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and false wall to regulate waterflow, and by all appearances, the giants would collect water from the bladder when it was retracted.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: "Ioet ilure she ekil ieall lari encconrom."]

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:  "Peunsa waswilare!  Of t aling out Ameounrea.  E tial ek evekorwhe esnc ad arewilder ai.  Wh day warom e ma.  O fo rieret nt lo alpees al aseromtetr k oer filece omth is platsi asulat ounany'ndeeve ndelesall bleshenot.  Ilro il annailli ss lallmo ar ce e pa whi."]

The giants pause a moment, then say: [Language unknown: "Nte oun fiame t.  I artonsset k wawace on undck."  "M oerkorstr,"] says another voice.

Tahldar looks a bit stunned by the response.

[Language unknown:  "Ur, hatbe ul e aiwil astughwit m O of po ectieitr un fi ameousnce.  Aiure as ho K red as thuwitati ect fiev?"]

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: "Ie ichanting onsbutare werse u as harent."]  Another indicates Borimer and says: [Language unknown: "Me her uron itnte iou tioentour howi he nd anthisand."] [Language unknown: "Laeeie, k sa rutho ll noaier n ter eartramen.  Mass wachfo el us,"] says the third.

They appear to contemplate you, looking from one to the other in turn.  Then one sees Lukas and says: [Language unknown: "Olsa il traingort e fostit.  Iounus om laanre.  Ou it cebeac ica hi anyvirwhi ate ma."]

The one that seems in charge says to you in a commanding tone: [Language unknown: "Ard leriou ho."]
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.