Ulfgard spits on the ground and shrugs. "Well I guess those aim't running away. Let us move onward towards the giants and return later!"
The party leaves the large structure. You discover that this valley ends in a mostly frozen waterfall flowing off the ridge. Ulfgard will see no tracks or activity beyond the large structure.
You return to the main tributary in this section of your exploring. You will reach a wide snow covered valley. Another stream flowing from the north joins the tributary. Ulfgard will see no tracks coming from that direction. The bulk of the track head south away from the frozen creek. Yet, there are tracks that continue on to the east along this frozen main tributary in this section of Minderhal's Valley.
Ulfgard take a chisel and hammer and opens one of the lighter black ones.
Before the party leaves the structure, Ulfgard pulls out a chisel and hammers away at one of the smaller black geodes. After several attempts and strikes, he manages to crack open one of the round black spheres. Inside are crystals, deep red in color. The crystals cast off a glow, they are fire crystals. The crystals are worth about 1000gp from within this one geode.
Studying the tracks Leira looks deeps back in the eastern valley, then to the south. Her breath condensates into steam giving her the resemblance of a white dragon. She kneels for a moment and touches the steps going south "The main group is going south. That should be the way to the damned Cathedral of the giants" she stands up and point towards the south "I say we follow up south before all the tribes have gathered together"
Ulfgard smiles and packs the other two geodes in the sack.
"Well this solved it, at least!"
Ironically, Kaos will not detect magic but will sense, as before, an evocation aura on the crystals.
The party travels unhindered another seven to eight miles when they come to another fork in the maze that is Minderhal's Valley. The sun begins to set behind the western peaks.
Ulfgard will note that most tracks head through a narrow gap to the southwest. The wider valley to the southeast is less traveled, but there are tracks that direction as well.
Leira observes the main road as it goes southwest through the narrow gap "Oh, well... we... we should rush to save... to save those people..." her tone lacks authority as she feels Kaos wants to take the southeast road instead of the southwest.
"Going blindly is way to foolhardy. Either they will have another day or two, or they are dead already!"
Ulfgard looks unhappy but shrugs!
Agreed, we can only push as fast as we can go. Catching them when we are not ready, will also make for a bad decision.
I would love to rescue as many as we can, but us dying in the attempt is a bad Idea.
My vote is for a camp for the night.
It burns me ta leave those folk in tha lurch, but but Haskyll and the others make good points. The giants have ta rest too, so we'll catch em.
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Leira and Ulfgard look for a place to camp away from giant tracks. Ulfgard will note a mountain goat path on northeast side of the valley. After a manageable climb the party finds a rock overhang that will help shelter from the light snow now falling into the valley. There is enough overhang to make this area more like a shallow cave.
This location turns out to be a good vantage to see the whole of the immediate valley.
By the time of the second watch the snow had stop falling, and the skies had cleared. The snow glistens with a pale glow under a half-moon starry night.
Ulfgard will see an over-sized gray wolf sniffing the mountain goat trail and air. It has found your sent.
Ulfgard whistles to wake the others and grabs his weapons.
Droja begins to weave a spell.
Ulfgard does not know this kind of wolf. He has never seen the likes.
Round One
Haskyll snorts awake from snoring like a chainsaw after hearing the warning whistle.
He then rolls to his feet and grabs heartspit and then calls a light upon the subject.
Droja calls forth her fiery Elemental friend to appear in front of the wolf-like creature, but not attack it. She is hoping to scare it off.
Droja then takes a step behind Ulfgard, spear in hand.
Leira also wakes up and stands up out of her sleeping bag trying to perceive the danger.
Her bow is next to her, and she also picks up her quiver and readies an arrow. Her priorities are to wake up any unaware party member, or approach the overhang otherwise. "What is it Ulfgard?"
"Some REALLY big wolf! Might get ugly, but at the moment its just sniffing!"
After the Fire Elemental appears, the large wolf changes into another larger, stranger canine, with paws more like hands. It howls at the fiery creature.
The rest of the party will get up or help getting the party awake.
Round Two
Ulfgard gleefully charges th wolfthing.
Could be a crit.
"Wuff,Wuff, little doggi!"
Leira moves forward half-dressed on her panties and gasps with surprise as she sees the wolf-like create past the overhang "What?"
Without hesitation she calls for power casting a double scorching ray on the menacing creature!
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Lads, it is a Greater Barghest,
Torag, help your Lads out in this time of need, and provide us the protection from the fires of the Forge
He then quickly taps everyone including himself.
(Should be able to catch Ulfgard before he charges)
He then quickly pulls a potion out of a pouch on his belt.
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Round One
Droja brings Vibrack back to help out. The Fire Elemental stands between the party and the wolf-like creature.
Ulfgard continues to communicate what he sees, as the rest of the party stirs awake.
The wolf-like creature transforms into a much larger yet canine-appearing creature.
Round Two
Haskyll sees the transformed creature and calls out correctly that it is a Greater Barghest. He then touches everyone in the party, including Ulfgard, with resistance to fire from above.
Leira, half dressed in her panties, sees the threat, and fires a pair of Scorching Rays at the Greater Barghest. The effect of the rays were blistering and devastating.
Ulfgard then charges past Vibrack and pounds the canine-like beast with Agrimmosh. The great hammer cracks through bone and flesh severing vital organs from their necessary network of connections. The Greater Barghest dies.
Vibrack looks at the creature.
Haskyll 20 (AC18/17 57/57)
Leira 17 (AC19 56/56)
Ulfgard 17 (AC20 103/103)
Anga 16 (AC17 53/53)
Greater Barghest 14 (Dead)
Kaos 10 (AC21 92/92)
Droja 4 (AC16, 55FL67/55FL57)
Ragnir 3 (AC22 69/69)
Victory
The party will be able to knap a little be rising at dawn.
Day Ninety-One
Leira looks down at her hands amazed by the blistering fires she just produced. Her blood boils still for the rage she felt Is it possible? Is this because my orcish blood?
From the advantageous point the party has camped, Leira looks to the southeast in an attempt to discern any relevant landmark the group might wish to explore.
If nothing is found, the girl then proposes to follow the main path.
"Let´s move out then! But let us clear the other paths first maybe. You know better to keep the worst for last, so that we are not surprised later with reinforcements!"
Droja says, "Let's get to that Cathedral."
GMPC Ragnir follows Haskyll.
We should clear the other paths first. We don't want to be fighting foes ahead and behind. Besides, we may find out more information as to who is waiting for us at yonder Cathedral.
Leira shrugs "Well, let's go then find out if there is any ambush waiting for us in the other trails"
The young girl opens the way trying to scout away from the group but close enough for her message spell, and sight if possible.
For seven miles (11km), the party climbs through a valley less traveled, but with tracks the size of giants. By mid-afternoon the party goes through a wider portion of the valley. Deer and antelope tracks are seen in the frozen snow through areas of grass with clusters of trees. The boulder-strewn slopes of the mountains on either side of the valley give way to a series of jagged ravines that split the valley floor. A tremendous stone bridge arches over the widest of these gorges, connecting to a worn path on the far side.
Leira, going undetected, notices that there are giants, Stone Giants, on the opposite of the massive arching bridge.
Ah can cast a vanish on someone, who could cross invisibly. Give a wee surprise ta the big lunks. Or just open up with fireballs. Ah can hit them from here. Anga tells the party quietly
She casts shield on herself in readiness
We could hit them from here, but can they not throw rocks back at us?
Haskyll dusts himself off, ties off the mule so it doesn't run, and then grips heartspit.
I think we can lure them over, if one of us looks helpless.
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I can't do much from range. But I can make myself look helpless. How about our range people stay back Anga you cast vanish on Ulfgard then I will change into a poor blind peasant and we will start to make our way across the bridge. One thing though I don't speak Giant.
Kaos will cast Shield after he disguises himself and starts to head across the bridge once everyone is ready.
It'll only last half a minute. So don't waste time.
When everyone is ready to go, Anga casts vanish on Uthgar.
"Great! Let me enlarge Ulfgard!" the young girl casts enlarge person on Ulfgard while Anga makes him invisible.
"I will stay back with my bow" the girl smiles at the Kaos peasant.
Well, if you look helpless, then they should come over. If they don't act hostile, then we can talk. If they are hostile, we will deal with that.
Haskyll hunkers down behind some rocks doing his best to look like a block of stone.