(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #47: Sneaking Around the Steading of the Hill Giant Chieftain

Zorin Redrock - Gnome Titan Fighter.  Veteran of the Barbarian Wars, and hero of Marakeikos due to the retaking of Frandor's Keep.
General Fonzy "The Fonz" Schlepprock - Hero of the Siege of Akorros.  In reality a low-level Gnome Titan fighter with a silver tongue.
Janus Redrock - Gnome Titan Priest of Pangrus.  Cousin of  Zorin Gnome Titan of loose morals and a hero of Marakeikos.
"Whitey"  - Albino Halfling Priest of Yondalla.   Zorin's sidekick.
Gwendalyn Lorax  - Half Elf Druid.  Her trials alone in Mer Kasp did not last as long as Cecelia, but they were equally intense and damaging to her psyche. 
Tywuelyn - Pixie Fairy Infiltrator - Gwen's sidekick

1st of NonDec, 1135 - Celsior
Leaving Terval, Cecelia, Mutumbo, and Coreena in Celsior, the group headed back to Danaan to exploit their recent success in the negotiations.

12th of NonDec, 1135 - Danaan.
Upon arrival in Danaan, General Bacares reviews a briefing from General Winters.  Barthey had recruited and sent five more armies out.  Despite some viscous siege warfare on the coastal cities, the armies defending the inland portions of the Empire were withstanding the onslaught of the Master's forces.

Zorin decided to personally talk with each Senators, not a small deal for a gnome titan that hates humans he deems not worthy.

Upon discovery of a problem with raiding giants in the foothills, they offer their personal services to the Senate.

Evar, a hill giant chieftain, has organized the giants and begun devastating raids on towns and villages.  The Senate wants Evar's head in return for an alliance and troop support.

The Trogs immediately get provisioned and travel that night up to Morton's Grove to meet their guide, Torvald Ouke.

13th of NonDec, 1135 - Morton's Grove, Danaan.
That morning, they met with Aluho, an elf who was a friend of Torvald.

Limited scouting had been conducted, so they knew only the following.

1. Very large quantities of giants lay ahead, as well as orcs and bugbears.
2. no ditches or moats around the compound, but they cut back a lot of trees.  Open approaches all around.
3. No other ways in, main door or servant access on right side.
4. NO other creatures inside the radius.
5. No other caves or hideouts between Morton's Grove and the compound.
6. no sign of giant/tree cover.
7. Huge piles of rocks everywhere.
8. no knowledge of guard placement.
9. no knowledge of pet/animal placement.

Aluho said it should be a straight shot in at night, and there seemed to be a big bash going on.  At 2am they snuck up to the door, occasionally hearing a loud outburst of laughter.

14th of NonDec, 1135 - The Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, Danaan, 2am.
Of course, Gwen was the only one tall enough to open the door!

There was huge foyer filled with outer garments, giant sacks, and two passed out giants in the foyer...   Janus wanted to slit their throats.

Janus acted as lookout while the others looted the bodies.  The navigate through the immense halls, finding the barracks, with 10 gigantic cots.

Fonzy ran back to acquire more rope to tie door knobs together.

Zorin:  There is a chest of elf and dwarf ears.

Going up the stairs, they find the armory.  Zorin has Tyweulyn fly up and cut the giant-sized crossbow strings.

Two more passed out giants are discovered in a side room, but no one can kill them!   They wake up forcing Zorin to slay one and Janus the other.

Zorin:  Janus finally killed something of importance!

Fonzy tied more doors together.

In the next room, the double doors opened to three freaked out and drunken ogres.

They attempted another set of double doors, open very carefully.  Inside is a very large hall, with most of the giants, ogres, nd some orcs feasting inside. 

Zorin: There are 30 giants, 5 ogres and about a dozen orcs.  They are drinking and eating and having much merriment.  We back track.  We come across an opening - we peek our heads in.  There is a fireplace insdie.  It's huge.  Also two doors in the room .  Contents:   Oak table and chairs, giant silver place setting at each chair and a silver candlesticks, and a statue of an elderly troll couuple  for a centerpiece.

Trophies are on the mantle area, shield, armor, aheado a war horse.  Heradlry on shields, 4 from Danaan, some zorin doesn't know.  One a aclan redrock device.  It's beat up and old.

We clean up what we can carry from the table....

Twelve years previous, I first ran G1: Steading of the Hill Giant Cheiftain for my high school group.  Not realizing how greatly improved 2nd Edition stats for a giant were in compared to the this module, it became a bloodbath for the PCs and they were forced to flee.

The Hackmaster version is even worse, but a smart party takes out the peripheral troops, scouts out the location, and saves the big party and Evar until the very end of the night. 

Alas, that would not end well for the Trogs, but for now they needed a few hours of sleep to recharge the clerics. 

Of course, they put Fonzy on watch....

Next:  Episode #48  Fonzy Schlepprock's Wandering Watch