Ushari sees Fin go down under the blows of the giant creature. It seems like her luck is running out, I hope that does not spread to the rest of us…
She decides to forgo an offensive spell in favor of healing her companion’s wounds. She dances through the area behind Jax, sliding next to him and sends another healing wave from her hand.
Jayse almost expects to see sparks come off his blade when it meets the giant's flesh. He might as well be hacking at an iron bar. The unnaturally dense muscles of the creature seem to repel his every blow.
Ushari slides forward and heals her allies. Fin remains slumped in unconsciousness. Jax smiles and nods, pain no longer etched in his features.
ORDER:
Skitter runs around the periphery of the battlefield, trying to get to the final rope holding the unicorn while avoiding the hooves, feet, and weapons of all these lumbering giants.
The unicorn sidesteps to relieve the rope's tension on her neck before lashing out with hoove and horn at one of her captors. The glowing horn punctures the ogre's side.
Gore HIT DAM
Hooves HIT DAM
Straehan opts for an old standby rather than using his last remaining powerful spell. Hopefully these bastards are as ponderous as they look...
His delicate hands form an odd pattern and... a sheet of flame lashes out striking the giant and his minions.
EFFECT:
SAVE: Reflex Save for 1/2 - DC: 16
Giant
Ogre
Ogre
Jax steps defensively over the downed elf maiden, stabbing at the ogre's face trying to drive it back. At the same time, Porter lays into the giant with his blade, using his shortsword two-handed.
Alas, their foes swat their blades aside.
Jax Shortsword v AC:17 (19+/2x) HIT DAM
Porter Shortsword v AC:21 (19+/2x) HIT DAM
The giant slaps the flames out then turns a mean eye and a meaner club on the gnome and the quick-bladed fellow who tried to sneak up on him. Two spine-crushing blows fall...
Jayse dives aside at the very last possible second and the sorcerer's size and magical shield save his skin. The giant roars - utterly vexed.
Giant Greatclub (Straehan AC:27) HIT DAM
Giant Greatclub (Jayse AC:24) HIT DAM
One ogre sidesteps to get away from the flame-wielding gnome and draws closer to Ushari. Drool drips from his lips as he strikes. She looks tasty. Will she be crunchy? Will she squeak when I bite into her?
The other ogre slips into the gap left by his comrade and slaps negligently at the battered Jax.
Ushari's rapier swipes across the ogre's thumb painfully, causing the big sissy to reassess his attack. His comrade fares no better versus Jax, who expertly dodges his blow.
Ogre Greatclub (Jax AC:18) HIT DAM
ORDER:
-2|49
42|42
30|30
37|37
9|27
27|27
Jayse, seeing that this big guy is made of sterner stuff, changes tactics. He reaches into the Calm, to the brilliant blue-white energy buried deep there-in, and draws a small amount of that power into his blade, delivering it just in time for a powerful, two-handed horizontal chop at the giant's torso.
"Jax, get out of there! Ushari, you have anything to help get Jax back?!"
Ushari nods at Jayse and realizes she could indeed slow the hulking ogre down. She flashes the hulking brute a winning smile, and it seems to glow with a golden radiance. Ushari has never looked more beautiful than she does at this moment.
She reaches her hand out to touch the ogre's arm, and asks "Would you care to dance?" As she touches the hairy arm, his eyes grow dazed and he pauses in wonder. she then steps behind Jax and says softly, "Get back, Jax. He will not stop you from retrreating."
Jayse's precise blow is deflected by the giant's club.
Ushari dazzles the ogre next to her with a single touch.
Skitter mounts the tree and slashes through the final rope restraining the unicorn.
DAM:
Freed of her bonds, the unicorn rises up, whinnies and brings her hoofs and horn down on the ogre. They do little damage to the creature. Upset, the unicorn prances away.
Gore HIT DAM
Hooves HIT DAM
Straehan sends another sheet of flame at the ungainly creatures. The fire leaves the ogre crisped but still standing.
EFFECT:
SAVE: Reflex Save for 1/2 - DC: 16
Giant
Ogre
Jax hears the order calling for his retreat but duty is a stronger call. He slashes at the smoking ogre, cutting through its windpipe with a single blow. He falls back a short distance as its body drops, intent on protecting the two women in his charge.
Porter steps up to the giant and drives his blade into its foot - the least muscular part of the creature he can see.
Jax Shortsword v AC:17 (19+/2x) HIT Crit?
Confirm? Yes
DAM
Porter Shortsword v AC:21 (19+/2x) HIT DAM
The giant glares at the human that stabbed its foot but knows he is the least threat. Again he strikes at the gnome and the blue-bladed one, but he aims his club more carefully...
Straehan's small size saves his life but Jayse is unable to escape the shadow of the massive club. With bone-shattering force, Jayse is driven to the ground.
Giant Greatclub (Straehan AC:27) HIT DAM
Giant Greatclub (Jayse AC:24) HIT DAM
ORDER:
-2|49
19|42
30|30
37|37
9|27
27|27
As the giant club falls across his shoulders, Jayse's body reacts instinctively, fortifying his bones and skin to keep the damage from being too great. Frustration and anger skitter across the surface of the Calm.
If speed's not gonna work...
He slides into Mountain Form, giving up fluidity for leverage and power. In his mind he can see the strike before he delivers it, ensuring that the blade will bite deep, both hands lending force.
Seeking every advantage, he then sidesteps over Skitter and around the north side of the massive opponent.
Ushari senses…senses….perhaps the tide of battle is turning in favor of herself and her companions. Still as long as the giant was alive, the potential for disaster was still there. She debated moving to the giant’s rear flank, a simple manner due to her spell, but then she noticed the unicorn has been freed.
Thank you, Skitter!
She decides to allow the unicorn a chance to avenge herself on the brute, and instead decides to put the ogre out of its misery. She slips around the ogre’s flank and proceeds to attack.
The massive metal and wooden club drives Jayse towards the ground with monumental force. His bones flex to the point of shattering. The monk calls on the secret fire of pure chi within him to adamantize his bones, halting the crushing club. With a grunt, Jayse rises and throws the head of the club aside, forcing the giant to take a step back. Black smoke and the runic tattoos across the monk's body glow with power. He is standing in the foot deep hole made by his legs when the giant pile-drove him into the ground - relatively unharmed and resolutely defiant.
The giant stares at him with a measure of fear, no one has pushed aside his club before. The giant's look takes on a menacing quality at this unheard of challenge. He grasps the club with both hands, his massive arms flexing. Not satisfied with killing this challenger, he intends to crush Jayse into powder.
The monk isn't done yet. Faster than the eye can see, Jayse lashes out with his blade, shaving a foot of wood off the top of the massive club and then kicking the stump-sized chunk into the face of the giant, breaking its nose and cheekbones.
roars the giant, apoplectic with rage.
Jayse springs from the hole and tumbles around behind the creature. But Jayse's footing is not as sound as it needs to be. Whether the expenditure of energy is too great, or escaping the hole slows him down, or the wash of latent memories is too distracting... the giant sees his foe's deft maneuvering and tries to stop him once and for all.
In a two-handed grip, with all his might, the giant smashes his club down on the monk - trying to put a dent in the world. Jayse dives to the side but even a glancing blow from the club nearly shatters the monk's right side.
AoO Giant Greatclub (Jayse AC:28) HIT DAM
Ushari dances around behind the ogre and with little effort puts her rapier deep into its liver. The ogre screeches and turns on the small cleric.
Ushari's joy is short-lived as she feels the massive thump of the giant's club slamming into Jayse and the earth.
In his small clockwork mind, Skitter debates what to do. His mistress didn't give him further orders aside from freeing the big horse. His wiry little eyebrows furrow... and he leaps at the rampaging giant with a mighty squeak.
Giant flesh that has repelled the blades of large warriors cannot withstand the assault of the smallest party member!
Claws HIT DAM
Glowing like a birch tree in moonlight, the silvery unicorn rears up, whinnies, and charges the giant. She thunders across the field and drives her horn straight into the giant's belly, savagely goring the monstrous creature.
The giant tries to pull the whorled horn from its entrails but the cumulative wounds are too much. Bleeding from nearly a dozen spots, it collapses with a resounding thud, well on its way to dying.
Her bright horn eclipsed by the giant's blood, the unicorn lets forth a ululating cry and turns to face the remaining ogre. Her hooves dig into the earth for purchase.
Powerful Charge HIT Crit?
Confirm? Yes
TOTAL DAM
Straehan considers his options, trying to figure out how best to help Jayse as the focus of the giant's ire. When the sharp end of the unicorn's horn bursts out of the giant's back, the little gnome knows his help is no longer required. He turns his attention to the last ogre. We've still got women to rescue - better save some magic for that.
He moves a bit closer watching the position of his friends. I hope I haven't mis-guessed the distances...
A fan of flame arcs out brushing both Fin and Ushari but igniting neither - barely. The ogre catches the brunt of the conflagration. It staggers, charred, but remains standing.
At a glare from the cleric, Straehan gives her a sheepish grin.
EFFECT:
SAVE: Reflex Save for 1/2 - DC: 16
Ogre
Jax strikes at the tottering ogre but misses while Porter takes no chances with the giant and buries his sword into its neck.
Jax Shortsword v AC:17 (19+/2x) HIT DAM
Porter Shortsword CDG on Giant (19+/2x) DAM
Even as it strikes at the gnome that set it on fire, the ogre collapses from the effort. Its blow goes wide.
Greatclub HIT DAM
At the ogre's collapse, a moment of silence engulfs the field of battle. Only the sounds of the crackling fire and the sizzling spit are heard.
Usahri lowers her rapier and surveys the clearing, noting who is still injured and who escaped the battle unscathed.
I see Jayse and also Jax are both hurting....not to mention Fin. I think if her charge had not caught the giants off guard, then that beautiful unicorn would now even be feasted on. She bends over the still unconcious form of the elf girl, and chants a healing spell while touching her chest.
After expending her magic, she turns her attention to the magnificient unicorn, and bows her head in thanks. "Thank you."
The unicorn nods and blows air. Ushari gets the impression that's the lovely creature's way of saying that's not necessary. She wheels around to the monk and lays her horn on him. Instantly, his wounds lessen.
CMW
CLW
She walks over and sniffs at the slowly rousing elf maiden. With another touch of her horn, some of Fin's wounds heal.
CLW
CLW
38|49
36|42
30|30
37|37
9|27
27|27
Fin rises slowly, shaky after the beating she took. She watches the unicorn with open wonder and interest.
Ushari looks at Jax and reaches over to touch him on his arm. "That was very brave of you." Chanting softly, more of his wounds close.
She then turns to Jayse and the others, "I know the pirates must be nearby, I just hope we have not completely lost the trail."
She notes Fin's fascination with the unicorn. Were there not legends of maidens who would be allowed to ride them? I wonder... She again addresses the unicorn, "We are trying to track some vile pirates who have captured townsfolk for selling into slavery. We plan to stop them. Did you see a wagon pass through your territory earlier?"
Jayse slowly relaxes his stance, the glow of his tattoos and the haze of the momentary black smoke dissipating in the air. A slightly haunted look passes from his eyes.
He wonders at the sudden flash of memory. So real... so powerful...
As he lets his weapon fall away, the blade dissolving like blue mist on the wind, the fullness of his exhaustion hits him. Ushari's comment about the elapsed time shakes him from his reverie, "It's only been a few minutes since we came after these giants. I'm sure we could make up the time on the pirates. I'm more concerned about how roughed up we are at this point. How much healing power do you have left? Fin, Straehan, Jax, Porter, you all good?" The whole time he keeps his eyes on the strange creature.
Wonder how many of the legends are true about these things?
Ushari hears Jayse mention the short amount of time passing and wonders why all of these battles seem to last longer than they actually do. Not being a warrior, she had trouble adjusting to the perception of time fleeting in the flow of battle.
Maybe I will become accustomed to it, given time.
She replies to Jayse's inquiry, "I still have some of my deity's power left in me. It should be enough to heal any of the girls we rescue."
Jayse nods to Ushari then looks back at the mysterious creature they just saved. "So... um... Unicorn... it seems we have to head out. We're glad we could help you, but - truth be told - we thought your cry for help was one of the girls we're trying to save. Thank you for the healing, but we have to hurry if we're going to catch their abductors before they get too far in front of us." He waits a second, not sure what else to say, "You gonna be good from here?"
He cuts his eyes over to Straehan and Fin, giving a slight shrug as if to say, 'a little help here?'
Jayse sees that Jax looks ready to travel though he is bloody and clearly in some pain. Everyone else looks relatively healthy though Fin isn't in perfect shape.
At Jayse's and Ushari's comments about girls and their mission, the unicorn whinnies and urges them over to the giant's bonfire with her horn. As they approach, they understand why. Waiting to be put on the spit are the body of a large deer and a middle-aged woman.
Looking at the spit, you thankfully can't recognize the shapeless chunks of cooking meat... except one piece is wrapped in the remains of a boot... similar to the boots worn by several of the pirates.
38|49
36|42
30|30
37|37
14|27
27|27
Porter looks at the woman with regret. "Megan... You don't suppose they et the rest of them, do you?"
Straehan crouches down and examines the woman briefly. He points to the marks on her head and neck and decides to be non-specific for the sake of the two warriors who knew her.
"It looks like she was killed by someone with very big hands. I'd say the giant or one of the ogres. She hasn't been dead long - no more than half a day at a guess."
Fin, searching the site, rambles animatedly in Aquan.
Straehan nods, stands up, and looks around. "There's no evidence of the wagon, remains of the horse, or any other equipment. I'm thinking the ogres didn't catch the wagon... I hope."
The magical nature of the unicorn slowly emerges as the the dirt from the battle and the giant's blood on her horn slowly vanish. She stomps her foot to draw your attention and then scribbles a note in the earth with her delicate horn.
- The ogres were hungry. If they had all your females first, they would not come for me.
Thanks for the rescue.
Enchanted, Fin steps closer to the unicorn. She wonders what the shiny creature feels like and imagines how it would be to ride her.
The sensitive creature senses the elf's interest and gingerly sidesteps away. Fin looks somewhat crestfallen but also determined.
Fin speaks in a soothing voice and moves closer to the unicorn yet again.
The unicorn whickers, disturbed, and trots to the other side of the fire.
Ushari responds respectfully to the unicorn "You are welcome."
She then quickly checks the giant and ogre bodies for any valuables they have on them, while watching the strange interaction between Fin and the unicorn from the corner of her eye. I wonder if she will let Fin ride her? She lets out a small sigh, almost of disappointment.
Ushari searches the bodies and the odd bags of 'keepsakes' that litter the field. She finds approximately 350 gold coins along with 2 small potion bottles that weren't broken in the fight.
But the most interesting find is on the giant himself. He had a small circular earring in one of his massive lobes. On closer inspection it is a small hoop of solid, high quality metal that he attached with some discarded and rusty wire.
A quick spell later and Ushari is certain it is a magic ring.
Ushari polishes off the ring as best she can and motions Straehan over. She hands him the ring and asks, "What do you make of this ring?"
She also glances at the potions, trying to determine if they are useful in some way.
Ushari doesn't need any help identifying the ring, but she decides to get a second opinion from the gnome just to be polite.
Straehan pulls out his pince nez glasses and looks at all the objects owlishly. He confirms Ushari's guess about the ring. It is a Ring of Protection +1.
After sniffing the potions, he holds up each of the vials in turn, "This is a potion of Bull's Strength... and this is potion of Heroism. Nice finds."
Ushari nods in satisfaction at the find. "These potions will be useful for when we catch up to those pirates. As for the ring..." she shrugs helplessly. "I suppose anyone can use the ring, but I would feel better if you" she indicates Straehan, "would wear it. You don't have much in the way of protecting yourself."
Straehan raises an eyebrow and runs a hand along the barely visible shield surrounding his body. "I appreciate the concern but I think my defenses are pretty good. I was thinking Jayse or you could put it to better use than I could."