EternalWarriors

Act I: The Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

Brief Recap: Last turn, the adventurers vanquished Nosra and the remainder of their enemies. They discussed Bibi's quest and found her reticent to tell what was stolen from her family. Mog cast what healing spells he had (see the hit point chart at the bottom of this page for current hit points) and Ghotu and Bruce began looting corpses and searching the downstairs for treasure.

Beneath the Steading

The room is a scene of carnage. Probably a hundred dead lay strewn about the room, more than half of them orc braves. Still there are more than a hundred orcs remaining, who bear their dead out with them into the fort above. Their passage takes only a few moments once the combat is done, with Krulek giving instructions as his people quickly pass. When the last are gone, he again thanks the party members in broken common and leaves up the stairs.

Fonkin and the human engineer are still with the party, the engineer now wondering how he is going to get home. He doesn't go with the orcs, and asks anyone in the party who will listen to him, "How am I supposed to get home? The lands about this place seemed wild to me, and I am no forester. Are you heroes going back to the Kingdom any time soon?"

As the human fighters all ignore the frightened engineer, Mog gives him a toothy grin and slaps him on the shoulder, saying "You can travel with us, human." Mog makes a show of sniffing at the engineer, and says, "You might be useful for dinner on the road."

Fonkin laughs and says, "I would continue to travel with your group, at least until we leave these lands, if you will have me. You all doubtless saved my life, and I repay my debts."

The party loots the corpses of the giants and finds quite a haul. They find the following:

35,000 gp in assorted gems and jewelry
4x8,000 gp excellent jewels
magic spear+1
magic longsword+2 longsword, dragonslayer
cleric scroll 7 cleric spells, 4x7th, 3x6th lvl
potion of flying
magic leather armor. +1

[Magic items must be identified by Identify spell or scroll.]

The lower level of the steading is deserted but for the adventurers. They are thankful, because they are all still wounded. They scout out the lower level and find the southern passages contain torture chambers, smithy, and slave quarters, while the northern passages are areas of labor and new excavation, apparently where the orcs worked.

But the passage from which the manticores came [passage 32 leading to 29 on the map of the lower level] is different. Through that entryway, which was apparently secret before it was used to ambush the party, there is a set of levers that Bruce learns controls iron bars in the passages beyond, raising and lowering them. They party suspects it was used to contain the manticores.

See a more detailed map of the lower level for reference. The combat took place in room 1, and the secret door leads to 29

After checking for traps on the secret door leading from passage 32 into room 29 [I assume Blade listens at all doors and searches for traps on locked and secret doors only], the party enters area 29. Two passages lead out, and Bronk and Mog look in the south passage while Blade, Bibi, Bruce and Ghotu look at the north passage. [I rolled ramdomly to see which you investigated.]

Area 30 (the south exit) appears to be a prison for the manticores, with feces and other debris. From area 30 the party can see into area 31, a small room (for the giant steading) in which their torchlight illuminates several chests, about 7. No one has entered area 31 yet, Mog and Bronk stand outside it in area 30 still.

A 10' wide hallway leads out of the northest corner of area 29. Blade leads with Bibi slightly behind, with Bruce and Ghotu behind them. As they exit the large room, their torches illuminate a figure in the passage ahead. The figure is man-sized, and appears to be entering a small doorway where the passage turns right (see the map, the secret door between areas 29 and 33). The adventurers recognize the dark one, who turns to face the approaching torchlight.

Thae-Rune Ibn, Wrathman of the Dark Queen, had watched the intruders butcher the giants, just as he suspected they would. He had agreed to help Nosra by destroying the enchanted sword that struck fear into the giants, using a simple spell known to his people for ages. Thae-Rune Ibn slipped away from that slaughter to let the hill giants die, while he searched for Nosra's secret treasure room. There was something there he had to make sure did not fall into the hands of the intruders. The plans of his Lady were largely secret, but spies had been captured, someone knew; Her plans were not unopposed. And the secrets in Nosra's treasure room would be valuable to those who opposed Her plans.

But the search took too long. Nosra was too clever. He had used magic, doubtless bought at a high price, to hide his secret room. Thae-Rune Ibn only found it, down on the second level, just as the intruders approached.

Blade feels a strange chill go up his spine, and he suddenly becomes distracted, forgetting what he is doing or where he is. He quickly shakes off the befuddlement, and realizes it was some kind of spell or attack from the dark one.

Blade is immediately enraged. The magic user had been sniping at him earlier costing him his treasured luck blade that he used to honor his goddess, Tymora. By placing himself in dangerous and unpredictable situations and relying on luck to get him out of it, he both strengthened and honored his deity. The faithful were rewarded with good fortune, or so the legends say. But, the legends also say, that luck is a fickle bitch and many a man has learned that the hard way. It was best to have a combination of both skill and luck, to stack the deck in your favor.

At an earlier point in his life Blade had actually died a coward's death--the result of a fear spell cast on him by a lowly wizard. Screaming and crying like a frightened child, too terrified to defend hinmself, Blade was quickly slain. He was later resurrected by his comrades, who combined their wealth in order to pay for a resurrection performed by a powerful priest.

Since his resurrection, Blade has had a particular dislike for magic users who used their magics against him. Especially if it involved manipulating his thoughts. It wasn't so much the dying that bothered him, it was the manner in which he had died--out of his wits, unable to control his thoughts or actions. He'd be damned before he'd let that happen again. He would be killed again someday, of that he was sure, but it would be a hero's death and occur with him in control of his actions.

With these thoughts in his mind, Blade races towards the magic user with a snarl crossing his lips. By the time he reaches the dark one he has both of his swordes out, intending to leap at him with a kick. The plan was to distrtact him with the kick, then follow through with a whirlwind attack of his swords as he lands.

He was sure, the dark one probably had some sort of mystic barrier up, but by engaging him melee it would allow either Mog or the girl enough time to dipel it, allowing Blade to skewer the bastard.

As Blade charges down the passage, the dark one draws a long sword from beneath his robes.

Seeing the sorceror draw a sword, Blade decides to change his tactics. Leaping in with a kick was liable to get him skewered. Instead he chooses to feint a head shot with his long sword, and come in low with his short sword for a gut shot.

Ghotu looses a javelin at the dark one then charges behind blade to assault the assaultable with his trusty axe and shield. The dark one twists at the waste and the javelin slips past to clatter on the wall behind him. [Miss.]

Bruce fires his heavy crossbow as well, then readies his axe to charge. The bolt grazes the dark one's shoulder. [Hit, 13 damage.]

Bronk this whole time has been trying to deal with the idea that....well......HE LIVED!! He looks at the sorcerer and for a brief--ever so brief-- amount of time had fear in him. Death had nipped at his heels recently. Alot of things went through his head in that split second of fear. Then his fear crystallized into anger. "Fear gone. I'm in one piece (sort of), screw it!" thinks the warrior. Bronk charges intending full well to sink his halberd as deeply as he can in the sorcerer. Hell...he has to...he's a warrior.

Bibi finds herself looking strait at the dark sorcerer as Blade and Bruce both run at him. She is now certain that this is the same robbed figure that she was following before her capture. Also the one that was rumored to be carrying her 'Obsidian Stone.' She is filled with rage and excitement. Then she feels the chill that proceeds her "change." Knowing that Blade and Bruce are between her and the target of her anger she quickly turns her gaze and moves to the back of the group. Taking a deep breath to calm herself Bibi thinks 'thank the gods I am a woman or they would probable kill me for acting so cowardly.'

Mistaking Bibi's retreat for fear, Mog croaks, "Behind us Bibi, the fighters will protect you." He then sees the look on her face, and realizes she does not fear the dark one. If he did not know better, he would say she looked more angry than afraid.

* * *

Meanwhile....

Humphrey is surprised by what he sees. Standing on a hill overlooking the steading (the very hill which Bruce, Ghotu, Blade, and Mog stood upon when they surveyed the steading before their assault), he sees a ring of funeral pyres light the evening sky, and a great gout of foul black smoke rises from the burning corpses of what must be many slain hill giants.

But that is not the most astounding thing he witnesses. Orcs, well over a hundred of them, are exiting the steading carrying wounded and dead as well as what appears to be loot from the steading. Humphrey knows that giants take smaller races as slaves, but the sheer number of orcs, and the fact that they are apparently free, is a real surprise. He concludes first that the giants must have had some large task for so many slaves to accomplish, and second that the giants are now all absent from the steading, judging from the unhindered flight of the orc host.

But there must still be giants alive, for who but giants could have built the funeral pyres? Before the wizard approaches the steading entrance, he quietly casts a brief spell. He meets an orc at the head of the exiting line of orcs, who speaks to him:

"You human, you friend to the Great Slayers within?" the orc says in accented common, showing no fear. "Krulek their friend as well," says the orc thumping his chest proudly.

"Yes, I am friend to the Slayers. You must lead me to them at once, for a great danger approaches and I must warn them."

Krulek says, "Krulek not know zakly where the Slayers, but Slayers inside Palace. Beneath Palace." He motions to one of his braves, and speaks orc tongue to him. He then speaks common to Humphrey. "Banek show Bearded One the passage down, then return. I lead back to the rock hills of Donga-din. Slayers down passage."

Humphrey can hear several of the orcs muttering something like "Beedo Wan," and takes it to be them repeating the name Krulek gave him, "Bearded One." Humphrey already has many names, and one more won't hurt. The ranks of orcs part as Banek leads him into the steading.

They pass the front door, and Humphrey sees the first giants aside from days the old funeral pyres outside. These must have been guards stationed just inside the front door. Their heads sit neatly in their laps.

They encounter no more dead giants on their way to the stairs, which are reached through a secret door in what must pass for a giant walk- in closet, in reality a 20x20 room. "Deesh way, Beedo Wan," says Banek. The door stands slightly ajar, and Humphrey can see stairs beyond leading down. Banek leaves, bowing to Humphrey as he goes as if he were some religious personage.

As Humphrey pulls the door open wider, the sounds of a struggle come up the stairs.

Before Humphrey ascends the stairs, he casts invisibility on himself. He then ascends the stairs and sees the scence before him, of the battle raging.

Check out the newly updated Trophy Room for running totals of all the creatures killed, experience points earned, and treasure gathered so far on the adventures of . . .