(IC) Against the Giants PBP Group 2

[Tonguez]

‘This is an odd situation’ the Barbarian thought to himself as he came up alongside the charmed Orog who was closing the northern doors.
He assumed that Gimlak or one of the others would release the captive dwarfs since the ildjotunen would return and might not be as obliging as the steinjotunen had been- Waythe too, was still eager for battle

“The king Nosra and his family are dead” Kahru decided to tell the charmed Orog and Orc, the barbarian did not like oppressors and his words took on a revolutionary zeal “ you both - go back to where your people are digging and release them, tell the orcs they are free to go and the orogs to leave with them. If any hill giants remaining try to stop you, fight for your freedom - you have the numbers and the right!”

 

[Kobold Stew]

"Dwarves -- you are free. Leave at once," The Colonel says. "Take nothing, but go."

The Colonel feels the seconds ticking away in his head. "Comrades, we have moments to decide. Do we stay and destroy the Fire Giant, or leave him here in his failure?"

The Colonel has seen death many times, and he knows if they stay they will be victorious. At the same time, there is always a cost, and he hopes his colleagues decide to leave.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The free dwarves broke the leg-irons off of their kin and nodded their thanks to their rescuers. One asked, "Is the way oot clear? We're in noo shape t'fight giants."

The orog considered what Kahru had told him. He was a thug, prone to violence and not a political thinker. Still, the northman's words were enticing. He'd been involved in crushing several uprisings by the orcs, but if the orogs and perhaps even the ogres were involved... with the Chief dead, it might be possible. His new friend had a good plan. The orog reached out and patted Kahru on the shoulder, nodding.

"Follow me!" he told the others in orcish, "We're leavin'!"

The two orogs and two orcs made their way out of the Forge and headed toward the Crypt-Barracks.

OOC: Won't be much time left before the Giant returns. @Maxperson, Anything you'd like to do?

 

[Maxperson]

Kaligan limps up to the Colonel. "Let's be off before the giant returns. There's more to be done and fighting everything in here increases the chances that we will not finish our task."

 

[Tonguez]

Kahru watched approvingly as the inspired Orog lead the orcs out to the fate they would forge of their own hands.
Then nodding in agreement to Kaligan and the Colonel made his own move to exit the room, ready to close and seal the forge doors before the ildjotunen returned...

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: If you're quick about it, I suppose that you could get Utharn to lead you out of the steading with the Dwarves. You can go talk to Lord Falldur and decide if you even want to come back.

 

[Kobold Stew]

"Let's go!" says the Colonel, ready to be the last to leave the chamber."

Tick tick tick.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

They found Utharn, as he had promised, at the base of the stairs that led out of the cellars. The bugbears had been joined by their captain, a gruff old bugbear with greying fur. He eyed them suspiciously as they passed, but raised no alarm nor fuss when the stone giant raised a hand to him and they led a group of dwarves up and away.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Doc wasn't quite sure what to make of the Colonel, but reckoned that eventually pacifism would give way to somethin' that needed killin'.

And in the meantime, unless the Sheriff said otherwise, Doc was content to follow the Colonel's lead.

 

[Steve Gorak]

As they are gathering, Gimlak asks one of his kinsmen "Are there any other of our kin here? I don't want to leave anybody behind."

 

[FitzTheRuke]

As they are gathering, Gimlak asks one of his kinsmen "Are there any other of our kin here? I don't want to leave anybody behind."

The dwarf's eyes went wide, as if in his excitement to be free he had forgotten someone and was now ashamed of himself. He said quietly, "They dragged Harmock off two days ago for 'insolence'. He always did have a loud mouth, an' a short temper. I dinnae ken if he is alive or nae."

Another dwarf added, "There be other prisoners as well. I saw an elf, once, an' they put'im in a cell."

 

[Kobold Stew]

"Of course they did." The Colonel sighs.
This is the situation he least wanted . He was all set to depart, and then new information changes his estimation. Suddenly, the Colonel processes the information that he had seen anbd heard when he entered the room. His focus had been on rescue, and on Banishing the known threat. Only know did he realize what he had heard coming from the open doors to the North. Screaming. Torture.

"Dwarves, out. Go, and don't look back. The rest, with me. Quickly!"

Now the question was when the Giant would return, and how he would respond.

EDIT: The Giant would be back now, downstairs. The rescue would need to occur quickly.

OOC: So no one's posted for a while, so the Colonel has decided to stay. I presume that he can't get out of the room beforethe Giant returns, and this way he can either cast bansihment again or we can just fight it out (aiming to kill? aiming to knock out? anyone want to try to parlay?). Just running into the room to the North is possible, but risks having more than one opponent at once. For now, it would just be the Fire giant. Letting the Dwarves go on their own has risks, but I think is the best plan. EDIT: They're are the top of the stairs now. This would mean going back for the remaining prisoners, but trusting the majority of dwarves are now safe.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I presume that he can't get out of the room before the Giant returns

OOC: In my head, this conversation took place at either the top or bottom of the stairs.

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: That makes sense -- so we're all at the top of the stairs, which means there's an angry FireGiant downstairs who is back now. I will revise the post above in that light.

 

[Tonguez]

Kahru expected to hear a furious bellows echoing from the forge anytime now, mixed with screams from the torture chamber and maybe even the victory roar of freed orogs!
The Barbarian Zealot did wonder just where the Charmed Orog and Orc pair had gone and if they had carried the message like a spark amongst their peers. Apparently it had not yet reached these scowling bugbears.

“Are we here to free prisoners or to slay the giant raiders?” Kahru responded to the information shared when they reached the top of the stairs

“we have not cleared all the enemy above ground or given the dwarfs a clear pathway out” his voice had grown grim as the northman considered their position-still in enemy territory, a fire giant and bugbears below, ogres and hill giant guards above and now a mob of non-combatants Dwarfs in tow.

“I say we seal the stairwell and let those below battle amongst themselves. We stay above and slay the ogres and remnant of Nosras clan - then we burn it down, let only their bones stand as a warning.”

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: “we have not cleared all the enemy above ground or given the dwarfs a clear pathway out” his voice had grown grim as the northman considered their position-still in enemy territory, a fire giant and bugbears below, ogres and hill giant guards above and now a mob of non-combatants Dwarfs in tow. Do we not have a clear exit for them? That's my mistake then. I thought we did. “I say we seal the stairwell and let those below battle amongst themselves. We stay above and slay the ogres and remnant of Nosras clan - then we burn it down, let only their bones stand as a warning.” And if this is what the group wants, fine. If there's a clear escape for the dwarves, then going back for the remainders is the Colonel's pick.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Utharn had exited the giant's guard room at the top of the stairs, and was leading the dwarves (Gimlak included) toward the steading's main front door. Kahru held back for a moment to speak privately with the Colonel and the others, discussing future plans.

OOC: Okay, just to end the confusion on where everyone is, I took the time to move you back upstairs on my map. Utharn is going south-east to the Main Gate. Most of your activities have been in the north. Gimlak's invisible critter is up there, harassing ogres.

Spoiler: Map

 

[JustinCase]

"I think," Duvrael muses aloud, "our mission is to discover how deep Nosra's plans go. Rescueing prisoners and slaying fire giants is just circumstantial."

The yuan ti wizard does not seem to care whether any of the dwarves hear him speak so casually about their fate, and his snake familiar slithers up his gem-topped staff. It looks around the hall, tongue tasting the air every once in a while.

"Do we know enough yet to form a plan for what's next? It has got to be related to the excavation sight. There is power in these rocks, and I want to know what the jotun want with it."

 

[Kobold Stew]

"The presence of a fire giant is noteworthy in itself, and does point to a larger consipiracy. His presence is directly relevant to our mission as I see it. We do not need to stop him at this time, but if we can do, we learn something of the larger picture." The Colonel pauses to see if there are objections to his interpretation.

"Resucing prisoners is just the right thing to do." He says this as if it is obvious, thoguh he knows it may not be. "You are under no obligation to assist, but I intend to go back for those remaining, to bring them to an open sky. If you do not want to come, you can ensure these dwarves return safely and report what we know."

 

[JustinCase]

Duvrael nods, although he remains quiet on whether freeing prisoners is the right thing.

"We will stay together. A snake den survives where a single serpent may not."

Again the wizard considers. "The fire jotun can be questioned, although it will not be cooperative. At first."