Recap 20191011 - Against the Giants - Steading of the Hill Giant Chief - Team 1

20191011 Against the Giants – The Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

Team 1 – Session 1
Vic, Souldun – Human Warlord Leader
Tom - Maki – Deva Cleric Leader
Steve - Alyce – Bard/ Warlock Leader/ Striker
Ken, Espirit – Druid/ Runepriest, Controller/ Striker
Brendon - Bannor – Human Fighter Defender
Ibuki - Walster – Mul Warden Defender

Leaving Istivin, the group heads toward the mountains. For a number of days you see only more refugees and small groups of retreating soldiers and mercenaries. Finding a small hill to make camp, the group also finds a small covered spot with good cover and a clear view of the lower plain. The cleric and warden take the first watch and let a group of orc raiders pass by as wells as a couple of hill giants. The warlord and the fighter take the next watch and spot a second group of orcs pass by. They then see a man with a mule and Bannor decides to hail him. He turns out to be a miner and Bannor generously pays him to act as the party’s guide into the heart of the giant lands.

After a few more days, the party is in the heart of the giant lands and very close to the hill giant steading. Espirit follows a set of giant tracks toward the steading. It is not long before the party climbs a wooded slope and is overlooking the valley of the hill giant chief. The valley is more than a half mile wide and in the center is a huge four building complex. The outer walls are sixteen feet tall and the center of the higher buildings is more than thirty two feet high. A fifty foot watch tower which has a clear view to the south and east is in the southeast corner of the largest building. The roof is covered with a thick layer of damp moss. In front of the group is a rocky slope and below that, the main road leading to the main gate. To the north are some crops, to the west is a wooded sloped with a dry creek bed leading across a brushy field toward the complex. In the south, there a field of tall grass with a couple dozen giant cows and a huge herd dog, actually a dire wolf the size of a pony.

A patrol of orc raiders with a couple of ogres discovers the party’s observation post. Nearly two dozen orcs with a couple of ogres in support charge up the slope in the attack. Spearmen and axe men, charge into the Espirit and Bannor. Soon, both are surrounded. Orc archers fan out to the flanks and spray the bard, cleric and warlord with arrows. Maki creates a wall of blades and immediately downs one orc. Souldun plants his battle standard and draws four orcs into the cleric’s blades, shredding them. Bannor downs one orc and seriously wounds five others with a dramatic sweeping blow. Walster charges in from the rear and downs one of the orcs fighting Bannor. Souldun sees the ogre is vulnerable and Bannor takes advantage, putting the ogre on the defensive. Alyce pulls an orc into the cleric’s blades. Maki downs the wounded ogre. Bannor strikes at the second ogre and scores a hit, but the four orcs still striking at Bannor hit him with a couple of minor wounds. Walster downs a second orc at Bannor’s back. Espirit downs two orcs and retreats away from the ogre. Bannor strikes down a second orc and wounds another. Alyce downs the orcs coming around the edge of the blade barrier and who are targeting the cleric, freeing up the cleric to strike down the second ogre. Espirit downs a couple more orcs as does Walster, putting an end to the orc attack.

After a short rest, the group observes the complex from cover, with the cleric and the druid making observations of what each of the buildings might be. After about an hour, the group moves to the wooded slope and crawls along the creek bed and turn back when they note a magical alarm at the end of the creek bed. The group then sneaks through the grass and the druid, shape changed into a large cat, draws the dire wolf away from the complex and toward a small group of rocks where the party is hiding in ambush. After just a few well placed blows the guard dog is down and the group rushes up to the building complex. They then move east along the wall and check the tower which appears to be empty. Using two levitation potions, Bannor and Souldun rise up to the top and pull the rest of the party up. The group easily dispatches a drunk and passed out giant guard sleeping at the base of the stairs. Sneaking past the sleeping guards at the main gate, the group then climbs over the sixteen foot barrier wall and into the empty courtyard between the main building and the NE building. Quickly moving into the NE building, the party discovers the sub-chief’s quarters, the elite guard’s barracks, the chief’s quarters, the chief’s hall and the chief’s planning room. In the planning room, the cleric discovers a false scroll tube with detailed plans on the next giant raid. Souldun and Bannor decipher many of the giant notes on a large crude map on the wall. Espirit notes an elven symbol on the map. After recording the intelligence, the group heads down the stairs to the lower level.

End of Part One. . .