Pulling at the Root of Evil

[Zhym]

BTW, while we're waiting for either the Lorath cloud or the giants to bust through, a bless or prayer or the like would certainly not be amiss.

[Eulalios]

"Dear Crom: blood for you. Love, Kjelti," murmurs the shield maid with a faint grin. "There's a prayer. And trust me, I stand ready to lay on his blessings."

[Magnus]

The party gets a "HERE'S JOHNNY" moment as a fire giant smashes a hole in the door with its soot-covered two-handed sword and peeks inside. Kjelti, Gaerys, and Blue each feel their eyes widen. The thick, giant-sized door is not destroyed, but clearly won't last another minute or two.

The Valyerian is nowhere to be seen.

[Zhym]

Are we able to attack the giant while it's bashing/peeking through the door? And how large is the giant compared to the door? Does it look like two giants would fit through at once when the door is destroyed, or just one? And do we have more spikes? How many were used on this door?

If Gaerys has an opportunity to attack while the giant is hacking at the door, he'll do that. If not, and if he still has spikes, he'll call for the party to fall back beyond the door to the north. Gaerys will shut that door and start spiking it closed, assuming he has the spikes, hoping desperately that the spiked door buys them more time than it will take the Valyerian, if it does live, to travel the extra distance.

Attack roll, if needed:
Giantbane (vs. true giant): [1d20+3] = 2+3 = 5 Damage: [1d12x2] = 1x2 = 2+10

I do hope that's not needed.

[Magnus]

One FG could fit through the door at a time.

You can see its eye, cheek and mouth. You would have to reach over a bunch of large barrels to get at it, and it is still protected by a door. If it hacked away more of the door, you could probably attack it more easily.

Don't remember if you have more spikes, but you might want to re-think that one because the door itself is going to be smashed apart - not smashed open.

[Zhym]

The spikes wouldn't be used on the door the giant is currently smashing, but the one leading out of the storeroom.

ETA: How far is it from the door to the dungeon to the door leading out of the storeroom? More or less than 30'?

[Eulalios]

"eeep... maybe should we fall back to the next door, spike that, and run like hell?" suggests Kjelti. Her boasting humor has left her with sight of the fire giant and realization that she won't have a good shot to knee cap him.

[sulldawga]

Hollis will back up about 25 feet behind the door and cast Bless.

[Magnus]

The spikes wouldn't be used on the door the giant is currently smashing, but the one leading out of the storeroom.

ETA: How far is it from the door to the dungeon to the door leading out of the storeroom? More or less than 30'?

More...40-50' It is a diagonal SW--NE run.

[Zhym]

Then we'd be adding over a round to meeting up with the Valyerian.

One more question, about this:

The thick, giant-sized door is not destroyed, but clearly won't last another minute or two.

Just to clarify, you're saying it might be gone this round, might be gone the next?

If so, then despite the long odds, let's stay one more round. If the Valyerian mist doesn't show up this round, we can high-tail it. If the giant breaks through, we have two swords, Blue, and a pack of wolves (if they choose to fight) against the giant. Antheris could use his sling, try to charm (not likely in combat), or cast heat metal. Hollis could try to command the giant. A sleeping fire giant would be a pretty good barricade, if it fails its save.

[Magnus]

Hollis's blessing washes over the party, and everyone feels a bit more strong, fast, and lucky. The remainder of the party prepares to face the seemingly inevitable confrontation with the fire giants.

The door shakes with another blow, though the thick giant-sized door seems to hold fast in the condition that it is in.

Just then, a cloud of light colored gas slips under the door. Lorath has arrived! He immediately moves 15' or so north towards the door, and seems to intend to drift upward as well. (Recall that there is a hole in the roof.)

The Valyerian, clearly comfortable in gaseous form, gestures and whispers "Meet at my base camp one mile due west. Look for a large earthen mound."

[Magnus]

Then we'd be adding over a round to meeting up with the Valyerian.

One more question, about this:

The thick, giant-sized door is not destroyed, but clearly won't last another minute or two.

Just to clarify, you're saying it might be gone this round, might be gone the next?

Yes...looks like our posts crossed.

[Zhym]

Gaerys almost lets out a cheer, but stifles it. They aren't out yet.

"Quick! To the door!" cries Gaerys as he guards the party's retreat. As soon as the party is through the door, Gaerys will follow, shut the door, and spike it. Any time he has left in the round he'll use to run.

Gaerys picked up four spikes in the dungeon. I'm assuming he didn't use all of them on the dungeon door.

Attack roll, if needed:
Giantbane (vs. true giant): [1d20+3] = 12+3 = 15 Damage: [1d12x2] = 1x2 = 2+10
A hit, at least, but another crummy damage roll.

[Eulalios]

"Gaerys, you often have set my teeth on edge, but this time I really am smiling. Antheris, Hollis, fall back, we'll follow!"

Kjelti keeps to Gaerys' side as the party retreat, her sword held loosely and ready to strike at a charging giant.

Kjelti THACO 14 (+2 Claymore, spec) atk [1d20+5] = 19+5 = 24 dmg SM [2d4+6] = 5+6 = 11 / L [2d8+6] = 14+6 = 20 Crom! that's a good hit
Kjelti THACO 14 (+2 Claymore, spec) atk [1d20+5] = 14+5 = 19 dmg SM [2d4+6] = 6+6 = 12 / L [2d8+6] = 7+6 = 13 another nice one ...

[sulldawga]

Hollis needs no further encouragement. He's hightailing it out of there.

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Before taking off with his party, Antheris asks the wolves to run about and confuse any tracks they party might leave before catching up with them to run with them to the meet with the Valyrian.

[Magnus]

Date: Autumn, 432 ca., Campaign Day 4
Time: 09:32
Weather: 45 degrees; drizzling
Location: Steading; Upper Level
Magic in Effect: None

***********************************

Lorath drifts upward and out through the hole in the roof. He gets a bit of a lucky breeze, which causes him to accelerate in the direction that he wishes to go.

The party sprints from the storeroom amid the cacophony of crashing and banging against the door the party had blocked off. After the party exits, Gaerys spikes the door on the way out.

Moving quickly through the now-ruined giant kitchen, the party soon reaches the hole in the Steading wall made by the treants. As they look ahead and in front, it appears that their coast is clear, but the destination is not.

Do they head back to the Fist of the First Men to (presumably) join their fellows, content with the knowledge they saved a life? Or do they take up their new friend(?) on his offer to meet him at his safe house?

[Zhym]

Gaerys has too many questions to head back to the Fist yet. He runs due west to the Valyerian's base camp.

[NJWilliam]

Antheris and Blue

Antheris and Blue head to the West with Gaerys.
"Come on, all of us!" shouts Antheris as he feels back at home in the outdoors.

He then shouts louder in some growls and snarls to the wolves, "I need you with us to the West!"

[Magnus]

Amid much barking, growling, and howling, the party and their lupine and human entourage burst through the high grasses and into the forest. The Steading begins to fade into the background as the wolves, bear, and ranger take but a minute to pick up the trail of 4-6 smallish men that went back and forth to the Steading.

It is pretty clear why a group of urbane Valyerian got completely wiped out by the giants -- whatever magical arsenal at their disposal -- given the obviousness of the trail back to their safehouse. Indeed, it appears that Lorath and his fellows were followed by direwolves, hornfeet, and a hill giant. It seems tracks go back the other way as well.

Within 15 minutes or so, a grasscovered hillock comes into view. The trail leads behind it.