Giantslayer: The Hill Giant's Pledge [IC]

[lostsole31]

She gets a sly smile and says in Dwarven, <*"And may the trees hug you back and your beard grow in."*>

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar rolls his eyes at the two of them and turns away. "If everyone is ready to go?"

[lostsole31]

The NPCs are ready to go. Aasgar is by the question. Phaevin?

[Admyral]

Pheavin replies, "As an old sea captain friend of mine, Admiral Curq, was fond of saying; 'May the wind be at our backs!'"

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar looks at him, raises an eyebrow and says, ”Fascinating…” before turning to gather his gear.

[lostsole31]

"Before you go," says Ingrahild. "Phaevin, show him where we found the strange floating light. Galakhar told me your band was looking for something like that."

Phaevin, you and the other two dwarves had encountered a will-o'-wisp, also known in some places as a witchlight, but you heard stories that they lead lost travelers in swamp to a soggy death, so you had the group avoid the area. It is to the northeast, and you would remember how to get there.

Aasgar, if you remember, the idea is to get a will-o'-wisp - who supposedly are the spirits of the druids of the Vault of Thorns - to enter your ghostlight lantern to help find the Vault of Thorns.

Does the party head where Phaevin can guide you to a place where a will-o'-wisp was last seen, or do something else?

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar nods his agreement and gestures for Phoebe to lead on…

[lostsole31]

It starts out following a brook north until it curves down, and then the party splits from there to push through thick swampy forests, but without as much streams and brooks as before .... just a lot of mud and puddles and the smell of death and decay. Finally, the party enters a clearing to the northeast.

Aasgar, where do you currently have the ghostlight lantern?

[BuckGodot]

Normally stowed in the backpack. But I feel like once we ventured into the swamp, he would take it out to have it ready.

[lostsole31]

Surprise Round ...

S16: A bright flash followed by the crackle of static and electrical noise and the smell of ozone as something of electricity hit Aasgar in his head (12 mod electricity DDP). Appearing right in front of Aasgar, a faintly glowing ball of light hovers in the air, the nebulous image of what might be a skull visible somewhere in its depths. A buzzing type of voice is heard, shouting in Taldane, "Thieves!"

Begin Round One ....

R1T22: Cici casts mage armor on herself and looks at the assailant. "Will-o-'wisp!" she calls out. "These things are fast and agile flyers."

R1T21: Abenor instantly gets into his long arm stance as he draws his katana out and strikes. The thing is damn fast, like Cici said, yet it looks like Abenor's hit will connect until a similar charge of electricity deflects his blade!

R1T18: Aasgar, what do you do?

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar shifts his footing, draws his axe, and then lashes out at the entity with it. If no one had been looking closely, they may be surprised to see two pincer-like arms coming from Aasgar's midsection that he also attacks with.

Spoiler: Technical Information

Show

SwA: Golden Commander Stance: allies w/in 30' that understand his shouts gain flanking with all adj. allies that are fighting the same foe.

MA: Draw axe

SA: Attack w/ axe using Risky Strike: (1d20+13)[21]
Dmg: (1d12+16)[19]

SA: Attack 1 using Pincer Arms (1d20+10)[17]
Dmg: (1d6+2)[4]

SA: Attack 2 using Pincer Arms (1d20+10)[11]
Dmg: (1d6+2)[6]

Reminders:
Patient Counterpoint (Ex): During his turn, he gains a +4 [WIS] insight bonus to damage rolls whenever his DDP has points in it.

Mystic Attunement [Path of the Seer] (Su): All allies w/in 60' of him gain a +5' enhancement bonus to their base land speed.

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Aasgar shifts his footing, draws his axe, and then lashes out at the entity with it, but misses as an electrical spark knocks his axe away from the witchlight.

Spoiler: Inspiration

Show

Warning roar

R1T17: Galakhar doesn't draw a weapon, but concentrates and then calls out, "My friends, I sense that our meeting with this creature is fortuitous, and it merely defends itself. Perhaps it knows of Silvermane and we can treat with it for our mission?"

R1T16: The will-o'-wisp withdraws to a height of 15' .... out of reach of any weapons. Its buzzing voice is heard, "Where did you get that?"

R1T13: Phaevin, what do you do?

[Admyral]

"What are we accused of stealing?", Phaevin says while showing the creature his empty, weaponless hands. "Surely a discussion is better than a pointless battle."

[lostsole31]

R1T13: "What are we accused of stealing?", Phaevin says while showing the creature his empty, weaponless hands. "Surely a discussion is better than a pointless battle."

"The lantern!"

R1T12: Lucette hides deeper in the folds of Cici's cowl.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Cici says, "We are charged by Silvermane - formerly of the Council of Thorns - of the town of Trunau to go to Ghostlight Marsh and seek out the Vault of Thorns."

R2T21: Abenor looks a little embarrassed. "If I get this right, we were told to ask one of the spirits of the swamp - his fallen brothers - to enter the ghostlight lantern to help guide our way."

R2T18: Aasgar, what do you do?

Galakhar on deck, Will-o'-wisp in the hole ...

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar will lower his axe and hold his action pending the beings response.

[lostsole31]

Initiative Ends!

The creature ceases its attack, and the ghostly image of a venerable human with a bushy beard appears within the creature's glow. "I am Mossmoon, a former member of the Council of Thorns. Why are you in the swamp? Why do you seek help from the Council of Thorns? What is it you really seek beyond the Vault of Thorns?"

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar bows low to the image and says, "You honor us with your time and patience, if you have but a few moments we can recount the tale..." and Aasgar will give a reasonable summary of the events that led them here...

"If I've left anything out, Cici, would you be so kind as to fill in the spots I missed?"

[lostsole31]

"Sounded good to me," says Cici. "All the important bits covered."

Galakhar says, "Well, yes, the important facts are there, but perhaps if we gave more of the story so that our new friend Mossmoon could understand the sociopo-" and here he is interrupted by a firm, a very firm, hand on his shoulder and Abenor whispering to him, "I am an elf, and even I have not the years for such details."

"Ahem, yes, right," Galakhar says. "What the dwarf said."

"Follow me," says Mossmoon, which is always a dangerous thing when dealing with rushlights, but what can you do?

It leads them to another clearing in the marsh containing a strange collection of pale, spongy globes.

"Dead will-o'wisps," whispers Galakhar with some level of respect.

Galakhar's solemn whisper is echoed in its buzzing way by Mossmoon, who informs the party that this is the resting place of the fallen members of the council. "Aasgar Axewielder, bearer of the ghostlight lantern, gently place one of my fallen siblings into the lantern."

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar will look around and carefully select one. With solemn respect and care, he will benevolently place it in the lantern and close the door.

[lostsole31]

There is a larger one that stands out, surely a chieftain or one of the leaders among the druids to have been such a large will-o'-wisp. Aasgar starts to put the willy-corpse into the lantern, and finds that it is difficult. A nervous smile crosses his face as he starts to press against the malforming, spongy body that still sticks out. Everyone is staring at a now-sweating Aasgar, who probably tries to cut the tense silence with a nervous laugh and goes back to trying to force the will-o'-wisp body into the lantern, all eyes upon him.

"That-" says a curt voice from Mossmoon, "was sister Chatterchew. She was a gourmand and a large woman, who in turn was a larger will-o'-wisp. May I suggest one of our smaller members?"

Aasgar now has to work to pull the rubbery-spongy corpse-o'-wisp out of the lantern, and "she" is just as difficult to extricate. Another nervous smile to all with an "I got this" vibe and Aasgar finally tears the corpse out, one half of the sphere dangling wanly to the other.

...
...
...

He daintily puts the mutilated corspe on the ground and pats it for good measure, before picking up a decidedly smaller corpse, placing it in the lantern.

As soon as he does, the lantern lights a lambent blue glow, with a directed beam of light to the west.

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar picks up the lantern and turns back to Mossmoon saying, "Thank you for your guidance allowing us through. Is there any other insight you might be able to give regarding the vault before we press on?"

[Admyral]

"Is this a normal activity for your band to regularly engage in?", Phaevin whispers to Galakhar.

[lostsole31]

"Aasgar Axewielder has been blessed by the gods with fantastic strength and fortitude," whispers back Galakhar. "Alas, the universe seeks a balance."

Mossmoon doesn't answer, and Aasgar follows the light leading the rest of the merry band through the swamp and to the west by northwest (according to Galakhar, and seconded by Abenor).

Finally, the group is led by the lantern to an area where a circle of monolithic standing stones surrounds a central menhir covered in a layer of thick, thorny vegetation. In all, eight formations surround the central stone: five intact trilithons and another three that have crumbled and partially sunk into the swamp’s soggy floor. A large pool gently bubbles to the northwest of the standing stones.

What do you do?

[BuckGodot]

"Everyone fan out and look around. I'm unsure as to what we need to do here..." and he moves into the circle.

[lostsole31]

As Aasgar moves towards the circle, Galakhar says, "Stop. There's something on the other side of the central menhir that is hiding .... it's big."

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar stops and draws his axe...

[lostsole31]

Galakhar says, "If you'd like, I can hold the lantern while you put two hands towards a pressing problem."

[Admyral]

Phaevin draws his bow and notches an arrow, slowly circling to the left scanning and maintaining his distance from the stone.

[BuckGodot]

Aasgar hands Galakhar the lantern and moves to the right to mirror Phaevins actions.

[lostsole31]

Phaevin is followed by Abenor and Cici, while Aasgar is followed by Galakhar and Mossmoon.

The tension palpable, a creature stands up, now visible from the arc that the PCs come in from. She has cold, black eyes that stare out from the fish-like face of her hideous, green-skinned, web-fingered, gigantic form. She must stand around 11' tall.

Begin Round One ...

R1T26: Phaevin, you instantly recognize her as the giant that helped the hag Ewigga. You and the Nargrymkin siblings killed two of the hags, but the remaining hag leader and her giant sent you all running, with Ingrahild cursed with insanity. What do you do?