Session 18 - Chapter 4 - Giant Roast

Hello & Welcome!

The clouds rolled in overnight. Then the rain started on the morning of the 5th day on the road. It first started with a light drizzle but the thick cloud cover indicated that the rain was going to persist.

As the morning preparations finished and the Caravan set out, the light rain had settled into a stead and persistent downpour. It would make the travel for the day slow, messy, and generally unpleasant. It was one of those rains that just falls straight down in large drops. There was not much escape from it, save from in the driver's seat or in the back of the wagon.

Moods matched the weather. Everyone travelled forward, quietly, struggling to keep as much as they could as dry as possible. But there was not much they could do.

At the midday rest, the rain didn't relent. While people rested they tried to get as much shelter as possible. Unfortunately, this part of the road mainly consists of rolling farmland with not much natural cover to offer so people had to huddle next to the wagons to gain some protection from the tarp over the goods.

The rain continued through the second half of the day as they travelled with still no sign of stopping. Everyone was thoroughly soaked by the time they reached the campsite for the evening. People huddled in their tents as best they could to escape the downpour. 

In their tents, the four Heroes were doing the same. But they were undeterred as they knew they would be facing many hardships and rain would very likely be the least of their troubles. It was a welcomed surprise when Tyjit called out to them just outside their tents. She asked them to join her with the other guards to work out an evening guard duty rota - they would need to be extra vigilant especially after the Orc warband assault the other day.

She explained the plan and everyone agreed - they all wanted to stay safe and survive the journey. After drawing lots, the following was determined:

• Guard Duties are split into 4nr 2 hour stints between 10pm and 6am
• 10pm - Midnight
  • Chard
  • Eldkin Agetul
  • Oliver Stonesworn
  • Orvustia Esseren
  • Maerwynn Wheatflow
• Midnight - 2am
  • Pipp
  • Ulric Boulderdown
  • Leda Widris
  • Endel Flintcrown
  • Zakma Marler
• 2am - 4am
  • Dafnae
  • Verrik Mallard
  • Aznar Forgemaul
  • Suledog The Pole
  • Larion Keenblade
• 4am - 6am
  • Torsion
  • Tyjit Skesh
  • Eahtadan Cromviel
  • Steidor Adkins
  • Pyrder Siltral

Everyone content with their assignments, they all hurried back to get as dry as possible (or rather, not get any more wet than they already are) and they waited for their shifts.

Chard started first. The guards exchanged greetings, some had already met Chard during the Orc encounter. Orvustia mentioned she was new to Guard duty and that this was her first time outside of the city. Chard took pity on her. He didn't know why because in the big picture, if his nightmares came true, no amount of practice would prepare the world for the destruction to come and many lives would be lost. But he still felt it worthwhile to offer to her some weapon training practice, which she happily accepted. So for the first part of their duty, Chard worked with her to practice basic forms so that he could get the measure of her. After the first few, indeed, this likely seemed like the first time she held a sword in her hands. But she was eager and motivated to learn (especially after the Orcs) and that was important.

The shift ended without incident and so the guards swapped with the next shift. Pipp was eager to get started Far more eager than everyone else starting guard duty at midnight. A few greetings were exchanged and they went about their business. Pipp hummed a soft tune to herself as she made her rounds but all was quiet. Wet, but quet.

Pipp handed the duty over to Dafnae who was just finishing up her meditation. Pipp was jealous of how the Elves only needed to do that instead of properly sleeping. This graveyard shift crew was the most groggy and the most quiet. This time, the greetings wre no more than grunts and nods as they all set about their assignments. This too was quiet and then Dafnae went to exchange with Torsion.

Torsion was getting up as Dafnae approached and he made a quick prayer to Selune before starting. He reported to Tyjit that all was quiet over the watch and they greeted each other, some faces familiar from the previous encounter. The rain continued and halfway through the shift the camp started to rouse and stir to start the morning duties.

And it seemed like the camp occupants were eager to get back on the road and hurried themselves with preparing the horses and wagons. The only thing worse than walking in the rain was sitting idle in the rain.  Plus, the next stop for the evening would be at a derelict inn which would be far more comfortable place to rest for an additional day. Every seven days they take as a full day of rest. Hopefully the rain would relent by then but based on the cloud cover and the accumulating pools of water, it was still not showing any signs at all of stopping any time soon.

It was again slow, soggy progress. Pipp didn't want to check in with Losvius yet to see if he had found the stolen items. It was too wet and no one was socialising. There would be time to investigate.

As they neared the mid-day break, there appeared to be some breaks in the cloud cover, with brief periods where the rain eased off into just a drizzle instead of the sheets it had been up to this point. This did give hope.

They broke for camp and tended to the regular chores. Chard's student sought him out and they did some more practicing before they head out again. This final push would get them to a more comfortable setting.

There were additional, longer pauses in the rain and the clouds seemed to be getting less dense. Torsion did find it odd that he had seen more than the usual dead livestock on the side of the road. The region was known for farming and it was not unusual to see the occasional animal that had run afoul by the side of the road but he had seen several in the last hour. He took a slight detour to investigate one and observed that the poor sheep has been attacked and eaten, He spied another one nearby. And upon further investigation, he noticed large oval indentations, almost as if tracks, near where the carcass was. Unfortunately, the ground was too soggy and the water was pooling everywhere to properly make out what they were. 

He asked Tyjit about them and said it was not uncommon for a roaming beast to get hungry and feast on the hapless livestock from time to time but to not worry too much about it but still keep a keen eye out just in case.

As they neared the destination for the evening, the rain finally did taper off completely. This gave an immediate boost to the group's morale as hoods came off and wet outercoats where shaken off and light conversation could be heard over the usual grind and stomp of the wagon wheels and the horses.

They arrived at the derelict inn and made their new camp. They would be here for 2 nights so they could get comfortable.

The area was still wet, but at least no new rain was falling. So they parked the wagons and pitched tents and set about to properly set cooking fires. Because of the rain, it wasn't really possible to have proper cooking fires. And as quickly as the Brew Master Beyd could get setup, people were in line to get a mug of ale. They had all earned it after the wet march.

The evening preparations went on as normal, perhaps a bit more relaxed than normal and soon people forgot about all the mud and the rain. The inn was quite dilapidated but it was clear that this was a usual resting spot. No one knew the history of the inn. It was abandoned long ago and there had been various makeshift repairs over the years to keep it usable. Luckily the barn was still in good repair to protect the horses.

Prior to guard duty, the team did a bit of socialising. Pipp and Dafnae check in with Losvius but he had not come across the missing items and he further clarified that some wagons were keen to show off their wares and offer them for sale whereas some of them were quite tight lipped. The two took note of which ones he pointed out. He further highly recommended they check out the goods they are selling - exotic perfumes. They said they would check them out in the morning.

That evening's guard duty went on without a hitch. Chard did a bit more practice with his new student. He was better able to run the lesson now that it was not actively raining.

The next morning, it was a day of rest. So the camp got started a little later than usual, offering everyone, including the horses, some much needed extra rest. 

Chard did another round of training and he was joined by two additional students - Zakma Marler & Steidor Adkins. They eagerly did their forms and did sparring practice while the breakfast was being prepared. Both of the new comers were also new to guard duty and Chard was happy to have a few more students. Everyone would need to be ready for what was to come.

Meanwhile Dafnae attempted a bit of foraging for components in the area. She managed to find a few components. She would need to study her book to learn how to mix items together.

Afterwards she and Pipp both helped tend to the horses in the stables. They both had a deep fondness of the majestic beasts. Their eyes telling deep and thoughtful stories as they toiled hard to ease the burden of man, elf, and all others. Dafnae stroked the the muzzles of the horses and whispered soothing phrases in Elvish to them. She didn't know for sure, but she felt that they understood her mysterious tongue. Pipp followed her, and offered the curious ones sugar cubes which they eagerly took. Could these horses feel the growing tension around them? Would they understand what was happening if and when the great dragons would soar through the sky?

Afterwards they did visit Losvius and sampled the perfumes. Pipp chose a sweet smelling one whereas Dafnae selected one that smelled of freshness and of evergreen forests. Still no news from Losvius but he seem to be quite pleased with their purchases. Perhaps he would be able to help find their missing items.

Torsion meanwhile toured the camp and offered healing to any in need. As he worked, he couldn't help but think about the seriousness of their quest. Would they be able to save and protect everyone? They would have to try he thought to himself.

At midday the 4 were idling within the camp when another group of guards came up to them and asked if they would be keen for a bit of competition. A grand hunt to celebrate their journey so far. Chard asked what the wager was (he was eager to do something other than sit around) and they suggested 5 days worth of guard duty shifts. They thought it was a fair wager and so they set off to see which group could bring back the biggest prize for the evening meal.

Heading out across the river, the Heroes eventually came upon some tracks. Now with the ground more dry than before, they noticed amongst the tracks of fallow deer those same large oval tracks crossing over them. They still couldn't determine what they were and decided to tell Tyjit again when they returned. They then continued to track the deer.

They caught up to a herd of the deer after a bit more tracking. Here, they decided that Pipp and Dafnae would be best suited to sneak up on them. Stealthily moving into range, they crouched down and took aim and managed to loose their arrows. Dafnae's first shot hit its mark whereas Pipp's went slightly wide. Startled, a few deer started to turn to turn and before the herd managed to collectively run off, the pair managed another shot, this time both managing to feel a deer each, so three in total. 

Re-joining the group, Torsion and Chard each hoisted a deer over their shoulder's and Pipp and Dafnae tied the third one's legs together in order to drag it back to the campsite.

The journey back wasn't too long and back at the Caravan they found the other group had already returned, their hunted prize already cooking over the large fire - a sizeable wild boar. They asked what took them so long to which they replied that they had these three items to carry back. Impressed, they decided to call the contest a draw. 

It would take more meat to feed the travellers so they took their deer to Achreny who was just cleaning up his tools and they noticed the boar's hide drying near their wagon. It happened to be the case that he was quite adept at butchery and he made quick work of the three new deer. He quickly prepared them and set them to roasting as well.

Meanwhile the party discussed again with Tyjit what they saw in the area and tried to describe the other set of tracks in better detail. They couldn't make out what it could be but suffice to say she said while everyone is definitely worthy of some rest and enjoyment on the road, they would need to be extra vigilant for there appeared to be dangers in the area.

And so Chard, Dafnae, Pipp, and Torsion ate first and quickly and took it upon themselves to be on lookout while the rest of the camp was feasting and relaxing.

Keeping an eye out, unsuccessfully, they didn't notice the two large boulders hurtling towards them through the sky which landed true, thus starting initiative. It was only then that they saw the pain of Hill Giants advancing on the camp.

The Heroes swiftly moved into action. Dafnae circling back over the bridge to try to get cover from the trees while the other three took position to take them head on.

Decent damage was dealt early on but one of the giants used her large stature to alter tactics and cross the river leaving Dafnae exposed to one directly with Chard, Pipp, and Torsion to tackle the one heading towards the bridge. They all called out to the rest of the guards still enjoying their feast that they were under attack yet again. But the were too focused on their celebrations and too slowed by the rich meats to hear their cries.

Under threat, Dafnae had to retreat to the courtyard of the inn with the hopes of getting their attention more directly to join the fray.

And fuelled by their hunger and the sweet smell of the cooking fires, the Hill Giants advanced towards the main entrance where the half the boar was still roasting on the spit and the camp on the side where the venison cuts were similarly cooking.

It was here then that the main courtyard campers finally noticed what was happening and then spent a round putting down their meals and equipping their gear to join the battle.

Continuing to focus on the need to eat, the Male Hill Giant ignored the opportunity attacks from Chard, Pipp, and Torsion and marched towards the roasting boar, shouts from the guards to make ready. 

The Female Hill Giant, emerging from the trees, was able to get the surprise on the other campers and hurled another large boulder of stone and earth at them. And unfortunately with a powerful critical hit managed to completely crush one of the young guards where he sat, causing the rest of the survivors to jump in both alarm and horror and they began to flee. There was no saving their companion for the launched missile dealt devastating damage. 

The Male made it to the fire where the boar was, taking heavy damage as he went. But it was Chard's Eldritch Blast that finally felled the monster. Chard felt power surge through him and his Dark One's bond as he gained a few temporary hit points from the kill. The Hill Giant slumped and collapsed on the cooking fire, also pinning one of the veteran guards who was unable to jump away in time. But his friends were able to pull him to safety.

Giving chase to the fleeing guards, the Female reached the low wall directly opposite the courtyard entrance. She saw her fallen partner, and with an enraged scream of "Grung!" she picked up another clump of rock and earth and launched it inwards. It connected with Dafnae, dealing another heavy blow, who fell unconscious.

The guards volleyed their arrows at her, some hitting their mark. But it was Chard and Torsion who rushed in to face her head on. Pipp gave a quick healing to stabilise Dafnae and then joined in as well with a well place Shatter. Recovered, Dafnae was able to add her own damage from some well landing Chill Touch Cantrips.

And it was with a final set of attacks and Torsion's Sacred Flame that finally brought the second Hill Giant down. 

The threat neutralised, the troop was able to survey the damage and clear-up. Torsion set to healing. Unfortunately though, there was no more chance to heal one guard who was crushed by the boulder. They cleared the debris to find that it was poor young Steidor Adkins who fell. They would give him a proper burial in the morning before they set off. Chard was surprised to find that he was saddened by the loss of one of his students. Seems there was not enough time to prepare him for the perils of this world. How many more would he not be able to save he thought to himself. His mission of course was to save everyone after all. But seems like everyone still didn't include some people.

Torsion and Tyjit discussed that now at least they know what those other tracks were and that everyone would need to be even more extra vigilant.

Everyone did their part to clean-up and prepare for the coming night. The revelry came to a crashing end, like the boulders from the Hill Giants. And as upbeat as the mood was, it quickly returned to a quiet and sombre one as everyone prepared to bed down, hoping it would be a quiet night.