"Let's save the magic, for now, and just fall back. If it's a guardian, it won't chase us too far."
Menrozzar suits action to words and moves away from the wicker man.
Amira looks at the others, especially Daseem what they think.
Daseem stared and stared at the burning wicker man. The longer he looked the more itchy his sword hand got, he had visions of scything through the wickerwork with his blade. These visions got more elaborate by the moment only to be shattered by Menrozzar's words.
"F-fall back?" he muttered forlornly, "But.But.But..." as he trotted after the man crestfallen.
As the distance between them and the wicker man increased he noted brightly, "We can a-always come back!"
Bupkis moved back with Dasaeem, waiting for the others to follow.
Not running towards a burning monstrosity is to Amira's liking, so she follows. But it raises a question: "What are we doing instead? Trick it to follow us and then mjump magically back to the doors?"
"C-cunning!" grinned Daseem with a nod!
After running from the wickerman for a while and getting some distance between them and the gates, Amira tells her companions to grab each other and then casts the spell.
According to he estimation this should give them about a minute before the wickerman gets to them again, if it notices immediately where they went.
A wide set of carved stone steps ascends to massive stone double doors set into the mountain itself. Two platforms to either side of the doors hold statues depicting a fierce and proud frost giant woman. Runic writing decorates the carved stonework above the doors.
The doors open surprisingly easy when pulled at. Even though they are three foot thick stone, they seem to be built to open supported by gravity.
A stark chill pervades this chamber, which is lit by two torches burning with an eerie blue light that hang in the northeast and southwest corners. The east and south walls are covered with hundreds of humanoid skulls mortared into place. A wide corridor stretched into darkness to the northwest, while three sets of massive stone double doors exit to the north, west, and southeast. Enormous support columns stand along the walls, flanking each doorway.
Before opening the doors, Menrozzar points at the writing. "It is a name - 'Skirkatla Hjotunsdottir' - and her date of birth about 550 years ago. There is no date of death listed. I think those statues may be her likeness. I also think it possible that this complex may have been created as Skirkatla's tomb. Whether or not she is here, however, is more of a question."
Once inside, Menrozzar indicates to the others they should try to keep their voices down, and closes the door behind them. He then looks over the room, listening for any sounds of nearby giants or other possible defenders or traps.
Keeping as quiet as somebody in heavy armour could, Daseem nods to frowned at the skulls as he entered what could well be a tomb.
He looked around cautiously, alert for danger.
Bupkis sneaks ahead, looking for danger. He doesn't much like the look of this place.
Bupkis alerts the others, "Careful: glyph on the floor." He points to the centre of the room.
Menrozzar nods as Bupkis points out the glyph. "I wonder what it does..."
Daseem knew nothing of the hoodoo and he muttered to Menrozzar, "Eh? Nothing g-good!". Then spotting the outline of something hidden among the skills he pointed and said, "Hidden door, t-there!"
Checking on the now not so secret door becomes obsolete as two frost giants kick the doors open and face the intruders.
Amira thinks it is time for an inspiring song, and otherwise to hide behind Ivan.
Bupkis powers up and launches a powerful blast at one of the frost giants.
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Daseem took his time to draw his holy blade, soon it would be time to bring WAR to the giants!
Menrozzar draws out the giant-slaying spear and roars as he embraces the flame inside him. Something different happens this time, though - in addition to the draconic maw and claws and scaled body, leathery wings sprout from his back, expanding to their full size, making a very intimidating picture indeed. Planting his feet, Menrozzar prepares to stab the first giant to approach him.
Bupkis softens up the giant before he knows what happens. The giants attack. One of them runs directly into the spear Menrozzar holds. Then the giant swings his axe in a wide berth, hitting Menrozzar and Ivan.
The one from the other side attacks Daseem
Daseem gritted his teeth as he was attacked from the side. With a sudden cry of "GORRUMM!!!" he whirled round and lunged before striking again.
Gorum would be proud - Daseem cuts down the giant with one swing of his blade.
Menrozzar stabs repeatedly at the giant that struck him, roaring as he does so and trying to bring it low.
The second giant is also taken down in the blink of an eye.
From afar you hear the heavy steps of the wickerman approaching.
Bupkis hides, and gets ready to ambush the wickerman.
Amira thinks this is a good idea and hides with Bupkis in one of the secret rooms the giants came out of.
To not ruin it, she stops the singing.
Menrozzar's rage ends, and he breathes heavily, but seeing the others hide, he nods and moves to the other secret room, motioning Ivan to join Bupkis and Amira while Daseem comes with him. Once inside, he casts a spell on himself to bolster his abilities.
Daseem was battered and bleeding but still standing and as usual he didn't complain. He followed Menrozzar and looked around inside the secret room to see if there was anything of note.
Daseem nodded his thanks, grinning "They h-hurt..."
He then called upon Gorum for more aid, in order to make of good show of it in the fights to come. Some of his remaining wounds vanished, and a bone he'd found outside stated floating round him, ready to intercept any incoming attacks.
The wickerman comes back to the now open door and squeezes in. The colossal creature almost fills the whole room. The freezing cold that follows everywhere in this mountain area suddenly is gone and it starts feeling like in an oven.
Daseem gulped at the unexpected heat and the size of the thing but then he grinned and he whispered the command word to his magical armour! Suddenly he grew! And he growled "GORRUM!" with growing confidence!
Menrozzar also casts a spell, but instead of altering himself, he conures up a shield of force before him to help protect against the thing's blows.
Bupkis steps towards the wickerman and whips the construct. He's glad of his recently gained heat resistance.
Bupkis now has fire resistance equal to twice his current burn (14 fire resistance).
Amira stays hidden in the secret room but starts singing an encouraging song.
While the others prepare, Bupkis starts taking this oversized walking bonfire apart.
Menrozzar roars as he enters another bloodrage, and charges towards the wicker man to swipe with a claw.
Bupkis whips the walking bonfire again, trying to destroy it.
Menrozzar rips the wickerman apart with his bare claws. And Bupkis rips pieces out with a whip. Both is quite effective, and will take apart this immense thing in no time.
Goinjg toe to toe with the Wickerman, Menrozzar ends up as the natural target of its wrath.
It had been a while since Daseem had last used Uskroth's armour and he'd forgotten the heady feeling of suddenly being so tall! Shouting "GORUM WITNESS!" he invoked our Lord in Iron's name and brought his holy sword down upon it in a quick arc which he converted into a vicious lunge!
The others severely damaged the wickerman, but Daseem utterly destroys it with two swings of his greatsword. All that is left is a pile of burning brushwood. As Ivan steps out of the secret room the only task left is sweeping out, but no one brought a broom.
Menrozzar's rage ends and he sets about putting out the flaming spots on his clothes - just because he didn't feel the flames didn't mean he wanted to walk around on fire.
"I could use a little healing, then."
"What kind?" Amira inquires, wand in hand, looking at Bupkis and Menrozzar.
After the fight Daseem kind of shrank back into himself and was quiet, although once Menrozzar had been patched up, he asked, "Where to n-next?"
"I'll take what Bupkis offers first - a little tiredness is fine. Then we can do any additional patching up with the wand."
Bupkis heals Menrozar.
Menrozzar felt a lot better as his wounds healed. Nodding, he said, "Are we ready to move on?"