Eyes darting around the battlefield Kalaya focuses on the giant facing Stilgar seeking to sap its strength. He hand extends as a coruscating blue ray targets the enemy.
Auric strains valiantly against the net.
Strength:
After tearing himself out, he readies his shield.
Round 2
Initiative Order:
Stilgar
Magnus
Auric
Jon
Kalaya
Opponents
Stilgar swings at the giant, but his hammer skips off the creature's club, thudding harmlessly and skidding along a muscled, hairy forearm.
Magnus' flaming breath catches his opponents a second time, searing flesh and provoking another howl as it beats away the flames.
Auric tears his way out of the net, readying his shield as the one who netted him continues to saw logs on the ground nearby.
Jon directs the flaming sphere back around for another pass at Stilgar's opponent, running the sphere into the backs of its legs before retrieving his scythe from the ground beside his bedroll. The giant sees the sphere of fire coming and hops out of the way, avoiding the brunt of the damage.
Kalaya finishes her spell and the ray strikes, sapping the opponent's strength.
However, it still wields its club with a vengeance as it swings at Stilgar again, hammering the dwarf once more.
The two targets of Magnus' fire breath have had enough of being burned, and they move forward, drawing their clubs as they go. One attempts to squash the gnome, while the other is drawn to Kalaya's magic use, giving her a hateful leer before bashing her with its club. Magnus takes the brunt of the hit , but Kalaya twists aside and is spared only a glancing blow .
Stilgar relies on his mythic power to help him weather the giant's blows, focusing his attention on delivering a powerful blow.
As Magnus is hit a second time, Tuboo goes limp nearby. Magnus sees bruising on Tuboo where the giants had been hitting Magnus' body.
Magnus attempts to defend himself from harm as he backs away from the giant. he draws up his shield cloak and attempts to make himself as small as possible.
Magnus steps out of the reach of the giant and lifts his shield cloak as though to defend himself, but instead, he throws the cloak up and in a whirl, he and his equipment are gone.
Auric rushes in on the giant attacking Magnus, leveling a powerful slash.
Longsword:
After flailing about wildly, he attacks again with lightning speed.
Longsword:
The now invisible Magnus spends the next turn getting as far away from combat as he can without getting too close to another giant. When he is comfortably out of harm's way, he will survey the situation again and load his crossbow.
Jon directs the ball of flames to the next giant!
Focusing on Auric's opponent Kalaya calls upon the power granted to her , bringing to mind a spell unfamiliar to her. As she chants a purple glow accompanied by strange sigils appear on the enemy, matching effects surrounding herself.
Round 3
Initiative Order:
Stilgar
Magnus
Auric
Jon
Kalaya
Opponents
Stilgar weathers his opponent's attack and retaliates, catching him in the side and rocking him with the impact.
Magnus steps back and disappears, leaving his opponent blinking in confusion until Auric moves in and begins slashing away, opening a wound on the side of the giant's thigh.
Jon's ball of fire rolls back in, crashing into Stilgar's opponent, who goes down with a roar and the crackle of burning hair and furs.
Kalaya's spell goes off and she suddenly grows, towering over the rest of the group at 10 feet in height, as well as her opponent, who withers down to a mere 5 feet tall. The giant looks up, squeals, then turns and flees into the darkness.
The remaining opponent, injured and alone, growls in frustration, muttering something in his native tongue as he backs out of range of Stilgar's hammer, spitting on the ground as he moves away from the firelight.
Magnus sees the remaining Giants withdraw. He breathes a sigh of relief and returns to the group, carrying Tuboo under one arm and his crossbow in the other. "Well, I think we've got our first taste of how dangerous this place really is. I think we need to improve our sleep security, what about you?
Auric catches his breath.
"Yeah. Sorry, didn't even know what hit me 'till it was too late. Maybe we need at least two people on watch now, even if we miss out on beauty sleep that way."
He advances toward the sleeping ogre.
"Speaking of sleeping beauties.... what do we do with this one? He attacked us, but I'm not too comfortable just flat-out executing him while he sleeps..."
Stilgar nods at Magnus' assertion, still grimacing with pain.
"I am not comfortable with the idea of it myself, Auric," the dwarf replies, rubbing his throbbing shield arm, "But we have no means of restraining a creature of this size for very long... and we might not be so fortunate if his kind return in greater numbers. He will likely wake soon, so we should act quickly."
Auric picks up the sleeping giant's weapon.
"I had a thought- do any of you speak the giant language? Or have a charm or something that would work on this one? We could use a guide... and this is what the gods put in our lap..."
"A giant on a leash, you say? That's a tall order." Magnus says, nearly bursting at the seams with his self-satisfaction at making such a flawless pun. "Alright, I'll need everyone's help with this one."
Magnus pauses for a moment, taking stock of the situation."First, Stilgar, let's get our health back. If things go sideways, I don't want to be knocked out in a single blow. "
"Next, we need to lower, his mental defenses so he does not resist out spells. Kalaya, what debuffs can you use on him?"
"Auric and Jon, you're the back-up plan. If the giant doesn't comply, it's up to you to take him down so we can escape. I know Jon can entangle him in plants and Auric can also disable him without killing."
Magnus casts share language on the giant using his epic spell slots before casting minor image to create the illusion of a firey battlefield with grotesquely burnt and mangled pieces of giants scattered about. Finally, he casts detect thoughts using another epic slot.
Nodding at Magnus' words, Stilgar retrieves his holy symbol and starts the process of tending to everyone's wounds.
Magnus coughs as Stilgar passes and holds out the limp Tuboo. "He's unconscious from absorbing damage that I would have taken. Do you have one more spell in you for him?
Stilgar is taken aback by the sight of the poor creature.
"Of course," he says guiltily, producing another healing spell.
"Thanks Stilgar.", Auric says, cleaning the blood off of his sword and returning it to his scabbard. He pulls the sword and scabbard from his belt, ready to use it as a nonlethal bludgeon should the giant prove uncooperative.
Magnus casts share languages, minor image, and detect thoughts to draw the Ogre into his trap. He creates an illusion of a fiery battleground with ogre corpses scattered about. He stands up to the ogre as it awakes and sees his illusion.
Magnus shouts ominously at the ogre. "You have been vanquished! We are from beyond the pass and we have defeated you!."
Stilgar keeps his warhammer readied, in case Magnus' plan does not proceed smoothly.
Auric glowers menacingly!
Intimidate:
Jon stays back, watching from the rear. He leans on his scythe, ready to unleash blade or prayer as necessary.
The ogre awakens, and several emotions cross his ugly face rather plainly as he takes in the situation. First confusion, then surprise and dismay as he takes in the illusory scene around him. Finally, perhaps a bit of fear as he sees Auric looming nearby and hears Magnus' pronouncement. Then confusion again, as he asks "Then why you not kill me?"
When Magnus makes his demand that the ogre lead them somewhere civilized, it says "Sih-vuh-lies? You want me take you to other littles like youse? Yuh, me can do that," the ogre agrees heartily, nodding his head so hard that his jowls wobble. "Me know town with big, pointy tree fence. Real safe. Take you there."
Sense Motive:
Magnus maintains his booming voice. "Very well then, you shall lead us to the town and we shall decide if you live. If you follow my instructions, I may even let you keep that deer haunch you like so much." At this point, Magnus gestures to his friends. "Stay your weapons, the giant will not be killed... yet."
The ogre speaks Common, barely.
There's a minor moment of panic in the ogre when the deer haunch is mentioned, its hands reflexively moving to the sack over its shoulder. Then its eyes narrow, and it nods.
"Me, Krawg, do what little boss want. Show you way to town. You ought let me stay away from town though. They put arrows in me if they see me."
Magnus makes no more indication about the Giant's inner thoughts, but he does give Auric an unusual look. Magnus speaks more briskly now, impatient. "Very well then, You shall lead us to the town and we shall allow you to stay alive. We leave immediately." Magnus gestures for the Giant to begin leading and for his comrades to begin gathering the camp.
"How big is this town? How many live there?" Kalaya whispers to Magnus.
Auric begins striking camp as quickly as possible, assuming Magnus' weird look was about that.
Magnus whispers back to Kalaya. "I think it's safe to assume that if the Giant is describing a big pointy tree fence, that it's a small enough village to be enclosed within walls, but large enough population to keep a constant guard."
Jon watches the interrogation, but does not comment, preferring to keep his own counsel. When Auric begins striking camp, Jon joins him and does his best to see the site returned to as natural as possible.
Krawg picks himself up slowly and carefully, tossing a glance over at Auric as he packs. He pulls his ratty-looking cap off of his head, beady eyes glancing suspiciously at Magnus a moment, before rubbing it in some muddy earth nearby and replacing it on his head with a satisfied look, then moves with Magnus to the outskirts and awaits the rest of the group. He then leads you out of the pass and turns south by southwest.
As the sun rises over the mountains behind you and illuminates the new land before you, it glitters and dazzles on something immense. You can see a great field of blue-white ice before you, ending in immense cliffs to the south, and stretching away in the distance to the north. As you watch, a portion of the ice cliff begins to separate and fall, plunging to the bottom where water erupts in a great plume of white spray. You realize that there is a great body of water below the ice, so vast that, like the ice, you cannot see the far side. Then a rumble, like distant thunder, as the sound of the great chunk of ice breaking finally reaches you.
Your reverie is broken as a grotesque snort comes from your guide, who has moved several steps away from you and looks back, annoyed, as you are falling behind. The majesty and awe of this scene is completely lost on the ogre.
Magnus takes in the image and tries to memorize the scene for future retelling. He looks to the rest of the group. "We're all a bit tired, I know, but let's keep going."
Stilgar has the map out for much of the trip, but the amazing sight they come across proves far too distracting. Picking up on the giant's impatience, he picks up his speed a tad.
"We cannot very well get a good night's rest with our guide around," the cleric says, nodding.
Auric stares silently for a moment at the incredible sight before his eyes before picking up the pace.
"Pretty serious change from Three Oaks, eh Jon?"
Jon smiles wryly. "I wonder how my shop is faring these days. Never expected to be here, that's for sure." Jon chuckles and turns toward Auric. "How are you? Been a long walk since the village."
Kalaya is stunned by the natural beauty before her, only just noticing that she'd fallen behind as the others move to catch up with the ogre.
Jon smiles wryly. "I wonder how my shop is faring these days. Never expected to be here, that's for sure." Jon chuckles and turns toward Auric. "How are you? Been a long walk since the village."
Auric thinks for a minute.
"I miss working the forge a little bit and I hope the old man's doing all right. Truth be told I'm a lot more satisfied doing this, even with all the attendant bruises and welts. Not many get to go this far, so I feel blessed at the opportunity. And putting Varras out of commission after all the trouble he and his stooges caused will be a mighty fine feeling."
Krawg sees members of the group dawdling and beckons them on with a fleshy, split-nailed hand.
"No worry, no snow means no raiders come off the ice. We are safe. You be safer when you get to the human town, for sure," he says, obviously misinterpreting the delay.
Magnus listens in to the conversation as he continues marching. He does not comment as he normally does. When the Ogre beckons to them, Magnus nods calmly and waves his hand for the giant to continue.
The party travels on through rough, wooded hills, with the ogre setting a hard pace, taking a route south that runs parallel to the great body of water now on your right, following no trail or track. The sun is dipping down past its zenith when he finally stops, pointing off toward a hill ahead that blocks sight of the water from this vantage point. A haze of smoke can be seen in the air above the hill's peak.
"There," says Krawg. "Human town over that hill, by the sea," he grunts, leaning his bulk against a nearby pine. "Did what you said. Now I go, yes?"