LG fm human Deliverer7/Crimson-Templar5 l hp 136/136 l AC25 (T15, FF22) l F +15, R +11, W +10, Ini +2 l CMB +18 CMD31 l Perc +17, SM +17 l Active Buffs/Conditions: (none)
"Be cautious," Ziva warns softly. "If these giants were dispatched in response to our intrusion, they may be a cut above the others." She creeps through the tunnel quietly, trying to catch of glimpse of their new foe.
Ziva comes up to the tunnel's mouth, catching sight of a quartet of stone giants looking around the feast hall. The moment Ziva spots them, one of the giants also spots her. They raise the alarm.
There's a heartbeat while you stare at each other, before the stone giants spring into action. Three grab massive boulders from their bags and toss them at Ziva, while the last one rushes forth while drawing her maul.
With acrobatic prowess and fine instincts, Ziva dodges all three rocks. They crash into the wall behind her and splinter into smaller chunks. The blue giant lands a solid blow upon Ziva (16 dmg)
|||| INIT ||||
Guiness
Kellek
Ziva (16 dmg)
Astrid
Colvyn
Blue Giant
Yellow Giant
Red Giant
Green Giant
With the chance for stealth lost, Guiness starts his short legs pumping and gets as close to the giants as he can, ending up just beside Ziva (double move).
…Very deadly…Over short distances…Natural sprinters….
CG Changeling Cleric (Herald Caller) of Pulura 5; Stargazer 7 | 68/68 HP | AC23 T14 FF20 | CMD21 | F +9 R +10 W +16 (+2 vs MA) | SR 18 | Spd 40 | Init +3 | Perc +24 | Bluff +22, Diplomacy +28, Fly +7, Geography +15, Handle Animal +11, Lore (Blood Hags) +12, Perception +25, Planes +9, Sense Motive +25, Survival +12 | Elysium's Call 9/9 | Holy Lance 2/2 | Channel 6/6 | Active Conditions: 1 Con Dmg
IDK if it matters, but everyone should have a +2 to initiative, stealth, and perception here from hunter's blessing, in addition to the bonuses to attack and damage.
Astrid utters a short prayer that washes over the party before following after Ziva and Guiness.
LG fm human Deliverer7/Crimson-Templar5 l hp 136/136 l AC25 (T15, FF22) l F +15, R +11, W +10, Ini +2 l CMB +18 CMD31 l Perc +17, SM +17 l Active Buffs/Conditions: (none)
Grunting as she takes a glancing blow from the giant's club, Ziva shifts smoothly into her graceful war-dancer stance and counterattacks.
Most of the party head after Ziva to provide aid in engaging the giants. One arrow from Colvyn sinks into the blue giant's shoulder, while both of Ziva's slashes carve furrows through the blue giant's legs. The giant takes a step back, alarmed by both the power behind the attacks and the divine energy infused in the blade. He settles into a cautiously defensive stance and probes at Ziva's defenses with his maul. Ziva repels his cautious swings with ease.
The blue giant momentarily draws to the side after his second swing, only for three boulders to go flying past. Two crash into the wall near Ziva as she ducks, while a third almost clips Guiness. Despite the rain of stone chips and the close calls, you manage to avoid any harm.
|||| INIT ||||
Guiness
Kellek
Ziva (16 dmg)
Astrid
Colvyn
Blue Giant (67 dmg)
Yellow Giant
Red Giant
Green Giant
LG fm human Deliverer7/Crimson-Templar5 l hp 136/136 l AC25 (T15, FF22) l F +15, R +11, W +10, Ini +2 l CMB +18 CMD31 l Perc +17, SM +17 l Active Buffs/Conditions: (none)
"You have misjudged the situation, giant. If you truly understood your plight you would flee. The sword's light burns you, so your fate is sealed." After ducking the giant's swing almost casually the Lastwall warrior darts inside his guard, intending to finish this contest.
With the way cleared before him, Guiness keeps motoring and gets up right in front of the giants throwing the boulders. Taking up a defensive fighting stance, he says, "Now that was just rude. Are you sure you want to die today?"
Double move, defensive stance...love to keep those full attack rolls for his next one if Ziva doesn't keep killing them before he can step up to them...
Defensive Stance: +2 Dodge Bonus, +4 Strength and Constitution, +2 Will Save, cannot willingly move from position
Arrows keep flying toward the giants as Colvyn continu his assault. "We can't let them leave. They might bring more.... Then again, maybe that's not a bad idea. It prevent us from chasing them down."
Ziva tears down the blue giant, leaving the way clear for Guiness. Colvyn fills the gap as well, sinking three deadly arrows into the chest of the red giant up ahead. That giant responds by dropping the boulder he was about to toss and instead drawing a massive club. He takes a wild swing at Guiness, and despite the dwarf's impressive defensive prowess he manages to connect. (Dealing 23 dmg after DR) The other two stone giants take steps back and send boulders sailing through the air at Ziva.
Finally adjacent to the foe, Guiness launches into a deadly attack routine against the red giant, his hammer, helmet, and even shield getting in on the action!
(If we use the rolls from before, all are +2 attack and +2 or +1 damage due the defensive stance, then an added shield bash as well. Let me know if the shield bash needs to be rolled, or if I need to reroll it all.)
LG fm human Deliverer7/Crimson-Templar5 l hp 136/136 l AC25 (T15, FF22) l F +15, R +11, W +10, Ini +2 l CMB +18 CMD31 l Perc +17, SM +17 l Active Buffs/Conditions: (none)
As the giants fall one by one, Ziva rushes into the chamber, past one of the enormous chairs to engage the next giant in line.
The red giant collapses with a moan, almost falling directly atop the steadfast Guiness. Ziva gets up close to green with surprising ease, the giant having not expected the front line to crumble so quickly. Meanwhile, a trio of arrows stabs directly into yellow, leaving that giant to whirl back in alarm at the brutal volley.
Yellow backs off and leaps up atop the elevated platform in the center of the room. He draws another stone and sends it hurtling toward Ziva. She dodges handily.
Ziva Reflex:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
The green giant steps back and seizes his stone club in two hands, swinging it in a broad haymaker. Though Ziva partly deflects the first swing, it clips her regardless (18 bludgeoning). She's still able to duck underneath the followup.
|||| INIT ||||
Guiness (23 dmg)
Kellek x2
Ziva (34 dmg)
Astrid x2
Colvyn
Yellow Giant (57 dmg)
Green Giant
LG fm human Deliverer7/Crimson-Templar5 l hp 136/136 l AC25 (T15, FF22) l F +15, R +11, W +10, Ini +2 l CMB +18 CMD31 l Perc +17, SM +17 l Active Buffs/Conditions: (none)
Gritting her teeth as even a glancing blow jars her whole torso, Ziva darts forward to keep the pressure up and cuts at her foe's legs.
Colvyn moves pass Astrid and walks into the room. Aiming at the same giant he sends a single arrow flying. "Hey dumdass, climbing on top of a platform only makes you a better target."
Ziva carves up the green giant's legs with her first swing, but falls short on the second. Meanwhile Colvyn easily skewers yellow with another arrow to the shin.
Shrugging as the giants fall back instead of moving up to attack, Guiness breaks out of his defensive stance and moves up beside Ziva and takes a whack at the Green stone giant.
Guiness delivers a brutal strike to a kneecap, deflecting a retaliatory swing from the green giant in the process. The green giant falls to one knee, then rights himself. He strikes out wildly with his club, but Guiness and Ziva are too well armored and too well trained. Each blow is smoothly avoided by the pair.
Colvyn Reflex:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
On the other side, yellow tosses another boulder, this one aimed at Colvyn. The nimble ratfolk watches the predictable arc of the stone and dodges at the last moment.
Guiness' first swing brings down the green giant, leaving him free to head toward the final remaining giant. (Feel free to move to your preferred spot afterward) Unfortunately, despite Astrid's aid, all three of Colvyn's arrows stab into the wooden platform and the heavy hide armor the giant is wearing.
His fatigue lessened, Guiness moves under the table, thinking to perhaps use leverage to cause it to fall next round if his companions do not defeat it before then.
Energy bolts pummel the remaining giant from the side, but they don't yet fall. Ziva, confident in her defensive form, leaps up onto and chair and then up onto the platform before striding over to the foot of the remaining giant.
Enraged, the giant drops another boulder they were about to throw, grabs their maul in two hands, and goes for a powerful swing at Ziva. But despite the incredible speed and force behind the strike, the arc is eminently predictable and Ziva ducks away from it.
Anticipating Ziva and Colvyn have the last giant well-sorted, Guiness moves further along their path and looks for any new threats that might be coming to investigate (double move).
N Male Human (Keleshite/Ulfen) Wizard (exploiter) 12 | hp 46/62 (max 46)| AC 14 {17}, T 13, FF 12 {15} | CMD 19 | F +6, R +8, W +12 | Spd 30' | Init +2 | KnArc +18, Kn(Dun, His, Loc, Nat, Pla, Rel) +16, Kn(Others) +11, Perc +12, SensM +12, Scrft +20 | arc reservoir 9/15 | magic missile wand 26/38 | -1 penalty to Con (2 damage) | ext mage armor, overland flight, hunter's blessing (mnt, giants)
Kellek pulls a wand made of bone and aims it at a spot on the giant that is far enough away to avoid his companions that are locked in melee with the brute.
Colvyn sinks two more arrows into the final remaining giant, sending them toppling off the platform to lie still next to Guiness as he starts heading out to lookout for more threats. He doesnt spot or hear anything coming from the south, though it does sound like a pot may be boiling over in the kitchen that way. To the east and north are the sounds of activity, indistinct deep voices echoing from far away and the sounds of metal banging against metal and stone. There's activity, but it sounds far away for now.
Combat over! Kellek feel free to hold onto that enervation charge for now.
Thanking Astrid for her healing, Guiness says, ”The sounds of the forge seem far enough away that we should be able to slip to the south first, by my reckoning. Let’s get moving if we are ready.”
He continues moving slowly to the south (half speed to remain stealthy).
The sounds of hammering and the acrid smells in the air cover your approach to the south-east quite well. You head down the narrow tunnel to the room where you encountered Enga - she still hasn't returned - and then turn to the east. The first opening down to the south reeks so strongly of vinegar, rotting hair and worse that it overwhelms the senses well before you see into it. Once you do, you see a single large stone basin sitting in the middle of the room filled with a foul-looking fluid upon which float patches of fur and skin. Around the basing stand a dozen wooden frames over which leather and hides are stretched. Three muscular ogres work the tanning ranks, hunch-backed and docile in comparison to the rowdy crowd that lived in the clanhall that you defeated. Intent on their work, they don't notice you. You get the sense that they'd likely be easy to defeat for your team.
The second opening to the south seems more organized and appears to be the source of the metallic banging. Massive anvils stand in the center of the room while to the south a bright forge fire burns. You also see the side of a huge metal cage, but without getting closer you can't tell what may be inside. From the noise within, there are at least several giant-sized workers within, but you cannot see them from your hiding spot.
Directly east, the tunnel widens into a gallery, the walls of which are streaked with glittering veins of mice. Large beds on the south and north of the room mark this as some kind of sleeping quarters, but there's no-one here now.
Whichever way you choose to go, Guiness' stealth isn't quite good enough to get the drop on either of the southern rooms.
N Male Human (Keleshite/Ulfen) Wizard (exploiter) 12 | hp 46/62 (max 46)| AC 14 {17}, T 13, FF 12 {15} | CMD 19 | F +6, R +8, W +12 | Spd 30' | Init +2 | KnArc +18, Kn(Dun, His, Loc, Nat, Pla, Rel) +16, Kn(Others) +11, Perc +12, SensM +12, Scrft +20 | arc reservoir 9/15 | magic missile wand 26/38 | -1 penalty to Con (2 damage) | ext mage armor, overland flight, hunter's blessing (mnt, giants)
"Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins Dashtail, who has proved himself a good companion on our long road, and a hobbit rodent full of courage and resource far exceeding the usual allowance—now is the time for him to perform the service for which he was included in our Company." whisper Thorin Oakenshield the six Kelleks quietly, yet magnanimously.
He summons up a magical detection spell that detects magic--detect magic and from cover looks about the pathways ahead.
Kellek does not detect any magic from any of the three rooms ahead.
Colvyn sneaks close and spots two stone giants in singed leather aprons, working on half-finished large-sized longswords. They have a heavy hammer made of some dark stone that they're using to straighten the blades of the weapons they're working on. From the entrance of the room, Colvyn can also see an immense bellows in the southeast corner of the room. Next to the bellows sits a row of low iron cages, each featuring a filthy mound of straw. The bellows' handles extend into the cages, allowing anyone imprisoned within to work the bellows without the necessity of leaving their confines. In the corner of the room lie mounds of fresh steel rods, broken and bent weapons, and a few dozen roughly wrought manacles sized for medium and small sized creatures.
Inside the cage, Colvyn spots eight humans in torn clothes. Each person has a bright red welt on their back where they've been branded with a massive seven pointed star symbol. Two human women are working the bellows while working together, while the remaining people lie on the straw, exhausted and battered.
