Episode 158 – Take it to the Glaive

As the party sits in the Fen of the Icemists, they converse with Svevenka to learn as much about Xin-Shalast as possible. In order to see the path forwards, Fyn needs to fast for seven days before his hunger is pure enough to see the ghostly outline of the River Avah that leads towards the City of Gold.

Apart from the giants, lamias, and abominable snowmen, Svevenka tells the group of the skulks, chameleon-like creatures that have resided in Xin-Shalast since the times of the Thassilonian Empire. Now, they stick to the caverns and tunnels surrounding the city, split into two factions: the Spared, and those controlled by the Hidden Beast.

Svevenka has allegedly fought with the Hidden Beast before. It is an otherworldly octoploid with a vicious maw, and it uses the skulks for its bidding and its food. Although its been many years since Svevenka set foot in the city, there are likely giant encampments that will stand in the party’s way.

To get to the peak of Mhar Massif, they will have to follow the road through the city until it begins to ascend around the mountain. That’s the extent of the nymph’s knowledge on the area, but the party is grateful for the information.

With several days to shoot the breeze, the party spends quite a bit of it grilling Trace on his past. Why is he a Paladin? Where is his family? They realize that they don’t know a whole lot about him other than the fact that he has the face of someone who has murdered in the past.

Trace offers up some details about his former life, and how his mentor and father-figure, Fellwinter, still resides in Magnimar. Perhaps someday he will reconnect, but apparently the two didn’t always see eye-to-eye as the years passed on.

Follow the Golden Brick Road

At the end of the seventh night, as Fyn is meditating, he sees a silvery trail extending out from the Fen of the Icemists further into the mountains. It’s the River Avah, and it’s the path towards Xin-Shalast.

And so, our heroes press onwards, following the path for several miles until it turns into a wide road paved with tarnished, golden bricks. And thus the campaign ends, as the party decides to excavate each of these valuable building blocks, retire early, and watch Golarion descend into a Runelord-fueled warzone.

Just kidding.

However, as they pass through a narrow canyon, they notice a pair of cloud giants standing outside a small cave. Another giant figure, shorter than the others, steps forward to the edge of the cliff face. His skin is rocky and blue, tipped with chunks of ice that almost appear to be sprouting from the skin’s surface.

Tied around his waist is a tattered crimson banner, ripped and faded. Even from this distance, you can see the washed out image of a parapet over crossed blades. In his hands, the giant wields a massive, curved glaive, partially serrated at the tip. Fyn’s mind flashes back to a time, many moons ago, and the smell of familiar death wafts into his nostrils.

This is the giant that killed him.

“TRAVELERS! YOU HAVE ENTERED THE REALM OF GREED. UNINVITED, AND UNWANTED. BJORMUNDAL WILL SEE TO YOUR IMMEDIATE EXIT FROM HERE.”

“GUARDS! HURL ONWARDS!”

And the giant leaps from the cliff scattering rocks in all directions and he screams and raises the glaive above his head in mid-air. He lands on both feet, sliding down the mountain at a breakneck speed, as boulders rise above behind him, hurtling towards them.

The initial volley of rocks manages to hit Barnaby, who becomes distracted by the ghostly form of a hulking giant appearing out of thin air next to Bjormundal. Fyn reverses the gravity in an attempt to make Bjormundal sail into the sky, but the giant is able to cling to the rock and push out of the area.

He swings out at Fyn, landing a devastating blow that leaves the wizard on the ropes. Fobias quickly creates a stone wall in front of Fyn and steps in front of it to protect his friend against another attack.

Krask continues to land several arrows in the assailants, and Barnaby flies up to the spectral giant. Unfortunately, this giant is a spiritual ally, and can’t be harmed. At the same time, it’s not going to be a particularly dangerous threat, so Barnaby turns his attention to Bjormundal.

Between Barnaby and Trace’s timely Smite Evil, they quickly burst down the giant leader. Fyn, still bloodied and invisible, casts a Prismatic Spray towards the cloud giants that are descending down the cliff-face. Two more had stepped out from the cave, alerted to the battle below.

Fyn’s spell is particularly effective – although he doesn’t turn one to stone, he sends a single cloud giant to another plane, and the third is consumed by a ghastly green poison, killing her instantly.

Two giants remain.

Xin-Shalast beckons.

Has Fyn achieved lasting vengeance against the ghosts of his past? What dangers did Svevenka not know about Xin-Shalast? Can we ban Barnaby from his blatant kill-stealing?