Who Watches the Watchtower?
With a POP the party is atop the watchtower, face-to-face with a huge taiga giant! They immediately encircle their foe, and Fyn blasts her with cone of cold after checking the ol’ memory banks that taiga giants don’t have resistance to frigid conditions.
Unfortunately, their arrival causes the giant to shout out orders to the hill giants below. They’re going to try and light the signal fires!
Fyn and Krask do their best to hinder the advances of the enemies rushing to the pile of damp wood and evergreen boughs. Well…Fyn does most of the heavy-lifting on that front; Krask can’t seem to hit the broad side of an oliphant with his arrows. Maybe it’s the altitude?
Trace and Barnaby push towards the taiga giant aggressively. Between Trace’s steady damage and Barnaby’s masterful parry and riposte, the taiga giant stands little chance. She becomes exhausted from the suddenness of the fight. Despite her fatigue, a few of her blows get through.
Had she been at full strength, she would have been quite the formidable opponent. As it stands, however, things easily turn in favor of the party.
Extinguish the Flames
Fobias has the foresight to summon an air elemental, Francis, who descends down towards the fire-building materials. Stirring up a mighty whirlwind, Francis scatters the boughs and logs in every direction. This all but confirms that the giants won’t be able to signal back to Jorgenfist. To add insult to injury, Fobias also rains pebbles down on the area, extinguishing the timid flames.
Once the taiga giant has fallen and the immediate threat of fire is quelled, Fobias, Richard, and Barnaby race down the stairs to the base of the tower. The giants are confused, thanks to Fyn, but the urgency to keep them quiet is still alive and well.
Trace, in heroic fashion, leaps from the top of the tower onto the back of one of the hill giants. The giant swats at the paladin but does little to prevent their inevitable death. Magic missiles take down the remaining giant.
Silence once more.
Hallucinatory Visions
As the party investigates the tower and corpses, they find some kind of logbook amongst the paltry possessions. This will serve as their reminder to ask the GM about it next week. You’re welcome.
There’s little else of note on the bodies. However, Fyn decides to investigate the strange brandings on the hill giants. Smack dab in the middle of their chests is the burnt image of the Sihedron Rune.
Fobias detects faint magic surrounding the runes, and Fyn confirms that the effect is created by hallucinatory illusion magic. The theories start flying immediately. Are the giants being brainwashed to oversee clan differences? Do the hallucinations keep them in the dark about what Mokmurian is really planning?
When the elf touches the runes, he is suddenly transported into the mind’s eye of a hill giant. A series of quick scenes flash before him. Hunting a boar atop a massive mammoth. Smuggling meat into the camp. Devouring the raw flesh. Apprehended by the taiga giant. Darkness surrounded by mysterious hissing. Flames licking a boiling cauldron. A dark shadow overlooking hordes of giants drumming and chanting in unison. Dragged to the steaming water. Scalding liquid blistering his skin. Drowning…
It’s all very unusual.
Contemplating the meaning of these runes after Fyn divulges his experience, the party decides to continue with their original plan. Fyn, Trace, and Fobias get ready to teleport back to the dragon’s den. They grab the giant bodies and Fobias masks their scent.
And then, there’s a teleportation MISHAP.
What is the purpose of these hallucinations? Did anyone at Jorgenfist detect the party’s assault? Will Fobias and Trace be spliced together into a holy abomination?