Felhammer
2021-09-13, 09:24 AM
https://i.ibb.co/zs6rZJS/Giant-1.png
AGAINST THE GIANTS:
Steading of the Hill Giant Chief
Giants have been raiding the civilized lands in large
bands, visiting death and destruction upon villages,
towns, and farmlands. Entire militias have been
conquered, whole crops wiped out. These marauding
bands consist of mixed groups of hill giants, stone
giants, frost giants, and fire giants, as well as ogres
and other monsters allied with the giants.
Determined to repel the invaders, local lords have
begun hiring brave adventuring parties. The first
few groups didn’t fare so well. Some were crushed
beneath the boulders and jackboots of rampaging
giants, while others went into the wilderness and
never returned. However, a new band of adventurers
has assembled to punish the marauding giants and
banish them from the civilized lands!
With the recent defeat of the Dread Pirate Lazarus, the stalwart members of the Order of Night Sky returned to the capital of Quizarth aboard the flagship of the Principality's Navy - the NSS Pride of the Howling Bay. There upon, Princess Zarna hosted a grand triumph, celebrating your great deeds. Thousands gathered to cheer the triumphant heroes on, as they processed through the City of the Fallen Tyrant. At a masquerade ball, the Princess gifted each of you a single magical item from her personal vault. A token of friendship and gratitude, a rare boon from the monarch. As the party began to wind down, a human messenger burst into the room. He was beaten, bloody and hangered. He bore ill tidings from the Moonbow Marches - Giants have begun attacking the march lands. When the messenger left the Temple of Blue Moon, three towns had already been obliterated. The Princess calmed the gathered nobles and dignitaries, then asked that the Heroes of the Howling Bay investigate the matter and bring the villainous giants to justice. The Archmage of the Tower of Arcane Astrology gathered the supplies necessary to cast the Linked Portal ritual. The Archmage created a glowing circle of sigils on the ground, through which one could see the hazy vision of the Arcane Tower in Farwater, the furthest such tower that has been constructed in the Moonbow Marches. You and your allies stepped into the circle, and were instantly whisked away to that far off place...
A Tiefling woman with red-purple skin and long, ram-like horns greets you as you manifest. "Salutations, I am Orimaia, Wizard of the Fifth Circle. I have been told by the Archmage that you have come to deal with the threat of the Giants..." She pauses and looks mournfully at the ground, "I must warn you, three other adventuring parties have ventured into the mountains. None have returned."
The mage leads the party down a claustrophobically narrow spiral staircase, which opens up to a sprawling library. Seated at a twelve foot long table, are three people. The first is a young woman clad in stark white vestments. Her long, raven-dark hair has been coiled up into three buns. You recognize her as Sanise, one of the Priestesses who serves in the Temple of Blue Moon. The second is an elderly human. His eyes are glassed over, clearly he is suffering from advanced cataracts. He has a long, mangey white beard. His clothes are made from the finest foreign silk but the clothes are threadbare. Beside him is a thick, gnarled staff. You do not recognize this man. The third is a half-orc woman. She has fine, chiseled features and the barest hints of fangs protruding from her lower jaw. She wears a tight-fitting black shirt and pants. Her body is fit and muscular. Around her waste, a wide leather belt has been hastily fastened, two glowing red longswords hang off of it. You recognize this woman as Tamarel of House Strongaxe, Thane Woodford Castle. During the siege of Woodford Castle, the Thane was heinously injured by a poisoned arrow. She beseeched you to defend her holdfast from the Mad Gnolls, while she was taken to the Temple of Blue Moon,so the priestsesses there could cure the magical poison that wracked the Thane's body. Tamarel is a stalwart warrior at heart, who spares little thought or time for politics. She is a frontierswoman, born and bred.
The Thane is the first to greet the party, "Well met friends." Tamarel walks over and personally shakes each of your hands, "The Moonbow Marches are safer by your very presence within them. Come, let me introduce you." She points to the young woman, "This is Sansie, she is the priestess who removed the poison from my body." Turning from the woman to the old man, she continues, "And this is Darak, Guardian Druid of the Mangrove Bowels."
The Thane takes a seat at the table, "The giants from the mountains have been attacking our lands for several weeks now. The giants are violent, unruly and ruthless. They will broker no peace and care little for the suffering of the small folk. The gnollic wars have left the Moonbow Marches in a weakened state, we have not had a chance to even catch our breath, and now this..."
Orimaia pipes up, "From what we have managed to gather, the closest giant stronghold is located about ten miles from here. The hill giants have constructed a large timber fortress there. It serves as their base of operations. We do not know what the giants named it but the locals have taken to calling it the, "hill giant steading". Not the most original or evocative name, if I do say so myself but... Simple folk often use the simplest of names, I suppose.
The Thane lets the information hang in the air for a moment before adding, "As you no doubt know, many mercenaries and adventurers have been sent to attack the hill giant's steading. None have returned. Of those who attacked the hold, several were people of importance.... Including an elven Priestess of Sehanine named Ysildea Wyntris; an aasimar Wizard of the Seventh Circle, named Rygwen; a firbolg druid named Holahana Shornissi; and my nephew and heir, Borumur the Brave."
Sanise cautiously interjects, "All of the adventures and mercenaries are important. Every life is precious but, these four are of great importance to the longevity and safety of the Moonbow Marches. We ask that you take special care while investigating the giants' holdfast. We pray to the Moon Goddess that all of courageous warriors sent to battle the giants were merely captured and not killed..."
Suddenly the doors to the library burst open. An ornery looking dwarf with a fiery red beard and a mithral helmet shaped into image of a doe's head, saunters into the room, "Milady, I was not informed that the latest band o' would-be-heroes had been summoned from your people's much vaunted capital."
Tamarel quietly groans as she stands up, "Friends, this is Brammun Flintbreaker, Dwarf Lord of the Foothills of the Crystalmist Mountains."
"Aye, lass... Erhm, Milady. I be tha' Lord of the Foothills. It be my people that be beaten an' murdered an' taken inta' slavery by those foul, loathsome beasts!" The Dwarf pulls a sack off of his back and lobs it onto the table. The table groans under the weight. "I be offerin' ya' tha' same deal I gave ta' tha' other adventurers - 500 gold for each dwarf safely returned ta' this here town."
Orimaia adds, "The town is well stocked with any mundane gear you may require; and my library here has a few potent rituals that you may utilize. I am told the Guardian Druid has spoken with the local fauna and acquired the use of several elk to shepherd you up to the foothills quickly and silently.
The Thane then continues, "You are the Moonbow Marches' only hope. Through your victory, the Marches will thrive for decades to come. If you have any questions or concerns, now is the time to raise them. Once you are satisfied, I bid you farewell. May you bring death and ruination upon our enormous enemies."
AGAINST THE GIANTS:
Steading of the Hill Giant Chief
Giants have been raiding the civilized lands in large
bands, visiting death and destruction upon villages,
towns, and farmlands. Entire militias have been
conquered, whole crops wiped out. These marauding
bands consist of mixed groups of hill giants, stone
giants, frost giants, and fire giants, as well as ogres
and other monsters allied with the giants.
Determined to repel the invaders, local lords have
begun hiring brave adventuring parties. The first
few groups didn’t fare so well. Some were crushed
beneath the boulders and jackboots of rampaging
giants, while others went into the wilderness and
never returned. However, a new band of adventurers
has assembled to punish the marauding giants and
banish them from the civilized lands!
With the recent defeat of the Dread Pirate Lazarus, the stalwart members of the Order of Night Sky returned to the capital of Quizarth aboard the flagship of the Principality's Navy - the NSS Pride of the Howling Bay. There upon, Princess Zarna hosted a grand triumph, celebrating your great deeds. Thousands gathered to cheer the triumphant heroes on, as they processed through the City of the Fallen Tyrant. At a masquerade ball, the Princess gifted each of you a single magical item from her personal vault. A token of friendship and gratitude, a rare boon from the monarch. As the party began to wind down, a human messenger burst into the room. He was beaten, bloody and hangered. He bore ill tidings from the Moonbow Marches - Giants have begun attacking the march lands. When the messenger left the Temple of Blue Moon, three towns had already been obliterated. The Princess calmed the gathered nobles and dignitaries, then asked that the Heroes of the Howling Bay investigate the matter and bring the villainous giants to justice. The Archmage of the Tower of Arcane Astrology gathered the supplies necessary to cast the Linked Portal ritual. The Archmage created a glowing circle of sigils on the ground, through which one could see the hazy vision of the Arcane Tower in Farwater, the furthest such tower that has been constructed in the Moonbow Marches. You and your allies stepped into the circle, and were instantly whisked away to that far off place...
A Tiefling woman with red-purple skin and long, ram-like horns greets you as you manifest. "Salutations, I am Orimaia, Wizard of the Fifth Circle. I have been told by the Archmage that you have come to deal with the threat of the Giants..." She pauses and looks mournfully at the ground, "I must warn you, three other adventuring parties have ventured into the mountains. None have returned."
The mage leads the party down a claustrophobically narrow spiral staircase, which opens up to a sprawling library. Seated at a twelve foot long table, are three people. The first is a young woman clad in stark white vestments. Her long, raven-dark hair has been coiled up into three buns. You recognize her as Sanise, one of the Priestesses who serves in the Temple of Blue Moon. The second is an elderly human. His eyes are glassed over, clearly he is suffering from advanced cataracts. He has a long, mangey white beard. His clothes are made from the finest foreign silk but the clothes are threadbare. Beside him is a thick, gnarled staff. You do not recognize this man. The third is a half-orc woman. She has fine, chiseled features and the barest hints of fangs protruding from her lower jaw. She wears a tight-fitting black shirt and pants. Her body is fit and muscular. Around her waste, a wide leather belt has been hastily fastened, two glowing red longswords hang off of it. You recognize this woman as Tamarel of House Strongaxe, Thane Woodford Castle. During the siege of Woodford Castle, the Thane was heinously injured by a poisoned arrow. She beseeched you to defend her holdfast from the Mad Gnolls, while she was taken to the Temple of Blue Moon,so the priestsesses there could cure the magical poison that wracked the Thane's body. Tamarel is a stalwart warrior at heart, who spares little thought or time for politics. She is a frontierswoman, born and bred.
The Thane is the first to greet the party, "Well met friends." Tamarel walks over and personally shakes each of your hands, "The Moonbow Marches are safer by your very presence within them. Come, let me introduce you." She points to the young woman, "This is Sansie, she is the priestess who removed the poison from my body." Turning from the woman to the old man, she continues, "And this is Darak, Guardian Druid of the Mangrove Bowels."
The Thane takes a seat at the table, "The giants from the mountains have been attacking our lands for several weeks now. The giants are violent, unruly and ruthless. They will broker no peace and care little for the suffering of the small folk. The gnollic wars have left the Moonbow Marches in a weakened state, we have not had a chance to even catch our breath, and now this..."
Orimaia pipes up, "From what we have managed to gather, the closest giant stronghold is located about ten miles from here. The hill giants have constructed a large timber fortress there. It serves as their base of operations. We do not know what the giants named it but the locals have taken to calling it the, "hill giant steading". Not the most original or evocative name, if I do say so myself but... Simple folk often use the simplest of names, I suppose.
The Thane lets the information hang in the air for a moment before adding, "As you no doubt know, many mercenaries and adventurers have been sent to attack the hill giant's steading. None have returned. Of those who attacked the hold, several were people of importance.... Including an elven Priestess of Sehanine named Ysildea Wyntris; an aasimar Wizard of the Seventh Circle, named Rygwen; a firbolg druid named Holahana Shornissi; and my nephew and heir, Borumur the Brave."
Sanise cautiously interjects, "All of the adventures and mercenaries are important. Every life is precious but, these four are of great importance to the longevity and safety of the Moonbow Marches. We ask that you take special care while investigating the giants' holdfast. We pray to the Moon Goddess that all of courageous warriors sent to battle the giants were merely captured and not killed..."
Suddenly the doors to the library burst open. An ornery looking dwarf with a fiery red beard and a mithral helmet shaped into image of a doe's head, saunters into the room, "Milady, I was not informed that the latest band o' would-be-heroes had been summoned from your people's much vaunted capital."
Tamarel quietly groans as she stands up, "Friends, this is Brammun Flintbreaker, Dwarf Lord of the Foothills of the Crystalmist Mountains."
"Aye, lass... Erhm, Milady. I be tha' Lord of the Foothills. It be my people that be beaten an' murdered an' taken inta' slavery by those foul, loathsome beasts!" The Dwarf pulls a sack off of his back and lobs it onto the table. The table groans under the weight. "I be offerin' ya' tha' same deal I gave ta' tha' other adventurers - 500 gold for each dwarf safely returned ta' this here town."
Orimaia adds, "The town is well stocked with any mundane gear you may require; and my library here has a few potent rituals that you may utilize. I am told the Guardian Druid has spoken with the local fauna and acquired the use of several elk to shepherd you up to the foothills quickly and silently.
The Thane then continues, "You are the Moonbow Marches' only hope. Through your victory, the Marches will thrive for decades to come. If you have any questions or concerns, now is the time to raise them. Once you are satisfied, I bid you farewell. May you bring death and ruination upon our enormous enemies."