Pavo and Talia approach the wagon, Pavo investigating the wagon itself while Talia climbs up onto it. Pavo finds several large barrels and bags full of raw trade goods, such as iron, grain, apples, planks, and rope.
Talia squints and looks around. After scanning for a minute, she can see it -- in the distance, up in the hills, a chimney with smoke rising from it. Near the chimney is a bald hilltop it would be convenient to hurl boulders from. It looks like it'll take about ten minutes to hike up there, but it's just a simple uphill walk.
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Casamir wakes up late, performing his morning prayers to Lalaci and preparing his spells for the day. He buys a simple breakfast, savoring it with his usual gusto. His stomach drops after he realizes that he's completely forgotten about leaving for the hill giant, and he slings his pack onto his shoulder and heads out.
He hustles as best he can, catching up to the party just before they reach the destroyed wagon, "Ah, good to see you all. My apologies for the lateness. Rest got the better of me, for good or for ill. How goes the search for the giant?"
"Up the hill, over where Talia saw the smoke. I bet that's where we'll find our giant."
Tanu gets done staring at the wall to find that the others had left without him. He quickly heads out and catches up to them on the road.
"Seems like a reasonable assumption" Tanu agrees.
While Pavo searches, Tanu and Casamir hear the grass rustle. Something approaches at a running pace! Any suspicions are quickly allayed when out from the tall grasses beside the road bursts a small child, gasping for breath and eyes wide with fear and excitement. As he gets closer he cries aloud, "Thank Pharasma!"
Tanu and Nisha turn immediately to the charging child, at first ready to deal with a new potential threat, but the knight quickly lifts his lance and looks on with concern. "Who are you, child, and what has got you so worked up?"
The child jumps back in alarm when Tanu levels his lance. He hesitates for a moment, and then asks, "My master's wagon was attacked. In the chaos, I... I lost track of him. I've been waiting for hours and hours, not knowing which way to go!"
"Be wary of him. I know a devil works in this vale, the situation may not be as it appears "
Pavo turns as the child approaches, bow in hand but arrow not on the string. Yet.
"Speak, child. Who is your master and where did you travel from?"
He seems like a normal, scared human child.
The child's lip starts to tremble with fear, and he takes a couple of steps back. "I... I traveled from Korvosa with Arle Tannerson. Are.
.. are you not here to save me?"
"We came to seek and destroy a giant threat. The same one which slew your master's horse, I'd imagine. This area is not safe, and certainly not pacified enough for children."
Pavo looks the boy over, then turns his attention back up the hill.
"Will the monster react to speech? Or do we simply go and slay it?"
He asks the rest of the group.
"The bounty was for it's head, was it not? In that case, we might as well make the approach and slay it."
The little boy shudders with fear. "I have seen it, masters. It walks around all day, collecting roots and tubers. Then it walks back up to its house. I've been hiding in trees, trying to avoid it."
Tanu looks at the scared child with obvious concern. "We will make sure you get to safety. Do you know if the giant is in the house now?"
The little boy shakes his head mutely.
"I don't know, perhaps it could be persuaded to serve our cause? If it can be made to understand it's place in our new land, maybe we could harness it's strength and size as a tool for building the civilization. I don't think a giant is a mindless monster of destruction, if we can leash the thing, maybe we can profit from it alive."
Pavo starts to move up the hill, trying to keep some amount of cover in reach as he does.
"I don't know, Wulfgar. In my experience, strong does need a bit of convincing before they agree to similar terms. Perhaps if we offer a deal, then beat the tar out of the giant, and offer it surrender for said terms, it might work. I don't know enough about these giants to tell you if that would work. Of course, we could always simply slay it and drag the head back for the bounty."
As the boy talks, Talia is silent. She watches him carefully, looking for mannerisms not quite human. The boy's story was just plausible enough to not be unbelievable, but the news of a devil about was worrying. And even without the devil, Talia had no doubt that there were denizens of this valley - fey perhaps - that could appear human if they wished.
Still, the once-playwright was an astute student of the human condition, and she trusted that she would see some slip-up if the creature were something else than it appeared.
The boy refuses to stay behind and follows along with the group, at a distance if anyone says anything to him about how he should stay behind. He says, "Don't just leave me alone out here! I don't know the way back!" Talia can't discern any deception or double-speak from him at all. He honestly just seems like a scared little kid.
The party sets out up the hills. Once it gets to within a hundred feet of the hilltop, a small wood cottage with slightly shoddy craftsmanship resolves in your field of vision. The party is approaching openly, and so it's only a few moments until the giant within spots them and comes out to confront the group. The hill giant is about twelve feet tall. He is proud and muscular, and bears a braided beard. He wears stone armor and carries axes made from carved boulders attached to sapling trees.
He points an axe at the party. In Giant, he shouts, "Gå væk ellers kæmper jeg med dig!"
"If what I've heard over the years is true, many of the giants that get into banditry are as dim as they come. Hells, the big thing might not even know Taldan. I say we try to talk if we can, and if not, we fight."
The giant scoffs at Wulfgar's words. He snorts and then spits on the ground in front of him. "Stop med at forsvare mit hus mod folk, der ikke er velkomne? Ingen."
He looks Wulfgar up and down, sizing the Ulfen man up for a moment before adding, "Du tror du kan stoppe mig, du skal bare prøve, lille."
"You think you can stop me, you just go ahead and try, tiny."
Talia holds her hand flat behind her, a nonverbal cue to Kyle to stay put. Stepping forward, Talia gestures to the giant's cabin.
"Du har et dejligt hjem og enhver ret til at beskytte det, hvis du føler dig truet. Men er det, hvad der sker? Truer disse rejsende, som du regner, på dig? Jeg formoder ikke. At dræbe rejsende i nærheden beskytter ikke, det provokerer. Der kommer flere af vores slags. Tusinder mere. Hvis du vil være alene, kan vi respektere det. Måske er der en måde, du kan arbejde sammen med os på. Hold øje med denne vejstrækning og blive betalt med en vejafgift fra forbipasserende rejsende?"
"Maybe I was right? The creature can be convinced to serve his betters and aid our fledgling civilization here. It could certainly use an improved living situation, if nothing else."
Pavo stays near Wulfgar,bow in hand but not threatening to the giant
The giant considers Talia's words carefully. Crouching down, he lays his wrists across his knees and lets his axes rest propped between the ground and his legs. He grunts a single laugh when Talia finishes her speech. He seems more relaxed now, certainly ready to negotiate without violence. He responds in Giant, "Mennesker forlader aldrig alene. Hvilken magt har du til at love, at jeg er alene? Giv mig løftet om den ansvarlige, så er jeg enig."
Tanu sits quietly astride Nisha, flag-laden lance in a vertical position, watching the exchange with interest. However, not speaking Giant, he is completely unaware of what is actually transpiring. Instead, he watches the body language of the giant, and notices when it relaxes. First the drakes, now the giant... I really need to pick up some extra languages...
"I don't know what you said, Talia, but it seems to have worked. Keep it up, and we may have a powerful asset in our portfolio."
Pavo remains wary of the giant, bow loosely held. He makes no threatening features, hoping the diplomacy will win the day.
"Hey, that's good. No-one got hurt, and we can collect the bounty in good faith. And if someone tries to invade along this route, they'll have to contend with the giant. Well done."
Talia nods, giving Wulfgar an appreciative smile for translating as she talks. Turning back to the giant, she continues. "Vi vil give et løfte fra vores kommandør om, at du skal være alene. Vi vil bede hans soldater om at placere skilte med det samme også på stien - enhver rejsende bliver bedt om at holde sig væk fra dit hus , og nægtelse af at gøre det vil være grunden til, at du handler i dit forsvar. I mellemtiden skal du afstå fra at dræbe nogen, der kommer forbi dit hus - det vil tage tid at oprette dette. God tro fra din side ville være velkommen. Og sidst, må jeg spørge, hvad er dit navn? Jeg er Talia."
Talia then points to each of her companions in turn. "Wulfgar. Pavo. Tanu. Casamir. Der er også en kvinde, vi har rejst med, Portia, som ikke er med os i dag."
Pausing, Talia snaps her fingers, as if something else has just occurred to her. "Der er noget andet, nu når jeg tænker på det. Har du set ilddragerne, der flyver over hovedet? De tjener en Varrask. Kender du dem? Hvad er de? Hvor er de?"
Talia then points to each of her companions in turn. "Wulfgar. Pavo. Tanu. Casamir. There's a woman we've traveled with as well, Portia, who is not with us today."
Pausing, Talia snaps her fingers, as if something else has just occurred to her. "There is something else, now that I think of it. Have you seen the fire drakes that fly overhead? They serve one Varrask. Do you know them? What are they? Where are they?"
Turning to the others, Talia translates the conversation as the giant responds. "Do you have any questions for our friend?"
"Should we go back to Fort Thorn? Take the child with us, and talk with Tolgrith?"
"Not a question,but a warning. If the giant encounters a tall, gaunt fiend with a bony exoskeleton and a glaive, kill it as soon as possible. A bone devil is about, and may prove a challenge even for a monster such as itself."
Casamir gives an amicable wave to the giant, pleased at the peaceful resolution.
"There is a devil creeping about, isn't there. Well, I for one will be more than glad to wallop it back to the horrid pit it crept out of."
The giant listens to the variety of questions, scratching his head in slight confusion at the volume of information presented. He seems to ignore Pavo's comment about a fiend -- fiends are to be avoided, and it was complete nonsense of Pavo to ask the giant to kill it immediately. After all, if Pavo fails to be the one to strike the killing blow, he would never be made a Hellknight.
At the mention of Vardak, the giant's eyes darken. When he responds, it's with a safe warning of his own. "Vardak. Den onde troldmand har boet i de fjerne bjerge i årevis. Bedst at undgå ham."
When Talia mentions her willingness to advocate for him with Tolgrith, he brightens up a bit. He gives his final verdict, "Jeg tror, det kræver reel snak for denne aftale. Mennesker og giganter kommer ikke godt overens. Men jeg er enig. Hvis jeg har denne bakke, og jeg kommer til at opkræve vejafgift, så stopper jeg med at dræbe rejsende."
He smiles, sure in the security of his own situation. Meanwhile, the boy Kyle nods to Wulfgar. "Sorry sir. Didn't want to stay here alone in the forest any longer. I'd really like to head back to the fort now, yeah."
"Evil sorcerer, dragons that rob, and a bone devil on the loose. This place requires much pacification. By the way, if anyone knows details about a bone devil, especially if it has any weaknesses, I'm all ears."
Tanu simply shakes his head at Pavo's question, wheels Nisha around, and begins heading back with the others.
Talia's eyes gleam, a small smile crosses her face. Pavo's idea to parley with the giant had already proved valuable. Hopefully Tolgrith would see the value in a partnership with the giant. And if not, then Talia would make sure his death was swift. Giving the giant a nod, Wulfgar's words sufficing, Talia starts with the others, telling the rousing tale of Brannigan's Band, a story of doomed bravery in the face of a red dragon's assault during the time of Brevoy's founding.
----
At the mention of devils, Talia's brow furrows. "I know nothing of their kind, unfortunately. Perhaps someone at Fort Thorn knows of them?"
Satisfied with their parley, the party turns back around and marches along the road back to the Fort. Kyle is cautiously overjoyed when Wulfgar lifts him into the air, and stays there as long as the Ulfen cleric allows.
It is a windy evening when the party returns to the Fort. Workers and soldiers are returning from work on the road through the forest, tired and harried. Tolgrith is up and about from his day in bed-rest, though he still shows minor sign of injury. Pavo can see Alcazar standing atop one tower, arms crossed, his face hidden behind a steel mask.
Tolgrith greets the party as they arrive with a wave and a tight smile. "I see you've returned from hunting the giant unharmed. I take it the hunt went well, then? Do you have proof of the monster's demise?"
Upon their return, Pavo approaches his commander. Standing next to the signifier, he waits to be recognized.
"Sir, the Skald managed to talk the giant round. I believe it will be on th side of our populace going forward. No sign yet of the devil, but I am vigilant for it's appearance."@
Tolgrith's nose crumples. The signifer is atop a watchtower nearby, and not standing in the square with the others. "What do you mean, devil? And what do you mean, talked around? Did you offer it some sort of payment?"
As the party approaches the Fort, Talia uses prestidigitation to clean herself from the dirt of the road, and then uses more powerful magics to increase her charisma. Walking through the gates, Talia takes a deep breath, the thought crossing her mind that convincing the giant may have been the easiest part of the negotiation. Still, the great legends of Brevoy got nowhere by timidity. If this gambit worked, she was confident there names would one day be spoken across the Vale. Striding to Tolgrith, she gives the commander a respectful nod and affects an air of confidence.
"We have something better than proof. We have the creature's cooperation. He's already provided some valuable intelligence. We know that there's a powerful sorcerer named Varrask that lives in the mountains. That he's a powerful sorcerer and his general location is information provided by our new ally."
"I believe that he can be a stabilizing presence along these roads, providing additional security. All he wishes in return is for his hill to be left alone and for a small toll to be paid by merchants and travelers passing through." Talia waves a hand, dismissive. "I think a silver would suffice - what use does a giant have for money, after all? And of course, we'd need to provide confirmation that he won't be attacked, and won't attack travelers in return."
"A strong ally, properly incentivized, can bolster the roadways and provide more information about the threats we have yet to uncover. And in the future, when there's another town at the other end of the Vale, merchants and travelers will pass through the Vale for the opportunity to pay the giant's toll."
"In the meantime, we implore you to see this out. Let the giant have the opportunity to prove his worth. The benefits to our mission, in terms of knowledge of the Vale alone, are worth the risk."
Talia clears her throat, never taking her eyes from Tolgrith. "And if he proves a troublesome ally..." Talia taps the blade of her poleaxe.
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Tanu nods quickly in support. "She has the right of it, sir. The hill giant was defensive of his home, but otherwise cooperative. He was also very wary of this drake lord, and we have already seen how dangerous the drakes can be. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, sir. Sometimes the fiercest enemy can become the most valuable ally."
"I don't know how much you know of the Orders of Hellknights,but one of the primary objectives we have is to contain and control Hell. And here on Golarion, that means controlling devils,for the most part. I was advised that a bone devil is on the loose in this vale, causing mayhem and destruction as it wants, and I am tasked with defeating that fiend. Unfortunately, I know little of the details about devils and their abilities, just the broad strokes and generalities. This, my questions and warnings.