Act II: The Hall of Snurre Ironbelly the Foul, Fire Giant King

Brief Recap: The company entered combat with King Snurre and his guards (and pets), killing all but two guards (one wounded), and the King, whom Humphrey Geased to aid the party. The unwounded guard attacked Humphrey.

Entering the Hall of Snurre Ironbelly the Foul

As the guard dives at both Humphrey and his Mirror Image, Humphrey utters the word "Egoneba", and is instantly teleported behind Bronk Beareye.

He then yells to the party, "I have cursed the King and he must help us on our quest to find the dark one. We must kill the rest of the Giants in the room, so to avoid any knowing he is under spell. Do not kill the King. DO NOT KILL THE KING!"

The fire giant Ghotu fights is badly wounded, bleeding from several large gashes in his legs and torso from Ghotu's axe. It raises its two handed axe a final time, aiming to split Ghotu in two. But the giant is too slow, and Ghotu's battle axe cleaves its arm below the elbow, breaking the bone. The giant's axe falls clattering to the obsidian floor, and the giant follows it down. No sooner does its thick skull bounce off the floor than Blade hacks deep into its neck, nearly severing the head. The giantslayer sword fills Blade with euphoria, and lust to kill another giant.

Bronk turns around briefly and sees Humphrey behind him now. He then runs forward with his halberd to meet the oncoming fire giant guard. The halberd opens a wound on the guard's upper arm, and Bronk recovers the weapon ready to dodge the massive axe the guard wields, which crashes down next to Bronk, splintering the volcanic glass floor. Bronk is thrown off balance, and the fire giant strides forward and kicks the fighter, lifting him off the ground and tossing him backward, nearly into Humphrey. [Bronk takes 33 damage, down to 67/100] The fire giant moves toward the wizard.

Bibi, still with Mog several meters from the combat, fires one of her magic arrows at the guard. The arrow sinks into the thick thigh of the giant, who grunts and raises its axe to smash the wizard standing before him.

Humphrey aims his staff at the attacking Fire Giant and utters the words "INGRBA OLTSBA ROMFRA ITHINWA." Sparks briefly flash around the old mage's staff, then a bolt of electricity arcs from the blackened tip of the gnarled wood to the giant. The giant goes rigid, its jaws locking and its eyeballs exploding from their sockets. It collapses to the floor a smoking cadaver.

Snurre stands alone now, terrified. He falls to his knees, bringing himself nearly to the human's height, and gasps, "Whot hath ye done to me, Neibelungen?"

Blade finds himself edging behind Snurre, and taking a step toward his exposed back. He stops himself as he realizes he is about to raise his sword to strike. The giantslayer sword grows heavy, and Blade becomes slightly annoyed, his mood darkening slightly.

Realizing what just occured Blade takes the sword and bangs it flat edged against one of the pillars. CLANG CALNG CLANG CLANG CLANG!!! Then looking at the sword he says "Lets get one thing perfectly clear. I call the shots. Try something like that again and you'll find yourself being used as a torch sconce once again. I don't need you. I have skill a plenty and luck to make up for the rest. How much giant blood will you taste hanging on a wall as a lighting device? Hmmm Hnmm? To teach you a lesson I'll be using the dragonslayer for th remainder of the adventure. maybe once you learn howe to play nice I'll thiink about using you again. until then...good bye. " With that Blade sheaths the giant slayer sword and pulls out the dragonslayer. "I'm so glad Bruce loaned me this sword. Without his genorisity I'd have to keep using that impetous giantslayer which seems to be grtting a bit too big for it's scabbard. "

Ghotu, surprised by Blade's strange actions (i.e., banging his sword against a pillar and chastising it), wonders how well the dragonslayer sword will do as a replacement for the giantslayer, especially in the home of fire giants.

The giantslayer sword is silent, but Blade's foul mood continues. It was almost painful for him to bang the sword against the pillar, but then again, not really. It was just a sword after all, Blade reminds himself. The flat of the Giantslayer is now scuffed.

The Dragonslayer sword does not have the same feel as the Giantslayer. It is a very high quality sword, but lacking sentience. Blade had gotten used to the familiar warnings of approaching enemies from the Giantslayer, which he will now have to do without.

Blade begins looting the dead. He is quickly joined by Bronk and briefly by Mog, who severs one fire giant's ear and slips it into a pouch. He takes another's eyeball, scraping the optic nerve off with his ceremonial knife.

Down at the end of the hall with the throne, the party sees steps of white veined marble leading to the throne of Snurre. The floor above the steps is deep red polished stone, with huge stone pillars of polished obsidian on either side of the massive jewel encrusted throne. The walls are inlaid with collored stone and mosaics showing King Snurre Ironbelly in various scenes of victory over opponents. Behind the throne is the flaming skull, which is Snurre's own device, flanked by statues of fire giants with clubs on their shoulders. Huge torches burn in bronze cressets.

Ghotu goes to the throne room, careful to look for anyone hiding around corners or the like. He says to Bronk, "Rashe-Man, keep an eye on those corridors and the one at the far end for visitors. We don't want to be surprised."

The gem encrusted throne attracts Ghotu's attention, as do the statues of the fire giants on either side of the throne. Ghotu takes his dagger and begins popping gems out of the throne and putting them into a canvas sack he carries for loot (of course to go into the communal pot for the adventure when he is done). Remembering the maps the party found in the hill giant steading which Mog carries, Ghotu begins looking for secret doors in the throne room.

Moving behind the giant so he cannot see, Mog quickly pulls the map from a scroll tube at his belt, looks at it briefly, then puts it away.

He then follows Ghotu down to the throne room, and shows the fighter the map they found in the hill giant steading. The throne room is clearly marked, and there appear to be secret doors behind the west wall of the throne room. Behind the throne room the map shows natural caverns, then more natural caverns behind a second secret door.

Mog speaks, "We can not explore these now, though Mog think the King might keep his treasure room in such a place. We must return here."

Meanwhile, Humphrey speaks to the King:"King Snurre, I have cursed you. To remove the curse, you must assist this party in defeating the dark one who has entered your kingdom via the waypoint. I do not know his name, but if you do, I require it. Resistance is futile. If you resist, the pain you felt when you were initially cursed will wrack you with pain over several weeks, until you are dead. First your eyeballs will begin to protude from your head. Slowly, they will swell until each one is pops out and you are blind. Next your genitals will swell until they burst. Your hands and feet will slowly gnarl into immoveable balls of flesh, and your bones will grow so brittle you will fall and kill yourself. If the brittle bones do not kill you, or the eyes, or the exploding genitals, eventually your stomach will begin to eat your internal organs, causing your intestines to burst, poisoning your body from the inside. However, you can avoid this pain, if you help us defeat the dark one. When you are finished with what I require, I will remove the curse, and all will be returned to you as it was before. You may choose to resist, but death awaits you at the end of your resistance. And killing me will not stop the curse. Just think about resisting, and you will begin to feel the pain."

King Snurre, still on his knees, watches with growing horror as Humphrey details the curse. Snurre has indeed already felt the wracking pain, and he seems to be experiencing it yet. His teeth are clenched, his eyes redrimmed and bloodshot. He quickly turns, and empties the contents of his stomach upon the obsidian floor, a foul orange gout of puke and bones. Smacking his lips and wiping his beard and mouth on his forearm, he turns back to the wizard, a sly look in his eyes.

"I wouldst gladly help thee slay this dark one whom thou seekest, and his companions. Thou speakst of Thae-Rune Ibn, Wrathgiver of the Dark Queen. He is a demon, they are all demons. Hadst I known thou wanted to rid us of them, I wouldst hath welcomed thee.

"Thae-Rune Ibn and the others resideth in the lower levels. There they worketh their foul arts, and traverse the hells to and from their own realm."

Snurre surveys the party as they look at him. He is a foul looking creature, with black skin and a firey red beard and hair. His skin is pockmarked and greasy, and he resembles a giant twisted dwarf. "Such a small force sent here to slay the 'Dark One?' Doth the man- king of the south grow feebleminded in his old age?" Humphrey says, "In order to help us you must tell me who are these "others" that would hinder our defeat of the Dark one?

"Thae-Rune Ibn is not the only Githyanki here. There art many, and they doth come and go from Surtur knows where," answers Snurre in his impossibly deep voice. He speaks in an archaic dialect of the common tongue, a holdover from the days of the Great Empire of centuries ago. Humphrey has read that fire giants live hundreds of years.

"The demons mostly dwell now on the second and third levels of mine home, and perhaps even beneath other mountains nearby. They wilt surely slay you all, without my aid." Snurre seems to be recovering from the negative effects of the Geas with his voluntary compliance.

Humphrey asks, "King Snurre, where is a secure, out of sight room nearby, where we may further discuss defeating the Dark one and the removal of your curse?"

"Also, please answer this King Snurre, [Humphrey is careful to still show the King respect for his position, and to avoid provoking him with his language]. "What creatures, besides Fire Giants, would not alarm the Githyanki, as you call them? Also, tell me, do they all dress as the Dark one?" As Humphrey awaits Snurre's answer, he pulls a scroll from his pouch.

King Snurre answers, "The Githyanki art the only non-giants in The Mountain, aside from slaves. To see thee, humans, wilt surely alert them to thine intent, armed as ye be.

"Thae-Rune Ibn be a Wrathgiver of the Dark Queen, and his robes are only worn by one of his kind and stature. The other clerics of the dark queen hath their symbols, but no such uniform. Some wear robes, others show their armor. Eclavdra often wears nothing at all. She be a priest to the Dark Queen."

Snurre says, "Follow me." He begins to lead the party to the south exit of the great hall (see the map).

"Wait, may I speak freely in front of the King?"

"I would reveal no more than you are comfortable with, young one," says Humphrey, obviously intrigued. "Before we go any further I must warn you all." Bibi voice is dry with tension. She continues "As I have told all of you, except Humphrey and I believe that he somehow already knows, that I am cursed, and the time is near. The change will be coming and I can neither stop it nor control it. When I change I take the form of a jaguar. If I at anytime take ay other form do not be concern I will be in control and I will never willingly take the jaguar form. If anyone has any suggestions I would be grateful to hear them."

"I know we do not have the luxury of time at this moment. But I feel that I must clear the air while on this subject. I have been advised by a member of this group that I should confront the my mistrust. So, Humphrey I ask what your intentions are if we capture the treasure." She does not use the stones name, still feeling uneasy in front of the giant. "And I declare to you mine... If I leave this place alive, I intend to carry it with me as my people had for generations expected it to be. It is the only way I can live with my curse."

"Interesting child. While I certainly thought there must be more to you than meets the eye, I knew nothing of this curse. I based my observation on your age and the fact that you travel in, well, less than parental company, to say the least. However, now that you mention it, I could see the tortured look in your eye. As for my intentions with the object we seek, I will say only this. I intend to keep it safe. Beyond that, I don't think it is appropriate to share with the King here, who after his service is finished will be free to pursue whatever ends he chooses. He may not feel the same need--to keep anything safe that is. I will assure you that I am not out to take anything from you that IS rightfully yours. But I am not willing to enter into debate regarding the origins of this object with you until later when we have the luxury of time--but I will discuss it with you then. Put your fear aside. Destiny has a strange way of bringing ends together. Simply that we have been brought together in this party, seeking the same goal, may mean we seek the same end, but have not come to understand the true nature of that end just yet." Humphrey smiles a grandfatherly smile at Bibi after saying this. "Come now, let us follow this giant to momentary safety."

All this just sounds like more magicain double talk to Blade. In his opinion magicians are always talking about saving the world, but more often than not the source of the problem always lay with magic. Without it, the world would not need saving nearly as often. But then again, things might be awfuly dull without it. If there is one thing Blade hates more than anything it is boredom.

Bibi says to Humphrey, "I appriciate your insight and realize that my goals may seem childish. But I am just a child and hope to live long enough to outgrow such things. But to do so I must continue with my quest."

Bibi looks to the others for reactions and is still hoping someone has a suggestion for her upcoming dilema. She notices that the fighters are in bad shape. Ghotu seems to be the most seriously injured. She move toward him to attempt to heal him. "If I have said to much infront of Your Highness, I will find a way to deal with it before we release him."

Mog also moves to the fighters and assesses their wounds.

After Bibi has healed Ghotu she takes her horse from her pocket and places him in a small leather pouch with a tiny piece of dried fruit. "Will you take care of him for me. I'm afraid that I might hurt him."

"It would be an honor, indeed a privilage, to guard such a fine steed." Ghotu attaches the pouch to his necklace and reverantly nestles it to his breat beneath his plate hauberk. He will risk life and limb for the sake of this horse.

Snurre leads them through a curtained doorway, and they next turn left. Soon they come to a set of doors to their left, and Snurre bangs on it loudly once. He then enters. The party sees that inside are several more fire giants, some of them snoozing, others awake playing "bones" (using apparently humanoid skulls and other bones). the fire giants stand when Snurre enters.

Snurre addresses his guards in fire giantish. [Keith, I will email you what he says since you are the only one who understands.] They look at the company in disbelief, and begin readying their armor and weapons.

Blade says to Snurre, "I like the part where you said 'Thag, Felgrum, ready your group. We go to help these humans defeat Thae-Rune Ibn,' but I wasn't so sure about the 'Then, after we slay Thae-Rune Ibn, we kill these (indicating the party). Tell Eclavdra of our plan. She will aid us. Go.' part. Perhaps you'd like to rephrase the command without all of the duplicity before your genitals begin to swell from the curse. or a more likely outcome being that we kill you and all of your friends and let bronc ravahe your women.

Bronc starts to protest, but Blade puts up a hand and shakes his head quickly to assure his friend that he is only bluffing and won't be forced to ravage any giant women. Not unless he really wantd too. ...Rashemen were peculiar in their libidinous desires.

Some of the fire giant guards, standing next to the King, obviously understand Blade's words, though others seem oblivious (they must not speak commmon). The ones who understand them advance on Blade, weapons ready to strike him for such an affront to their King. Snurre waves them back and they obey, though they still glare at Blade with killing lust in their eyes.

Snurre answers Blade, "And yet I doth not feel ill warrior. It seems the curse of thine niebelungen be literally construed. In my five hundred years, I hath dealt with niebelungen before."

"No my men, do not attack these," Snurre says in common and giantish both. "This one," he points at Humphrey, "hath me under his curse. We MUST help them defeat Thae-Rune Ibn, and their help in ridding us of the cursed Githyanki is welcome, is it not? Do as I bid." Snurre looks at Blade, "Unless thou wouldst slay us all now, hu-mann?" Snurre grins deviously, and chuckles deep in his throat.

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