Bupkis tries to stay still and not make any noise.
Menrozzar isn't very good at hiding.
Two of the giants turn their heads at the clanking of armor as Menrozzar shifts his weight. But they can't make out where it came from. Must have been an echo of their own noise.
Five of them walk through the forge and out the door, following the footsteps that brought the party here. One splits with the others to return to his watchtower.
Stealth wasn't Daseem's thing either but somehow he managed to hold siller than Menrozar despite having an itch he needed to scratch. Surely an itch was no big deal? It was when wearing armour which clanked and scraped with every movement.
When the giants split up, Daseem found himself looking in the direction of the watchtower where one of them had gone. Quietly he suggested, "We g-go watchtower and kill?"
"Maybe we think about where to stay for the night first?" Amira suggests. "We may be here for weeks if we want to end this whole training camp. A giant more or less a day shouldn't make a big difference. But a place with a roof and walls, so we could make a fire without being seen would make a big difference for me right now."
"But I have no idea, where we could make camp."
"Hmm...perhaps there's an abandoned homestead out there we can use. We should look."
The easiest way to find a place to camp would be to leave the village and retreat into the woods, or even further, down the mountain again. Or one could try to hide in the village somewhere, hoping that the giants won't stumble on the party. It is hard to tell where that could be, as the party is new to the village.
Bupkis suggests. "Maybe we find good spot in the woods, not too close to village? Avoid spot close to paths."
Waiting for a good moment, while the giant on his way to the tower is not watching and the other giants are busy following the tracks to the path down the mountains, the group leaves their hideout.
Half an hour into the wood a camp is set up.
Daseem grudgingly agreed to camp in the woods, which might offer them some prospect shelter and cover. He was careful to vet the area to ensure they were not disturbing any ants nests or other natural dangers.
One they'd found a decent spot Daseem suggested "We n-need to set watches. I can't see in the d-dark so maybe I should take first watch while there's still some l-light?"
"I take second watch," Bukis offers. "See in the dark well."
There are no fruits at that time of the year, maybe never for this area. But Daseem finds some bunnier he could shoot. He also finds a place with overhanging rock that protects from the wind and provides cover from nosy giants that would look for the group.
Amira searches a tree that can easily be climbed and has branches that allows to build a nest with a blanket in the branches. The weather is horrible and would call for a fire and a roof, but with the magical boots it is bearable.
Amira finds that it was an error to not stock up on trail rations.
Bupkis offers Amira some of his generous supply of rations, "Have enough to share!" He didn't mention that his hunger was considerable. He needed to eat much more than a goblin normally did, to power his telekinetic abilities.
He asks his companions, "Anyone know how good giants can see in the dark? Are thy all the same, or can some see way better than others?"
"Most giants can't see in the dark. But even those who do can't see far. They'd have to stumble over us to see us. But as humans do, they could bring dogs or whatever to do the searching for them." Amira replies.
During the second watch Bupkis notices strange noises and gusts of wind moving the tree tops. Then something big crashes through the trees and into the ground. The impact topples Bupkis over.
There is nothing to be seen, but the large clawed footprints in the snow.
A deep booming voice talks out of the nothing where the footsteps are. "Hello little Goblin. Tell me - why are you and your friends killing giants." The voice is uncomfortably close. But it also sounds very charming and inviting.
Menrozzar rolls awake and looks about. "Who's there, Bupkis? I heard a voice." He had removed his armor to sleep, so he was in a rather difficult position.
Daseem was having a nice dream, he was in Gorum's afterlife where the worthy fought a continuous pitched battle for all time. It was glorious, how his heart swelled with pride! And then it was ruined, as a loud booming voice intruded on his sleep. He stirred slightly and squeezed his eyes shut, maybe they'd go away? No that didn't seem likely, something was amiss! It was full dark in the woods - and he was unarmored, this probably wouldn't end well...
Bupkis looks around, trying to figure out where the voice is coming from.
"Who's there?", he asks. His first instinct is to hide, but whoever it is has already seen him.
"A potential ally. But first you tell me why you're here." the deep booming voice replies.
Bupkis got the feeling he could grab whoever talks right in front of him, but it might not be the best idea.
Bupkis replies, "Giants make war on small folk. So we fight to protect our homes and families."
"The giants wage war on my kin too. We could help each other. I'm Naximarra. And you?" the voice drops the invisibility and you look into the eyes of a huge red dragon.
Daseem wasn't entirely sure about this, could this Naximarra be trusted? Besides fighting dragons was glorious, albeit something you typically wanted armour for...
The goblin replied, "Me Bupkis."
He explains to the dragon, " Giant called Vostus raises big army of giants. Calls himself the Storm Tyrant. Recruits selected at area around Minderhal Cathedral. We find papers saying they are sent here to Skirgaard.
"We aim to destroy training camp!"
"I am Menrozzar Vyrlock. What do the giants wage war on you and your kin for, Naximarra?"
"The storm tyrant has an Orb of Red Dragonkind. With that he can dominate any red dragon. Therefore he has to die."
"Giants make slaves of many small folk, and treat them cruelly," Bupkis says to the proud dragon. "Me see why you not want dragons to be slaves."
"Yesss. What do you know about the giant's plans? What is your plan?"
"And about this village here. I have seen most of it. I can tell you."
There was no way he could pretend to sleep anymore after listening to the conversation. Plan? Daseem didn't really know anything about plans but he know one thing. He picked himself up from the cold floor and burst into the conversation, saying with a little too much glee, "The g-giants declared WAR on u-us. So we bring WAR to t-them!"
"You and what army?" The dragon inquires. "Why not use a different tactic. Sabotage them. Go were they store their food and spoil it. Find their stables and make their mounts flee. Burn a roof. Things where five little people like you are enough. Even though this is no tactic Gorum would approve."
This was something they could do, and Daseem wasn't so sure Gorum would disapprove replying, "Guerrilla warfare is still w-warfare... We'd need to know where to s-strike though."
"There are several interesting targets in the village. There is the slave pen. They have dozens of human slaves that are forced to gather the food for the camp. There is the storage of this food. There is a brewery. There is a stockade with mammoths, if you have a way to make them run amok. There is a wide range of possibilities, if you don't have the means to take on the whole camp of giants at once."
Bupkis suggests, "Getting Mammoths to stampede sounds like good idea. Maybe with fire, but who can light big blaze?
"Food storage and brewery also good targets!"
"I can breathe fire - perhaps I can set off a blaze big enough to make them stampede."
"Can someone cast fear? That would make them run for sure." Amira suggests.
"Whatever you start with - I suggest you go by night, to not be seen. But be aware that they have ice trolls with winter wolves as nightly patrols."
Daseem shrugged at Amira, "Maybe Gorum can m-make me scary?"
He nodded at the suggestion to travel by night, he didn't really like all this skulduggery but when greatly outnumbered there was little option, you had to be realistic.
"Maybe we start with something easier and set their food storage aflame? And while they are busy trying to quench the fire we release the slaves?" Amira suggests. "And next time someone is gifted by their deity with new knowledge of magic, maybe there is something helpful to scare mammoths?"
Daseem nodded, Amira's plan seemed sound. "All right" Turning to Naximarra he said, "I assume you can tell us where they keep their f-f-food?"
"I guess you have seen the mammoth stockade? It's the building next to it that looks almost like a tower."
Ivan had been, more or less, struck silent at the sight of the dragon, its proximity worried him, and it catching them in the night, and him waking alive and not on fire the only reasons he is willing to even listen to it.
aye, getting the slaves out would be tha' best option, it removes them as a avenue of blame an' revenge from tha' giants when things start ta' go south.
It is settled then that it will be a nightly attack on the slave pen to get the humans out and to interrupt their supply with food. But first there is the nightly rest that needs finishing. The dragon becomes invisible again and leaves, not by flight, but by magic.
The rest of the night passes without interruptions. Due to the season the night is very long and there are still two or three hours of darkness left in the early morning.
Daseem didn't really go in for tactics beyond swinging his sword really hard but even hew knew there were sometimes when you had to play it smart, like now being heavily outnumbered. He cautiously ventured a suggestion, not really being sure if it was any good, "Eh we c-could approach from tha cliffs? Or mebbe Amira can shield us from v-view? Walk down tha s-street then?"
Bupkis considers the options, "Most Giants can't see too good in dark. Keep distance from buildings, so they have trouble hearing us. Maybe take out watchtower near slave pens first? But what happens to slaves after?"
"Hopefully they have a home to go to. Maybe we should lead them away from the village for a day to make sure the giants won't catch up with them and bring them back."
"As for getting to the watch tower, I could magic us to it from the edge of the wood. I should be able to see it even with only the moonlight. With all that snow."
Daseem nodded, "You h-hoodod us to the tower and then we deal with the g-giants!" He smacked one fist into the palm of another to emphasise what he intended.
1: Divine Favor x2, Bless, Strand of the Tangled Knot x2
2: Cure Moderate Wounds x2, Defending Bone x2, Weapon of Awe
3: Blood Rage, Magic Vestment, Shield of Darkness
4: Divine Power
"You go in to take care of the giant, and I stay out and cast a silence when I see a giant trying to blow the horn and follow then."
A walk through the woods back to the village is due.
The group gets back to the edge of the woods with a view over some of the village without interruption. The outline of the buildings can be seen against the snow, but no details.
Amira casts Haste on the whole party and then dimdoors all to the bottom of the tower.