Jeevika follows Ryli back without hesitation. Upon returning, she is obviously quite surprised by the warm reception she gets. However, Eugeni's hug quickly brings a smile back to her face. The Holy Vindicator readily returns the embrace.
"I apologize for my earlier conduct, actions, and words," says Jeevika sincerely to the Rangers. Firmly, she adds, "It won't happen again."
She looks Gyukak up and down wearily, sizing up the mysterious stone giant. The elf walks over to the batch of magic wine Ryli hastily prepared before chasing after her and takes a pronounced sip.
"Well, Gyukak, if you seek assistance against Karzoug, you have found the right people; after all, we just slayed the Hidden Beast, one of the Claimer's trusted lieutenants. By all means, please state your case."
Noticing he is hugging someone, Eugeni humpfs and backs off to straighten his clothing. "Yes. Of course."
Eugeni then turns to listen to the negotiations with this new arrival. He makes sure to note any magical auras surrounding Gyukak.
"No," Gyukak says abruptly, "The Beast had not accepted the Claimer's offer. Every attempt to recruit it had been met with violence, the first delegation being slain to the last. It kept the Claimer's ring as a prize."
The stone giant steps forward and sits cross legged down among your group. "But...if striking out against Karzoug is indeed your plan, then eliminating the influence he has over the giants is a start to at least slowing him down. Slay his accursed Rune Giants, and I can rally a good portion of the giants against his loyal followers. Then we can escape back into the hills and lowlands."
"You've done your research, Gyukak," Jeevika says smoothly, quickly rolling with her apparent goof as if she had just been testing the Rangers' potential ally. "Would you happen to know where these rune giants are located? I imagine they aren't difficult to miss, but Xin-Shalast is a big and dangerous city..."
”Living something daily is more enlightening than research,” the giant replies with a glare at Jeevika. ”There are multiple of these abominations in the city, rotating through often enough to keep the chieftains enslaved. And through them, our people. Slaying even one or two of them could result in dozens and dozens of giants being freed of their slavery and give them a fighting chance at escape.”
Ryli remains quiet and observant after Zoli's rather unorthodox greeting and introduction.
This guy is good, thought Jeevika.
"Some cloud giants we freed outside the city confirmed as much," Jeevika recalls with a nod. "Very well. We can approach individuals or pairs Veiled as gnats and blitz them from there. Hit them hard and fast. How fast could you rally your supporters if we dropped one or two?"
”My giants are ready now. We just need a chance to make our move,” Gyukak says with a smile.
"Very good then!" Zoli smiles back at the giant.
"Where can we find a few of these Rune Giants? And anything you can tell us to help us defeat them? Particular abilities we should be wary of, or weaknesses we might take advantage of?"
Eugeni turns to Ryli. "I prepared animal growth today. [b]"I can cast it on Olympus once we find the giants, or on yourself should you wildshape into an animal form.
[b]"Zoli, I can cast stoneskin on you using blood money, assuming Jeevika can heal me afterward.
The group elects to make a move against the Rune Giants enslaving several of the lower giant chieftains. They spend a few days making preparations and being maneuvered through the warrens of the Lower City Lava Flow, eventually being led to the surface once again by the Skulks.
True to their word, they continue to help you. Periodically they will whoop and yell from a distance as a warning to upcoming patrols, allowing you to move with relative ease in stealth through the city. Even so, patrols seem to have picked up, and you are forced to frequently retreat into recesses that the patrolling giants and lamia cannot access easily.
Gyukak informed you that the Rune Giants have gathered most of their enslaved chiefs in a large building to the east of the main giant camp. He points it out to you, and the Skulks confirm that they have seen the "big marked ones" frequently there. You are able to slip up with relative ease to the compound, and make your way inside without issue.
Once there, make it to the central chamber where there are several giants of different varieties, mostly stone and frost, but also a fire and cloud giant. But towering over them all to the point that they actually appear small, are two enormous figures covered in glowing runes. These two are looking over a map of Varisia, discussing invasion plans in the language of giants. Their enslaved subjects stand around with blank expressions on their faces.
Given the size of the furnishings in these buildings, finding things to move and hide behind is of comparative ease. You manage to get fairly close to the giants without being spotted. All you have to do is wait for the signal to attack...
"STRIKE NOW! KILL THEM ALL!" Lorthan shouts suddenly from his hiding spot! He whips his head around to you all with a look of panic and confusion. But before anyone else can make a move, the large number of giants all turn towards the sound and ready their weapons!
Lorthan lets loose a cone of cold from his toothy maw, aimed at the fire giants.
Elthariel unleashes a volley on the blue rune giant!
Meanwhile, now standing as tall as the stone giants, Jeevika utters a roar and a massive wave of holy energy erupts from her powerful frame.
"Eugeni, dispel the enchantments on the giants! Don't zap me, though!" Jeevika calls out to her brainy friend in Aklo.
The towering elf then begins to slowly advance into toward the giant mob; the sheer power radiating from the Holy Vindicator is almost... frightening.
Lorthan's icy breath washes over the fire giant, who has nowhere to maneuver to avoid it! Meanwhile, Elthariel's arrows fail to penetrate the defenses of the rune giant.
The subjugated stone and frost giants advance, all of them taking swings at either Lorthan, Zoli, or Jeevika as best they can. However, the seasoned adventurers are able to avoid their assaults entirely!
The cloud giant levels its gaze at Jeevika. While taken a bit aback at her display of power, it still cannot do anything but attack the oracle. It takes three powerful swings with its morningstar at her, the third landing a heavy blow to the elf!
__________
Eugeni casts a spell, erecting a twenty foot tall wall of force to narrow the battlefield for his allies. He then casts another spell using metamagic, and the group feels the familiar rush of a haste spell hit them.
Ryli begins summoning, keeping Olympus in a defensive posture for the moment.
Zoli (invisible, due to her newfound ring, which she activated right before entering) hustles forward, around Jeeves and right between the legs of the Cloud Giant.
She stops in front of a Rune Giant, ready to suprise him if he moves.
[i]I really wish I could make a clever quip here. These Rings of Invisibility are cool, but I can see how it may cramp my style too...[/ooc]
The fire giant and rune giants advance and take swings at Jeevika, but her magical defenses keep her safe for now as the numbers mount against her...
Lorthan casts shield on himself, then moves to stand next to Elthariel so she can climb on his back.
Elthariel quickly finds herself getting very, very nervous about the approaching mob of giants. Unlike Jeevika, she lacks the layers upon layers of protective armor and magic. However, when Lorthan lands next to her, Elthariel quickly sees an out. She rapidly fires several shots at the blue rune giant and then scrambles aboard Lorthan.
Thanks to decades of mounted combat training and experience with Fenrir, despite having no saddle to help her, Elthariel manages to skillfully settle on Lorthan's back in less than a second.
Silently praying that Eugeni is will now start dispelling the rune giants' magic over the smaller ones, Jeevika steps forward and proceeds...
Perhaps if she had been a true paladin, she would have pulled her punches. Shelyn's paladin code is largely the foundation of Jeevika's own morals, and its text advocates being peaceful. However, technically, that peaceful part only obligates Jeevika never to strike first unless acting to protect the innocent.
And her fiery foe had clearly just attacked the Holy Vindicator first, so...
...And "the innocent" has a rather board definition in Jeevika's mind.
In short, Jeevika steps forward and proceeds... to carve up the fire giant chieftain like a Crystalhue turkey.
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As the rune giant thunders past her, Zoli gets in a surprise strike, becoming visible in the process.
"Gotcha!" she smiles.
AC 47
HP 139/139
Luck 19/20
Panache 6/6
Charmed Life 6/6
Luck o’ the Scene 1/1
Lessons of Chaldira 1/1
Lion's HP 69/69
Active effects
Luck +2 to hit, dam, skills, and saves
Stoneskin DR 10/adamantine (150/150)
The rune giant turns and scowls at Zoli's sudden appearance and strike, and winces further at the volley of arrows fired by the elf.
Jeevika cuts the fire giant down in short order as the stone and frost giants to the left are befuddled by the invisible barrier between them and their foes. AFter they try to batter their way through, they notice their kin on their flank do not seem to have similar trouble, and begin moving that direction.
However, almost all of the giants near Jeevika, after seeing her cut down one of their number so efficiently, turn their attacks to her and begin attacking her with all their might. However, her divine defenses continue to keep her safe.
"Hey, running from me already?!?" Zoli taunts the rune giant.
She tries to approach nimbly, but the giant surprises her with a backward slash that she attempts to parry & riposte, despite the giant's massive size.
Zoli then tries to get in a swipe of her own, but finds herself off balance and misses.
___________________________
AC 47
HP 139/139
Luck 17/20
Panache 5/6
Charmed Life 6/6
Luck o’ the Scene 1/1
Lessons of Chaldira 1/1
Lion's HP 69/69
Active effects
Luck +2 to hit, dam, skills, and saves
Stoneskin DR 10/adamantine (150/150)
Ryli finishes her summoning spell (sacrificing earthquake), and greater earth elementals appear, one on each rune giant. They immediately begin hammering at the massive giants as Ryli directs them in Terran.
Then Ryli tells Olympus to attack the rune giant fighting Zoli. The enlarged roc issues a challenging screech, taking to the air and flying over the reach of the smaller giants, flying up and then down toward the oversized rune giant.
As a swift action, Ryli's form grows to that of an allosaurus . She roars and menaces the frost giant getting too close to Lorthan and Elthariel.
Eugeni flies over and drops an area dispel magic on some of the giants.
With Eugeni flying himself to safety, Ryllosaurus stays ready to defend Lorthan and Elthariel if necessary.
As the elementals and Olympus lash out at the Rune Giants, various runes on their bodies flare with each impact, and layers of shielding protect them from the attacks! Also, none of the Giants where Eugeni attempted to dispel magic seem to waver.
The rune giants raise their hands and their runes glow brightly on their bodies a moment, before a wash of energy washes over the field of battle, including over the lesser giants! Olympus is high enough to avoid one of the blasts, and nimbly eludes the second as well. Jeevika, however, is pinned within a horde of giants and has no room to maneuver, and bears the brunt of the entirety of both! She surprisingly still stands, but her knees are weak and she is badly hurt!
__________
"One second, Lorthan," Elthariel asks politely, clearly wanting him to stay grounded until she gets her shots fired.
Seeing that the nearby frost giants greatly weakened by their own allies, the fastest archer in Varisia decides to finish them off. She focuses everything on Blue before moving on to Green should her first foe drop. Once her volley is done, Elthariel lets Lorthan know that she is ready for flight.
"Nice try."
Jeevika smirks and casually casts Heal on herself, completely undoing all the damage she just took!
"Thanks for killing your own allies," the Holy Vindicator snarks in Thassilonian, twirling her sword and taking a step toward the rune giants. "They were getting in the way."
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With a bit more fighting, the Rune Giants fall to the assault of the Rangers. Once felled, the remaining giants begin blinking their eyes as if trying to clear them of an unseen cloud. The cloud giant recovers first, and immediately steps over and crushes the head of the remaining frost giant beneath his massive morningstar. The stone giants offer no shape of opposition to anyone present.
"You have freed me, and in turn my people," says the cloud giant as he looks down to you all. "The Stormreaver Clan has your eternal thanks. However, I must lead what remains of my people from this place before we become slaves once more."
The stone giant chiefs all nod their heads in agreement with this cloud giant chief. It is clear none of them have any desire to stay in Xin Shalast.
Jeevika is relieved that most of the remaining giants are willing to stand down.
"Now will likely be your best chance to leave. Another stone giant by name of Gyukak helped us coordinate this operation. Very soon, he and his agents plan to stage a revolt against those loyal to the Claimer. Their end goal is also to escape Xin-Shalast."
The cloud giant nods and heads out of the building with the stone giant chiefs in tow. They head straight for the giant camp, where you can see some turmoil already underway. However, there is no sign of Gyukak, and a large number of stone giants are missing. The stone giant chiefs are clearly confused by this, but have little time to afford as they join in the fighting against the fire and frost giants who seem more naturally loyal to Karzoug.
As the giant infighting intensified, you suddenly hear the now familiar whooping and whistling warnings from the Skulks. One of them appears and points to the sky briefly before quickly hiding once again. A moment later, the boom of thunder acccompanied by a Draconic roar can be heard as an immense dragon with blue scales flies overhead with several smaller dragons in tow! They unleash blasts of their elemental breaths, fire, lightning, and acid washing over the rebellious giants! Moments later the survivors throw down their weapons and kneel, their cheeks streaked with tears and eyes turned down solemnly in failure to earn their freedom as several more Rune Giants appear and force the various clans back into their control.
While it is clear total freedom was not able to be earned today, the giants numbers have taken a significant hit. The Skulks urge you to quickly follow them back underground, their encouragement punctuated by Rune Giants seemingly getting questions answered by the re-enslaved Chief survivors. The rune giants then relay this data to the dragons, who immediately take flight and turn to start doing low flying circles over the area...
"Hmmmmmmm..." Zoli wonders as she sees the dragons circling overhead. "Do we have any way to contact Gyukak and see where he is and if he's OK? Perhaps a Sending?"
To their Skulk patrons, she asks, "What do you know of where to find Karzoug himself? Do you know any hidden routes that could get us close to him?
"Or are we better off trying to pick off some more rune giants first?"
Ryli's hearts break as she watches the giants' bid for freedom come to a dragon-breath-fueled end.
"I'm happy to kill more rune giants. Or maybe a couple of those dragons," she says softly.
Much like Ryli, Jeevika also appears to be quite heartbroken over the fate of the giants.
"I doubt the Shulks could get us to Karzoug. If I had to guess, he is either still in stasis somewhere in between realities or lurking somewhere in the Pinnacles, which has that kill field surrounding the place," Jeevika reminds Zoli. The Holy Vindicator thinks over their next course of action. "I can try contacting Gyukak to see what happened. As for who we target next, what about that immense blue dragon we saw? I believe the Shulks call him 'Old Blue'?"
"In my old life, I've fought a pair of dragons. If I recall, we'll want to catch it in a close confinement. Otherwise, it'll fly faster than we can keep up."