The rock-flinging giant howls in pain as Daina and Woki pummel it with fire and lightning. Nnn'tkklik'l easily pulls it into the collective this time as Raun focuses psionic energy into her body, growing as large as one of the true giants.
Darting to the east again, Gorkhan carves another bloody wound in the giant to the east, where the templars and soldiers seem to be holding their own.
Few remain alive on the north side of the camp, however. Its feet bloody from stomping soldiers, one of the giants appears out of the haze in that direction to fling a boulder at Raun, but the missile goes wide, diverted by the Champion's psionic dispacement field.
Bellowing, its thick mane of hair ablaze, the giant targeted by Daina and Woki's spells charges south, intent on impaling Raun with its spear. Raun moves too slowly, and the massive, tree-sized pike jabs into her side, piercing Nnn'tkklik'l's psionic protection but only grazing her flesh.
Daina directs the flaming sphere to follow that giant, then whips a fireball between the two giants behind it.
Grit uses his first round to land within charging distance of the Giant Raun is attacking and to shift into an elemental large cat. His claws and teeth seem to be coated with acid. He mentally commands his tigon to guard Daina. His second round is a pounce at the giant.
Strong Jaw, greater magic fang, resinous skin, barkskin, resist energy (fire), frostbite, and long strider
Init +3; Senses low light vision, Scent; Perception +13
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +6 natural, +1 Deflect, -1 Size )
hp 69 (6d8+18)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9; +2 vs. Poison and Disease
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 Claws +15 (2d4+9) + Grab, +15 Bite (2d6+9) + Grab
Pounce, Rake for 2 Claws +15 (2d4+9)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 28, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +15; CMD 31
Elemental Wild Shape
You can infuse your wild shape with the power of the natural elements.
Prerequisite: Wild shape class feature, Knowledge (nature) 5 ranks.
Benefit: When you use wild shape to take the form of an animal, you can expend an additional daily use of your wild shape class feature to add the elemental template to your animal form. This form grants you the following abilities:
*Darkvision 60’
*Damage reduction 5/-. This increases to DR 10/- at 11th level.
*A 50 percent chance to ignore critical hits, bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. The chance to ignore increases to 75 percent at 11th level.
*Immunity to fire, cold, electricity or acid (choose one when you change form).
*Once per use of wild shape, as a swift action, you can shroud your limbs in the energy type to which you are immune. For one round per level your natural attacks deal +1d6 points of damage of the chosen energy type.
Raun bares her long sharp teeth at the giant as it grazes her. Knocking it's spear away with her elbow as she brings her hammer up in a weak, but accurate blow, following it up with another wilder strike and a feral gnashing of her teeth.
Nnn'tkklik'l siphons life from the enemy giant
Woki directs the orbs of crackling energy to follow the giant while the halfling calls on the winds of the spirits. Swirling winds surround Woki as the halfling starts to hover.
The rolling ball of flame follows the burning half-giant that charged Raun, rolling up its already burning back. More flames join it as Daina whips another glowing bead toward the other giants on the north side of the battlefield, where the explosion momentarily clears the haze from the air.
Landing among the ashes, Grit shifts into the form of an tigone infused with elemental energy and charges the northermost giant. The massive raider smashes him with his club as he charges in, but Grit takes revenge, biting and clawing at the scorched giant with magically-enhanced teeth and claws. Bleeding from dozens of wounds, the giant crashes to the ground, unconscious and dying.
Tearing herself free from the spear that had impaled her, Raun batters at her attacker with her earthbreaker, each blow crunching bone and pulverizing flesh. It seems for a moment to be ready to counterattack, before Nnn'tkklik'l drains its energy into the collective and it, too, collapses bleeding to the sand.
Other giants from the east advance, one flinging a stone at Raun as the other charges Grit. Woki, flying, redirects his ball lightning into its path as it does, but the giant nimbly avoids the crackling orb. Roaring unintelligibly, it brings its club down on the shapechanged druid with a thunderous blow. The club sticks for a moment to the druid's resinous skin but the giant rips it free with ease.
Seeing an opening, Gorkhan darts in again to help the soldiers fighting to the east. His blade strikes true again, raising a cry of approval from the soldiers as more of the giant's blood spurts onto the ground.
Daina continues her burning onslaught, sighing in relief as her wounds close. <<Thank you Nnn.>> The flaming sphere directs to the center giant, while another fireball hits the two northern-most giants.
Nnn'tkklik'l attempts to pull another enemy giant into the collective, choosing the giant that appears the least injured.
Woki directs the fury of the spirits about the field while calling forth for the rejuvenating energies of the same spirits for Nnn to use in the collective.
Raun releases another gurgling roar as she focuses her rage into her hands, 2 fiery balls appearing in her left hand which she hurls at the two southern giants before lumbering to engage the pair, the unlucky soldiers caught between the clashing giants.
Grits's tigone prowls defensively around Daina, daring an assailant to approach.
Badly Wounded (at 25 health after healing) Grit calls our for help into the collective even as he counter-attacks the giant who hurt him. <<I am wounded badly. Crushed. >> he sends before full attacking.
Strong Jaw, greater magic fang, resinous skin, barkskin, resist energy (fire), frostbite, and long strider
Init +3; Senses low light vision, Scent; Perception +13
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +6 natural, +1 Deflect, -1 Size )
hp 69 (6d8+18)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9; +2 vs. Poison and Disease
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 Claws +15 (2d4+9) + Grab, +15 Bite (2d6+9) + Grab
Pounce, Rake for 2 Claws +15 (2d4+9)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 28, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +15; CMD 31
Elemental Wild Shape
You can infuse your wild shape with the power of the natural elements.
Prerequisite: Wild shape class feature, Knowledge (nature) 5 ranks.
Benefit: When you use wild shape to take the form of an animal, you can expend an additional daily use of your wild shape class feature to add the elemental template to your animal form. This form grants you the following abilities:
*Darkvision 60’
*Damage reduction 5/-. This increases to DR 10/- at 11th level.
*A 50 percent chance to ignore critical hits, bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. The chance to ignore increases to 75 percent at 11th level.
*Immunity to fire, cold, electricity or acid (choose one when you change form).
*Once per use of wild shape, as a swift action, you can shroud your limbs in the energy type to which you are immune. For one round per level your natural attacks deal +1d6 points of damage of the chosen energy type.
Gorkhan darts out once again to strike at the giant surrounded by the soldiers.
The fiery onslaught continues as Daina redirects her flaming sphere and unleashes another fireball among the giants on the north end of the camp. The giant menacing Grit is badly burned, but the rock-thrower in the center nimbly evades the flaming sphere and escapes the worst of the fireball.
The center giant's will proves strong, as well, as if fights off Nnn'tkklik'l's attempt to draw it into the collective. Its luck runs out as Woki sends two balls of lightning rolling toward it - after leaping over the first, it lands right on top of the second, the jolt causing its knotted hair to sizzle and smoke.
The halfling, meanwhile, called on the spirits for healing that Nnn'tkklik'l directed into Grit's badly injured body.
Although somewhat strengthened, the shapechanged druid's attacks carried the strength of desperation. With tooth and claw and elemental magic, Grit brings down the northern giant before it can strike a fatal blow.
A fifth giant falls to the south as Gorkhan's repeated strikes and the spears of the templar soldiers finally take their toll. The soldiers cheer as the massive body crashes to the ground.
Roaring in anger, Raun generates a pair of burning bolts of psionic energy that strike the remaining giant squarely in the chest.
Oblivious to the death of its fellow raiders, it looses a bone-shaking warcry and barrels forward, club swinging for the enlarged half-giant's head. The blow seems on target, but Raun's form flickers at the last minute, shifting just outside the fatal arc of the strike.
The remaining soldiers begin peppering it with arrows, but it brushes aside the barbs like a man swatting at flies.
No time to do a new map. Only one giant still alive and it would be two squares northeast of Raun.
Grit's cat body is battered and smashed. Rather than close with the deadly giant, Grit concentrates a moment and a flash of lightning crackles down from the ski to strike the enemy. Grit then, limping some, moves back to any cover that might be had.
Woki grins in savage glee as the huge, hulking giants go down one by one as the small flying halfling directs the lightning orbs again to swoop in to shock the giant. Meanwhile, Woki asks the spirits again to relieve the pains of the others in the collective.
As the last giant closes with her Raun again hefts her club and unleashes a flurry of attacks. He hammer strikes a solid blow, but her jagged maw fails to contact as her head begins to shrink back to her normal, homely visage.
Nnn'tkklik'l tries to pull the remaining enemy into the collective, although at this point it seems the battle has been won.
Gorkhan darts around the last giant to flank with Raun and lashes out at it before springing back to relative safety.
The surviving giant jerks as lightning courses through its limbs, but it shakes off the magic assault, raising its club for another strike. Raun beats it to the punch, pulverizing one knee with a horizontal blow and wrecking the other on the backswing.
The scream that boils up from the giant's gut is cut short as Gorkhan appears on its shoulder. His sword appears, shining briefly, before disappearing again into the creature's neck. When it appears again it is dripping red.
The few surviving soldiers appear stunned as the dust settles. There are a few half-hearted cheers, but eyes soon turn to the bodies littering the dusty road. The templar on the northern rampart begins barking orders, and remaining soldiers snap to attention. They begin picking through the wreckage, looking for surivors and granting those too far gone the benefit of a quick death.
A second templar approaches. He slides his blood-covered gladius into its sheath without cleaning it, then removes his helm. Blond hair is plastered to his brow by sweat, but his eyes are clear - and appraising.
"Well met ... travelers. I would say that those of us still standing owe our lives in no small part to your assistance," he says, his eyes roaming over your group. "If I may ask, what brings you to this place?"
"ssSTOPrrk" the 'kreen hisses out, as the first blade is raised to finish off the first of the wounded. "World deadly enough. No need kill ones I can save. You have not powers to heal flesh?"
He then moves to the wounded, assessing and attempting to stabilize those who yet live.
Grit, still in cat form, paces behind the group. He does not wish to alarm the templars or other men. He uses a standard action to call on Nnn for healing. <<Nnn, I am wounded. If things get rough again I will not stand long. >>
Daina moves to front and center. Just as Raun was in the front lines dealing with a deadly situation, now it's her turn. "We are glad to have helped." She motions to Nnn. "This is our healer, he may seem an odd fellow but he is very trustworthy and compassionate." She gives a disarming smile. "Passing through, mostly. We were scouting ahead and heard a battle going on, and once we saw the giants we decided to act." Daina keeps the information, including names, to a minimum right now. You never know who you can trust.
The severity of Grit's cat-form wounds decreases by a third, as cracks appear in the 'kreen's shell and yellow ichor seeps forth.
Raun lets out a grunt as the battle fury begins to fade, lending aid to help roll over one of the giants that had fallen on some of the soldiers before joining the others. She shrinks as she does so until she's merely half again as tall as anyone else, looming quietly behind Daina as she starts trying to pick bits of giant out of her teeth.
The templar appears about to shout a warning as Nnn'tkklik'l starts to move among the wounded, but he stops as Daina begins talking.
"A healer you say? Oh, well, alright. For a moment I thought he, it, meant to, well ...," the templar says, then shrugs. "I'm sorry to think ill so quickly. We truly owe you our lives. Not many would have done what you did - or succeeeded in the effort."
The templar watches as the thri-kreen tries to save a few more of Andropinus's soldiers, glancing sidelong at Daina all the while. He looks meaningfully at the charred bodies of the giants to the north.
"That was ... impressive. Is that something you came by naturally, or something you picked up in your travels," he says, trying - poorly - to appear disinterested.
Daina gives a puzzled look momentarily, then nods with a smile. "Ah, of course. Just trinkets and tricks that I picked up. I have no power of my own, but I can invoke the power in items from others." She shows a scroll to the man, shrugging. "Expensive, but a girl has to survive, and I've never been any good with a blade."
Though he hadn't thought of appearances before, the kreen picked up on the guard's comments regarding his behavior.
Interrupting the guard's conversation with Daina, Nnn'tkklik'l replies, "Human meat not as good anyway. Not strong like mellikot or braxat."
Grit simply prowls, alert for more dangers. His tigone pads behind Daina, ready to defend her from any wayward templars.
If Grit can manage to prowl behind any cover, even partial cover he will heal himself further.
Woki sizes up one of the dead giant carcasses, trying to figure the most expedient way to extract it's heart. The halfling clambers on top of one of the corpses and pulls out a small bone dagger before starting to cut into the giant's flesh.
Raun runs her gaze over Woki's attempts at butchering one of the giants, but holds off on going to his aid. "We had lots of practice beating desert creatures." Raun observes, propping herself up slightly with her hammer.
Woki carves away at the flesh of the giant's chest for a few moments but quickly realizes the futility of the task - might as well try to dig a grave for a mekillot with a spoon. If he wanted a piece of the giant's heart - the whole thing would be big enough for him to curl up inside - he'd have to think of another plan.
The templar, meanwhile, continues speaking with Daina, although he seems unwilling to look her in the eye.
"A handy skill, here in the waste. But those trinkets and tricks will get you executed in Balic. By Andropinis's decree, even those who unknowingly possess such things can be put to death," the templar says.
"The Dictator's laws apply everywhere within Balic's walls ... and on the Road of Legions, as well," he says, pausing for a moment. "But it could be argued that ownership of this particular stretch of road was somewhat in contention at the time you happened along ... I expect it will take us a few more hours to fully reassert Balican ownership."
The templar finally turns and looks directly at Daina.
"I would suggest you get rid of some of your more ... interesting ... trinkets before visiting the city. But if you do make it that way, stop by the Laorican estate and give them this," he says, removing a heavy silver ring from one finger. [b]"Tell them Tarthinus sends his regards to Lyricus. They will see you are rewarded for the service you have done me here."
With a final nod, the templar strides off to direct the survivors, pointedly ignoring you.
"Thank you." Daina mumbles as he walks off, deciding to keep her silence beyond that. She keeps looking down. <<Shall we depart than?>>