(IC) Against the Giants PBP Group 2

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Utharn appeared confused by Gimlak's suggestion. He had been ordered by his superior to take them to the other stone giants, not drop them in the cellars to fend for themselves. He responded, "I will step back, but I intend to take you to the excavation site."

As the giant stepped back toward the staircase, he allowed those there to move through his legs, ushering them forward.
 

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Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow
The barbarian frowned as he flicked a quick glance at the dwarf prince. Kahru was starting to see more clearly what was going on: the Stone giants had no more love for the hill giants and bugbears than they had for this company of would-be rescuers, but Utharn had been given an order and was set to fulfil it despite the adversity.

No sense in losing an advantage while he is willing” Kahru rebuked the dwarf for feigned niceties when more urgent matters were at hand “ we’ll soon be facing another scrap unless someone stops that bugger going for the gong, where are your accursed tentacles now!

For his part Kahru had already turned to focus on the ten-foot high double doors partway open on their left readying a call for allies as he did so…

OOC: going to cast Conjure Animal if the bugbear gets to the gong and calls in reinforcements. @FitzTheRuke would calling 8 wolves be okay or would it bog things down too much? (Otherwise 2 Dire Wolves)
 

Kobold Stew

Last Guy in the Airlock
Supporter
The Colonel sees Kahru about to cast a spell, but instead he wags a finger back and forth in front of his face, and says to the kobold, "Relax...don't do it."

OOC: Cast Calm Emotions (DC 18 Charisma save): if failed, the bugbear will become indifferent to us, until attacked or harmed by a spell (or a minute passes, or concentration broken). I'm hiping this might be enough for us to get into the next room with the giant, or at least stop a big battle in this one with a stray Stone Giant.

EDIT: areas of effect is 20'r, so possibly could catch the other bugbear too, if cast at CY 52...? The agitated bugbear is the primary target.

If he succeeds, there are always dire wolves...

Spells left: 3/4 2/3 3/3 3/3 0/1.
 
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FitzTheRuke

Legend
There was nothing a bugbear preferred to relaxing. The guard was heading for his alarm-gong when he felt a wave of warm, soothing air. The stone giant was speaking in a low rumble with a dwarf. He knew that his orders were to ring the gong if there was any trouble, but was this trouble? Stone giants were about, he knew, and could probably go where they damn well pleased. Though he expected a stone giant to travel with one or another of the hill giants that employed his captain's mercenary company, there was nothing said about stone giants leading a group of humanoids.

He looked to his partner for advice, and his partner too, appeared unperturbed by their presence. They caught each other's eyes and shrugged.

Utharn watched as the bugbears visibly relaxed. If he had understood what the Colonel had done, he kept it to himself, only saying, "Well. Perhaps we can now proceed after all."

And he turned toward the south, opening two great double-doors that led to a long hallway.

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OOC: Both bugbears failed. dc18 CHA save
BBG1: 1D20-1 = [13]-1 = 12
BBG2: 1D20-1 = [5]-1 = 4
 


Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow
When you want to go to it” Kahru acknowledge the Colonels suggestion and that his wiser head had prevailed in calming the bugbears and thus the room.

He did glance back at the north door, noting that there backs had not been secured. But it seemed that their guide was leading them to the south door, where the northman assumed from the clanging, they would find the excavations, the dwarf slaves and the other Steinjotenen.

They had a minute to follow, what happened then Kahru was unsure but regardless Waythe was still twitching in his hand…
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Waythe continued to send impatient thoughts to Kahru as the group moved southward, down a long wide hallway. They came to a T, where to the right (westward) was a large door from which came the loud clang of a hammer on an anvil. There was no mistaking it.

To the left (eastward), the hallway sloped downward until it came to what might once have been its end, but was now a large hole that led to natural caverns, dark and mysterious. For a moment, it seemed as if Utharn meant to go that way. Instead, he thought better of it and ducked through a set of double doors on the south side of the T.

Inside was a room that looked like it had once been a crypt, but was now something of a worker's barracks. Straw mats were rolled on the stone slabs that may have once held sarcophagi. Several had resting orcs; a few had resting dwarves. All were overseen by two half-ogres wearing heavy armour and holding axes.

Utharn held up a hand when the half-ogres (orogs, really - their other parentage was orc) challenged him, and they backed down. He led the group through, telling the orogs, ::Ready the dwarves. They are to be freed when I return.::

One of the dwarves understood giant, and he sat up. Upon seeing Gimlak, he began to nudge the other. They appeared to want to cheer or call out, but they dared not. Instead, they nodded to him respectfully. They knew him (they were distant cousins) and he recognized them, though they had been through an ordeal.

::Come; there are more." Utharn told Gimlak and the others, ::We will return for these.::

At the back of the crypt, there was a rubble-strewn hole that led downward and further south. Utharn barely fit though it, and he knocked more rubble from the walls as he squeezed downward. In a series of tunnels, they encountered more orc and dwarf laborers, guarded by more orogs. A total of five dwarves and eight orcs, guarded by four orogs.

Eventually they attracted the attention of a pair of stone giants. Utharn made a waving gesture and they nodded to him. ::I am sorry to interrupt your excavation, but Laerthar has agreed to allow the dwarves to rejoin their kin. The hill giant chief is dead; as are many others. Things are changing quickly here. You will have to be satisfied with this situation, without resistance or delay.::

The giants did not object, though they could not mask their annoyance and eyed the small crowd of "smalls" gathered behind the assistant emissary with open disdain.

::Release the dwarves!:: they demanded of the orogs.

The orcs roared in objection to the injustice of the situation.

G2ExcSite0.jpg
 

Steve Gorak

Adventurer
Gimlak is stoic before his brethren, He didn't trust the slavers, and yet, they seemed to know what was better for them. He awaited to be ushered to the other dwarves.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
The Stone Giants rounded up the dwarves; five in total at the excavation site. The orcs were cowed into silence by a few quick strikes by their orog overseers.

OOC: Ready to move on, but I would love a post from @Maxperson Kaligan, @Snarf Zagyg Doc, & @JustinCase Duvrael just to hear their thoughts on all that has transpired since the last time they've posted. Just a sentence or two will do.
 

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist
Doc, in keeping with his laconic tendencies, was silent. He knew that at some point, all the talkin' and the speechifyin' would wear out, and he'd be able to send a few more of these quarrelsome souls to the Sheriff.

In the meantime, he took another pull from his flask and idly pondered when he'd be able to refill his stores of booze.
 

Kobold Stew

Last Guy in the Airlock
Supporter
The Colonel holds his breath, as the dwarves are rounded up. A spark dances between his eyes, and he says a prayer to the Thunderer. He makes eye contact with young Donnell, momentarily, and gives a reassuring nod.

Seconds tick by, and he feels the Bugbears have remained calm after their departure.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Doc stood back and took a pull from his flask, which was growing far closer to empty than he'd like. He took a look around. To his right was a hole in the ground that went off into darkness. Behind him was a hole in the cavern wall that appeared to lead to a dark hallway with stonework of an entirely different sort than any he had seen in the steading so far. The worked stone walls were carved with ages-worn faded murals where humanoid were clad in robes of purplish stones, but they had strange tentacles where arms and legs ought to be. The hallway seemed to beckon to him like the ladies of a saloon.
 


FitzTheRuke

Legend
The Colonel waited for an alarm gong from the north that did not come. What were the bugbears up to? With the dwarves freed, the stone giants turned to driving the orcs to work harder. The group were to be permitted to take the dwarves back upstairs and out of the Steading.

"I trust that this satisfies our agreement?" asked Utharn.

OOC: I expect that it doesn't.
 

Steve Gorak

Adventurer
Gimlak looks at the giant straight in the eyes “We all thank you for working towards satisfying our agreement. Can we now go to Smolderheart's Smithy to gather the rest of my kin?
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Utharn frowned. He was not stupid and had not overlooked the possibility that the smaller creatures could understand the giant language, but he had hoped to avoid this eventuality. He sighed saying, "I understand why you would want to do this, but I don't expect that there will be a way to convince Smoulderheart to let them go. He is a Fire Giant, naturally, and as he is higher on the Ordening than myself, well, he has no need to listen to anything I have to say."

Seeing the determination on Gimlak's face, he thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps I should just wait for you in the guard room at the top of the stairs."
 

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow
The barbarian druid looked passed the slaves to the rough hole they seemed to have dug through to a natural cavern, he could not see into the darkness to what might lie within, but did wonder if this was what the giants were looking for? Behind him the clang of steel and hammer suggested that the forge lay the otherway and inside it the giant Smoulderheart.
The steinjotenen had proven honorable in there actions, and Kahru shot an incredulous glare at Gimlak when the dwarf sought to be escorted to the forge as well, it did not seem prudent for the dwarf to push his luck. Especially now when they were in the middle of a dungeon filled with bugbears and orogs. Fortunately Utharn gave a civil reply despite his frown.

We thank you” Kahru spoke in giant “you have honoured your word and fulfilled your orders. We will deal with Smoulderheart as we can, but ask that you and your two fellows withdraw, we have no cause with the Stone Lords
 

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist
Doc has been waiting, but despite his calm demeanor, there is always, always the unquiet storm of the souls carried within him. As he stood by contemplating his dwindling stocks of sweet release, he studied the strange figures on the murals to the hallway behind him.

And as he studied, he felt it ... the peculiar itch that arose like a gnawing in his bones and that only the whisky seemed to quiet. He wasn't always sure what it was, but he just knew that there was something in the hallway that he needed ... or that the Sheriff needed. Sometimes, Doc's wants and the Sheriffs' wants couldn't be all teased apart anyway.

Doc began walking down the hallway with the strange murals.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Utharn was leading them back the way they'd come - squeezing his massive stony form through the opening that led from the excavation site to the crypt-barracks. Gimlak was busy gathering his kin, Kaligan keeping an eye out for trouble, and Duvrael with thoughts of his own. But the Colonel and Kahru did not fail to notice when Doc slipped off on his own, going through a completely different hole in the tunnel wall.

It was not the first time that the strange fellow had disappeared on them. On the trip back to the cairn the night before, he had disappeared, only to rejoin them later. He was a mysterious figure that set most of them at unease, but he was reliable in a fight.

Utharn took no notice at all; he lingered only to see the others through the crypt-barracks, with plans to leave them once they were in the T-junction hallway.

OOC: Anyone want to object or go with Doc?

1681747231597.png
The figures on the walls seemed to shift and writhe as he walked northward down the dark hallway. Doc wasn't sure if it was an effect of the carving, or a magic-thing, but it was disorienting either way. The hallway turned to the left and opened into a large temple-shrine. Four intricately-carved pillars supported a vaulted ceiling with faded and broken mosaic tilework, impossible to make out any distinction without proper lighting. Doc could just make out a stone-slab altar, far across the temple at the very limits of his darkvision.
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