Giants, waiting, giants redux
Subject What next
Harp is surprised to hear Mund agree. " We really have all day to beat this thing. As Mund said earlier, wh shouldn't waste any spells we have that may do some damage to this thing while we still have them available to us today. We will wait here by the door, keeping an eye and ear out for the next 15-30 minutes. Salix, is there anything else you can tell us about these giants that might help up to beat it? Other than it likes to throw rocks?"
From: Karl
Subject Know how
Hmmm, guess it's time to request a knowledge check. Oh mighty DM! What does Salix know?
From: Mark
Subject Know how
Knowledge check 9+11=20.
He does not know much more than he has aleady said. They are fairly simple creatures, stupid and strong. They like to throw rocks, but he probably has a limited supply. He would be out of his usual comfort zone.
From: Karl
Subject Giants
OK, then . . . in character:
"I don't know much, just that in the hills or forest most druids try to avoid them. They're fairly stupid, but very strong, so most encounters with them end badly for either the giant or the druid. If I came upon one in the wild, I'd try to sneak past without a confrontation, or just get away, if the thing attacked. Here, of course that doesn't seem like an option."
After a minute he adds quietly, "I don't like this place or its 'tests'. It seems the most likely to pass are the ones most ruthless and bloodthirsty. I don't like this wanton killing of creatures brought here only for slaughter. Can that giant help it if it's suddenly in a threatening situation without the mental capacity to avoid a fight? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die, and it's probably him or us. I just don't understand the virtue of this whole exercise, if there is any at all."
From: Jason
Subject What next
"I agree with Harp and Mund, that we should not attempt to close with it today, if at all."
From: Kevin
Subject Waiting
"Salix, I am beginning to understand your dislike for this place. At first, I was just trying to accept it, but it is almost too much now. Its like some big bully trying to push our nose in how strong he is. We have done more in the past few days than most groups do in months. I am getting tired of this.
Oh well, back to the matter at hand. While we wait, Surin, you and Ragnar take a look at our escape route a little closer and see if we can set up anything to slow this thing down if it gets through. Mund and Ran, you stay with Allistair and Kal in case you see that door start to give way. "
OOC: This is basically busy work while we wait for the giant to grow bored with beating on the door.
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
Kal speaks up:
"Trust the Gods, Harp. You're a man of the faith, don't let these tests shake that. We were sent here by a righteous being. Trust in his plan. I'm certain that every creature we are killing here he wants dead for other crimes they've commited."
From: Porter
Subject Waiting
"Well, we were certainly sent here by a powerful being."
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
Salix wonders what "crimes" the beetles and scorpions might have committed, but says nothing.
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
"We were sent on a mission by the church to go to this exact place. At this moment we simply have no reason to doubt that we're on a mission of good.
If we were slaughtering women and children I would certainly see your argument, but as it stands we've mostly been killing creatures who have a reputation for being evil. Dragons, Giants and Undead are rarely innocent beasts. I've learned that we shouldn't go around assuming all creatures of this type are evil, but if a God of good sent them here to die, that's enough for me.
But I wouldn't expect you to understand that, Mund."
Kal looks to Harp, expecting him to agree.
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
At this Salix merely rolls his eyes, making no effort to hide it.
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
"Speak your mind, Salix. If you doubt the validity of our mission, why have you been helping all along? It would seem to me the largest fool of them all would be the one who believes he is doing wrong and continues to do it."
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
"I serve Obad-Hai and trust that he has a purpose for me here. As I have said from the beginning, though, if this test requires me to break my vows to appease the creators of this place, we will fail.
"What I don't believe in is your arrogance. You speak of 'crimes' as if 'theft' or 'murder' had meaning to a hungry beetle. You speak of 'innocent beasts' as if every life wasn't directly dependent on the deaths of other lives. You have condemned everything in this place from before we entered the portal. You seem to live to mete out justice as you see it without even a hint that perhaps you are merely mortal and endowed only with a mortal's knowledge like the rest of us.
"Perhaps it will be shown to us that this *is* little more than an elaborate chopping-block for the condemned of your god, but having been given no explicit instruction to that effect beforehand, I'm confident in the rightness of at least *trying* to preserve life when possible. If we're just here for mindless slaughter and destruction, by the gods, we might as well be Orcs!
Salix looks at Harp and blushes deep crimson. "I - I - . . . forgive me Harp. How quickly I forget the lessons I'm being taught." He looks apologetically toward Mund as well, knowing how he has spoken with respect about that barbarian race.
He turns again to face Kal. "I am no fool, but I take my pledges seriously. In this place I follow Harp as I have been asked and as I have promised. If I *must* choose in the gray areas between what I feel is right and what I know is wrong, I am confident Obad-Hai will hold me first accountable to my word. But a fool would be one who accepts his first guess as law, especially if that first guess gives him license to play executioner."
From: Kevin
Subject Waiting
" I must have faith that there is a larger plan or larger reason behind this place, and I hope and pray that when we have finished this, that that faith will be proven correct, and that I will be shown why this had to be done this way.
It could be that the same power that created this place and is bringing these creatures here is returning them alive to where they came from, or will do so after we leave. The writings on the wall in the main room hint that we are to meet with someone called "the master" when all is said and done. I must have faith that our questions will be answered when we get to that point."
Harp sounds like he is trying to convince himself, as well as the others
From: Porter
Subject Waiting
"You know what, it don't matter. We're all going to try to get out of here. We're going to try to do it without kill them as we don't need to. And we're not going to kill each other, because we need all the strength we can get."
"Surin, I'm going to go listen at the door unless you want to do it."
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
"Perhaps the beetle broke some rule of nature, perhaps not. I don't pretend to understand the workings of the Gods. What you mistake for arrogance is simply a deep rooted faith. We are here for a reason and our Gods have a plan. I am simply a cog in their great machine, and so I will act as a cog does - predictably, unfailingly, and tirelessly.
Until I am given a reason to doubt, I will not. Our mission is too important."
After a moment, Kal speaks again:
"Maybe my faith is a failing of mine, however, I can be no other way. The gods have plans and I am but their humble tool."
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
Inwardly Salix rolls his eyes again. Outwardly he simply shrugs and turns his back to Kal. He will not continue this conversation. Already it has made him say things he regrets.
From: Mark
Subject Giant redux
Harp is surprised to see most of the party agree on his plan. However, Salix's distaste is obvious on his face as he explains what little he knows about hill giants to the party.
"I don't know much, just that in the hills or forest most druids try to avoid them. They're fairly stupid, but very strong, so most encounters with them end badly for either the giant or the druid. If I came upon one in the wild, I'd try to sneak past without a confrontation, or just get away, if the thing attacked. Here, of course that doesn't seem like an option."
After a minute he adds quietly, "I don't like this place or its 'tests'. It seems the most likely to pass are the ones most ruthless and bloodthirsty. I don't like this wanton killing of creatures brought here only for slaughter. Can that giant help it if it's suddenly in a threatening situation without the mental capacity to avoid a fight? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die, and it's probably him or us. I just don't understand the virtue of this whole exercise, if there is any at all."
This comment leads to a long heated discussion about the nature of the place they are in and the purpose of the place. Kal and Salix stand on opposite sides of the issue and the matter is not really solved. Most everyone hopes that they will will out some of the purpose of this place before they leave.
The giant is consistent if nothing else. A steady sound of wooden club against wooden door serenades the group for the next 20 minutes or so. During that time Salix and Allistair bring something to Harp's attention. "You know Harp," Allistair says, " Salix is fairly sure that a normal giant would have smashed a normal door to splinters by now. I see one of two options. One the giant is not as strong as he looks. The problem with that is how quickly he killed those hippogriffs. So I would say that option is off the table. The second option is that these doors are stronger than normal. From what Ragnar said when he detected magic, I would put my money on that. Just thought you might want to know. Might come in handy some day."
When the pounding stops the silence is almost startling. However, the pounding starts up again about a minute later. This time though it seems to becoming from further away. "Must have moved back to what it was beating on the first time." Mund says. He looks at Harp. "Do it all over again?" The 1/2 nods. "OK everyone, pretty much the same way as last time, but this time Allistair and Kal, do the mage arrows only." The two casters nod. "Ranthir and Ragnar, you two take up place in the middle of this room, in case we need to call a retreat. Salix, can you summon one more hippogriff?" The druid nods. "OK you stay at the other door. If the giant comes through that door, have your beast try and slow it down while the rest of us high tail it out. Mund and I will act as rear guard."
Ranthir coughs slightly at this comment and Harp turns to face him. "Did I forget something?" Ran smiles a small smile. "Sometimes your desire to lead makes you forget that a leaders place is not always in the front. If the giant comes through that door, we will have to be moving as fast as possible. That leaves you out. I should be with Mund at the door. You should be with Ragnar." Harp starts to protest, but stops himself. After a few seconds he nods at Ranthir. "You are right. Take your place."
The party moves into position, with Allistair and Kal standing by Mund an Ranthir. With a look at Harp, the barbarian opens the door again, just a few feet. At the other side of the room, in the same place as before, they see the giant. Allistair and Kal both chant the mage arrow spell, the words different but the effects the same. Six bright blue bolts of energy leap from fingers and rapier and fly towards the giant. The giant turns, hearing the chanting over the banging sound and as it does all six of the missiles strike it in the head (Damage 22). The creature howls in pain and crumbles to the floor, blood flowing from the large smoking wound in its large simian looking forehead.
OODM: Now what?
From: Kevin
Subject Giant redux
OOC: Charge!!!!
IC: Harp will wait to here something from the group by the door before he says anything.
From: Porter
Subject Giant redux
How damaged does the giant appear?
From: Porter
Subject Giant redux
Oh, he collapsed. I missed that.
From: Porter
Subject Giant redux
Mund whispers "That feller may not be terrible smart, but it don't take too many smarts to play possom. I'm going to go in and make sure that he's really dead. Stay shrarp."
From: Derek
Subject Giant redux
Allistair gets ready to launch another magic missle at it in case it is actually playing dead, although he is pretty confident it's dead. It's hard to fake a large smoking wound with blood flowing out of it.