Post 339: Dwarfcart Ambush 11 May [18 Flocktime] - rough lands north of the sulfur mining camp
(low 82, high 100; very dry)
Raid on Fort Southwatch
[Play Session 8/26/21 - continued]
Surprise Round
Mathias emerges from around the rocks, runs half the distance to the wagon, and then enmeshes the wagon and all six of the dwarves with sticky strands from his wand of web. The wagon skids to a halt as the wheels are gummed up and the entangled dwarves stop pulling the traces.
Babshapka appears, shouting in Giant, “Don’t move and no one will get hurt!” He has an arrow nocked but does not fire. Willa moves to his side, drawn sword in hand.
Aurora runs out and casts a slow spell on all six of the dwarves, finishing it by yelling in Common, “We can kill you all right now. Surrender!” (DC 17 Wisdom save. Dwarven Commoners 9, 7, 2, 1; all fail. Dwarven veterans 10, 1; both fail. Aurora at 2/3/0/2/2)
Round One
The dwarven veterans struggle to free themselves from the webs, but are held fast (DC17 Dex saves: 14, 3; both fail).
Thokk rides Fraanke up beside the webbed wagon. “Throw down your weapons!” he shouts in Common, and gestures at the ground. Fraanke snarls.
The four dwarves in the traces struggle to free themselves (DC17 Dex saves 19 (success), 11, 10, 0 (three fails). One manages to drop his grip on the rope and stagger out of the webs, but he is still slowed nonetheless.
The two armored dwarves on the seat of the wagon slowly lower their crossbows to the wagon bed. Then all of the dwarves raise their hands as high over their heads as the webs allow them.
The party begins to parlay with the dwarves; fortunately one of them speaks a little bit of accented Common. Asked who they are and what they are doing for the fire giants, he answers that they are subjects of the dwarven Kingdom of Merrovar, led by King Holvorn. Holvorn’s father lost a war with King Snurre - and now the dwarven nation is a tributary state of the giants. They are 'free' to run their lands as they wish - so long as they continue to supply the giants with food, water, metal ores, coal, and sulfur. Since the dwarves have no sources of sulfur in their own lands, they are forced to labor at the sulfur mines on the giants’ land, which is where they are headed.
Babshapka asks what would happen to the giants if the dwarves stopped supplying them. The dwarf says that the giant slag heap ‘Hall’ has no source of its own food or water, so the giants would be crippled if all these shipments were to stop - but their own nation of Merrovar is just one of five different dwarven clans that Snurre has conquered. Furthermore, the giants are tactically-minded, and have a large reserve supply of food and water on hand to withstand sieges or disruptions to supply runs. While the dwarf speaks, Babshapka listens to his intonation as much as his words (Insight 16). He has the sense that the dwarves don’t like the giants at all, but neither do they think that there is anything they can do about the current relationship.
Babshapka asks them where the wagon is bound, and the dwarf says that they are bringing food and water to the sulfur mining camp that lies just south of here. The dwarves supply the giants with raw iron, but the giants use the coal and sulfur to forge it into giant steel.
“If we freed you now…” says Babshapka, drawing the phrase out and judging their reactions, “would you stay and continue to talk to us, or would you run?”
The dwarf snorts. Now that it is apparent that the party is more interested in information than in killing them, his traditional dwarven black humor is emerging. “Rrrun?” he asks. “Whar wuld we rrrun to? We’re in tha middle of a bloody lava plain, if ye hadn’t noticed. Thar be nae coover, nae caves, and nae wa’er fer miles, and ye have a giant woof. Ye have o’erpowered oos, an’ won fairly. We are yer prisoners, right eno'.”
“Is it safe here on the road for now? Are there likely to be giant patrols by here any time soon?”
“Patrols?” the dwarf scoffs. He would spit, but he is too parched from the heat and his mouth too dry. “Tha’s too much work. Tha giants lord it o’er oos and we do thar work far them. They be tyrants, nay soldiers, an’ cer'ainly nay workers.”
The party comes together and begins to speak to one another in hushed voices. Fraanke remains to watch over the dwarves, standing next to the free one, and growls menacingly at any of them that seem to be struggling against the webs. By the time the party has finished speaking, all of the dwarves have freed themselves of the slow spell.
Babshapka addresses all of the dwarves in Giant. “We have much more to speak of, and much we wish to tell you, but we don’t wish to remain exposed out here any more than you do. We will go with you to the mining camp and talk on the way. What is the leadership like there?”
Now that the conversation is in Giant, a different dwarf, one whose beard is longer and more decorated that the other one, answers. If his Giant is as accented as the other's Common, Babshapka's ear is not skilled enough to note it. He says that their clan is the only one currently at the camp - the different subjugated dwarven clans take it in turns to work there and don’t overlap. As with most dwarven projects, the work there is done as a collective - there are elders overseeing it, but they aren’t really ‘leaders’ in the sense of a directing authority. However, he warns the party, there could be giants there - sometimes they come to inspect the operations, arriving unannounced. Since this wagon has just come from the dwarven lands, they don’t know if there are giants there now. As he talks, Mathias causes the webs to fade away.
“What is your clan name?” asks Babshapka, for he knows that this is even more important than the name of their nation or king that they freely gave before.
The dwarf pauses, producing a low rumbling or humming sound that is soon matched by the others. When they are again quiet, he says first Grohtar in Dwarven, and then adds in Giant, ‘Stonebreaker’.
“Very good,” responds Babshapka. “Will you swear on your clan or king that if there are giants there when we get to the camp, that you will not join them in attacking us?”
Now it is the dwarves' turn to huddle, and they confer quickly in Dwarven, which none of the party speaks. When they turn back around, the Giant-speaking dwarf explains, “You have to understand our position. If you fight the giants, and lose, then we will pay the price - ourselves individually, and like as not our clan as well. If there are giants there, and they tell us to attack you, we will do so...or at least we will appear to do so. We can hold back our blows from striking true, and make sure they land only on your armor. A few of you might get a clout or two in the process, but nothing you can't take if you are indeed strong enough to challenge the giants. We will only stand down if it is clear and unquestionable that you are going to win, and none of the giants there can escape to tell the tale.”
“Thank you for your honesty,” says Babshapka - although he is not, in fact, sure that they are being honest (Insight 10). “You said you are bringing in food and water?” The dwarves point out the boxes of food and barrels of water in the back of the wagon. “Can we fill our skins and water our wolf?”
“You are our captors. We can’t stop you. But if there are giants at the mines, they will check our cargo when we arrive. We are allotted a certain amount of water for our crossing the wastes. If we arrive with less, we will be punished.”
Babshapka nods. Despite Willa’s fretting about water, they can wait a while yet. “Stay here - the wolf is watching," he says to the dwarves. We are going to disguise ourselves.”
The party, less Fraanke, withdraw behind the rocks again. Doro casts seeming, attempting to have them all look like the unarmored worker dwarves, except for Babshapka, who becomes one of the armored dwarves with a crossbow. She is satisfied with the results - except for Thokk, who looks overly large for a dwarf and is not convincing (Doro at 4/3/3/2/1).
When they come back out, the dwarves are at first incensed that they would dare imitate the true folk - but then have to grudgingly admit that the disguises are good enough to fool the foolish giants, though not good enough to fool an honest dwarf, obviously. It will certainly get them to the mines. Babshapka and Aurora climb into the wagon. The dwarves pulling it grimace in anticipation of the extra weight but say nothing. The rest of the party walks behind. Tina and Fraanke are told to stay where they are - even Thokk can see the value in not tipping off the giants of the party’s approach, and Doro’s seeming cannot disguise the size or quadrupedal nature of the mounts. Phreeeee is sent on ahead - he circles the building and returns without having seen any giants, although he confirms that there are plenty of dwarves outside.
(12pm)
They pass some 40 minutes in travel to arrive at the sulfur flats. Along the way, Babshapka gets to observe the operations of the driver up close. Whenever the wagon is on a downhill slope he throws a set of levers that appear to act like brakes so that the wagon doesn’t overtake the dwarves hauling it. In reality, the gears connect the axles to a set of high-compression steel springs in the gearbox. All the way down the hill the momentum of the wagon is dampened, and stored in the torsion of the springs. They travel the flats in 'neutral', but when they reach a steep uphill part, moving other levers releases the springs, and in doing so aids the dwarves in moving the wagon, as the force of the released compression is transferred to the wheels to drive the wagon forward. It is an ingenious mechanism, relying on both higher quality steel and better engineering than humans could produce. Elves, thinks Babshapka, might have the technical skill to produce such a marvel, but would likely lack interest, as the thing itself has utility but no beauty.
Slowly coming into their view as they travel is a large, gray stone building sitting at the edge of a rubble-strewn plain sprinkled with yellow rocks. Dwarves with picks work the yellow rocks, breaking them into smaller chunks, while others fill twin baskets on the ends of yokes and haul them back to the building. There are any number of wagons outside the building.
“If there are giants,” says the dwarf who has been the party’s informant, “they will be on the inside. Usually between one and four - more if Snurre himself is here, which is almost never.”
“We’ve killed three fire giants at once,” says Babshapka. “Four will be harder, but not impossible.” The dwarf tries to hide his stifled exclamation of wonder by examining the winding mechanism of his heavy crossbow and cursing the ash that works its way into the gears. “What usually happens when you arrive with supplies?” Babshapka continues.
“As we approach, the workers outside will move their operations downwind of our wagon. We don’t want their loose sulfur on the wind to contaminate the food and water we are bringing in. We park the wagon near the small entrance, and workers from inside, who aren't covered in sulfur, will come out to help us unload. Unless we are in the middle of an ash-fall; then we will pull the whole wagon into the giant entrance on the other side of the building and unload inside.”
“There’s a giant entrance?”
“Aye - the giants use it since they can’t fit through our door. And our wagons use it during ash-falls.”
“Ash-falls?”
“Aye. When it rains heavy ash from the sky for several days - not like now; this is light. After a few hours breathing in a true ash-fall you’ll be coughing up blood. It won’t kill you though, unless it is actually raining at the same time. When rainwater mixes with an ash-fall, then it will eat your skin off.”
“Have you been here before? What’s inside the building?’
“Aye, most working folk in our clan rotate through here at some point. The building has sleeping and eating quarters for us, storage areas for the sulfur and mining supplies and other equipment.”
“Are there any areas inside you can’t enter?”
“The giants’ sleeping quarters - it takes up a fourth of the building or so.”
“Are there any tunnels that connect this place to Snurre’s Hall?”
“No. This lava rock is very hard, and it would be a major undertaking to make a giant-sized tunnel for that distance.”
By this point they are within bowshot of the building, and the workers around it. No giants are in sight. Babshapka tells the dwarf that when they arrive, he needs all of them to act calmly and naturally. They want to blend in and not draw attention. The interpreter nods and repeats the message in Dwarven to the others. As he is speaking, Doro and Mathias approach the wagon - Doro casts invisibility on herself, Mathias, and, reaching up into the wagon to touch him, Babshapka (cast at 5th level for three targets - Doro at 4/3/3/1/1).
This close to the building, they can see the dwarven entrance - a ramp goes down to a door that would be fully underground if it were not exposed. It appears to be a two- or three-story building, but only the top story is above ground level. There are no windows, at least on the side they are approaching, just bare flat rock walls.
The dwarf continues to speak to Babshapka, although he can no longer see the elf. “As we pull in, the workers should cease their labors and come and ask us about our journey - that is the courteous thing to do. But if giants are at the camp, they will do no more than look up and nod. That lets us know we have company, and saves us all punishment.”
“Why is that?”
“The giants would accuse us of wasting time rather than working. They have no sense of community or respect for one’s fellows. Unbaraz…” The dwarf’s Giant fails him and he falls into Dwarven to express how the giants have no respect for their clanmates, only subservience and loyalty to the most powerful among them; they are Lawful, but have a twisted and corrupted sense of honor. He continues berating them under his breath for the rest of their approach. As they get closer, none of the dwarves working do more than glance their way.
“It looks like you have company, then,” says Babshapka.
“It appears that way. Mind your heads!”
They pull into the yard itself and the dwarf ceases his conversation. This close to the building, the other dwarves don’t even make eye contact with them - all except one elder. The grizzled old dwarf sits on a low platform with a balance scale, moving weights on and off a pan to gauge the amount of sulfur rock the dwarves are bringing in with their baskets. He scowls at the wagon while clenching a pipe in his teeth; he is missing one leg but in its place is an iron peg.
“Will that one cause trouble?” whispers Babshapka.
“There’s not much the elder can do, but he’s certainly not on the side of the giants. I think he might have fought in the war when Snurre beat King Holvorn’s father, but he doesn’t talk about it and it would be impolite to ask.”
“Alright. Do what you normally do.”
The driver and haulers maneuver the wagon near the subterranean ramp. After carefully coiling their traces, the haulers begin to unload the wagon. Aurora (visible but looking like a dwarf) slips off the wagon and begins to message Babshapka and Doro. She has Charlotte appear on the wall of the building and scurry as fast as she can toward the ramp to give them eyes inside. Thokk and Willa, still visible and seeming like (uncharacteristically tall) dwarves, watch the dwarves unloading the wagon and move up in turn to take a barrel between them.
Charlotte moves down the ramp and through an open doorway into a cool, dim space, currently illuminated only by the light from outside. Tall rows of full shelves make the inside look like a warehouse, but further in the back it opens into a dining area. Charlotte notes a fire giant, fully armed and armored, standing near the door.
(Fire giant Perception 14) The fire giant has, by this point, heard the noises of the wagon being unloaded and come to the door to investigate. He cannot easily fit through the dwarven door, but by stooping and leaning out, he can see in front of the ramp to where the first of the haulers are beginning to carry in barrels and boxes. He stands back up inside. All of the inside of the building is one open floor, with the ceiling far above the heads of the dwarves but at a height which would enable even the giant to swing his sword over his head. “Supplies are here and no one is helping?” he shouts, apparently at the dwarves who are sitting at the dining table, mid-meal. “No wonder you are always behind your quotas here, lazy louts!” The dwarves rise hurriedly from the table and begin to move to the door. Mathias, Doro, and Babshapka, all invisible, have by now all slipped inside the building between incoming loads of goods.
Charlotte has by this point reached the dining room herself, and from that vantage point can see into the giants’ chamber - where a fully armored dreadnought stands. Aurora rapidly messages this information to the party.
At this point Thokk and a real dwarf are carrying a barrel past the fire giant near the door. The giant’s eyes narrow as he takes in Thokk’s size (Insight 15). “Well, aren’t you large for a runt?” he asks Thokk mockingly in Giant. “Why, you are practically a giant among dwarves. Perhaps you should come back with us to the Hall.” Thokk doesn’t understand his words, but the mocking tone is clear enough. Thokk grins foolishly and tries to portray himself as mentally impaired, managing to come off quite convincingly (Thokk Performance 16)!
The next ones past the giant are Willa and a real dwarf on either end of a barrel. The giant hooks his thumb at Thokk, still smiling foolishly, and says, “I think your friend has eaten too much sulfur. Har, har, har!” The giant slaps his armored thigh as he laughs at his own joke. Willa decides she is going to enjoy the imminent fight.
The giant turns and strides rapidly toward the dining area, forcing an invisible Doro to dive onto a shelf to avoid being stepped on (Dex save 12 - she is unharmed but will require a round and an action to extract herself). Upon reaching the dining area, the giant demands that two dwarves open one of the boxes that was just brought in. On top of other foodstuffs within is a long coil of sausages, which the giant takes out, squeezing the end between two fingers and lifting the chain into the air, all the way to his mouth. He carefully bites off each sausage in turn as he watches the other boxes and barrels being brought in. “It appears that your supply load was a little light,” he gloats, as he continues to eat what was the dwarves’ ration of food. “You may have to tighten your belts until the next shipment.”
Aurora messages the others to get ready.
[As mentioned in the previous two posts, Snurre's dominion over the local dwarf clans is my invention, and serves to highlight the active tyranny of the Fire Giant King and portend what will befall Sterich should the heroes lose.
Sterich is far away, but after watching the boorish giant at the mining camp bully the dwarves, all the players were quite ready to bring their wrath to the giants.] _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
The history of Snurre's dominion over the local dwarf clans is my invention, as is the desription of the sulfur mine building and environs.
Post 340: Sulfur Mine Fight 11 May [18 Flocktime] - continued - sulfur mining camp
(low 82, high 100; very dry)
Raid on Fort Southwatch
[Play Session 8/26/21 - continued]
Round One
Doro drops her seeming so that the party is revealed as not dwarves; she is confident they will prevail, but if one of the giants gets away she doesn’t want any repercussions from the attack to fall on the dwarves themselves. She then opens with a mind sliver aimed at the sausage-eating a****** (DC17 Int save: Giant 2; fails. 9 psychic damage and -3 to next save before the end of Doro’s next turn), hoping to set him up for Aurora’s polymorph.
Thokk’s face changes from a foolish grin to grimly determined rage as his dwarf-form falls away and he raises his axe to charge the giant. The heavy steel armor turns aside his first blow, but his second finds a weak spot and cuts deep (one hit, 20 damage). The giant curses ‘maug ruga’ under his breath and draws his sword, slashing at Thokk (one hit, 27 damage is 13 after rage). Willa is trying to reach Thokk’s side, but is still too far off to intercept the blow.
The dreadnought looks up at the noise coming from among the shelves in the other half of the building and grunts. He reaches down and gathers up a shield in each hand, then charges across the dining area. With one swat of a shield he flips the table out of his way, scattering the crockery and pinning one dwarf, unconscious, beneath it (Dwarf Str save 5; unconscious from damage, fails first death save critically and has taken two steps closer to death). Two other dwarves are pushed in front of him by his other shield as he plows toward Thokk (Strength saves 21, 20).
Shield Charge wrote:
The giant moves up to 30 feet in a straight line and can move through the space of any creature smaller than Huge. The first time it enters a creature’s space during this move, it makes a fireshield attack against that creature. If the attack hits, the target must also succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or be pushed ahead of the giant for the rest of this move. If a creature fails the save by 5 or more, it is also knocked prone and takes 18 (3d6 + 8 ) bludgeoning damage, or 29 (6d6 + 8 ) bludgeoning damage if it was already prone.
Babshapka moves behind the giant facing Thokk, slicing it with his broadsword (one hit of three attacks but all three hit with advantage from Thokk, 19 damage, total 39). Willa draws her frost brand and joins the fray (one hit, but two with advantage from Thokk, 14 slashing plus 9 cold, total 62).
Aurora brings up the targeting scope of her blaster rifle and selects the dreadnought. With a FWOOM! that rattles the shelves, a blast of disruption energy streaks forth and slams into one of his shields, disintegrating it (dreadnought’s AC drops from 21 to 16) and knocking the giant senseless to the ground (DC13 Dex save, Giant 12; fails, 30 points damage and unconscious for 1 round). He lands where Mathias can see. Mathias sends a mind sliver at the unconscious brute (DC 16 Int save, Giant 0; fail, 6 damage, total 36, -4 to next save made before the end of Mathias’ next turn).
Round Two
The dwarves near both exits bolt and run, while those in the kitchen attempt to move the heavy table off their clanmate (unconscious dwarf makes second death save (19); now at two fails and one success). The ones that had been pinned to the dreadnought’s now-disintegrated shield pick themselves up and attempt to move past Aurora, giving her as wide a berth as the narrow space between shelves permits.
Willa continues her assault on the standing giant (two hits with advantage, 29 damage, total 91).
Aurora leaves her targeting screen up but pulls out her wand of polymorph and points it at the unconscious dreadnought. “Metamorph - slug!” she calls (DC15 Wis save; Giant 10-4 = 6; fails). The thin beam strikes the giant - and he rapidly shrinks down, body, plate armor, helm and shield, and becomes a fat, dark slug on the dark stone floor of the building. “Don’t step on it!” Aurora shrieks.
The encounter has turned against him far quicker than the remaining giant can process, and he still thinks swinging his sword again at Thokk is a good idea - Willa steps forward, her frost band absorbing some of the blow. Thokk is still hit, though not as bad as he would otherwise have been (one hit, 29 damage, Willa intercepts 8, Thokk takes 20, but 10 after rage). The giant’s second strike goes wide and gets stuck among the boxes and shelves over Thokk’k head (critical fail on attack roll), but he eventually pulls the blade free (Dex save 21).
Doro and Mathias shoot at the giant from afar (three hits between them, 20 damage, total 101) while Thokk and Babshapka continue their ground assault (four hits between them, one critical, total 36, giant has taken 137).
Round Three
Babshapka presses his attack (two hits with advantage, 12 points, giant has taken 149), as does Thokk. Thokk sweeps his axe two handed, breaking through the chain that guards the knee articulation and burying the blade in the giant’s leg (first hit, 13 damage, giant has taken 162 and is at 0). The giant’s face twists in pain as he loses consciousness and crashes to the floor, spilling forth boxes from the shelves in his fall. Thokk wrenches his axe free as he avoids the giant’s slow fall, then raises his axe over his head to bring it down again, now cutting halfway through the giant’s exposed leg (second hit with advantage, automatic critical causes two failed death saves to giant). Willa steps up, pushing with her foot to lift the back of the giant’s helmet up and expose his neck. She plunges her frost blade completely through his neck until the tip of the blade grinds against the stone floor on the other side (first hit with advantage, automatic critical, two more failed death saves, giant is dead). From nearby, Mathias scowls and curses under his breath. [These giants are the allies, or dupes, of Eclavdra - and thus tools for his master Graz'zt - and he doesn't want any more of them killed than necessary before the party 'discovers' the drow behind them.]
The dwarves attempt to lay their crushed companion more at ease on the floor of the dining area (dwarf makes death save (14), now at two and two, next save will determine life or death).
Aurora presses the button that retracts her targeting screen, rushes forward, and scoops up the fat slug from the floor.
Round Four
Babshapka moves to the unconscious dwarf’s side and casts cure wounds (6 points healing), restoring him to consciousness if not full health.
Mathias walks to where Willa and Thokk are still standing over the giant corpse. He speaks in a firm tone, but low enough to not be overheard by the nearby dwarves. “We’re here to find the connection to the drow and the spider-people,” he says, “not slaughter random giants. Snurre has a whole army behind him, and we need to be focused on getting into the Hall. You could have just left him to his fate.”
Willa regards him skeptically. “Aye,” she says, “an’ if ‘e did wake up, t’en wha’ ‘appens ter t’ese dwurfolk?”
Once Babshapka is sure that the dwarf will recover, he rejoins the party. Aurora is talking excitedly about the slug she has captured and using Phreeeee’s ‘new trick.’ Together, they step outside the building. The dwarven miners have ceased their work and all stand, staring at the party.
Thokk whistles and Phreeeee, who has been on the roof of the building since the wagon pulled in, swoops down and lands on his shoulder. Thokk takes the slug from Aurora and holds it up for the falcon to see, but doesn’t let him snatch it. Instead, Thokk pulls forth several pieces of meat and feeds the smallest bits to the bird. Then, when he thinks Phreeeee is ready, he opens his hand in front of the Phreeeee and the bird grabs the slug from his palm.
The slug wriggles in the bird’s beak. Phreeeee remembers the trick from earlier this morning, of course - but that was with dried, cold, tasteless meat. This slug is live, warm, and wriggling - so tempting! (Falcon Wisdom check 19). Phreeeee knows what Thokk wants, though - a slug now is not as good as all the food he will get from Thokk in the future, and there is nothing besides skinny lizards in this barren land. Phreeeee takes to the wing, flapping powerfully to gain altitude in a tight spiral. “He’s doing it!” squeals Aurora excitedly, as the party moves out into the yard and forms a rough circle around Thokk.
“Of course Phreeeee-bird do it,” scoffs Thokk, “he smart like Warmaster Thokk!” When the falcon approaches some two hundred feet off the ground, Thokk bellows, “Now Phreeeee-bird!”
Just as Thokk instructed Phreeeee, the falcon makes a quick bite through the slug, but rather than gulp it down, it immediately lets go, allowing the slug to fall directly over Thokk. As the slug, sliced nearly in half, descends it rapidly transforms into a falling dreadnought, complete with steel armor and remaining shield, flailing and shouting as it falls! Thokk backs away, and the others all spread out to avoid the falling giant.
With a crash that resounds across the flats, shakes the ground itself, and lifts the party members a half-inch into the air, the giant slams into the earth. Immediately it loses its one huge shield, which rebounds from the ground, sails through the air, and knocks down the astounded Thokk!
Falling on the space of another creature wrote:
If neither creature is tiny, the creature on the ground must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid the falling creature, or the fall damage is split evenly between both and it is knocked prone.
(20d6 fall damage = 75; Thokk DC15 Dex save with advantage from [i[danger sense[/i]; 13, fails, Thokk and giant both take 37 damage and are knocked prone; he had lost his rage in the time it took to prepare Phreeeee).
While the others look on, stunned as the giant upon seeing the huge piece of metal slam into Thokk, the barbarian staggers to his feet, bellows (second use of rage), raises his axe, and charges at the still-downed giant (advantage from prone, two hits, 26 damage, dreadnought has taken 99).
“He’s back in the game,” laughs Doro as she shoots blasts of concentrated music at the giant (two hits with disadvantage from prone, 9 damage, dreadnought has taken 108). Babshapka charges the fallen giant, being sure to stand far from Thokk and his wild axe swings (three hits with advantage, 27 points, dreadnought has taken 135). Willa moves in as well, stabbing her frostbrand through gaps that were rent in the armor on impact (two hits with advantage, 30 points, dreadnought has taken 165).
Mathias and Aurora have climbed up on a low platform that runs around the edge of the building. From this vantage, they fire at the downed giant. Mathias uses bolts of force (two misses with disadvantage), while Aurora rings the giant’s already-ringing ears with a tolling bell (DC17 Wis save 4; fails, 16 damage, dreadnought has taken 181).
The giant, dazed and bleeding from a dozen wounds, climbs unsteadily to his feet, then staggers over to where his shield lies on the ground. Not even pausing to fasten it, he lifts it from the edges like a huge dinner tray, then turns and raises it over his head, preparing to drive Thokk into the ground like a hammer driving a nail.
Round Five
Babshapka dances to the back of the giant, working on his hamstrings and the back of his knees (three hits with advantage, one critical, 21 damage, dreadnought has taken 202). The giant spasms, dropping its shield on itself as it tumbles to the ground with a resounding clang of metal. Willa immediately strides up and plunges her blade into its throat from two angles (two hits with advantage, automatic criticals, four failed death saves, giant is dead).
The yard is briefly silent as the dwarves stand gaping. Then the sound of the grizzled old dwarf clapping can be heard - but one, slow, clap at a time, in a drawn-out mockery of actual applause.
“You don’t approve, old man?” demands Aurora in Common.
“Approve?” the dwarf asks, responding in Common. He takes his pipe out of his mouth and spits over the edge of the weighing platform onto the hard ground. “It’s nay lik ye asked far me permission, t’is it, now?”
“Have you considered that we could be helping you?”
“Help oos!” he exclaims in mock surprise. “Adventurers? Wha’ can ye dae tae help oos? Kill a few giants, an’ if ye be looky mik it far enoof intae the Hall tae grrrab a load oof gems, then disappear.” He snorts derisively. “An’ afterwards the giants poonish oos far your ‘heroism.’ We can dae without your help, thanks.”
“I am Aurora, what is your name?” the wizard says, stepping closer. All the dwarves in the yard are listening intently to the conversation.
“Ye dinnae merit me Dwarven name,” the old one says proudly. “Ye can call me Glarnig - tha’s good enoof far human use.”
“Ok, Glarnig. Are you aware of the happenings in Sterich?”
“Nae,” says the dwarf, tapping his pipe and then sucking hard to re-ignite it. He blows the smoke in Aurora’s direction, but the wind across the sulfur flats carries it away before it reaches her. “Bu’ let me guess. The Tyrant Snurre has decid'd tae add atoother land tae his conquests. Are maybe he is joost demandin’ tribute froom wha'ever fool human sits oan the throne oof this 'Sterich' this week. So the land is overrroon with giants an’ trolls, blah blah blah, an’ now ye are here tae strike back, but ye want oor help.”
Aurora is, as rarely happens, speechless. This is an oddly accurate summary of what she was about to say, although in a much different tone.
“Well, let me tell ye somethin’, then,” the dwarf says when Aurora doesn’t immediately respond. “Did any humans answer King Blovorne’s call far aid when Snurre attacked oor lands thir'y-five years ago? NAE! ‘Och, Sterich is so far away...’ he says in a falsetto that might be an attempt to mimic Aurora’s voice. “‘...and good King Noombnutz wasn’t even oan the Sterrish throne then.’ FAH! But did help coome from the Holds oof the Sea Princes, are from the ‘free people’ oof the Yeomanry? Nae! No one aided oos when Snurre attacked. So why shood we help ye agin, when that only endangers oos mar than ye already have?”
Aurora hits upon an idea. “Do you know the dwarven city of Num-Theraz?” she says, and sees by the look of recognition in his eyes that he does, “That was Snurre’s latest conquest, and until last month it was under his boot. But we liberated the city, and restored freedom to those dwarves. I swear upon my own clan (Persuasion attempt, critical fail), we are more than just adventurers looking for coin. We came here to eliminate the threat of the Fire Giants. We can help you like we did the dwarves of Num-Theraz, if you give us a chance.”
“Yoor own clan,” mutters the dwarf, “as if ye even knew the half of what tha’ word means…” but his eyes narrow and he looks over the party again (Aurora’s Persuasion check was with advantage from the reference to Num-Theraz, and ends at a 13 rather than her critical fail). He then spies the new dwarves, the ones who came in on the wagons with the party. Beckoning them closer, he hears from them how the party captured them, was careful not to hurt any of them, and came with them to the camp. By this time the dwarves from inside have emerged, and the one who had been knocked unconscious by the toppled table bows to Babshapka and offers a formal expression of thanks for his healing.
“Can you just tell us about the tunnels?” asks Mathias. “The tunnels run all the way to Sterich, all the way to Num-Theraz. How do we enter them on this end?”
“The tunnels, eh?” The old dwarf stands, and as he moves around the building his iron peg clangs against the stone platform. “We can speak oan tha’ inside.”
Sulfur Mines XP
Dwarven Commoners (CR0) 10 x 6 = 60 (xp for saving)
Dwarven Veterans (CR3) 700 x 2 = 1400 (xp for saving)
Fire Giant (CR9) 5000 (xp for defeating)
Fire Giant Dreadnought (CR14) 11500 (xp for defeating)
Total 17960 / 6 = 2993 each (Mathias levels to 10th) _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Glarnig specifically, and the history of Snurre's dominion over the local dwarf clans in general, are my invention.
Post 341: Sitting down with Glarnig 11 May [18 Flocktime] - continued - sulfur mining camp
(low 82, high 100; very dry)
Raid on Fort Southwatch
[Play Session 8/26/21 - continued]
By the time the party and Glarnig are inside, the dining area has been put back in order, except for the now-discarded broken crockery. They all sit around the heavy dwarf-sized table, the party drinking frequently and deeply from the tin cups filled with cool water that they are offered by the dwarves.
“Aboot a yir agae,” says Glarnig, as he re-fills his pipe, “Snurre sent messengers tae King Holvorn.” The dwarves all bow their heads in respect at the mention of the name of their current dwarven liege. “He commanded tha’ the King send his best enginirs tae tha Hall, along with every map we had o’ the area o’ tha lava plain. They gaen; they returned, bu’ they came back withoot tha maps. It seems tha’ Snurre wan’ed information aboot all tha rrrock wha’ lies underneath this curs’d lava plain. The lava-rock itself be nae tha’ dip - just volcanic flows oor the surface o’ good, minable rrrock. Snurre wan’ed tae ken what’ was beneath all ‘roond. He nevar told tha enginirs why, bu’ if he was buildin’ a toonnel tae Sterich, he would hae ta ken, o’ course. T’would be nae use tryin’ tae dig through tha fire-rrrock; it’s too hard. Ye can shape a Hall froom it with time an’ effort, bu’ miles an’ miles of toonnel? T’would be a fool’s diggin’. Bu’ t’were he tae sink a shaft straight doon through the fire-rrrock an’ intae the good wa’er-rock below - why, sure, ye could toonnel tae Sterich. I dinnae ken how, since it be…” he pulls deep at his pipe as he estimates the distance, “...mar than 500 miles froom here, if it be a league. Boot it could be doon. Mind ye, it couldnae be doon blind - besides keepin’ a bearin’ oor tha’ distance, ye would hae tae avoid tha magma pocke’s, tha oearth-stone, and tha pits wha’ would toomble ye tae tha Underdark. Boot tha’s wha’ he wan’ed oor maps far, I’spect. He moost hae shoon them tae someone wha’ could ken them, an’ plot’ed tha route o’ his toonnel, sure enoof.”
“Snurre wouldn’t have done this on his own?” asks Mathias.
“Nae,” says Glarnig with certainty. “Snurre be crafty, but he cannae see more’n what be froont o’ his grrreedy eyes. He would never coom oop with sooch a long-range plan by himself.”
“We have reason to believe he may be working with the drow.”
Glarnig nods somberly. “Tha’ seems rrreasonable. Those oonderdark elves be clever enoof and evil enoof far sooch schemes. They be nae mooch far diggin’ themselves, boot there be plen’y enoof slave rrraces an’ mercenary rrraces in the Oonderdark wha’ they could get help with tha’ part. The drrrow certainly hae the ambition Snurre lacks.”
“We think he may be using digging machines.”
“Tha’ also soonds rrreasonable - he didnae turn the five clans intae mining slaves, an’ tha’ be the most strrraightforward way tae make a toonnel tha’ long. The fire giants hae a grrreat capacity far machine work, although they be nae tha’ inven’ive themselves. Bu’ these machines be nothing we hae heard oof.”
“Who could pilot such a machine?”
“If the machine t’war alrea'y made, the giants could pilot it - oor maybe the elves; they dinnae hae any specific aptitude far machines, bu’ they be clever enoof. O’ carse, any dwarf worth his salt would be able tae figure it oot, if it hae anything tae dae with diggin’.” The other dwarves nod their agreement vigorously.
“Could you help us find entry to this end of the tunnel?”
The old dwarf shakes his head. “We haenae seen anything oon the lava plains, an’ punchin’ through this blasted black fire-rrrock be a hundred-dwarves' work, nae a minor oon’ertaking. Ye wouldnae dae it anywhere ye diinnae hae tae, an’ a toonnel like tha’ would be guarded at both ends. If the toonnel ends anywhere near here, it has tae bae in his Hall itself.”
“How many fire giants does Snurre command?”
“Tha’ depends. His Hall hae doozens - bu’ how many o’ them be away in Sterich, now? I hae heard tha’ other giant Halls also pay him tribute, even as we dae - bu’ how many giants be oonder his muster? I dinnae ken.”
“Is there any other way into his Hall?”
“Just the frrroont door. An’, according tae ye, this toonnel.”
“How can we get in the front gates of the Hall?”
“Those obsidian valves be dwarven-made an’ strong. T’would take more than a diggin’ machine or a giant’s hammer, I can assure ye. Ye willnae be forcing your way in.”
“Then how?”
“The giants open them tae receive trrribute, an’ tae send an’ receive messengers - tha’s it. Ye might pretend tae be one of those twain - ye seem tae have some proclivity for tha’,” he says, with just the slightest tone of displeasure. It may be that his dwarven pride was wounded that the party arrived under the seeming guise of dwarves. His culture is not a costume.
“And if they are suspicious of us, and that doesn’t work?”
“The doors be easy tae open - froom the inside. Ye hae magic. I’m sure ye’ll work it oot.”
“We’ve seen that the giants use trolls, gnolls, and hobgoblins. We already killed a chimera. Are there other things we should be prepared for inside the Hall?”
“Hellhoonds - they hae a trained pack. Ettins. T’other giants, nae fire giants, bu’ t’others, coom an’ gae all the time.”
At this point, Aurora breaks into Mathias’ interrogation of the dwarf. “All of this information is much appreciated, but what are you willing to do to help us? Would you help us in our next assault on the Hall?” Seeing the look on the face of all the dwarves, not just Glarnig, Aurora tries to backpedal a bit. “Or, if not combat, then scouting...making a distraction...logistics?”
Glarnig harrumphs, and turns from Aurora back to Mathias, as if he had asked the question instead of the wizard. “We be willin’ tae help ye in any endeavor in which ye can guarantee oos tha’ the giants willnae learn aboot our involvement.”
“I’m not sure we can guarantee…”
“Exactly,” says Glarnig, and jabs his pipe emphatically in Mathias’ direction.
“If the giant King were to die,” asks Babshapka, “would your lot improve? If Snurre was the one that imposed the tribute on your people, would the demands end when he did?”
At this, Glarnig pauses thoughtfully, taking several slow puffs of his pipe. “Tha’ depends,” he finally answers, “on who was next. Whoever sits tha throne would be loath tae give oop tha dwarven states, an’ surely would be willing tae shed oor blood tae assert their claim. If tha transition was quick, we might nae even see tha difference. If t’were long an’ disputed, they might neglect oos long enough far things tae improve some. Tha worst would be a civil war in which they tried tae involve oos in fightin’ each other.” When one of the younger dwarves present shows surprise, Glarnig takes his pipe from his mouth again and uses it to gesticulate angrily. “Worse things hae happened, shortbeard! Twouldn’t be the first time someone forced tha dwarves tae fight their wars far them!”
When the young dwarf abashedly lowers his gaze, Glarnig continues more calmly. “The in’erestin’ thing be tha’ Snurre haenae named any heirs, an’ I dinnae think his Queen Frupy is in contention far tha throne. So it’s nae exactly clear who would be next in line. At least nae clear tae me, an honest-working dwarf. Maybe someone who kens tha court politics o’ the ruddy giants would gainsay me.”
“Can we have more water?” asks Aurora. When a dwarf moves to fill her cup, again, she says “I mean, may we fill our skins? I understand you have a well or a cistern here?”
Before Glarnig can answer, Mathias warns him, “The water that came in on the wagon with us might be the last you see for a while. Snurre has told your clan to stop the deliveries of supplies. You will need to ration what you have, water and food, until it is clear what happens next.”
Glarnig nods. “How many skins do ye have with ye?”
“Nineteen,” interjects Willa without hesitation.
The dwarf snorts. “Tha’s less than a day's worth far one o’ the giants ye killed. Fill your skins an’ take a barrel with you, besides. Bu’ thank ye far tha warnin’, all the same,” he says seriously to Mathias. “We will endure. Dwarves ken hardship like elves ken music.”
Their skins filled, the party looks at the full water barrel. With no wagon of their own, there is no way they can transport it. Thokk-ape could carry it, but he would not make the cave before he was forced back to his own shape. Fortunately the dwarves have a number of empty or near-empty quarter-casks used for other liquids. After a bit of emptying and refilling, the party is set up to leave with four of these casks, one of which can be carried on the back of a phantom steed, at least when the summoner calls for one with the appropriate tack. Doro asks for some sulfur as well - the more ground-up, the better - and the dwarves oblige.
Talk then turns to how best to dispose of the giant bodies - it certainly won’t do to have them be found at the mines, or have the dwarves have to answer any giant questions about them. The party suggests moving the corpses to the ambush site a mile north, since they will need to return there anyway to get Fraanke and Tina. With an hour in his ape form, Thokk could likely carry the dreadnought in one trip and his massive shield plus the fire giant in a second one before the spell ended. Mathias tells the dwarves he is sorry about the mess, but they should clean up all the blood that was spilled in the building, and Glarnig responds with a straight face: “Wha’ blood? Tha giants nevar arrrived here. They moost hae been waylaid by ye oon their way in.”
While Thokk-ape jogs back-and forth with the bodies, taking them to the ambush rocks where Fraanke and Tina wait patiently, the rest of the party walks back up the road at a slower pace. Babshapka tries to spot any drops of giant blood that have fallen from the corpses on the cinder trail, and Aurora burns them to powder with her firebolt, at which point the ash is carried away by the acrid wind. Fire giants may be themselves immune to fire, but it turns out her cantrip can still incinerate their blood.
As they walk, they talk about scouting the Hall. Babshapka volunteers to go with Doro, but she insists she should go alone. With the valves closed behind her, she says, she needs to be focused on getting herself out when it gets hot, not worrying about anyone else with her. Her dimension door spell is her ticket out, but it is fourth level, and she will need one cast of it to get in - she can't afford more slots to bring along others, or go back if they get separated. Willa asks her several times if she is sure she wants to go alone, and she insists. She says she will take a darkvision spell from Aurora, but that is all the help she needs.
(1pm)
At the ambush site, they make no effort to disguise their tracks behind the rocks - in fact, they add to them in an attempt to make them more obvious. Babshapka checks to make sure the dwarves from the wagon left no sign behind, however, beyond those of their wheel-ruts. Under Babs' direction, Thokk-ape, panting in the heat, arranges the giant bodies to look like they were on the trail when they were ambushed by the party coming out from around the rock outcrop. Just as the ape is carefully setting the dreadnought’s shield near its carefully-placed body, the huge hairy form shimmers, then rapidly shrinks until it is just Thokk again. Fraanke, who had been watching the ape warily, immediately bounds up to lick him heartily, his tongue leaving short-lived ice crystals on Thokk’s cheeks.
“Okay,” says Babshapka. “The giants are where they fell, fighting us, and then we searched their bodies…” The party indeed now strips their bags from them and looks inside, as well as checking the best they can under their armor (without actually removing it) for jewelry or pouches. They come away with six gems and 300gp between the two of them. The coins are mostly of dwarven mint, but there are a smattering of Yeoman, Sea Princes, and even a few Keoish Lions among them.
While the rest of the party looks for treasure, Doro tells Tina to get a good smell on the giants so long as she is a wolf. Doro herself is busy cutting off hair and bits of leather and cloth from what she judges to be the smelliest parts of the giants. When they are all done, she explains to the party that she will be staying outside the cave by herself until her scouting run - she doesn’t want any of their scents on her, no offense intended. In fact, she says, she is going back now, ahead of them, to get a head start on her rest so as to be ready as soon as she can - they needn’t worry about her and she will likely have a hut up when they arrive. She didn’t cast many spells in the battle but she is nearly out of her highest slots and she wants to be at full when she enters the Hall. The others are a bit surprised, but these all seem like sensible precautions and if it helps Doro feel better about entering by herself they want to give her every advantage.
While Aurora and Mathias perform rituals of phantom steed, Doro works at re-summoning Tina in the form of a griffin (4/3/3/0/1). By the time they are starting on the second pair of steeds, Doro is circling them once from the air and telling them not to hurry back - she’ll be fine.
Fire giant treasure so far
6 gems
300gp
[Doro leaves at 1:15pm; the griffin can dash at 16mph and arrive at the cave in less than 15 minutes]
[Once back at the cave, Doro grabs food, casts her hut, and begins her long rest; she will finish at 9:30pm, but she has already benefited from one long rest today and so will need to wait until midnight to get her spells back]
[Party leaves the sulfur flats at 1:25pm, arrives back at the cave at 2:10pm, using their mounts to travel overland]
When the party arrives back at the cave, Aurora renews her own mage armor. She doesn’t offer to do Doro’s, as the bard is sequestered in her hut. (Aurora at 1/3/0/2/2)
[Babshapka uses his stone for lunch. Six people drank at the mining camp, and this counts as their ‘extra’ skin required for venturing forth in the heat of the day. Fraanke did not get watered while at the dwarves; he needs his extra skin for day work; the 19 party skins are now at 18 full in the cave as well as four quarter-casks with 10.5 gallons each. Five people use 1.5 rations, the party total going from 61.5 rations to 60. Fraanke eats three pounds of meat which means the party is at 130 pounds].
“It’s great that we got that water from the dwarves, but we can’t do anything more until Doro scouts the Hall, so I say we go and secure the source of water Thokk’s spirit wolf told us about,” suggests Aurora. Willa and Mathias don’t want to leave Doro, or their supplies in the cave, unattended, but agree that Aurora can go play with her unholy army digging in the ravine or building sand castles or whatever she wants as long as it is far from the Hall. Babshapka is glad to see the skeletons go, and looks forward to some time in the cool cave without their presence. Thokk decides to join Aurora (1/3/0/2/1), and they plus the skeletons start out (now 18 skeletons after she uses another 5th level animate dead; they are now re-equipped with 10 arrows each).
As the spirit wolf said, some two and a half miles down the ravine, the walls pull back and the bottom is full of a field of black sand. Thokk and Fraanke dig little exploratory holes, smelling and tasting the sand at the bottom. Aurora looks on with interest but little to offer; the skeletons stare with empty sockets. Eventually Thokk and Fraanke agree upon a spot, and Aurora sets the skeletons to work. They have no shovels, and not even any buckets - living workers would tire in minutes, or have their skin stripped raw by the sand. But the bony undead have no compunctions about jamming their hands into the sand, fingers pressed together, scooping it out tirelessly, and tossing it towards the others. Aurora has them dig on a slope, or ramp, five abreast, throwing the sand up to the ones above them. When the ones on the deep end have the level ground up to their chests, water begins seeping around their ankles. By the time their heads are below the ground, the water they stand in is nearly a foot deep. At this point Aurora begins to direct them more actively, sculpting back the walls that keep collapsing in on them until the whole has a rather shoe horn-like shape, with the water at the deepest part. Then she has them carefully climb out and she begins her spell, laying down walls of stone to hold back the sand, all along the sides, but not on the bottom. She lays down a thin layer of stone on the ramp, and a thick cover slab roof over it all to guard against evaporation, leaving just enough space on one side for Thokk to be able to squeeze down the ramp, but no giant. She finds she has about as much stone remaining as she has already used, so she makes upright walls around the whole thing, with open windows and a second roof (the roof at ground level having become a floor). By the time the ten minutes are up and it has become a real stone structure, it resembles a little fort with a cistern in the sloped basement. Neither Willa nor Mathias are on hand to tell Aurora she shouldn't have made the walls, since the structure now sticks up above the ravine floor and could easily be seen by anyone looking down into the ravine (Aurora at 1/3/0/2/0).
The afternoon passes uneventfully into evening. Thokk, Aurora, Fraanke and the skeletons return to the cave, with only the skeletons not tired and thirsty. Willa brings out food and a skin of water and leaves them at the edge of the hut; she can't put them inside, but Doro can reach out and drag them in without ending her spell.
[Babshapka uses his stone for dinner. Five people plus Fraanke is 7 skins of water; the 19 party skins are now at 11 full in the cave and four quarter-casks with 10.5 gallons each. Five people use 2 rations, the party total going from 60 rations to 58. Fraanke eats four pounds of meat which means the party is at 126 pounds].
Normally Aurora and Doro have the first watch, beginning after dinner and whenever Babshapka starts trancing. Willa expresses concern about having Aurora on watch alone, but the wizard orders some of her skeletons to alert her if they detect anything besides a party member inside the cave, and then she sets up where she can see the entrance. Willa mutters darkly about the unholy abominations and goes off to her waiting bedroll.
Around 9:30pm, Doro’s hut fades. By this time, however, the party is holed up in the cave and the ravine is well and truly dark, so she leaves it down and takes turns passing on and off watch with Tina.
Before Aurora turns in for the night, the wizard goes out to Doro. The bard and her mount smell strongly of sweaty giant and sulfur, but still she insists on Aurora standing downwind of her and Tina for their brief conversation. Aurora casts mage armor and darkvision on Doro (the spells will last until 6am). Aurora then casts darkvision on Tina's griffon form. If Aurora thinks that Doro is taking the whole scent-isolation thing too far, she keeps it to herself. (Aurora at 0/1/0/2/0).
The watch passes from Aurora and Doro to Willa and Mathias. Mathias tells Willa that since his night vision is better than hers, she should stay on watch in the cave itself, in case something comes up from below, and he will stay in the entrance and watch the ravine, and she agrees. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
DM's Note on Sources: This post contains spoilers to module G3: The Hall of the Fire Giant King
Locations keyed in the module are indicated in [blue].
Post 342: Doro scouts the Hall 12 May [19 Flocktime] - outside the secret cave near Snurre's Hall
(low 84, high 104; very dry)
Shortly after midnight Doro receives the mystic surge of energy that marks the return of her spells. She is ready to venture forth. For her first spell she casts find greater steed, dismissing Tina’s griffin form and re-summoning her as a direwolf (Doro at 4/3/3/2/2). She climbs up onto her steed and, with one hand on her hat of disguise, has herself appear as a gnoll and Tina as a hellhound, the better to blend in once in the fortress should their planned invisibility fail them.
From within the darkness of the cave mouth she sees a single red light, smaller than a thumb. Mathias is on watch, as usual on the midnight shift, and is smoking. “Keep your pipeweed smell downwind of me!” Doro hisses, not knowing whether the giants use the herb, or whether it would smell suspicious.
Mathias laughs softly in the dark. “If the giants see you, it’s not your scent you’ll have to worry about,” he says. “You don’t look anything like a gnoll.”
Two days ago, when the gnolls burst out of the Hall to search the battlefield, Mathias and Charlotte were the only ones present, and truth be told, Doro has never actually seen a living gnoll. She is basing the mental image that shaped her spell on the artwork she has seen and stories she has heard. Tina as a hellhound is realistic enough, and even has the glowing red eyes. Her gnoll...is hairy and lanky, but its resemblance to an actual gnoll ends there.
[The party fought two gnolls in the Haunted House in Saltmarsh, but that was long before Doro joined them. She has seen orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, and trolls, and her imagined gnoll is rather more goblinoid than the actual hyena-folk. (Doro History Check 10)]
“Well can you help then, rather than just laughing?” she says hotly.
Mathias laughs again, and gives her a few pointers and features to change, and she casts disguise self again. They continue this through several iterations, using the hat each time and fortunately not spell slots, with her gnoll getting successively more realistic with each round of feedback. Finally Mathias says that she is ready to go, but before she leaves he briefs her again on what the entry hall of the giant fortress is like.
Doro rides Tina slowly and stealthily up the ravine. Both their darkvisions, and her mage armor, should last until dawn; there is no hurry.
[What follows is known only to Leezar and his player:
When she is out of sight Leezar hears the raspy laughter of Mr. Wart. “I like dat brawd,” the demonling chortles. “She’s feisty.”
Leezar spins about, and sees the misshapen little figure crouching near a rock. He puts his finger to his lips and whispers “Willa’s still up inside.”
The demonling waves off his concerns with a rude, dismissive gesture. “She can’t hear me,” he says, and now Leezar notices that his mouth is not moving, despite the words Leezar hears. “All dis is just in youses head.”
“Oh, alright,” thinks Leezar. “So why you are here? What’s the deal?”
“Well,” says the demonling reflexively, pulling out a fat cigar and then lighting it with a flame from the tip of one knotty finger, “I gave youse dat amulet ta break when youse got ta da Underdark, yeah?”
“Yes, I still have it.”
“Well, breakin’ it was supposed ta summon me here ta give youse advice on da drow and tunnels and s***. So if youse still gots it, den I got called here early - and I ain’t sure why.” He waddles over, his head at about crotch level on Leezar, and inhales deeply from a few feet away. “Ah, dere it is,” he says, nodding his head until his jowls bounce.
“There’s what?”
“Youse’s been promoted again,” Mr. Wart grins. “An’ I ain’t got no instructions in youse’s file for a near death experience this time. The Big Boss must like what youse are doin’.”
“Promoted?” repeats Leezar. He is silent for a moment. “So, depending on how quickly I can shuttle the party past these giants, we’re going to be facing drow soon.”
“Dat’s right.”
“What can you tell me about them?”
“Huh. Uh, dey like da dark, dey like to ambush youse from da dark, dey’re sneaky as all get out, dey use crossbows coated wit poison, and dey have casters. Lots of casters.”
Leezar spends a long time in thought. Finally, he says, “Alright. I haven’t been in melee in forever; the party has that covered. I won’t need Armor of Agathys. I had better take Counterspell since Aurora will only cast it when I remind her, anyway. Hells, she won’t even prepare it when she is too busy playing with her skeletons.”
“Youse got it, boss. Droppin' da armor and pickin' up counterspell.” His hands fidget as if he is trying to remember the gestures of the spell to teach Leezar.
“And I did what I could for those orcs at the Steading. I hope it was noted that I tried to get them to open that old temple up.”
“Oh, the Big Boss knows about dat. It’s just not a tactical priority ta staff dat at da present juncture.”
“Right, I suspected as much. So they are on their own now. I’d like to drop Far Scribe. What can I get that will make me look like a drow? I need to make contact, maybe interact with them a bit.”
“Oh, ho, ho,” chuckles the demonling. “Youse is gonna like dis. Mask of Many Faces invocation. Someone creative like yous’ll find all kinds of uses for dat.”
Leezar takes some time to understand all the information about the Invocation that Mr. Wart is passing him telepathically. He then takes a different tone - at first ‘thinking out loud’, and then genuinely soliciting the advice of the demonling.
“I hope you can appreciate the position I am in,” he begins. “I have been a faithful servant of the Dark One. I have led these gullible adventurers here so as to find the entrance to the Underdark and pursue my Master’s war against the Spider Queen, as instructed.”
“Yep,” agrees Mr. Wart. “Youse’s done dat, in spades.”
“But these adventurers think that we are here to kill giants. Somehow, I have to switch them from giants to drow. I also have to get them to ignore all the evidence that says the giants are being controlled by the Elder Elemental God, get them to leave the temple here alone, and instead get them to see the Spider Queen as the real enemy. And I have to do all this without tipping them off as to how I actually know what’s going on; I have to have it seem like we are figuring this all out together at the same time.”
“Yep, dat’s yer job,” Mr. Wart agrees. “An’ dat’s why da Big Boss is givin’ youse all dese new powers an’ abilities.”
If Leezar was hoping for more sympathy or help from the demonling, he’s not getting anything but an expression of confidence. “Okay,” he says in growing annoyance, “but I don’t think I can do that without letting them kill some giants. I had hoped to be able to save the two in the sulfur flats, but I couldn’t even do that - Snurre is already down two by our hand.”
“I am failin’ ta see youse’s difficulty over here.”
“Well, these are Eclavdra’s giants, right? And Eclavdra is one of the Master’s servants. So how does that look for me if I am helping the party off them? Isn’t that weakening the Dark One? What happens to Eclavdra’s plans after we pass through here to the Underdark?”
Here Mr. Wart begins to laugh raucously. Seeing the look from Leezar, he keeps it short, but is still chortling even as he begins responding. “Now, here, I can help youse. Allow me to disabuse youse of dis notion dat all da Big Boss’ servants hold hands an’ sing kumbaya tagether. All of us, an’ I do mean ALL of us, all da way up to Lord Vuron himself, are da Big Boss’ tools, no more dan dat. An’ He cares for His tools ta da exact extant dat dey is useful ta Him in da moment. Da Big Boss wants ta take down da Spider B**** - dat’s your goal, an’ dat’s Eclavdra’s goal. An’ He don’t care how it gets done, so long as it gets done. An’ he don’t care who does it - but da one who does it gets rewarded, and da one who don’t, ain’t done s*** for him lately. Now, maybe youse an’ Eclavdra can help each other out wit dis, an’ dat’d be grand for youse both to win an’ make friends an’ all dat ****. But bottom line, youse’s both tryin’ to be useful to da Big Boss, not help someone else. Eclavdra had her chance - she’s been hatchin’ dis plan to get power from da giants to use against da Spider-lickin’ Drow for years. An’ what has she done so far? Yeah, her House is like da most powerful in da Vault now, and yeah, she’s inconvenienced da Spider Drow, but she hasn’t done s*** to da Spider B**** herself. An maybe if youse let her alone her plan would work, eventually, but dat’s not youse’s job. Youse got youse’s own plan - youse is taking dis group of rubes straight ta da Fane an kickin’ a**. An’ if dat woiks, good on youse. An’ if dat means some giants get killed an’ Eclavdra’s plan goes ta s*** along da way, well, sucks for her but da Big Boss ain’t gonna care. He cares about results, an’ if youse gets results, youse is still golden.” By now Mr. Wart has stopped laughing, and his tone turns suddenly serious. “An’ if youse’s plan fails an’ along da way youse f**** up Eclavdra’s plan too, well den youses both screwed an’ I didn’t never know neither of youses a****.”
This doesn’t surprise Leezar exactly; he certainly had considered it one of the possibilities. But it is helpful to finally have it laid out clearly and succinctly.
“So Eclavdra and I are both servants of the Dark One, but we are rivals with each other.”
“We’ll, dat’s up to youses both. But da Big Boss only has so many party favors ta give out - an’ believe me, youse want youse’s share.”
“So you said Eclavdra was supposed to send a message to the Hall for the drow here to help me - but who knows if she even did that? I can’t really trust her.”
“Eclavdra ain’t got no prospects at da moment - youse killed all da Hill Giants an’ sent da Frost Giants home. Sterich ain’t fallin’ any time soon, so dere’s no way she gets her win today. If she can help youse win and claim dat, ride youse’s coattails into da end zone, dere’s gotta be a consolation prize in dere somewhere. If her plan has stalled an’ youse is now da Big Boss’ best hope, she sure as s*** don’t want ta be seen as bein’ in youse’s way...but let’s say youse just 'disappears' all mysterious-like an’ suddenly she is back on her own timeline; well dat’s gotta look better ta her den second place.”
“So as long as I look like I’m winning, she won’t do anything against me that can be traced back to her. But I need to beware the knife in the dark,” says Leezar, recalling the Greyhawk proverb.
“Youse got it, boss.”
“Have you heard anything from her about whether she has sent a message to the Hall?”
“I ain’t heard s***. But dis I know - she’s had plenty of time to get a message to the drow here. Dey should know youse is coming, if she wanted dem to. I suggest youse go forward assuming dat when youse find dem, da drow is gonna pretend to be followers of the Spider B****, attack youse’s party, den run away and lead youse to da Underdark. Dat’s youse’s go-to. But suppose youse finds dem before dey knows youse is dere - suppose youse’s party finds dem foist and messes dem up bad, such dat dey is gonna die - and maybe Eclavdra is even wit dem. Den youse got problems, and youse need a new plan.”
“Yeah, I was thinking about that - how to call off the party if I need to. I was considering telling them that Eclavdra is my mother - that is why I can see in the dark. Now that I can change my face it will help. I was going to tell them that the Elder Elemental God drow are about to be wiped out by the Lolth drow, and that the whole attack on the surface was just to draw out an adventuring party to help us, and my job was to find and recruit the party. I figure I can show them the witch’s hair and tell them I was tasked with finding them. That also explains why they think I have a bad attitude - I’m only pretending to be a human.”
Mr. Wart laughs again. “Yeah, boss. See, dis is why da Big Boss likes creative-types like youse.”
“I get that we are rivals, but it won’t help us get to the Vault if we kill Eclavdra. Hopefully she’ll see the wisdom in helping me.”
Mr. Wart does his best (which is not very good) to mimic Leezar’s voice pleading with the party, “Youse can’t kill her, she’s my mutha!” He erupts in a fit of laughter, gasping so hard that Leezar is worried it is not just telepathy and that Willa can actually hear it.
When he finally calms down, Leezar asks if he will be back.
“Oh, I’m around now. I got my prime plane visa stamped, so I’ll be hanging out wit youse for a while.”
“Good. Doro left to scout - assuming she makes it back, I will want your take on what she finds in the Hall.”
“You got it boss. I’ll be near you, invisible, most of the time now.” He puts his finger to his nose and disappears.
End of section known only to Leezar and his player]
When they emerge from the ravine at several hundred feet from the fortress, Doro has Tina wait a long time, sniffing the air, before she approaches (Perception 21, with advantage for anything that can be smelled). Only when Tina is sure that there are no troll defenders around the stone circle do they begin to creep across the open ground (Tina Stealth 5, but Doro Helps to give her advantage, 21). They get to within two hundred feet of the Hall, lined up at Doro’s best estimate of the angle of the hallway beyond the portals (Perception 23). She is basing her planned jump on Mathias’ estimation of distances. If she is wrong, she could end up in a solid pillar, a stone wall, or a flaming gas jet.
She checks the paralyzation pistol in her belt. She checks the bag of ball bearings on her hip. She is as ready as she can be. She would like to be under her invisibility already, of course. But she needs one last spell to get inside - and casting that would drop a prior invisibility anyway. She will have to cast invisibility once she is on the other side of the doors, hope that no one is there to see or hear her when she arrives, and plan on not casting any spell again inside until she uses dimension door to leave.
Doro casts her dimension door, estimating the valves to be five feet thick and planning on landing thirty feet beyond their inner surface (Doro at 4/3/3/1/2). In actuality, they are three feet thick, but she has the angle of the hall perfect. Doro lands in the center of the hall, just across from a tapestry covering a solid wall. Some ten feet behind her is another tapestry on the opposite wall, but unknown to her, this one conceals a guard chamber [1A] in which a fire giant stands alertly next to a huge bronze alarm horn. Doro and Tina’s arrival spot is just out of his range of vision so he does not see them appear, and the hallway is otherwise empty [wandering monster check for the first hour d12 = 3; no encounters]. [DM's note: I asked the player for the dimension door landing coordinates, and all he had to go on was Mathias' verbal description of the hall. Not landing in front of the guard or inside a wall was probably the single biggest piece of luck Doro had in the expedition]
When she is not immediately detected or charged, Doro begins her invisibility spell. Other than the hiss and crackle of the torches and flame jets, the hall is silent, and the bare rock walls make all the sounds sharp and echoing. She has to speak to cast the spell, but she murmurs as quietly as she can while still bringing magic power into her sounds (Doro Performance 23 > Giant Perception 11). Both she and Tina are now invisible (Doro at 4/2/3/1/2).
Feeling a little safer with them both unseen, Doro begins to look more carefully about the hall, while silently and telepathically instructing Tina to smell.
The floor of the twenty-foot wide hall [1] is polished obsidian, and the great tapestries displayed between the torches are rendered in bloody colors and show fire giants victorious in various combats - against dragons, against dwarves, against armies of lesser races and fantastic monsters. At the passage’s end (about 100 feet in), it opens into a wider hall, with carved support columns. The ceiling is some thirty feet overhead at its vaulted peak, but the walls go straight up to only some twenty feet before angling in.
The great obsidian doors have rings on the inside to pull them closed, and are set with brackets to hold a thick iron beam that will keep them from being opened from either side. All this is just as Mathias said, but there is something more - all along the hall, up against the walls, are a dozen or more iron braziers, each fitted with about a ten foot length of heavy chain, that he did not mention. Each brazier is filled with smoldering coals, so that the hall itself is quite smoky. Doro has a hard time breathing, and she can’t believe that Tina will actually be able to smell anything, but the dire wolf assures her telepathically that she can smell a fire giant beyond the tapestry behind them that is apparently acting as a curtain (Tina Perception 22 > Fire giant Passive Stealth 9). Doro looks more closely at the tapestry - it is thin enough that, so long as the hallway is lit and the room beyond is dark, she would not be able to see in - but the guard within could surely have seen her silhouette had she passed in front of it or landed there. The tapestry doesn’t quite come to the floor, but the stonework there has a high threshold at the entrance to the chamber, and even looking at the floor she would not have discovered the concealed room beyond.
Doro knows they need to move away up the hall, but without Tina’s wolf-nails clicking on the polished stone floor and giving them away to the guard. She pets her mount, and passes a bardic inspiration die to it. When Tina is ready, they proceed up the hall to the intersection (Tina Stealth 22 > Fire giant Passive Perception 12).
A side-passage to their left is narrower than the entry hall, but Doro’s attention is immediately taken by the massive hall before them [2], which is twice as wide as the entry (Doro Perception 21). The floor of the grand hall is of reddish-black, highly polished stone. There are pillars along its entire length and these are carved into the shapes of dwarves, each straining to hold up the figure atop it in a humanoid pyramid that is at once ridiculous and sadistic. Light flickers weirdly from burning gasses that spurt from the walls. Where there are not gas jets, the walls are covered in tapestries. Two giants stand on guard in the hall, but each of them has two heads on their broad shoulders, such that between them they are watching all four directions simultaneously, and down another intersecting hall besides.
At the far end of the hall, two steps of white-veined black marble lead up to an area where the floor is of deep red polished stone. Between two pillars of polished obsidian sits a massive throne made of jet and black-and-white-banded onyx, the whole inlaid with various large gems. The walls of the far chamber are inlaid with colored stone laid out to show various scenes of victory by King Snurre over his foes. On the wall directly behind the throne is depicted the flaming skull which is Snurre's own device. Behind and to the side of the throne is a single fire giant in full plate, standing at attention and obviously alert and on guard as well.
The closest giant is still half-a-hundred feet away, so Doro has Tina move along the wall to her left, taking the small side passage out of the throne hall and deeper into the fortress. It soon widens, then continues on ahead but with a wide opening to the left from which a great clamor comes. To the northwest are a set of closed doors, massive things set with huge iron plates like the doors of a furnace. But to the southwest the passage is open, and it is from here that a steady stream of curses and scolding in Giant pours forth. Doro can’t understand the words, but the berating tone is unmistakable. Of more immediate concern is that a fire giant is in the hallway. He is smaller than any Doro has seen before, with just wisps of beard on his chin. A young man? An adolescent? He is not in plate armor but leathers, and bears a great club rather than the huge sword of the warriors. He stands in the center of the hall, facing them. There is plenty of room for Tina to slip by him, so long as he doesn’t hear her feet padding across the stone.
Doro holds her breath and guides Tina past (Tina Stealth 15 > Fire Giant Servant Passive Perception 12). On the other side the noises coming from the open room resolve into the sounds of a kitchen [15]. Besides the constant harangue in Giant, there are clearly noises of crockery, cutting and chopping, kneading, etc. Doro had assumed that most of the fire giants, since they lack darkvision, would be asleep now at one in the morning, excepting guards. But at least the ones that work in the kitchen are busy enough. Doro asks Tina what she smells, and the wolf tells her that besides the obvious giant everywhere, there are gnolls in the kitchen as well (Tina Perception 22). However, she has not scented hellhound yet.
Giving a wide berth to the young giant guard, Doro and Tina continue up the hallway to the north. After fifty feet or so the passage appears to split, but the eastern branch turns out to be just an alcove ending in more iron doors [14]. This set, however, is perhaps more important than those next to the kitchen, for standing in front of them is a fire giant warrior, adult and fully armed and armored. The recessed hall is deep enough that Doro squeezes Tina against the far west wall and trusts that they will not be heard passing by the guard on their way north. When Doro asks what lies beyond the guarded doors, Tina says she is not smelling anything besides the guard himself (Perception 13 with advantage) - sweaty giant flesh, hard steel, and well-oiled iron.
The corridor veers and then veers back, and finally splits in a Y at an intersection whose ceiling is supported by a great column like that in the throne room, but without the decoration of carved dwarves. Doro pauses, unsure of which way to proceed. She asks Tina to smell deeply and carefully down each branch. (Tina Perception with advantage 6, but uses the bardic inspiration die for d10 = +9, total Perception 15). After a time the wolf responds that there is gnoll scent down the right branch, but it is distant, not close like the kitchen. The left is more complicated - it is bringing many scents, but all distant and weak. The overriding tones are of molten metal, sulfur, volcanic rock, and lava - as if a portal to the Hells themselves lay nearby!
Doro takes the left branch. The corridor continues to another intersection supported by a great pillar. A spur to the left ends in a dark, dead-end hallway. The hallway in which Doro and Tina are moving is lit by great flaming gas jets shooting from the walls, but no such things are near the side branch, and even with darkvision, Doro can barely make out the iron-plate doors at the end. She has Tina smell, but the wolf does not pick up anything against the backdrop of molten stone wafting past her (Perception 9 with advantage).
They proceed up the main, lit corridor to a third column-supported Y-intersection. The left branch goes farther than they can see, both in distance and because shortly after the intersection it slopes steeply down - as a ramp, not stepped, and the end is lost to view with the perspective. The right branch has not gone half as far when it is blocked by a heavy, undecorated curtain. This is no wall tapestry, but a soft ‘door’ - it ends inches short of the floor and the hallway obviously continues beyond it.
What are you getting, Tina? asks Doro silently. The wolf reports that the left branch is obviously the source of the hellscape scents, coming up from within the oearth. The right, however, carries heavily the scent of giants (Tina Perception 22).
Stay here, Doro thinks toward her wolf, and dismounts. As silently as she practiced with her guild training, she slips up the hall until she reaches the curtain, flattens herself against the wall, and draws it back just enough for her to see into the room (Doro Stealth 25). A large, lit, dormitory chamber lies beyond [18]. There are a number of great beds, and on at least four of them are sleeping giants. Armor and weapons racks are about the room - at least some of these giants are warriors, and this is perhaps a communal barracks. No giants are up and moving about. Doro slowly allows the curtain to return to its position blocking her view.
Hold still, thinks Doro, and she carefully creeps back to roughly where she left Tina. Arms outstretched, she eventually finds the wolf, orients herself, and mounts. Their choices are doors, a ramp down to the next level, or a dormitory with no egress. Doro is not yet ready to head down a level, so they return to the second previous intersection and this time take the east branch of the Y.
The corridor bends, and a branch to the north opens on a long, dark passageway that ends in many of the iron-plated doors. All of them are closed and the whole hall is quiet. Doro notes that the hallway is used and not too dusty; Tina says that that way smells of giant, but also of hellhound (Perception 22). Doro does not much like closed doors, and things that can smell them even less, so they continue forward.
It is only a short distance before a four-way intersection. As they approach it, Doro sees that the corridor across from them continues on straight and featureless for a great length. The one to the right is a wide, long hall with pillars down its center for the entire length. The left, it turns out, is not a corridor but merely an alcove [24], in which an armored fire giant warrior stands watch in front of a great hollow iron cylinder hanging from the ceiling by a chain. The giant’s sword is in its sheath, but a huge hammer is in his hand. Four throwing stones are at his feet. He stands so as to see down the entire length of the lit corridor running to the south.
Doro guides Tina around the intersection, keeping a great pillar between them and the giant guard, and then continuing on to the east. They pause for Tina to smell just before leaving the intersection. The scent of gnoll she got from before is stronger here, and coming from the southern corridor (Perception 17 with advantage).
Continuing on to the east there is a set of iron-plate doors to their right about halfway down the hall, which turns to the left at their end. Tina checks these for scent (Perception 14 with advantage). She smells animal dung and urine - some sort of pen is beyond. Could it be the chimera? Doro asks her silently. Perhaps, she responds, I have never seen such a creature before, or smelled one. Something as horrid as that would never be permitted in the Feywild.
They continue to the end of the hall, and turn left up the long, straight corridor. The closer they get, the stronger Tina smells giant (Perception 20 with advantage). There is no door to the room, just an open doorway. She creeps close enough to determine that it is another barracks [25], with multiple giants there. However, at least one of them is active even at this time of night (Luck roll -1), and is slowly strapping on his complicated suit of plate. She does not enter.
They double back all the way to the alcove with the guard and the alarm cylinder, but this time they take the southern passage. With each step they take south, the scent of gnoll grows stronger (Tina Perception 13 with advantage). Thinking that they might have to sneak past the hyena folk while disguising their own scent, Doro gives a second bardic inspiration die to Tina.
Peaking around the corner at an intersection, Doro can see that the corridor heads westward from the pillared hallway. The smaller corridor and a chamber beyond [12] contain furnishings of various sizes. The smallest of them are a table, a plush chair with a footstool, and a couch. Other items are more or less human-sized, including a long table, two benches, two chairs, and twelve chests. Finally, there are four huge chairs, a table, and a footstool sized for giants. Rugs on the floor, tapestries on the walls, and bronze cressets with torches complete the décor. Eight gnolls are lounging in this area, most asleep but a few murmuring to one another, sucking on their paws, and so forth. There are two doors - small, single doors unlike the others on this level and not sized for giants - on the north wall. The south wall, if there is indeed a wall, is recessed and out of sight around a corner. What is beyond the small doors? Tina tries to scent them, but the stench of gnoll is so overwhelming as to hide anything else (Perception 11 with advantage) - perhaps if she were right at the doors themselves, but even with so many asleep Doro knows there is no way they can enter the room proper without themselves being scented. She guides Tina to the other side of the hall, as far from the gnolls as possible, and they cross as quickly and silently as they can.
The pillared hall runs far to the south before turning at an angle. Going around the corner, they find themselves in plain view of one of the heads of the two-headed giants on guard in the throne room. Fortunately they are still invisible. Doro judges they have perhaps half an hour left on the spell, and they have searched everything on this level that was possible without either opening doors or walking so close to someone as to guarantee their detection. Is it time to try the ramp to the lower level?
They return north up the corridor and pass the guard at the alarm for the third time, then traverse the familiar terrain back to the ramp, with Tina listening and smelling as they go (Perception 18) but meeting no surprises. In a short time they stand at the head of the ramp itself. If they get stuck below, Doro still has dimension door to get them out, but going beneath the oerth complicates things. The spell easily has the range to get them to the surface, but requires Doro to know the right distance in three dimensions without sighting it. If she estimates too high, they will end up in the air and fall onto the hard, sharp rocks. Too low, and they could become trapped in the lava rock ground.
Still they pause at the head of the ramp, both of them listening intently (Perception 9 with advantage). Through the echoing stone halls comes the distant clang of metal on metal - not an alarm, but something more rhythmic, and nothing else. [Wandering encounter roll d12 = 6, nothing]
They descend, with Doro trying to judge the distance all the way. At the bottom of the long ramp they enter a cross-running corridor. Tina does not scent anything nearby (Perception 20 with advantage) other than the now stronger scent of molten rock and metal. The floor ahead of them is of black stone. It is smooth, but not finely polished like that of the level above. The walls are hewn from the rock, the vaulted ceilings just as high, but there are none of the decorative columns in sight. Ahead of them is an alcove with truly massive stone doors. To the right is a steep flight of stairs down. The hallway to the left is level but turns a corner. It is that direction they go first.
After the corner the hallway gets much wider. Although it leads forward to the east, they pause outside an open doorway. Both snores and voices can be heard within (Perception 13 with advantage). Tina creeps closer. In a disorderly room [2-2] are two of the two-headed giants. For each giant, one of the heads is sleeping while the other keeps watch. Now, that’s hardly fair, thinks Tina. I agree, responds Doro.
Moving to the opposite side of the hall they pass the doorway and proceed. The corridor jogs to the left. The walls are gradually changing from black to reddish black, and in some places appear to no longer be hewn, but rather melted and fused. When the hallway rights itself it opens onto a large space that appears to be a dormitory. It is quiet, and perhaps all the giants are asleep (Luck roll +2), but Tina says there are at least three of them, maybe more (Perception 11 with advantage). The iron plate doors indicate rooms to the north and south along the hall as well. Doro shakes her head, and the pair return to the bottom of the ramp.
They slowly descend the stairs, the sound of metal clanging against metal growing all the time. At the bottom the rock walls are a dull black. Two corridors, one forward, one to the right, are in sight. The one ahead of them is lit by a dull, throbbing red light pouring from what looks like a natural cave entrance, or perhaps the entrance to the Hells. It is noticeably hotter here, and the opening also appears to be the source of the unceasing clanging sound. The passageway to the right is lined by several single giant-sized doors. These are wooden, the first wooden doors Doro has seen in the place, and each has a window set up at giant eye level. All of them also have a huge wooden bar, likely heavier than Doro could lift alone, set in brackets at the height of a giant’s waist, and preventing them from being opened from within.
Tina smells down the corridor. Doro is here to scout, not release prisoners who will more likely than not immediately give her away, but it may be worthwhile to know just what kind of creatures are imprisoned. Unfortunately the overwhelming scent from the nearby molten rock covers the scent of the prisoners, if indeed there are any (Tina Perception 11 with advantage).
Tina pads quickly down the hall, trusting to the metallic clangs to disguise her footfalls. The north wall is bare rock, the dull black turning to reddish black the further they go. They pass the huge doors on the right, each barred shut. Now in the hall, Doro can see that the high windows in each one are set with iron bars, the gaps narrow enough that even a human could not pass through them.
After four doors they arrive at an intersection of sorts. To their right, a rough-carved and giant-sized staircase descends even further into the reddish-black rock. To their left, an open and level corridor leads north with more of the barred doors on either wall. Ahead of them the corridor continues, with five more of the barred doors - and one that is not barred!
Tina moves warily across the open intersection and from there to the north wall, headed for the last door to their left. It is the same wood as the others, the same iron hinges set with huge bolts into the stone wall, but lacks both the bar and brackets [G]. The sound of conversation comes from within (Luck roll +2; the gaoler is awake and conversing; Tina Perception 15 with advantage). The bottom lip of the window is some fifteen feet off the floor - even standing on Tina’s back, Doro couldn’t reach it - but she listens intently to the conversation (Doro Perception 17). There is the deep, basso rumbling of an adult male giant speaking in Giant. There are multiple voices responding to his - two, perhaps three - in Giant as well. But to Doro’s surprise they are so soft in tone and so high in timbre that she takes them to be human females - or at least something similarly sized and gendered! Why did she not have Aurora give her comprehend languages before setting out? Oh yes, the mage claimed she could only cast the spell upon herself.
Tina moves back to the intersection and Doro asks her whether there is conversation or other noises in any of the other cells (Luck roll = 0, Perception 19 with advantage), but Tina reports that there is not. If there are prisoners in this cell block, they are all sleeping, or gagged, or scared into silence.
They move north from the intersection, passing three barred doors before arriving at another intersection. Their corridor continues, but without any more doors before it splits in a Y to the north. The intersecting corridor running to the west has two barred doors on the north wall. The intersection itself is marked by a pair of iron plate double doors, as large and solid as any on the first level.
They move up to the iron doors and Tina smells again (Perception 20 with advantage). She gets nothing from the doors themselves, but the corridor ahead carries the obvious rank odor of trolls and gamey scent of gnolls. They continue ahead to the Y and try again - and this time Tina picks up the ammonia-rich scent of cat urine to the left, as well as giant. The troll and gnoll comes from the right branch (Perception 21 with advantage). Cats? asks Doro. Are you sure? Tina listens for a long time (Luck roll -1; neither lion is active at this hour; Perception 23 with advantage). Pretty sure replies Tina. There’s one that’s between a purr and a snore. It must be a big cat from the sound of it.
Cats, trolls, and gnolls all have a good sense of smell. They have gone far enough. Doro turns Tina around and retreats to the iron doors, then takes the corridor to the west, hearing the metal clanging again increasing in volume as they go.
The long hall has only two cell doors on the north wall, barred and appearing as the others. However, just before it turns a corner to the south, the wall itself is different. All the way down the hall the color has been fading from the rock - with first the red disappearing and then the remaining black fading to a dull gray. But some twenty feet from the corner it turns sharply to a purple-brown. It is only a fifteen-foot span, and the line between it and the natural stone background is clear and obvious. And yet it looks natural as well, not even hewn, let alone placed. The division between the two rocks is so thin that not even a sheet of paper could be slipped between them. Perhaps some sort of stone shape spell created this strange plug in a natural gap? The purple goes almost to the floor, but there is a half-inch lip of the other stone separating it from being flush.
Doro dismounts. She and Tina cautiously approach the purple wall. Doro looks over the entire surface, trying to find any markings or glyphs, but being careful not to touch it (Investigation 11). Tina sniffs at it suspiciously (Investigation -2). None of them note anything other than the rock itself. Doro tries to remember her Guild training. The purple is so obvious - but nothing is there. Is it a distraction, meant to keep them from noticing something else? She has Tina turn about, but with both of them still walking, she approaches the wall directly opposite the purple stone. Okay, try smelling that, thinks Doro. (Tina Perception with advantage 6, uses bardic inspiration die, d10 = +1, total Perception 7). It’s just stone, says the wolf, giving a mental shrug.
Okay...thinks Doro...what do you hear? Tina sighs, closes her eyes, and listens. Gas jets, she says after a while, hissing gas and crackling flames (Perception 13 with advantage).
I know, says Doro, they are all over this fortress.
Yes, says Tina, opening her eyes. But I don’t see any in this hall. Indeed, although the whole level has been lit by these gas jets, this corridor has none in sight. And yet it is not that dim…
Hmm, considers Doro, returning to the wall opposite the purple stone. She reaches out to touch it - and her hand goes through (Investigation 28)! Okay, classic distraction, she thinks, and yet is not eager for the next part. She takes a hesitant step forward and leans through the illusionary wall, but keeps her feet on the floor of the corridor.
As soon as her head passes through the wall and she can see beyond, Doro is immediately disoriented. The space beyond is huge, and although there is indeed a gas jet some fifty feet distant, the whole space is illuminated by a strange, swirling light that seems to be part of the very air instead. Eddies of luminosity drift here and there, causing the whole scene to be difficult to perceive. Distances and dimensions are tricky to determine in the shifting light of rusty purple motes and lavender rays. Doro feels dizzy and nauseated. Globs of mauve and violet seem to seep and slide around. She can make out stone stairs going down into a larger space, the ceiling of which is out of visual range [2-10]. At the bottom of the stairs a polished floor of red and black hornblende seems to flow between thin pillars of obsidian. The wall to the east is decorated, but Doro cannot make out the shapes from her vantage, and finds she is glad for that. The whole experience instantly reminds her of the strange abandoned temple in the basement of the Steading (Religion 21), but this temple is obviously well-tended and in use!
Doro stands upright and pulls her head back into the hallway. It is several moments before the floor feels solid beneath her and the walls stop moving. Tina licks at her hand solicitously. Finally Doro wills herself to turn around and look at the purple wall. Does the color remind her of the purple hues in the Steading temple? She decides it does. Doro removes a single ball bearing from her pouch, crouches, and rolls it at the wall, hard enough it should jump the lip and hit the purple stone. Close your eyes and listen, she tells Tina, I’ll watch. As she had planned, the ball bearing hits the lip of gray stone, jumps and impacts the purple - then bounces off and rolls back, vaguely in her direction. The purple stone looked quite solid (Doro Perception 15). Did you hear it bounce? she asks. Actually, says Tina, with an undercurrent of queasiness, it sounded more like it squished and then crunched - like someone stepping on a fat cockroach (Tina Perception 17 with advantage). Doro shudders at the imagery as she recovers her ball bearing and stows it in her pouch.
Resting her hand on Tina’s flank, they walk to the end of the hall and turn the corner. They can see the bottom of the stairs on which they entered this level, as well as the cave mouth from which the red glow and metal pounding continue unabated. The mouth of the Hells, thinks Doro, that might be preferable to whatever is in that Temple! They can see a flaming gas jet now, close to the opening in the wall, but they listen for others (Doro Perception 15, Tina 22 with advantage) and distinctly hear one nearly overhead. They turn and look at the wall behind them, which appears as solid as any others. Tina pushes it gently with a paw (Investigation 11). Even though her paw actually goes through the illusion, its power is such that she believes she feels the wall itself (Tina Int check 13). Doro is harder to convince - and has seen beyond the other illusion. She probes the wall and finds nothing there (Investigation 24).
Sticking her head through, she finds herself viewing another part of the same temple, although this opens on a level gallery before descending a shorter and steeper flight of stairs to the temple floor [2-9]. The floor in the western half of the area is of porphyry, and the pillars are made of serpentine. Their well-polished surfaces reflect the strange light that permeates the place. There are scenes on the west wall that she fortunately cannot view from her vantage point.
Doro pulls her head back and again waits until the hallway stops spinning. She is done scouting; it is time to return to the first level, but she resolves to pass by the hellish cave mouth and look inside along the way [2-6]. She finds Tina, mounts, and they creep down the hallway, passing as far from the cave as they can on the other side of the corridor. Doro turns her head as they pass into the bloody red light emerging from the cave, but tells Tina not to stop. In plain view is the source of the metallic sounds - a knotty-limbed, burly fire giant is hammering a long, glowing rod of iron on an anvil. All about him are racks of tools used for weaponsmithing and armor forging, all sized for giants.
Behind the giant, in the back of the cave, is a huge pool of molten lava, and numerous gas jets shoot from the walls. Doro and Tina are blasted by a direct wave of heat as Tina walks past. The giant doesn’t notice them; Doro forces herself to look away from him at the rest of the room. At least two trolls are in sight, cowering - no, sleeping - under a weapons rack that holds items in various stages of completion. Their rest is unhindered by the metallic pounding of the giant.
And then they are past, on their way up the stairs, and up the ramp. Doro and Tina slip past the guard at the alarm cylinder a fourth time, again past the gnolls, and approach the entrance to the throne hall. There they pause. Doro is unsure whether they can make it past the two-headed giant and into the throne hall. She gives Tina a third bardic inspiration die (her last) and then tells her to enter.
Tina rounds the corner without the giant hearing (Stealth 18 > Ettin Passive Perception 14) and immediately gets her distance from the brute.
Doro guides Tina closer to the throne, roughly to the spot where Mathias said that he saw Estia kneeling, then turns around so that the throne is behind them. Let’s take a good, long look, she thinks. Tina smells (Perception 10 with advantage) and listens (Perception 20 with advantage), but does not note anything out of the ordinary. Doro spends some time studying the carvings on the columns, but doesn’t find any hidden messages. She notes that the vaulted ceiling of obsidian is some sixty feet overhead, making this the tallest room she has seen in the entire Hall.
Doro considers how the tapestry in the entryway concealed a hidden guard chamber. She intends to have Tina walk the length of the hall hugging the south wall, a path which will take them past two similar tapestries. Should she check these?
Tina moves to the wall and walks slowly forward. The closer giant’s two heads are watching up the corridor to the north, and back at the throne. From her position on Tina’s back, Doro pulls back the tapestry, but sees only the bare wall behind it. They continue forward.
At the second tapestry, they pause again. The other giant’s two heads are watching to the west at the entry of the hall, and south to this wall - maybe even directly at this tapestry. Now there’s a tell, thinks Doro, it’s always the most unintelligent guard who can’t keep from looking at the secret door. It seems promising, but also makes it that much more challenging. Moving Tina into the perfect position, Doro tries to pull back the tapestry just enough to see behind it, without the giant seeing that it has moved (Doro Sleight of Hand 16 > Ettin Passive Perception 14). As she suspected, there is a passage behind the tapestry!
Doro dismounts and tells Tina to smell the tapestry, but the wolf reports that the stench from the two-headed giants are the only things she is sensing at the moment (Perception with advantage 11). Doro checks her gear, tells Tina to wait, and slips inside, again trying to do so while moving the tapestry as little as she can (Doro Stealth 22 > Fire Giant Guard Passive Perception 16, Ettin 14).
The passageway beyond is lit only with a diffuse red glow, and Doro realizes that the only source of light is that from the bright throne hall passing through the mostly-red tapestry. There is clearly a giant within, though, and one who is looking in her direction. The giant is different from those she has seen before. It is smaller, like the servants in leathers, but is still encased in heavy armor and bearing a sword. As Doro squints through the wan light she realizes that it is a female. The visor of her helm raised, the giant sports no beard, but rather has heavy copper braids spilling out of her helmet. She may be a maid, but there is nothing soft about her appearance as she continually scans the dimly lit hall. One hand rests comfortably on the hilt of her sword, and Doro does not doubt that she knows how to use it. Doro takes a few cautious steps forward, trying to minimize the sound of her hard-heeled boots on the stone floor. The giant guard stands in front of one iron-plated door to Doro’s right, but the hallway itself turns a corner to the left. To see around it, though, she will need to approach rather too close for comfort.
Almost home, Doro reminds herself, and we’re back on the first level - if anything happens, we just dimension door two hundred feet due south, level, and we’re halfway to the ravine. Still, she has one hand on the paralyzation pistol as she moves closer.
With her back almost touching the wall, Doro slides by the giant guard (Stealth 20 > Female warrior Passive Perception 16) and moves gratefully away and around the corner. There are two iron-plated doors; she listens at the first. There is the sound of a single giant snoring, as well as some other, more animalistic, sounds that Doro doesn’t recognize (Int check 11). [Luck roll +1; Snurre is asleep but his hounds are making some noise, Doro Perception 22]
She moves to the second set of doors [Luck roll -2; giants are out or fast asleep] but doesn’t hear anything at them (Perception 6). Returning to the set of doors next to the giant guard (Stealth 23), she gives them a listen as well but hears nothing (Perception 22) [Luck roll 0; Queen Frupy’s handmaidens are either asleep or in attendance on her, and not making noise.]
Doro slips past the guard again (Stealth 25) and manages to emerge from the tapestry into the throne hall without either the female giant behind her or the two-headed giant before her noticing it move (Stealth 27). She communicates telepathically with Tina until they have found each other once again, and then mounts.
She will need to pass by one more two-headed giant on her way out of the Hall, but there is a gas jet nearby hissing and crackling. By passing directly under it, the giant never even has a chance to hear her (no roll needed). Doro and Tina turn into the entry hall, at last seeing the great black valves before them, and move about halfway down the hall, trying to get as far from both the giant behind them in the throne hall, and the one Tina assures her is hidden behind the tapestry before them, as they can. When Doro is happy with her position, she begins her dimension door spell, trying to keep her words as quiet as possible (Performance 26). As soon as she begins casting she becomes visible - although, interestingly, Tina does not. She manages to complete the spell without anyone seeing or hearing her, and the two of them are whisked outside, instantly standing just a few feet from where they entered nearly an hour before (Doro at 4/2/3/1/2). They are halfway to the ravine when Tina becomes visible as well, the time on Doro’s invisibility now run out.
It is an uneventful trip back to the cave under the dark, ash-filled sky.
When Doro gets back to the cave it is still long before sunrise, and Babshapka and Thokk are on watch. She tells them that she has the basic floorplan of both levels of the Hall and that they will have much to discuss after they all have rested. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
1) Tina could smell the hellhounds, but you didn't mention rolling to see if the hellhounds could smell Tina and Doro.
2) Since the fire giants are well-aware of the party's presence outside their fortress and the fact that they are somewhat formidable, it seems reasonable that these Lawful creatures would station hellhounds in key locations (most especially the area of the throne room near the entry hall) to detect any sneaky (invisible) intruders.
3) I am pretty sure Doro and Tina had to pass by the room of the Rakshasa in order to go down to level 2. Though the Rakshasa doesn't have detect invisibility in any edition (as far as I can determine), it does have detect thoughts, which works constantly. Since Rakshasas are fiends in later editions, that means they don't have to sleep, so it is likely that the Rakshasa would have realized an intruder was passing by its door. Also, in some editions, Rakshasas can smell the blood of humans. Just wondering if you purposefully chose not to have the Rakshasa interfere with Doro's reconnaissance, or if you hadn't considered any of those possibilities.
4) Okay, I agree that the smells of so many trolls, gnolls, and cats that have been living there for a while would be detectable by Tina farther in advance than those beings might smell her single odor. Good for Doro in recognizing the danger of proceeding closer toward those creatures.
5) It is likely that Snurre would keep a hellhound with him, especially while sleeping, and assign one to his wife for protection, also.
6) I can't remember a chimera in the original Hall of the Fire Giant King. Did you replace the hydra with a chimera?
I'm glad you are enjoying it. My apologies on the delay in response - I am, as far as I can tell, following this thread - and yet sometimes I get a mail saying there is a response and sometimes not. In this case, I was not aware that you had written until just now, when I opened it to make my Tuesday post.
SirXaris wrote:
I have some questions, comments, and suggestions.
1) Tina could smell the hellhounds, but you didn't mention rolling to see if the hellhounds could smell Tina and Doro.
4) Okay, I agree that the smells of so many trolls, gnolls, and cats that have been living there for a while would be detectable by Tina farther in advance than those beings might smell her single odor. Good for Doro in recognizing the danger of proceeding closer toward those creatures.
Yes, I was going with (4). Those creatures have been here so long, and the smells are so heavy, that Tina had a chance to scent them before she herself was scented. Especially because Doro took extra precautions to cover their scent - staying away from the rest of the party for half a day prior, and covering themselves with ground sulfur to disguise their scent. Had Doro gotten closer to any of those places, there would have been Perception checks made against her.
SirXaris wrote:
2) Since the fire giants are well-aware of the party's presence outside their fortress and the fact that they are somewhat formidable, it seems reasonable that these Lawful creatures would station hellhounds in key locations (most especially the area of the throne room near the entry hall) to detect any sneaky (invisible) intruders.
That would be a reasonable precaution, yes. As we will see later, Obmi recognizes the danger that these adventurers pose, and is pressuring Snurre to respond just as you have suggested. Snurre, however, is full of hubris and resists admitting that the party could actually be a threat. "They would not dare enter my Hall", "They would not dare face my warriors," etc. Although they did not realize it, the party was certainly exploiting Snurre's foolish pride here.
SirXaris wrote:
3) I am pretty sure Doro and Tina had to pass by the room of the Rakshasa in order to go down to level 2. Though the Rakshasa doesn't have detect invisibility in any edition (as far as I can determine), it does have detect thoughts, which works constantly. Since Rakshasas are fiends in later editions, that means they don't have to sleep, so it is likely that the Rakshasa would have realized an intruder was passing by its door. Also, in some editions, Rakshasas can smell the blood of humans. Just wondering if you purposefully chose not to have the Rakshasa interfere with Doro's reconnaissance, or if you hadn't considered any of those possibilities.
We will see the Rakshasa later. In this particular case, I was a rushed DM that wasn't fully prepared when it turned out that Doro was going to scout and I didn't want to think through the implications of the Rakshasa. In any event, the range on detect thoughts is 30 feet. If Doro got within that, it wasn't by much, so it could be said that the Rakshasa was simply on the wrong side of the room and out of range when Doro and Tina went by.
SirXaris wrote:
5) It is likely that Snurre would keep a hellhound with him, especially while sleeping, and assign one to his wife for protection, also.
Oh, Snurre has multiple hellhounds in his sleeping chamber regardless. If the party was revealed to be using invisibility to scout the Hall, he might have assigned one or more to Frupy, but at the time of Doro's mission she just had her female attendants, who I made into a Queensguard.
SirXaris wrote:
6) I can't remember a chimera in the original Hall of the Fire Giant King. Did you replace the hydra with a chimera?
No, the hydra guards Snurre's treasury. The chimera is distinct, and in the original. This is from G1-3, but I expect the text in G3 is nearly identical:
G1-3, p. 20 wrote:
11. CHIMERA PEN: The fire giants keep a large (H.P.: 55) chimera here. This creature will attack on sight, as it hates everyone except fire giants. It has no treasure.
_________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Tue Oct 01, 2024 3:40 pm; edited 1 time in total
Post 343: Preparing for the Second Foray 12 May [19 Flocktime] - continued - secret cave near Snurre's Hall
(low 84, high 104; very dry)
As soon as Aurora wakes, she uses animate dead to reassert control over her eighteen skeletons. It should last until the next day’s dawn.
When he rouses in the morning, Mathias finds he has leveled to 10th.
New features in bold:
"Mathias" (Leezar / Leezarius Angelicus Temtonio)
Tenth Level Warlock (Pact of the Tome) / Human (Oerid) (Noble)
Str 10 (0) Dex 16 (+3) Con 13 (+1) Int 8 (-1) Wis 9 (-1) Cha 18 (+4)
Hp 58
Languages: Common, Velondi
Skills: Deception, History, Investigation, Persuasion
Otherworldly Patron - Dark Prince Graz'zt
Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade
Special Ability: Saved by the Bell
Cantrips (4): Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand, Mind Sliver, Chill Touch. Book of Shadows gives: Guidance, Message, Friends
Invocations (5): One with Shadows, Fiend's Sight, Armor of Shadows, Book of Ancient Secrets, dropped Far Scribe, added Mask of Many Faces Otherworldly Patron Features (3): Dark One's Blessing, Dark One's Own Luck, Fiendish Resilience Spells (10); all cast at 5th level: Dispel Magic, Fly, Darkness, Scorching Ray, Summon Aberrant Spirit, Wall of Fire, Dimension Door, Teleportation Circle, Synaptic Static, dropped Armor of Agathys, added Counterspell
Between 9th and 10th level, acquired the following rituals to add to his Tome: Find Familiar, Phantom Steed
Equipment: Scimitar, Alien Translator, Laser Pistol, Blaster Pistol, Blaster Rifle, Power Discs, Couatl Scale of Detect Magic, Book of Shadows, Ring of Mind Shielding, Magic Mace (Willa's), Magic Spear (party's), wineskin of 'black wine', stun grenade, incendiary grenade
Mask of Many Faces wrote:
You can cast disguise self at will, without expending a spell slot.
Fiendish Resilience wrote:
Starting at 10th level, you can choose one damage type when you finish a short or long rest. You gain resistance to that damage type until you choose a different one with this feature. Damage from magical weapons or silver weapons ignores this resistance.
[Babshapka uses his stone for breakfast. Five people plus Fraanke is 7 skins used; the 19 party skins are now at 4 full in the cave and four quarter-casks with 10.5 gallons each. Five people use 1.5 rations, the party total going from 58 rations to 56.5. Fraanke eats three pounds of meat which means the party is at 123 pounds].
After breakfast, they discuss their next approach to the Hall. Doro describes to them her scouting, detailing what she observed on both levels and drawing sketch maps on the rock floor of the cave.
Mathias suggests that the entrance to the Underdark is somewhere on the lower level, underground, and that the entrance to the Tunnel to Sterich should be there as well.
It is agreed that they will use the ‘dwarf knock’ discovered by Mathias to try to get the giants to open the door, and then engage them at that point. Darkness will still be their ally; they will wait all through the day today and until after midnight tonight so that Doro can recover all the higher-level spells she used while scouting last night.
There is disagreement about what happens next if the raid goes well. Mathias is a proponent of using the distraction of the combat to slip inside and find someplace to hole up, whereas Aurora believes that they should consider making multiple raids on the Hall, whittling down the defenders but never staying engaged to the point that they are in serious danger. In defending his view, Mathias makes the argument that the giants are likely to be fooled by the ‘dwarf knock’ only once; the Hall has already turned away future supplies and seems content to draw on their resource stockpiles rather than exposing themselves. After the party’s next foray the giants are unlikely to open the valves again, and at present the great doors are the only way in. This next raid is the only chance the party will have to enter without using something like dimension door, Mathias maintains.
Aurora counters by saying that they can dimension door someone inside who can then open the valves for them all, at which point Mathias asks Doro to describe the entrance again. Mathias points out the hidden guard room and narrow hall from her narrative; Doro can take at most one person with her, and Mathias doesn’t like the odds of the pair of them surviving long enough to actually open the door if defenders are actively trying to keep them from opening it - even Thokk will go down after just three hits from a giant, and that could easily happen in less than ten seconds. If the door really is the only way in, after this raid there is no way it will still be watched by one giant only, and even if the party manages to open it once, they certainly won’t be able to repeat it.
Aurora is forced to agree, and changes tactics to her wall of stone - if the giants open the door in response to the ‘dwarf knock’, Aurora can cast her wall of stone between the valves, preventing the giants from being able to close them. In that case the party can come back any time and the door will still be open. She does, under cross-examination, admit that the wall will not be ‘real’ or permanent for ten minutes, and that the party will have to cover her for the duration until it becomes real.
Willa says that ten minutes of combat will mean that they are facing the entire Hall, every single one of Snurre’s soldiers. If they can hold them off for ten minutes, the party will already have won, and won’t need to keep the doors open or come back for another raid. However, Willa was taken with Doro’s description of the doors as not having hinges on either side - and of being too massive for hinges in any event. Willa says that means the doors must be counterweighted, balanced on pins, with much of their bulk existing within the walls of the Hall, unseen from inside or out. And that means that whether the doors are open or closed, there will be a great empty space in the wall that the unseen part of the doors moves through. This gets the party to consider having Doro and Aurora dimension door into such a hidden space, and then creating the wall of stone there so as to keep one of the valves propped open but have the giants unable to attack the blocking wall itself. Willa even suggests that the party could hide and stay in the space within the walls as a new hidden camp between raids. This idea goes around for a while.
Aurora says that if the ten minutes concentrating on her wall of stone is too long, Doro can use her own wall of force to immediately block off the hallway - they can let out just the amount of giants they want to fight, then put up a wall of force to keep any more from arriving. Once they have defeated just the first few giants, Aurora will be able to cast her wall of stone at leisure and keep it up for the ten minutes they need to make it permanent before leaving the Hall for the cave, since other giants will be prevented from harming it by the wall of force.
Now it is Doro’s turn to weigh in, and though she phrases her advice as if the party was constructing a dramatic narrative in a play, they all realize that it is sound tactics. “You don’t want to give the audience all the secrets at once,” she says. “Each time there is a dramatic reveal, you need to space out the next one, so that you can sustain both the highest levels of surprise and suspense.”
Mathias, and eventually Aurora and Willa, understand what she is saying. The party has a limited number of ‘tricks’ up their sleeves. Each time they use one, they may surprise the giants at first - but the giants are smart, tactical, and organized. They will be ready for that trick the next time the party attacks. Thus they want to be as conservative as possible with their tricks, revealing only one in each encounter. When they arrived and snuck past the trolls, they had the advantage of darkness and invisibility - but on their next assault, the giants used hellhounds to negate both those advantages. If the party uses a wall of stone on this attack to keep the doors open, the giants will be ready on the next attack for that as well, and they certainly don’t want to let the giants know that they have access to wall of force yet - because when they do, the giants are likely to respond by having the drow be ready to dispel it on the next assault.
The party decides to take stock of their supply of ‘tricks’ - wall of stone, wall of force, seeming (to disguise the party - perhaps as gnolls?), and Willa’s horn of valhalla. Any one of these could turn the combat for them, so they resolve to only use one on any given assault. Also, they have tiny hut and teleport circle as needed to retreat, but don’t wish to reveal these either, unless necessary. With that decided, most of them agree that if this assault goes well, they will use wall of stone to keep the doors open, and then attempt to sneak inside under the cover of invisibility - or perhaps even seeming as gnolls with invisibility on top of that so that their gnoll-seeming trick may not have to be revealed just yet. With them all agreed on the strategy of ‘steady escalation of tricks’, they spend the remainder of the day in the cave resting and preparing for this evening’s assault.
[Babshapka uses his stone for lunch. Five people use 1.5 rations, the party total going from 56.5 rations to 55. Fraanke eats three pounds of meat which means the party is at 120 pounds. They are not outside during the day and do not have to use any additional water.]
Aurora wants the skeletons to operate more or less autonomously in the fight, rather than her having to command them at every action like she did last time and then not being able to use her own spells. She spends the day coming up with as complicated contingent orders as she thinks they are capable of.
She decides that she will form them into a wide semi-circle some hundred-and-fifty feet away from the entrance of the Hall - they will have orders to march in formation up to that distance and then stop. Or, if they find anything at that range before the entrance, they will stop when they do. They are to keep their targets at 150 feet from them at all times [this being short range and no penalties for their longbows]. If a hostile creature (which Aurora defines for them as anything that is not the party) approaches them, their next action will be to drop back thirty feet but keep firing. If there are no targets at close range, they will keep moving up until they have acquired a target or are within close range of the entrance.
She also prepares them with a target priority hierarchy - anything small and wounded first, then anything either small or wounded, then giants, and finally targets that are prone as their last resort. They are to fire on the closest target that is the highest on their list of priorities.
As soon as it is dark she takes them up on the lava fields above the ravine and has them practice. Using her silent image to present them with enemies, she has them recognize gnolls, trolls, hellhounds, and giants, and shows them pairs of targets of different types, at different distances, both prone and non-prone, to check their decision-making skills. She even convinces Thokk, Doro, and Mathias to walk out on the field while this is happening to make sure that the skeletons will indeed recognize and not fire upon party members when under their own control, and has Doro try a few different variations with her hat of disguise. Willa and Babshapka refuse to participate in her undead army training exercises, but Aurora makes rather unflattering copies of them with her silent image to complete the archers' training. After an hour of such practice she is more than satisfied with their ‘programming’.
At dinner, the others soon tire of listening to Aurora extoll the virtues of her wonderful pre-ordered skeleton army.
[Babshapka uses his stone for dinner. Five people plus Fraanke is 7 skins used; the party empties the last four skins and takes three gallons out of one of the quarter-casks, leaving it at 7.5 gallons and three more with 10.5 gallons each. Five people use 2 rations, the party total going from 55 rations to 53. Fraanke eats four pounds of meat which means the party is at 116 pounds].
After dinner, they take all the sulfur rock remaining from Doro, crush it, and work on dulling their own scent. With it being determined that their goal is to make it inside the fortress on this next raid, they plan on having Thokk, Aurora, and Willa invisible during the initial assault, and Babshapka camouflaged but hiding in plain sight right next to the valves when they start knocking, with all four of them on foot but their steeds, phantom or otherwise, hidden nearby. Doro and Mathias will be farther from the entrance, mounted, visible, and tasked with drawing the giants out and away from the doors. Aurora will have Charlotte slip inside the entrance as soon as the doors open, moving ahead of the party to scout and give them notice of who may be coming.
Since they may not be returning to the cave any time soon, Willa spends the remainder of the evening packing, unpacking, and repacking gear. Their cold-weather clothes for the Rift remain in the pile where they dropped them. All of Fraanke’s hobgoblin meat will remain in the cave, but all of the human rations are packed in the bag of holding carried by Aurora. They will fill all nineteen of the water skins, but leave the quarter-casks behind. From the cask they have already tapped, they can fill seven and a half skins. Draining another cask completely gets them to eighteen. The final skin is filled with a gallon of water from the third cask. Two casks remain with water in the cave, one full with 10.5 gallons, one with 9.5). _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
DM's Note on Sources: This post contains spoilers to module G3: The Hall of the Fire Giant King
Locations keyed in the module are indicated in [blue].
Post 344: Second Foray 13 May [20 Flocktime] - secret cave near Snurre's Hall
(low 80, high 105; very dry)
[It has been more than fifty hours since the party’s first assault on the Hall, and Snurre and Obmi have spoken many times in the two days since about the adventurers. They remain unaware of the battle at the Sulfur Flats, however, or of Doro’s scouting of the Hall. In fact, Snurre is of the opinion that the adventurers, however successful they were against the weaker and more stupid Frost Giants, have tried a singular assault, have faced the superiority of the Fire Giants, and have now given up and gone home. It requires all of Obmi’s tact to convince the great King that the adventurers are still a threat without the King feeling that he, a lowly dwarf, is insulting the competence of the Fire Giant race.
At Obmi’s insistence, teams of gnolls, trolls, and hellhounds have scoured the countryside around the Hall looking for the adventurers, but they have not gone more than a half mile or so from the Hall itself and have not found any sign of the invaders besides what traces they left on the battlefield itself. Neither Snurre nor Obmi is aware of the existence of the cave, which lies over two miles distant down the ravine. Indeed, since Estia has told them how the party rested in a magical hut even when inside the guest chamber ice cave at the Rift, Obmi is assuming that the party is close at hand, using a dark-colored hut to camouflage itself against the volcanic rock, and has told the gnolls and trolls that this is what they are searching for. Thus, when no trace of the party was to be found after two days, Snurre concluded that they had indeed fled rather than face his soldiers again.
Obmi, however, is not so sure, and he has at least persuaded the King to allow him to organize a tepid defense of the Hall should the adventurers return. First, Obmi has had the entry hall filled with iron braziers on long chains, and these are filled with coals - in fact, Doro saw these during her mission, but did not understand their purpose. Obmi has instructed the giants that if the alarm is sounded and they are called to fight outside at night, they are each to take up a brazier on their way out. By whirling these about, the smouldering coals will ignite brightly, and then they can throw the entire brazier towards the sounds of battle, such that the burning coals will illuminate the darkness enough to see the adventurers by, and thus the giants can then use their thrown rock attacks.
Second, by talking to the giants who took to the field against the party before, Obmi has learned that the party used a wall of stone to protect Willa when she went down. He has made sure that every giant understands that wall of stone is a concentration spell, and that if a wizard brings one up again, they need to find and attack the wizard to bring it down, but that if they can’t find or reach the wizard then they can attack the wall itself. He assures them that, at least for the first ten minutes, it is not ‘real’ stone, and they can hack at it without blunting or breaking their swords - and once they do enough damage the spell will be disrupted.
For the forces involved, Snurre begrudgingly allows Obmi to dedicate a ‘response team’. One of the ettins from the throne room is moved to just inside the doors themselves (but is not permitted to open them) - should the giant in the hidden guard room sound the alarm horn, the second ettin will come running. Also allocated to the response will be all of the giants who participated in the first fight against the party - two Kingsguard (from 1-6), two warriors from the west barracks (1-18), and two warriors from the east barracks (1-25; only one of whom fought before), and the Chimera Guard (1-10), now bereft of his beast. The King has also pledged to set his own Hydra on the adventurers, be they impertinent enough to dare return. While the beast is fearsome, Obmi knows that the humans will attack at night and he would be ill-advised to attempt to rouse the King after hours to have him make good on that pledge. However, he has also set up a message relay, such that when word comes of the attack, giant forces from the second level will be summoned to battle as well - all four of the off-duty ettins, the four hill giant refugees, and the fire giant who tutors the youth in the southern wing. Snurre had scoffed at the need to commit so many forces to face mere humans, while Obmi secretly feared that they would not be enough or not be able to arrive soon enough, should the humans try another hit-and-run assault. Obmi has had the forces from the lower level practice running up to the entry valves when the alarm sounds, but he is not impressed by the speed of their response. Later, Obmi spoke with the Fire Giant youth instructor and told him that when the alarm sounds, he is to bring as many trolls and gnolls from the pens on the second level as he can manage quickly, but not to delay his response to wrangle every last one. Obmi is taking a risk here in making this order seem like it came from the King without discussing it with him first, but he knows that Snurre is unlikely to approve it, and the youth instructor is even less likely to question it or bring it up with the King.]
[Start of Play Session 9/9/21]
Shortly after midnight Doro completes her long rest. The others are already well-rested and eager to set out; Mathias and Aurora between them have already ritually summoned four phantom steeds, Thokk is on Fraanke and Doro on Tina in her dire wolf form. As soon as Doro indicates that she is ready to go, Aurora casts mage armor (on herself), mage armor (on Doro), darkvision (on Doro), and darkvision (on Willa) in quick succession (all will last until 8am). [Aurora from 4/3/3/3/2 to 2/1/3/3/2, will not need to assert control over skeletons until 6am]
[With his long rest completed, Leezer chooses his new fiendish resistance to be to bludgeoning damage. He does not intend to get within a slashing sword’s reach of a giant, but he considers it more than possible that a bludgeoning throwing rock might fly his way.]
With the skeletons dashing behind them as before, they traverse the ravine and within half an hour arrive near the Hall. Then, both Aurora and Mathias ritually cast comprehend language spells.
(12:40am; two of the phantom steeds have ten minutes remaining)
The party moves cautiously up and out of the ravine. Finding the coast clear, they bring the skeletons up behind them. Aurora commands them to move to the west a hundred yards out and then come back in while executing ‘attack pattern Delta’ with their target as the entrance of the Hall. To her great satisfaction, they are about halfway back to the party when they begin to fan out in a semicircle. All of them stop, practically in unison, when they reach 150 feet from the doors.
Together the party members (including Fraanke and Tina) approach the great valves. They wait while Babshapka crouches among the rocks, covering himself and his cloak in dark ash and volcanic dust, and slowly disappearing from view (hide in plain sight). Aurora pulls Charlotte out of her extradimensional space and has her climb the doors, coming to a rest on the lintel high above them. Mathias has apparently sent away his raven Craven and summoned his familiar as a bat he calls Fish, and the bat flits invisibly nearby him.
[Actually, this is not his familiar, but the demonling Mr. Wart in the form of a bat, then invisible]
(12:50am; two of the phantom steeds are gone, two have ten minutes remaining)
When Doro can no longer make out Babshapka, even with the help of Aurora’s darkvision, she casts invisibility at 4th level, targeting Thokk, Willa, and Aurora. The spell will last just one minute; immediately thereafter she has Tina dash across the rock field and take cover among the standing stones of the drop zone from the Rift, while Mathias on his steed moves back along the cinder trail until he is at 120 feet from the valves, the extreme range of his bolts of force. Fraanke lopes after Mathias but goes even further back until he is standing among the skeletons. Willa stays near the hidden Babshapka on the side of the doors nearer the ravine; Aurora and Thokk move to the far side of the doors, with all four of them right up against the rock mound walls of the Hall. All is in place.
Thokk pounds on the great stone door in an imitation of the dwarf knock Mathias taught him.
After Thokk delivers the dwarf knock he moves back to his position - but there is no response from within. He moves forward and tries again, remaining there, and there is still no response. He hits the door again, increasing the urgency and strength of his pounding with each attempt.
[Inside, the fire giant on guard hears Thokk’s blows. On the one hand, he has been told not to open the door, and that all of the supply caravans have been stopped. On the other hand, he spoke to only one of the dwarven clans, and many nations serve his mighty King - it is possible that these are dwarves from another hold who have not yet received the message. To be safe, he blows his alarm horn first (Giant Wisdom Check 18). Only when the ettin in the throne room and the Kingsguard appear in the tunnel behind him does he tell the ettin already with him to help him open the door.]
Round One
Once the bar has been removed and set aside, the fire giant and ettin together push open one door. Slowly the valves part, just barely, then the left one (left from the party’s perspective) swings open. Light spills out into the night and both of them take a few cautious steps forward, looking for the dwarves and their wagons that should be nearby on the cinder road. No dwarves or wagons are in sight. Behind them, another ettin and a giant approach rapidly down the entry hall, the giant snatching up a brazier by the chain.
Charlotte moves down the lintel, across the upper threshold, into the hallway, and up to the peak of the vaulted ceiling inside. Besides the fire giant and two-headed giant already on the threshold, she can see another of the two-headed giants and at least five more armored fire giants coming rapidly up the hall.
Babshapka, still hidden by his closed door, begins to chirp like a cave cricket. This is supposed to be the signal to Thokk to push his door closed, so that Aurora can drop the wall of stone and trap just a few giants outside battling the entire party before reinforcements arrive. Thokk, however, is not responding, and with him being invisible, no one knows where he actually is.
Choosing the larger fire giant over the two-headed one, Mathias lets fly with two bolts of force (both hit, total 15 damage). Taking his lead, Doro sends percussive energy at the same giant (one hit, 8 damage, total 23).
Aurora reaches out blindly, trying to grab ahold of Thokk. He was knocking on the door just a moment ago, but would have had to move out of the way when it opened - where has he got to? No matter how much she thrashes about, she cannot find him (Aurora Investigation 10; critical fail). Perhaps overestimating her own strength, she moves to the inside of the door and braces herself against it to keep it from being closed until Thokk is ready to close it - so far there is just the one giant and ettin on the field, and the party is more than a match for them.
Unlike the giants, the ettin does have darkvision - and with both pairs of eyes! Obmi has told him his job is to run out onto the field and find the humans, and then call out to the giants so they can start sending rocks his way. If calling in airstrikes when you are standing in the strike zone does not seem like the safest job, the ettins are used to being abused by the fire giants and did not complain, at least not in the presence of the King’s Counselor. As the ettin barrels out of the entrance of the Hall, it turns hard right and starts taking off west across the lava flows (dash). Since none of the party are visible in that direction, they have no idea what it is headed toward. Aurora presses herself up against the stone door to avoid being flattened as it passes (Dex save 13), and Thokk nimbly steps aside (Dex save 17 with advantage from danger sense).
Willa moves to the inside of the other door, bracing her shoulder against it and trying to find good purchase for her boots on the stony ground. She unwittingly agrees with Aurora that a few more giants on the field are manageable.
Round Two
Seeing the speed with which the ettin is moving out onto the field, Doro decides to switch her target. Tina obligingly turns broadside to the entrance and Doro aims the neck of her samisen while she strikes a note, but both shots go wide and impact the stony side of the Hall instead.
Mathias is convinced that the armored fire giant is a greater threat than whatever the smaller, two-headed giant is doing. Certainly it doesn’t look large enough to throw a stone at him from a hundred feet away as he knows the fire giant is capable of. He continues firing at the giant standing in the doorway (one hit, 9 points, total 32), then drops his steed back to join the line of skeletons near Fraanke. He whistles at them, trying to get their attention. “Hey boneheads! Aren’t you supposed to be shooting by yourselves?”
As if in response to Mathias’ chiding, but actually because the outline of the fire giant against the light from inside the Hall is now clearly visible to them rather than blocked by the ettin, the skeletons as one raise and draw their bows. Eighteen Sterish shafts whistle through the air. Yes! exults Aurora, they are firing on their own! It is only as the whistling gets louder that she realizes that although she instructed the skeletons not to fire near any party members, she is both invisible and standing right next to their target. Eight of the eighteen shafts pierce the gaps in the giant's plate armor (eight hits with advantage since the skeletons can see the giant but the giant cannot see them; 70 points damage, total 102). Another nine arrows break on the armor or land in the doorway between Willa and Aurora. One arrow grazes Aurora’s side (of ten misses on the giant, each with a 1-in-4 chance of requiring an attack on Aurora; one attack hits, 7 damage). Gaakk! thinks Aurora, still proud of her army but realizing now that once she gets her wall of stone up she will need to be more careful; Willa will never shut up about it if her concentration on the wall is spoiled by a stray arrow from one of her own skeletons.
The fire giant, having taken more than his share of arrows, staggers forward and moves out of the light, trying to keep from being the target of a second volley. As he seeks the darkness outside the closed valve he very nearly steps on Babshapka. Three more giants from within burst through the open doorway, all trailing braziers. They spread out at the entrance, the braziers whirling above their heads until it looks like they are surrounded by mystic orange halos. Damn it, thinks Babshapka, four giants is enough, Thokk - close the doors! He chirps even louder, hoping his cricket is realistic enough to not attract the attention of the wounded giant looming directly over him.
Whooshhhhhh…...clang! The braziers sail into the night, crashing to the ground and spilling their coals out through the open tops and newly rent sides. Each pile of glowing coals illuminates a small circle around it, one to the northwest, about halfway to where the ettin is still charging forward, one to the southwest, lighting up a corner of the standing stones near Doro and Tina, and one to the south, where the light falls upon one of the skeleton archers.
Thokk hears Babshapka’s signal but is disappointed. Four? he thinks to himself. That’s hardly a challenging fight - why, the party already beat three fire giants in the dwarven barbeque city! Thokk’s warband needs a demonstration in courage! Thokk enrages and moves to the outside of the door near him, grunting and straining as he tries to close it - he is pushing hard enough, but why won’t it budge? (Thokk Wis check 7 - fails).
As soon as she hears Thokk’s labored breathing, Aurora jumps away from the inside of the door - but still it doesn’t move. Then she hears his boots sliding across the smooth rock. (Aurora Int check 13). She realizes that Thokk is pushing with enough force to close the door, but that that much force is doing the easier task of sliding his boots across the ground - he is strong enough, but simply not massive enough to close the valve by himself. “Willa!” she hisses, hoping the three fire giants are now far enough away from the entrance to not hear her.
“On it!” says Willa, who has come to the same conclusion as Aurora. Now the wizard has a hard decision. She can begin her spell immediately, trusting that Willa can help Thokk get the door closed before the spell is completed and the wall appears. But if they don’t get the doors closed, then she will either have to drop the wall in between the open doors, actually preventing them from being closed, or be forced to lose the spell entirely if she waits too long. [Aurora's player had wanted to ready an action to cast the spell as soon as the door was closed, but a readied spell needs to be cast, spending the slot, and then held. If the trigger (doors closing) didn't come up before Aurora's next initiative, the spell would fail and a high level slot be wasted - and that could happen if either Thokk and Willa got a low Initiative or if they went first but failed their strength check to close the doors]. Aurora crosses her fingers and begins the motions for the spell, immediately appearing in the light from the hall as her invisibility drops.
Willa sidles up next to Thokk, easily recognizing his position by his grunts, curses, and the gravel crunching under his boots as they slide. She squats and throws herself against the door as well. For a second nothing happens - and then the great portal slowly begins to shift inward (to move one valve requires a minimum of two size-Medium creatures and a DC25 Athletics check. Thokk had a 20 with advantage from rage; Willa added a second person and +5 from Help for a total of 25 - just what they needed and no more).
Charlotte sees and hears the door shut - now trapped on her side are two fire giants and one of the two-headed giants. At the far end of the hall, barking and yipping, a pack of gnolls is approaching.
The crash from the valve closing has just begun to echo in the hallway behind it when Aurora finishes her spell and a huge block of stone appears - ten feet high, ten feet wide, and five feet deep, with the whole thing centered on the line between the valves [the spell makes ten stone panels of 10’ x 10’ x 6 inches, and Aurora has stacked these seamlessly together in a large block. It has AC15 and 30hp per inch of thickness - at 5 feet thick it will take 1800hp of damage to destroy]. A massive doorstop of more than 47 tons of magic stone is now holding the doors closed from the outside [the wall merges with the existing stone, and the basalt rock outside the Hall weighs 187 pounds per cubic foot; the block is 500 cubic feet]. As soon as the block is in place, Aurora moves as far from the entrance as she can - she is now concentrating to maintain the existence of the magic stone (now at 2/1/3/3/1).
Round Three
The ettin slows his advance and pulls forth two weapons as he approaches the line of skeletons. He appears to be directing one hand with each head. His swing with a battleaxe goes wide and he stumbles as his foot catches on one of the lava rocks (critical miss). His other head curses the clumsiness of the first and then directs a morning star down on top of the skeleton, crushing its skull (hit, 10 damage). Despite its lack of a cranium, the skeleton continues to maneuver as it tries to draw on the ettin and line him up for a shot.
Thokk had told Fraanke that in his absence it was the wolf’s job to defend the mindless, silly skeletons since they cannot look after themselves like true warriors. Seeing the ettin’s attack, Fraanke charges, leaping at the last second to throw his whole body weight into the smallish giant, and it topples to the ground with both heads grunting (attack hits, 11 damage. DC14 Str save; Ettin 12, fails, knocked prone).
The headless skeleton takes advantage of the ettin being knocked down to back up. While one of the ettin’s heads tracks the winter wolf as it lands, the other directs a swipe at the retreating skeleton but misses (opportunity attack with disadvantage from being prone).
Acting autonomously according to their programming, some of the skeletons fire on the two-headed giant, some fire on the closest fire giant, and some back up to keep distance between themselves and the three advancing giants.
Still thinking his warband could use some lessons in valor, Thokk yells a war cry and attacks the center giant of the three who have just hurled braziers. Shield on his back, he is using his axe two-handed (two hits, the first with advantage as he started the turn invisible, 26 damage).
Willa, seeing Thokk commit to the attack, draws forth her frostbrand and joins him (two hits, 17 slashing and 9 cold). She becomes visible with her first swing and Doro, noticing nothing further tugging mystically at her now that all three of the party can be seen, drops her concentration on the invisibility spell.
The fire giants had thrown their braziers to light up the field and find the enemy for them to throw rocks at, but suddenly the formerly unseen enemy is appearing among them! Two giants draw their huge swords and peer down into the darkness about their feet. Now that the valve is closed, and having thrown their light sources far distant, they will have to rely more on hearing than sight to track their opponents. Fortunately for them, an enraged Thokk is continually releasing a series of taunts and exultant war cries, so he is easy to locate. The first giant swings at him but finds his blade partially blocked when Willa thrusts her greatsword between them (one hit with disadvantage from lack of sight, 38 damage, Willa intercepts 8, Thokk takes 30 points but this is reduced to 15 after rage). A second giant hears the squelch of the first sword blow ripping open Thokk’s body. He turns and jabs his sword twice in quick succession (two hits, 22 damage (Thokk takes 11) and 31 damage (Thokk takes 15). In doing so, the giant nearly treads on Willa but she slips out of the way (Dex save 11).
The third fire giant hefts a throwing rock and eyes one of the skeletons illuminated by the coal-light. Aurora's complicated, contingent instructions to them didn’t include anything about staying out of the light. The giant winds up and launches the rock, which sails through the air and explodes the rib cage and severs the spine of the skeleton (one hit, 30 damage, skeleton has vulnerability to bludgeoning damage and takes 60 points). The top and bottom halves of the skeleton fall apart from one another and it collapses on the ground, unmoving.
The last fire giant has retreated from the fray and is now recalling the words of Obmi about walls of stone. He has no intention of seeking the wizard who created the wall to end it, at least not while said wizard is hidden in the dark with its weapon-wielding allies. But he will stay here by the entrance and attack this stone block so that his own allies inside can take to the field. Reminding himself that the block cannot hurt his sword, he chops at the stone (two hits, 60 damage, block now at 1740hp, two inches of it destroyed). Inside the hall, the two remaining fire giants throw their weight against the closed doors, trying to force them open. The wall is fused to the ground and will not slide regardless of the force used, but now that a few inches of it have crumbled, the obsidian valves can slam into it each time the giants throw themselves against them (valves are treated as huge improvised weapons, +7 to hit (no proficiency bonus), 3d4+7 to damage, wall takes 53 damage (total 83, now at 1717hp), with nearly three inches destroyed).
Mathias continues to fire on the giants (two hits, one critical, 26 damage), even as he guides his steed south and east across the battlefield, moving well away from the glow of the coals and into the deepest patches of darkness.
Doro has Tina move away from the light spilling from the fallen brazier. Once she is back in the protective dark, she decides to leave the two-headed giant to the skeletons and fire on the giant that was heavily wounded by arrows. However, his thick armor turns away her blasts (two misses).
Aurora does not share Thokk’s enthusiasm for fighting four giants at once, and with giants both within and without attacking her beautiful wall, they may soon be facing even more than that. With her deep mind maintaining concentration on her spell, her surface mind guides her hand to pressing the button on her chest that powers up the blaster rifle and brings the targeting screen in front of her face. There is an undamaged fire giant between Thokk and Willa, and Aurora judges that one as being the best of them to take a time-out. When she depresses the firing button with her thumb, the blast of force slams into the giant, disintegrating his shield and forcing him to stagger back against the stone block (DC13 Dex save, Giant 17; succeeds, of 28 damage giant takes 14; AC18 reduced to 13; stunned for 1 round).
With a spray of ash and pebbles, Babshapka leaps to his feet and draws both swords, no longer camouflaged. He attacks the giant trying to break the wall (two hits and the first with advantage, 16 damage, total 118).
[Inside the Hall, Charlotte continues to move forward while the gnoll pack approaches and the giants slam themselves into the closed doors.]
Round Four
Thokk continues his enraged assault on the giants (one hit, 12 damage).
Babshapka decides that keeping the giant from destroying the block is a worthy use of his spell slot; he casts hunter’s mark (now at 3/3/2) and places it on his quarry, then attacks him again. His first broadsword swing kills the giant (one hit, 6 damage plus mark, total 124 plus mark), so he turns and moves to engage the three giants fighting Thokk and Willa (advantage from Thokk’s rage but misses).
Pressing the button on her chest that powers down the blaster rifle, Aurora draws forth her wand and chants the words for mind whip. With three giants to choose from, she selects the two not stunned, using her new split enchantment ability to cast the spell on both of them at once (DC17 Int Save > 16, 13, both fail. Giants take 6 and 12 damage; no reaction this turn, next turn may do only one of move, act, or react; Aurora now at 2/0/3/3/1).
Willa was forced to move away from Thokk to avoid the giant attacking him; now she moves back to his side, shouting encouragement as she savages a giant’s legs with her frostbrand (two hits with advantage from Thokk’s rage and the darkness, one critical, 22 slashing and 12 cold damage).
Doro saw the three massive sword strikes that Thokk took - likely it is only his rage that has kept him from going into shock. Trusting the darkness to keep her safe, she has Tina move forward into range and begins playing the healing song of vitality (first round, 7 points of healing to Thokk).
Mathias blasts at giants from the darkness (two hits with advantage, 12 damage).
The two fire giants continue to assault Thokk. Even though one cannot move about the field (mind whip), his massive sword can still reach the half-orc (10’ reach). Between four swings, the two giants manage to connect three more times, though Willa partially blocks one of those (four attacks with disadvantage from darkness, three hits: first for 21 damage, Willa intercepts 7, 14 damage remaining is 7 after rage, second for 34 damage (17 after rage), third for 35 damage (17 after rage); Thokk takes 41 total). The third fire giant, the one blaster-rifled by Aurora, blearily pulls itself off the wall and again raises his sword (no longer stunned).
The two fire giants inside continue to pound on the valves, doing so with even more vigor than before (four attacks, three hits, one critical, total 54 damage for the round, total damage to block 137, wall at 1693hp, more than four inches destroyed).
Twelve of the remaining seventeen skeletons fire on the prone ettin (three hits with disadvantage from prone, 18 damage). The remaining five, on the far end of the battlefield, advance so as to be closer to their giant targets - with the doors now closed, they are limited to much less than the range of their bows (targets must be within their sixty feet of darkvision).
Fraanke turns and snaps at the still-prone ettin (hit with advantage from prone; 12 damage).
With each head now cursing at the ineptitude of the other, the ettin pulls itself to its feet, swinging its weapons wildly at the giant wolf (both miss).
Inside the Hall, Charlotte continues to move forward and passes over the advancing gnoll pack while the giants behind her continue to slam themselves into the closed doors.
Round Five
Willa presses the attack, switching to the formerly stunned giant as it is easier to damage without its shield to protect half its body or swipe at her when she moves in close (two hits with advantage, 23 points).
Mathias continues to blast at the giants from across the battlefield (one hit, 4 damage).
Thokk is reeling from the last six hits (currently at 7hp - had Doro not healed him last round he could have gone down). Lesson in courage to his warband or not, he drops back and moves his shield into one hand, hefting his battle axe with the other. Bellowing defiance, he charges back in, his one-handed swing cleaving the knee-armor of the giant and sinking deep into flesh and bone (brutal critical hit, 23 points). Roaring again, he yanks out the axe and uses it to strike at the giant’s sword-hand even as it brings it around (hit, damage 14).
All three giants converge on the bellowing barbarian - they cannot see him, but they can certainly hear him. A low stab looks to eviscerate him, but Willa knocks it so far off course that it merely grazes his side (first giant attack hits - 23 damage, Willa intercepts 13 points, Thokk takes 10, after rage Thokk takes 5, reducing him from 7 to 2hp). He shoots forward between the giant’s legs and for a precious few seconds their blows miss him in the dark (next four attacks with disadvantage miss). A final blow from above looks to cleave him in two, but a sudden magic strumming of Doro’s samisen slows the giant’s hand just enough for Thokk to bring up his shield in time and take the blow safely (last attack of six with disadvantage had an attack roll of 23 to Thokk’s AC of 21 with shield, but Doro’s cutting words dropped the attack roll to 15 and resulted in a miss - Thokk remains at 2hp).
The two giants inside continue to use the obsidian doors to batter away at the magic stone, with each blow being able to open them a fraction more (three hits, 43 damage, total damage to block 180, wall at 1620hp, six inches destroyed).
Seeing Thokk in extremis, Doro has Tina charge forward and launch herself at the shieldless giant (one hit with advantage from darkness, rage, and pack tactics; 9 damage). The sudden blow from behind topples the giant in a great clash and clang of armor. Tina stands on top of the fallen giant and it does not rise. Doro shoots a mind sliver at one of the two remaining giants with one hand (DC15 Int Save > Giant 9; fails, 5 damage, -4 to next saving throw) even while her other hand continues to pluck out the healing melody (second round of song of vitality, 5hp healing to Thokk brings him back to 7hp).
Aurora lashes out again with mind whip. Now out of second-level slots, she uses a third and affects both standing giants but without using her split enchantment (first giant DC17 Int Save < 20; saves, half of 16 damage is 8; second giant DC17 Int save = 17 but -4 from mind sliver is 13; fails, 13 damage; no reaction this turn, next turn may do only one of move, act, or react; Aurora now at 2/0/2/3/1).
Fraanke backs off, now that the ettin is standing up, and circles it warily. When the ettin charges him and cannot easily move to the side, he opens his mouth and blasts it with cold (DC12 Dex Save > Ettin 0; fails, 17 cold damage).
The eight skeletons closest to the ettin fire on him, and he drops, all four eyes now staring lifelessly into the darkness. An errant arrow narrowly misses Fraanke. The skeletons advance closer to the giants. Nine more distant skeletons fire on the giants still standing based on their hearing (flat rolls as neither the giant nor the skeletons can see one another; one hit, 4 points).
Babshapka moves his hunter’s mark from the dead giant draped over Aurora’s stone block to one of the ones still standing and continues to attack (two hits, one critical, total 25 with mark). He doubts Thokk will be on his feet much longer and moves to stand near Willa to support her as their likely next target.
Round Six
With the party finally outnumbering the giants, the tide is turning. Doro keeps them from being able to think straight, lobbing abjurations in the dark (mind sliver, DC15 Int Save > Giant 2; fails, 11 damage, -3 to next saving throw) and continuing to heal Thokk (third round of vitality, 3 points healing, Thokk at 10hp). Tina snaps at a giant but misses.
Babshapka dances confidently about the giants’ legs, his twin blades a blur as he slashes and stabs (three hits, 26 damage with three triggers of mark). A giant manages to find him in the dark (one hit with disadvantage), and the blow staggers him (31 damage), but he slips away before a second one can land and strikes back (giant killer, hits for 9 more damage).
The second giant continues to attack Thokk, but Willa again intercepts the blow, keeping Thokk barely conscious (one hit with disadvantage, 25 damage less 8 from Willa, 17 after rage is 9 to Thokk, Thokk at 1hp).
The pounding on the doors from within continues (three hits, 43 damage, total damage to block 223, wall at 1577hp, seven inches destroyed).
Eight skeletons are within darkvision range and can see the giants well enough to attack (advantage, five hits including one critical, total 43 damage), while the others move closer. Satisfied with the damage the skeletons are doing, Aurora saves her spell slots and uses a toll the dead cantrip on the befuddled giant (DC17 Wis save < Giant 11 -3 from mind sliver = 8; fails, giant takes 11 damage).
Thokk hacks at the giant (two hits, 23 points) and Willa moves in and cuts it down (two hits with advantage, 33 points of slashing and cold), leaving just one for the party to face. “Fraanke, to me!” roars Thokk.
[By this point the gnolls are clustering around the giants at the end of the hall and Charlotte has moved into the throne hall. A single female fire giant warrior is there, armored and with a longsword proportioned to her smaller (but still huge) size.]
Round Seven
With just one giant left on the field, Thokk the Packmaster tells the party to spread out around their foe in a loose circle, avoiding its wild strikes in the dark. When Fraanke arrives at his side, he motions for the wolf to attack the giant from behind, and Fraanke understands the gesture. It moves sideways and then darts in (one hit with advantage from darkness and pack tactics, 9 points; DC14 Str save < Giant 19; succeeds and remains on his feet). The blow distracts the giant, and as it turns to face the wolf, Thokk moves in himself and strikes it down (two hits, 29 damage).
Thokk climbs onto the fallen giant’s chest and yells across the field. “Kill them!” he shouts to his warband in Orc, “Kill them all!” When the party does not move immediately, he repeats the command in Common.
Babshapka moves to another giant and stabs his shortsword deep into its neck (two hits, automatic criticals for four failed death saves, giant is truly dead). “Done, but without pleasure,” he mutters in Elven as the giant’s blood gushes over his boots. “Good riddance, anyway,” he adds in Giant.
“Agreed,” growls Fraanke from nearby, in the same tongue.
Babshapka turns on the wolf, shocked. “You...speak Giant?” he stammers.
“Of course,” the wolf replies. “And if you could tell the Packmaster to speak Giant to me, I would understand his commands so much the better.”
Willa dispatches a second giant, and Doro a third, as well as continuing to heal Thokk (round four of vitality, 3 points, Thokk at 13). Mathias is still off in the darkness, and not close enough to join them in the killing - or to refuse to.
Rather than make sure that the last fallen giant is dead, Aurora says brightly, “I’m going to gather arrows for my army!” Before she can move off, however, Mathias rides up.
“Tell your skeletons to gather their own damn arrows,” the gaunt man says, “since they are so autonomous.” He dismounts from his phantom steed, and with a gesture of his hand dismisses it. It turns into vapor that rapidly dissolves in the hot air.
Willa grabs Aurora by the shoulders and turns her to face the block which is, even now, still being battered by the obsidian portals. “Ye war serposed ter be are eyes on ther inside,” she reminds the wizard. “Now ask yer bloomin’ spider wha’ she be seein’.”
The two giants inside continue their battery (four hits, 55 damage, total damage to block 278, wall at 1522hp, nine inches destroyed).
Aurora frowns but faces the doors and closes her eyes, covering her ears with her hands. “Oh, she’s in the throne hall!” she says excitedly. “She can see another three, maybe four fire giants. One is armed and armored, but it is smaller than the ones out here - it is a giantess! The other two are dressed in leather and they just have clubs.”
“We may be gettin’ down ter ther reserve troops,” says Willa. “T’at be a fair sign.”
[Unfortunately for Willa’s optimistic view, the lack of troops is because Obmi has not yet convinced Snurre they are necessary, not because he is down to reserves to defend the Hall. When the party first arrived, Snurre had 21 warriors and 3 dreadnoughts on hand. The party has now killed four warriors here, plus a dreadnought and a warrior at the Sulfur mine.]
[end of play session]
[Start of play session 9/16/21]
Round Eight
Thokk makes sure the fourth giant is dead.
Doro heals Thokk for 12hp (round five of vitality, Thokk at 25).
Aurora tells the skeletons to look for arrows anywhere that they shot and missed, and to try to recover any arrows they can from the body of the unarmored ettin.
The two giants inside continue their battery of the doors (four hits, 69 damage, total damage to block 347, wall at 1453hp, eleven inches destroyed).
“Mayhap we be needin’ yer steed ter retreat,” says Willa to Mathias.
He shakes his head. “We’re not retreating, we’re going in,” he says authoritatively, then seems to reconsider his tone. “Besides,” he adds in a more conciliatory voice, “that steed only had a few minutes left on it. The first one I made for you is already gone.” He gestures off in the darkness to where her steed is no longer.
“We can ritual-up some more…” begins Aurora, but Mathias cuts her off by pointing at the block.
“Your wall of stone is not going to last another ten minutes!” he exclaims. “We’ll be lucky if it lasts the full minute you’d need for a phantom steed hard cast, and that’s a slot we don’t need to be spending right now. What we do need to do is get ready to enter, with invisibility and, if Doro can afford it, seeming. Now dismiss your own steed - we want the giants to think we fled, not that we are still hanging around. Babshapka’s mount is already gone.”
Round Nine
Doro heals Thokk for 6hp (round six of vitality, Thokk at 31).
[Inside the Hall, the giants at the doors have now battered away enough of the wall of stone so that the valves can open a full foot forward - the several inch gap between them is not nearly enough for a giant, even an unarmored youth. But it could fit a gnoll going sidewise. The gnoll pack behind the giants is composed of the personal guards of Obmi - and he has ordered them to scout the field for information about the party. They need to get out - but the giants are making no move to suspend the rate of their pounding. They push as hard as they can to slam the valves forward into the crumbling stone, then use grips carved into the very obsidian itself to draw the massive doors back closed again. They aren’t slowing down for the gnolls, and the gates themselves are only wide enough for a gnoll to pass about half the time. The gnolls cower about the giant heels, whining, and begging, “Pass, pass…” in Giant.
“If you want out, get your furry a** out there,” snaps a giant at the gnolls. It considers aiming a kick at them but doesn’t want to slow down. “We’ve got swordbrothers dying out there and we need to get to them.”
The gnolls gulp and push each other forward to the gap. Finally one times the giant strokes and darts through doors when they are open. As the valves slowly close behind it, it finds itself in a wedge-shaped gap of rubble surrounded by the ten foot high wall of stone. The gnoll is tall and lanky - it can make a standing jump and grab the lip of the wall, right? (Gnoll Acrobatics 6; fail) The gnoll leaps up and grabs the upper edge of the wall, but the stone has been battered by the door and it crumbles away in the gnoll’s grasp - the gnoll falls down into the same place it was before. It barks a high-pitched plea to the giants, but they either don’t hear or don’t care (Giant Wisdom check 4). The portals begin their next outward slam. The gnoll tries to scramble over the rubble to the side (Dex Save 10; fails) but is crushed between the opening valves and the wall; 16 damage, gnoll is at 6hp. He yips in pain but the giants pay no heed.]
The two giants inside continue their battery of the doors (one hit to gnoll and three to wall, 49 damage to wall, total damage to block 396, wall at 1404hp, thirteen inches destroyed).
“We need a distraction,” says Babshapka. “Something to draw these giants outside once they get the doors open. If we are slipping inside invisibly, we don’t want to have to push past them to get down the hall. And Thokk, did you know Fraanke can speak Giant?”
“Of course Fraanke speak Giant!” roars Thokk, who had never even considered the idea before. “Thokk’s magnificent warbeast nearly as smart as Thokk!” With no enemies left on the field, Thokk is concentrating on maintaining his rage, and does not currently have time for idle speculation (focused rage). “Evil advisor!” he bellows. “You tell Thokk’s flower-blood archer how to have Fraanke make distraction for us!”
Fortunately Willa had already been thinking of a suitable distraction, and the addition of Fraanke just gives her more to work with. “Firs’ we need ter get t’ese gigants inter yon light,” she says.
“Fraanke, help us drag these bodies into the closest light from those coals,” says Babshapka to the wolf in Giant.
Now, Fire Giants are five or six tons on the hoof - even before they encase themselves in several hundred pounds of iron and steel armor. There is no way the party can lift or even drag them to the coal-lights. But with a draft-horse-sized winter wolf pulling the far hand over the body, and a direwolf pulling the far leg, and Babshapka on the hips and Willa on the shoulders, they can, with effort, roll them. Before they get too far away, Doro ushers the others closer. Without them stopping their work, once everyone is within thirty feet of her, she casts seeming, giving them all the appearance of gnolls and Tina a hellhound. Fraanke remains a horse-sized wolf, but his dirty white fur has now become a dull black, with only his piercing blue eyes unchanged.
Round Ten
The wounded gnoll, as soon as the doors pull back again, scrabbles up the rubble - it proves easier to climb up it and then on top of the surface of the block than to either jump from the gap between the doors or go around the ends. At first on all fours, he staggers to his feet and looks about. He sees two gnolls (Doro and Mathias) at the base of the block, another (Aurora) a short way off, and three more worrying the body of a dead giant along with a hellhound and a coal-black giant wolf. But he doesn’t recognize any of the six gnolls. Are these new recruits, defenders he hasn’t seen before, or are a different group of gnolls actually attacking the Hall? He barks an identification call and waits for the gnolls to answer.
Mathias messages Aurora, Does anybody speak Gnoll?
Doro is the closest to the gnoll, and knows she can’t have him reporting the presence of the strange group of gnolls. If the giants inside are suspicious, her seeming will have been for naught. She points her samisen at him and fires (one hit, 9 damage). The gnoll is knocked back and falls off the far side of the block, dead before he hits the rock below.
Doro heals Thokk for 8hp (round seven of vitality, Thokk at 39). She had noted with satisfaction that their gnoll disguises are much closer to the one that just came out than her initial attempt the previous night had been. She has made sure to give them all a black tear-drop mark on the fur near their left eyes so that they can identify one another if they lose track in a fight.
The two giants inside continue their battery of the doors (four hits, 61 damage to wall, total damage to block 457, wall at 1343 hp, fifteen inches destroyed).
Aurora concentrates on communicating mentally with the skeletons. Spend thirty more seconds looking for arrows, she tells them, then follow the cinder road until it turns north. At the turn, get off the road, spread out, and walk a hundred yards to the south. Lie down on the ground, behind rocks so that you are out of sight of the road. Pretend to be dead unless something attacks you, then defend yourself. Wait there until I contact you.
“Dismiss your steed!” insists Mathias to Aurora. He moves near the door into a patch of shadow and disappears from view.
Willa, Tina, Babshapka, and Fraanke, now joined by Thokk, continue to laboriously roll the dead giant closer to the middle light, the one that half-falls on the road. As he works, Babshapka explains to Fraanke what Thokk wants him to do. The wolf growls in understanding.
Round Eleven
Doro heals Thokk for 7hp (round eight of vitality, Thokk at 46).
The two giants inside continue their battery of the doors (four hits, 63 damage to wall, total damage to block 520, wall at 1280 hp, seventeen inches destroyed).
With the gap between the valves now nearly a foot and a half when open, a second gnoll jumps through and then rapidly scales the block (Acrobatics 14). He sees largely the same scene as before (Perception 20), although Mathias-gnoll is hidden in shadows and his deceased packmate has fallen so close to the edge of the block that he remains out of view.
The new gnoll barks an announcement of who he is, but also a call-challenge to the party. After several seconds without any of them responding, he turns his back to them. Doro reads his body language - he is about to call to his packmates inside (Doro Insight 19). She turns and hisses at Aurora, “He’s going to tell!” Aurora finally dismisses the last phantom steed.
Mathias messages Willa, Get your a**** back here and invisible up! Mind the gap! They are coming out!
The dead giant is almost rolled to where they need him in the light. Willa tells Thokk and Babshapka to go back; she will finish up with the wolves. Thokk feels his anger ebbing and loses his rage after its tenth round.
Round Twelve
Doro heals Thokk for 5hp (round nine of vitality, Thokk at 51). She shoots at the gnoll on the block but misses twice.
The two giants inside continue their battery of the doors (four hits, 38 damage to wall, total damage to block 558, wall at 1242hp, nearly nineteen inches destroyed).
The gnoll crouches down, trying to time a jump between the valves when they are open to their maximum width. The giants aren’t helping, and the gnoll balks (Dex check 9) for the moment.
Thokk charges back to the entrance, and leaps in the air, his hands easily catching the lip of the block and pulling himself up. As the gnoll turns to look at this oddly burly gnoll, Thokk draws his axe and cuts him down (two hits, 25 damage, gnoll is dead).
“Great, Thokk,” says Mathias, but not loudly enough to be heard inside the Hall over the curses of the giants and smashing of the rock. The gaunt man emerges from the darkness and moves next to Doro. “Let’s invisible up, both of you,” he says, including Aurora.
“If I cast now we lose the vitality,” says Doro.
“If I cast now, we lose the wall of stone,” says Aurora.
Of course, thinks Mathias.
Willa finally gets the giant body where she wants it, then dashes back to the cluster of Mathias and Doro. Babshapka dashes back to Aurora. Aurora messages Thokk to get off the block and come stand next to her. Doro calls telepathically for Tina to join her.
(12:52am)
Round Thirteen
Doro heals Thokk for 10hp (round ten of vitality, Thokk at 61, spell ends). Thokk jumps off the block and moves to where a fluffy-furred Aurora is gesturing at him to join her. They have the beginnings of a chain; Doro in front, Mathias with his hand on her shoulder, Willa with her gauntleted hand on Mathias’ bony shoulder, Thokk with his huge hand on Willa’s pauldron, Aurora (who can’t comfortably reach Thokk’s shoulder) with a firm grip on one of Thokk’s weapon belts, and Babshapka grasping Aurora’s robed shoulder.
Aurora prepares to cast invisibility should another gnoll appear on the block. Babshapka can hear (Perception 22) the gnolls inside barking and yipping and then pausing for a response, but no answer is forthcoming from the party, or from the two gnolls that have gone outside (and now lay dead).
Fraanke positions himself between the dead giant and the entry door, mouth over the giant’s throat, resisting the impulse to lap at the warm lifeblood. “Ready!” he snarls roughly in Giant and Babshapka translates for the party.
Tina bounds up to Doro. Doro leans in and presses her face to the great wolf’s face so that their foreheads touch. “See you soon,” Doro whispers, and dismisses her mount. It will be easier to summon her later than to get her through the narrow corridor before them. Immediately she begins the invisibility spell, targeting herself, Willa and Mathias. She shuffles forward, with the front half of the line invisible and the rear half in sight, moving south to follow her down and around the end of the block, giving plenty of room at the entrance for giants to emerge (invisibility at fourth level for three people, Doro at 4/3/2/1/2).
The two giants inside continue their battery of the doors (four hits, 59 damage to wall, total damage to block 617, wall at 1183hp, twenty inches destroyed). “Come on!” yells one giant to the other. “Smash it!”
Aurora casts invisibility on herself, Babshapka, and Thokk (at fourth level for three people, Aurora at 2/0/2/2/1). As her concentration moves to the new spell, the wall of stone block shimmers and disappears, rubble and all. The dead gnoll that was on top of it tumbles to the hard ground.
Round Fourteen
“Again!” roars a giant, and the two throw their weight against the doors. This time, however, when they begin their slow, momentous swings, there is no stone block to oppose them, just the bodies of two gnolls, which do not even slow their advance. The doors open, grinding the gnolls between them and the stony ground in a bloody smear.
Inside the Hall, an ettin snatches up a brazier. Rather than throwing it, he has been told to carry it around the field until he finds the intruders and then hold it there to light the way for the giant missiles. As he dashes past Doro, she tries to slide out of the way without breaking Aurora’s grasp of her shoulder (Doro Dex save 12). It was not the most elegant of side steps, but it worked, and no one could see her to judge, anyway.
As the ettin runs forward, Fraanke leans over the dead giant and calls out loudly “Get away from me, you foul beast!” as if the giant was saying it to Fraanke, rather than he saying it himself. Babshapka has to admit that he does indeed sound like a giant - and his voice is much deeper than the elf’s (Fraanke Performance 15). Apparently the giants find it convincing as well (Giant Insight 8 ), and one of the pair at the doors says to the other, “One of our own is still alive out there!” The two move out the doors so as to come to the ‘wounded giant’s’ aid, opening the way for the party to pass inside.
XP Second Foray
2 gnolls (CR1/2) 100 x 2 = 200
Ettin (CR4) 1100
4 fire giants (CR9) 5000 x 4 = 20000
Total 21300 / 6 = 3550 each _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
DM's Note on Sources: This post contains spoilers to module G3: The Hall of the Fire Giant King
The original G1, G2, and G3 were tournament modules, with the party plunked down next to a giant lair and told to 'go get 'em'. When the World of Greyhawk Boxed Set was released, the modules were located on Darlene's map in places that reflected rather natural settings for the giants, but not the campaign plot as such. That is, Snurre's Hall carved from the lava slag mound absolutely fits the Hellfurnaces, but it so far from Sterich that it strains credulity on why he would be interested in conquering that state (as opposed to say, the much closer Yeomanry), or how he could even get his troops there and keep them supplied.
Thus for my campaign I invented The Tunnel, and attentive readers of this campaign log may recall its salient details - it was dug by a drow-made mechanical digging machine tipped by a sphere of annihilation and it travels hundreds of miles underground in a straight line from Snurre's Hall to the dwarven city of Num-Theraz in Sterich, and from there to the Oestral Abyss near Istiven. Along the way The Tunnel intersects with dozens of hobgoblin caves from which the fire giants draw their legions of conquest. Travel along it is facilitated by a rail line, at least as far as Num-Theraz, and the giants use handcarts to deliver personnel and supplies there. Troops of trolls were sent to Sterich some time ago, hauling giant-made siege engines along the rail-less part to be stored at the Repository and intended for the siege of Istivin. Past the depot at Num-Theraz the Tunnel is smaller and has a vertical access to the Fjell for the drow to speak with Garuuuuumk, and a branch to the north (never discovered by my players) for the fire giants to emerge in the mountains above Kalibac.
Now that the party has inserted themselves in the Hall, they will be using the Tunnel as their forward base and hidey-hole. For the record, Mathias, who is still trying to get the party to bypass the giants and head directly to the drow, believes that the Tunnel is the entrance to the Underdark and their next objective. No one in the party realizes at this point that there is a third, deeper level to the Hall.
Locations keyed in the module are indicated in [blue]. I added the Tunnel entrance, as well as a small chamber for mining supplies, off of the room [2-15].
Post 345: Entering the Hall 13 May [20 Flocktime] - continued - outside Snurre's Hall
(low 80, high 105; very dry)
[play session 9/16/21 - continued]
Aurora begins to guide Charlotte back from the throne hall [2] and into the entry hall [1] so as to better see what is happening just beyond the doors. A single gnoll is standing in the doorway, while the rest of the pack is returning back up the hall. The female giant, and the ones Willa took for reserves, have not moved from their positions in the throne room. Most intriguing, however, a single dwarf, clad in plate armor, is moving along the entry hall as if to meet the gnolls that are approaching him.
Round Fifteen (combat rounds continued from last Post)
The giants move out onto the battlefield, giving the party their chance to slip inside the open valves - they will need to get by but a single gnoll. Doro reaches up and pats the hand of Mathias on her shoulder, and the ‘ready?’ signal runs back down the line to the end, then comes back with two pats each for ‘ready!’ She begins to take them forward at half speed, moving to the side of the gnoll that offers more room between it and the wall (Doro Stealth 28 > Gnoll Passive Perception 10). Unable to see her invisible feet as she moves from the rough lava rock outside the door to the polished floor inside, Aurora stumbles and then gasps as she wavers. Thokk turns, lets go of Willa and grabs Aurora, simultaneously steadying her and clamping his hand over her mouth (Aurora Stealth 7, but advantage from Thokk 11 > Gnoll Passive Perception 10). The rest of the party enters the hall without incident [DM required a single Stealth check, for the least Stealthy party member].
One of the fire giants moves forward at a dash towards his fallen comrade of the field, while the other pauses and brings a round, carved stone out of a bag, hurling it through the air. It hits Fraanke in the flank (29 points) and the wolf yelps and darts into the darkness, his nails still clattering across the hard stone (Stealth 9).
Round Sixteen
The fire giants reach the side of their comrade. One stays standing, rock in hand, looking all about. The other kneels by the side of their swordbrother. “We’re too late; the wolf killed him,” he concludes.
Aurora messages Doro; Charlotte sees three fire giants up the northwest branch of the hall - but just one to the east, toward the throne.
Doro brings the party up the hall until they nearly reach where the dwarf is meeting with the gnolls. She stops just under a flame jet so that the hiss and crackle hides the sounds of the party. The dwarf is speaking in Giant, and seems to be interrogating the gnolls [Obmi’s stat block does not list his languages, but an impromptu Intelligence check of 7 indicated that he does not speak Gnoll].
Round Seventeen
“Patchfur! What did you see out there? Where did the two warriors go?” the dwarf demands.
Babshapka hears the conversation plainly (Perception 15). The gnoll responds in passable Giant; “Oh Lord Obmi, the attack is done. There are four dead giant warriors outside, and the ettin as well - but no sign of the attackers. There are broken arrows everywhere on the field. The two warriors who got the doors back open have just driven off a great black wolf the size of a horse. Mangetail and Blackear are dead - they got crushed under the door when it finally opened.”
The dwarf strokes his beard as he considers the gnoll’s words. Then, he jabs his fingers at half of the group of gnolls and says, “You three - back outside, watch and report. If anything happens, you come and find me. The rest of you are dismissed for now. I will go to inform King Snurre that the attack is over.” He leaves unsaid, ‘and that we lost four giants’, so it is not clear whether he intends this information to reach the King or not.
Doro waits until the gnolls who were just now assigned observation duty have passed unwittingly by the party on their way out of the Hall, then slowly brings the party after her - they are going to the left, toward the ramp she found to the second level. Babshapka has not translated for her that the dwarf said he was going to see the King, and just as well, so that she is less confused when the dwarf and a few remaining gnolls proceed instead in the same direction she is leading the party. She receives a message from Aurora - Charlotte says there are four or five giants up this hall and seven more gnolls - they are standing, not moving. Doro makes sure they are hugging the left wall but continues to advance cautiously.
When she can see the hall for herself, Doro finds that there are indeed two smaller giants, in leathers and bearing clubs, blocking off the way - both are female, at least judging from their lack of beards and long, braided hair. Behind them is a much larger male in armor. All about their ankles skulk gnolls. A great giantess with no armor, but wearing a thick and soiled apron, stands behind them - she bears a huge meat cleaver in one hand. The dwarf’s progress is blocked by the giants, so he stops and calls to the one in armor, even as his gnolls yip and posture at the others already there.
Babshapka hears the dwarf say, “Gronto, is that you hiding behind these women?” Babshapka marvels at how the dwarf can use such an insulting tone with a warrior giant. He must have the trust of King Snurre, indeed.
“I am watching my post, Lord Obmi,” replies the giant. The way he sneers at the dwarf’s title suggests that he is required to use it, but resents having to do so.
“Tell the response team that they are late,” commands the dwarf. “Keep drilling them until they can arrive in less than a minute. And from now on, no one opens the main door unless directly commanded by King Snurre or myself.”
“So be it.”
“You have two swordbrothers investigating outside right now - but I want to know immediately if there are any survivors from the battle.”
“Yes, Lord Obmi.”
Once the armored giant has acknowledged his command, the dwarf turns on his heels with surprising grace for one so corpulent, and starts back to the throne room. His pack of gnolls makes one last display to the other gnolls, and then trots after him. Doro holds her position along the wall.
“You two maids, back to the kitchen,” says the warrior to the two giantesses with clubs. "The attack is over, and you won't be needed here."
One of them just nods and begins to move off, but the other actually curtsies, and says “Yes, Swordbrother Gronto, I am at your command.” If Babshapka is reading her tone correctly, the strange emphasis she gives to ‘command’ is meant to be playfully suggestive.
Apparently he read her right, for the larger giantess in the apron interjects at once. “Stop your flirting and get back to the kitchen!” screeches the harridan at the maid. Then she lowers her gaze and continues. “You mangy gnolls, too! We’ve got bread rising, and attack or no attack if breakfast is late, I’m taking it out of your hides!” The gnolls yelp as if struck and dash back up a side tunnel to the kitchen [15], with all three giantesses following behind.
The hall is quiet after that, and the party can clearly hear the warrior Gronto moving north and away from them, but also the hard heels of Obmi’s boots clicking on the polished stone of the throne hall as he crosses it and approaches the guard.
Once the hall is clear, Doro leads the party forward in the wake of the lone warrior, but Babshapka is straining to hear the conversation between Obmi and the female guard in the throne hall (Perception 15). He is helped by the silence in the rest of the Hall. “Queensguard,” says the dwarf, “We are still on alert, but not under attack. Maintain your post here. I will enter to speak with the royal couple.”
“Yes, Lord Obmi.” If the warrior woman’s answer is as resentful as Gronto’s, Babshapka cannot detect it at his distance.
Halfway down the familiar hall, Doro sees that Gronto has taken up a guard position outside a set of iron-clad double doors. He stands in an alcove [14], so there is plenty of room for their train to pass - but the hallway is so silent, there is also a good chance he will hear whomever among them is the least stealthy. Doro maneuvers them to the far side of the hall, stops, and gives the ‘ready?’ query with the single pat to Mathias’ hand. A second later she feels his free hand touch her other shoulder and remain there - a long hold that means ‘wait.’
[The Stealth check will be made by the member with the worst Stealth; Aurora (+0), who has difficulty walking silently. Given that they are invisible, though, and there are no hellhounds, gnolls, or trolls about to smell them, sound is the only thing they need to worry about.] Thokk and Aurora come up with a plan - Thokk hoists Aurora onto his shoulders, since he trusts himself to walk more quietly than she can [Stealth +2]. Without her clicking boots or the chance of stumbling, she need only control her breathing. Aurora messages Doro once she is aloft, full of confidence. Doro shakes her head silently, then whispers a few words of encouragement (bardic inspiration to Thokk). [After Aurora, Thokk has the lowest Stealth in the party.]
(Thokk Stealth 14, bardic inspiration for +9 = 23 > Fire Giant Warrior Passive Perception 16)
The party chain, led by Doro, with Aurora on Thokk’s shoulders, makes its way past the door guard and up the tunnel beyond. They soon reach the intersection Doro saw before. On her scouting run, it was deserted. Now, however, a single male giant with a club stands vigilant there. They continue past, with Thokk still bearing Aurora (Thokk Stealth 18 > Fire Giant Servant Passive Perception 12).
They have not yet reached the ramp which descends to the second level when Doro hears the heavy tread of huge feet approaching. Loud conversation, in Giant, accompanies the sounds (Doro Perception 22). Charlotte is sent ahead, and in a moment Aurora messages Doro that a group of four of the two-headed giants is barreling their way. Almost immediately the ettins round the corner at a run. “Faster!” one head shouts to another across their shared torso. “You’re going to make us late for the battle outside!”
The giants are running nearly two abreast down the hall, and Doro is forced to take a hard left down a side corridor (the access to [17]so as to not be collided with. The party chain falls apart when they cannot follow fast enough and still stay together (Dex Saves Thokk 22 (with advantage from danger sense), Babshapka 18, Mathias 8 (fail), Willa 4 (fail)). As a pair of ettins stomp past them in the main hall, Doro reaches out and is able to find Mathias (Investigation 16). Willa, off on her own, never made it to the side corridor, but is flat up against the wall in the main hall. She listens for the party but does not hear them nearby (Perception 20). She backs into the side corridor, but still does not find the group by touch (Luck roll -1).
Babshapka listens as the two-headed giants pass Gronto farther down the hall (Perception 17). He growls at them “Obmi says you guys need to be faster!”
Mathias begins shooting off message spells, working his way slowly prograde across his field of view, until finally Willa hears and responds. He then guides her to find the chain up against the north wall of the side corridor. Aurora messages Doro that Charlotte reports the ramp clear all the way down to the lower level. Shoulder taps go back (‘Ready?’) and come forward (‘Ready!) and the invisible train is off again.
Doro leads their descent down the ramp, knowing that the next level is not far. At the bottom of the ramp is the cross-running corridor with the strong scent of molten rock and metal. The floor ahead is black stone, smooth, but not polished like that of the level above. The walls are hewn from the rock, the vaulted ceilings just as high, but there are none of the decorative columns with straining dwarves. Ahead of them is the alcove with massive stone doors [to 2-1]. To the right is the flight of stairs leading down to the prison wing. The hallway to the left is level but turns a corner. They pause to listen, but hear nothing (Doro Perception 4, Charlotte 8 ).
They begin to move out into the hall when suddenly four Hill Giants burst around the corner to the left, running full tilt at them. Most of them have time to follow Doro in pressing up against the wall, but Babshapka, at the end of the train, is the last to know where they are moving and narrowly avoids a giant (Dex save 15). The giants run up the ramp to the first level.
Willa thinks to herself that if Snurre’s response to the attack on his gates is just hill giants and the even smaller two-headed giants, most of his force must be off in the tunnel, or already in Sterich. The party may have to face little resistance to topple him.
[As before, Willa is only partially correct. It is true that fully half of his fighting men are currently in Sterich, but there are still 21 warriors and two dreadnoughts in the Hall right now (less the four the party just killed outside). A full score of armored giants, plus the queensguard, many fire giant servants, ettins, hill giants, gnolls, and unbeknownst to the party various other giant guests are on hand. Snurre has more than enough force present to crush the party - if only he can find them and pin them down. What he does not know is that they are currently working their way ever deeper into his very Hall!
The King is, in fact, meeting with Obmi at this very moment, and he is not taking the loss of four of his men well, the first fire giants the party has killed that he knows about, still being ignorant of the two at the Sulfur Flats. He yells at the dwarf, he rails, he throws things across the room and Obmi dodges. Why did the dwarf not advise him that the party would return, or that they were fully capable of dispatching his armored warriors? For his part, Obmi does not press the point that he actually did give exactly that advice to his ‘wise’ King before, but that Snurre refused to listen. Rather, the dwarf tries to get the King to focus on what they need to do right now - finding and destroying the party in the daylight before they can rest and then make another night attack. Obmi believes that they have eliminated the possibility that the party is camped close to the Hall, using a hut as camouflage, since search teams under his direction have already been out a half mile distant. He suggests two things - first, expanding the search area to at least a mile distant. Second, considering the possibility that the party is still using the magical portal from the Frost Giants to arrive, and retreating back there by means of a teleport circle or other magic in between attacks. In the near term, he counsels the King to rig the magic arrival stones with flammable traps - barrels of pitch and detonators, such that anyone arriving in the circle will trigger an explosion and conflagration. It may not kill the stronger members of the party, but at least it will make it more obvious where they are attacking from. He tells the King that he will personally see to this first thing in the morning, as well as sending out more scouting parties, and the King agrees. In the longer term, Obmi adds, they need to recall some of their troops from Sterich. The farther out the search parties push here, the more vulnerable they are to the party if they find them, and the humans have already shown that they are capable of killing fully four giants at a time. Obmi asks to recall at least a dozen warriors from the field. Snurre balks at this at first, since it will delay his conquest of Sterich even more, but finally Obmi convinces him that more force is needed here, now, and they can always return them to Sterich later. They cannot allow the party to continue to whittle away at them a few giants at a time - Obmi knows how adventurers think, he says, and that will be just the strategy they are planning, continuing their hit and run assaults. (It is, in fact, just what Aurora has been telling the party that they need to do). The next time the party attacks, Obmi says, they need to respond with all available giants until the humans are dead and Snurre’s honor is avenged. Eventually the King agrees to this. Obmi is pleased, for he had wanted to slow the war in Sterich anyway. It was one thing when the Fire Giants were there to direct the campaign and provide siege equipment while the Frost Giants took the losses as the main troops and the Hill Giants were raiders and skirmishers. Now that the hill and frost giants have dropped out of the alliance, it will be quite another thing to attempt to beat an entire nation of humans with just a score or two of Fire Giants, and frankly, Obmi does not think they can do it, at least not without recruiting hundreds more hobgoblins than they currently have, or convincing the cloud giant diplomat currently in the guest quarters to ally his people with them, or both. And either of those options will take time. But those plans, he knows, are a project for later, for after his own victory over the party will have Snurre more inclined to listen to him.]
With the giants’ echoing footfalls fading up the ramp, the party train moves to the top of the stairs. Doro messages Aurora to have Charlotte scout the forge area [2-6]. The wizard eventually replies, She sees two trolls and a fire giant - the giant is looking at tools on a rack - the trolls appear to be sleeping on the floor. Indeed, thinks Doro to herself, the metallic banging she heard on her scouting trip, the forgemaster working something, is not now to be heard. He must be between jobs? Less cover for us sneaking, unfortunately (Luck roll -1).
Doro messages Aurora At the bottom of the stairs, the first right leads to the prison cells - straight ahead is the temple, concealed behind illusory walls. Up that way but to the right is the strange, moving purple wall - can you send Charlotte to look down the cell block corridor? Aurora replies in the affirmative, and the spider begins to descend the ceiling over the stairs.
Charlotte turns the corner into the long hallway with the barred doors. She proceeds down the hall. Her angle on the ceiling does not permit her to see into the cell windows, and she notes nothing else in the hallway (Perception checks 7 and 2). All is as Doro already recounted - giant-sized wooden doors, windows at the top of each door set at giant face height but barred enough to keep even humans from climbing through, stout wooden beams set in brackets outside each door preventing them from being opened from within. She moves about a hundred feet down the hall, until both she and Aurora can feel their telepathic connection being strained, and then pauses. All of the doors are barred, she reports, except the last one [to 2-G]- it is iron-plated like the ones upstairs.
Aurora is about to ask Doro where to send the spider next, when suddenly Charlotte silently sends an alarm. Something’s coming! she says, and then Lots of them, running and loud, from the north!
Aurora conveys this to Doro even as she receives the information, and the bard sends the ‘Ready?” signal back down the line, though it hits a snag when it reaches Aurora, who is now trying to do three things at once. By the time it has hit Babshapka and returned to Doro as ‘Ready!’ Charlotte has added, A fire giant, leading a half-dozen trolls, incoming and moving fast!
Doro doesn’t wait to hear more - trolls won’t be bothered by their invisibility and will quickly sniff the party out. If the trolls are moving fast, she has to assume that they are headed for the ‘battle’ outside the Hall as the ettins and hill giants were. She begins to take the party down the stairs as fast as she thinks they can keep up without becoming disconnected. Already she can hear the giant approaching from the echoing clangs and clanks of his armor, so she doesn’t try to move slow enough to be silent, but she does angle the party away from where they would pass in front of the forge to the left. As they set out, Aurora tells Charlotte to return to them as fast as she can.
As the party crosses the lit hall at the bottom of the stairs they can see the armored giant coming, the trolls behind him - and behind them, more gnolls than they can count. Aurora returns Charlotte, just about to be overtaken by the trolls, to her pocket dimension. Doro continues to lead the train north along the hall as fast as they can safely manage. By the time the giant hits the bottom of the stairs, the party is almost at the end of the corridor - apparently far enough from the trolls and gnolls so as to not be detected [no checks made].
The party waits for a bit, listening to the sounds of all the trolls and gnolls slowly fading. Doro messages the others, pointing out both where the illusions cover access to the temple (outside [2-11]), and the purple stone wall (although that is obvious) (outside [2-12]). Hearing nothing more coming, they agree to separate from the train for a bit, and Willa admonishes them not to go far.
Mathias brings forth his bat, Fish, from its own pocket dimension. “Make sure nothing else is coming,” he says, and the bat begins to flit about the corridor. “Invisible,” he hisses after it, and the bat disappears.
[Warn the drow that we are coming, Leezar tells the demonling telepathically, but try to find the entrance to the tunnel so that we can show up there naturally.
The bat flits around the illusory walls that lead to the temple, and the purple wall (Wisdom check 11 with advantage).
Yous want me to fly tru it, boss? the demonling asks dubiously as it hovers in front of the purple wall.
Where are they, the drow priests? Leezar demands.
I told yous - I ain’t never been down here before, the bat insists. It sure enough smells like da Elder Elemental God nearby...it smells like Powah! But I don’t know where da priests is at. Da poiple wall sure enough looks like dey could be in dere - but I can’t see tru it an don’t know how to cross it.
Leezar reconsiders. Okay, just follow us into the temple.]
The party stands before the purple-brown section of wall, a striking contrast against the dull-gray natural rock of that section of the corridor. It is only a fifteen-foot span, and the line between it and the natural stone background is clear and obvious. And yet it looks natural as well, not even hewn, let alone placed - it is a single piece, not mortared sections. The division between the two rocks is so thin that not even a sheet of paper could be slipped in. Aurora recalls Charlotte, and has her move to the purple wall, investigating it and attempting to find any crack in which she could insert herself (Investigation 3), but without luck.
Uninterested in what is at best a normal wall and at worst some sort of trap, Willa says aloud, though in a murmur, that she would like to see what prisoners there are and who might prove useful to the party.
“No way,” hisses Mathias in response. “The last thing we need is someone yelling for us to rescue them and bringing all the giants down on us. They still don’t know we’re here and we need to keep it that way.” Aurora suggests they have Charlotte start checking the cells while they continue to examine at the wall - that will give Willa the information she wants without the prisoners noticing anything more than a normal spider.
Aurora investigates the wall (Arcana 16) - she finds no sigils or glyphs in all its surface, and the purple-brown stone fits with the natural lava-rock as flush as if it was expertly finished with meld stone. She is careful, however, to not touch it.
While the wizard is pondering the wall, Babshapka and Mathias are looking for the temple. Doro indicates the section of the wall that is false. Babshapka presses his hand against it and cannot believe it is anything but a wall; he says it feels solid to him (Investigation 9). A moment later, Mathias manages to stick his head through (Mathias Investigation 16).
Charlotte arrives at the window of the first cell [2-1c] and tries to see inside, but the solitary prisoner is barely within her field of view from the window (Perception 3). She reports it as human-sized, on the floor, maybe in chains but hard to make out. Aurora, distracted by the wall, assumes it is a man and tells her to move on. [The figure is actually an elven maid - a princess in fact, from the forest land of the elves in the cell next door. The drow have a particularly disturbing sacrifice planned for her, and she is kept close at hand to the temple for them to check on frequently.]
Mathias steps through the false wall of the temple and disappears from sight.
[Leezar is immediately disoriented. The space beyond is huge, and although there is indeed a gas jet some fifty feet distant, the whole space is illuminated by a strange, swirling light that seems to be part of the very air instead. Eddies of luminosity drift here and there, causing the whole scene to be difficult to perceive. Distances and dimensions are tricky to determine in the shifting light of rusty purple motes and lavender rays. He feels dizzy and nauseated, but also aroused. This is definitely a temple to Graz’zt. The other temple, the one in the Steading, was built ages ago for the actual Elder Elemental God, and the Dark One had recently co-opted its use, diverted some of its power. But this temple, this one was built right from the start for Graz’zt. Sure, it has the trappings of the Elder Elemental God, but only to the uninitiated. Everything is done with a wink and a nod, and true servants of the Dark One, like Leezar, are not fooled.
Globs of mauve and violet seem to seep and slide around. He can make out stone stairs going down into a larger space, the ceiling of which is out of visual range. He goes down quickly and finds a polished floor of red and black hornblende seeming to flow between thin pillars of obsidian. The wall to the east is decorated, with scenes of creatures marching into the maw of the all-consuming God.
Far in the front, Leezar can see an altar, but it is deserted, the candles unlit. He does not know where the drow priests are, but they are not here. He sends a message to Babshapka: It’s a temple alright - but there’s nothing in here. I think the priests are behind the purple wall, but don’t know how to get at them. As he ascends the stairs, he hopes that Fish can find them. He has to make contact with the priests before the party does if he wants to prevent them from killing each other. He slips back out into the hall.]
After a short pause, Babshapka receives Mathias' message: It’s a temple, alright - but there’s nothing in here. I think the priests are behind the purple wall, but don’t know how to get at them. He relays it to the others. A few moments later Mathias reappears. None of the party think that entering the temple is a good idea.
[Leezar sends that bat-demon off by itself. Look for the priests but come right back, he tells it.]
Charlotte has made it to the next cell [2-2c]. (Perception 16): she says it contains eight elves, each in chains. [As elves, these are also planned sacrifices for the drow, and are kept close at hand]
The party, whispering to one another to stay in verbal contact but without the train, proceeds down the hall to the intersection. Doro tells them that ahead the hallway branches, with one way leading to giants and cats, and the other to trolls. “Do you know how many trolls, or what is beyond?” asks Aurora.
“I didn’t get any closer,” hisses Doro in a tone that suggests that should have been obvious. “Trolls can smell, you know.”
Aurora has Charlotte proceed to the troll and gnoll room as quickly as she can, even as the party creeps closer. There is a main room, she says, with rails on the floor as if for mining carts, and any number of carts about. A solitary gnoll paces restlessly about the room. On the far wall is carved a great leering face, into the mouth of which the rails lead until they disappear in the darkness. When Aurora conveys this to the party, Mathias exclaims - “The Tunnel! It is the entrance to the Underdark!” as if that was what they had been looking for all along. There is a second cave mouth to the north, Charlotte reports, leading to a storage area with many boxes, crates, and mining supplies. Also, the main room has passageways leading out to the north and south, to large chambers choked with filth in what is undoubtedly the troll and gnoll pens.
It has been Mathias’ stated plan all along, once the party has inserted themselves into the Hall, to hole up somewhere and rest before their next attack. He immediately suggests the tunnel, which does not meet with everyone’s approval.
“On ther ‘tother end o’ yon tunnel be all ther Fire Gigants in Sterich!” says Willa.
“Yes,” says Mathias, “and that’s what, five hundred miles away? They’re not coming back any time soon, but all the trolls and gnolls from these pens will be coming back here, as soon as they find out the battle outside is done. This is our best chance to cross that room undetected, and hide some place the giants will never look.”
Doro and Thokk are willing to enter, but the others are more concerned about the party taking refuge in the tunnel, at which point Mathias says the only other option at present is the temple, and they like that even less. Mathias recalls Fish, and tells him to explore down the tunnel and see whether it is safe - a measure that allays the fears of a few members of the party who were on the fence (Aurora and Babshapka). While they conduct a hushed debate, Aurora recalls Charlotte and then has her work her way south through the prison halls, checking the doors as she goes.
[Fish's Perception check with advantage, 20.
Boss, dis tunnel just smells like dug rock - I don’t tink dis is da way ta da underdark.
Leezar replies: Ok, no worries. Go in and look down it for a few hundred feet and come back. Go invisibly and protect yourself. We just have to convince the others it is safe enough in there to get them to enter.]
The first pair of doors are not cell doors, but rather huge, double, iron-plated doors such as were present on the level above [access to level 3 of the hall]. There is no bar outside these, but they are shut fast. Charlotte looks but finds no cracks between the door and the frame on either portal (Dex checks 6 and 5).
On the opposite wall there is a prison cell [2-3c], which Charlotte takes to be unoccupied (Perception 2). [There is, in fact, a human merchant in the cell - despondent and in the dark, he lies on the floor unmoving and is unnoticed by the spider].
By this point the party is clustered at the intersection between the troll-smelling hall and what Doro tells them is the cat-smelling one (although they do not note the latter odor themselves). Most are inclined to try the tunnel, but Willa still refuses - even though she realizes that they are running out of alternatives.
From this point on, Aurora ‘leaves’ the group and concentrates on watching through Charlotte’s eyes - or at least as many of them as she can manage at once without making herself dizzy.
(Perception 7) The next cell Charlotte checks [2-5c] has two centaurs, both chained to the floor. [These are not elves, and are not hated by drow as much. However, they are still noble creatures with a connection to the fey, and worthy of sacrifice should the temple run out of elves].
(Perception 6) This cell [2-4c] appears to be empty. [It is, in fact, empty, although Charlotte misses the lever mechanism inside that can raise and lower the false bars as the secret entrance to the rectory]
(Perception 14) This cell [2-10c] contains a half-dozen gnolls. They are not chained within, but the stout wooden bar outside and narrow bars on the windows mean that they have little chance of escape, at least until they chew through the wooden door, which they do not appear to be doing at the moment. Some are dozing, some are pacing, and some are worrying at their own tails and paws, though. [This has nothing to do with the temple. They are part of the gnoll scouts and workers for the giants, but were caught stealing. They are here as a disciplinary measure and will eventually be released.]
(Perception 7) Charlotte sees two human-sized skeletons in tattered robes [2-11c]. They are lying on the floor, not in chains. They are entwined in each others’ arms. Perhaps there is some tragic backstory involved, but Charlotte is not interested and Aurora does not tell her to pursue the matter.
(Perception 11) Charlotte sees a giant wrapped in chains [2-14c] - Aurora immediately takes interest. She then realizes it is not a giant, but in fact, something even larger. As she studies it (Aurora Arcana 28), she comes to believe it is in fact an empyrean, or powerful giant of the outer planes. Its eyes are closed, its features listless, more like it is unconscious than sleeping, although there are no wounds apparent, no blood on the floor of the cell, etc. The chains themselves are massive, but appear to be normal iron, not the special black metal that held Lyn in the ice cavern of the Jarl. [This is, in fact, a titan, a powerful good Celestial, and that the fire giants were able to capture it at all and then present it to the drow is quite a coup. It is scheduled for sacrifice, and it will be a valuable offering to the Elder Elemental God. Rather than keep it close to the Temple, though, it is kept chained next to the Gaoler’s room so that he may check on it often and make sure it remains drugged into unconsciousness with his ample and potent drow-supplied oil of taggit. Were the titan to fully regain consciousness, the chains could not restrain its massive strength, and it would cut through the giants with a vengeance, for it is immune to non-magical weapon damage and can shoot a barrage of elemental spells.]
The next portal is not a cell door, but is unbarred, windowless, and has the iron plates of the doors upstairs (or the double-doors around the corner) [2-G]. Charlotte works her way along the frame and finds a crack wide enough to fit through (Dex check 17). Inside the room it is lit by torchlight, and for a moment upon emerging she is blinded, but soon recovers (Perception 13). In the room is an armored fire giant, obviously not a prisoner, for he sits freely at a table, conversing with three human women. The women are in tattered clothing and are barefoot, but otherwise appear equally at liberty, all sitting or squatting on a single giant-sized bench drawn up to the table. They speak in Giant, and neither Aurora nor Charlotte are able to follow the conversation. The giant has two throwing rocks nearby. In the room are also a stool, three kegs on the floor, and a small, covered jar on the table. On the walls are hammered metal pegs holding a giant's bag, a cape, a shield, a ring of keys, and a heavy shirt. [This is the Gaoler, who administers the drugs to keep the titan unconscious. The women are all wererats, of the group that wanders the lower levels of the Hall, spies on the prisoners for the giants, and, recently, has begun to spy on the giants as well for the drow.]
Charlotte squeezes back out of the room and goes to the next cell [2-13c]. (Perception 5): inside, a fire giant hangs in chains from the ceiling - his feet almost, but not quite, touching the floor, and one of his shoulders looking dislocated, his face twisted in agony. Although he is clearly an adult male, and his physique is that of a warrior, there is no armor in sight - rather he is in soiled smallclothes. [This is Boldo, Snurre’s chief lieutenant, and Obmi’s rival for influence with the King. He is being punished for failing to show proper respect and deference to Snurre, and is not slated for sacrifice.]
The next cell [2-12c] holds a single female human (Perception 7). She is chained to the wall, but standing, not dangling, and does not appear uncomfortable. [Charlotte misses the fact that her shackles are the strange dull black metal].
The next cell [2-9c] contains a solitary troll (Perception 7). It sits in the center of the floor, rocking back and forth and snarling. [The troll is used by the torturer for practice, and is quite mad from both repeated torture sessions and solitary confinement]
The next cell [2-8c] appears to be empty (Perception 9).
The next cell [2-7c] has three gnolls (Perception 14) and although two are active, one lies unmoving. The unmoving one appears to have one leg gnawed off, but is not currently bleeding - so he may be dead, although recently, as the stink of death is not yet enough to overcome that of the troll nearby. The other two are covered in welts and bruises. [These three are being punished for insubordination. One is in fact dead, something which happened very soon after he was released by the overzealous torturer. The other two have only gnawed on him a bit as they have been overcome with hunger, but have not yet completely devoured him as he was a loyal companion]
The next cell [2-6c], the one closest to the forge, appears to be empty, although Charlotte has not yet had time for a good look (Perception 8 ) when she hears noises in the hallway. Moving out and to the stairs, she can see hill giants descending the ramp and turning to the south. Aurora relays this information to the party and Mathias asks Willa pointedly whether she has any better options than the tunnel - she admits she hasn’t. By the time the party is in single file, hand on the person in front of them, Charlotte reports that the trolls and gnolls are returning, although fortunately not at a run.
(1:05am)
Doro leads the group through the pens, avoiding the single gnoll guard, and into the mouth of the tunnel, which is the actual mouth of the carved leering demon-ape face. “I didn’t think it looked like that,” whispers Aurora upon seeing it with her own eyes, as if she is about to change her mind about seeking refuge there. Those nearby quickly hush her. It is certainly more fearsome from her perspective than it was from Charlotte’s, but once they are inside, it appears to be just a spacious tunnel, a vast cylinder of some thirty feet diameter and perfectly regular, going on into the darkness as far as they can see.
The bottom of the tunnel is flat, but every other surface is rounded such that there is a single arc and not a distinct walls and ceiling. The mining cart rail line runs down the right hand side of the Tunnel, but there is enough space for them to walk two abreast on the left. The walls look very much like the tunnel in Sterich carved by the digging machine, but this tunnel is considerably larger.
After a hundred paces, they begin to whisper to one another, but Willa interjects and forbids conversation for another four hundred. Finally, she permits a discussion. If the tunnel indeed goes hundreds of miles to Sterich, they can go in as far as they want - and the farther in they go, the less chance of a patrol from the Hall finding them (or if it does, less chance of the noises from the ensuing combat echoing back to the Hall). “We can use steeds!” exclaims Aurora, but Willa shushes her and says they are still too close to cast anything that requires ten minutes of chanting. It is agreed that they will continue to walk for fifteen more minutes, with Willa keeping a mental count. At the end of that time, they will take a break while Aurora and Mathias conjure phantom steeds. Then they will ride these mounts for a half hour or so, at which point by Aurora’s calculations they will be more than five miles from the Hall. There they will make camp with a tiny hut. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
DM's Note on Sources: This post contains spoilers to module G3: The Hall of the Fire Giant King
Post 346: The Tunnel 13 May [20 Flocktime] - continued - The Tunnel to Sterich, nearly a mile from the Hall end
(low 80, high 105; very dry)
[Play session 9/23/21]
(1:20am)
The party has walked some 15 minutes from the entrance of the Tunnel in the lower Hall, and at close to a mile even cautious Willa will permit the casters to mumble the words of the rituals that will summon phantom steeds without worrying that they will be heard. Both Doro and Thokk dismissed their mounts outside the valve of the Hall, so that while Doro can re-summon Tina in the same ten minutes that Aurora and Mathias will need to make two mounts (1:20 to 1:30am), they still need another three, for a total of five plus Tina. By the time the fifth mount is ready, the first two will have already had twenty minutes of their hour durations expire.
(1:50am)
With all their steeds ready, the party begins to move more rapidly down the tunnel. They have barely set out when Babshapka’s hunter’s mark, and immediately thereafter the two invisibility spells cast outside the Hall, expire. Those in the party who had forgotten that everyone was still under the effects of a seeming have an initial scare as they are suddenly surrounded by a pack of gnolls.
While waiting for the steed summonings, Babshapka had been carefully going over in his head what he saw in the hallways of the lower level. He estimates (Intelligence check 18) perhaps a half-dozen trolls and some two dozen gnolls have by now returned to the pens, and stand between them and any re-entry to the Hall.
When the last steed is nearing its completion, Babshapka takes one of the ones already available and rides slightly ahead - just enough to get to a part of the tunnel where the party has not spoiled the spoor. He checks for tracks (Survival 18) and estimates that some sort of cart passed along the rails perhaps a week ago, but nothing has walked in the tunnel for far longer than that. When Mathias and Aurora finally cease chanting, Babshapka and Thokk take advantage of the silence to listen for any sounds of discovery or pursuit (Thokk Perception 6, Babshapka 25). Neither of them hears anything.
When the party is mounted and begins moving, Babshapka makes sure that he rides ahead of the rest of them, both scouting the tunnel and, at least twice in their journey, stopping and seeing whether anything has changed about the tracks they are following.
[In the Hall, Obmi receives a report that none of the four giants outside survived the encounter with the party. He begins to tally the damage the party has done.
First Foray
5 hellhounds killed from the Kennel Keeper, I-21 and I-22 (two fled the fight and later recovered)
Five trolls killed
Chimera killed from the Chimera Pen, I-10
Second Foray
One ettin from the throne room detail killed (guarding I-2, but housed in II-2)
One Kingsguard killed (from I-6)
The Armory Guard / Chimera Keeper killed (from I-10)
One warrior killed from the west barracks (I-18); a second one arrived too late to fight
One warrior killed from the east barracks (I-25); a second one arrived too late to fight
Two gnolls killed from Obmi’s personal detail (I-12)
Obmi then prepares to send a message to the giants in Sterich, with the King’s approval, recalling about half of them for the fight against the party. A single warrior and a manservant from the west barracks (I-18) are prepared, and outfitted with a hand-pump cart and four days of food and water for the journey. That should be enough, provided they don’t stop at any of the hobgoblin warrens along the way. The Tunnel is straight and the rails run all the way to outside Num-Theraz in Sterich, under the Hellfurnaces, Crystalmists, and Jotens. By the time the giants are equipped and set out, the party is still riding their steeds and is several miles from the entrance of the tunnel.]
(2:20am)
At more than five miles from the entrance, the party halts - there are only a few minutes left on the oldest pair of steeds. They are discussing setting up a hut here when Babshapka holds up his hand for silence. He says he hears an odd metallic whining (Perception 18).
“The rails!” says Mathias. Indeed, gradually they can all hear it - a hum coming from the rail lines. They recall the hand carts they saw outside the entrance to the Tunnel.
They have no way of knowing whether the giants know about and are coming after them - or whether this is something else that was planned all along. But they have equally nowhere to hide - they won’t escape notice in the bare tunnel, even after Mathias and Aurora dismiss all of the steeds. A hurried discussion begins; do they attack, or, knowing that they still appear as gnolls, and not the party that attacked the Hall, try to bluff with some story? “Ambush,” says Mathias, and the others are inclined to agree. None of them speak Gnoll, only Babshapka speaks Giant, and the taciturn elf is hardly the most persuasive among them, or the most convincing liar.
[Aurora at 2/0/2/2/1
Babshapka at 3/3/2
Doro at 4/3/2/0/1]
“’Ow fast be yon carts movin’?” asks Willa. “Wha’ if t’ey sail right past us?”
“That’s not going to happen,” says Doro confidently. She lays a wall of force across the tracks further up the tunnel ahead of them (Doro to 4/3/2/0/0), but at a sharp angle rather than broadside. In her mind, when the cart strikes it, it will force first one half of the cart from the rails, then the other, and finally wedge the cart between the wall of force and the natural rock wall of the tunnel. In the darkness, the translucent wall is nearly invisible.
Suddenly Babshapka can make out, in the blackness behind them, a tiny pinprick of light. The whine of the rails is getting louder. He fits an arrow to his bow and drops back against the far wall. Mathias moves back as well and vanishes into the shadows, leaving four gnolls and a dire wolf standing by the tracks.
Surprise Round (at the start of the round the cart is moving at 100 feet per six-second combat round)
The car is approaching rapidly, far swifter than any of them could run. The figures of two giants work the hand levers, the taller one in the rear facing forward watching the rails in front of their travel over the head of his companion and by the light of a lantern mounted onto the very front of the car. The whole vehicle is wider than an ox wagon, with perhaps the length of three wagons in the long platform. There is space for both giants to stand, a mount for the twin-handled lever, and a number of built-in boxes and bins on either end, shaped so that they can be used as seats if the giants are not working the pump levers.
As soon as the giants are within range, Aurora tolls the dead on the rear one (Wis save 8, fails; 9 necrotic damage). He takes his hands off the pump lever and clasps them over his ears in pain, and then looks up as the beam of the lantern illuminates the gnolls along the track. He reaches over to the far side of the cart and pulls back on a different, thinner lever. Immediately the cart begins to squeal and a cascade of sparks shoots out the rear as he applies the hand brake.
Thokk charges forward, moving to intercept the cart. As he approaches, he can see (Insight 14) that a huge, armored fire giant warrior is in the back facing forward, while a smaller giant is in the front facing backwards but is not wearing armor. He swings at the giant in the rear as the cart approaches him (one hit, 11 damage, giant has taken 20), and then uses the momentum of the cart rushing past to free his axe, spin himself around, and land another blow on the giant from behind as it races ahead of him (one hit, 10 damage, giant has taken 30). As his axe catches in the thick armor of the giant, Thokk leaps in the air and lets himself be drawn along behind, then scrambles half up on the moving platform, traveling with them!
None of the other party members approach the careening cart.
Round One (at the start of the round the cart is moving at 50 feet per round)
Once he has his feet set on the platform, Thokk wrenches his axe free and swings twice more at the armored giant (one hit, 9 points, giant has taken 39) before leaping off of the cart and out of the giant’s reach. He lands in the tunnel but is now well ahead of the party.
Aurora tolls the dead at the giant, and again he clenches his head in pain (Wis save 10, fails, 15 points, giant has taken 54). He grabs a huge, polished rock from some compartment, or possibly his own bag worn at his waist, and launches it. It smashes the tunnel floor and rock chips fly within a foot of Thokk but he is unharmed (near miss).
Round Two (at the start of the round the cart is moving at 25 feet per round)
At this point the cart is moving slowly enough that Thokk can catch it by running alongside. He raises his shield to protect his eyes from the shower of sparks shooting from the rear of the cart and charges forward as the giant turns and draws his greatsword. Running up alongside the cart, Thokk swings at the giant (two hits, 23 damage, giant has taken 77) and the giant swings back as Thokk veers away (opportunity attack, hits, 28 damage). Thokk knows he is swiftly approaching Doro’s nearly invisible wall, so he moves out of the giant’s reach just as the first part of the cart impacts it. With a deafening crash that echoes down the length of the tunnel, the cart jumps the rails, flips, and cracks in two. The lantern is crushed between the cart and the wall - rather than erupt in flame, however, it just leaves a bright, cool, sticky stain as the living fire beetles within are crushed and then smeared across the wall. The giant in the front of the cart is thrown forward against the wall, and then drops to the tunnel floor, pinned under the wreckage (Dex save 5, fails, 16 points of damage). The warrior in the back leaps clear, and although his momentum carries him into the wall (9 points damage, giant has taken 86), he lands on his feet on the tunnel floor with his sword still in hand (Dex save 20; succeeds).
Doro and Mathias fire at the standing giant (two hits from Mathias, 10 points, giant has taken 96).
Willa dashes forward, barely reaching the edge of the light now coming from the wall. Babshapka stows his bow, draws his blades, and follows behind Willa but is not as close.
Round Three (the cart is no longer moving)
Willa draws her frost brand. Trying to down the giant before it has a chance to recover from the crash, Willa charges and attacks it with an unsustainable speed (action surge, four attacks: 28 damage, giant has taken 124).
The smaller, unarmored giant gives a mighty push and lifts the wreckage of the cart off his body (Str check 19, succeeds). He staggers to his feet (stand up from prone, half movement) and snatches a loose iron wheel from the wreckage, throwing it like a discus. It crashes into Willa’s side, knocking her back from the dazed warrior (one hit, 21 damage).
Mathias approaches, firing his explosive blasts through the dark at the warrior (two hits, 20 damage, giant has taken 144).
The fire giant warrior bellows in pain and raises his sword, but the end of it impacts the wall behind him and he struggles to keep his grip on it (critical miss, Dex check 20 to recover, succeeds). Once the weapon is again under his control, he brings it down on Willa in a crippling blow (hit, 28 damage, Willa has taken 49).
Babshapka moves to the warrior, trying to draw his attention from Willa with a series of broadsword and shortsword strikes (two hits, 20 damage, giant has taken 164). The giant topples and crashes to the tunnel floor, draped over the wreckage of the car.
Thokk is rushing to the fight, but with both Willa and Babshapka in front of him, he is concerned that they will be able to kill the smaller giant before he can arrive at the melee. He drops his battle axe on the tunnel floor, then draws and launches a javelin of lightning at the smaller giant (hits, 11 piercing and 18 electric is 29 damage, fire giant servant has taken 45). Is it Thokk’s angle of approach, or is it that the hundreds of pounds of iron armor on the fallen warrior causes the lightning to veer off course? The bolt from the javelin streaks back toward Thokk, and along the way runs through the fallen warrior’s body (one failed death save), Willa, and Babshapka!
Babshapka leaps nimbly aside (Dex save 20; succeeds, half of 14 lightning damage is 7), while Willa takes the brunt of the shock (Dex save 7; fails). “Thoooookk!” she curses, as she grits her teeth and focuses on remaining conscious (uses Indomitable for a re-roll of the save, 20; saves, half of 16 damage is 8, Willa has taken 57).
The admonishment of his evil advisor causes Thokk to rethink his second javelin throw. At least his warband has been warned that they need to include him in the melee. He continues to close the distance to the fight but does not throw again.
Aurora tolls the dead on the smaller giant (Wis save 0; fails, 19 damage, giant has taken 64).
Tina arrives at the wreckage, surging forward and snapping at the giant but missing. From her back, Doro shoots explosive music notes (two hits, 10 damage, giant has taken 74).
The giant backs away from the great snarling wolf until his back is to the wall, then throws his club down and raises his hands. He shouts something in Giant.
Round Four
Babshapka yells “He says he yields, hold fire!”
[The fallen warrior succeeds on his death save.]
Doro either doesn’t hear Babshapka over the sound of her own music or doesn’t care. She urges Tina to attack again, and she continues to fire (three misses between the two of them). The giant moves, keeping the largest pieces of wreckage between him and the wolf (disengage) and then begins to move back up the tunnel, closer to the ones who are not attacking, hands still in the air and shouting “I yield” in Giant. Mathias fires at him as he moves (two hits, 2 points, giant has taken 76).
“Mathias and Doro, hold!” calls Babshapka.
Once Willa takes up the cry of “Hold fire!” the others finally stand down.
Thokk swaggers over to the giant and demands of him in Common, “Where you go?” When the giant looks perplexed, Thokk gestures at the wreckage of the hand car.
“We are going, were going…” the giant draws out his words, as if he knows Common but is not accustomed to speaking it, “going to get reinforcements from the front.”
Willa bends over the fallen warrior, checking whether he is stable (Medicine check 8 - she believes he is failing although by now he is stable). “T’is one might not make it,” she tells the others, “make sure t'other gigant keeps talkin’”.
In response to the party’s questioning, the giant freely reveals that he is not a warrior, but a manservant and dogsbody to the warrior they just put down. Less than an hour ago, he and the warrior were summoned before King Snurre and the dwarf Obmi. They were told that the Hall had been attacked and giants killed. They were ordered to use the hand car to travel to Sterich and bring back ten giant warriors and twenty trolls. He does not know how long the journey should have taken but he says that they are bringing four days’ worth of food and water and that they were told to not make any stops on the way.
They ask him how large the force headed for Sterich is and he says it is his understanding that they are already there - certainly they all left more than a few days ago. He doesn’t know exact numbers, but judging by how many giants are no longer in the Hall, he would say perhaps a score of warriors with a dreadnought or two. He has also heard that some fire giants from groups owing fealty to Snurre but living in places other than the Hall are also abroad in Sterich, but he does not know whether that is true.
Babshapka asks whether all the forces that were sent to Sterich were fire giants. The servant answers that all of the giants were fire giants, although many trolls went as well. However, as he understood the plans, the forces of Snurre were supposed to meet up with Frost Giants and Hill Giants when they arrived in the human lands.
Babshapka asks how many giants are in the Hall now, and youth estimates the fighting force at perhaps thirty, warriors and dreadnaughts all combined. In addition there are a half-dozen Queensguard (female warriors who guard Queen Frupy), a dozen servants like himself (giants who are young adults and not yet large enough to be warriors), and many adult females and young giants who are non-combatants.
He is asked when services are in the temple, and replies that they are whenever Snurre calls for them. Asked whether the services include sacrifices, he says that depends on the drow priests and priestesses - and whether they have anyone on hand to sacrifice. As the party probes him for knowledge about the drow, he says that the dark elves have been in the Hall for over a year, and that the temple was constructed under their direction, using some giant labor but mostly the subject dwarves. He says that the official religion of the Hall, as ordered by Snurre, is now that of the Elder Elemental God, and that the drow are its servants. The Elder Elemental God is a powerful being that devours all and demands constant blood sacrifices, but who grants great power to its loyal followers. The drow are seen in the temple, or occasionally around the prisoners, only when it is time for a sacrifice - they are always near the purple rock wall, but he doesn’t know if they are beyond it. The wall became purple during the construction of the temple - it was not like that before. The drow never appear on the first level of the Hall, in the throne room, etc.
Willa asks about the cats around the temple, and he claims ignorance of any ‘cats’.
Babshapka asks what the drow deity looks like. The giant is not sure, but says it must be a thing of nightmares. In the temple it is depicted on the walls as a great mouth surrounded by tentacles, but the liturgy suggests that is only one of its many forms. He says he doesn’t trust it, and prefers Surtur, the rightful god of the Fire Giants, whose form does not change. Why would Snurre follow such a hideous thing, Babshapka demands. The youth shrugs and says that the drow have given Snurre aid and advice leading to a great expansion of his lands and territories. The conquests provide a steady stream of treasure and sacrifices for the temple, with plenty left over for Snurre’s great vault.
Mathias interjects, but it is not clear whether he is speaking to the giant or the party, answering Babshapka’s question or musing to himself. “We saw this at the temple in the Steading,” he says. “The tentacle god is fighting the spider queen. Snurre’s conquests let the tentacled ones grow stronger, so that they can protect this world from the spider people.”
Babshapka arches an eyebrow at Mathias’ interruption, but continues his questioning. “Are the fire giants in general happy to worship the drow god?”
“Not happy, most of us,” says the manservant. “But it is Snurre’s command, and he is the King.”
“What can you tell us about Obmi?”
“He was a prince from a clan of dwarves that Snurre conquered - he was sent here years ago as a hostage to assure their fealty. Originally he was a slave. At some point he decided that becoming an honored servant to the King was better than remaining a disgraced and conquered prince. He is now Snurre’s trusted advisor.”
“Are there other giant ambassadors in the Hall?”
“Stone Giant and Cloud Giant ambassadors. And maybe the Jarlinde of the Frost Giants - I have heard she arrived recently but have not seen her myself. All of them are on the second level in guest quarters. There are Hill Giants too, but they aren’t ambassadors - just refugees from the war in Sterich.”
“Where on the second level is the entrance to the Underdark?”
“Second level? No, that’s on the third.”
“There’s a third level?” says Mathias, clearly indicating that he had not considered the possibility.
“Yes, the first two levels are the Hall proper, living quarters. The third level is just natural caverns with monsters and stuff. I haven’t been down there; there’s no reason to be. But that’s where they say the drow enter and leave from.”
“Monsters? Like dragons? Chimerae?”
“Yeah, stuff like that. It’s all rumors, whatever crazy monster you mention, someone will say it is down there, but I doubt it.”
“Well, where is the entrance to that third level?”
“Close to the temple and the jail cells. It has double doors - you can’t miss it.”
Willa sizes the giant up. “Who be attackin’ ther Hall, t’en? Ther ones w’at ye needed ter bring reinforcement far?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “Some powerful adventurers, I suppose.” If he suspects that this group of gnolls, all of whom apparently speak perfectly good Common, could be the adventurers in question, he doesn’t mention it.
“Does Snurre really have fabulous treasure vaults?” asks Aurora.
“I suppose so. I mean, he has been King for a long time, and many nations pay him tribute. I don’t know what else he would do with the treasure beyond storing it.”
“How many trolls are there in the pens?” insists Babshapka.
“Maybe a half dozen. They are the overseers for two or three dozen gnolls.”
By this point Thokk has bored of the conversation and moved to examine the fallen warrior. He finds his breathing far too regular and does not agree with Willa’s assessment that the giant might not make it. Two quick strokes of his axe (two hits, four failed death saves) are enough to convince him that Willa was right after all.
Aurora looks over at Thokk dispatching the warrior, and then back to the manservant. “So what happens now?” she asks him.
“Well,” he says, sounding as persuasive as he can, “I have answered all of your questions, fully and honestly. Unless you have any more?”
Aurora thinks a moment but then shrugs. They have what they want from him.
“Then I was thinking,” he continues hopefully, “I could just walk away. I understand you don’t want anyone in the Hall to know you are down here, so of course you can’t let me go back that way. But on the other side of the tunnel,” and he gestures beyond Doro’s wall, “there is nothing until Sterich. It was supposed to take four days in the cart, but that’s smashed. So it’s going to take me more than a week to walk, if I even can make it on my own before I run out of water. So I was thinking you would let me load up on supplies, and then I walk away and you never see me again, and by the time I get to Sterich, if I make it to Sterich, you are long done with whatever your business is in the Hall.”
The party exchange looks with one another. Doro dismisses the wall and a few pieces of the cart that had been propped against it clatter to the tunnel floor. “Ok then,” says Aurora, “you are free to go.”
“Of course,” adds Mathias with a slight bow. “Go ahead…” (Deception 11).
“Uh…ok,” says the giant (Insight 6), and he bends down to begin retrieving food and water from the intact cargo boxes of the smashed cart. As soon as he lowers his gaze, Mathias brings his hands up and fires an explosive bolt of force that knocks him sprawling (one hit with advantage, 5 damage, giant has taken 81). The giant cries out in pain and betrayal, and Mathias fires again (one hit, 7 damage, giant has taken 88 and is knocked out). Whistling merrily, Thokk ambles over to his body and makes sure that he is dead.
XP Tunnel
Fire giant servant (CR5) = 1800
Fire giant warrior (CR9) = 5000
Total = 6800 / 6 = 1133 each
“Firs’ prior’ty be rest,” says Willa. “All o’ us be beat up good. Let’s get some ‘uts up.” Mathias and Doro walk about half the distance from the wreckage of the carts back to where they began their ambush, and begin the rituals that will eventually bring up the tiny huts. In ten minutes they are ready.
(2:45am)
Tina is placed outside the huts on watch, while those inside drink, set down burdens, strip, wash and bind wounds, all while listening to the soothing sounds of Doro playing her song of rest (plus 7hp to any recovered during short rest).
Babshapka uses 1HD and recovers 11+7 = 18hp
Thokk uses 5HD and recovers 42+7 = 49hp
Willa uses 1HD and recovers 10+2 = 17hp
Aurora uses 3HD and recovers 14+7 = 21hp
Doro at 4/3/2/0/0; casts song of vitality and at 4/3/1/0/0.
She heals 8, 5, 6 to the other party members, then dedicates 11, 12, 7, 10 = 40hp to Willa. The last three rounds of healing from the spell are not used, as everyone is at full.
(3:45am)
Rested and in better shape, most of the party emerges from the huts, although Doro and Mathias remain to maintain them. The others pick through the wreckage of the carts and find boxes and boxes of preserved food and barrels of water.
[The giants had brought four days of food and water for two giants.
The warrior was 80 times the weight of a human and ate 27 times as much.
Four days for him would be the equivalent of 112 human rations.
The manservant was 17 times the weight of a human and ate 8 times as much.
Four days for him would be the equivalent of 32 rations.
Thus between them they had a total of 140 rations (with a few spoiled in the crash)
Likewise, they had a total of 280 gallons of water in seven 40-gallon barrels.]
They carefully search the bodies, but there is no treasure and little of interest on them. The warrior does have a metal token or emblem depicting a pair of crossed javelins that they take. They don’t know its meaning, and a few of them even wish they could now ask the manservant, but no one mentions it aloud. The closest they come is Aurora ‘casually’ asking Doro whether she knows a song for the speak with the dead spell.
While their health has substantially improved after the rest and spells, they are still tired and low enough on more powerful spells that they don’t want to try another foray just yet. Also, they are loath to give up the secret of their new hiding place and are hopeful that the giants will think that they have been driven off after their attack outside the Hall. Finally, they want to make sure that no more messengers leave the Hall asking for reinforcements. With no worries now about food or drink for themselves, they decide to take a long rest on the spot. A watch schedule is set.
[c. 6am - Thokk’s javelins recharge with the dawn]
[When it is finally light out, a bleary-eyed Obmi surveys the search teams of giants, trolls, and gnolls he has assembled. He has gone over their orders a dozen times - they are to search all the land within a mile of the hall for tiny huts or other places adventurers might hide. If they find any, they are not to engage, but to leave a few gnolls there to watch while the rest of them return to report.
The original module G3 (or G1-3, what I was using) gives a cumulative 10% per day for the giants to find the party’s hiding spot. There is now a 20% chance for them to find the skeletons that lie off the road but more than a mile from the Hall. d% = 59, not found.
There is a 20% chance for them to find tracks in the ravine that could lead them to the party’s cave with Fraanke. d% = 100, not found.
Once the huts the party is using in the tunnel are down, later in the morning, there is a 10% chance (since this is the first day) that some of the gnolls or trolls in the pens will smell them along the length of the tunnel itself, or smell the two dead and decaying giants. d% = 77, not found.]
[Babshapka uses his stone for breakfast. They entered the Hall with a full 19 water skins. Five people means 5 skins are used; they have 14 left, but plenty of water in the barrels to fill them before they return to the Hall. Five people use 1.5 rations, the party total going from 53 rations to 51.5 without even considering the giants’ food.]
[Outside, Fraanke found his way back to the cave, of course, and used his rest during the night to heal the bruises from the giant’s thrown stone. Food is easy to find; the party has left 116 pounds of hobgoblin jerky in the cave and he can easily gnaw open the packages and gulp down three pounds of it (113 pounds remain). While he is tempted to wolf down as much as he can, it helps that the food is exceedingly dry and for the moment he does not have water. He eats just what he needs for this meal. The seep basin in the cave is still dry. Thokk told him to wait in the cave, and left him with water in the two casks - he can smell it there. But he watched the party open these dwarven containers, and he lacks the thumbs to pull out stoppers, and he lacks the arms to lift and pour it. He could simply jump on a cask and smash it, of course - that would be easy and would certainly let the water out, but he is smart enough to know that most of it would be wasted draining away into the cracks in the rock before he could lap it up. He decides to wait until sundown to see whether Thokk returns from the Hall.]
[8am - the two casts of Mage armor and the two casts of darkvision expire]
[8:52am - the seeming on all six of them, and Fraanke, expires and they are revealed to be not gnolls]
(10:45am)
The party has finished their long rest just as the huts expire. Everyone has had their spells and abilities restored - everyone except Doro. [She finished her last long rest at 12:01am this same morning of 13 May, and by rules she can benefit from only one long rest per day] Doro is still at 4/3/1/0/0 and the party debates whether or not to return to the giants soon. Doro still has a fair number of spells, and even one more song of vitality if needed - but crucially, she does not have fifth level spells, and wall of force is next on the party’s scheduled ‘escalation of tricks’. Currently they have food, water, and what seems like a safe place to rest. The next time they hit the giants, they may well be facing the entire Hall, and if they are not able to compartmentalize the fight, they will quickly end up retreating, with their only out being Aurora or Mathias using teleport circle. They agree that there is little cost in waiting another half-day for Doro to be at full, and a lot of potential benefit.
As they wait around, Willa asks Babshapka what he knows about centaurs. She is of half a mind to free them when the party next ventures to the prison, and wonders whether they might be allies. Babshapka thinks for a while. He hasn’t personally known any centaurs, he says, and there aren’t any in the Silverwood, to his knowledge. They are creatures of the open plains or light forests at best, and the land that they would like in the Sheldomar basin was all taken by humans hundreds of years ago. Perhaps over the mountains in Celene there might be some. In any event, he says, they might be allies, for they would surely hate the giants. Above all else, centaurs value their freedom. They can be good - but they can also be dangerous. Not because they are cruel, but because they are wild, free, and sometimes wonton and careless in their passions. At least, that is what he has heard about them.
Doro says that all the legends she knows about centaurs confirm what Babshapka said. If the tales be true, she adds, one should never serve them hard drinks, for they are raucous and uncontrolled when drunk, but they can be powerful allies in war. A few of them are scholars of nature, and know much about the stars and herbs, she adds.
[Babshapka uses his stone for lunch. Five people means 5 skins are used; they have 9 left without opening the barrels. Five people use 1.5 rations, the party total goes from 51.5 rations to 50 without using the giants’ food]
[In the cave, Fraanke eats 3 pounds of meat (110 pounds remain)]
[Babshapka uses his stone for dinner. Five people means 5 skins are used; they have 4 left without opening the barrels. Five people use 2 rations, the party total going from 50 rations to 48 without even considering the giants’ food.]
[In the cave, Fraanke eats 4 pounds of meat (106 pounds remain). He hasn’t had any water for 24 hours - if he does not get some soon, he will automatically have one level of exhaustion. At two levels of exhaustion, he will move at half speed, making it unlikely for him to be able to escape the waterless lava plain and get up into the mountains to find a stream if the party doesn't return. He smashes the two casks that the party had already emptied and sucks on the damp wood inside, but it is not enough. He smells the two full casks and pushes them gently with a paw (one is full with 10.5 gallons, one with 9.5). Full and heavy, the casks both seem fairly stable (Int check 12). Fraanke decides that he will stand up on his hind limbs, then come down with all his weight (1200 pounds) on one paw on top of the cask. If he can come straight down, perhaps he can smash the top of the cask without knocking it over. Up he goes, then down (Dex check 15) - CRACK! SPLASH! The top of the cask splits in two places and a spray of water goes up, but the cask remains upright with Fraanke’s great forepaw inside, pinning it to the cave floor. A half a gallon splashed out in the process, but when Fraanke gingerly removes his paw, there are still nine gallons of water left in the cask. Over the rest of the evening he laps at it repeatedly until he has drunk his need for four gallons today, and five remain.]
[At sundown, all the search groups return to the Hall and report to Obmi that they have found nothing. Snurre will likely take this, yet again, as evidence that they have ‘driven off’ the humans, but Obmi knows better. With the great door sealed and only opening on his or the King’s command, the party’s next assault will have to use magic to access the Hall. Given the power they have displayed so far, Obmi assumes that they will be using the passwall spell, and that the next battle will be fought within the walls of the Hall itself. He begins preparing the troops to respond to a battle inside.]
[The three drow of the temple discuss the situation. The party has struck twice, and will be back once they have recovered their more powerful spells. This is undoubtedly the same group that killed both Chief Nosnra and Jarl Grugner. King Snurre is most certainly next. They must do what they can to stymie the efforts of the surface-dwellers. That evening they have the Gaoler, Headsman, and Torturer together drag the unconscious titan to the altar of the temple, and sacrifice him to the Elder Elemental God. As the Maw devours the soul of the titan, the flush of power they receive is nearly overwhelming. They begin to weave a potent curse for the party and a protection on the temple, carefully saving their power. Now is not the time to be rash.]
(10pm)
Aurora feels the release in the magic which has held the undead spirits in thrall to her - the skeletons are now free! She curses under her breath and wonders what they will do next. Continue to ‘play dead’ until they are attacked? Stand up and aimlessly wander the lava plain until they find something to attack? Head for Sterich, attempting to return to the homeland from which she took them? She didn’t study much necromancy in her ‘prenticeship, and really has no idea how they will respond. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
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