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

Brief Recap: Last turn, after the party subdued Ghotu and he recovered, a group of fire giants appears from upstairs led by Thag (whom they met in Turn 25). They were met by the Smith at the Smithy a short way up the hall. Intense head, certainly from an exposed river of lava, emanates from the entrance of the Smithy. The party discussed their options of how to attack the temple.

Enter the Temple of the Githyanki

Humphrey's oration at least convinces the party that his spell is the way to enter the temple, and they gather together for him to cast it upon them. The aged mage speaks the complicated words of magic, and before their eyes the adventurers each turn into a Githyanki Knight like the two they just faced.

Relieved that her horse is unhurt, Bibi looks down at her new shoes, low soft boots with small silver wings stenciled on the side. She tries them briefly, and the wings stand forth from the shoes and flap like hummingbird wings as Bibi raises a few inches off the floor, then sets back down. The wings flatten back onto the surface of the boots.

The party now advances straight up the hall from the Smithy, toward where Snurre said the first illusion door is. The wall looks like any other stone, but when Ghotu touches it with his axe, it passes through, disappearing into the wall. He quickly pulls it back out.

Ghotu and the party stand in front, with Snurre and the rest of the giants behind him. They advance through the illusion door, not knowing what to expect.

Whatever they expected, it is certainly not the strange and surreal scene before them. They stand in a vast hall, probably two hundred feet on a side. The place is illuminated by a strange swirling light which seems to be part of the very air. Eddies of luminosity drift and swirl here and there, causing the whole scene to be strange and uncertain. Distances and dimensions are tricky to determine in the shifting light of rusty purple motes and lavender rays. Globs of mauve and violet seem to seep and slide around. The ceiling of the Temple is out of visual range, 50' at the lowest, and possibly much higher.

On the west (left hand) wall are murals of giants bowing to a cairn offering gifts. Further in, the scenes become more horrific, with what appear to be humans and other creatures being sacrificed in grisly ways.

Two rows of pillars stretch down the hall and a raised section with an alter and a huge circular artifact, like a portal, on a dais. Githyanki knights stand at attention at several places, and off to the right is a curtained area with what look like Githyanki clerics or mages, standing in robes among incense braziers. Screens, beads, and curtains block view of a large area behind them.

The first Githyanki knight challenges Ghotu in their foreign tongue, and Ghotu snorts at him and shoulders past, muttering only "Thae-Rune Ibn." This apparently satisfies or intimidates the guard, as he lets them pass, giants and all.

Mog waits till they are just past the guard before he reaches for one of his spell tokens. He speaks a word, and casts a spell. He then whispers to the party, "Mog can speak their language now."

Ghotu whispers to the others, "I didn't think this place would be full, unless something is going on. I bet the ceremony is tonight, they're getting ready to summon the Queen. And Bibi, that means it's the full moon."

As they walk through the Temple: "Hmmm...?" Bronk mutters with a smirk on his face. "Which one shall be first? Ah hell...I'll just kill them all...but first!!!!!" Bronk reaches in his pack and pulls fourth a vile of red liquid that is almost the consistancy of blood. "I always save the FIREWATER for special occasions. Laughing as he drinks a drought of the brew only made by a Rasheman Warrior. He then puts the vile back in his pack and readies his halberd for the job of mowing the Gith down.

If the group looks at Bronk they notice that he looks to be the happiest that he's been in a long time.

Standing before a book on a pedestal is a female Githyanki. Rather than the sombre robes of the other Gith, this one wears nearly nothing at all, an elaborate headdress, anklets, and bracelets being the greater part of her adornment. She watches the party approach, and addresses them when they are within speaking distance. Two knights stop them from approaching closer than about ten meters. They can clearly see Eclavdra through the shimmering lights.

Mog answers her in the strange language, and the rest of the party understands at least the name, "Thae-Rune Ibn." The female answers briefly then steps into a curtained area while the party waits.

She emerges a moment later with three very large humanoids wearing spiked armor (greaves and bracers bristling with spines) and spiked skull helmet. The largest of these is as big as Bronk.

"I am Eclavdra," she addresses the party in common, to their surprise. "And I am sorry, are you some of the mage's servants? I sense that you are here for the Obsidian Stone, it is foremost in many of your thoughts. But your master Thae-Rune Ibn is dead, as you soon shall be."

"Snurre," she says to the King, "You offer me the final excuse to exterminate your kind."

Eclavdra says "Kill them, my Slayers," and begins to chant. The spike armored Slayers charge the party.

Bibi reaches forward and touches Bronks on the back and says "This will help you." The moment her hand makes contact with him she wills her boots the raise her 15 feet above the others.

Bibi begins casting summon insect. She recalls Azriel once telling her that where there are giants there are large insect. Bibi then reaches for her locket preparing to us one of her stones for her next attack. When the first bug arrives she points to the witch so that she will be their victim.

(If Bibi feels the change coming on while she is in the air she will try to lower herself to an area away from her companions.)

Humphrey immediately knocks his staff upon the ground, giving himself protection from evil. He then chants "Omeca, Omeca, Omfra la Arthea," Humphrey chants. Before him you see a great beast arise from the stone. [He has conjured an earth elemental, with his staff] [charges expended from staff--three] "I command you to destroy her," He points his finger at the priestess, as some magical wind begins to swirl around his hair, whipping it around.

[The spell has a 5% chance of causing the earth elemental to turn on the conjurer; It has 8 hit dice; Humphrey must concentrate, but the elemental will not disengage from combat to go after him if he loses control, though he will seek him out on the first available opportunity, if he breaks from the mental hold. [per PHB]]

Blade's swords (short sword and dragonslayer)are pulled from their scabbards as soon as the first syallables of 'Kill them" leaves Eclavadra's lips. He charges the foremost guard with a 'fiery windmill', a devastating series of cicular slashes designed especially for fighting with two swords, it's strength lay in it's strong offense. To defend against one sword was to open yourself to attack by the other. the only safe defense was to get out of the way of the windmill completely.

If Blade connects he plans to use his momentary advantage to kick the guard backwards either into the other guard or the approaching slayers to impede the comabate ability. He will defend as necessary, but his goal is to cut a swathe through the cannon fodder to get to the sorceress. She is the leader and he knows taght by taking her down the others will be taht much easier to defeat.

His rod in hand, Mog makes a gesture and says a word in Githyanki to one of the knights next to him (the one Blade didn't attack). [He casts Command, telling the knight to sleep.]

Mog then begins a Flame Strike spell (using his spell tokens) which he will cast on the largest group of Githyanki, wherever they are when he is done casting the spell. Mog keeps his rod ready to absorb any incoming spells.

When Ghotu sees the naked bitch, he knows she's going to be trouble. When she says she's going to exterminate Snurre, Ghotu sets his feet and hefts his axe, looking straight at the Githyanki knight not three feet away from him. When she tells the Slayers to attack, he raises his axe and brings it down aiming to split the knight's head.

Bronk yells with glee to the top of his lungs... "WITCH......TODAY YOU TAKE YOUR LAST BREATHE ALONG WITH THE REST OF YOUR KIND!!!!!."

Posting Instructions: The party is a little over ten meters from Eclavdra, and there are two Githyanki guards directly before them, three Slayers charging them directly in front, and a host of Githyanki clerics and knights nearby who are just noticing that a conflict has begun. The fire giant mob is in a line behind the adventurers, at least twenty giants in all. See the Battle Map.

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