XP:

Some of you are not participating much, even in the battles.  Please participate more, and you will get more XP along the way (and survive longer).


You gather your strength and begin to plan your next action.  Here is the last map of your current location.



You are in the main cavern (with all the exits):

"In the main cavern, you see a tunnel heading to the west, and as you circle it around in a counterclockwise direction, you find what appear to be two stone doors, one heading west and one heading south.  The stone doors appear to be enormously heavy, and each is connected to a pulley similar to the one by the pit you crawled out of.  Even use of the pulley appears to require significant strength, and this again gives you the thought of giants.  The pulley and door do not appear to have been used recently.  The south door is somewhat larger than the western one.  The west door is about 10 feet wide by 20 feet tall.  The south door is about 20 feet wide by 15 feet tall.  (So south is wide and squat while the western is tall and thin.)"


Junar had fled up to the north.  He was the gnome you spoke to before the screech brought the mother visperillion to you.  The room with the crack to the visperillion eggs was in the northeastern dead end room shaped like a hammer.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:56, Thu 14 Nov 2013.

"If someone will check out the western passage I'll see about the west door."  Borimer sizes up the west door and his own ability to open it.  But then he thinks about it further.  "This door doesn't look to have been used in a while, maybe someone could check it for traps first?"

OOC: Sorry, guys, you should be posting here now.  Also, please make sure to update your characters with the experience points above.  If you level up, let me know.

Malissin checks and finds no traps in the western door.

Chances are, Borimer could single handedly open the western door with some effort, or more easily with some help.  It will take 2-3 people to open the larger southern door.

Hatchman investigates the doors.  They do have faded writing on them, etched long ago.  The writing appears to be in a foreign tongue, probably of giantish origin.  You guess that because the letters appear very large so that it looks almost like a scrawled picture or large scratches than writing.

The doors and pulleys also appear worn, as though they were used quite frequently in times past.  Given your overall view of this area, whatever group lived in these caves apparently used this area for group settings and get-togethers.

You also find giant sized footprints walking around the dirt parts of the areas near the doors, 20-24 inches long on average.  The rest of the floor is mostly bare rock, but you can see the footprints -- now faded -- at certain points.

"Which way did that gnome take off? Gonna open this door now..."

Borimer opens the west door.

Borimer struggles and pushes, and the western door opens.  It was tightly sealed, and you see that some sort of rubberized bee pollen or something was helping seal it.  He is immediately hit by a cold rush of air.  The heavy stone door opens onto a smooth stone corridor that is freezing cold.

It is dark beyond.  There are not even the purplish-pink crystals that add a soft glow to the rest of the caverns around you.

Kahan shines his torch down the corridor to see if there is anything inside.

Answering Borimer's question, Donovan says, "the gnome ran to the north."

The torch reveals shadows.  The inside of the tunnel has ice around its floors, and the shadows reveal what appear to be bodies deeper within.

Hatchman goes in for a closer look at the bodies.  His sword is ever ready.  Whatever was back here was locked with a heavy door, and it must be dangerous.

"Is continuing on a wise idea?" Tahldar as Hatchman enters the chamber.  "I am out of spells and will be unable to help if we find ourselves in another jam like the battle we just finished.  And Malissin is poisoned.  I am of the opinion we should seek the Gnome to see if he can help him, or backtrack to the room with the healing waters to see if lowering him can cure him."

"Continuing may be folly.  This chamber was sealed and contains many bodies.  Usually one does not make the effort to seal a chamber unless something must be kept within.  And by the look of things I would say that whatever must be kept inside is harmful.  To say the least.  I say close it back up and come back to investigate when we are more at full strength."

Keeping a safe distance from the now opened door and it's grisly denizens, Tahldar waits to see what they will do next.

As Hatchman steps in, he finds what the bodies are.  They are some sort of meat storage by the giants who lived in these caves.  The bodies are generally of cattle and other beasts.  They are skinned and stacked.  Some hang from the ceiling.  At the far end of the corridor, which like the others is tall and wide, there is another sealed door that locks in the cold.

Borimer's stomach growls when told of hanging meat in the giant's food chasm.  Still, he nods at Tahldar's words.

"We're not strong right now, I think we need to find that gnome."

Shae says, "Maybe this is a sign from the gods that we should eat.  We have been provided food.  We can rest, eat, and get our energy and spells back to full strength.  There may even be something of value beyond the larger locked door to the south.  Or maybe we can lock ourselves in and then rest in safety.  These are all possibilities.  If we chase after the gnome, we may be running into even more danger at the moment.  I vote we stay here, have a hearty meal, and rest.  Then we find the gnome.  What say you?"

"Our companion requires healing and the gnome may be able to help us.  Otherwise this chasm is as good a place as any to hole up for a while I think, once we're sure it's clear of danger anyway..."

"We can rest first, then find the gnome.  He likely will still be trapped in here too.  If your friend becomes weaker, we should look sooner."

"Resting now seems like a good idea, besides wouldn't Shae be able to prepare something for the poison given enough rest? And since I'm been there being constantly moved around while in that condition won't help him at all"

The meat appears well preserved, though it has obviously been frozen for many months.

You realize as you get a big picture sense of the area you are in that this was a gathering place for the giants before they were driven from the cave system by the visperillion spawning.  It appears an earthquake or some disturbance caused a crack in the large round room that allowed the visperillion to get through, leading to the killing or driving away of the giants from this area of the cave system.

It is obvious that this large area was for gathering, and that the large round area (where the crack in the wall was) was an area used for fires and cooking.  Hence, the pores and cracks in the ceiling were used to let the smoke escape.  They would obviously bring preserved meat to that area and cook it.  You don't know what is south of the large heavy door, but you imagine it has something to do with fitting into that lifestyle.

OOC: SHapfren asked what has happened since the hole.  You simply opened the heavy door to the west and found that it was a large freezer area with stored animal meat.  The enemies are all destroyed.

"This seems like the wisest course of action to me."

Borimer watches for any signs of ambush.

OOC:  I'm assuming (without checking) that you have more than 100 feet of rope.

The party backtracks to the hole where you all first appeared in.  As you travel, you start to put some pieces together.  The first group that was rescued from under the rubble was trapped by some sort of cave in after the giants apparently lived here peaceably for some time without incident.  Then there was something months earlier that caused the rift and opened the cracks that let the visperillion viper creatures get into the giants' "lair" and drive them out.  So there has been very unusual seismic activity (however your characters think of that concept) happening recently.

You carefully crawl back over the rubble that had collapsed on the first group, and get yourselves down into the hole where you started.  The healing waters there heal all of you, except they seem to have no effect on Malissin's disease.  (Everyone is back to normal hit points.)

OOC: Are you resting for the night here or doing something else?

Borimer closes his eyes while the waters heal wounds and soothe tired muscles.  "If there are earthquakes here, this place may be soon destroyed like our home."  He rises and prepares to camp.  "I can take first watch."

I'm assuming we're staying until spells are memorized?

Hatchman says, "I'll take second watch."  The paladin makes preparations, marvelling at this underground area and the healing water which he didn't get to experience before.  "That's the least I owe you for digging us out of that cave in."

Tahldar looks at Malissin with worry.  He had hoped the waters would heal him, but now he does not know what will happen to him.  Gifted as he is with spells, he has no skill with poisons.

Settling down to rest, he hopes a way to heal him will present itself.  Knowing he needs a full uninterrupted nights rest he volunteers for last watch.

OOC:  Tahldar will require being lifted or lowered by the rope as he has no skill with climbing.  Which I'm sure Borimer can handle.  :)  He could cast Fly again but that in my opinion would be a waste of a valuable 3rd spell.  And yes, I assume we'll stay until we recharge spells.

Actually, it's not so easy for Borimer after he got his hand chopped off.  I build into my reckoning that all of this walking, climbing and hoisting takes a number of hours, but assume that you all figure it out eventually.

Right now, my understanding is that you just have a very long rope attached to the pulley at the top which can be climbed up or down, or which can be used to hoist people to the top.

Remember this very large chamber is softly lit by the purplish crystals, but it also has a large pile of corpses in its center, directly under the hole you crawled down.  The pile of rotting corpses had been somewhat crushed and spread when Kahan's earlier "rock to mud" spell caused the rock portion of the blockage to fall down into the pile of corpses.  I am imagining you are using this fallen rock to step on so you are not stepping on top of skeletons and rotting flesh to get to the top.

"You can wake me after your watch, Hatchman.  Would that we were above ground again."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:02, Thu 21 Nov 2013.

Kahan makes sure to look after Malissin before flipping through his scrolls, finally finding the right one. He encants the magical words in the hopes that more magical healing will help.

Kahan attempts the spell but it doesn't seem to work.  What ails Malissin appears to be some sort of foreign disease that is special to Allevia and the likes of which you never saw on Tienna.  You have heard of foreigners going to foreign lands and contracting strange diseases, even if the locals are immune.  Something like that appears to be going on here, afflicting each of you one at a time.

Borimer looks at Mal and then Kahan as he tries to understand their situation.

"We're each gonna get sick...?"

Hatchman says, "I'm not sure if we will get it or not." He explains what they experienced.

Hatchman tells everyone what the DM told them about their knowledge of the disease.  The following quotes his post to us:


The strange disease seemed to set in 1-2 days after arrival here.  It had the following symptoms:

The extremities become dark with pooled blood.
 There are complaints of numbness.
 The lips and throat swell up.
 All this happens within a matter of hours of the first symptoms.

The last symptoms are insanity and pain.  One of your group attacked you in craziness and pain, and you had to kill him.  Another sat down and moaned, scratching at his own throat and stomach and finally stabbing himself to death in the gut.

Then there was Gustav.  He is the one near the giant boulder.  He had been trying to map the caves and was a silent, easygoing gent.  But he complained of the pains in his stomach, vomited, and eventually just keeled over in extreme pain and died.

So far, the three of you have not shown any symptoms, nor do you know the cause.

Being somewhat of a stuffy know-it-all, Tahldar's face lights up with this new information on the disease as it gives him a chance to let everyone know how smart he is.  Sitting for a moment, he gathers his thoughts before speaking...

OOC:  Tahldar knows a bit about Allevia and may have some useful information on what the disease is.  Just waiting for DM feedback.

PM

Asking the group to gather round him, the supercilious mage begins...

"I am knowledgeable on a variety of topics on Allevia.  With Hatchman's description I now have a better idea of what is going on.  Folklore has it that a group of gnomes on Allevia were digging tunnels deep in the earth when they were beset upon by a strange disease, with similar symptoms.  They brought this disease to the surface, and it began to infect livestock, humans, and beasts of all kind.  A powerful mage named Azara came to the rescue."

"There is a powerful healing berry on Allevia called "Lathia" or "Earth Berries."  They grow sporadically throughout the land but in limited amounts and do not survive growing outside the wild.  Some say they find root in magic lines that crisscross the earth, called "ley" lines.  The Earth Berries though a cure-all, could not cure the disease."

"But the mage cast a cure disease spell directly on the berries, and they then were capable of healing the disease for all who ate them.  People came from far and wide for this healing power.  Monks and priests learned the trick and began healing people as well.  Soon, the disease was virtually wiped out."

"Except that sometimes gnomes would bring it back from the depths of the earth.  Only giants, insects, reptiles, and similar creatures were immune.  No one ever knew its origin, its cause, or if it was a curse from the gods, but they knew how to heal it by finding the berries."

Stopping a moment for effect he adds "In my view we must find this Gnome.  He may know more about the disease than I do, and most importantly where to find these Earth berries.  More of us might get this disease and we need to either keep some on hand, or at least know where to find them."

"Then I suggest that after we rest we find our Gnome friend, he's probably still here somewhere."

"Perhaps we should bind Malissin's hands after we get back out of this hole. If he does go insane, he would be much easier to deal with if he were bound. Also he will not be able to injure himself if that were the case. Either way, yes, we must find the gnome. At the very least, he may be able to help us get out now that we slew all the visperillions. Tahldar, do you know any more about this mage Azara? I have an very good feeling that we have already met him before, but under a different psuedonym. The wizard Azaron, or Ashe, was a part of our group for some time. If only we had known his true identity..." Kahan states, shaking his head a little.

OOC: Are you resting in the hole or outside of the hole?  Since it will be an 8 hour plus delay in your progress, I have to roll for wandering monsters, etc.

OOC:  In the hole as it likely will be safer.

You bind Malissin and rest the night.  During the night, he starts thrashing about.  His eyes roll up in his head, and he begins screaming.  You fear he will draw unwanted attraction...but he does not.  Nothing you do seems to help him.  Finally, his lips turn purple, his eyes roll up, and he dies.

OOC: For new players, the three dots "..." usually mean I am making a secret roll.

Borimer rises and puts on his armor, followed by his ebony sword.  This takes time and he curses under his breath repeatedly with his one good arm making occasional rude gestures.

"We need to find that gnome..."

OOC: I will assume you take Malissin's gear as party gear unless you tell me otherwise.

Tahldar looks at Malissin with wide eyed concern, both for his sake and safety of the others that he might draw undue attention.  Blankly he looks at him as he lies motionless.

"Yes, we must find that Gnome or we all may wind up like him." he says in reply to Borimer.  "Should we bury him?  Do have the time?  Digging is generally slow going businsess, made all the worse by our lack of shovels."

OOC:  We would take his gear with us, though reluctantly at least on my part.

Shae says, "My people do not touch the dead of humankind for fear of reprisal from the gods of the underearth that they worship.  We also may contract this curse filled disease if we come into contact with him.  I suggest we approach with caution and take his gear but not his clothes.  What say you?"

To move things along, you take whatever items you want from Malissin, make it back to the top of the "hole," and go back to the point where you fought the giant visperillion viper creature.  So you are now back there, with a freezer full of meat to the west, a large door still closed with the pulley system to your south, and a tunnel leading north, back the way you had come, as long as the other exits noted in the map below:



The two primary points of interest are probably the following:

1) The large shelf-like tunnel that led to the east, which you did not ascend, and instead came south; and

2) the large door to the south that you have not opened.

You take an educated guess that the other western corridor probably leads back toward where you were just at in the hole.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:29, Mon 25 Nov 2013.

Here is the large cavern I mentioned.  It is the large round one on the far east of this passage:

Hatchman decides while the others are taking care of business that he will go back and look through the tunnels to the west to see if there is anything out of the ordinary.  He will not engage or get into any trouble but he wants to basically map out the western part of the cave system before the party heads to the east.  He proceeds with extreme caution.

Borimer ignores Malissin's corpse, instead scanning the area for any signs of their quarry.

"Did the gnome head north? That's back the way we came.  Can anyone track indoors...?"

Yes, the gnome headed north.

Hatchman scouts out the area and maps out the below map.  You are in the area directly above the black area (which is blocked off by the heavy door).

The "freezer" section is the two long east-west hallways with the round room in the center.  The large area to the west of the "freezer" and the round room to the far south appear to be well lived-in areas where the giants lived.  They appear to have taken their things and left.  There are some marked graves where giants apparently buried their dead after visperillion attacks.  There are also two more corpses of the giant, stealthy winged vipers, as well as broken weapons, mainly spears, that are definitely giant-sized.  The large area to the west of the freezer similarly has porous holes in the ceiling and shows signs of having fires burnt there and many old gatherings before the place was abandoned.  The southernmost round room appears to be where they slept.  The remnants of straw sleeping places abound there.

Borimer examines Hatchman's map.

"Looks like we need to head north...maybe he's going to the ascending(?) tunnel in the far northeast of the map."

Didit snarks "wait you mean the path I suggested we took in the first place back when none of us was sick and dying?" she sighed "uff, I swear I'm no cut to be in these kind of situations, I should be on a palace being tended by servants and only worrying about keeping the traditions of my people alive and letting my seniors do the decisions"

"We could try that tunnel, though we'll have to climb up to it.  Which seeing how he is old I suspect he would have trouble doing so.  I'm thinking he might have a secret place that he uses that we haven't found yet." Tahldar says in reply to Borimer.

"Are any of us trackers?  We could try trailing his tracks from where we saw him last."

OOC:  If one of us can track, I suggest we all search for secret doors as we try to follow his tracks.  Starting from the point we saw him last and moving along the north tunnel.  With the tracker in front if we have one.  If we don't find anything then try the tunnel in the NE corner we haven't gone down yet.

Shae says, "I don't think we elves or half-elves are typically all that adept at tracking, particularly indoors.  I can shapeshift up to 3 times per day, but I'm more of an outdoors mountain druid than one who likes being caught in dark, deep tunnels.  We still haven't looked south of here.  It might not take long to see what's trapped behind that door if we use Borimer's strength."  She flashes googly eyes at the warrior.  "Who knows what secrets the giants left behind here."

Borimer blushes at both of the women's words, not sure which embarrasses him more.  "I'll go south if we want to...or north...um-"  He busies himself checking his armor and weapons for combat readiness.

Kahan says a quick prayer for Malissin, feeling regretful that his healing magics couldn't save him but knowing there was little left for him to do. Following after the others, he gives Didit a stern look after she complains of her place in life. "Do you think any of us want to be here? I was supposed to be making my way to a village that had a need for medical supplies before I was taken hostage by giant acid-spewing beasts who aimed to eat me. We've been through hell and back, some of us literally, narrowly escaped an erupting volcano, had to kill a black dragon and a giant purple worm along with a huge turtle, only to have all of our magical items unenchanted by Augmantium. We've been battered, beat, and almost killed on countless cases, and you have the nerve to complain about our pathfinding decisions? I understand being a little frustrated, but nobody's perfect. You're going to have to learn to deal with it or you won't last here. Trust me." the priest replies, clearly not in the mood to deal with snarkiness after losing yet another companion. "But yes, I agree with the concensus of which direction we should head." he adds.

Not wishing to decide which direction to go after where it got him last time, Redmond keeps quiet.  When Tahldar enquirers about tracking, he speaks up.  "I can try and track him, though indoors and after all this time it will be difficult."

The party begins trying to track down the gnome, leaving the heavy door to the south closed, along with the secrets of whatever lay within...

You head north.  The rock floors give you little idea where he went, but in going back to the cave to the west that had the water and the quicksand, you don't see any trail of him, and he probably would have left footprints there.

You then go to the northeastern cavern with the passage leading way to the southeast.  Here you find a broken piece of clay-like earth that must have broken off the wall recently.  It appears your emaciated gnomish friend scaled the wall.

There are ridges in the wall that someone skilled in climbing could handle fairly easily.  Otherwise, you'd need a rope or something to get up to the exiting tunnel.

"I think I'm going there again" said Shapfren "anybody has rope I can tie to my waist and then to a suitable place once I'm up?"

Borimer hands Shapfren some sturdy rope.

standard 50' rope

"Let me give it a go"  Lukas took one end of the rope and tucked it through his belt and studied the wall for a few moments noting where the good hand and foot hole were.  Lukas rubbed his hands together to help heat them up before beginning the climb.

Lukas makes it safely to the overhead ledge and ties down the rope to allow everyone else to climb up.  The tunnel before him climbs steeply upward, turning slightly.  He can't see very far down.  Like the other tunnels, it is very large, wide and tall -- a good size for giants.

While waiting on the others to climb up, Lukas decided to go have a further look of the tunnel especially whats around the turn.  He tells the first that reaches the top, "I'll be right back"  He scurried up the sloping tunnel a bit further

Borimer curses and lifts himself up the last few feet with his one remaining hand.  He stands guard while the others finish climbing and Lukas scouts ahead.

Lukas scouts out ahead.  The passage climbs and curves for a ways and then opens into another giant-sized roundish cavern.  This one has exits to the north, northeast, and southeast.

Like the others, this cavern is abandoned.  Luckily, it is not a stone floor.  It is carpeted with a gentle, smooth sand like at a beach.  You see gnome-sized feet going north.

The rest of the party reaches the top of the ledge and joins Lukas at the edge of the large cavern.

Borimer waits for the others to assemble before leading the way in pursuit of the gnome.

Without missing a beat, Borimer leads the others north.  The gnome apparently did not go far into the large roundish room but instead headed close to the western wall to go north.  You follow.

After a short hike, the cavern widens into an extremely large cavern running east to west.  On the north and south sides of the large cavern are ledges running along its side.  You stand on the southern ledge.  Over the ledge, there is approximately a 50 foot drop to rocks and a shallow streambed.  The stream seems to come from a small entry point to the east and to collect and drain through the rocks on the west side, forming a small pool from which the giants apparently extracted water.  It is a strong stream with a heavy flow into the pool.

Two large rope ladders, far larger than human sized yet usable nonetheless, hang over the east side of the ledge toward the stream entrance.  Two identical ladders hang over the north side.  Empty sconces of giant proportions line the walls both at the top of the ledges and near the stream bottom, each one about 8 feet off the ground.

From where you stand, there is no discernable exit, unless the gnome climbed upstream through the hole at the bottom of the east wall.

You lose track of the gnome footprints at the nearest ladder.  He apparently went down.

(NOTE: You will need to make a dexterity check to successfully use the large rope ladders due to their size.  Small characters must roll at a -1.  Rogues may use a wall climb check with a 15% bonus instead.  If you climb up the hole to go upstream, modifiers will also apply there.)


This message was last edited by the GM at 00:03, Tue 03 Dec 2013.

"I won't make it down safely I'm afraid." Tahldar says as he looks dubiously at the rope ladder.  "Can someone lower me down via rope?" he asks of his group.

Also, if you miss your dexterity check, you will need to roll a d100.  Every 2 rolled is how many feet you fall, rounded up.  Example: If you roll a 40, you fall 20 feet; if you roll 100, you fall all 50 feet.  So even if you fall, you might not get hurt, or you might get very hurt.

can borimer lower him down by wrapping the rope around his one forearm and using his one hand from the other arm? if not he is probably strong enough(?) to lower tahldar down using only one arm and hand

He can do that.  This is not a major game issue at the moment.  Just remember that what goes down must go up -- at least in this case maybe?

Borimer considers the situation.

"Do we want to continue following the gnome or do something else?  Head back and check out that other giant door?  I'm good with whatever we choose, but the trail here is getting a bit harder."

Lukas made his way over the edge getting down on his belly.  He look down to the area down below looking for signs of activity.

Perhaps only some of us could look on a bit further.

"It's mostly just an inconvenience.  On the way back those that can climb well will go up first and help those that can't.  Plus we can leave the rope tied here which should help on the way back.  Assuming we will return this way."

OOC:  Leave a rope tied by one of the rope ladders.  Have those that don't climb well get lowered down first, which may include Borimer with his one hand?

I would lower down the heaviest first (Borimer), then work to the lightest (Tahldar).  Leaving those that climb well to make their way down last.  On the way back reverse the order.

I could use magic to get down and back again, but I'd rather save my strength.

There is no sign of the gnome below, though it's hard to see from 50 feet up and after you have had a full night's rest after he long since disappeared this way.  The waterway below is also a stream.

But after getting lowered, there does appear to be a gnomish footprint in the bank of the stream, as though he walked directly into the stream.  From there, you don't know if he went east or west.

OOC: No problems with everyone who wants to getting to the bottom.

"I think we should split on our search" said Shapfren "We don't really have the luxury of time with this one, we must hurry to find that cure for Mal and I don't want to remain inside these tunnels anymore than necessary."

Tahldar shakes his head in disagreement with Shapfren's suggestion.  "You and Shae nearly died the last time we split up, I myself don't wish to wage a two front battle again.  I suggest we go east as a group and if we don't find him then head back west.  I know it will take a little longer, but we are stronger together and more likely to put down any threat without excessive risk and rampant spell use.  Which would force us to rest and waste a lot of time."

OOC:  Let's go east and if we don't find the gnome go west.

Lukas offers to go down and follow the tracks.  "Isn't there some sort of tracking spell that could tell us the direction he went?"

Shae says to Shapfren, "I don't think Mal needs that cure now since he died this morning.  But we are all in danger of catching it.  I will go down with Lukas and see if I can find anything."  Shae will go down and look for clues or tracks of the gnome.

Lukas and Shae go down and begin searching.

There is no sign of footprints.  Apparently, the gnome went into the water either east or west.

Lukas examines the eastern area where the stream is coming from. There is a small tunnel about 5 feet high and 6 feet wide that leads upstream.  The stream is about 1 foot deep (leaving about 4 feet of clearance) and flows fairly quickly.  Just on the inside of the tunnel is another one of those cranks to turn a pulley.  This one is connected upstream to some sort of dam-like system.  The stream follows a spillway over the dam, which can be lowered or raised to control how much water enters.  It is currently lowered almost all the way, leaving about 2 feet of clearance over the water.

(The pulley requires a combined 400 pounds to move.  It is very difficult and everything it is connected to is made of rock.)

Shae begins looking at the western end where the water pools.  The water itself is fairly cold, and would induce hypothermia if over a minute or two were spent submerged in it.  However, there appears to be a tunnel at the bottom of the pool which is about 4 feet in diameter. It is surrounded by rocks and difficult to see from her vantage point.

The pool itself goes down to about an 8 foot depth (where the tunnel is), and you can tell that this is where the excess water drains, so there will be an eddy pulling you toward the hole and making it difficult to make it back up without assistance.

So your best guess is that the gnome either squeezed through the small gap by the spillway or swam through the tunnel in the water.

Borimer peers at the east side and sizes up the pulley to see if he thinks he can manage it. He blanches at the small tunnel. "Getting there's gonna be fun."  He looks at the hole in the bottom of the pool.  "I could hold someone on a rope, pull them back up..."

no access to books atm, not sure if borimer's strength is enough for 400#

Kahan looks around, deciding that if someone was to go down in the pool of water they would need a source of heat to warm them back up lest they lose another party member to hypothermia. "Does anyone wish to try to fit down there? I would do it, but I think having your healer sacrifice their life to find a missing gnome is a bit unworthy of a cause if you ask me. No offense of course." Kahan states, issuing his apology to their mysterious new party member. Perhaps he was stuck inside the queen visperillion? Who knows...

Tahldar look east and west.  His mind seems to be pondering what to do.  After a time he says "The Gnome stated he heard us making a racket when he found us.  It would seem if he swam down into the tunnel into some secret place he wouldn't be able to hear us between the water and rock around him."

"I suggest someone try to squeeze past the dam and see if there is anywhere it looks like he could go.  Preferably someone with some tracking skill."

Kahan ponders the situation some more as well, responding, "Well, the water must run somewhere. Perhaps if we could cut the flow of water the gnome would come up?"

"Let's make that the backup plan.  If nothing is found east in a search over the dam, we'll try to lift the dam more with the winch so that the water recedes away from the tunnel west." Tahldar replies to Kahan.

Borimer nods.

"Who can track...?"

"Donovan can, though I don't think he should go alone if he's agreeable to go." Tahldar say in reply to Borimer.

"I'll go with him, you're right."

Borimer prepares to go with Donovan to track the gnome.

"Based on what I'm hearing I would think that upstream would be the most logical direction" Lukas made his way upstream, to the dam and check to see if he could squeeze through to the other side.

In reply to Tahldar of Tyrannia (msg # 79):

Hatchman says, "I think your statement assumes he has some sort of lair that he is holed up in.  And that there's only one entrance.  I also fear that the poor gnome is in trouble, given that his entire family was used as dinner.  It is our divine obligation to try to rescue him, even if it puts us in peril."  The paladin goes down the ladder.  "If anyone is a good swimmer, they could have a rope attached and swim to see if there is anything on the other side.  I'm sure we are strong enough together to pull him back.  You see, the easiest path for the gnome is to go downstream, the path of least resistance, especially if there is something on the other side."

Hatchman will follow the party's lead going either way.

"I vote for staying dry if we can help it"

 Redmond is still confused by the  new world  around him.   He wonders if the old logic even applies here.   He is happy to be led,  for a time.  "I will track the gnome wherever you guess it's that it is most useful."

OOC: So from what I understand, Donovan and Borimer are going to climb up the waterway east to find the gnome.  They will have about 2 feet of clearance between the water and the ceiling.  The rest of their bodies will be submerged as they climb against the current to the east.  (In other words, neither direction will be "dry," as someone indicated.)  Lukas also indicated perhaps going that way.

To be clear, anyone can fit through through the opening going east.  They will just be left with not much clearance between their heads and a steady flow of water that they are climbing up against--once they get over the spillway.

So past the "dam" the tunnel is 5 feet high, 6 feet wide, and 3 feet deep in steadily flowing water.

From what you can tell looking upstream as much as you can with whatever light you can muster together, it looks like the flowing water comes from the east but then curves around to the right (south), so its source would be somewhere uphill and to the right.  It seems fairly consistent in being 5 feet high, 3 feet deep in water, and 6 feet wide, though it is a natural cave, not hewn out of the mountain.

If Borimer, Donovan, and any others are going east, Shae will follow, her spear ready, not just for enemies, but also to probe around the sides of the tunnel for dangers or anything of interest.

OOC: Tahldar will follow Borimer and Donovan, but at a healthy distance.  And he will stop if he feels he's physically at risk.

Tahldar is a wisp of a man and he is not well suited for endeavors of a physical nature.  :)

The party moves east up the stream and over the spillway.  (OOC: I will assume everyone goes, but you can have your character stay back if you want.  Just put it in your next post.)

You slough through the water, getting soaked up to your necks.  It is very cold but not anything you can't deal with.  The tunnel climbs upward.

About 50 yards in, you find yourself standing in a basin, treading water because the floor gives out to a pool of water.  The water is flowing in through a small waterfall from a tunnel about 5 feet above the surface of the water.  This basin holds the overflow of water apparently.  You don't know how deep the basin is because the water is constantly moving and it is very dark.

But conveniently, there are rungs to climb up to the waterfall tunnel and continue your trek south if you want.  The rungs are set deep into the wall and are giant sized but not unmanageable.  The giants must have sent their smaller folk or non-giants in here for maintenance or whatever they needed--perhaps cleaning or filtering.

The tunnel to the south is about the same size as the east-west tunnel, but it has far less water flowing out of it, perhaps only about 6 inches deep.  You can't see exactly where it goes from here.

Hatchman will climb up and see what's down the tunnel.

Borimer watches Hatchman's progress in case of ambush or other nastiness.  He glances about occasionally to check the dark water of the basin that may be hiding...dangerous somethings.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:36, Tue 10 Dec 2013.

Lukas will follow behind Hatchman "You seeing any signs of the gnome?"  He will keep an eye out for any possible signs

Redmond looks for signs of recent passage before the group tromps over the tracks that he's trying to track.

Hatchman leads the way.  About 20 yards in...(roll missed)...Hatchman fails to notice something under the water's surface.  He...(roll missed)...steps on spikes that have been wedged into the rock below the water.  Although his footwear absorbs some of the potential damage (which would have been more extensive had he been a giant on its knees), his foot is still injured as it is punctured by a makeshift spike.  (3 dmg. Roll missed:  Hatchman must hobble along with a wounded foot until healed in one day or magically.)

Borimer helps the paladin out of the trap with a watchful eye towards ambush.  Always wary of the ambush.

"I think we should heal his foot before continuing on." Tahldar says in hopes one of the parties healers will heal Hatchman.

Shae will step in and cast cure light wounds on Hatchman's foot.

"Let me lead the way," she says, moving forward and probing with her spear for other traps.

Borimer follows Shae with his one hand on Chianta's hilt.

Lukas will lend a hand in helping to look for possible traps.

The waterway continues to slant up, and you are climbing against water from the far side.  You eventually come to an open area that can be best described as some sort of cistern.  Water falls like a waterfall from an opening in the southwest area.  You are not exactly sure how deep it is because your feet do not touch the bottom and it is too dark to tell for sure.  The entryway/waterfall at the southwest corner is the same as the other ones (about 6 feet wide by 4 feet high), and it is about 4 feet off the surface of the cistern water.

On the west side, there is a wooden structure like a false wall.  It sticks out about 2 feet from the stone wall behind it and you can see metal clasps at various points around its side.  It takes you a moment before you realize that this wall pushes in and out to essentially raise the water level and force more or less water down  into the lower cistern you just exited before the trap.  You come to the conclusion that there is probably a crank or pulley system somewhere beyond the wall that the giants use to move the wall and control the water levels.

i dont understand which part of this map we are at currently

OOC:  I believe we are coming in from the north.

Yes. You are coming in from the north.  I purposefully am only giving you portions of the map because it is supposed to be a little maze-like, and your characters would not know how close/far they are from other areas in the giant caverns.  Also, there was a clue to getting out in the original note on the dead man who had been tracking the moves they made.

Hatchman will go to the fake wall and try to look behind it to see what he can see.

Shae will go to the waterfall and peer inside to see if she sees anything down the next corridor.

Borimer watches for any signs of danger while the others explore the area.

It is very difficult to see behind the fake wall because it has very little space around the sides (since it is like a plunger).  Hatchman feels around behind and feels a rubbery, bladder type of thing that was put in place to keep water from backflowing behind it too much.

Shae looks past the waterfall area.  She can't see much, but she faintly hears voices.  The sound of the water is drowning them out, but they are deep voices, and there are at least two people.  The language is unknown, and the distance is unknown since the sound carries across the water.

However, Shae notices that the stone around the top of the waterfall corridor's "ceiling" is uneven, with a straight cut crack that indicates a moving stone.

"Let me take a look at that Shae." Tahldar says as he moves to inspect the crack.

OOC: Tahldar will search for secret doors with his elven eyes in and around the crack.

"Damn giants." Borimer mutters to himself, tightening his grip on Chianta's hilt.

There are no secret doors, per se.  Instead, it looks like another device for controlling water flow that is likely controlled by a pulley somewhere.

The voices become suddenly silent as Tahldar is inspecting the crack and talking to Shae.

Then one of them says one indistinguishable word which could be "NOW!" or "GO!" or something, and the ceiling of the area above the waterfall pivots down to block your exit.  Simultaneously, the stone ceiling area from where you just entered also pivots down, locking you inside.

The water flow slows to about a gallon per second as it gushes around the cracks in the "trapdoor" blocking your escape (south), but now it is not draining at all.  The pivoting trapdoor from which you entered (north) is much more flush against the wall.

Even worse, the false wall to your right (west) begins pushing inward.  This will have two effects:  It will raise the water level around you very quickly; and it may crush you against the wall to your left (east) as the water flows around its cracks to the rubberized bladder behind it.

2 minutes until you are crushed...

Noting the change in their situation, Tahldar remains surprisingly calm.  Turning to Kahan he says "Care to use that stoneshape spell of yours on the rock that shifted down to allow the water to keep flowing?  I can shrink this wall that is pushing towards us while you do so.  But my spell might be enough though so you might want to save it."

OOC:  I am assuming behind the western wall is where the voices were heard?

Borimer pushes his shoulders against the incoming wall in an attempt to slow it while the spellcasters do their stuff.

Donovan, not knowing what else to do, tries to help Borimer in what he thinks is a futile task.

Kahan replies, "I can use my rod to save you from having to use your spell, if you would like. Of course, if we end up not needing your casting later, I would greatly appreciate it being replaced if possible." He reaches into his haversack and effortlessly pulls out the rod and his explanatory book, getting ready to cast it unless someone says otherwise.

Tahldar looks at the sliding western door and decides more than one Reduce spell would be needed to effective neutralize it.  He would love to shrink the southern rock wall blocking their passage, but he knows the sliding door will soon make it impossible to go that way.  There just isn't enough time to do what he would like to.

"Well at least we know the Gnome didn't come this way and perhaps we can slip in behind the western wall when it passes by." he mutters as he instead casts his reduce spell on the northern rock wall blocking the way from whence they came.

OOC:  I will cast reduce on the northern rock wall.

The false wall is moving quickly toward you.  The water is being pressed up and you know it won't be long before you are completely crushed or drowned, most likely the former.

Borimer and Donovan begin pushing against the false wall, but their attempts are in vain.

Kahan and Tahldar begin casting.  Tahldar's spell reduces the size of the false wall by 70%.  It is now more like a rudder.  Behind it is a black bladder full of water, lined with metal bars that are pushing it outward.  The black bladder goes in and out of a large depression in the western wall that you could go into, though you would be getting soaked.  The false wall collapses because it is too small for its metal supports.  The bladder becomes wobbly because it is half-filled with water.  The metal bars continue to press out, though they are about to tear the bladder a new hole since they are no longer connected to the wall.

Kahan manages to cast a spell on the stone to the passage leading south, warping it like he did previously when you were trapped in the giant pit.

There are now two potential exits:  the hole behind the giant water-filled bladder or the gap left to the south.

The waterfall again starts to pour into the gap from the south.  This time, however, it cannot drain down to the north (from where you entered), so the room is starting to fill up with water very quickly.

Tahldar cast's another reduce, this time on the northern wall to allow the water to escape.

The attempt is successful.  The water gushes out.  Luckily, the undertow doesn't pull anyone under.

Hatchman gets into the new hole where the fake wall was and goes deeper inside to investigate.

You again hear the distant voices start up and stop again.  They appear to be talking and then listening, but their voices are mostly drowned by the flowing water.

Hatchman finds that the passage behind the false wall, which is like a huge trough or cistern, leads back (west) in a straight line for perhaps 30 feet (the same as the width of the room you now stand.  There are some metal bars related to the protracting and retracting of the bladder and false wall to regulate waterflow, and by all appearances, the giants would collect water from the bladder when it was retracted.

But now, with it protracted, he reaches the end of the "bladder" part of the trough and can't get around it, though it would be subject to tear with sharp edges if you wanted to see what was beyond.

The south passage is also clear for travel.

Shae climbs up onto the south waterfall platform and begins sneaking south to see if she can see more about the people talking.

"Cut through and see what's on the other side," Redmond tells his friend.

Borimer watches Shae's progress, keeping tabs on Hatchman as much as possible as well.

Hatchman begins hacking through the bladder trough with his sword.

"Be careful Shae.  Though I did not understand what they were saying, that was Giant speech the voices were using earlier."  Tahdlar whispers.

Tahldar sticks behind the group as he waits for the others to search out the way ahead.

Shae returns a few moments later to report that there were some giants but they seemed to hear a noise and leave.

Meanwhile, the noise they appear to have heard was Hatchman slicing through their watering trough.  The moment he gets through, he sees three giant humanoids staring down at him from a platform above.  They stare at him a moment, holding spears as long as poles at the ready.

One of them says in a quizzical tone:
[Language unknown: "Hitio rom dayre unou virin naie llcaac."]

Tahldar's ears perk up at the sound of the foreign tongue.  Moving to where Hatchman is, Tahldar gets closer to allow him to reply, but stops short of giving the Giants a clear view of him as he is constantly aware of his lack of stature when compared to lets say someone like Borimer.  He likes to think though that whatever he lacks in size and strength he more than makes up for it with his mind and magic.

Responding to the Giants in kind with a slightly accented version of the language, he says:
[Language unknown:  "Dayconect omhoic!  Os ai round il Undlarson.  Ss li p iouonsder trti wa tonama ersti.  Ri ortit and me lat.  M k nistei t lewh ivbepo sonho ileldinaus p entar thuncence paac wh heheet terthuect wasethch niilee etmoes.  Sius un ientncle a ivouin anca nti il liut ce."]

The giants pause a moment, then say: [Language unknown: "Haoul thi linsi ch.  O tofock ut larwitome na rat."  "T nceklo,"] says another voice.

Tahldar looks a bit stunned by the response.

[Language unknown:  "Nttic, teugh oul ck nocom allintast e U li u hatsondayure larur ro dineardin.  St nce k Ti ich ec erarch el ishi?"]

He turns to the others and says in a rushed voice, "I said we were not an enemy of the Giants and as a token of our friendship we killed many of the snake creatures below.  They want us to go with them to judge our sincerity.  I suggest we go.  It's a risk but we are strangers and I get the impression the Giants are running things around here.  So we should try to befriend them if we can."

His body tenses as he adds hurriedly, "There's little time.  We need to decide now."

"Yes, let's go. Next time we have free time you really must teach me their tongue." Kahan replies after moving to where the elf is.

"Damn giants..."

Borimer keeps the ancient ebony obsidian-like artifact sheathed but with his one hand near its ivory hilt.  He moves forward to either support Hatchman or take the lead himself in guiding the giants to their tokens of good faith.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:01, Tue 24 Dec 2013.

Shae stays to the shadows from the tunnel.  She is no rogue, but she will follow a ways behind, exiting from upstream instead of through the trough thing.  She will keep her presence secret as long as she is able.

You climb up out of the water.  The three giants watch as your dripping wet bodies come over the edge.  The 20-30 foot tall ceilings of the cave suddenly do not appear quite so high.

The giants stand about 14 feet tall, each weighing at least 3000 pounds.  They appear to be impressive foes, with a slight simian and barbaric appearance.  Their arms appear overly long, their shoulders are stooped, and they have low foreheads.  They appear heavily muscular Their skin color is reddish brown with straight black hair.  They are all male, and they all have heavy beards but no moustaches.  They have pot bellies and are clothed in rough hides and skins.  Two of them carry spears as long and thick as tentpoles with spearheads carved from obsidian.  The other carries a large club bigger than a man.  They each have long sacks at their side which appear to hold...rocks, yes, rocks the size of a man's head.  Their reek is nauseating, and you reel from the stink.






They seem to be talking amongst themselves, unaware or too stupid to remember that at least one of you speaks their language.  One of them says:  [Language unknown: "Assi atilarhis theershas was e prewe ichredill."]  Another indicates Borimer and says: [Language unknown: "Patha sa nall iou wi vortinver utch o latfi noiodi."] [Language unknown: "Erehouard, o wiwe wehat maee neathi m ivead ioanet.  Chil artsetnde no not,"] says the third.

They appear to contemplate you, looking from one to the other in turn.  Then one sees Lukas and says: [Language unknown: "It en earessove wi itprpr.  Menaveint t usndom.  Iv ee ughivehis ll teenc shentiday at ic."]

The one that seems in charge says to you in a commanding tone: [Language unknown: "Of wiliouset ac."]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:25, Tue 24 Dec 2013.

Tahldar listens intently to the Giants speak and is visibly aghast at what they are saying.  Quickly he whispers in common "They intend to eat us and feed me to a bear.  They command us to drop our weapons.  We need to fight.  Borimer on your mark we all act."

OOC:  I will cast mirror image once the fighting starts.  I rolled for a total of six images.

Lukas comments to the others, "I've seen bigger, and they really do need a bath"

Borimer steps forward with arms raised and acts as though he's going to disarm before rushing the largest giant and taking two hard, fast strikes at his belly.

Donovan takes his two blades and slices at the nearest giant.

Kahan begins waving his Rod of Apsorption and reading his book.

The following "to hit" modifiers will constantly apply, but I will use them so don't incorporate them into your rolls:

-2 to "to hit" rolls (not damage) due to the effects of the extreme stench of the giants.

-1 to "to hit" rolls due to their superior leverage (height) over you, unless you gain the higher ground or attack from the rear.

I will assume everyone is attacking using their weapons at hand unless they post another move (i.e., for those who have not posted recently).
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:32, Thu 02 Jan 2014.

Shae is still hiding in the shadows behind the giants.  She will only let her presence be known if it looks like there won't be any surprises.  Her intention is to make sure she can follow if they are taken prisoner or decide to follow the giants.

Hatchman will attack with the others.

Shapfren hadn't spoken, she just kept feeling bad about being trapped on this awful place. "This is not fair! I'm a princess, I should be safe and warm somewhere nicer than here, these ugly smelling barbarians deserve to be punished for daring to want to eat me!" she began performing the same fast and contrasting tune she had used he day before on the eggs, hoping to aim it somewhere closer to the giant's heads.

Fireball
Sorry for lack of posting, holidays...

This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Sat 04 Jan 2014.

Is she going to give warning to those engaged in melee that she's casting fireball within 10 feet of them?

The place is very big and so are the giants, aiming for a space far enough from us and close enough to the giants so they get the full effect while mostly shielding us from it. besides can't sing and talk at the same time

I'll assume you are aiming at the 25 foot tall ceiling just slightly up and behind them.  I haven't done the math or looked at the rule/radius yet, but that gives you the best benefit of the doubt.

You engage the giants in battle, gaining a surprise attack on them.

ROUND ONE

Borimer makes two strong attacks against the unsuspecting largest giant, which seems to be the leader.  He makes a critical attack that actually misses its belly and slashes into its right thigh.  Blood gushes out of the wound.  (75 total damage, Critical effect = major bleeding, 1/2 move.)

Tahldar casts mirror image, and six replicant Tahldars appear around you.

Shapfren begins casting.

Donovan attacks the largest giant with his two blades.  Unfortunately, the giant dodges the swipes now that he is onto your attack.

Kahan is reading a spell to cast on the largest giant.  The leader is reduced to a size of under four feet tall.

Shae continues to hide in the background.

Hatchman attacks with his sword.  Both his slashes also miss.

Lukas attacks and makes a critical hit with his short sword against the leader.  (14 hp dmg.)  His sword opens a vein in the left leg.  (Coincidentally, Lukas' critical hit roll was exactly the same as Borimer's, except on the other leg, so now both legs are spouting blood in profuse bleeding.  1/4 move for the leader now.)

Shapfren's fireball explodes near the ceiling, blossoming down.  The part can feel its warmth, but none are injured.  The giants, however, are not prepared for such a magical feat and take massive damage to their heads and shoulders.  (All failed saving throws.)

The leader, due to his reduction in size, does not take damage from the fireball.  The spear holder takes 15 damage, and the club holder takes 26 damage.  Their hair is literally burnt off their faces, and they are completely bald and scalding as they cry out in pain, but giants have always been known to have a high tolerance for pain, and this redoubles their efforts.

The large spear is thrust by the spear holder leader at Borimer, striking him cleanly and hard in the left arm.  (Critical hit=34 damage; Left arm skewered and destroyed; Arm destroyed, no move/attack, major bleeding.)  Borimer has to fall back as his left arm is completely removed from his body, the same arm where he lost his hand just a couple days earlier.  His ruined shield falls to the ground, and blood pours from the wound.  He is unable to attack as he drops his sword, reaches over, and tries to stop the bleeding.  (FYI, the critical hit roll was for left arm and a roll of 12, which result is posted above.)

The club holder swings at Donovan but misses.  The Leader swings at Lukas and hits, but his reduced size spear only does minor damage.  (4 hp dmg.)

Giant 1: 76/165 hp (Currently: 25 due to reduction spell, plus he is at a 1/4 move, is bleeding profusely, and has lost his strength bonuses; his spear was also reduced in size.)
Giant 2: 108/123 hp
Giant 3: 97/123 hp

OOC: This was a hard one to work out.  I had to work out the timing of the attacks and the spells, particularly due to the reduction spell, and also taking into account Kahan prepping a wizard spell on the rod of absorption.  The dice were unfortunately not rolling in your favor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:52, Tue 07 Jan 2014.

Talhdar screams out "NO!  Kahan help him!" as he witnesses Borimer's horrific injury.  Wasting little time the diminutive elf begins casting anew.

OOC:  Tahldar will move to find a spot to line up the two remaining large giants, even if this puts him in harms way.  He'll rely on his images if need be.  He wishes to cast lightning bolt on them both, but not hit anyone in the party.  I'm not sure what spell Kahan cast on the giant, but if it was reduce the spell does not affect strength or hp's, just weapon damage.  Which isn't all that useful really which is why I have not, and will not, cast it.

I actually had it affect hit points and damage.  Looking back at the fine print in the rule, I see you are right that it doesn't affect hit points or strength, but I did adjust proportionately.  (That's my error.  It just makes more sense that they would change too.  But I won't do that next time.)

We should have taken the chance to leave instead of getting deeper into the mountain thought Shapfren after watching her savior being savagely maimed once again, this wasn't good by any chance and she was growing more and more scared by the minute. However she decided to keep performing and changed the tune to one more faster and fluid, they had to stop at least their leader and hope the others decided to retreat.

Cast Magic missile on the leader

NOTE: Edited my post above to include damage taken by giants. Thanks for the reminder.  I would have caught it in round 2.

Shae casts a spell to conjure and summon an ape to fight the giants.  She tries to stay hidden behind them but will order it to attack the giants from behind in the hopes that they will turn around and expose their backs to the rest of the party.

Donovan turns his attention, and both his blades, to the third giant this round (if he can't attack 3 he will attack 2 and 1 in that order).

Lukas will continue his attack on the shrunken leader. Not so tuff when your our size

Kahan grabs Borimer's severed stump and pushes it against his bloodied shoulder, casting a spell as he does so.

FYI, for everyone's knowledge, regarding a destroyed limb, here is the rule for curing it while the destroyed limb is still fresh, which requires a minimum of cure critical wounds.  This does not restore a severed limb, which requires a regenerate spell (a 7th level cleric spell):

Crushed, Shattered, or Destroyed: Limbs that suffer this kind of catastrophic injury may never be usable again; hits to the torso, abdomen or head of this magnitude are often lethal. If the victim survives, he will never naturally recover to his normal self. A limb damaged this way will be useless for the rest of his life, and hits anywhere else will leave the victim incapacitated. The victim will be bedridden for at least one to eight months before he can even regain a semblance of mobility.
A cure critical wounds spell or other healing magic capable of restoring 20 hp of damage can repair the damage of this kind of injury. In addition, the bones of the affected area (if any) are assumed to be broken and may require another application of healing magic to repair.
Destroyed shoulders, hips, or limbs reduce the victim to 50% of his normal maximum hit points. Any other wounds of this magnitude reduce the victim to 25% of his normal total.

Borimer cries out in pain and falls back clutching his shoulder...

sorry for the delay :)
can Borimer attack next round...?

Sorry, but Borimer cannot attack until the round after Kahan's cure serious wounds spell (round 3).

ROUND 2
The stench of these giants is so strongs it feels like it is clinging to your bodies and the insides of your nose.

Kahan runs to Borimer and begins casting.

Tahldar moves to a position to line up the two giants and begins casting.

Shae begins casting.

Shapfren casts magic missile, as the missiles fly from her hand and hit the leader.  Lukas also attacks the shrunken leader.  Both of them hit the leader, knocking him dead to the ground.

(Morale check rolled...and passed.)

Donovan turns to the third giant (with the club).  He hits and misses in his attacks, for a total of 14 damage.

Borimer is on the floor in pain and bleeding profusely as Kahan's hands become overrun with his blood.  Kahan finishes his spell, and the bleeding stops, but the left arm now hangs useless at his side, unable to even hold a shield up anymore.  (Borimer receives up to 40 hit points back from the serious wounds spell and can fight next round.)

The giants begin swinging.  One of Tahldar's mirror images disappears as it is struck with a spear.

A giant club the size of a small tree swings through the air, hitting Donovan full in the stomach and causing massive internal injuries.  (41 hp dmg.)  The ranger lumbers back, badly wounded from the powerful blow, but he is still in the fight.  (No critical hit.)

Tahldar casts a lightning bolt that flies from his hands.  The lightning hits both giants as they try to step out of the way.  (Both made saving throws and suffer only 12 and 13 damage.)

Shae finishes her spell, and a large gorilla-like ape appears behind the giants.  It immediately roars and rushes to attack.

Giant 1 (leader):  dead
Giant 2 (spear): 96/123 hp
Giant 3 (club): 70/123 hp

FYI: The stats I am using are the hill giant stats in the 2nd edition monster manual

Kahan begins casting off of a scroll he pulls from his pack.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:40, Fri 10 Jan 2014.

Tahldar ignores the hit on one of his images and casts another lightning bolt, attempting to again hit both Giants.

Borimer starts to push back against the pain until Kahan finishes healing him.  He lurches up and hefts up the Godslayer with his one remaining arm.

Shaphren kept on with the same tune, this time hoping to bring somepain to the other spearwielding Giant. One dismembering was enough for today, and too much for a lifetime.

More magic missile

Donovan will again attack (hopefully closing after the lightning bolt he knows nothing about).

With the leader down and the giant with the club focused on Donovan, Lukas quickly tries to use this to his advantage trying to dart unnoticed to the back side of the giant and drawing his short sword intent on trying to strike true on his achallies.

Hatchman strikes the giant with the club, swinging twice at it.

OOC: In your posts, when you attack, it would be helpful to me if you indicate the following:  THAC0, number of attacks (if more than 1), damage, and anything else special I should know.  For example, lightning is 7d6 dmg for 7th level caster, fighters sometimes get 2 or 3 attacks, and THAC0 will be needed if I am doing the rolling (or even if I don't, in case there are modifiers you don't know about).  This helps save time because otherwise, each round in battle, I have to look up every individual's stats individually.

ROUND 3
Lukas begins sneaking behind.

Kahan pulls out a scroll and begins casting.

Borimer rises to his feet, losing time but able to strike in the next round, if there is one.

Tahldar begins casting again.

Shapfren also begins casting.  Magic missiles fly out and hit the spear wielding giant.  (17 dmg.)

Donovan attacks again, hitting once.  (8 hp dmg.)

Hatchman attacks, striking the clubbing giant.  (13 hp dmg.)

Shae's ape strikes the giant with the club, hitting with one of its powerful fists.  (3 hp dmg.)

Shae strikes with her spear, missing.

The giants attack.  The spear strikes one of Tahldar's mirror images, dissipating it as the giant looks on in anger.  The second giant attacks Hatchman.  The club hits Hatchman hard in the chest, knocking the paladin backwards with massive damage.  (34 hp dmg.)

Lukas strikes, making a backstab on the club wielding giant's achilles heel.  (22 dmg.)  The giant falls to its knees. (Disabled; -4 to hit; 1/2 dmg.)

A lightning bolt sears through the center of the two giants.  (26 dmg each--amazingly rolling the exact same damage--both missed saving throws.)

Kahan casts a magical flame in his palm, which he hurls up at the spear wielding giant.  The flame bursts upon impact, setting the giant on fire. (3 dmg; giant incapacitated next round and must put out the fire.)

[Language unknown: "At! Nt m oer!"] the giant screams as he begins patting at the fire.

The other giant says in horror and anger, [Language unknown: "Encul tra ratwitill anyastred?"]

Giant 2 (spear): 42/123 hp (incapacitated in round 4 as he puts out flame)
Giant 3 (club): 6/123 hp (1/2 dmg; -4 to hit in round 4)

Kahan draws his mace and gets ready to strike the spear-wielder unless Tahldar translates a surrender.

They do not give the appearance of surrender, but of anger and pain.

"Finish them!" Tahldar says as he draws his dagger and attempts to stab a Giant.
[Language unknown:  "Ma omla ee ththch ro anrea!"] Tahldar yells to the Giants in a mocking tone.

OOC:  Tahldar will try to occupy Giant 3 in melee.  He hopes to see if he will attack him rather than someone else.  He has 4 images left.

Hatchman focuses his attacks on the spear giant.

"We have them!" Shae shouts as she attacks with her spear from behind.

With Borimer now able to fight and the others using melee, the last two giants (one of which is incapacitated) are easily brought down.

You look over their giant dead bodies in awe at the might and strength they showed, each one two to almost three times the size of you and your companions.

You hear a gasp from the darkness ahead.  A familiar voice says in awe, "You mighty strong.  Kill giants and visperillion."  The gnome Junar steps out.  "But you very loud.  Echoes fly in tunnels like bats."

The gnome is as he was before, thin with tattered clothes.  His beard and hair are somewhere between blonde and white, masking his age, and he carries that crude stone knife in one hand that appears to have been made by chipping its edges out of rock.

"You help Junar escape?" he asks.  "I show you exit."  He points in the southern direction.  "But we go past much giants to..."

He then notices Borimer and Borimer's sword.  "Godslayer?  You be the Godslayer?  The Scrolls say one armed godslayer come to save the world with allies.  You hold the sword."  He then talks more excitedly, again pointing down the hall.  "You want healing?  I know healing that way."

Borimer looks skeptically at the gnome before sheathing Chianta.  "Gods are best left to their own ends," he murmurs, looking over the fallen giants.  The warrior slowly nods and readies to follow the little fellow towards whatever healing may be found in this dark and lowly place.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:19, Wed 15 Jan 2014.

Kahan nods and prepares to follow the gnome, making sure all of his companions will make it to what he expects to be another magical mud puddle of healing. "Will the healing come before, or after the other giants, Junar?" the priest inquires.

"Healing sounds good"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:09, Wed 15 Jan 2014.

"I assume there is another healing pool somewhere?  And yes we should heal prior to escaping.  I do not like the sound of more Giants we'll have to pass.  We should heal first."

"You mean we have to face even more of these ugly scaring monsters?" Didit was heartbroken from hearing thr news "I guess we have no other choice. So what is your name? I'm Shapren Diditlew, last princess of the fallen elven kingdom and keeper of the memory and tradition of my forgotten tribe, which reminds me, Thaldar, in all this time it is obvious your magic is way stronger than mine, perhaps it would be better if I shared some pages from my book with you?, it could improve our chances to get out of here alive"

Junar says, "Healing be before giants.  I know the Earthsilver that flows.  It heal the pain."  He waves you to follow him as he begins going south.

You follow him through the tunnels, and he knows he way through them well.

OOC: As an aside, by going the way you did, you averted two alternate pathways:  one had some traps and the other was the way that Junar went to escape the giants and visperillion.  The latter required you to temporarily stop up the water flow and then go down to the west of the stream (or to hold your breath and swim under for a ways).  Had you gone down, you would have found an underwater tunnel/path that Junar uses to stay clear of the giants.

He eventually leads you to another crack in the wall (similar to the one that led down to the Visperillion eggs).  It is narrow and vertical but easy enough to traverse.  But it would be far too narrow for the giants or the visperillion to go across.

On the way to the crack, you pass a number of vestiges of the giants living in this area, broken things that were left behind when they had to flee the caves--jars, bowls, blankets, and tools, all of very large sizes but many now broken and covered with dust.

After following Junar through the narrow crack, it opens into a rocky area about 20' x 20'.  Silvery water like the stuff you saw before -- the one that heals miraculously -- falls from a further crack in the wall, pools onto a collection of rocks, and then falls down far below.

"Earthsilver," Junar proclaims, forming his hands into a cup and making drinking motions.  "You heal here."

Borimer moves to the pool and without a word drinks deeply of the silver liquid.  He wipes his mouth with the back of his one remaining hand.

Tahldar sits and rests while the others heal.  He beckons for Shapfren to sit near him "Once we have found a way to prevent this disease that threatens to sicken us and we have a proper place to study and work, I would be happy to swap spells with you.  My book is rather lean and could use fleshing out.  At the very least it would be nice to know your fireball, and you my lightning bolt.  But it may be some time until we can do this, so we'll have to make do with what we have."

Shifting his weight he adds in the Elvish tongue [Language unknown: "Underawhi M se rowema nce etwi o iostsa.  Miunee histernte Thathound oneoultin arilte ta.  Ni to ng m resounstr iv ee enwer poere ho te san ine adll i.  Pe lather-mencon olwapo th ri neour tadila etch Of longon inie ro icte dinait i.  Os re reurpe foof t resi eear.  U elecwi ro hi proencsetble asei ousersvir nete ch wil wilainall hosi not."]

Redmond silently moves to the healing water to sooth the pain of his massive injuries from the giants.

Kahan lets the others heal first, only getting his own chance if there is enough room since he didn't get battered like the others did. Walking up to the water, he scoops some in his hands and tries applying it to Borimer's arm, hoping (likely in vain) that the waters will heal him, before drinking some himself.

The waters are enough to heal all of you.  (Everyone is back to full hit points, though it does not restore the use of lost body parts, so Borimer's arm is still useless -- "destroyed".)

Junar appears slightly nervous.  "Giants come soon now.  When patrol not come back, they go searching.  If find the dead bodies, they go looking for you.  On the hunt.  Then all halls be covered with giants and we have hard time getting by.  We leave soon?"

Hatchman says, "I suggest we get moving and get past these giants while we've still got some time.  No need fighting any more than we have too.  It looks like we are invading their territory anyway, even though it was accidental."

"Yes we should get going.  The sooner we leave this place the better.  How far is it Junar?" Tahldar says to the Gnome.

"The sooner we leave the better"

Shae has been leading her newly summoned ape along, though she knows it will vanish in just 10 minutes or less.  She says good-bye to the ape in soothing tones and lets it know her thanks.

Then she follows the party to the healing pool, ensures she is not hurt anywhere, and agrees to go to the giants as soon as possible.

She says, "I suggest we sneakily approach and look at what we're dealing with.  Then we can formulate a plan about getting through with the minimal risk possible.  No use shedding blood where there is no need, even these brutish giants."

SHe checks her spear and her gear and offers to transform into an animal when they get there if that will help.

Borimer waits for others to decide before he takes his usual place in front, his eyes watching the area for danger while his mind sits elsewhere.

Kahan offers an apology to Borimer, saying, "If I were a bit more powerful of a healer perhaps I could fix your arm, but for the time being, perhaps we should craft a sling of sorts when we have some free time. But yes, I agree with Junar completely. Time is of the essence."

Borimer breaks his mood for a moment and gives a wolfish grin to his friend.  "You're keepin' me alive,"