Against Darkness

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

"If someone has Stone Shape we could perhaps enter around back, through a wall. Or we may be able to go around and come down through the other set of stairs. If we have any area affect spells to cast in there, it seems a good time."

[Magnus]

Round 5

The party takes initiative.

Ethan acts first, opening a deep cut in the leg of the manticore with one swing, and managing to fall completely on his face with another. However, before the beast can exploit Ethan's fall, it is overtaken by the swarm of flies summoned by Antheris and then neatly dispatched by Gaerys. Skullcrusher has lived up to its name once again.

The remainder of the party holds fast behind cover.

Ethan and Gaerys brace for a volley of missile weapon attacks from the giants, as each realizes that they are in sight of at least two giants holding javelins. None would come...

Instead, a voice that at once hisses, cackles, and booms calls out ...HUMANS...WE HAVE SHED ENOUGH BLOOD...WE YIELD...WE WILL SURRENDER THE STEADING FOR OUR LIVES...!!!

I owe the group a map, but if you look at prior maps, you will see the secret door leading to the larger chamber...Ethan and Gaerys are in the 10' sq just in front of the secret door. The giants are spaced out equally on the northern wall...Heldga is in the far corner, furthest away from the secret door.

[Zhym]

Gaerys quickly considers his response to the giants' offer to yield. Can the giants be trusted? If the party allows them to yield, would they simply set the giants free, or would they have to find a place to imprison giants? Gaerys's instinct is to kill the giants, for Kjelti, Blue, and the unnamed Watchman. But ending the giants is not so easily done, not the least because a small lake of mud stands between him and the giants.

He ducks back around the corner and gives his companions a questioning glance. What to do?

[Todd Spengo]

Tybalt says quietly, "I cannot speak to their honor but if this is not treachery it is worth pursuing."

[Eulalios]

is that a giant speaking, or a manticore?

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris laughs.
"They either found what they are looking for or plan to trap us."

[Sulara]

Niamah

"Honor? A woman thinks if a people let the creature go they seek others of their kind and return. A people can attack with magic fire yes, and other ways, do not trust."

[Magnus]

is that a giant speaking, or a manticore?

It is Heldga...both Manticores previously spotted are dead.

[Zhym]

"I'm not going for a mud bath," says Gaerys. "If we attack, we need to harden the mud. A fireball might do it, but it won't fill the room. If the giants are smart—and so far, they have been—they'll be in the corners where a fireball is unlikely to reach."

[Sulara]

To be clear, Niamah isn't saying fireball to harden the mud, you harden the mud you give them a way to us, not good if we can use ranged attacks to our advantage, IMO

[Eulalios]

Lorath invisibly swivels at the sound of the giantess' voice. He swoops back to hover near her. (giantish) "This could have gone differently, if that old fool had listened. Now he's dead. The walking dead will eat him. How far can you run? How far will they follow?"

[drpete]

Ethan picks himself up and retreats behind the wall.

"We could... Offer them the chief's gold to help us with the messenger. Or for information. They might go for that. Parlay does mean letting them live, though..."

[Magnus]

ROUND 6

The party takes a moment to deliberate, understandably hesitate to trust the hill giant matron. Ethan and Gaerys retreat out of any potential line of fire.

Lorath circles Heldga, trying to confuse and draw information from her. Heldga hisses: "You no trick me with weak magic. I know you there...you want to know something...ask."

She screams again: "HUMANS...WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN KILL ALL OF US...BUT IF WE FIGHT, NOT ALL OF YOU WILL LIVE...

YOU LET US GO, AND WE LEAVE TREASURE AND HEALING...

[Eulalios]

(giantish)"Right, then, I don't care to fool you. Clearly you're smarter than I was taught to believe. Here's what I want to know: before the steading hall burnt down, had you already lost control of whatever spawned those walking corpses? What is the Messenger, where did it come from, and how do we kill it?"

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

If Antheris can move to where he has line of sight on one of the javelin throwers while still being at range from other giants, he does.
He will then send the insects closer toward the javelin giants.

[saalaria]

"if we let them go in exchange for information we must honour the bargain. But do we even trust them enough to offer this? ...it is a tricky proposition." The cleric ponders on the conundrum.

[Zhym]

"If we do let them go," Gaerys adds, "Perhaps Lorath can stay with them to make sure they actually do leave."

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

"They're probably trying to flank us while we discuss this. Why stop from killing them now?"


I don't have a clear picture where the giants are and whether we have a line of sight on them, that's the only thing that's stopping Antheris from sending in the insects and continuing the attack. He doesn't plan to discuss and dawdle, especially while an offensive spell is running.

[Magnus]

...still in Round 6...

Heldga cackles and spits..."The Messenger...he is one of you!!!"...she cackles again hideously..."Let us go...and the Steading and treasure is yours..."

Map posted below. As you will see, the line of sight is narrow and would require exposing one's self to the giant line of fire. The insects are the small green oval.

Ethan is hugging the wall, so he is safe.

The giants furthest to the east have javelins. The other two have crossbows.

tnrtm2.jpg (358.99 KiB) Viewed 713 times

[NJWilliam]

Antheris

Antheris moves up to Hollis and whispers, "You have a dispel magic left, yes? If we turn the mud back to stone to the north we can make our way to the secret room and leave all giants but one stranded by the mud. I can summon a mist to obscure our movement."