S@squ@tch's Against the Giants - Team Black

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Morika woke a little early, just before dawn, and yawned and stretched luxuriously. It wasn't necessarily fitting, at least in the eyes of some purists, for a follower of nature to revel in the comforts of civilization. But Morika found some pleasure in folding herself in the soft bed. Stormreach was hardly civilized, and the birds whose feathers made up the bed had been eaten long before. Why let their feathers flutter free in the wind when they could make such lovely nests? Though the druid preferred the open sky or forest canopy to the roof of an inn, she'd make an exception for such a fine night of sleep.

Slipping outside to see the sun, Morika wiggled her toes in the dirt, connecting herself to the earth, as she let the power of the land, sea, and sun fill her. The beast within her breast growled in hunger and the hint of immanent danger, and she nodded in silent agreement. The journey would be the toughest she'd ever undertaken.

Going back inside, she saw the others had filled the room while she had been contemplating. Crossing to the dwarf, and snagging breakfast on the way, she greeted him through a mouthful of sausage.

"Morning," she said, and then raised her voice a bit to get the attention of her party. "Children! This be Thanor, and he'll be heading out with us. He's got a solid axe and an itch t' use it against giants, so he's exactly what we be needing, eh?"

 

[drothgery]

Sanne introduced herself to the newcomer. She had thought to do so when she finished her breakfast, but was glad Morika had given her a name to go on.

[sblock=Thanor]
Sanne's physical description:

Age: 46
Gender: F
Height: 4' 9"
Weight: 90 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Blonde
Skin: Fair

Short and athletic, Sanne keeps her hair cut short, and is in the uniform of a senior Lyrandar officer, with rapier on one hip. Her most distinctive feature, though, is the Lesser Mark of Storm on her left shoulder, wrapping into her neck and back.
[/sblock]

"There was one other thing. I don't know if you heard here, but Barrak was killed last night. By something strange; I don't know anything that kills like that." She says.

 

[Voadam]

The silver-haired bear of a man in black robes gives a salutory nod of his head to Thanor and says "Greetings and well-met Thanor. I am called Voadam the Green Wizard of Althora. Tell me, have you been in the jungles enough to overcome the Traveller's curse? As I am sure Morika explained, we are heading out to investigate and learn of events in giant territory, not to hunt down giants indiscriminately. Though with their recent increase in aggressions another axe is welcome."

 

[Voadam]

"There was one other thing. I don't know if you heard here, but Barrak was killed last night. By something strange; I don't know anything that kills like that." She says.

"What? No I had not heard. What were the circumstances of his death?"

 

[Redclaw]

Grateful for Morika's introduction, and the confirmation of his memory, Thanor greats the others in turn. He shakes his head at Voadam's question. I'm sorry ta say I didna spend much time above ground. It's a true dwarf I am, and tha delve was me home, not tha jungle.

 

[pathfinderq1]

"There was one other thing. I don't know if you heard here, but Barrak was killed last night. By something strange; I don't know anything that kills like that." She says.

"What do you mean 'kills like that'?," Ipshivi chirped from her perch. "Was he mutilated or magicked to death in some exotic manner?" She had hoped that danger would at least wait until they were out in the jungle, but that didn't seem likely now...

 

[drothgery]

Sanne recaps what she and Aeranduil saw earlier.

[sblock=OOC]
I think it looks like mind flayer sucked out his brain, but Sanne is unfamiliar with mind flayers and has no ranks in K(dungeoneering).
[/sblock]

"I don't suppose any of you have any ideas?"

 

[Voadam]

The silver haired wizard looks grim at the description "Hole in his skull and brain removed entirely? Hel's white face it sounds like illithids. An advanced and twisted alien race of evil tentacled mind mages that can stun mortal minds and then either bend you to their will or burrow into your skull to feast on your brain. Very dangerous. I defeated one I knew was coming by ambushing it and its minions with a squad of paladins I had hidden with illusions. Any other circumstances and it would have wiped the corridor with us by itself. Another I encountered we drove off with a barrage of powerful evocation magics from multiple mages beyond the range of its mind magics. That one fled to other planes. Immediate overwhelming force before they can act is the preferred method of dealing with illithids if you plan to win a fight with them. They are said to have dealings with other dark races, particularly in the slave trade."

ooc I took drothergy's post as an invitation to read the spoilered text from when Sanne and Aerundil left the group.

 

[pathfinderq1]

"How utterly repulsive," Ipshivi said with a shudder. "While I'd like to hope it was coincidence, I can't really believe that so we'll have to be extra careful. I suppose if such creatures can play with other beings' brains, they would find a group of giants to be excellent minions... We should get on the move, I guess- I think this is everybody who is coming. Jaxel wasn't looking too happy last night."

 

[s@squ@tch]

The elven maid who greeted you all yesterday stops by with a note.

"It is from your gnome friend."

She smiles then walks away, towards the front desk.

The note is sealed in an envelope being the raised mark of the Chapterhouse.

The hastily scribbled note itself reads:

"Sorry to keep ya in suspense, but I received word yesterday that my former employers had an urgent item for me tah deliver, so when they says hop, I gotsa hop. See ya's around later if ya survive."