GM Zero/GL's Giantslayer! (Inactive)

Game Master GM_Grandlounge

Lidia comes over to where Ulretha has found the door.

GM, is the door giant sized?

"What's that smell?" she asks the gnoll as she pokes at the door with the end of her bow.

Thyste rolls her eyes. "If it were Gorum, they wouldn't bother with walls. This'd just be a big gladiator pit. Maybe some spikes along the edges, if you're lucky."

She accompanies the group up to the statue, naturally!

"I can see the renovations, already!" Ulretha replies to Thyste's suggestions.

It's hard to see past her buckler, but Thyste's little fingers pinch the bridge of her nose.

The shield does nothing to obscure her groan, however.

"I've met Erastilites who were less obnoxious," she groans.

"So, is that some sort of giant god? I thought it was supposed to be a dwarf cathedral." says Lidia as she points to the huge stone giant statue at the top of the altar. "Hopefully there aren't a whole bunch of giant priests or giant monks hanging around in here. Or giant nuns."

Her eyes flit unconsciously to Thyste, then she quickly recovers and does a quick scan of the whole nave before looking down at Esmé, who is staring curiously up at her.

"C'mon, let's open this door and sees what they've got hidden under their altar."

True to herself, Thyste can't help but bite her lip a little.

"Oh, don't mind me. Just remembering some bad habits."

*rimshot*

Ben, who is still leaning over the edge of the railing from upstairs, calls out,

"Do you want me to check out these sacks first? They are probably just giant junk, but you never know."

*caught and dunked*

"Do you want me to check out these sacks first? They are probably just giant junk, but you never know."

"Nah, we're here to kill giants. We need to keep moving. It's not like we'll be able to carry big sacks of stuff out of here anyway. And I'm sure it's exactly what it looks like. Leave it to these hobo giants to use a big glorious cathedral as a warehouse for their booze and trash." Lidia says back to Ben.

Ben shrugs and heads back down to join the others at the statue.

"Well, let's get on with it then. How do you open this thing?"

Lidia comes over to where Ulretha has found the door.

GM, is the door giant sized?

"What's that smell?" she asks the gnoll as she pokes at the door with the end of her bow.

Yes kind of. The door is about eight and a half feet tall a stooped giant or some of the smaller trolls can get through. You all fit easily.

"Bet this is Minderhal, smart and wiser than any of his kin. This is his forge a place said to have crafted the most terrifying weapons Dwarves have ever faced."

You press on the door in several places eventually it swings open with the ease of perfect count weight. It is nearly silent opening and closing. As it opens however hear a voice say softly with a command that seems to enhance the echoes "Welcome."

"Bet this is Minderhal, smart and wiser than any of his kin. This is his forge a place said to have crafted the most terrifying weapons Dwarves have ever faced."

"He made razors?" asks Thyste, stroking her jawline.

"He made razors?" asks Thyste, stroking her jawline.

"The most terrifying weapons dwarf faces have ever faced," Ulretha adds.

"Let us go see if he left anything behind that is terrifying to a giant's face."

He passes through the door and into the beyond.

"Shh! Didn't you hear that voice? Someone's down there. Or a ghost maybe." says Lidia intently as she peers down past the dark opening.

"Let us go see if he left anything behind that is terrifying to a giant's face."

"Ah-- mirrors."

Ben rolls his eyes.

It never ends with these guys!

"I heard it too. The voice said 'welcome', though why am I not reassured. Still, we need to check it out."

The team makes their way down the stairs and is met by an ancient stoop giantess. "No doubt you came here for war, but will you hear an old woman out before you do?"

Before any of the troublemakers can chime in, Ben responds with a loud and friendly, "Of course! We are always willing to talk first."

What's a "stoop giantess"? Is that anything like Stoop Kid?

Ulretha sees no challenge in fighting an old, stooped crone of a giantess and he is no longer one for slaughter thanks to the enlightenment he's received from Gorum.

He lowers Gorum's Thorn and nods.

"You may speak," he agrees with Ben.

Lidia narrows her eyes, suspecting that the giantess might try to trick them or use a spell of some sort. Her bow is still in her hands, arrow nocked, though pointed at the ground for now. She listens warily.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Stooping, apologies.

"Hello. My name is Etena and it has been so very long since I have had anyone for tea. I know. I know. It sounds like I'm going to make you into tea. I assure you that is not my intention." she puts out several cups that are nearly salad bowls for you. "hmmmm this is not ideal. But I have not entertained small folk for a very long time."

Once you have all settled somewhere, albeit comfortable or on guard, she begins, "“I am Keeper of the Forge. I inherited my position from those who walked this world before me, and those before them. I am the guardian of the sacred forge, but I am not its creator. Were that the case, I would have long ago renewed its fire, but this task is beyond my ability. You, however—you, the bearers of the Hammer of Unmaking—you have the power to relight the forge. But first, you must have questions for me.”

Lidia, so for malice or deceit.

"Well, if it is not working, what do these giants do with it? What was it's original intent?"

Lidia, so for malice or deceit.

I don't understand this.

GM_Grandlounge wrote:

Lidia, so for malice or deceit.

I don't understand this.

Typo. He meant 'no' to malice or deceit when you did your sense motive.

"Where is the forge? Is it that altar up above us or is it somewhere else?" Ulretha asks.

His mouth isn't really made for sipping, so the large bowl works better and he laps up a few tongue fulls over the tea after asking each of his question.

"Agrimosh is this 'Hammer of Unmaking?'"

"What's so great about this forge? Why would we want to light it?"

GM_Grandlounge wrote:

Lidia, so for malice or deceit.

I don't understand this.

Sorry all, I have not slept well in a week. It's not playing well with the dyslexia and proofreading. There are some extenuating circumstances on my end.

Lidia, there is no detectable malice or deceit.

"Where is the forge? Is it that altar up above us or is it somewhere else?" Ulretha asks.

His mouth isn't really made for sipping, so the large bowl works better and he laps up a few tongue fulls over the tea after asking each of his question.

"Agrimosh is this 'Hammer of Unmaking?'"

"What's so great about this forge? Why would we want to light it?"

"Wise Gnoll, you are right that the forge and the alter are the same. Yes, Agromsh is the hammer of unmaking. The forge is a powerful magical relic. It..... she describes the powers of the forge as she knows them.

Minderhal’s Forge appears to be a giant stone blacksmithing
forge and huge iron anvil set atop a basalt platform that
rises from a pit of slag. First and foremost, Minderhal’s Forge
functions as an altar of Minderhal Any
creature (not just a worshiper of Minderhal) can pray at the
altar, though accepting the altar’s blessing is both an evil and
lawful act. Praying at the altar grants a +2 circumstance bonus
on Craft and Sense Motive checks, or one of the following
weapon special abilities (creature’s choice) to one magic
weapon carried or wielded by the creature: axiomatic or
unholy. This effect is suppressed if the weapon leaves the
creature’s grasp, but resumes if the weapon is returned to
the creature.
Minderhal’s Forge is also a fully working forge. Any creature
using the forge can create magic weapons, armor, or shields
as if it possessed the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat. If
the creature already has that feat, the forge grants a +5
circumstance bonus on the Craft check needed to create a
magic weapon, armor, or shields. Crafting any sort of item,
whether magical or otherwise, using Minderhal’s Forge takes
half the normal amount of time.
In addition, Minderhal’s Forge has 10 charges, which renew
at the beginning of each day. A creature using Minderhal’s Forge
can expend the listed number of charges to activate one of the
following spell-like abilities as a full-round action, which can
affect targets within 10 feet of the forge.
• Bull’s strength (1 charge)
• Magic weapon (1 charge)
• Make whole (1 charge)
• Fabricate (3 charges)
• Major creation (3 charges)
• Stone shape (3 charges)
• Stoneskin (3 charges)
• Iron body (5 charges)
• Stone to flesh (5 charges)
Lastly, Minderhal’s Forge can be used in conjunction with
Agrimmosh, the Hammer of Unmaking to resize armor and
weapons. When a weapon, suit of armor, or shield is placed in
Minderhal’s Forge and struck with Agrimmosh, the equipment
permanently resizes to match the size of Agrimmosh’s wielder.
This power is so strong that magic or even intelligent items
are always affected; only artifacts receive a saving throw (Will
DC 25 negates) to resist this effect.

"That is all well and good, and if I could carry the thing somewhere safe before I fixed it, I would. But why would we fix the thing just to leave it in the hands of a bunch of rampaging evil giants?"

Who want to enslave or eat us. Not that our own party doesn't have similar problems at times.

"THAT is my question."

"That's why the Storm Tyrant wanted this hammer in first place." says Lidia in sudden realization. "I never understood it before. It's a nice weapon, but not worth sending armies after. But once they got it, they could use it with this forge to equip everyone in their armies with magical armor and weapons."

"But since they don't have it, everyone is just sitting around here waiting. And the bands of giants are roving the countryside looking for it."

"Etena, what's your relation to all this army of giants? Are you helping the Storm Tyrant? Do you want him to succeed?"

"We don't leave it in the hands of a bunch of rampaging evil giants. We repair it and lead an army of giants armed with magic armor and weapons against an army of giants who are not armed with magic armor and weapons," Ulretha declares.

Thyste raises her eyebrow.

"I do like that plan. I could be their queen."

"Why would giants follow us? The hammer and anvil don't give us the power to control them, and giants despise small folk like us. They'd mostly likely try and kill us and take the hammer at the first opportunity."

"At any rate, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Unless I'm mistaken, the fire of this anvil is out anyway, and we have a mission to kill the giant leadership in this cathedral. We can work out your mad visions of Gorum's conquest later."

But why would we fix the thing just to leave it in the hands of a bunch of rampaging evil giants?"

"I would not do that if I were you. I would kill the leaders here and then light the forge as a show of strength. The giants here are religious. They will see you as having their god's blessing. They will scatter."

Etena, what's your relation to all this army of giants?

"I think they are useless. They has become too stupid and brutish to worship correctly"

"Why would giants follow us?"

"I don't think they will. If you pick a small group you may be able get them to follow you. The devoted Scrags are very religious. They may follow you as a religious figure but not a Queen. You would have to convince them you served the Tyrant King but they would attack and kill other giants to prove their power."

?So we light the forge, causing all the giants to gasp in awe and flee? Maybe. Not interested in being followed."

Ben closes his eyes and shakes his head at the thought of a pack of giants following him around.

"Got to tell you, I'm thinking it is worth a try. I mean our other option is to rampage through the place and either kill them all or get killed. Same result in the end. Either we win and the giants are gone, or we lose and they have the forge. Ulretha here would probably prefer the more violent solution though."

Lidia nods in approval as the giantess disavows the giant interlopers.

"First things first. We need to take out the giant leadership in this cathedral. That's why we came." says Lidia.

"Etena, do you know anything about who's in this place? Who's the leader here?"

Grandma wakes up from her nap!

"Whaaat?? Of course we have to take out the giant bosses! I want to kill them for what they did to my family!!!" she says nodding to Lidia.

Ulretha shrugs. "I don't mind supporting Thyste as a tiny goddess so long as she doesn't expect me to bow to her.

"I'm also as willing to fight all the giants as just the leaders or just hack this forge into pieces. If they're here because it's a religious icon, I can show them the power of Gorum."

Thyste smirks. "What if I install you as my Champion?" she offers.

"Well, then, sounds like a good clean up before we restart the forge. If you would care to point the way as Lidia asked we could expedite the matter..."

"Well it seems like you all have a good plan. I have one additional favour to ask. There is a girl Ferin who works in the kitchen. She is sweet, she is not a warrior and she just wants to craft. She is naturally gifted at it. Spare her and I will entrust you with another secret. Agree to this and our deal is complete and I will start telling you about the troops here."

"Deal!"

"She doesn't sound worthy of saving but neither does she seem worth fighting. Assuming she does not attack me I will spare her life," Ulretha agrees.

"Is she cute?" asks Thyste, predictably.

"Spare her and I will entrust you with another secret. Agree to this and our deal is complete and I will start telling you about the troops here."

Lidia nods her agreement.

"Is she cute?" asks Thyste, predictably.

"Thyste..." growls Lidia impatiently.

Misunderstanding Lidia's growl, Ben chimes in in agreement, but for his own reasons.

"Lidia is right. Cute is such an ambiguous term and means something different to different creatures, even those of the same type. A giant might appreciate brooding eyebrows, strength, and a thick trunk, whereas a sprite would appreciate litheness and dexterity."

"Is she cute?" asks Thyste, predictably.

"She is beautiful if you like your women on the shorter side barely 9 ft tall that one, but she is strong from smithing."