Barnaby is surprisingly open with the stone giant, and seems totally cool with the fact that he just handed them a note with treasonous words. If this news got out to the general public, surely the stone giant would be…less than living.
Even still, the party decides to hear Gyukak out. He leads them back to the arena, making sure that they’re in complete privacy. The party makes it very clear that Karzoug is the endgame here; they will not rest until the Runelord is removed from his station.
Gyukak, it seems, actually has a similar aspiration as Karzoug when it comes to conquering the world. The main difference is that Gyukak wants to occupy the lands currently left behind by all of the giants and ogres that are now conscripted under Karzoug’s banner.
All he asks, in exchange for a bountiful amount of information on Xin-Shalast, is that the party leave him and his loyalists be after the party takes care of Karzoug. He would prefer if they could create some kind of grant spectacle to allow his army to leave Xin-Shalast mostly unnoticed, but the party doesn’t really dig that plan. They’re trying to fly under the radar, and that idea seems antithesis to their survival.
In the end, an accord is signed and the agreement is made. Gyukak begins detailing the surrounding Xin-Shalast landmarks to give the party a better idea about what they might be missing before heading up to face the Runelord of Greed.
As it turns out, the party already has two of the three Sihedron Rings that Gyukak knows about. The third belongs to Ghlorofaex, a blue dragon who was the mate to the late dragon Longtooth. This completely changes the focus of the party, and opens up an opportunity for them to create a suitable distract and acquire the third ring. All at the same time.
They want to use Longtooth’s death as leverage, and to direct Ghlorofaex to the battlefield of their choosing. Instead of wandering into her domain, the dragon would be forced to come to the party if she wished to enact her revenge.
In handing over Longtooth’s recognizable tooth to Gyukak, they instruct him to allow a group of giants to find it and give it to Ghlorofaex. It’ll be accompanied by a letter, written in Draconic, that will provoke the dragon, taunting her to battle over her lost lover.
The battlefield of choice is the same one where the party fought Longtooth. It’s perfect; there are limited entrances, plenty of space to spread out and avoid a breath weapon, and ample opportunity to lay a trap or two for Ghlorofaex. Fobias discerns that the southwestern tunnel was the primary entrance for Longtooth, so they plan on Ghlorofaex coming in from there.
Krask, meanwhile, plans on doing a little bit of redecorating. Bone chimes went out of style decades ago, but Longtooth’s still hangs from the ceiling of the chamber. He figures out a way to rig the chimes to have it come crashing down if Ghlorofaex checks out Longtooth’s body.
Obviously Fyn, Trace, and Barnaby prepare to cast some much-needed buffing spells. With the elements of surprise and invisibility on their side, Ghlorofaex won’t know what hit her.
Once the entirety of the plan comes into focus, they pass off the tooth to their temporary ally, Gyukak. The run down to the skulk tunnels, where they are welcomed with the telltale whooping and hollering of their friends. Within a matter of hours, the entire ground shakes above their heads, and more excited whoops are heard in conjunction with the far-off roar of a very angry dragon.
Will the party’s plan go off without a hitch? Will Gyukak betray the party? Will Krask ever get his beloved tooth back?