There Might Be Giants
PCs
DCI Bawg Race: Unknown Class: Rogue Level: 12 Background: City Watch Investigator
Phreakalus Nevrospastos Race: Human Class: Artificer Level: 12 Background: Courtier
Thrunorus "Thugg" Garn Race: Half-Orc Class: Barbarian Zealot of Bradlust & Fighter Level: 8 & 4 Background: Mercenary Veteran
Yen Stonefist Race: Stout Halfling Class: Monk Level: 12 Background: Hermit
NPCs
Piniccarus, Phreakalus' animated puppet 'son'. Just weird.
Session 019: The Fighting Is Not Over Yeti.
Mission Time: 00:46 to 00:52
To begin with an apology, at the end of the last write I said that the Giantkillers took a moment to get some healing done, and that the fight was over. I was mistaken- I should have looked ahead, at the pictures on Discord from this session.
I think what I should have written was everyone (well, almost everyone) really wanted the fighting to stop for a bit.
But that didn't happen.
Can you guess?
Here we go again.
Helga, the frost giant, is retreating. Yen, DCI Bawg & Phreakalus are looking to get a breather. Thugg is not.
And so there he goes again- chasing after Helga, replete with hit points- he has about twenty or so to his name.
And Yen still has his fifteen foot reach once/day Dragon Tattoo thing still going so- why not. Yen is easily persuaded, and seconds later a beaten up Helga is off her feet. She's going nowhere.
But, do you remember who's coming to play? Sneaking down the corridor towards the PCs?
That's right, the snowmen (and women, no doubt).
The Yeti's are identified quickly, here's the first of them- just about to get into Thugg.
But Thugg, on point, is having fun.
Helga less so. While Waythe (as always) is still trying to be helpful.
And the rest of the PCs are now scrambling (once again) to get to the front line, or else close enough to shoot the bad guys.
And there are few Yeti, although none of them so far have managed to land a hit on Thugg- and ACs not his thing, although he's probably Hasted again atm. He's swigging potions of speed every chance he can, it's his new addiction.
Oh, and you'll note the PCs have started calling out the NPCs and Orcs, that little gravestone (far right on the image above) is where one of the frosties (earlier) threw Balthazar (the orc).
Balthazar is the first of the Giantkillers entourage to die.
There's a clue to what happens next.
Helga dies, and you'll note two of the Yeti's are not looking too healthy either, the artillery has arrived.
But to the north...
The first of the snow leopards comes rushing out of hiding and into Thugg, the half-orc barbarian takes the hit and keeps on swinging.
And soon after- with the Yeti's also climbing up and over the fight to get to the rear, well- it's a Thugg pile-on.
And then, at bloody last...
One of the PCs succumbs to a Yeti's Chilling Gaze, they've all been making this attack every turn- Yen is the first to fail his save. The Monk is paralysed, that's got to crimp his style.
Yen is also very close to ko'd, on maybe six hit points.
But Thugg...
...is still doing Thugg.
Although that doesn't keep Yen safe.
Note the square on the map, that's Piniccarus' web spell. The bane of my existence.
This has been happening a lot-
Even before my poor Yeti's got webbed.
And oh look-
Thugg is still rolling Crits. Keep in mind he's usually raging, reckless and hasted. It's a terrifying combo.
And then, at last, or else soon after...
The end of the fight comes remarkably quickly, Phreakalus & Bawg account for another pair of Yeti's and Thugg (with a help from a couple of orcs) takes care everything else. You'll note in the picture above Thugg is running for a bed- he is now convinced that rest is the best option. Yen has also been given a potion, but he too is really not well.
The plan is- I say plan, it's not much of one- is to hide here and get a short rest, or else cast some spells (the Artificer has a few healing spells), or swig healing potions (but they're getting really low on these).
Phreakalus also boots up his telepathic communication spell, and now all of the Pcs can chat with each other via the astral space phone (or something similar).
But...
The tea break doesn't last, the Giantkillers get five minutes off. Note in the image above Bawg is concealed in a snow drift (stealth '28') and watching the ways. Bawg has a passive perception of '20'- and is also making active perception checks every now and then, the approaching Yeti is spotted quickly and the fact telepathically communicated to his friends.
There are (telepathic) groans.
The grind doesn't stop for tea and biscuits.
The PCs (and entourage) form up and ready themselves to go again.
The Yeti at the back (unidentified) seems to be somehow directing the attack. DCI Bawg breaks stealth by hurling a Fireball down the corridor.
And...
Yeti's burn.
And then it all kicks off.
And as usual...
The bad guys get webbed. Note, this web is specifically targeted to attach to the ceiling in the corridor- filling the upper half of the passageway- this because the two closest Yeti's in the image above were climbing in on the walls of the passage. One of the Yeti's quickly breaks out of the webs.
You'll note Thugg is still in bed.
He's like a surly teenager at times.
"I'll be there in a minute! Gawhhh!"
Moments later, Pablo (an Orc) is sent scurrying under the web, basically to see if it can be done.
It can.
However 'can' does not equate to should.
Egil, a frostie, flings a rock at Pablo the orc as soon as he emerges from beneath the web.
Pablo does not last.
Nor, however, do the Yeti's.
Phreakalus goes on a killing/shooting spree.
And then when, at last, the last of the Yeti are put down...
Thugg (who else) goes chasing after Egil.
Thugg has nothing to help him atm- no speed potion, no rage... he is however reckless. He's always reckless.
I think it's his middle name.
The Giantkillers, once again, have got my bad guys on the run.
Well, almost. The first Winter Wolf turns up (alas this fellow is only a pup- a Dire Wolf in white).
And Thugg, very soon after, starts screaming for his friends/colleagues/associates/pit-crew/patsies (delete as appropriate).
Reluctantly they come running.
What else is there to do?
White Wolves (plural).
Thugg is, soon after, reduced to maybe two hit points.
All the healing that Phreakalus dropped on him has gone away now.
That's a shame.
You'll also note that Arne the frostie has just tipped up- he was herding the wolves to here, see the behind the scenes images at the end of the last session.
Thugg's down, and Egil is standing in him. To be sure.
Let's see how the Giantkillers do without him...
Because that's the end of the session.
Although not without a little sneaky peek at what's coming-
There are another pair of Winter Wolves eager to get into the fight.
And...
There's another frost giant with a bunch of Ogres waiting to ambush the party should they head to the north.
But I'm revealing these pictures here and now because, well... we've already played past this point. I'm still a way behind with this write up.
Book of the Dead.
Helga- Frost Giant.
Yeti x11 (including one Max HP leader type)
Snow Leopard x2.
Until next time.
Cheers goonalan.
