This solitary watchtower, enormous by human standards, consists of a wooden, hexagonal platform supported by six poles, each the size of a large tree. A large hut sits on top of the platform. Underneath, a sloping ramp and staircase climb up into the center of the tower. Covered in silence and invisibility the group approaches.
As they approach Daseem very carefully listens and watches to see if any giants were at home.
The silence works both ways, so there is nothing to hear at all.
As for seeing there is a giant head showing now and then looking out through the observation slit over the snowy field.
Ivan holds up two fingers, then motions to a torch on his belt, then points to the tower. He pauses a moment, then points to his hammer. A simple question really.
Amira points to the hammer. As there are half a dozen other watch posts in sight, she deems it a horrible idea to set one aflame.
Slowly Daseem drew his sword and grinned, they would do this the old fashioned way... He slowly ambled upwards.
Ivan tries signing, as he cant speak, but that doesn't work well as he is invisible.
The floating stick leads up the wooden stairs. A trapdoor is opened that leads into a 'small' room 20x20 feet large which has a chamberpot and a door. The stick moves to the door and knocks inaudibly at it, as Amira is too small to reach the handle and too light to push the door open.
With Menrozzar's and Daseem's help the door is opened. No giant is in sight. The stick moves forward around two corners.
The giant turns, as it gets eerily silent around him.
Bupkis doesn't want to wait to see if the giant is friendly. He decides to shoot first and ask questions later. But his shot is wildy off, and just misses hitting Dassem as Bupkis tries to shoot past him.
Silently Daseem screamed his war cry, and silently he surged forwards, swinging his sword!
Daseem grunted silently with effort as he brung the sword down in an overhead smash. His holy sword glinted as it cut into what Daseem hoped was something vital!
Bupkis becomes visible and startles the giant with his missed shot. Daseem makes his surprise attack count and cut deep into the giant.
Menrozzar rages, shifting into his draconic form as he runs forward and bites at the giant.
Menrozzar appears next to the giant too. Ivan finds no spot to charge and simply walks into position. The giant takes a horn from his belt and blows it. But nothing comes of it.
Menrozzar stands next to the giant, knowing it would find it difficult to escape. He tears at it with maw and claw as he tries to bring it down.
The frost giant that can take Menrozzar's rage still has to be born. The dragon disciple rips the large humanoid apart.
The giant wears a chain shirt, wielded a greataxe and has a backpack with a sandwich and a bottle of a clear, strong alcoholic beverage.
Daseem regarded the slaughtered giant with a professional eye, his eyes met Menrozzar's and he remarked, "V-vicious! Gorum would be proud."
Daseem then walked over to the door and listened carefully.
For improved communication Amira drops the silence spell and shortly thereafter the invisibility runs out too.
No one seems to have noticed the assault. And as the railing around the platform is six ft high, most can walk around the platform without beeing seen from outside.
The watchtower also allows a nice view over the village. There are two areas that are littered with large tents with campfires in between. And lots of watchtowers. There is a large stockade and further up the mountain are some houses, also giant sized. There also is a surface mine close by.
Most of the giants seen outside are with the tents. But there are also patrols walking around, some giants practicing fighting in the mine. The village is a busy place. At the fringe where the now occupied watchtower stands, no one comes around yet.
Bupkis looks around the inside of the watchtower. What do they keep up here?
Bupkis find that they basically keep a giant up there to keep watch. A bench to sit and that's it.
"Are we calling it a day? Or shall we continue with the giant hunt? And if hunting, what's the strategy? Hiding in this snowy place is hard, even at night."
"I suspect that eventually someone will come to replace this giant - I don't think we can stay here too long. We could ambush the replacement, but eventually someone will get suspicious when this one doesn't go back to the tents. What do the rest of you think?"
Bupkis saysto everyone, "Need to find good place to camp, where giants won't see us. And close to good lookout point, where we watch the village, and find out routine. Me can fly, but have to be careful to not get noticed."
Daseem shrugged, "Eh if ye can find such a p-place, sure. Still... I kinda like it h-here. But mebbe we go and hunt some more giants first?"
"All but one of us can magically hop to the next watchtower."
"Or I can hide us behind an illusion of white snow and we walk wherever you want in the village. But once I get hit, that image will probably fail."
"Only if you get hit - which I think we've generally done a good job of making sure you don't. The illusion might be the best way to keep us all together. I don't like the idea of not sticking together as we go to the next watchtower."
Daseem wasn't too keen on being majiked but on the other hand it had it's advantages. "Next watchtower has more g-giants?" he asked eagerly. It was this moment when he realised he was still bleeding and he asked Bupkis, "Ken ye h-help with this?"
Bupksi is happy to oblige Daseem with healing.
"Bupkis can fly. How about he spies around a bit what else is here. Maybe he finds a place where no one will come for change of guard after a few hours."
"Also, do we want them to find the dead giant, or are we hiding the body?"
"We can try hiding it, but I'm not sure where we could - we might be seen if we drag it out of the watchtower."
Amira points towards where they came from. "Throw it over the wall and bury it in snow. And a little cleanup here to remove the blood?"
From the watchtower you can observe what the giants do. There are areas that are bustling with giants. Those are the camps and the old mine which is used as a training place to fight. But as the evening comes and the shadows get ever longer, most of the giants stop with what they are doing and walk to a building west of the camps.
As the sound of steel on steel from the training fades another sound becomes obvious. The rhythmic sound of steel on steel from a forge somewhere to the north. Strangely there are no telltale billows of smoke.
With Daseem keen on slaying the next giants, the group moves on. Amira creates an illusion of a snow bank to cover them, the color changing with the underground they walk on. On the way around the mine to it's entry, it becomes clear from what building the hammering sound comes
Amira suggests to go there as it is tedious to kill giants in watchtowers that will be replaced in a matter of hours. The doors of the 'forge' are open. Inside there is a strange structure glowing orange without smoke that seems to be the 'fire'.
A stone throw away Amira casts haste on the party.
Hurrying to the 20 feet wide entrance it becomes clear what is going in onside. A frost giant and a fire giant are forging oversized weapons. The snow bank camouflage doesn't work well right in someone's face, and as the first one steps out it is clear that this is an attack.
Amira keeps up her concentration and increases the height of the snow bank to block line of sight into the forge from that side. And she starts singing an encouraging song.
Bupkis rushes up and lashes out with a whip of icy cold at the fire giant.
Daseem nodded his thanks to Bupkis and marvelled at Amiria's hoodoo as he walked in the middle of what appeared to be a snowbank!
Upon seeing the fire giant, Daseem beseeched Our Lord in Iron's aid, growling "GORRRRRUM!"
He then waited for Ivan to close before advancing towards the giant!
Ivan moves up to the fire giant and puts his trusted hammer to work.
These giants are actually very sturdy and Bupkis' and Ivan's assoult on them bruises the fire giant some.
The fire giant swings his tremendous fists at the dwarf.
Menrozzar moved into the Forge and cast a spell, his hands starting to glow with fire, as he shouts to the Frost Giant, "Come and play, giant."
The frost giant takes the glowing hot weapon she is working on and throws it at the despicable human. Then she retreats to the outside on the frozen lake.
Laughing madly, Daseem hacked at the giant in front of him, heedless of the gore and the damage his vicious blade was doing to himself!
Bupkis keeps on whipping the nasty fire giant with his lash of elemental cold.
Daseem cuts deep into the fire giant, and Bupkis takes it down with his whip. This leaves Ivan with no enemy, so he walks towards the door.
Menrozzar runs to the door, then cautiously steps out onto the frozen lake.
The frost giant walks further away and swings her greataxe at the lake.
Bupkis moves to the open door after Menrozar. He guesses that the frost giant is not going to be bothered by cold, so he launches a crossbow bolt at it.
"Why giant attacking the ice?", he wonders aloud.
Amira moves into the forge to better see what's going on. She is not happy with the fight moving outside. There is no way I can cover that with an illusion.
"Ta s-s-SMASH IT!" stuttered Daseem as he followed Menrozzar and Bupkis outside, "That's not good!"
He took out his little crossbow and tried shooting at the giant.
Bupkis shoots the giant and Daseem too. And while all stand in the forge looking out on the frozen lake, an orange glow shines from under the ice. That glow moves to the surface, through the ice, melting it away like it's nothing. Clouds of steam rise and cover everything in dense fog.
A huge critter with spikes all over its back, dozens of insect like legs below it and the whole body glowing in a bright hot orange.
The giant can't be seen anymore behind that beast.
Ivan looks up at the creature, eyes widening.
Aye, now that's quite a beastie. He manages to say before raising his shield.
Now, ye see beastie, I've got some things ta' sort out with that giant behind ye.. And ye just made ye'self the path O' least resistance to 'em. Before charging forward to aid Menrozzar.
Hardness Steel 10 + 4x2 = 18
One handed metal hafted weapon HP20 + 4x10 = 60
See damaging objects
It's all naught for Aggrimosh as it's an artifact that can't be destroyed but as an example