Using some divine energy, Colvyn heals some of his wounds. "Astrid, we could use some channeling here. Guiness we need you back here." Knowing that this could be his last actions, Colvyn focuses his attacks on the wounded giants.
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The purple giant tosses a boulder at Colvyn, who quickly tumbles out of the way as the stone smashes through a neighboring chair.
The white giant, furious at Colvyn's slipperiness, steps up and takes two swings at him with her ladle. He ducks and dodges as the ladle passes over his head and cracks against the table. Meanwhile, Enga snarls, but manages to school her rage enough to take stock of the situation. She sees the fight is lost and suddenly leaps backward. Before Ziva can react, the murderous kobold is already most of the way down the tunnel.
|||| INIT ||||
Guiness
Kellek (44 dmg, prone)
Ziva
Astrid (12 dmg)
Colvyn (22 dmg)
Purple Giant (83 dmg)
White Giant
Enga (77 dmg)
Ziva's lip curls disdainfully as the kobold flees down the tunnel. "Run along, Enga. You'll see us again before the end." With a wordless cry the knight spins to attack the giant cook, gleaming blade leaving arcing after-images as it flashes.
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Quickly assessing the situation, Guiness realizes that Colvyn should be able to quickly finish off the giant throwing the boulders, whereas their leader and perhaps that treacherous kobold may be back at the entrance.
Moving under the table, Guiness flanks the White Giant from under cover and smashes it with Dragonfist (Blessing of Fervor +2’s]
Kellek awakens with a start. He quickly casts vanish and rolls behind another chair for cover.
Ziva delivers a flurry of brutal hits that leave the while giant reeling, while Guiness pins the woman from the other side and breaks her leg from behind with a single powerful swing of his hammer. She howls in outrage and pain before collapsing to her knees. She manages a "You... dirty... runts..." before she expires from her mortal wounds.
Kellek vanishes from view.
|||| INIT ||||
Guiness
Kellek (44 dmg, prone, vanished)
Ziva
Astrid (12 dmg)
Colvyn (22 dmg)
Purple Giant (83 dmg)
Enga (77 dmg)
With only one giant left, Colvyn focuses all off his attacks on it. Good thing that the giant caster never joined the fight, wonder why though.
A trio of divinely empowered arrows from Colvyn slam into the purple giant, sending them sprawling back into the rocky cavern wall. They slide down and slump to the side, boulder falling from their grasp. Down the south-east tunnel, you hear the patter of kobold footsteps fading as Enga slips away and out of sight.
Combat Over, unless you want to immediately pursue Enga.
The great stone giant feast hall has been reduced to ruins by your battle, tables and chairs broken by falling boulders and dead giants, with one table smoldering with embers from Kellek's fireball. Dead giants lie strewn every which way. To the south-west, you can see into what appears to be a kitchen, while to the north and east, the tunnels continue. There's no immediate sound of alarm being raised, or any sounds of other foes approaching, but your fight was far from subtle.
The rune-marked female giant in the rocking chair glances up from her reading, looks left and right, and then subtly beckons you toward her.
Flicking blood from her golden blade, Ziva spares only a moment for a disgusted glance where Enga fled before he turns towards the rune-marked giantess, watching her closely. "Are you here under duress? You seem, remarkably unconcerned by our intrusion."
Ziva gets in view of the rune-marked giantess, examining her carefully. As far as Ziva can tell, the giantess doesn't appear to be some kind of illusion or shapeshifter, though she knows that sometimes those things can be very convincing. At Ziva's words, the giant puts a finger to her lips to shush her and beckons her forward.
"Not ominous at all..." Turning back to her companions, Ziva arches one eyebrown questioningly.
Colvyn carefully walks toward the giantess. He keeps an arrow ready on his bow, but points it to the floor. "I'm here, you may explain yourself."
Ziva and Colvyn come close to the giantess, who leans toward them. Her face is lit by the dimly flickering light of the brazier to her side. After a moment to listen carefully, she places her book to the side and shows her palms, face up, as if to show she isn't armed. She whispers in giant, her words rushed and insistent "You come from Sandpoint, don't you? The news of the bloodying Mokmurian's raid took there has already spread. We do not have much time until others come to investigate your fight within the feast hall. If you are here to slay Mokmurian, then know that I am your ally. I hold no love for him and his loyalists."
She pauses, judging your reactions "I would aid you, but we must go to a place where we can speak in peace, where guards will not come to look for you. Come with me."
After a moment of consideration, Ziva nods. "You could have joined in the fight, and didn't, so I'm including to take you at your word. And an ally would be welcome in this place. Lead on, so we are elsewhere when the kobold returns with allies."
Guiness notices that Kellek looks pretty beat up.
"Ow."
The rune-marked giantess nods and rises to her feet to tower over you. She leads the way northwards after furtive glances to the south and northeast. While she leads, Kellek examines the feast hall for magical auras, but he comes across none. The only aura he spots is on the giantess - a simple defensive precaution (mage armor).
The giantess takes a tunnel to the northwest, pushing through a heavy curtain that has been inscribed with runic symbols that seem like cautions and warnings to those of you familiar with the giant tongue. She pulls the curtain slightly aside to let you all slip through, and then let's it fall over the entrance once you're all in.
The walls of the chamber beyond are painted with red, yellow,
brown, and black figures, among which are
apparent images of giants, mammoths, elk, deer,
and wyverns. Others are harder to figure out:
ogres, perhaps, or giant children, or even humans.
The dwarves are very clear, with beards and tiny axes
being crushed under enormous giant feet. A simple
oil lantern lights a small altar at the far end of the
cavern. A modest offering of antlers, hooves, and
patches of fur has been piled in front of the altar. The smell of animal musk and incense fills the chamber.
The giantess turns and speaks, her voice still pitched low "I am Conna, and this chamber is the final resting place of my husband. When Mokmurian felt that our old ways no longer suited him, he slew my husband here with trickery and magic. Now, my beloved's spirit lingers here, cursed to haunt the room until Mokmurian is laid to rest." she folds her hands together "Tell me, what exactly do you seek to accomplish here, beyond simply spilljng the blood of my wayward brethren?"
Ziva answers without looking away from the wall-paintings. "We seek the return of Sandpoint's kidnapped citizens, and answers as to why your kin journeyed so far to steal what appears to be a bit of nonmagical rock. If this Mokmurian ordered the raid, then we may share a common enemy. Tell me, why have so many giants gathered here at this strange fortress? It looks like nothing so much as a war camp."
Once the immediate danger is past, Astrid summons another pulse of energy to treat their remaining injuries, then follows the others into Conna's chamber.
"Mokmurian has made victims of us all," she tells the giant, her voice soft. "As Ziva says, we are here on a mission of rescue and liberation, not violence. Could your brethren be convinced to rise up and overthrow Mokmurian? Or, failing that, not stand in the way of us rescuing our friends?"
Conna seems reassured by your responses, but not entirely satisfied. "What few humans were brought from that raid have likely already been marked by Mokmurian and sacrificed. If they are still alive, they are being held in the cages to the southeast. As for why the raid sought a stone... we stone giants can often hear the stories of ancient stones - to recall their memories if it is a stone of some importance. Mokmurian asked me to listen to several stones his raids were gathering, though he did not share the reason why."
"The tribe gathered here has united under Mokmurian's strength and promise of conquest and riches. He weaves a story of reclaiming the lowlands our ancient forebears once wandered. Many who've answered his call are young, still looking to prove themselves, while others are rejects and exiles from other tribes. Mokmurian offers a place of belonging to those as well. Those in my tribe that did not believe in him have left, but I cannot abandon my husband's spirit and those of my kin who remain."
"You will find most if not all here would gladly fight to protect the dream that Mokmurian offers them. I doubt you could get a single one to stand aside."
"That seems you place both you and us in a difficult position," Ziva observes wryly, turning from the wall paintings to study the giantess. "So we strike the head from the snake. What will happen when Mokmurian is dead, however? Are lieutenants ready to step into his role and continue leading this army?"
"There are many strong, ambitious personalities here. Too many. If Mokmurian were gone, many would seek to lead the war host, to finish what he started. I forsee infighting and tribulations, ones I will do my best to steer what remains of my tribe away from." Conna squares her jaw, clearly determined to reach that goal even if it means knocking a few heads.
"Then violence is the only path forward. I am sorry, Conna. At the very least, hopefully we can help you avenge your husband's murder, and to spare your people the worst of what comes after."
Once the immediate danger is past, Astrid summons another pulse of energy to treat their remaining injuries, then follows the others into Conna's chamber.
The wizard waits in the background observing all but signalling little.
"Conna, can we bring anyone we rescue here to your chamber? Or is there another place we could hide them while we push on to face Mokmurian?"
"The caves, perhaps," Ziva murmurs. "If we don't make it, they'll be trapped there, but it's a better chance they have now. We would need to hunt down Enga though--she could fit through those tunnels."
"Avenging my husband would be more than enough. And I cannot fault you from taking blood along the way, so long as Mokmurian earns his just end for what he did. You will find him likely in the depths below, within the library of our ancient Thassilonian oppressors that he has claimed for his own. A tunnel far to the southeast leads to it." She scowls as she mentions the library, then turns to the library. "You may bring the prisoners here, but if so I must stay in this chamber to keep my husband's spirit calm so that he does not lash out at them. Alternatively, I can attempt to join the parties likely even now searching for you and lead them astray while you find and save your people. I will leave the choice to you."
"The kobold, Enga. Who is she? Where does she sleep? We can usher the captives through the caves to keep them safe from your kin, but she has already double-crossed us and I don't intend to give her another opportunity."
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"The violent little kobold? I do not know. From what I have seen, Mokmurian allowed her to join his army out of a mix of amusement for her antics and grudging respect for her skill. She guards the warrens to the south to prevent any vermin for getting in." She peers down at your group and notes any visible response you have to the statement before adding "Ah, I mean redcaps, spiders, those kinds of vermin."
Ziva shrugs. "She did not stop us so clearly the term does not apply."
Astrid covers her mouth, trying to hold back a giggle. Muninn grumbles.
"She did manage to stab Kellek, who seems like the sort to hold a grudge. I almost feel bad for her."
"There was a red dragon that was also helping the giant kipnap some of our townfolk. Do you know where his lair would be?"
"Very well, I will remain here to hide away your kin. While I have no map to share, you'll find these caverns to connect to one another in a rough loop, so I expect you will not be easily lost." Conna says, then answers Colvyn with "Ah, Longtooth. I know only that his lair lies in the mountain range to the east of here. The steep cliffs and frozen terrain leave those peaks isolated and visited only by goats and flighted creatures."
While you've been talking to Conna, occasionally you've heard giants hurrying by or calling to one another outside. None have come to investigate the mural chamber.
"What manner of foes should we expect? Other giants, surely, but are there small-folk women about? Shapeshifting women have been a recurring thorn in our side, priestesses to some bizarre cult."
"That they have. I've only fought one of them so far, but at a tremendous cost." Astrid grimaces at the memory.
Conna peers down at Ziva with sudden curiosity. "Strange that you should say that. Some of Mokmurian's earliest allies were a sisterhood of lamia priestesses. Despite their obvious allegiance to Lamashtu, they have been docile advisors and followers, serving Mokmurian's interests. Most pursue his goals across Varisia, but at the moment two remain here, in a chamber to the east. I have avoided them, and they me, for many months, but I've occasionally seen their two enslaved dragonlings slinking out of the pit." She wrinkles her nose for a moment, then adds "Otherwise, most others are giants and their lesser kin, all those who've entered Mokmurian's service."
"At least some of those wandering sisters will never return," Ziva notes with some satisfaction. "What's this about dragonlings now?"
"They keep a pair of little red dragons, though I don't know how they managed it. Even young, they're quite proud creatures. However it is, the creatures are thoroughly subservient."
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”The lamia we encountered before seemed proficient at controlling creatures, so that may be an explanation. With red dragons at their command, they could be an even greater threat to our civilization. Still, we have other priorities right now…Should we avoid them for now and go more directly to the prisoners?” asks Guiness.
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"That makes the most sense to me, Guinness. The sooner we remove them from danger, the easier our mission becomes."
With your agreement with Conna determined, she directs you to take a low-ceilinged tunnel heading back to the feasting hall. However, as you start to head down the tunnel, you can hear voices in giant echoing from the space ahead. It looks like the feasting hall is occupied by your pursuers - at least three of them by the voices. You don't hear Enga's voice among them.
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