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<blockquote data-quote="PHDungeon" data-source="post: 5387859" data-attributes="member: 86320"><p>The final battle with Volgrum the Titan, in which one of our most beloved heroes perishes.</p><p></p><p>Bella's journal...</p><p></p><p>Session 33: Hero is a synonym for Suicidal Idiot</p><p></p><p>My back rests against the cold stone wall of the cavern. My heart is thundering in my ears as I take deep breaths and try to calm myself. Had the giants followed us we surely would have died, however Melek’s stinking cloud spell and their natural laziness has benefited us with a brief respite. I quietly thank Odin for this blessing.</p><p></p><p>The situation is dire.</p><p></p><p>A Stone giant and his minions await us in a giant cavern below. There are no signs of any exits. There is also the added worry that the giants above, perhaps fearing later reprisals for allowing us down here, will come down to join the fight. These are only the visible threats. I have no doubt that several surprises await us in the coming fight. As long as the giants remain above we stand a chance, but I do not like the odds. </p><p></p><p>Moments ago, I had grimly suggested that we cast a link portal while we can and get out, perhaps to try again another time. I was flatly turned down and heard Melek mutter something about cowardice under his breath. The teifling believes that now is the best chance we have at accomplishing what we came to do, unfortunately the others agreed. I knew I could have run right then, started casting the ritual while they fought the enemies below. No one could have stopped me. Not being a hero, part of me wanted to leave these fools to their fate. Yet I decided to stay. Bjorn is having a negative effect on my sense of self-preservation.</p><p></p><p>The battle starts typically enough. Melek and I creep forward and survey our foes from the shadows of the tunnel we are in. The tunnel opens into a large cavern, but the ground is 30 feet below us and there is a ramp descending into the cavern along the wall to the right. The cave itself has only a couple of occupants- a stone giant and two small grey skinned humanoids. I think they may be called Norkers. I had already been watching them for a while. The giant had been hard at work chiseling a symbol of the dreaded Elemental Eye into a massive roughly “Eye” shaped stone that was resting on sturdy stone plinth. He had heard the giants shouting to Melek further up the tunnel, and when that had happened he and his two assistants had hurried to duck behind the altar. Their skins blended in well with the stone, but I had seen them and warned my companions. </p><p></p><p>There are a couple of other features in the room I should mention. One is a second altar. This one centered on a particularly ghastly looking stalagmite covered with symbols of Torog and surrounded by a pile of rotting corpses. The other thing I notice is a large pile of treasure, likely taken from the abbey, piled at the back end of the cave.</p><p></p><p>I spot an excellent place to hide behind a large stalagmite, but my concentration is broken by Turak and Bjorn giving a great battlecry and charging down the ramp. I am rendered speechless for a moment, but I quickly realize that their foolish act will not only draw our enemies to the ramp but also give me the distraction I need to reach cover.</p><p></p><p>Acting purely on instinct, I leap off the edge and use the wall to slow my fall, rolling along the ground at the bottom with only slightly less grace than I had intended. Fortunately, it is only a minor injury, and I am able to reach my cover.</p><p></p><p>To our misfortune, we discover that the Stone Giant is trained in rune magic, and he is able to cast a spell on both the cleric and the warden as they reach the bottom of the ramp. A glowing, arcane rune glides through the air, hovering over the pair, and its dark power freezes them in placer. Melek decides to remain on the ramp rather than risk the drop, this proves to be an unfortunate choice on his part, for the ground suddenly begins to quake around him and two elementals of earth and stone rise up out of the ground to surround him. From two ledges on opposite ends of the chamber strange, rock creatures reveal themselves and start throwing stone projectiles at my companions. It does not look good for us, but when does it ever look good for us?</p><p></p><p>It is both fortunate and unfortunate that the Stone Giant decides to walk forward to battle our immobilized melee fighters. If he had decided to throw stones they would have been helpless to retaliate. Moving in gives both Turak and Bjorn a chance to hurt their enemy before shrugging off the effects of the magic. </p><p></p><p>Then it happens, from the back of the cavern a section of wall shifts and walks forward. The creature is massive and looks like a walking hillside. It is Volgrum the Earth Titan. In his deep rumbling voice he starts shouting to us that he will see that we die here in glorious battle, but that our souls will not go on to Asgard. Instead, he claims that Torog will take them. I can’t help but wince when he says the name of the dark god. It is said to be very dangerous to attract his attention, for he is trapped in lightless caves and tunnels deep beneath the earth, which means that he is free to interact directly with mortals, making him that much more dangerous than most gods.</p><p></p><p>I put thoughts of Torog out of my mind and focus on the task at hand. I target my bolts upon the Stone Giant first. Luckily, he has already been wounded enough for me to able to take him out with a few shots. Melek had cursed the giant, and when he falls it enables the teifling to teleport away from the elementals. Perhaps Melek was addled by the bruises he had sustained from the elementals, for I cannot believe it when he runs up to Turak and Bjorn to engage the Earth Titan. If that be bravery I want no part of it.</p><p></p><p>From my quiet corner I rain death upon our foes. Seeing the danger in the unreachable stone men who continue to pummel my companions, I focus my fire upon them. In the center of the cavern the huge altar of the Elemental Eye provides some cover for my companions. I am able to destroy most of the Titan’s forces leaving the Titan himself our only difficulty. Turak had been holding his own against his massive foe, bravely engaging it directly with his mighty maul. Time and again the titan smashed him with his fists or sent him sprawling across the stone floor. Thanks to Bjorn’s healing powers he still managed to live, and with the help of the Thor’s blessings, the spirits of the earth and Melek’s arcane power, they had been chiseling away at the dreadful titan.</p><p></p><p>The battle is just turning in our favor when tremors start to shake the cavern. They emanate from Torog’s shrine, and I watch horrified as the floor opens up and a chasm starts snaking its way across the ground. The altar falls away as a gaping hole forms beneath it, and I watch as the hole grows wider and wider at an alarming rate. I can feel the hunger of the King that Crawls, and it seems as if he wants to devour the entire cavern.</p><p></p><p>Not wanting my escape route cut off I scurry across the battlefield to the base of the ramp. As I make my way up to the relative safety of the tunnel mouth I fire bolt after bolt at the Titan. We did not finish him however, and the chasm appears to be making its way towards him. It is as if Torog is seeking out his servant. The titan’s face is hard to read, but I can see what looks like fear on it. And when the chasm reaches him, the ground itself opens up and swallows our enemy. He manages to catch onto the edge, but Melek blasts him with a spell and forces him to lose his grip, and I watch as our mark plummets down into the darkness. It is time to get out of here. Melek appears to agree with me, for he comes running up the ramp soon after I reach the top. Bjorn and Turak however do not. They instead run to the treasure pile at the back of the cavern as I provided cover fire against the couple rockmen that remain up on their ledges. As fast as they are able, they grab what they can and start run back. I know that Bjorn was looking for that mysterious relic taken from the abbey, and Turak was looking for the tablets stolen from his labyrinth. Neither of the artifacts seem to be there, for they come back with only a belt and some chainmale.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately for them the chasm never stops growing, and it cuts them off from escape. There is no way to reach the bottom of the ramp, so they made their way towards us. Fortunately, Melek has the presence of mind to fix a rope so that they would be able to climb up.</p><p></p><p>It was then the unthinkable happens. Bjorn slips and falls into the widening fissure. He throws his hammer and grabs onto the edge in desperation and catches himself. Hanging over certain damnation he screams at us to run. Believing that he could pull himself up and still make it to the rope we follow his command. Melek is able to recover his hammer with his mage hand spell, and Turak climbs up the rope. Just as the minotaur gets to the top, Bjorn, trying to scramble up the loose earth, loses his grip and falls.</p><p></p><p>I have a moment of shocked silence as I watch my longest and truest companion fall into the darkness. We do not have time to contemplate his fate, as the danger has not passed. The fissure is still widening and we have to get out of this cursed place.</p><p></p><p>We realize when we reach the upper level that the giants have the same idea and we are able to escape in the ensuing chaos. Melek calls the spirit eagles and I watch our fourth eagle fly into the distance bereft of its charge instead of watching the giants’ fortress sink into the earth. Torog’s wrath is terrible, for not only does he swallow up the steading, but he takes with it the entire valley and along with that they entire giant army. It is a terrible sight to behold, and I almost feel pity for the giants. We watch for several moments. and then with heavy hearts we fly back to Grimmsburg.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="PHDungeon, post: 5387859, member: 86320"] The final battle with Volgrum the Titan, in which one of our most beloved heroes perishes. Bella's journal... Session 33: Hero is a synonym for Suicidal Idiot My back rests against the cold stone wall of the cavern. My heart is thundering in my ears as I take deep breaths and try to calm myself. Had the giants followed us we surely would have died, however Melek’s stinking cloud spell and their natural laziness has benefited us with a brief respite. I quietly thank Odin for this blessing. The situation is dire. A Stone giant and his minions await us in a giant cavern below. There are no signs of any exits. There is also the added worry that the giants above, perhaps fearing later reprisals for allowing us down here, will come down to join the fight. These are only the visible threats. I have no doubt that several surprises await us in the coming fight. As long as the giants remain above we stand a chance, but I do not like the odds. Moments ago, I had grimly suggested that we cast a link portal while we can and get out, perhaps to try again another time. I was flatly turned down and heard Melek mutter something about cowardice under his breath. The teifling believes that now is the best chance we have at accomplishing what we came to do, unfortunately the others agreed. I knew I could have run right then, started casting the ritual while they fought the enemies below. No one could have stopped me. Not being a hero, part of me wanted to leave these fools to their fate. Yet I decided to stay. Bjorn is having a negative effect on my sense of self-preservation. The battle starts typically enough. Melek and I creep forward and survey our foes from the shadows of the tunnel we are in. The tunnel opens into a large cavern, but the ground is 30 feet below us and there is a ramp descending into the cavern along the wall to the right. The cave itself has only a couple of occupants- a stone giant and two small grey skinned humanoids. I think they may be called Norkers. I had already been watching them for a while. The giant had been hard at work chiseling a symbol of the dreaded Elemental Eye into a massive roughly “Eye” shaped stone that was resting on sturdy stone plinth. He had heard the giants shouting to Melek further up the tunnel, and when that had happened he and his two assistants had hurried to duck behind the altar. Their skins blended in well with the stone, but I had seen them and warned my companions. There are a couple of other features in the room I should mention. One is a second altar. This one centered on a particularly ghastly looking stalagmite covered with symbols of Torog and surrounded by a pile of rotting corpses. The other thing I notice is a large pile of treasure, likely taken from the abbey, piled at the back end of the cave. I spot an excellent place to hide behind a large stalagmite, but my concentration is broken by Turak and Bjorn giving a great battlecry and charging down the ramp. I am rendered speechless for a moment, but I quickly realize that their foolish act will not only draw our enemies to the ramp but also give me the distraction I need to reach cover. Acting purely on instinct, I leap off the edge and use the wall to slow my fall, rolling along the ground at the bottom with only slightly less grace than I had intended. Fortunately, it is only a minor injury, and I am able to reach my cover. To our misfortune, we discover that the Stone Giant is trained in rune magic, and he is able to cast a spell on both the cleric and the warden as they reach the bottom of the ramp. A glowing, arcane rune glides through the air, hovering over the pair, and its dark power freezes them in placer. Melek decides to remain on the ramp rather than risk the drop, this proves to be an unfortunate choice on his part, for the ground suddenly begins to quake around him and two elementals of earth and stone rise up out of the ground to surround him. From two ledges on opposite ends of the chamber strange, rock creatures reveal themselves and start throwing stone projectiles at my companions. It does not look good for us, but when does it ever look good for us? It is both fortunate and unfortunate that the Stone Giant decides to walk forward to battle our immobilized melee fighters. If he had decided to throw stones they would have been helpless to retaliate. Moving in gives both Turak and Bjorn a chance to hurt their enemy before shrugging off the effects of the magic. Then it happens, from the back of the cavern a section of wall shifts and walks forward. The creature is massive and looks like a walking hillside. It is Volgrum the Earth Titan. In his deep rumbling voice he starts shouting to us that he will see that we die here in glorious battle, but that our souls will not go on to Asgard. Instead, he claims that Torog will take them. I can’t help but wince when he says the name of the dark god. It is said to be very dangerous to attract his attention, for he is trapped in lightless caves and tunnels deep beneath the earth, which means that he is free to interact directly with mortals, making him that much more dangerous than most gods. I put thoughts of Torog out of my mind and focus on the task at hand. I target my bolts upon the Stone Giant first. Luckily, he has already been wounded enough for me to able to take him out with a few shots. Melek had cursed the giant, and when he falls it enables the teifling to teleport away from the elementals. Perhaps Melek was addled by the bruises he had sustained from the elementals, for I cannot believe it when he runs up to Turak and Bjorn to engage the Earth Titan. If that be bravery I want no part of it. From my quiet corner I rain death upon our foes. Seeing the danger in the unreachable stone men who continue to pummel my companions, I focus my fire upon them. In the center of the cavern the huge altar of the Elemental Eye provides some cover for my companions. I am able to destroy most of the Titan’s forces leaving the Titan himself our only difficulty. Turak had been holding his own against his massive foe, bravely engaging it directly with his mighty maul. Time and again the titan smashed him with his fists or sent him sprawling across the stone floor. Thanks to Bjorn’s healing powers he still managed to live, and with the help of the Thor’s blessings, the spirits of the earth and Melek’s arcane power, they had been chiseling away at the dreadful titan. The battle is just turning in our favor when tremors start to shake the cavern. They emanate from Torog’s shrine, and I watch horrified as the floor opens up and a chasm starts snaking its way across the ground. The altar falls away as a gaping hole forms beneath it, and I watch as the hole grows wider and wider at an alarming rate. I can feel the hunger of the King that Crawls, and it seems as if he wants to devour the entire cavern. Not wanting my escape route cut off I scurry across the battlefield to the base of the ramp. As I make my way up to the relative safety of the tunnel mouth I fire bolt after bolt at the Titan. We did not finish him however, and the chasm appears to be making its way towards him. It is as if Torog is seeking out his servant. The titan’s face is hard to read, but I can see what looks like fear on it. And when the chasm reaches him, the ground itself opens up and swallows our enemy. He manages to catch onto the edge, but Melek blasts him with a spell and forces him to lose his grip, and I watch as our mark plummets down into the darkness. It is time to get out of here. Melek appears to agree with me, for he comes running up the ramp soon after I reach the top. Bjorn and Turak however do not. They instead run to the treasure pile at the back of the cavern as I provided cover fire against the couple rockmen that remain up on their ledges. As fast as they are able, they grab what they can and start run back. I know that Bjorn was looking for that mysterious relic taken from the abbey, and Turak was looking for the tablets stolen from his labyrinth. Neither of the artifacts seem to be there, for they come back with only a belt and some chainmale. Unfortunately for them the chasm never stops growing, and it cuts them off from escape. There is no way to reach the bottom of the ramp, so they made their way towards us. Fortunately, Melek has the presence of mind to fix a rope so that they would be able to climb up. It was then the unthinkable happens. Bjorn slips and falls into the widening fissure. He throws his hammer and grabs onto the edge in desperation and catches himself. Hanging over certain damnation he screams at us to run. Believing that he could pull himself up and still make it to the rope we follow his command. Melek is able to recover his hammer with his mage hand spell, and Turak climbs up the rope. Just as the minotaur gets to the top, Bjorn, trying to scramble up the loose earth, loses his grip and falls. I have a moment of shocked silence as I watch my longest and truest companion fall into the darkness. We do not have time to contemplate his fate, as the danger has not passed. The fissure is still widening and we have to get out of this cursed place. We realize when we reach the upper level that the giants have the same idea and we are able to escape in the ensuing chaos. Melek calls the spirit eagles and I watch our fourth eagle fly into the distance bereft of its charge instead of watching the giants’ fortress sink into the earth. Torog’s wrath is terrible, for not only does he swallow up the steading, but he takes with it the entire valley and along with that they entire giant army. It is a terrible sight to behold, and I almost feel pity for the giants. We watch for several moments. and then with heavy hearts we fly back to Grimmsburg. [/QUOTE]
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