Kufieno darts into the room, charging his blade with arcane power, and stabs at the wight.
Kufieno slips and misses! Lamatar holds in his hand his favored bow and seems to retain some skill with it. Although he finds himself surrounded by the two sulis, he simply steps away from Miana and fires at Kufieno anyways!
Seal drops Isoult and quicky moves in the direction of the undead archer. He pulls out his dorn and tries to crack open the icy skull of Bayden.
Rissi flies forward a bit. Her manifold, mirrored selves gesture and fire appears under the whites feet.
*1.5=16
Kufieno stabs at Lamatar as he fire his bow, but still takes two arrows in the chest.
Grimacing through the pain, he keeps stabbing at the former ranger.
Seal misses and Rissi rolls a ball of fire at the undead, although he seems to resist most of the damage. Kufieno finds that the man is still quite nimble, even as an undead, and Lamatar dodges every one of Kuf's attacks!
Lucian approaches and shoots two fiery rays at the undead.
Miana lays into Lamatar but the hardened ranger proves quite strong; he remains standing after her attack. In fact, he seems to resist some of Lucian's fire as well and remains standing!
Lamatar backs up against the wall and makes one last stand against the foes who have invaded his lair! He aims all of his arrows at Miana.
You then quickly finish him off, as he was on his last legs, so to speak.
"The lady did *chhh* speak of using the magic of reincarnation to give the man a new form, I *squeak* imagine in a manner similar the magic employed the order of *chitter* druids. She only asked for a small scrap of flesh. Perhaps now that the soul has been liberated from this *chhh* undead bondage, her dweomers may work true."
Seal begins to to shove the entire wight body into the bag of holding. When given a strange look, Seal gives a sly smile and continues with his task.
When the party is ready, he leads the party to the final tunnel.
Lucian tells a last prayer to dedicate Lamatar's soul to eternal rest in the company of Desna, and so that Myriana may join him soon. Then he'll help Sealman put the body inside the bag, though in a considerate way.
---
Seal leads the way in his effort to wipe out the Kreeg clanhold!
This gigantic chamber extends into darkness to the east, sloping upward between two wide ledges on which loom statues with angular faces, stern brows, and strong jawlines. Above, the ceiling opens to the slate gray sky above. The ramp leads up in tiers, finally coming to an end before an immense stone throne.
A massive and regal-looking stone giant with an earth breaker resting across his lap sits in the throne. When you enter he sighs and motions to the other stone giant standing nearby, saying (in Giant), "Deal with these mites. They’ve caused enough problems for me."
Rissi flicks a finger and the heroes begin to move with great speed.
Kufieno casts a spell, creating mirror images of himself, then moves into the room.
Sealman trips up Kufieno just a little bit to keep the rogue behind him. ;)
As the dwarf hastely strolls down the pathway, he yells out in Giant for all to hear.
"Bastard of Stone, I am Sealman Alerteyes, vindicator against your slime. That throne shall be your executioner's chair. You shall die buried in your own shyt as I piss on your remains in the memory of those you've harmed!"
Once in position, Seal awaits his enemy.
---
Miana moves in on the stone giant minion as Rissi hastens everyone! Kufieno and Seal move in to confront this new enemy! "Such big words from one so puny as yourself, Dwarfscum!. I'll use your bones a toothpicks, I think, and your helm as a chamberpot!"
He follows this up with a rude gesture which flows seamlessly into the makings of a spell.
The other stone giant swings his greatclub around at Miana.
Lucian follows his companions, moving into the large room.
"Great Desna, please bestow your luck to those who direly need it. Let your grace shine!"
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Rissi readies a magic missile to disrupt the giant's next spell, should he cast one.
Seal shields his eyes from the flame, but otherwise remains untouched by the fireball's burst.
The dwarf slowly raises his eyes, murmuring nonsense to himself. His hasted feet begin to stomp thrumming the ground like a wardrum. The rage quickly takes over the barbarian as he begins to nash at the air like a madman.
"sleep now in the fire. YYYAAAHHHH!!!!"
Seal charges forward, whirling Isoult above his head in glowing arch of giant-doom. Near the end of his run, he leaps into the air screaming "For Catorce!"
Lucian says a prayer over the group as Rissi readies a spell. Seal charges forward and leaps up, dealing the stone giant king a heavy blow to the chest!
Kufieno darts forward, growing claws and fangs along the way, and moves up to flank with his suli kin.
---
Miana kicks the stone giant in the backside as Kufieno rushes in and bites at its knee! The stone giant roars in anger and swings down at both of them!
Breakbones then laughs at Seal and tries to cast a spell.
Fortunately for you guys, Rissi's well-timed spell hits Breakbones during a critical moment and his casting falters!
Prayer and Haste are up!
Lucian moves into the room proper and points his finger at the stone giant wizard and mentally orders his underling to attack him.
He intends to betray you... Slay him before he kills you.
As for the Azata, she flies up to Sealman and lays a hand on the dwarf's shoulder.
"May Desna smile upon you and guide your hand!"
Rissi flies closer, hugging the stone ceiling. This time she prepares another spell to counter the giant wizard.
Lucian's spell seems to give the stone giant a crazed look in his eyes! Rissi again readies against the necromancer's spells.
Prayer and Haste are up!
"What's wrong? Rat got your tongue? I'm going to dangle your dong around my neck as a luck charm. Too bad it didn't help you much! CATORCE!"
Further blessed by Evanya, Seal swings with reckless abandon as if there is no chance he will miss. Using traditional dwarf tactics, Sealman tries to break the knees first, then work on the upper body.
With three heavy swings Seal brings the stone giant necromancer down!
Prayer and Haste are up!
Kufieno breathes a sigh of relief as only his images are struck. Grinning, he attacks the the giant again.
Kufieno and Miana work together to bring down the stone giant!
*all necromancy spells of 1st-4th level, plus what he has prepared (most of which are necromancy anyways):
4th
animate dead, fear
3rd
fireball, fly, ray of exhaustion, vampiric touch
2nd
blindness/deafness, command undead, ghost touch, spectral hand
1st
chill touch, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement
cantrips
detect magic, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic, touch of fatigue
Some treasure remains heaped haphazardly behind his throne: various weapons, art objects, gems, trade goods, and other treasures weighing just over 300 pounds but worth 9200 gp in all.
Mixed in with this treasure (not included in the worth above) are a few magic items: 32 +1 arrows, 12 +1 giant-bane arrows, a suit of +2 light fortification studded leather, a +1 longsword, a +1 composite longbow, a belt of incredible dexterity +2, a cloak of elvenkind, and a pair of boots of the winterlands.
You also find a disturbing missive written on mammoth hide near his throne:
BARL-
LATEST CONTACT WITH TERAKTINUS INDICATES HE HAS NARROWED THE SEARCH-HE BELIEVES A HUMAN TOWN CALLED SANDPOINT COULD HIDE WHAT MY LORD SEEKS. TERAKTINUS WILL LEAD SEVERAL OF THE PEOPLE, AS WELL AS THE DRAGON, ON A RAID INTO THE TOWN SOON. WHEN THEY RETURN, THYEY MAY BE PURSUED, AND I MAY NEED YOUR OGRE SLAVES TO AID IN TERAKTINUS'S RETREAT TO JORGENFIST. BE READY TO RETURN AT MY COMMAND!
M
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"Sandpoint!", Miana cries out. "Looks like this isn't the end of our battles against the giants.", the paladin looking at Sealman. "Let's give Myriana a quick visit and return to defend our home."
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Myriana is saddened but not surprised by the fate of her lover Lamatar. She begins to work her magic, which you recognize as a reincarnate. Normally, this spell would not work on Lamatar—not only has he been dead for longer than a week, but his body and soul have been tainted by undeath. Yet such is Myriana’s love that her spirit infuses the spell with power—although it causes her ghostly form to fade away, it enhances the reincarnation such that it can restore Lamatar to life in a new body.
Where before Lamatar was a man, he now stands before you renewed as a half-elf. He is at first shamed by his failure to protect both Fort Rannick and his lover, but decides not to waste the new life she gave him. He becomes the new guardian of Whitewillow and does not return to civilization.
Lucian takes comfort in seeing the two giants fall, and thus peace restored to Turtleback Ferry and its surroundings. Yet the young Varisian looks alarmed when he learns about the impending attack on Sandpoint.
"We have to warn them! Let's hurry back home to save them." he cannot help but say, thinking about only one thing - or person, maybe.
Once Miana reminds him of his duty towards Myriana, Lucian nods gravely. "You're right of course, we have to return Lamatar first. But let's hurry, we cannot delay any longer."
"GIANTS!" Sealman yells as he raises his arms and looks towards the heavens.
"Their scheming ways are as tangled as Uncle Remus's briar patch. We must return to Sandpoint to crush the giant attack. Once weakened, onward to Jorgenfist!"
Seal then looks at his companions then at himself.
"But first, we gotta shop."
"Should we tell the remaining Black Arrows of your fate, sir Lamatar?", the paladin pleased that love won over such a dark fate, that a light shone through the darkness.
"Please do, but ask them not to search for me. This is my fate now and I shall live here, alone, as the warden of this place."
---
The stone giants of the Storval Plateau have traditionally been a stabilizing element among their kind, a voice of moderation and pemperance among brutish thugs like hill giants, ogres, and ettins. Where these lesser races might go to war for the slightest of reasons, the stone giants preach caution and patience. Yet now, it seems one of their own has fallen from the path of tradition. And now that one stone giant has swayed his people to war, Varisia might never be the same!
Rissi will take time to study the blue dragon skeleton before the group leaves, fascinated with its unusual presence.
Rumors of increased giant activity in the lowlands of Varisia seem to be on everyone's tongue as you hurry back towards Sandpoint over the course of a couple weeks. The growing number of sightings at the fringes of civilization are enough to cause Magnimar's standing army to take notice. Signs of giatns are everywhere-immense footprints, house crushed to plinters, and secondhand tales of sightings by hermits and hunters. So far, the giants have not engaged in a full-on attack-but it seems like that respite may soon be at an end.
You arrive back in Sandpoint to find that while you have been breaking up cults of murderers, defeated a clan of deadly ogres, explored Thassilonian ruins, and tangled with legendary monsters from the deep, the citizens of Sandpoint have gone on with their lives. You've become legends to the folk of Sandpoint at this point. But now that you've come back, there is work to do....
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When they finally arrive in Sandpoint, Miana beelines towards Sheriff Hemlock's office. "Greetings, sir. I apologize for the rudeness of entering so abruptly, but we have news Sandpoint will be under siege... by a small army led by stone giants! We must make preparations for the defense of our fair city!"
The first thing Lucian does when he comes back home is to hurry back to Brodert Quink's house, to warn his master about the impending danger.
"Master, it's Lucian - I'm back! You won't believe all that we've seen and done in these past weeks. What am I thinking... there will be time for that later. For now you need to secure yourself as well as the most precious manuscripts and artifacts - an army of giants is about to raid the town!"