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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 2822174" data-attributes="member: 198">Session 24 - Giants and Dragons (or "Oh crap! We're All Going to Die")Corven ir’Lanya Deneith - Human Art8Gareth Byron Deneith - Human Pal3/Clr2/Exorcist of the Silver Flame3Luna - Shifter Drd8Mithral 6 of 6 - Warforged Ftr2/Scout4/Extreme Explorer2Nameless - Human Wiz6/Alienist2While the adventurers are discussing their options and tucking into the breakfast the drow delivered for them, Ghyrra and a pair of drow drop in on them. She introduces the others, who are Kir'ris, a priest of Vulkoor, and Manar, the warchief of the Ka'ki'kur, and then says that there's some news. A small group of giants has left the city and gone into the forest. It consists of four hill giants and one of the fire giants that are currently the leaders of the place. It is probably just a hunting expedition, though sometimes they try to capture some of the wilder giants and bring them back and force them to work in the city. The drow sometimes harass these groups but usually don't attack them in force, since the losses are too high. But they are considering an attack on these ones in hope of capturing the fire giant and finding out more about the dragon's current situation. Also, one of the drow patrols that had been sent through the tunnels to spy on the giants hasn't returned. Ghyrra wants to send some drow in to check on what happened to them. She says that she would really appreciate it if they would help with one of the two jobs, and asks which one they'd prefer. Gareth says to the others, "I think it would be beneficial to slay these giants and capture or slay the fire giant. We are severely outnumbered and this might be what we need. Even better, if they send out a rescue operation - later - we can take that one out too. This will be a tough fight, but then - so will fighting all of the giants in their home. Who knows, maybe if we attack the giants - and in the process save one of the wild giants - that giant may decide to help us out." Nameless agrees, saying, "I'm for the giant mission as well. Stealth is not our greatest strength."Ghyrra says that she will send Ek'ann and three drow warriors with them and leaves, giving the group time to prepare and plan. The Angels naturally decide to they will leave the porters and experts at the drow lair. Arrok says that he will come along and Dala says she will as well, since she's "not about to miss out on any of the fun." She does promise that she'll stay safely in the back.After they have made their preparations, the group departs with Ek'ann and the other three drow. They travel back towards and around the city, this time staying further away from the crevasse. Ek'ann leads the group to an area in the forest half a mile from the bridge. He suggests they set an ambush there, while two of the drow and Six move a couple hundred feet ahead and keep watch. Eventually, after a wait of around an hour, Six hears the sounds of large creatures heading in their direction. He and the drow head back quickly to let the others know they're on their way. The ambushers prepare themselves with spells and when the giants emerge through the trees some distance away, the ambush is sprung. It begins well, with Nameless using haste to let his allies move faster and attack more often, and then using a slow spell to affect a few of the giants. Meanwhile the drow, Dala and Corven open fire with ranged weapons, hitting a number of the giants. Six and Ek'ann, who seems to enjoy using his scorpion chain with Six's spiked one, move in at an angle towards the hill giant on the flank, both striking and wounding it. Luna, now in the form of a large brown bear, and Arrok, rush in side by side and wound another hill giant. Gareth, who has been enlarged to be as tall as the giants by Nameless, moves in more ponderously behind them.And that's when it goes bad - for Luna. While two of the hill giants are busy with Six and Ek'ann, the other two hill giants have only her and Arrok as a target, and next to her bulk the gnome is almost invisible. One hill giant catches her a powerful blow on the side, and so does the other, crunching ribs as they hit. More troublingly, the red-bearded fire giant that has been walking behind the first two hill giants (wearing ornate half-plate armor, unlike its hide-wearing companions) rushes forward, drawing its large greatsword as it comes. The greatsword slams down on the bear's skull, driving it to the forest floor, unconscious and bleeding*.For a few moments, this leaves the gnome alone facing three giants. The moments could have been longer, as Gareth, shocked to see Luna go down so easily, takes a few steps to the side as if moving to help Six and Ek'ann. Whether it's Nameless' shout of "Gareth, you cowardly bastard - get in there and help him!", or the slightly more polite yells from Six and Corven, or Arrok's worried, "Um, guys - some backup here?", something changes his mind and he does head towards the giants facing Arrok. To the future (nobody laughs about it till after the fight) amusement of the others, Gareth actually stops behind Arrok, keeping him between himself and the fire giant. He smites one of the hill giants, wounding him severely.As those in the rear continue to move in and shoot, Nameless releases another spell, bringing down a rain of glitterdust around the giants near Arrok. The fire giant is blinded and flails around blindly in the direction of Gareth, the one large target it has seen. Most of its blows go wild, but one hits home perfectly, almost cutting Gareth in half**. With a cry of pain, the paladin collapses, again leaving Arrok facing three giants. Luckily, the big one is now blind, and the hasted Arrok steps in between its legs and launches a series of pinpoint blows, sending blood spurting and drawing cries of pain and swearing in giant. Corven hurries forward towards Luna and Gareth, stopping on the way to fire a giant-bane-infused crossbow bolt into one of the giants. Six and Ek'ann, meanwhile, have badly wounded the first giant they attacked and Six rips its throat open with his chain. They quickly go on to engage the next one, which is already wounded and then speedily blinded by another glitterdust from Nameless. Six tries to trip it but the blinded creature manages to pull away his chain. Six calmly picks up the chain again, dodging its wild blows as he does so, and trips it on the second attempt. It is promptly dispatched by Ek'ann and him. The blind fire giant, meanwhile, is running streams of blood down its legs from Arrok's unending attacks***. One of its wild blows grazes the gnome's shoulder but that's all the damage it does, its blindness and his size making him almost impossible to hit. While it is tottering, Corven reaches and heals Gareth back to consciousness. Rising groggily to his feet, Gareth sees the tottering fire giant and smashes it to the ground with the flat of his sword, so that they can question it. While Corven heals Luna back to consciousness too, the others take care of the remaining giants. While the wounded are healed, they strip the fire giant of weapons and equipment, tying it as securely as can be. They also go through the equipment of the other giants. Though they find nothing magical, there are a couple of items that Dala thinks are worth taking. The adventurers also notice that all of the giants have the same tattoo of a snake wrapped around a gem/dragonshard on them. When one comments on it, Ek'ann says that the dragons all started wearing that tattoo shortly after the Bound One was defeated. They also paint it on all the giants that serve them. None of the drow know why.Finally, the group wakes the giant. Originally, it is understandably defiant and even though threatened by Nameless, refuses to speak to them, since they will only kill it anyway. After some discussion, Corven infuses a suggestion and uses it on the giant, suggesting that if it gives them some information, they will free it. The giant succumbs to the spell and becomes much more helpful, providing a lot of information. The fire giant's name is Logoran. He says that there are currently another twenty or so hill giant warriors, plus around ten non-combatants. There are also a few stone giants (6, plus 2 non-combatants) and a trio of fire giants (which includes Logoran). They live mostly in the buildings near the palace. though the fire giants have been spreading them out a bit so that they can cover more space. There were originally four fire giants, but the last time some of them spoke to the dragon (a little over a week ago), one argued with him and Tyrass simply breathed on him, paralyzing him, and then ripped him apart. Logoran says that Tyrass is steadily getting more mercurial and violent, and now seems to have little interest in the city outside. He has also become more paranoid, saying that the giants should be prepared for dangers they haven't seen before, and continually asking they giants if they hear voices in their sleep (which none have). Tyrass has also produced two new guards from somewhere, which stay at or near the front door of the palace. Logoran has no idea what they are, since they wear ornate full plate that hides their features, revealing only two glowing eyes. They are built like giants, but are over 15 ft tall, and Logoran (who's been here for twenty years) hasn't seen any giants that size. Tyrass has warned the giants not to try to proceed into the palace since he has awakened more guardians. Logoran hasn't seen much of it, since Tyrass always speaks to the giants in the entrance hall or the large chamber beyond. He believes the dragon stays in the upper levels, since he usually descends to meet them. When asked exactly what the relationship between the dragons and the giants is, Logoran says that the dragon has promised to protect them from dangers that could destroy the city, and allows them to live in the city in return for service and information. One example of the service (and of Tyrass' paranoia) is in the fact that Tyrass got the giants to seal up all entrances and exits to the palace besides the front door, and sealed up the entrances on the higher levels himself, since he would not allow the giants to go there.Having got whatever information they could, the Angels tell the drow to do what they will, and the latter promptly kill the giant. After having done so, they begin to cut steaks off Logoran and the other giants, to go with the large pieces of dinosaur meat that the giants had been carrying. When the Angels ask about them eating giant meat (which Arrok says isn't at all common in Xen'drik), Ek'ann says that it is a tradition among the drow to eat their enemies. Plus giant tastes good if treated right, as the group has already found out in their meal the previous night. A couple of the Angels turn a little green at that information.The group returns to the drow lair. Ghyrra meets them and  says that the soldiers they sent after the initial patrol in the tunnels returned to say that all three are missing and presumed dead. They found a dropped sword, blood and slime, and marks that indicate they were dragged off. They are quite sure that it was creatures associated with the Three. She is also very interested in what they found out from the giant. After hearing the details, she suggests an excursion into the palace early next day, after they've had a day to prepare as much as needed. The drow will attack the giants at the same time, to draw them away . Ghyrra has been studying whatever records they have of the palace, which are very sketchy since they could not enter it while the giants ruled, and did not do so much after the dragons took over. She gives the group a rough map that she has put together based on the accounts. It indicates that beyond the entrance hall is another one, which has stairs leading up, and then a huge audience chamber. The audience chamber apparently has a hidden entrance to the lower levels behind the throne, which the ruler could use for a quick exit if needed. She says that it might be a good way to get to the vaults below and see what they can find. Six, who is the most suspicious of entering the front way, and says that he would much prefer to find another way in, asks Luna if she would mind checking out the area in bird form. To nobody's surprise, she agrees promptly, and a few minutes later, is winging her way down the mountainside and towards the city.Reaching the palace, she finds one of the main thirty-foot tall double doors ajar, and promptly heads inside. Inside, as expected, is a large chamber, a hundred feet wide and fifty feet high. Despite the fact that all windows are sealed up securely, the chamber is lit dimly by continual flame torches set into the walls. There are decorations along the walls and on the ceiling, but covered in dust and cobwebs. In the center of the hall is a dais some twenty feet tall. All there is on it are the bottoms of two feet, broken off at mid-shin. A golden inscription below says something that Luna cannot read. There is also a large open set of doors leading inwards to a huge hall, where she can see more open doors and stairs leading up. Next to the doors are two huge figures in full-plate (bearing the serpent/gem symbol), each carrying a morningstar nearly as tall as itself. They do not respond in any way to the entrance of the bird as she flies in and perches on the dais. Trying to make out whether they are alive or not, the fearless druid flies over and perches on one's helm, and then begins to preen herself. There is no response, and she flies into the next hall. Here she finds two sets of stairs curving up the sides of an equally large hall to a closed doorway leading up to the next level. Between the stairs is another open set of double doors, revealing a pillar-filled chamber. Luna flies into this one too and discovers it to be the throne room, with a huge obsidian throne on a plinth at one end. Two sets of pillars march down the hall. There are other doors leading out of this room, but each is closed. After checking around, Luna flies out and around the palace. She quickly discovers that while she can find a number of entrances, each of them has been sealed up securely. Based on what she has already seen and since the walls are to giant proportions, she decides that spells to affect stone like her stone shape will be useless here due to the sheer size of the seals. Deciding that she has seen enough, she flies back to the mountain and the camp.Once she rejoins them and says what she has seen, the group makes plans and prepares for the morrow, with Nameless, Gareth and Luna working with Corven and his homunculus to create a number of scrolls. Now that the decision is made, Ghyrra provides them with some magical items too, including scrolls of healing and the loan of a bag of holding to bring any recovered items out. To Nameless, she gives a golden disk with a dragonshard set in it. She calls it a disk of absorptive negation and says that if he uses it while casting a dispel magic spell, it'll trap some of the spell energy dispelled and let him use it to power his own magic. She also loans him a necklace of the phantom library, a golden chain, with five lozenge-shaped Siberys dragonshards spaced at discrete intervals, and shows him how to use it. When he puts it on, golden sigils appear floating in the air in front of him. They represent the spells scribed within the item and he can move from spell to spell with a thought, deciding what to prepare. Though few of the spells are new to him, Nameless finds that it holds significantly more than his own spellbooks. A couple of the new spells that he does find useful are an improved version of his mage armor spell and a spell that will allow him to protect all of the group from cold, which should be invaluable in fighting a silver dragon.After providing the group with the items, Ghyrra asks them if they would join her in an oath-taking ceremony at the Shrine of Vulkoor to ensure that they do not betray the drow and vice versa. The group agrees, though Gareth says he will only swear by the Silver Flame, which Ghyrra accepts. The ceremony is quite short, performed by the priest Kir'ris in front of a huge statue of the half-drow half-scorpion Vulkoor. It involves a zone of truth spell, which all of the group stand within and speak the oath. So too do Ghyrra, Manar and Kir'ris.After that, the adventurers retire to supper and a good night's rest. As is now becoming a habit, they have the same dream as before, except that this time the voice threatens that if they do not free it, someone else will and will reap the rewards. This time, Nameless settles for taunting it in fluent daelkyr. Most don't have the dream last long, perhaps because Six makes a habit of poking them if they murmur in their sleep (which, sadly, sometimes happens even when they aren't having the dream).***The next day, after making their preparations, the group leaves with the two drow warriors that are to guide them. Arrok and Dala accompany the Angels. They enter a chamber that has a large opening, which they climb down to a dark tunnel below. This is one of the tunnels that the drow have created from their mountain lair to the tunnels under the city. As the group heads down the tunnels, they find them crude and narrow, but after both descending a few hundred feet and traveling about half a mile, they expand into well-made stone ones that are a little less than 10 ft tall and wide. They pass a few sections that have collapsed, the drow guides saying that these are the results of the giants' attempts to destroy the tunnels. A couple of times, the guides stop at a place that has a hidden opening above and cautiously check the area above to orient themselves. Finally, after an hour of traveling, they emerge into an abandoned building near the palace. The top levels of the building have been destroyed, but the bottom remains.  After nearly half an hour, they hear the sounds of giant shouting and metal gongs ringing far in the distance. Through the high windows, they see some hill giants emerge with weapons from a building nearby and hurry towards the sound. The drow tell them to go, saying that they'll be waiting here in hiding for them. The adventurers quickly cast a large number of protective spells, ending with a silence spell on a stone that Six carries. Then they head quickly across the two hundred and fifty feet separating them from the palace. Nobody seems to notice them and they reach their destination, finding the door ajar as Luna had. As they hurry through, they see exactly what she had before, with the addition that those who can read giant realize that the golden inscription on the dais below the shattered feet says "Ozy..."****. There is little time for appreciating the scenery, however, since the two huge armored figures promptly heft their morningstars and attack. The battle is violent but short, and just as silent as the group had hoped, due to the silence stone Six carries. Luna - in bear form again - engages one of the creatures alone, while Gareth, Six and Arrok engage the other. Nameless and Corven blast them with spells from the rear, while Dala uses her crossbow (mostly with no effect). Early in the fight, one of Luna's claw swipes tears away some of the armor, revealing that the creatures are actually giant skeletons. Luna and the skeleton she is fighting exchange mighty blows, wounding each other drastically, Luna continually moving in and forcing the creature to back up to be able to swing at her. On the other side, both Six and Gareth take serious wounds too, though Six is partly protected by the stone construct infusion that Corven has used to strengthen his form. Gareth eventually backs out and blasts the creatures with positive energy. This wounds the one closest to them enough for Six, who has switched from using his chain (which is less effective against the bone of the skeletons) to using his fists, to smash its knee and bring it down in a heap.On the other side, though direly wounded, Luna backs the skeleton into a corner so that it has to back up around her and give her a chance to disengage. Corven promptly blasts it with his wand and Six tumbles across to slam it in the knee too, bringing it down like the first one. With the creatures down, the group hurries through the chamber with the stairs and into the audience chamber, casting healing spells on the way. Six and Corven search the area behind the throne and find a well-hidden door, which pivots more smoothly on its hinges than its 15 foot high size would indicate. The area beyond is a tunnel the size of the door, lit by more magical torches, which leads to a set of stairs leading down. The area has dust on the floor, with the marks of huge clawed footprints and a dragging tail in the dust.The group heads down the stairs, but quickly discover that the giant-sized steps are dangerous to climb down. Nameless slips and falls, but Luna lunges and grabs him. The group switches to using a rope to climb down. They descend for about 200 ft before reaching a blank wall with another hidden door. This one opens into the end of a huge hall, about 50 tall, 80 ft wide and 200 ft long, again lit by continual flame torches in the four corners. There is a huge doorway on the far side, which had a stone door but it is broken and lying in fragments. There are four more doors, two on each side. This hall is dusty too, with similar marks of a dragon's passage. There are large webs in the corners of the room. The closest corner has what seems to be three large humanoid shapes wrapped tightly in webbing. Nameless tries vainly to prevent Luna from messing with them, but the druid goes ahead and does so. She finds that they are not web-wrapped but seem to actually be made of webbing, with their otherwise featureless faces bearing eight blank eyes. Luna promptly goes back and pulls Nameless towards them. After examining them, he and Corven decide that they must be web golems, which the giants of Xen'drik are known to have invented. These ones have been destroyed, evidently a while ago, by large claws.The group heads for the closest door. Experimentation reveals that it has some kind of proximity trigger, causing it to slide up into the ceiling when someone is standing next to it, sliding down again in ten seconds. Beyond is a 40 foot long corridor, leading to a similar door. Beyond is a cubical room (30 feet to a side), containing large stone shelves and racks with numerous items on them, many of which Nameless detects as magical. The room also contains four alcoves, holding creatures that resemble a warforged, though much more like the versions that pre-dated the truly sentient versions that were created thirty-three years ago. Each has a two-handed flail held in both hands and wears a metallic harness, linking a starburst on the chest, a thick metal belt and two large metal boots.Presuming that they are guardians of some kind, Six enters the room cautiously, but they show no signs of life. Nameless suggests that they might be activated by someone disturbing the items, so Six and Gareth stand with weapons ready in front of one, while Luna takes up position in front of the other. Nameless picks up a gnarled wooden staff and the creatures promptly come to life, stepping forward with weapons raised. Their "life", however, is very short-lived. The adventurers quickly cut down the two they were ready for and Nameless webs the other two, allowing the others to deal with them in turn. When the creatures are slain and collapse, the star explodes as they hit the ground, damaging those immediately nearby and destroying the harness. Luna manages to catch one in her mouth before it hits the ground and Six removes the harness, finding that it is all in one piece. Nameless discovers that it is magical and Six sticks it in the bag of holding for later usage. Along with that, go the other magical and non-magical items in the room. The magical items include the wooden staff, a Necklace of the Phantom Library, a set of metal bracers, a wooden wand, a cloak, a rod, two rings, a scarab, a small case of what seems to be ointment, a coiled rope, and a set of boots. There is also a giant-sized shield and huge warhammer, but these are far too long to fit through the opening of the bag and the group leaves it.Gareth decides to try on the boots and a ring. Experimentation reveals that they are Boots of Striding and Springing and the ring is like a Necklace of Adaptation, surrounding him with a blanket of fresh air. Nameless points out that the ring will protect against the dragon's paralysis breath and suggests that either Corven or he use it, since Gareth's divine protections mean he has the best chance of resisting the breath anyway. Gareth complains that he was the one who risked trying it on and should get to use it, but after Nameless berates him for being a selfish so-and-so and Luna steps in to say the same, he gives up and hands it over. Corven says that his temporary magical protections make him slightly more resistant now, so Nameless puts on the ring.Leaving the room, the adventurers head for the next door. They have only taken a few steps when they notice something drop from the ceiling above. It looks like a pebble and bounces away, but it makes no sound as it does so, as if it too had a silence upon it. Looking up, they see a huge dragon appear above them, looking down from where it crouches on the ceiling. It snarls down at them and says, "I have been expecting you. Now we make the future!" And then its huge nostrils flare and it breathes...* Luna went from 84 hit pts to -5 in that round. Power-attacking giants hurt!** Made the 50% miss chance and confirmed a crit for 80 pts.*** Arrok alone did nearly 90 pts of damage to the fire giant**** Yes, of course P.B. Shelley was a giant.</blockquote>

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