12. The Giant Fortress

Nymm 15, YK 1000

Rrrgrr has stayed behind to prepare the Torrians and lead them to Argent. All of us save Magnus have memories of our experiences being possessed by Physandos and the Piscodemon who possessed Zargosz. Once we've settled back in, we resolve to follow the Giants' supply lines back to their headquarters and eliminate their leader in order to break the siege.

Zargosz flies, in raven form, out to scout the area and is attacked by a Roc, and he goes into the river and transforms into a fish. Magnus summons speedy horses for us. Alain uses his military tactical knowledge to determine that giants tend to be arrogant and don't worry about protecting supply lines. Zargosz finds an underground stream that will allow us to take our horses through underground. Magnus uses dungeoneering to make sure we stay on track. We come up a few hundred feet from the fortress.

We see two Ogres playing a game involving humanoid skulls, and a Hill Giant lounging by the doors. Xiu scouts past them and sees a rocky ridge on the other side of the castle. Magnus attacks.

Torgen attacks and marks the ogre, and then Zargosz unleashes a tremor to knock him and the other ogre down. The marked ogre stands up and swings his club at Torgen and critically hits him. The other one stands and throws a javelin at Magnus, followed by a charge, which also misses. Xiu moves up. Magnus uses inexorable advance to hit both ogres. Hill Giant bellows, steps back and opens the doors to let his Rage Drake out, then throws a rock at Xiu, which misses. Alain fires a runic resistance bolt into the ogres midst, bloodying one of them. The Rage Drake rushes out from the fortress and leaps at Xiu., hitting her with a pair of claws.

Torgen begins regenerating thanks to his armor, moves up to hit both ogres, hitting only the non-bloodied one. Zargosz calls lightning down on both ogres, hitting only the bloodied one. Ogres swing at Torgen and Magnus, missing both of them. Xiu moves in to flank the ogres, hitting and nearly killing the bloodied ogre. Magnus uses tide of iron on the bloodied ogre and kills him, then moves to attack the Rage Drake with his action point and tide of iron and immobilizes him. Hill Giant throws a rock at Magnus and misses. Alain uses curative admixture on Xiu, moves up next to Torgen and fires a repulsion strike at the ogre, bloodying him. Rage Drake bites at and misses Magnus.

Torgen swings and misses the ogre. Zargosz moves up on the Rage Drake and fires a storm spike back at the ogre. Ogre moves, drawing attacks from Torgen and Xiu, who kill him. Xiu moves to the Rage Drake and hits him. Magnus swings at the Rage Drake and misses. Hill Giant yells out for the shaman and runs back into the compound. Alain moves up near the rage drake, fires a magic weapon bolt into it that enchants Xiu's and Zargosz's weapons. Rage Drake bites at and misses Magnus.

Torgen charges and crits the Rage Drake. Zargosz turns into a snake and spits out a cloud of locusts at the Rage Drake. Xiu attacks the Rage Drake and bloodies it. Magnus hits the Rage Drake. Alain moves behind the group, fires at the Rage Drake and misses. Rage Drake hits Magnus.

Torgen hits with a critical holy strike and kills it. Another Rage Drake emerges from the castle, along with two Hill Giants who throw rocks at him, one of which strikes a glancing blow, and another Hill Giant Slinger. Zargosz moves toward them, shifs to his half-orc form and throws a storm spike at the drake, missing it. Xiu charges the Rage Drake and misses. Magnus bull charges the Rage Drake and marks him. Hill Giant throws a rock at Magnus. Alain moves up, fires an aggravating force bolt into the Rage Drake.

Torgen moves up. Rage Drake tries to leap in the air, but then Magnus hits him and keeps him from leaping, but he then leaps out of the fortress. The Hill Giant Shaman emerges, sends out a big explosion at Magnus, Torgen and Xiu, but only Xiu is hit and blinded, then uses his Earth Rage on Magnus and Torgen, knocking Torgen prone. Hill Giants move forward, one of them provoking an attack of opportunity from Magnus and dying. Hill Giant Slinger slings a stone at Magnus, which breaks open and showers him with acid. Zargosz attacks a Hill Giant with a Storm Spike and misses it. Xiu gets out her clearsense powder and uses it, then charges the Hill Giant and kills it. Magnus takes damage to end the acid and slowed effect, moves past the shaman and takes a hit from his staff, bloodying him, then uses come and get it on the Giants inside the fortress. He also looks over and sees a summoning circle inside the fortress. Hill Giant hits Magnus. Alain moves up, uses curative admixture on Magnus, un-bloodying him, then fires positive energy infusion at the Shaman.

Torgen stands, charges the shaman and hits him. Rage Drake leaps over Zargosz, clawing at him along the way and hitting him with one critical hit. The Shaman uses Earth Tremor, pushing Alain and blinding him, and then he shifts, drawing an attack from Magnus. Hill Giant Slinger swings a fist at Magnus and hits him. Zargosz moves up to joiin Alain and fires a Storm Spike at the Shaman, knocking him prone and healing to full. Xiu uses tornado strike on the Shaman and Hill Giant, heals up to full. Magnus uses his second wind, goes into a defensive stance, uses thicket of blades on the Hill Giant, Slinger and Shaman, hitting all but the Shaman and slowing and bloodying them. Hill Giant swings and misses Magnus. Alain uses clearsense powder and fails his save, moves forward, puts the crossbow on Torgen's shoulder, fires a blind shot and hits the Hill Giant with an aggravating force bolt.

Torgen swings and misses. Rage Drake leaps over Zargosz, clawing at him four times and bloodying him. Shaman stands up, moves to Xiu, draws recieve the charge attack from Torgen, then tries to flee, drawing an attack from Xiu that bloodies him. Slinger slams and misses Magnus. Zargosz runs inside the fortress, takes his second wind. Xiu chases down the shaman and hits him, switching places to keep him from getting to the summoning circle. Magnus and the Hill Giant exchange misses. Alain uses clearsense powder, throws a blinding bomb at the Rage Drake, moves in to flank with Xiu.

Torgen attacks the Rage Drake and bloodies him, healing Zargosz. Rage Drake claws Torgen and bloodies him. Shaman pushes Xiu out of the way and runs past her, taking an attack of opportunity. Slinger misses Magnus. Zargosz turns into a snake, unleashes a swarm of locusts on the Slinger. Xiu moves up on the Hill Giant to flank with Magnus and hits him, nearly killing him. Magnus hits the Hill Giant. Alain draws an attack from the Hill Giant, allowing Magnus to kill him with an attack of opportunity, then gives dancing shield to Torgen, fires aggravating force bolt at Slinger.

Torgen regenerates, is no longer bloodied, uses second wind, hits the Rage Drake and then uses lay on hands on himself. Rage Drake leaps over Torgen, but because of second wind and dancing shield, he is unharmed. Slinger slams Magnus. Zargosz shifts back into a half-orc, fires storm spike at the slinger and misses. Xiu moves up and attacks the slinger and kills him. Magnus begins moving to hold the doors. Alain fires an aggravating force bolt critical at the Rage Drake.

Torgen attacks the Rage Drake with a critical Holy Strike, killing it, and then moves back inside. Earth Giant comes through the far door, stepping into the summoning circle and throws a rock at Magnus, then calls out to Boris and Ung, his Hill Giant allies, who also throw rocks at Magnus, one of which hits him. Zargosz moves up and casts vine serpents at the Earth Giant and at Ung. Xiu moves in and uses handspring assault on the Earth Giant, then shifts back. Magnus uses defensive resurgence, then moves in and attacks the Earth Giant. Alain moves up, fires aggravating force bolt at Earth Giant.

Torgen charges the Earth Giant and misses. Hill Giant Shaman uses a whisper of pain on Magnus. Earth Giant takes vine serpent damage, swings at Magnus and misses, allowing himi to shift back. Hill Giant takes vine serpent damage, swings at Magnus and misses, allowing him to shift next to that Hill Giant. The other Hill Giant moves out and uses his sweeping club attack on Zargosz and Xiu, missing both of them. Fire elemental comes in and throws a firestorm into the room at Xiu and Torgen, missing them. More Hill Giant Slingers move up behind the Shaman and fire at Torgen, one of them hitting the shield and the other hitting him and showering him with acid. Zargosz summons a crocodile to flank the Hill Giant, and he misses. Xiu takes fire damage, moves to attack the Earth Giant, bloodying him, and goes into Sidestep Stance. Magnus uses knee breaker on Hill Giant. Alain moves up, switches to his staff and uses lightning motes on Earth Giant, a Hill Giant and the Fire Elemental.

Quotes:
"I'd rather have a shaman in front of me than have to have a frontal shamanomy."
"That's just great... my super power is dick jokes!"