Invaders, some drawn a bit better than others as they looks to be using what appears to be charcoal.
This rectangular room is separated into north and south areas by a row of angled spikes in the floor. The north wall holds an open portcullis, and the west and east walls each have a closed wooden door. The iron spikes built into the ground are 3 feet long and spaced less than 1 foot apart, and each points south at a 45-degree angle. These spikes are edged on one side like crude swords.
Peering from around the corner it seems as if this is the last line of defense before reaching the Grinder itself. Four fire giants and new beast that looks similar to the hellhounds from before prowl the grounds behind the spikes as he compound is now on high alert with increased forces. This creature resembles a powerfully built wolf the size of a large draft horse, with ebony fur and burning, fiery red eyes. The portcullis is shut tight against the ground as the giants guard the room with glaives and small piles of rocks set near the spiked wall, well within reach.
Farin- (97/97; +3 Dueling 14/35-broken)*
Jorgan (Spirit 130/132)
Rogzul (85/114)*
Kraygan (160/162)(Haggis 99/107)*
Wren (79/79)
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Spellcraft
Know (Planes)
Wren identifies the ring, pleased that it was recovered. He offers it back to Rogzul to decide what to do with it.
As they move on, Wren is doubly glad for the gift of flight, both for his knees but also for the ability to avoid pits and spikes. He hides as he examines the beast.
Wren will whisper what he knows about the wolf beast to the crew.