The glowing net summoned by Naji flys swiftly after the fleeing giant and strikes.
The net latches onto the giant's arm and spins sending blood flying.
Alistair watches as the others take off after the giants. He simply shakes his head and moves forward to search the dead giants left behind.
Fitzroy helps search the downed giants.
If able, Ebixus charges off to strike the closest giant.
If not, he runs as fast as he can to be in position for next round.
Cutie Charges the giant, feet pounding the ground
Karl follows in Cuties path, and shoots in support of her charge
And then shoots on his round
The fleeing giants are quickly hunted down and finished off. One savaged where it lies on the ground and the others harried by arrows and crushed by the vicious horn of Cutie. The last is run down by the temporary giant that is Ebixus, hewn by his massive sword as it flees.
With a quick check of the dead giants revealing nothing of value apart from their sacks you return back to the party hauling the large bags behind you.
"That went a lot more smoothly than i thought it would. These giants cant be the super tough ones, right? More like their mooks and losers,eh?"
Ebixus steps up and helps restrain the downed giant with some ropes.
"Amyone speak their language? Maybe we can put the question to this one?"
Once the party reconvenes back at the stone circle a quick sort through the contents of the bags reveals a strange assortment of items, some of which are still alive.
[1]Hide scraper made from the head of a battleaxe x2
[2]Six pressed, dried hands
[3]Collection of cracked porcelain (worth 100 gp if repaired with mending) x2
[4]Bear trap
[5]Two chunks of obsidian the size of a human’s fist (worth 75 gp each)
[6]Leather satchel filled with shards of broken mirrors x3
[7]Keg of alchemist’s fire (6 flasks’ worth)
[8]One dozen snake eggs, wrapped in moist burlap x2
[9]Amber comb (worth 125 gp)
[10]Three pigs (barely alive)
A search of the pits the giants were laying in shows a small stash tucked away in a corner. This is somewhat more traditional, likely stolen from places these giants have ransacked.
[1]7,000sp
[2]2,000ep (5sp each, total value 1,000gp)
[3]+1 longsword
[4]24 +1 light crossbow bolts
"I can speak the giant tongue." Fitz replies to Ebixus when he asks.
As the group goes through the contents of the giant's bags he asks: "Who keeps a bag of live pigs?"
The trickster pulls out a wand and heals his wounds.
Ha! Dinner
"Does anyone need a magic longsword or crossbow bolts?" Fitz asks.
"It looks like we're having ham and a snake egg omelette for dinner."
"and somebody tie up that giant."
With the giant tied up and dinner cooking you stare out over the last piece of the plains before you reach the mountains looming overhead. Breaking here for the night means that your party would reach the mountains early in the afternoon while it is still light reducing the risk somewhat while you become accustomed to the terrain.
"Well that fight went a lot easier than I thought it might. Are these giants just weaklings and losers? I always heard they were quite the dangerous foe, but this one and his pals went down like soft butter."
Fitzroy asks the giant:
"If you tell us who your chieftain is and where he dwells, we will let you live."
Alistair keeps his ears perked during the questioning of the giant, but also seem to take no real interest in what the beast might have to say.
After waking the giant you begin questioning him, quickly discovering that saving it's own skin seems more important than any loyalty it may posses.
"Me tell you, you let me go? Then me tell. Boss in Nosnra. Boss lives in Steading with all strongest giants. Steading that way."
With that he points to the south-south-west, a little of the path you are taking into the mountains.
"Takes giant 3 days to reach Steading, little people with short legs take longer. Me tell you, you let me go. Yes?"
Fitz tells the others:
"He says the giant chieftain is in a Steading. He says it's south-south-west of here. Three days walk for him, more for us."
Then he asks:
"What else do we want to know?"
Alistair walks towards the giant and, in the creatures own tongue asks,
"Who is behind this uprising? Who does this 'Nosnra' take his orders from? Tell us all you know and maybe you will be set free!"
"How many giants, and what type are they? And do they have any spellcasters or alchemists or the like?"
"Not know if boss have big boss. Don't know how many giants, more than fingers and toes. You let me go now, me tell. You let me go." The giant is starting to become more agitated and louder the longer he speaks until his last words are nearly shouted.
"You said let me go!"
"I did tell him we would let him go if he answered our questions." Fitz says as the giant becomes agitated.
"Release him or slay him, I dont care one way or the other. If he runs to the others they may do our job for us, as a reward for his weakness and cowardice."
Ebixus stands back and draws his sword, ready for betrayal from the giant.
Let him go. But tell him Cutie will rend him if we ever see him again
To the giant:
"Look here you over-sized bandit. I want you to know that the small folk are coming for revenge and that if we see you again we'll make sure you die."
He points to Cutie:
"That beast over there has chased down and killed a dozen giants on it's own. It's master will set it on you and the last thing you ever see will be that horn and those hooves trampling you down."
"Now go! Back into hills and trouble the small folk no more!"
Then he draws his dagger, cuts the giant's bonds, and steps back.
The giant scowls at the puny elf threatening him, but glances at the others standing around looking threatening him. Deciding discretion is the better part of valor it bravely retreats with it's tail between it's legs.
"It sounds as if we have a clearer direction for our investigation now."
"Should we make camp and start south-south-west tomorrow?"
"I think that makes sense. We can keep a close eye out for more dumb giants on the way."
Let's keep going. We have a kingdom to save, and giants to kill
Karl leads off, Cutie at his side.
Leaving the ruins behind you, your party continues through the plains heading for the mountains that are becoming ever closer. You camp one more night on the plains before reaching the foothills of the mountains. From here the terrain is more treacherous, as well as being inhabited with creatures more dangerous than what lives on the plains.
From your interrogation of the hill giant it seems it will take another 2-3 days of travel south through the Jotuns to reach the area the hill giant "big boss" resides.
"Seems were deep in hostile country now, lads. Be on the lookout and we will kill anything that looks sideways at us. Just like that last ambush, right?"
Ebixus travels with a javelin loosely held, trying to scan for trouble from any direction.
Fitz follows Karl into the mountains.
Remounting his phantom steed, Alistair rides along with the others, deep in thought, but still aware enough to keep watch about them.
Dolgrym marches along and nods to Ebixus. "We'll kill anything that causes us trouble."
As the party ascends, Kari breaks out his cold weather gear against the temperature drop from altitude.
"Keep a sharp eye out." Fitz warns.
"Plenty of hiding places once we get further into the mountains."
(+1 for traps)