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Jorgan hops back up, relieved that the wolf is down for the count as he joins Torgan on the series of empty beds.
Hops shifts around the giantress but she catches the yak out of the corner of her eye and takes a swipe at it with her sharp axe blade.
As the Giant orc swings it's heavy axe it bleeds out just a little more and crashes to the ground with a thud right in front of Kraygan.
Grenseldek misses the agile yak as she refocuses her gaze back to Torgan.
The remaining giant orc takes a small step back and swings it's greataxe in a wide chop down at Kraygan.
The large orc's aim seems to be spot on, except that Kraygan is not anywhere near the area the orc seems to be hearing the noises from.
Grenseldek swings her axes in an unnatural and flurry at Torgan.
Torgan falls to the ground in a heap as Grenseldek's axe crashes into his with far more force than what he was expecting. The blade splits his chest wide open, staining the bed and surroundings in his blood.
She turns her attention to that yak that got away with her remaining attacks.
Haste
Vanderhoff (G)
Torgan (Y) (-10/58; Bleeding)
Wren
Kraygan (R)
Jorgan (B)(44/57)(Hops 23/39)
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Grenseldek (-10; Dazzled 1/3)
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Round 4, Init 9
Wren grimaces as Torgan meets the party end of the hill giant's love. While he wonders if Torgan still lives, his concern lies more with killing the giant crybaby first (Grenseldek, not Torgan).
He moves into the room...
Will save vs. DC 17
...and feels a crushing pain and sadness that feels pretty much like every other day in the remaining days of his life since the incident that lead to his leaving the lands of the Elves. He draws a goblin fire bomb as he moves, tossing it at the giantess.
touch to hit; (haste,PBS,-cover,-range)
fire damage. (despair) & DC13 reflex vs. catch on fire.
HP: 37/37
AC: 18+1 = 19 (+4 w/mage armor,haste)
Effects: mage armor,haste
Right: bow
Left:
Acid 3/6 used
[ dice]1d20+8[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d8+1[/dice] damage.
Van shakes his head as he watches Torgan fall. "Balls!"
Moving ten feet south, Van channels healing energy.
Torgan falls to the ground in bleeding slump of dwarf meat. His head lolls against the soft pillows as his blood stains the sheet a bright crimson.
Vanderhoff releases a potent blast of healing magicks to envelop the dwarf, bringing him just back to the brink of consciousness.
Seeing the giantess loom over him, the dwarf thinks of the only possible answer. He winks at her and beckons her to the bed. "Got another round in ye?" he asks seductively.
"Torgan!!" Kraygan roars when his cousin falls.
"Haggis, stay!" Kraygan commands his yak, keeping him out of the way. "Yer goin down!" He challenges Grenseldek as he tosses aside his lance, draws Gorum's Thorn, and moves to attack.
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Vanderhoff releases a refreshing wave of healing as everyone begins to feel refreshed. Jorgan's eyes flutter open as his bleeding stops.
Torgan and Wren begin to feel overwhelming sadness, almost as if they wanted to join the Giantress in crying as Torgan pats the bed bedside him, readying his hammer. Though her eyes seem to be locked onto Hops at the moment. She seems to only be able to focus on one thing at a time.
Wren moves into the alcove, now that the room has opened up a bit more. Wren feels a sense of despair as he hurls the goblin skull at Grenseldek. The bomb strikes her in the back, exploding into a violent torrent of flames, setting her clothing on fire. Wren hopes it does not burn all of the clothing off of her grotesque figure.
Grabbing Gorum's Thorn, Kraygan stabs it right into Grenseldek's fatty thigh.
Haste
Curse of Melancholy- Wren and Torgan -2 to att; weapon damage; saves; skill checks; ability checks.
Vanderhoff (G)
Torgan (Y) (2/58; prone; cursed)- readied attack
Wren (Cursed)
Kraygan (R)
Jorgan (B)(56/57)(Hops 35/39)
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Grenseldek (-52 Dazzled 1/3)
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"Oy! Ye hurt my yak! That wasn't so smart; now I'm really angry!" Jorgan lashes out with the scimitar in quick fashion with Hops attacking the giant from behind for additional distraction.
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You not smart. me smartest. Me marry Volstus and destroy little town. Grenseldek screams as fresh tears flow down her marred face.
Hops manages to ram the giant's knee, bending it at an odd angle as Jorgan's flaming scimitar slices into her arm. The flames sear the wound just as soon as it is made.
Grenseldek continues to hack at Hops.
Grenseldek's axe splits Hops' chest right open, exposing the soft squishy organ's underneath causing the yak to join the rest of the giant bodies about the floor. Without missing a beat she turns her attention to Kraygan.
You challenge me?! She laughs in the dwarf's face. Small amount of wet drops splash on Kraygan's face. He is not sure if it is Giant spittle, tears, blood or sweat.
Grenseldek's second axe aims right for Kraygan's neck. It strikes but his strength now seems to match the giants and the axe doesn't nearly bite as deep as it should have as it bounces off of his collar bone and just barely breaks the skin.
Haste
Curse of Melancholy- Wren and Torgan -2 to att; weapon damage; saves; skill checks; ability checks.
Vanderhoff (G)
Torgan (Y) (2/58; prone; cursed)
Wren (Cursed)
Kraygan (R)(75/80)
Jorgan (B)(56/57)(Hops -13/39; prone; bleeding)
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Grenseldek (-86)
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"Hops..?"
Kraygan's mouth goes slack, his eyes wide at the sight of Jorgan's yak butchered by the giant.
With a personality that often comes out like a breath of Torgan's Snakebite #6, Kraygan didn't have too many close friends. Sure he was a hero back in Trunau, but those who praised his heroics were wise to keep him at a 10 foot pole's length.
The yaks were different. They weren't smart enough to be offended by him, and as the unofficial stablemaster of the brewery he spent more time with them then anyone else. He had fed and groomed all of them at one point or another, and they always listened to his drunken babbling. They were as much family to him, and in some ways he was closer to them then he was to his own kin.
Tears welling up in his eyes, he raises Gorum's Thorn and offers a silent prayer for victory and vengeance.
Jorgan watches in horror as his yak is torn clean open by the giant. He does not shed any tears, not yet at least, for the anger is still too fresh on the top of Jorgan's mind. Spittle and froth fly from his mouth as he shouts wordlessly and attacks the giant with reckless abandon.
As his companions begin to fall, Van roars in anger. "You giant b%$&*!"
Circling to the north, Van swings his lucerne hammer at the she-giant.
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With a look of panic on her face Grenseldek is able to fend off Jorgan and Vanderhoff's harried blows. She swings her axeblade around her side to knock Kraygan's greatsword out of her path, but is too late as the blade enters in at an angle from her hip up into her lungs. Changing his stance Kraygan heaves Gorum's Thorn outward, tearing her insides outward through her ribcage.
One the two orcs the group finds
- Potion of CSW (2)
- Potion of Haste (2)
- Thunderstone (2)
- +1 Studded Leather Armor (2)
- Mwk Greataxe (2)
- 95 gp (19 gp ea)
On Grenseldek the group finds
- Potion of CSW (1)
- +1 Scale mail
- +2 Handaxe
- Mwk Handaxe
- Mwk Composite Longbow (+9 Str)
- 20 Arrows
Laying on the floor near the table that Grenseldek broke in half lies a geode. Picking it up it looks to match the other half that Wren took from the body of Skreed below Bloodmarch hill.
Curse of Melancholy- Wren and Torgan -2 to att; weapon damage; saves; skill checks; ability checks.
Vanderhoff (G)
Torgan (Y) (2/58; cursed)
Wren (Cursed)
Kraygan (R)(75/80)
Jorgan (B)(56/57)
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Wren, still feeling off, comes to put an arrow in Gren's skull, just in case. Only after Wren is sure that all the giant and giant friends are dead does he open up the doors to the balcony to peek outside, hoping they have yet to be discovered.
Stealth
If their assault has been undiscovered, Wren will return in to examine the area, the magics and the room. He takes his time examining the magics, of course, explaining things and handing off goods to others.
Know (Local) - geode
Wren doesn't know what it is, but packs it away after offering it around to others.
"We should get outta here, right?" Wren says, completely oblivious to anything bad happening during the fight.
Van looks around grimly. Movnig to Jorgan his puts a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "I'm sorry Jorg. I wish there was something I could do, but my faith in Angraad is not that strong, yet." Pausing as he looks for the right set of words, he settles for, "He was a remarkable yak, a fine companion, and he did gloriously, in battle. A true warrior."
He grabs up the two healing potions and shoves them at Jorgan. "Here, drink these....." He trails off as somethign catches his eye. "Look here, these bricks look lke they been recently mortared into place. See how the mortar is a lighter color and the brick's edges are more sharp, less worn?"
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Jorgan lets the scimitar fall from his hand to join his axe on the floor. He rushes over to his fallen yak and drops to his knees beside the bovine corpse. He shakes his head and snorts loudly as the tears and snot begin to flow down his dirty beard. "But. . . what're we gonna do about Hops? We can't just leave him here. . . I wish I could just kill all the giants in the world, they're just the most awefullest creatures ever, aren't they?" He continues shaking his head in disbelief while smoothing out the fur on Hop's head.
After a few more minutes Jorgan stands up and tries to wipe his face clean. "I don't much feel like goin' on, but I 'spose we hafta, right? Ain't no way to sneak outta here now after what we've done, we gotta finish the job. Let's find some more orc and giant necks to slice open 'fore I start thinking about Hops too much."
Jorgan looks around for a moment and then spontaneously throws one of the mattresses to the floor and starts dragging a bed frame over near Hops. Once the frame is roughly over Hops' body, Jorgan uses his new-found affinity for woodworking to reshape the bedframe into a yakoffin. "Ok, he'll be safe in there until we come back to take him with us."
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Wren keeps his head bowed as Jorgan mourns. He offers no snappy snark, nor quip...none is needed. True loss and pain were not to be mocked.
* * *Some appropriate time later...
"Do not forget, there might be a dwarf held here someplace. Were it me, I would kick Grenseldek's head over the edge as we set the manticores loose. Let chaos reign as we make our way to free any prisoners," Wren offers a plan, but has no idea what might be best.
After Grenseldek's bloody defeat Kraygan moves to Hops' side and breaks down in wretched sobbing. Haggis clomps up beside him, nudging the unmoving member of his herd.
"Bwwwaaaahhhhaahaaaahh!"
***
Later, as Wren suggests a new plan, Kraygan stomps about, furiously tugging on his beard. "These orcs n giants'll likely choose another big idjit to lead 'em and come fer Trunau again. We leave now an Hops may have died fer nothin! And yer right Wren, there's still a dwarf here that needs savin. Let's loose the manticores and make for him. Once he's free we blow the dam, then go after the rest of the giants n' orcs, and kill 'em all or die tryin."
As if to illustrate his point Kraygan grabs his warhammer and takes out some aggression on the recently mortared bricks that Vanderhoff pointed out.
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Torgan frowns as the giantess falls to the ground, dead. "I thought we could resolve this..." he mutters.
As he looks over and sees Jorgan cradling Hops' head, the dwarf frowns and quickly hops to his feet, despite his injuries. "Jor..." he whispers with a hint of sadness for his brother as Malt comes to lick at the face of Hops, sensing the loss of yak life.
Torgan helps his brother to build the yakoffin, intent on finding an appropriate resting place for Hops. "We shall throw their leader from this tower to scare the rest." Torgan reassures his brother.
As he sees Van point out the fake mortar and Kraygan takes a swing, Torgan goes to investigate once the proper attention is paid to Hops. He swings Agrimmosh and sees what is laid beyond the faux threshold.
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Sneaking off to the balcony Wren peers out to see if they were discovered once again. The large giant still sleeps and the ogres still seem to be playing with their screaming orc toy.
Taking his warhammer Kraygan begins to very loudly bash in the brick and mortar wall. Each clang reverberates throughout the chamber and open door to the balcony like a dull bell.
The first few strikes seem to be masked by screams of the dying ogre's toy below. With each strike a blast of chilled air sweeps throughout the entire chamber as Kraygan now also sees the unusual human skull staring back at him from beneath the cobwebs.
Jorgan and Torgan take a few moments and begin to shape the bedframes into a nice coffin for Hops. Jorgan pulls out his necklace as he looks at the picture of hops within and begins to shed a tear once again.
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Van looks up from his musings and toes the skull with his boot. "Found a skull over here. Too small to be giant or orc. Too big for halfling or gnome, and too much cranial capacity for an elf. Must be human." He says over his shoulder, as he stares down at the thing.
As Kraygan begins to alert the entire Fort to their presence, Van puts a hand on his arm, stopping him, and holding a finger to his lips to signal for quiet.
He then detects for magic and peers closely at the wall.
"What?" Kraygan grumbles when Vanderhoff stops his demolition of the wall. With an impatient grunt he shoulders his weapon and steps away to loot the dead until the warpriest has worked his magic.
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"Found a skull over here. Too small to be giant or orc. Too big for halfling or gnome, and too much cranial capacity for an elf. Must be human."
Wren walks over to look at the skull, giving Jorgan tine to complete his yakoffin.
"I wouddn't touch that...it might be a skull for other uses," Wren warns Vanderhoff. "It's definitely not a dwarf skull...notice how the skull isn't that thick."
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I take it all the weapons and armor are large sized for giants?
Any check, GM Ty? With Detect Magic if that helps.
Vanderhoff inspects the wall for magic. Curiously the wall itself does not radiate any magic but rather the skull radiates a massive amount of Enchantment Magic in waves. From what Vanderhoff can tell from the situation is the Giant's must have come across this skull by accident as they were renovating the room, and were unaware of it.
Curse of Melancholy- Wren and Torgan -2 to att; weapon damage; saves; skill checks; ability checks.
Vanderhoff (G)
Torgan (Y) (2/58; cursed)
Wren (Cursed)
Kraygan (R)(75/80)
Jorgan (B)(56/57)
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Doing a bit of research Wren believes that this human skull seems to be the source of the curse bestowed upon himself and Torgan.
Wren remembers a tale from years ago of this Fort. It was said that before the orcs took over Redlake that some form of madness took over the fort leading to mass cannibalism which made the Fort weak enough for the Orc's to lay siege to it's occupants.
Wrens magic and research show him that the skull's curse seems to have a radius of 50 feet. Anyone that comes within range of the skull is afflicted with a powerful curse of Melancholy, constantly overwhelmed by powerful emotions and bouts of depression.
The aura that radiates from around the skull is a mind affecting enchantment form of compulsion.
Van motions to Torgan. "Come on cousin, let's heal some of your wounds before we encounter something else." He says as he digs out a wand.
Turning to Kraygan, he says. "Maybe we should wait to figure out this wall until after secured the fort a little more. Did you feel the cold coming from it when you were smacking it?"
To the group in general, he asks. "Which way now? I'm thinking we've cleared this upper level. Unless those brick hide a passage to somewhere...."
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Wren stares into the eyes of the skull.
"Ah. This f#~#ing thing. It's what's causing my ass and knees to hurt more than usual, sapping my strength. This piddlespotter here..."
"We can try smashing it. Or tying to the head of Grenseldek when we toss that over...let it be a gift to the giants below."
Wren looks at Jorgan, the besaddened.
"You want to smash this good? Might take some of your edge off," Wren sets the skull down to be dealt with.
Wren doesn't have a plan outside of dealing with the skull first, the weird wall second, and saving the dwarf prisoner third.
"Out it in yer bag, Wren? Maybe it'll keep it from affecting us." Torgan reasons as he points to Handy Haversack.
As this happens, Torgan begins to drag Grenseldek's body to the balcony. "'ere, help me throw it over." he calls out to his fellow dwarves.
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Wren shrugs, noting Torgan's good idea. He places the skull in a local pocketed demi-dimension that he carries with all the time because magic. Wren puts the skull into his haversack, hoping for a reduction in his unhappy feelings.
"The point I'm trying to make is that this might be a nice weapon against the foes we still must face."
When others decide what to do with the wall, Wren is ready to discuss next steps.
"The manticores await us below too, do not forget."
"Nah," Jorgan answers Wren. "I'd rather kick it out the window with the body and let the orcs cry themselves to death. . . if I don't beat them to it." Jorgan helps his brother move the giant to the window for some masterful defenestration.
"Ye sure that's what it does?" Kraygan asks Wren with a dubious frown at the skull. "I mean I didn't feel nothin, at least not until Hops..." He gets a little choked up for a second before continuing. "What I'm saying is that's normal fer most folk. I mean, yer kind of a downer most times, so... Anyways... If it really curses everyone around it then dwarves must be immune."
Kraygan is rescued from alienating Wren further by his cousin's plan to throw out the garbage. "Hold up! I'm all fer givin the chief a flyin lesson, but let's keep that skull. Or maybe have Wren fly it around the Fort and make everyone sorry they ever came here."
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Wren hands the skull to Kraygan, wanting more of it.
"If you want, I'll craft you some leather straps for it," Wren says, thinking of taking out his leatherman's tools. "You can wear it about your neck into every battle from now on. If that skull affects your enemies as it does me, then you will soon be known as the Mournful Dwarf of Trunau."
With the body about to go over the edge, Wren asks the next question.
"Now, what about the manticores downstairs?"
"Woah!" Kraygan holds his hands up when Wren offer him the skull. "Ye say it's layin curses about, I believe ye. Yer carryin it, and he yer still alive, so how 'bout ye handle it for now."
After Grenseldek goes over the battlements, Kraygan says, "Let's go free the manacores 'fore the giants and orcs can organize."
Kraygan carefully moves the skull to Haggis' saddlebags, then, leaving the yak upstairs for the moment, heads down to release the manticores.
"We got a cursed artifact 'bout to come down here. Unless ye want to be cursed by it, ye might want ta give us a wide birth when yer free."
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"Do you dwarves care about rescuing your brethren? I just want to make sure you have a plan for doing that if you want to," Wren asks the dwarfhorde as he walks out to get into position.
Wren hides in the loo hallway, doors mostly shut, waiting for the body to be dropped and the manticores to be released.
When in position, Wren casts Heroism on himself to counteract the curse for a short while.
Van motions to Kraygan. Nodding toward the loo, he says. "While the elf takes a shit, let's drag these orcs down to the pantiwhores. Maybe they'll satiate their hunger on less active prey, eh?" He then grabs one of the orc guards and begins dragging her to the stairwell.
"Upsy-daisy!" yells Torgan as he tosses his ex-lover's body from the balcony. With a sickening thud, the body slams into the ground below.
He turns and smiles at Wren. "We always have a plan!" He gives the elf a thumbs up before turning to his brother next to him. "Is there a plan?'
Kraygan shakes his head at Vanderhoff. "Take away their hunger and they're gonna be less in'trested in the ogres n' orcs outside."
Van shrugs and lets the body fall to the ground. "Fair point."
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As Wren moves back to the giant latrine, Torgan picks up the hefty giant woman. Her extra skin and fat seems to sag in his hands, making it difficult to get a good hold on her greasy body. Finally getting her over to the balcony Torgan pushes her corpse off. Hurtling to the ground the body smashes with a sickening thud below.
The ogres below turn around with a look of surprise on their face. A loud bell to the north begins to frantically ring throughout the air as the entire compound is placed on full alert!
The sleeping giant on the walkway, near the pyramid of boulders wakes up with a look of stupor on it's face. It wipes a large dirty hand across it's face and eyes, wiping the excessive sleep and drool from it's face. The four ogres below quickly dispatch the remaining pieces of the dismembered orc. Each of the ogres hurls a piece of the orc to the bloodstained ground as it's screams are now replaced by the sounds of the keeps alarm. The Ogres begin to look all about as the awakened giant above scratches at it's belly in confusion.
Meanwhile Vanderhoff grabs a one of the deceased orc giants and drags it down below to the manticores. The two creatures' mouths begin to salivate at the look of fresh meat. You going to let us go now?
"We're settin ye free." Kraygan moves to the chain with Vanderhoff. "And if ye didn't figure it out, we just kilt the giant chieftain, and could easily do the same to ye if ye think we look tasty."
Taking out one of his enlarge person potions, he drinks it and grows, then pulls on the chain to open the cage.