GM Tyranius Giantslayer (Inactive)

Game Master Tyranius

Alysendra heals the group a bit more as Wren spins in a circle looking for the voice that only he could hear. Wren finds no physical presence nearby he does detect a lingering aura. With a bit of concentration he knows it to be a sending spell.

Running through the several option in his head he knows the manbearpigs are completely unable to perform such a feat and are not telepathic. The voice responds one more time to Wren before dissipating.

Farin chuckles at Kraygan’s joke, and thanks Alysendra for her healing powers again. Feeling much better, he says to Wren ”I have pretty good hearing, and I didn’t hear anything. “

"Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU!!?" Wren says in vain, unable to trace the voice much less know where it is coming from. "Ah piddlespot!" Wren offers an angry oath, not needing another distraction when he is so close to ending his life here.

"Someone spoke to me in my mind. It's not an easy spell mind you...but something is locked away here and wants to be rescued. I have no idea who or where, but that's the case," Wren explains to the yakkenhorde and related attendants and hangers about.

"Farin, have any idea where the prison might be in this case? Hopefully, it's on a lower level, rather than in a high tower." Wren asks.

Added a red arrow on where we could go next. I think it's all a crapshot until we can get a real mage who could cast something useful like prying eyes or capture someone to ask. If anyone sees any servant types, a good interrogation might be useful.

"What? Like I am an expert on prisons? You just assume I have been in a few? or more?"

Yah, ok I have, but boy do people jump to conclusions!

Knowledge, giants and where they keep their cells: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13

"Anyway, no - I don't have any idea. But I bet we find it before we are done here."

"What? Like I am an expert on prisons? You just assume I have been in a few? or more?"

Wren looks confused, wondering if he said something wrong.

"Of course, *your* kind are always associated with prisons. Isn't that the entire backbone of the Cheliaxan economy? Am I wrong about something?" Wren replies.

The group gathers themselves as heads further into the complex. After a couple hundred feet you come to a T intersection going east and west.

”Chelaxians?!? Chelaxians are slavers and thugs! Don’t base your views on the likes of them.”

Farin leads the way west, checking for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (20) + 28 = 48

Farin leads the way west, finding no traps. Alysendra's summons disappear into a small puff of magical smoke as they return to their Planes.

Several stacks of spare building material—stone blocks, timber, ceramic tiles, and roof shingles—have been piled near the walls of this large chamber.

Farin continues across the room to check out the next section.

Perception, Traps?: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (13) + 28 = 41

Wren floats up following Farin at a safe distance.

"You sure you've never been in prison before, Stablemaster? You pad about like someone who doesn't want to go back," Wren comments, also looking for trouble and traps.

1d20 + 19 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 19 + 2 = 40 Perception

Alysendra chuckles at Wren and Farin's interplay. She keeps her eyes open, watching for giants or anything else that threatens them.

Perception: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36 +4 to avoid being surprised

Wondering about the voices in Wren's head, she keeps up with the group. "Taking a prisoner is probably a good idea. Let's just not promise to let them go if they talk. I hate lying to people, even giants."

"Of course I don't want to go ba... umm, here, let's look down this area before we double back."

Farin, Wren and Alysendra don't find any traps but do find, buried under a pile of building materials in is a magical instrument made of gold and inlaid with numerous gems.

Farin continues on down the hallway.

This room, little more than a giant-sized alcove off the main corridor, contains a square steel platform in the northeast corner, beneath a dark shaft in the ceiling above. A steel cupboard is mounted on the wall near the platform.

Wren picks up a lyre from among the building supplies. He gingerly holds it in his hands as if he hasn't spent much time holding musical instruments. He takes his time to identify the item...

1d20 + 20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 20 + 2 + 2 = 32 Spellcraft

He smiles and avoids plucking too many chords as he examines it further. He looks at the party, then offers it forth.

"It's a Lyre of Building. Quite a fun thing. Not for me though, maybe one of you has a talent?" Probably not the dwarves though, the only things musical about them are their backsides.

UMD of +21 would probably do it, if we decide we need to use it.

Engineering: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

"Check this out. The steel platform in this loading bay is meant to be a lift that can go up to upper floors, or maybe even to way below the castle... up to 1,000 feet! But it doesn't seems to be connected to a hoist or any other way to operate it..."

Alysendra looks over at the lyre Wren holds, and ehr face darkens. "Penthae plays," she begins. "... but not until tomorrow. Maybe we could use it to build a ladder to the ground?" She smiles wanly. "At least the giants won't be able to sue it to fix anything here."

What's down the hallway to the west? Can we see?

Alysendra peers down the room to the west. The room contains a single table and chair. A large weapon rack along the north wall holds 10 Gargantuan masterwork longspears and a gigantic, 10-foot-long digging tool called a mattock.

Kraygan looks at the lift, then at Wren and the lyre of building. ”Could tha be used ter fix the lift?”

1d20 + 20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 20 + 2 + 2 = 33 Spellcraft

Wren points to the mattock invisibly explaining what it is.

"That's interesting too. A powerful tool," Wren explains invisibly. "One of you, maybe you, Kraykeg, should take that mattock."

Presuming Kraygan can find it, and get it, Wren will explain what it is and what it does.

”Gorum’s iron b%*~*&@s, tha thing is yuge.” Kraygan eyes the mattock doubtfully. ”Maybe Jorgan with tha steel hand..?”

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (16) + 18 = 34

"Hmm... that mattock could be very useful in disassembling this place, if we can't find a handy volatile place to drop the bomb into."

Alysendra will look into the other rooms to the south, just a glacne around the corner, not by walking into the rooms. Just want to see if they are open spaces or doors.

Alysendra skips ahead and investigates south, as she splits off from the group roughly 100 feet ahead.

Numerous buckets are stacked on steel shelves in the southwest part of this room. An overturned wooden crate in the southeast corner is being used as an impromptu table to hold several torture implements such as drills, razors, tongs, wire, and other ominous-looking tools. A giant-sized torture rack, fitted with a great winch as the main roller, stands near the north wall. Though from the distance around the corner, it is difficult to get a good look into the room.

Likewise the room further south also seems open but seems to curve around a corner.

Farin sneaks up to get a better look at the torture room.

Stealth: 1d20 + 31 ⇒ (12) + 31 = 43
Perception, traps: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (3) + 28 = 31

This is a bit disconcerting.

Wren floats along invisibly, moving to the elbow and looking around.

1d20 + 19 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 19 + 2 = 38 Perception

Farin moves towards the torture chamber and surprisingly bashes his face against some unseen invisible barrier, bloodying his nose. Taking a tiny step back he holds his hands out and finds that the invisible barrier seems to go across the entire entrance. Peeking around the corner Farin sees a large mass of mist begin to coalesce.

Wren floats around, invisible himself. He looks at a corner of the room. The eastern wall of this room is fitted with an array of three footwide ceramic tubes that run from floor to ceiling. Several giantsized cold weather outfits hang from pegs in an open wardrobe on the western wall.

Perception: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32

"Farin? Did you just walk into the wall?" Alysendra's voice betrays her amusement, even in the midst of danger. "I still have healing left, but it might be best if we save it for non-self-inflicted injuries..." She walks down the hall to where the halfling went.

Alysendra finds the same wall. As she arrives the mist forms into a huge incorporeal giant. He looks to be afflicted by terrible sorrow and shame as his head hangs low. His posture is hunched, and he speaks with a raspy, slightly impaired voice, but his words often come out in a confused jumble. "Rest.....free.....Tyrant."

The surface of the giant rack, and the manacles attached to it, begin to become heavily stained in blood.

Wren floats back to the party, to eventually discover the same invisible wall.

"What the...?" Wren grouses, casting Detect Magic to examine the effect.

1d20 + 20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 20 + 2 = 38 Spellcraft

Is there a knowledge check for the giant itself?

Wren recognizes this invisible barrier as a Wall of Force. Knowledge Local on the type of giant. Religion for what it is.

Wren grunts to himself, finally seeing the obvious. He looks further.

1d20 + 23 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 23 + 2 = 26 Know (Local)
1d20 + 25 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 25 + 2 = 29 Know (Religion)

"If we want, we can use the mattock to tunnel under or around this wall, maybe," Wren suggests a possibility.

Wren watches as the light in the room dims and sounds become hushed, you can catch a fleeting glimpse a huge, disembodied shadow among those cast by the room’s lamps and hear the faint sound of harps, like the confused buzz of a distant ensemble tuning their instruments. At the same time, a Huge, vaguely humanoid form takes shape on the surface of the floor, faintly glowing with a cold, misty light. The glowing figure lingers above the floor for a short while, then slowly ascends toward the ceiling of the room.

As the glowing figure floats upward, a distinct, gloomy melody rises over the confused harp sounds. The melody is short and gloomy, and obsessively repeats itself, ending only when the figure disappears into the mist surrounding the giant. Moments later, you hear a message: “Tortured and caged behind invisible walls, I yearn for release. I cannot rest until the tyrant relinquishes his hold on Zephyr Hall. Free me!”

Wren recognizes this misty giant as the ghost of a Cloud Giant!

Alysendra marvels at the ghostly form, wondering whether it speaks the truth or intends to deceive us.

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35

"I think a ghost could just move through the walls or floor, unless it was also blocked by a force effect," she mentions. "Does anyone know what "Zephyr Hall" is?"

Wren waits to see if someone wants to use the mattock to tunnel under the wall, which will totally work, totally.

Zephyr Hall?: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 11 + 2 = 30 Know (History) +23 Know (local).

Wren isn't too sure of Zephyr Hall outside of what he has seen so far. This floating cloud giant castle is kept a closely kept secret even throughout the ranks of the giant clans. Even the Storm Tyrant himself had only heard of rumors of one.

Though from what Wren has seen so far the stone itself doesn't seem to be protected by any sort of force field. While the entire exterior is protected once inside the effects seem to diminish allowing teleportation once more.

Wren and Alysendra watch the ghostly cloud giant float slowly across the room, touching the ceiling and floor. It doesn't seem to be able to pass through as a permanent wall of force covers every inch of this room.

”Well ye don see this ev’ryday.” Kraygan comments. ”If’n he has a grudge against the Storm Taint, then let’s free ‘im.”

I think my enlarge person from Aggrimosh is done, and the mattock is too big for Kraygan. Jorgan might be able to manage it with the steel hand.

"You want to free the ghost of a giant?? You are crazier than I imagined!"

Then Farin shrugs, and grins. "But you have a point... we didn't lock him up in here!"

Of course, Farin has no way to disable a wall of force...

Me (not Wren) wants to know if the mattock solution would work. In theory, it could. Wren is happy to disintigrate the piddlespot out of the wall, but thinks the mattock is the more interesting option. He can't believe the wall of force would extend into the rock, but it might.

Wren waits to see if the mattock could be used to free the totally not evil cloud mist of evil.

I don't think it is in the wall, but rather a big cage of force within the room. Otherwise the ghost could just go through the wall. So I don't think it can help us here, unless we want to use it to just beat against the force wall.

Otherwise the ghost could just go through the wall. So I don't think it can help us here, unless we want to use it to just beat against the force wall.

"An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own."

Nope. Incorporeal has restrictions about going through walls. It's a rules issue. If different, then want to figure out how walls of force go through stone.

Ah, OK, maybe the stone is just thich enough to contain the ghost's space? But that's pretty thick... 20' thick walls/floor/cieling.

"I agree, we stand to gain an ally by releasing this unfortunate soul," Alysendra muses. "It may be dangerous, of course... ghosts can possess mortals, take over their minds, that sort of thing." She looks at the mattock Wren suggests. "Will this thing go through the wall? I doubt I could even lift it, but I'm happy to help... I can bulk up a bit first. " she smiles sweetly at the others.

The ghostly giant continues to float about the room. The gloomy melody continues to play as the deceased giant has yet to even notice or react to your presence as it continues to mutter to itself.

Wren waits.

Waiting for Jorkeg for Kraytor to do something with the mattock. Or can I say that that Jorgan (GMPC) uses the mattock to dig a 10x10x10 hole under the wall?

Alysendra will aid whoever uses the mattock if they require help to lift it. (I think you have to be Huge to use it?)

Leaves me out.

I assumed Kraygan could not use the mattock.

Jorgan grabs a potion of enlarge person out of Haggis' bag and drinks the contents. As long as Kraygan doesn't mind. He quickly doubles in size and grabs the Mattock of the Titans with Nargrym's Steel Hand. He quickly tunnels his way through the stone floors underneath the wall of force.

Much of the work is very awkward at best as Jorgan is still a bit too small to be using this hammer. You have to be Huge to wield it but you have time to attempt to tunnel with it.

Though much to his surprise he is met with another wall of force covering the floor of the room as well. This ghost seems to be in a complete prison as the wall of force covers every inch of floor, ceiling and walls of the room just past the stone.

Wren nods, fascinated, trying to spellcraft/arcane the magics that allow such a prison.

1d20 + 25 ⇒ (7) + 25 = 32 Spellcraft/Arcana - Separate instances of walls of force or permanent forcecage?

Wren backs up, indicating verbally that others should as well.

"I'm going to free it. Make yourselves ready in case it was being less honest with us," Wren says, getting just within range of a disintigrate ray.

When others are ready, he will disintigrate the wall to the prison.

Alysendra moves back out of the way, unsure what Wren is going to unleash. She readies a channel to harm undead, just in case.

Wren believes the walls of force each to be separate instances. Wren motions everyone back a bit and sends a ray of disintegration into the wall. The blackened ray sizzles and sends sparks across the invisible shield. Soon small cracks form in what appears to be reality but is in fact the facet of the prison. It shatters like glass, floating freely back into the aether.

As the wall shatters the ghost looks up with a wry smile. "The Storm Tyrant sends his minions?" The raspy voice asks as the shadow on the wall grows larger and larger.

As the commotion of the wall dies down Jorgan pops his head back up out of the floor. "Did it work?" He tosses the gargantuan weapon out of the hole and onto the floor. Looking back he realizes he is feet away from the cloud giant ghost and it is now freed.

"I'm going to free it. Make yourselves ready in case it was being less honest with us,"

Kraygan does as ordered and guzzles down a couple pints from his magical beerhorn.

When the giant emerges and accuses them of being minions of the Storm Tyrant, his beard jumps from his bellowing laugh.

”Miinion?! Har! We’re here ta beat the rant out of Ty-rant!”