The offers for surrender and friendship are sarcasm at its worst as between Ivan, Menrozzar and Bupkis the massive hill giant goes down.
Besides the meat hanging around the tent, there are five minced meat cakes, standing at the side. They look really tasty, but the doubt about the meat used ruins it for non giants.
Ivan would only glance around, he isn't really going to go digging through dirt and meat for anything at the moment.
Bupkis feels vaguely sick looking around the tent, "Maybe someone checks for magic?" He has to go back outside to get some fresh air.
Out of the other tent steps the crocodile feet giant. "<What is going on there? Rotter?>"
As she sees Bupkis walk out of the tent she changes to common. "What are you doing here?" She looks tense and prepared. "<Rotter?>
Daseem blinks and does a double take as the giant was felled with swift brutal blows. Shaking his head he found himself needing to leave the tent too, and he followed Bupkis out.
He stared at the spectacularly ugly giant with the weird feet and quipped, "S-sight seeing!"
There's an awkward moment when Bukpkis replies to the giant with the crocodile feet, "Uh, she can't talk right now. Me Bupkis, what your name?"
He tries to get the attention of those still inside the tent.
Bupkis might have been able to bluff the giant and the only weapon he always carries around are his bolts. But when Daseem steps out in full armor with the greatsword in hand it is the end of the act. The giant shoots two scorching rays at Daseem.
Bupkis shakes his head and comments, "So hard to have nice talk with giants." He can't leave Daseem to fight alone, so he powers up and blasts the crocodile feet giant.
Menrozzar runs out of the tent and stabs the crocodile giant.
As Ivan and Menrozzar join the fight outside the giant moves a bit and sends a line of lightning through all but Daseem.
Bupkis dodges the worst of the lightning bolt, and decides he needs to get out of line with everyone else! He moves to the side and shoots another bolt at the giant.
The sudden magical attacks took Daseem by surprise and one of the first ray's eared into his flesh. With a startled snarl of "GORRRUM!" he flung himself towards her and swing his oversized blade in a huge arc!
This time Bupkis manages to hit the giant and also Daseem cuts into the green creature. But not without taking an attack with a greatsword himself.
The lightning hits the dwarf and crackles through the entire tin can around him before finding the ground.
Having his beard frizzed and singed drives Ivan into a fury, he shouts to Amira.
Gimme a song lassie! This one 'ere has besmirched me beard!
and he charges like a freight train into the giant.
Menrozzar avoids the worst of the lightning, then charges forward to stab with his spear.
Ivan and Menrozzar aren't as lucky with their attacks. The giant withdraws from the melee into the air out of reach.
Given that the giant's previous spells, Bupkis knows she remains a deadly threat. He powers up and tries to shoot her out of the air.
Ivan chuckles. Before focusing and suddenly beginning to hover.
Bet ye didn't expect this! Did ye!
Daseem grunted as the ugly giant's sword left a line of fire as it bit into his flesh. Then he watched her float away with a scowl, clearly she intended to rain spells down upon them.
He thrust his sword into the earth before pulling his crossbow and whispering a blessing which caused it to start glowing softly. He took careful aim and there was a snapping noise as the string slammed into the bolt which then darted towards the flying giantess!
Menrozzar dropped the spear and pulled out his longbow before firing an arrow at the flying giant.
As that annoying goblin keeps shooting really painful bolts and everyone else has a ranged weapons and knows how to use them the giant disappears from sight.
Bupkis knows that spellcasters can turn invisible; Amira did it a few minutes ago. So he readies an attack and waits for the crocodile-feet giant to show herself again.
Ivan merely barrels into the last spot he saw the giant, before looking around wildly and raising his shield.
Nothing happens.
Menrozzar says, "I think that giant is long gone - probably getting reinforcements from either the valley or inside. Let's get a move on. One of the Cathedral's side doors?" He puts the bow away and grabs the spear.
Hurt, Daseem looked about wildly and when the Giant didn't reappear he muttered darkly, "H-hoodoo..."
"Bupkis guards while Amira heals Daseem," the goblin suggests. "Then look in other tent?" He watches the sky for a return of the giant.
Amira comes out of the butcher's tent. "The giant there has a magical navel piercing. That's groos." she shudders at the thought of reaching into the roll of flab to get it.
She helps patching up Daseem with the wand.
A huge, horseshoe-shaped table laid with curious metal tools, pincers, prongs, and other strange items sits in the center of this tent. Glass bottles and jars filled with milky fluid, each containing a bloated and waterlogged eyeball, balance upon haphazardly arranged wooden shelves. A sizable collection of birds, including crows, hawks, and owls, hang lifelessly from the tent’s roof, strung upside down by their feet.
Bupkis searches the crocodile-feet giant's tent. looking for nice shiny things. He relies on his friends to figure out what is magical.
Amira points out what is magical of the pickled eyeballs.
"There are several magical potions. An elixir of fire breath, an elixir of hiding, an elixir of love, an elixir of vision, an oil of flame arrow, a potion of barkskin, a potion of bear’s endurance, a potion of pass without trace, and a potion of protection from energy (cold) and this pill is avolatile vaporizer (2nd level)"
Ivan wrinkles his nose at the news of the belly piercing.
Do ye know what it does lass? The belly ring that is.... Not sure ifin' its worth it.
As Amira goes over the "potions" Ivan shakes his head.
I think I'll be passin'. Ifn' any O' ye wanna use 'em, go ahead.
Bupkis returns to the corpse of the butcher, and trying to control his unease, uses his telekinetic powers to attempt to retrieve the magical navel piercing.
The makeshift ring has a beautiful pearl attached to it.
"I have no clue what it does though."
Daseem borrowed the wand and it took repeated applications before the color returned to his cheeks. When the others started examining the picked eyeballs he grimaced and muttered "Disgusting unclean h-hoodoo..."
Ivan glances over the ring, and gestures to Bupkis.
You uh, you keep a hold O' that fer now. We'll figure out what to do with it once... well once we know what it does. Now.. One second.
Ivan glanced around, still under his flight spell, he flies up and pokes the top of his head over the gates, to see if their croc footed giant is rallying a tide of flesh to smother them in.
Outside the gates everything is still 'peaceful'. Not that the word would describe properly what giants are up to for leisure.
Bupkis sneaks around the curved wall on the south side of the church. He hopes that this way will be more hidden from unfriendly eyes.
Around the 'corner' is the first of the three towers rising high into the sky. It's arched windows are walled up with concrete - a defilement of the great architecture. A large set of double doors might allow entrance. Moving further around the backside will be hard as the cathedral is built into the mountainside.
Well, what are we waitin' for? A bloody invitation? Lets see what's goin' on 'round 'ere 'afore that green bastard decides to come back and throw more lightning at us a'fore he dies. Ivan makes a move to head towards the double doors.
Squalid sleeping pallets and thick, ratty furs are spread across the mud-caked floor of this circular room. Great arched window frames run about the perimeter of the walls, though they have been boarded shut and sealed with concrete. The scent of rancid milk and vomit hangs in the air. Two hill giants sleep in the room.
Menrozzar looks at the sleeping hill giants, glances at the others, then mimes stabbing them in their sleep.
Dassem raised an eyebrow, there was a brutal logic to Menrozzasr's suggestion but it was far from honourable combat...