Feigr laughs at Dolgrym's comment and compliments Padrym, "Well done Padrym!"
He looks around the area to see if there is anything else.
"So, time to pick up the giant's trail?"
Feigr is able to determine that the bone holy symbol has a dweomer upon it that aids when channeling negative energy. The wounds opened by the burst weep blood even after the energy has dissipated.
Her voice cold, Cynara considers the holy symbol. "We'll have to do something about that one, too. Padrym, that was well done; if she'd had the chance to channel against us here or at our first meeting that item could have made things harder for all of us." She cuts the right ears from the downed gnolls. "Ordinarily I'd say this would be a good place to camp for the night, but I find I don't much care for the company. Let's get the camels and our tracker friend and try to go a little farther before we stop."
Nabo leads you on for a short time along the ridge of the hills, though soon stops excitedly "Big stinky-smell up there" gesturing towards a hollow similar to the one you left behind in the valley before Tar-Urkatha. You cannot see into it without drawing closer, but you believe that a cave entrance may be held within.
The sun is just beginning to descend below the line of the horizon.
The tall elf tilts her head in the way all of you have come to associate with her listening intently, and then she sniffs at the air and squints down at the ground. "Not that anyone should find this surprising, but I see no sign of gnoll or hyena tracks. I don't hear any hyena cries, either, and I don't smell anything like gnolls about."
"It'll be dark soon. Should we look around for a defensible position to try and camp? "
"Much as I would like to explore that cave I think we are all low on resources. I agree with Dolgrym, let us find a defensible position and then move into the cave tomorrow to find out what is in there."
"I agree. Let's go back to that cutback and camp there. We can explore Big Stinky's old habitat in the morning."
Back at the bramble ambush.
Love seps out of he shadows returning the fragile flask to his pack as he does.
"Subtle work there Padrym. You have a real feel for this kind of job." Love's broad smile belies the apparent criticism in his words.
Later
"Hmmm we appear to have left the dog-boys territory. No more tracks. Whatever is around here they are giving it plenty of room." Love contemplates the fading light. "What say we pay them a visit 'round dawn? Be right neighborly no?"
I do have the ring of protection listed on my sheet, although I will now need to make plans to attach it in a fashion that won't necessitate mutilation if Love wants to get to it...;)
The night passes easily for those on watch, the area where you have camped reasonably clear of wildlife. You hear a few distant howls and yips carried on the breeze, but to your relief they stay distant. The morning brings light drizzle and a cold change, but you are ready to move on shortly.
Returning to the hollow you find it as you left it. The open area in the hollow is littered with bleached and drying bones of gnoll and hyena alike, though there are not any fresh bodies. A large cavemouth opens up at the throat of the hollow, and looks large enough for the giant that you faced to pass within.
"Forward we go, and let us be ready for whatever else may have taken up residence."
Padrym holds Magatha easily, the last few encounters having built up his confidence.
Khepri checks his armor and shield, then draws his sword and indicates he is ready
Moving towards the cavemouth, you are hit by a strong stench akin to the cave giant you slew before Tar-Urkatha... though at least the stench doesn't seem fresh. Nabo refuses to draw any closer than the entry of the hollow, staying well clear with the camels in tow.
The initial entry chamber is empty and it looks like there are two passages branching off deeper into the cave. Both are sized large enough for giant's passage. The entry chamber is limned with a layer of filth and giant sized tracks are easily seen on the floor.
Additionally, you'd guess that there are more than one size of giant tracks on the floor - meaning that more than one giant lived here...
Cynara hung back at first to make sure that Nabo knew to come after the party if anything threatened from outside.
[ooc]Perception[ooc]
Khepri looks around and is would choose the passage to the left unless someone else tells him differently.
With a silent motion Padrym nods to the left passage.
Moving easily into the cave, the group travels through a winding passage and into a chamber replete with a stench of a different kind. Multiple pens like the ones that the cave giant built to house the lizards are set up within the cave. Clearly this was a stable of sorts for a sizable number of cave dwelling lizards... though there are none still alive. Decaying corpses of several lizards lie in the pens and outside of them, though a simple count shows that the number of dead don't equal the number of pens.
The rest of the chamber has a mound of rotting animal parts that was likely their foodsource. Against one wall are a selection of oversized crude wrangling tools, which were likely used in the care of the lizards. There are also a number of smaller tunnels off the main chamber, though they do not lead anywhere.
Cynara examines the dead lizards with skillful hands. "Look here, at these stab marks--clearly from a blade, and one no more than three fingers wide. I think they were killed by someone our size. And they were in good shape before they died. I'd guess that the giant fled with a few of his lizards when he was chased off and the chasers took care of the rest of them." Standing up, she shakes the decayed gore and bits of lizard off of her hands. "Dolgrym, I have a favor to ask of you...."
"How can I be of assistance," the Mage inquires of the elf.
"A prestidigitation spell, if you wouldn't mind. I'd prefer to conserve our water, and my teachers would hunt me down like a--" She looks back to make sure Nabo is out of earshot."--dog if I were to work on any of you with my hands like this."
"Aha, I thought that was what you were talking about. Coem here, then." He takes the elf's hands and casts a quick cantrip. Cynara's hands begin glowing bright as a torch with radiant light.
Unfortunately, the elf's hands were just as grimey as they had been before. The dwarf begins cackling at the sight of the glowing hands. "Tough luck, lassie. I don't have Prestidigitation memorized today. I do have Light prepared though," he continues laughing a the prack he played.
Padrym shakes his head at the other dwarf's antics.
"Dolgrym you're incorrigible. Here Cynara, I have the spell you are looking for."
Padrym waves his hands and Dolgrym's light shows the dirt falling off Cynara's hands.
The mage, dabbing at his eyes to wipe the tears away, dismisses the Light spell, and the elves hands stop glowing.
Cynara kens that the wounds were made by slashing blades like swords, not hacking blades like axes. The age of the wounds and decay correlates roughly with the time the cave giant was forced from it's home.
Feigr shakes his head at Dolgrym's joke, then comments, "Seems things are consistent with our giant's story so far. Other path?"
[ooc]Feigr will cast Shield of Faith before heading down the other tunnel.
Cynara smiles a little weakly at Dolgrym's jest. "Now, if you'd made only the filth glow I could have washed it off better. My thanks, Padrym. You've probably seen...and smelled...what happens when healers don't wash." She is lost in reverie briefly, and the memory is apparently not a happy one, then returns to the present and follows Feigr.
Heading towards the second tunnel the lizard stench diminishes and giant stench resumes. After a longer intermediate tunnel it opens into a larger chamber that you'd guess was a sleeping and living area, with filthy pelts making two beds of sorts in one corner and a collection of well gnawed bones against one wall. There is a powerful smell of excrement on the air, and none of you particularly want to explore the one offshoot tunnel from the room as the worst of the smell comes from that direction.
"I gather our giant lived here with another for some time. I wonder what became of the other one?"
"Quite right Cynara, no reason to risk it."
-------------------------
"I've no idea, but I'm not seeing anything worth further exploration here."
"I've no idea, but I'm not seeing anything worth further exploration here."
Perception
"That is strange, look there. There are booted footprints as well as the giant prints. Also some blood stains mixed in with the dirt." Khepri point it out for the others.
"You think there might be a hidden tunnel somewhere around here?"
"Good eyes Khepri, I guess I should take another look around."
"Possibly. I doubt we could get our tracker to brave the stench in this place, so the burden of finding it would fall on the dwarves and their skill with stone."
"Hmmm... I wonder..."
To Khepri. "Show me those tracks you found. Maybe we can narrow the search."
The party searches the room and is not able to find any secret doors or hidden passages.
Love is sure that this is predominately a natural cavern system, though some of the walls and roof have been crudely worked to provide more room. Looking over the tracks you see that they are mainly centered around the entrance to the chamber and near to the dried blood.
"I suppose we should check the probable latrine; perhaps there's a giant body there." Cynara wraps a scarf over her face and heads down into the stench from the side tunnel.
The stench intensifies as Cynara moves into the passage, but apart from a festering hole filled with long stewed excrement there is nothing else worthy of notice.
"Strange. Anyone with sharp eyes want to see if those footprints are visible anyplace else. I wonder if we're missing a door someplace or if they have simply moved on."
After the caves are further searched, "Well, looks like this mystery isn't going to be solved just yet. I think we've played things out here. Shall we return to our hollow, closer to Tar-Urkatha?"