"I shall hide in plain sight.  At least until the beast spots me.  Then I will, ah, strategically relocate, yes."

Bilfro trots off towards the side of the cave opening, muttering something under his breath as he goes.  Once he reaches the cliff in which the opening is, at a decent distance, he looks up at it and spits into his hands.

Fergus, distracted by Erista's request, lowers his weapon and moves over to help her into her chosen tree, a fairly easy task, considering their relative sizes.  Everybody else, meanwhile, takes their own position of choice around the mine entrance.

Bilfro scales the cliff with surprising ease...

Galdean steps forward, and declares in a loud, clear voice, "Vile monster!  I, Sir Galdean deWinter, challenge you to a duel to the death!"

"Wait!" calls Fergus, still out of position...

"Come forth, I command thee in Muir's name, and face your doom!"  He steps forward, three paces, and raises his sword.  "Are you a man or a mouse?" 

Silence descends upon the clearing.

And then, from inside the cave comes a deep, resonating roar, and stones, scree and gravel tumble from the cliff face around Bilfro.  All around the air is filled with the sound of beating wings, as every bird within earshot takes flight.

"Ah... not a mouse, at least." the Justicar of Muir quips as Fergus takes his place behind him once more.

Then footsteps, which seem to shake the very earth, sound from within the mine, and soon after a figure steps out into the light.  It has to stoop to get through the opening, and as it straightens up, it is somewhat taller than the ogres the group have previously faced.  It carries a huge club which it points at Galdean as it responds to his challenge.

"Me eat you up, little man!"

"That's no ogre... that's a giant!" and with that, Galdean charges...

OOC: Now would be a good time for Initiative rolls, just in case the fight is over really quickly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:13, Fri 22 May 2015.

"A giant of an Ogre," Aarnr agrees happily, eyes shining.  Setting his sword aside for a moment, he takes his own advice, spitting on his hands, before taking the blade up again, peering out from the trees, cautious only to avoid be seen that he not scare the big beast off.

"It shouldn't take it long to slay the old Justicar," the priest assures those nearby, "And then we must pounce !  I shall lead the charge ..."

Arkan's eyes widened as he saw the massive creature exit the mine entrance, feeling the ground rumble with it's steps.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he muttered, backing a few steps and crouching low, gripping his battleblade in both hands with the tip pointed towards the ground.

He watched the aged Justicar charge, hoping for the sake of the old man's legacy he would be able to cut the creature down.

It is a good thing.  Nay, two good things.  Aye, two good things comes upon Bilfro's humble form at the same time, the time it is clear that this is no measly man-eating ogre, but lo, a being much less benign and cuddly, for it is a giant.

The first blessing is being so taken by the sight that he cannot shout out in greeting, in that primitive, howling fashion that, should the owner of said howl live, forces them to shop for new underdrawers the next day, the latest.

The second benediction is being so taken by the sight that he cannot dance in joy at the occasion before him, in that primitive, sprinting fashion that, should the owner of said sprint live, forces them to not only shop for new footwear the next day, but also new limps from the knee down.

While being half giant himself, it was a slightly smaller variant of giant, and thus Bilfro is glad he is above the little behemoth as opposed to underneath its foot in the form of a flat smear.

Unlike the deranged lunitic rushing to meet this insane killing machine.  Bilfro realises, somewhat late, that he should have shopped for larger quarrels.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:25, Sun 24 May 2015.

Arkan looks about nervously, watching for signs of attacks from behind.  Unfortunately the roaring, yelling and general commotion from the clearing prove to be far too distracting for him to notice anything.

Aarnr's guess at the outcome of the fight proves to be a little off...

And up on the cliff face, not quite as out of reach as he would have imagined, Bilfro bides his time.

Galdean charges forward, as best he can with his old leg injury, sword and shield raised.  The giant looks at him, its expression one of confusion.  Clearly it is more used to smaller creatures fleeing in terror before its advance, not rushing towards it intent on doing it harm.

Like confused animals everywhere, it responds by attacking.  The club sweeps in a wide arc, whistling through the air, and... Galdean ducks, evading the blow with ease.  His sword swings upwards and opens a cut in the monster's forearm, eliciting a howl of rage from the bestial creature.

"Take that, foul abomination!"

Then the club rises, to slam back down, felling the knight in a welter of mud and blood as it crushes him to the sodden earth.  The sound of cracking bones can be heard even over the dull thump of the impact...

A high pitched scream of fury and loss echoes through the forest glade and Eilieen bursts out from behind her chosen tree, hurrying straight toward Sir Galdean and the Ogre.  Her spear hangs, almost forgotten, from her left hand as her right hand fumbles for her holy symbol.

Initiative 16.
Intent: Check Galdean's condition; if he's alive then Cure Light Wounds.

"We ought to wait," Aarnr suggests reasonably, "just to be sure the old bat-scra ... Sir Galdean is most definitely ... oh, FROG it !"

With Eilieen seemingly out to emulate the last heroic stand of the Justicar, the priest finds himself in the happy position of not having to ask for permission to embark upon what hindsight has hitherto generally denigrated as yet another foolish risk ... though he'll be damned to one of the quieter and contemplative planes of existence if he's not foremost or thereabouts in the slaughter to come.

The priestess of  Zadastha is certainly quick off the mark, but Aarnr has longer legs and a true berserker heritage working in his favour.  Bursting from the treeline, leaf litter flies as the red mist of Bowbe's favour settles over him, a roar like the cry of a Wyvort on heat bursting from his lips as he pounds over the ground, sword raised high above his head to fall upon the foe !

Initiative 19. :P
Intent: Hurt ! Maim ! Kill !

Though outwardly he appeared to be stoically calm, inside Arkan was a turmoil of emotions as soon as Sir Galdean charged. He had a moment of elation as Galdean, showing remarkable skill for one of his age and disability, dodged his giant foe's wild swing and countered with a skillful slash. But then his heart fell as the giant's overhead counter-stroke smashed into the aged Justicar.

Arkan had already been formulating a cunning battle-plan once the others had taken up positions that involved all of them, including especially Bilfro who had taken up a most canny position above the mine entrance, to quickly confound and take out the giant. But it all fell to the wayside as Eileen charged out immediately to the striken Justicar's side.

"Wait, Eileen!" He tried to catch her with a hand as she flew past but missed by a wide margin. Luckily Aarnr overtook her in his haste for the glory, which meant hopefully he would keep the creature busy for the moment. Focusing his mind Arkan quickly incanted the spidery words to an ancient battle-spell that had served the sons of old Raumathar well during times of trouble.

ᛋᚻᛁᛖᛚᛞ

The air around him shimmered slightly, and gripping Crescent Fall he stalked forward towards Eileen and Sir Galdean's body, eyes never leaving their foe.

Near the base of the tree - he wasn't about to climb up there and sit like a ripe apple - Ozzy hurls one of his javelins at the giant that just ended the old warriors life. Practice has improved his technique and the steel rod flies in a deadly arc toward the giant target.

14:28, Mon 25 May 2015: Oswald Osbourne rolled 26 using 1d20+7 ((19)). Initiative.
14:30, Mon 25 May 2015: Oswald Osbourne rolled 20 using 1d20+5 ((15)). Javelin Toss.
14:31, Mon 25 May 2015: Oswald Osbourne rolled 17 using 1d20+5 ((12)). Critical?
14:32, Mon 25 May 2015: Oswald Osbourne rolled 4 using 1d4 ((4)). Damage x2?

As soon as he sees the aged knight fall, Fergus rushes forward.  His axe swings horizontally, as if he were cutting down a tree.  A savage blow aimed at the giant's shins.

Belatedly he wonders if he should, perhaps, have used Valkyria.  Then, with a wild yell, he discards that line of reasoning.  The sword isn't heavy enough for his liking.  His axe is much more comfortable in his grip.

Colwyn already has an arrow ready, and puts it in flight, the moment he sees Galdean struck down.

It's a fast shot, but there is little of haste to it, as it hurtles directly towards his target.

Belatedly he wonders how tough a giant's skin might be, and whether a mere arrow would even penetrate it.  "Too bleedin' late ter be worryin' 'bout that now!" he growls, as he reaches for another projectile...

Erista, for one, has no intention of just sitting and watching while Sir Galdean gets pulverized.  She plans absolutely to send a few rocks into the fray well before he's done.  But there's the Ringing of the Ears, and then the Shock at How Fast That Happened, and... er, of course, she was respecting his wishes.  That's all.

Seeing Fergus and Eilieen charging in breaks her paralysis, and she drops a rock into her sling and sets it spinning.  Not even watching to see if it hits, she reaches for another.

Having regained his composure, merely quivering uncontrollably again, Bilfro scrambles up higher before let fly a quarrel from his, under the circustances, somewhat inadequatelly sized crossbow.

Perhaps aiming first would have been a good idea, he realises afterwards.

The giant peers at the fallen Justicar and smiles a particularly hideous smile, like a small boy who has just discovered that pulling the wings off flies is surprisingly entertaining.  Then the roar of a wild beast from the forest distracts it, and it turns towards the sound.  The wild beast is, in fact, Aarnr, charging towards the huge target.

The roar is joined a moment later, as Eilieen adds a scream of rage to create a sort of cacophonous harmony of fury, and follows Aarnr forward.

Staying at a (hopefully) safe distance, Ozzy hurls a javelin with unerring accuracy, and watches as it bites into the giant's filthy skin.  The giant's response is an angry grunt... and a moment later an arrow from Colwyn produces a similar effect.

Fergus and Aarnr reach their gargantuan opponent at the same moment, though with different results.  While Fergus' axe bites deep into the giant's leg and brings a howl of pain, Aarnr's blade is deflected by the thick layer of hides and fur which serve the thing as clothing.

Sliding to a halt just behind the pair of fierce warriors (and reducing her skirts to a tattered, blood-stained, muddied ruin in the process), Eilieen starts to examine Sir Galdean, while beginning to mutter a prayer for divine aid.  The words falter in her throat as she realises that the man's entire rib cage has been crushed, and his neck has been snapped.

The Justicar has, it seems, found the death he was looking for, and earned himself a place at the side of his goddess...

Meanwhile Erista recovers quickly from the giant's sudden, very loud appearance.  Unfortunately her recovery is not complete, and her sling sends its bullet flying wide of the target, to ricochet off the cliff face behind the gargantuan creature.

Speaking of which... the giant quickly recovers from the pain inflicted by its wounds, and the massive club rises, then drops diagonally, to bowl Fergus over on the muddy earth.

Arkan arrives close to Eilieen, almost slipping on the slick ground, with the words of a spell on his lips and a shimmering disc of force unfolding in the air before him. 

From his adjusted perch on the cliff, Bilfro sends a quarrel in the general direction of the giant.  It should be noted that the term, "general direction" is a relative term, and nicely unspecific.  The crossbow bolt misses, and skitters of a boulder on the ground.

Fergus starts to clamber to his feet again, and the huge club hammers down on his back, knocking the wind out of him, and leaving him motionless in a spreading pool of blood...

OOC:Oooh... messy.

Combatant                Init
Oswald Osbourne           26
Colwyn Akbar              22
Fergus Andarson           19
Aarnr Foultongue          19
Eilieen                   16
Erista                    15
Giant                     13   AC=20
Arkan                     10
Bilfro Gabbins            10

Characters' Apparent Health
Aarnr Foultongue: Good
Arkan:            Good
Bilfro Gabbins:   Good
Colwyn Akbar:     Good
Eilieen:          Good
Erista:           Good
Fergus Andarson:  Dying?
Oswald Osbourne:  Good

Lost in the howling mists of his battle-rage, Aarnr is unaware of the dire predicament that Fergus is in, his world reduced to the sword in his hands and the giant of an Ogre that stands before him.

Screaming his defiance at the creature and his god alike, the priest swings his heavy blade once more ...

Arkan winced inwards as he saw Sir Galdean's corpse, but he also felt a surge of elation. The man had died quickly and without pain, at the hands of a mighty foe. It was all the old Justicar could have hope for.

Arkan did shudder a bit when Fergus got pummeled not once but twice. Before Eileen could charge ahead into danger to the ex farmer's aid, Arkan quickly leaned down and said, "Wait! Let us try to weaken the creature before rushing in. "

So saying he quickly dabbed a finger inside a pouch at his belt, then held out his left hand palm facing outwards at the giant, with two fingers bent inwards.

ᚷᚱᛖᚪᛋᛖ

Grabbing another javelin from his pack, Ozzy tosses the steel rod, failing to account for the cross breeze which blows it off course into the cliff wall.

14:43, Thu 28 May 2015: Oswald Osbourne rolled 15 using 1d20+5 ((10)). Javelin toss.

Erista, indeed, follows up her first rock with a second, and this one most definitely glances lightly off the giant's shoulder!

Colwyn winces as he sees Fergus slammed to the ground, then sends a second arrow towards the giant.  Again it flies true, but the giant moves at the last instant, and the tip barely scratches the thing's tough hide.

"Oh, this ain't bein' good." he grumbles,  "Stupid bloody knight should've been runnin' fer it, soon as 'e seed what 'e were bein' up 'gainst."

Summoning the vast power of his magnificent mind, Bilfro conjures, figuratively, a plan so cunning it is like a splice of a fox and a weasel that graduate with honours as a professor in cunning from Cunningham University.

Or at least as not as dumb as a dead chicken.

"Korkmayın, ben bir hayalet, boo duyuyorum!"

The call echoes, at least in his head, and then it begins.  A sound of angry wasps, really angry and really big.  So big and angry they are like really, uh, angry and, uh, big.  Although naught can be seen, they seem to be fascinated by the back of the giant's head, possibly contemplating making a nest out of its skull.

Bzz.  Bzz, I say.  Er, no, bzz, says the wasps.  Yeah, that's it.  Bzz!

(NPCd)

Sir Galdean is dead, there is nothing more Eilieen can do for the man at this time.  But now Fergus has fallen nearby, laying prone in a pool of blood.  The priestess of Zadastha checks on the location of the monster - currently it is being distracted by her companions - then scrambles low across the ground in an effort to avoid being noticed.

Fergus needs her help.

She reaches him safely, and begins to examine his wounds while, once again, starting a prayer to the Goddess...  Absently she notices the blood soaking into her white robe.

The giant looks about, its ponderous mind trying to make sense of the sudden activity all around it.  Then, with an earth-shaking roar, it spots something that it believes should be hit...

From his vantage point, Ozzy hurls a second javelin, though with less success than the first.  The steel tip strikes sparks from the cliff face.

Colwyn fires another arrow as he notices Eilieen start edging towards Fergus and murmurs, "Luck be with yer, girl."  The arrow hits the massive foe, but does little for than scratch the creature.

Out on the battlefield, Aarnr screams a challenge, and does a very good job of distracting the giant from Eilieen, though he is far too caught up in his berserk rage for that to be a consideration.  His heavy blade swings at the giants legs, only to have the monster block it with its club.  The giant bellows its rage back at the man who dares to challenge it.

But at least its limited attention has been drawn away from Eilieen.  The priestess scrambles across the bloodied ground and feverishly starts the job of tending to the fallen Fergus... 

Above the kneeling priestess, and a little way behind her, the giant's bellow of rage turns into a howl of pain as a sling stone slaps it on the ear.  The huge monster shakes its head, before returning its gaze to Aarnr...

The club lashes out, smashing into Aarnr's shoulder and knocking him off balance (and a couple of paces to one side).  Fortunately the pain in the giant's ear makes it hesitate for a moment before following up with a second blow.  Just long enough for Arkan and Bilfro to shout words of magic at it.  As the club swings back towards the dazed Aarnr, the weapon suddenly flies from its owner's grasp to clatter against the rocky face of the cliff.

The giant hardly seems to notice the loss of its club, it is too busy ducking, protecting its head with one huge hand, while swatting at the air about it with the other...

OOC: Very messy.

Combatant                Init
Oswald Osbourne           26
Colwyn Akbar              22
Fergus Andarson           19
Aarnr Foultongue          19
Eilieen                   16
Erista                    15
Giant                     13   AC=20
Arkan                     10
Bilfro Gabbins            10

Characters' Apparent Health
Aarnr Foultongue: Hurt
Arkan:            Good
Bilfro Gabbins:   Good
Colwyn Akbar:     Good
Eilieen:          Good
Erista:           Good
Fergus Andarson:  Dead?
Oswald Osbourne:  Good

Aarnr staggers back, his ferocious assault momentarily frustrated by the blow ... only to totter forth once more, on legs still shaking and barely able to hold his weapon, though he swings it ne'ertheless, at least with certain intent.

Arkan charged at the now unarmed giant, Crescent Fall gripped in both hands. As he got near the creature Arkan slashed with the heavy blade, aiming at one of the giant's legs. He was put off by the staggering creature though, and his blow missed the mark, bouncing off the thick bone of the giant's knee rather than it's fleshy thigh and calf.

Charging: 16 on attack :(