IC II

[VonAlric]

Notai

The absense of two of the giants is troubling to the cerves. More troubling is the smoke. She glances around then moves back to where the smoke is thinner. She will continue to look for the other two giants, giving the smoke filled camp a wider berth. If the desire to cough gets too great, she will drop to the ground and cough into the ground to muffle the sound as much as possible. She will spend some time locating the others then return to the party with her findings.

[thirdkingdom]

Notai

The absense of two of the giants is troubling to the cerves. More troubling is the smoke. She glances around then moves back to where the smoke is thinner. She will continue to look for the other two giants, giving the smoke filled camp a wider berth. If the desire to cough gets too great, she will drop to the ground and cough into the ground to muffle the sound as much as possible. She will spend some time locating the others then return to the party with her findings.

Backing away, she circles wide around the camp. After a complete revolution she notes the smoke seems to have thinned; the fire is now burning with more flame than smoke, and she can hear it crackling above the muted growls of the hill giant tongue. The land around the campsite is despoiled and churned. It is likely that the other pair are off hunting somewhere, but she cannot make heads or tails of the marks on the ground, and is unable to determine which way they might have gone. She does find, however, on the northern edge of the camp, what looks to be the remains of Men; broken arrows and shields lie upon the ground, a bloody surcoat of green and gold is half buried in the mud, a mail gauntlet hidden by leaves.

It is now getting late in the afternoon. She has perhaps another hour to linger hear and still make it back to the rest of her party.

http://orokos.com/roll/768685: 1d20 2

[VonAlric]

Notai

Considering the options, she decides to wait as long as possible to see which way the other giants have moved then return to inform the group about her findings, including the items on the north side of the camp.

[thirdkingdom]

Notai

Considering the options, she decides to wait as long as possible to see which way the other giants have moved then return to inform the group about her findings, including the items on the north side of the camp.

Fourthmonth, Nineteenthday
The Giant Camp

Notai waits as long as she dares before returning back to her companions. The two missing giants have not returned by the time she leaves. The journey back is uneventful, and she returns to their encampment as dusk is falling.

Giants return on a roll of 1-3:: 1d6 6
http://orokos.com/roll/768831: 1d6 5

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"If they stay up all night, easier to hit them in the daylight when they're sleeping. I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing where the other two are, though, so we know our camp won't be discovered. I guess we'll hear them coming even if we can't see them, right?"

The mage proposes that the party retreats to a spot where there was no evidence of the giants movement, and camp there. They can attack the giants on the morn.

[thirdkingdom]

Telemachus

"If they stay up all night, easier to hit them in the daylight when they're sleeping. I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing where the other two are, though, so we know our camp won't be discovered. I guess we'll hear them coming even if we can't see them, right?"

The mage proposes that the party retreats to a spot where there was no evidence of the giants movement, and camp there. They can attack the giants on the morn.

Votes on this proposal?

[The_Wanderer]

Agreed although I would say we hit them at dawn (i.e. a little earlier than I interpret Sulldawga's proposal)

[VonAlric]

Attack at dawn is my thought.

Also TK, decided against other post as I couldn't word it right in my head at that time.

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"'Attack at dawn' works for me!"

[shaidar]

Newton

"Agreed, back off tonight and attack at dawn"

[thirdkingdom]

Fourthmonth, Nineteenthday
Hex 237.118

Thus decided, the adventurers retreat some distance and make a wary camp. They are undisturbed during the night except for an enormous opossum -- at least the size of a black bear -- that waddles nearby camp and studies the adventurers with beady eyes. It soon grows bored and leaves the same way it came.

http://orokos.com/roll/768965: 1d6 2
http://orokos.com/roll/769036: 1d6 6 1d6 3 5d6 17 2d6 11

Giant opposum encounter.

Fourthmonth, Twentiethday
Hex 237.118
Early morning

The adventurers rise early in the morning and begin to plot their next course of action.

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

Feargus waits patiently while he hears the plan for the ambush. He reminds Mardan Cy about the wide area that can be destroyed by a fireball and prepares to assault the camp.

[thirdkingdom]

Ninthmonth, Twentiethday
Hex 237.118

The adventurers rise before dawn, gird their loins, and head off towards the north. Upon reaching the spot where they had stopped the previous day there's a roar from the woods to their right. As so often happens, the best laid plans survive only until contact with the enemy. In this case, that happens to be angry hill giants, charging in from the trees and entering melee before the adventurers have a time to react. Two mercenaries go down in a flash; the backswing of one aims for Casfrea's head, but she is able to duck under the blow. The second giant kills two more mercenaries, and gravely wounds another, in the blink of an eye. They're both large brutes, twice the height of a man, wielding knobbly clubs of rough wood.

That was the surprise round. They are in melee. Actions, please.
Random Encounter (1-2):: 1d6 2 There is an encounter, with the giants.
http://orokos.com/roll/769388: 2#1d6 1 6 5d10 22 2d6 5 1d4 2
Encounter occurs 66 yards away, the giants charge.
PCs 1-9, followed by mercs:: 2#1d20+7 22 24 2#2d8 11 8 2#1d29 10 12
The giants can cleave as well: http://orokos.com/roll/769395: 6#1d20+7 15 19 10 25 19 13 6#2d8 9 7 4 7...
That first attack is against Casfrea, and misses! The 4th attack (2nd attack for 2nd giant) is against a merc, so that's one more down. A third goes down, and a fourth is hit but not killed.

[shaidar]

Newton orders Ribar to get the wounded merc out of harms way and try to heal him, if he can do so relatively safely. He then casts Faerie Fire on the giants.

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

"Get back behind the treeline, Mardan". Feargus then charges at the nearest giant, bringing his mace to bear.

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

Casfrea attacks the giant attacking her.

Telemachus casts Magic Missile on that same giant.

[VonAlric]

Gardo

Cursing at being surprised by such large creatures, Gardo moves into action. "Notai, Wulfka! Follow me and focus on one. Flank left!" He charges to the giant that is not engaged with Casfrea. "Hey, you big dumb piece of dirt! You want to fight, take me on, you pathetic excuse for a giant!"

Notai & Wulfka

Grasping their weapons, they move to Gardo's left and try to flank the giant to attack it, Notai trying to use her skirmish to attract the attention away from Wulfka as possible.

[sulldawga]

Gardo

Cursing at being surprised by such large creatures, Gardo moves into action. "Notai, Wulfka! Follow me and focus on one. Flank left!" He charges to the giant that is not engaged with Casfrea.

It makes sense for all of us to focus on one giant. Casfrea and Telemachus are already engaged with one. Why not also attack it?

[thirdkingdom]

Round One

The adventurers quickly regain their senses. Newton casts a spell that causes one of the giants to be outlined in a flickering light, making it easier to see in the early morning gloom. Gardo and Notai both dart in with Wulfka and attack the same giant, but all three of their blows bounce off the giant's thick skin. With her superior speed Notai dodges back out of range of the giant's club. The combined efforts of Feargus and the magics of Telemachus leave the smaller of the two giants. Both Casfrea and Gardo are hit by the giants' clubs. Casfrea feels the familiar rage begin to well up inside her, bringing her almost to the tipping point and boiling over.

Initiative, PCs first:: 2#1d6 2 2
Giant hp: 26-10-9, 39
It's a tie, so PCs with an initiative bonus go first.
Gardo: http://orokos.com/roll/769461: 1d20+7 11 1d8+4 11
Notai: http://orokos.com/roll/769462: 1d20+5 11 1d6+3 9 advances then retreats.
Newton: Casts Faerie Fire. This happens first, but does not affect Gardo's roll. Note that as per the description of the spell on p. 7 of OSE Druid and Illusionist book it only affects one giant-sized creature. We'll assume it attacks the one Gardo is attacking.
Ribar: moves to help the wounded merc. http://orokos.com/roll/769463: 1d20 8
Telemachus: http://orokos.com/roll/769468: 3d6+3 10
Giants attack: First roll against Casfrea, second against Gardo:: 2#1d20+7 24 27 2#2d8 9 8 Both hit. Casfrea takes 9 damage, Gardo takes 8.
Casfrea. Does she rage? Since this happens simultaneously, and the roll is made at the beginning of the round, there's a 1 in 6 chance (rolled twice). http://orokos.com/roll/769465: 2#1d6 5 4 Nope, not this round. http://orokos.com/roll/769467: 1d20+7 14 1d10+3 12 Just miss
Wulfka: http://orokos.com/roll/769470: 1d20+4 5 1d8+2 6
Feargus: http://orokos.com/roll/769471: 1d20+10 18 1d6+5 9 1d2 1 That drops giant #1.

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

The mage casts another Magic Missile spell at the remaining giant. Casfrea continues her assault as well.