As the last giant falls Kraygan charges over to Farin’s bloody body. ”Farin! Hold on little guy, don’t ye die on us!” While Jorgan applies healing magic Kraygan applies tears, running down his face and dripping from his beard. ”Say somethin Farin! Give us a sign yer ok!”
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Wren finds several of the same magical auras and items that seem mass produced at the forges for the fire giants within the Volcano here. Though as more rings of cold resistance are found Wren is sure they are getting closer to the higher ranks and the nobility.
- Large +2 HalfPlate (2)
- Large +1 Greatsword (2)
- Potion of CSW (4)
- Large Mwk Full Plate (4)
- Large Mwk Greatsword (4)
- Ring of minor cold resistance (2)
Jorgan rushes to Farin's aid and tends the major wound just in time. Farin looks like he would have only survived a few more seconds at best.
Farin (7/97)
Jorgan (140/159)(Spirit 116/144)
Wren
Kraygan (162/162; DR/3; prot cold 34/60; enlarge)(Haggis 135/144)
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Farin finally starts to sputter and sit up. "What happened? I never even saw it coming... is the fight over already?"
He stands up and brushes off what he can, although he casts a weary eye over his singed and bloody garments. "Going to need to find a tailor when we finish here. Thanks for bringing me back around."
Kraygan gives Farin a dwarven hug that smothers him with beard and probably cracks a few more freshly healed ribs.
”That giant caught ye with a lucky swing. Had me thinkin ye were dead! Oi, I’m glad ter be wrong! Jorgan, beat ‘im with one o’ those wands until he’s right again, and let’s find this princess.”
Jorgan heals himself and Spirit and offers to use the wand on the others if they need extra healing.
Once everyone is feeling better, Jorgan suggests, "Well, should we see what they were guarding so fiercely?"
Kraygan checks the doors to see if they are locked and the giants for any keys. Not necessarily in that order.
”Any magic on ‘em?” He asks of Wren.
Kraygan mounts up, readies his lance, and prepares to charge through the doors.
”Mindful, bah! I’ll show her bloodthirsty.”
After the door has been checked for traps, Jorgan says, "Ok, enough with all this dilly-dallying!" and moves forward to throw the doors open.
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The walls of this oval cavern are carved to resemble a volcanic mountain range, as if it lay in the center of a miniature mountain valley. Flickering flames behind the volcanic calderas give the appearance of flowing lava, and the walls between the peaks are painted to look like looming shadowy mountains. On the northeast end of the floor is a large glyph in the shape of a fanged helmet, inlaid with red and orange tiles. A large brazier stands lit in the center of the room surrounded by four steel chairs. In addition to the wide opening at the northeast end, the gaps between the mountain wall carvings partially conceal three other exits.
Various concealed compartments built into the volcanic facade hold religious implements, such as gongs and drums used in worship services, as well as manacles to secure the sacrifices they burn to ash in the brazier altar. The ceiling in this room soars to nearly 70 feet high, and a small tunnel can be seen at the apex. This old lava tunnel eventually opens into the volcano’s crater and provides venting for this room’s burning brazier.
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Farin hands his wand to Jorgan and feels the magic waves pour over him as his body knits itself back together. Then he uses his wand of heightened awareness.
"This looks like a temple of some sort. Shall we look around?" Even though it is a question, Farin is already starting to poke around the gongs and drums.
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”STOP! WAIT!! WHAT IS THAT!?” Wren says as the glyph is pointed out. The last thing he wants is a bunch of yak prints ruining the sigilry.
He floats forward to examine, but only after he’s sure the leadfoots are safely back and won’t accidentally trigger anything.
He examines the area with Detect Magic.
Know (Arcana)
Spellcraft
Jorgan stares at Wren in horror once he realizes what the wizard is proposing. "You want me to just... sacrifice an innocent animal to set off the ward?" His eyes widen as he lets out an exaggerated breath. "No, elf. No, I don't like that idea."
Luckily Farin volunteers to try his skills at disabling the ward before Jorgan or anyone else has to sacrifice any bunnies to get past.
"Do you think there's anything up there?" Jorgan asks, pointing at the vent in the ceiling. He shrugs and says, "Maybe we can check it out later. Let's check this place guarded by the ward first. Must be something important."
Jorgan will lead the way once Farin confirms that the ward is disabled.
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Farin meticulously adjusts the rune to a much safer one that will not explode on contact. Pleased with his work he taps his foot on it to no effect. Turning he smiles, not only is he good with mechanical traps but he is good with magical ones as well.
The room contains a number of musical instruments—ceremonial items important to the worship of Zursvaater—made from precious metals and covered in gemstones. Included among these is the temple’s copy of Zursvaater’s holy text, Law of the Shield. All together, they are worth 10,000 gp. Also in the room looks to be a large burning brazier that is built into the floor. Jorgan recognizes it as an altar to Zursvaater.
Zursvaater’s faith is simple and direct, and its rules are traditionally inscribed on a steel plate, hence the title the Law of the Shield. The original plate is said to be a powerful artifact that Zursvaater inscribed with his own hand. As the Prince of Steel transformed more stone giant tribes into fire giants, his first priest copied the sacred text onto a more conventional shield for the tribe’s king and queen. It is now a tradition that when a tribe grows too large for its home and some giants leave to found a new tribe, the high priest of the old tribe personally copies the text as a gift to the new tribe’s rulers.
The text itself describes the compact between Zursvaater and the giants who swear their souls to him, and details a few specific prayers, laws of obedience, proper sacrifices, and the god’s plans for conquest. Within those constraints, the giants have free reign to create their own tribal or religious laws. As a result, two distant fire giant settlements may have significantly different regional customs.
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Wren floats into the room, going nearly 40' up in an effort to avoid any more explosions or giant mounds of poop. He looks over the music, coming closer to Mage Hand the book, the Law of the Shield to himself. He thumbs through the book before smiling, placing the book in his 'sack.
"Anyone see a princess in here? Thought they said there was a princess in here...?" Wren asks, looking around. He waits for the dwarvenmoot to gather the wealth by the northwest passage.
"Yaktender? When you're ready, let's scout this way?"
Kraygan digs for nose-gold while Farin and Wren clear the area of hazards. Discovering a particularly impressive nugget, he holds out his finger toward Jorgan.
”Volcano booger!”
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Learning from the last Glyph, Farin is makes this one look like a child's first magic spell and quickly dissipates it in record time.
The group continues on down the narrow hallway.
A dais occupies one end of this chamber, standing before rows of benches. The walls are painted with images of armored fire giants crushing opponents, impaling enemies on spikes, and tearing down human fortifications using rocks or their bare hands, while the burning image of a giant wearing a fanged helm looms in the background. Six doors exit the room, three on the northeast side and three on the southwest side. A large desk and chair sit in the south end of the room.
Kraygan settles into a routine. Ride forth with Farin sitting scattergun on Haggis behind him, Jorgan and Spirit on his six, Wren flying solo above. Stopping at every entrance to let the elf and halfling clear it before moving on again as directed.
Kraygan digs for nose-gold while Farin and Wren clear the area of hazards. Discovering a particularly impressive nugget, he holds out his finger toward Jorgan.
”Volcano booger!”
While the others deal with the powerful magical glyphs, Jorgan bellows out a hearty, "Har, har, har!" as he slaps his knee.
After gathering up the wealth, Jorgan falls in behind Kraygan. He calls out to Wren, "Sure you don't want a ride, elf?" As he says this he reaches back and pats Spirit's behind.
After Wren and Farin check each door, Jorgan follows Kraygan inside.
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In addition to several large drawers full of giant-sized writing implements, clay tablets, copper sheeting, and similar tools for fireproof record keeping, the desk has an old copy of Law of the Shield, the holy text of Zursvaater. This traditional version of Zursvaater’s holy book is presented as a series of steel plates stamped in the Giant language, and is the version of the text that the priests show or lend out to other giants for study, rather than sharing their own personal copies. This text is worth 1,500 gp to a collector.
Farin slowly cracks the door open a couple of inches. The side rooms are private quarters for the priests; each contains a bed, a small table, a chair, and a shrine to Zursvaater—a piece of volcanic stone carved to resemble a fanged helm. Sitting in the chair is a fire giant shrouded in a deep cloak of blue. A large greatsword stays attached to her hip of halfplate armor as she practices a small prayer. As the prayer ceases a shimmering multicolored hue surrounds the giant and she smiles, seemingly pleased. "Zursvaater. He Gives Me Strength"
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+10 if have pair of swords out
Farin reaches into has rust colored bag and pulls forth a small fuzzy ball. He quickly tosses the fuzzy ball into the corner and it unravels.
The ball keeps unfurling until an actual boar reveals itself, snarling and scraping at the corner. The giant priest looks over in absolute confusion as to how the boar got there. "Damned beasts got up through the pens I bet...."
Farin
Kraygan
Jorgan
Wren
----------------------------
Priest
----------------------------
Since it looks a bit cramped in the room, Jorgan holds back to see if the halfling needs any assistance.
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The giant is quickly distracted by the boar and is even more surprised as a pair of blades sink deep into her back, severing a couple tendons near the under arms, then moving on to the thighs. Farin knows exactly where to strike to weaken his foes.
Farin
Kraygan
Jorgan
Wren
----------------------------
Priest (-147; -8 Str; -4 AC; -6 from Farin)
----------------------------
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Round 1, Init 24
Wren readies a Magic Missile should he see the giant casting a spell.
force damage
[ dice]1d20+13+2+1[/dice] to hit; (Haste, Heroism)
[ dice]1d8+3[/dice] magic damage.
[ ooc]Haste (round 3/13): +1 to hit, AC, reflex, attx, yadayadayada. [/ooc]
HP: 85/85
AC: 19 (+4 w/mage armor, if haste then AC 20)
Readied action acid:
[ dice]1d20+12+1[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice]1d6+7[/dice] acid damage.
Effects: mage armor, overland flight, heroism
Right: bow
Left:
Glove: Staff of Frost
Iron Ring: 0/1 used
Rod Lsr Extend: 0/3 used
Rod Lsr Quicken: 2/3 used
Firestorm: 0/3 used
Staff of Frost: 5/10 used
Acid 0/10 used: Acid Dart (1d6+6 acid, 10/day) (Sp) As a standard action, ranged touch deals acid dam vs. foe in 30 ft.
Blip: 0 of 84 5' steps used
12th Level: The bow counts as a +2 Adaptive Flaming Composite Longbow. Scorching Ray now only costs 1 charge and replaces the arcane bolt. The fireball spell is now under the effects of the quickened metamagic feat though only for the use of a full attack with the bow itself with the fireball itself counting as one of the attacks.
14th Level: The bow allows the use of summon monster VI for 3 charges to summon fire elementals only. The Fireball spell now only costs 2 charges and is under the effects of the empower metamagic feat. The bows power increases the charges to 5 each day as the rubies themselves begin to grow.
[ dice]1d20+13[/dice] to hit;[/dice]
[ dice]1d8+3[/dice] magic damage.[/dice]
Once he hears the fight begin Kraygan motions for Jorgan to open the door so he can ride in.
”Oi! Ye seen a princess ‘round here? I got somethin ter show her.”
dot
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Jorgan fires his shortbow into the room, trying to maintain the silence as much as possible.
Kraygan dives into the room as Wren prepares a spell to stop the giant from casting anything further. Though with Farin so close and backed into a corner the Fire giant priestess. She turns slamming her fists into the halfling.
GGAARRR!!!"
Far too weakened the priestess succumbs to her wounds as Farin and Kraygan descend down on her, slitting her throat.
”That’s good work.” Kraygan chuckles. ”But I’m confused. Where’d the damn pig come from?”
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Farin finds much the same scene in a couple more rooms and quickly severs the priestess' spine and hamstrings as Kraygan and Wren finish them off with might and magic. The priestess didn't stand a chance against Farin's small stature.
The desk contains several tubes of scrolls for practicing.
- Scroll of cure moderate wounds (9),
- scroll of delay poison, (3)
- scroll of invisibility purge, (3)
- scroll of remove disease, (3)
- scrolls of stone shape (6),
- scroll of cure serious wounds (3)
The priestesses were holding:
- +1 half-plate, (3)
- +1 greatsword, (3)
- cloak of resistance +2, (3)
- headband of alluring charisma +2, (3)
- incense of meditation, (3)
- holy text of Zursvaater, (3)
- 600 gp of powdered diamond
Though in the far northeastern room Farin finds something a bit more interesting. A sacrifice set for Zursvaater himself. Bound, beaten and gagged in the dark corner is a human woman. A battered middle-aged woman slumps on the floor with wild raven hair. Her skin is deeply tanned from a lifetime spent on the road, and she bears several scars on her arms and back. She bears a blue butterfly tattoo on the palm of each hand, as well as various other tattoos of Varisian origin.
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Wren identifies the magics, handing most of the scrolls to Jorgan, and then proceeds to follow the Yaktender Master of Stables and Kraygan.
He definitely offers the cloaks around to those who do not have them. Eventually, he approaches the human.
"Jorgan? Does this one yet live?" Wren asks those who might know better...or care.