The party made their way into the forest and began to travel
in the Frost Peak foothills. This is where they lost their way. They found it
increasingly difficult to follow tracks in and through the forested hills. Hour
and hours were lost travelling one direction only to realize they were off the
trail and needed to double back to where they started. It was several
frustrating hours later when the tracks had been lost again, but they found
something else. Several large shapes were stomping through the forest moving
parallel to the party. It was a party of four ogres carrying large clubs,
makeshift axes and a couple of bulky burlap bags. They were headed west and up
farther into the foothills. The party leapt on their horses and quickly rode
over to attack the beasts.
The adventurer’s leapt to action and laid into the ogres
with daggers, pistol, fists and bow. The
surprised ogres didn’t have time to mount much of a resistance since they were
( somehow ) surprised by four warriors on horseback charging them from the
woods! What happened next was a glorified dust up with the party sustaining
limited damage and the ogres being pasted yet again. These heroes don’t take
kindly to giant types and their associated ilk that was for sure. A quick recon
of the scene and they party found a well-worn trail leading to a large cave in
the hillside ahead. The ogres were carrying more foodstuffs in their rucksacks
as well. They guessed that all this food was to fuel the voracious appetites of
these large creatures. They quickly mounted up and rode off and up toward the
hillside cave.
The party dismounted and approached the large and very
fragrant smelling cave entrance ( think wet earth mixed with bad onions and boys locker room ). As they stood there
trying to devise a plan they were unaware that they were being watched from
within the cave. See for people and horses standing outside of a cave are very
easy to see if you are inside said cave and looking toward the entrance/exit.
The group soon heard the approaching heavy foot falls of two rapidly
approaching ogre sentries. Well it seemed that all their talking and planning
was for nothing. They drew weapons and moved to a more defensive posture. Still
it was only just two ogres right?
Well yes it was, but they put up more of a fight then the
party expected. The rouge took a horrendous hit to the head neck and chest from
a wide arcing swinging club. Even the monk was battered a bit by one of the
ogres, but he was able to shake it off with help from a couple of healing
potions. The quartet of heroes did their best to sneak through the dimly lit
cave until they reached a large and loud chamber.
A trio of hill giants were standing and discussing
something. See nobody in the party was able to understand the guttural language
the giants were using to converse. Where was a dwarf or ½ orc when you needed
one? They always seem to understand the phonetics of giant speak. Well whatever
it was they were saying was deemed “bad” by the party. They opted for a plan
that involved the rouge and monk sneaking into the large room. They would get
as close to the giants as possible. Then they would attack from the shadows.
The farmer turned archer and bard would then rush the room and support with
ranged attacks. The rouge and monk melded into the shadows as the fighter and
bard prepared to rush into the large room at the first sound of combat.
The rouge and monk approached the first of the three giants.
The lumbering creatures were completely oblivious of the approaching warriors
(I failed every possible perception check for
these guys, active/ passive it didn’t matter what kind of perception was
being used. These giants were clueless!). The monk and rouge lashed out from
the shadows at the first giant in the trio. He bellowed in agony as his two
companions stood in shock at the appearance of a human and dragonman from
nowhere. They grabbed for weapons and quickly joined combat. That was when
arrows began to fly from the opening of the room. The bard also unleashed a
blast of scintillating colors at the farthest giant. His weapon arm went slack
as he stood hypnotized by the swirling twirling colors before his eyes.
The monk and rouge did their best to dodge the multitude of
furious swings from the two hill giants still in the fight. Still even a glancing
blow from a giant is nothing to sneeze at. They soon realized that they could
not fight a protracted battle and all survive. Their archer/farmer was almost
out of arrows. The bard had very few and useful spells remaining. Just then he
unleashed a blast of ear shattering electrical energy at the second giant. They
were also splitting attacks between two targets! They had to pull together soon
as a team of they wouldn’t survive the day.
The first giant was quickly laid low under the weight of
fists, feet from the monk, arrows from the fighter and the daggers of the
rouge. As he fell the second giant landed a pair of crippling blows on the
monk. The rouge and warrior increased their attacks, but this hill giant was a
bit more battle seasoned it seemed than the first. It was putting up much more
of a fight.
The third giant was still standing hypnotized by pretty
colors.
As the second giant was laid low the rouge and monk had
taken heavy damage. They downed a healing potion and then advanced on the last
giant. The fighter’s last pair of arrows sank into the creature’s chest. The
was enough pain to awaken him from his hypnotic daze. Seeing his two breather
dead and a party of warriors before he bellowed in rage and with his club,
delivered a devastating blow to the monk. The human crumpled to the ground. The
archer fired his last two arrows. He stowed his bow and drew a small hand axe.
He moved to join the melee not knowing if it was good idea or not. He was a
simple farmer looking to help his family and now he was about to risk life and
limb by diving into melee combat with a giant.
The bard holstered his magical flintlock pistol and began to rummage
through his backpack looking for an item that could possibly save the day. The
monk continued to lay prone a small pool of blood forming under his head.
The giant swung more wildly now. He too was gravely wounded
but so was the dragonman in front of him. He also saw the approaching warrior
with his tiny axe and the elf who had stopped shooting and casting. His simple
mind saw victory and a hearty meal in his future!
The rouge was getting tired of having to constantly dodge
the club swings from the giant. He was bleeding from several wounds and was
pretty sure a few ribs were broken. Just then he dodged a wide arcing club
swing, but missed the fact it was coming back toward him. He was knocked to the
cavern floor his head swimming, vision blurring and possibly his ears ringing.
No, that wasn’t it. This was a song a delightful melodic song………a song that
seemed to staunch the blood flowing from his mouth and ease the pain in his
shattered chest.
The elven bard stood at the entry to the room and appeared
to be playing a small flute. The giant stood with a dumbfounded look upon his
face as the human lying face down in front of him stood and then attacked with
his sword and magical fists. The rouge rushed over and added his blades to the
battle. The fighter even swung his tiny axe into the giant’s meaty thigh. The
giant reeled under the renewed assault from the party. His sudden advantage was
lost all over the account of some point-eared magical song. The giant staggered
sideways as the monk, rouge and fighter continued to hammer attacks at him.
Poison from the rouge’s daggers was now coursing through his veins. The monks
various kicks and punches destroyed soft tissue and seemed to make existing
wounds worse. Then there was that damned flute playing elf! The music was
making it even harder to think. His head was spinning so badly for the mix of
all this that he couldn’t keep his footing.
The last hill giant stumbled over the cooking fire in the
center of the room spun sideways and crashed into the nearby cavern wall. Dead.
The party had survived, but just barely. They took several
hours to rest in the cave. The bard kept watch at the cave entrance as the
fighter helped tend to the wounds of the monk and rouge. After some rest they
searched the cave and found that this was the only room. There they found the
belongings of the giants (boulders, clubs and mostly garbage if you aren’t a
giant) and the spoils that the ogres had been bringing them. Food! They found:
bags, barrels and piles of vegetables, animal carcasses, kegs of ale, and sacks
of perishable dry goods that looked to have been looted from various farms. It
appeared that they were hoarding food but why? Was this for someone or
something larger with an appetite to match?
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