The First Day of the Festival of Yule, in the Imperial Year of 1023
The Village of Asimenio, Province of Akro, The Republic of Danaan
To His Lordship, Viscount Wilifrick of Verbobonc,
After enjoying the hospitality of Danaan for quite some time, we were encountered by leaders within the Republic.
Ploutis Kadis, a well-respected member of the Boule, and a member of the Presidium, the administrative arm that guides the government from within the Boule, had discovered our previous run-ins with the elf Talanth Blackash and his associates, and offered us yet another job to clean up after them.
At some point quite recently, the elf and his companions were hired to a remove a rather active community of Hill Giants who were known to terrorize local caravans and farmsteads. The party had taken the usual payment up front, stocked up on supplies, and the five of them journeyed up to the village of Algyros, the close safe "home base" for their operations. There has been no sight or sound of the party, but travelers have reported very aggressive Hill Giant activity throughout the low mountains.
I immediately accepted the terms, adding that we would do the job for the regular fee, but we didn't want half up front to cloud our judgement, should things turn for the worse.
Staying on foot to avoid suspicion, we encountered our first group of giants, bugbears, and ogres ten miles before arriving near Algyros. They were quite agitated, searching for something... more so probably some one.
Once arriving in Algyros we got a larger chunk of the story. Blackash and Company did arrive, messed up with numerous projects in town, and headed off to Steading. No one had seen them since, although one of the horses did arrive back in town, scarred, but certainly missing any humans.
We carefully followed the edge of the trails heading to the homestead. We managed to waylay a few individuals without raising an alarm. Translation was poor at best, but it appears that Blackash thought a direct assault was a good option and the giants and their hirelings trounced them, scattering the "heroes" to the four winds. Now, the Hill Giant Chieftain Evar, was torn between adding to his legend, or the heroes getting reinforcements, so he ordered an all-out manhunt against Talanth.
Not prepared to take on dozens of giants, we found a high spot and staked out a position.
Knowing the size of a floating cloud giant island, I was still amazed by the homestead. Evar owned the largest wooden building in all of Danaan, possibly rivaling the current column-lined stone structures back at Afiny.
Guards were everywhere around the complex. Giants, bugbears, orcs, and a few hobgoblins took part in patrolling the area, with other groups actively searching for their recent attackers.
No one in our group suggested sneaking into a massive viking lodge surrounded by an veritable army.
We stayed long enough to ascertain the situation and confirm some of our intelligence. The fresh scorch marks coming out of certain windows and the front door basically confirms that Thendara Wandsregal, "The Busty Mage" used her modus operandi when engaging powerful foes. Not to say it wasn't somewhat successful, as we also witnessed the construction of a huge funeral pyre for multiple inhabitants who were recently killed, but the huge response of the giants, and the lack of the party means that things did not go as planned.
We chose discretion against berserking valor with this group, so we tried to quietly leave.
Prior to returning to Algyros, we did encounter one Hill Giant search party returning to the Steading. I'm not sure how we didn't see two giants wandering through the wooded hills. The ogre, it's cave bear, and four bugbears, I understand, but we were terrified and oblivious at the moment.
By luck, Andrei let off a fireball behind the search party, wounding all and killing off a single bugbear, before we engaged.
Giants are rumored to be as powerful as they are tall. I'm happy we didn't need to engage the Cloud Giants, as we could barely handle two Hill Giants. The search party was smart enough to identify and keep our spellcasters (Andrei and Brother Eligius) entertained while the giants and ogre smashed us to bits.
I'm not sure how we defeated them, In hindsight, I believe we were more talented, avoiding their brute strength. I also believe we were incredibly luck.
I'm incredibly grateful to Akana that Andrei survived (and more importantly defeated) a 10 foot tall primordial bear. Once he dispatched the beast, he was able to help kill the bugbear engaged with Brother Eligius, and we got the spell support that allowed us to prevent the giants from fleeing and calling for reinforcements.
Alas, we did lose one essential member of the Order of Merit. Simon Balasz, our multi-lingual guide, fled once charged by a bugbear. He never completely eluded the bugbear, but tried to backstab and Hill Giant leader of the search party. It was a fair blow, but it directed the giant's entire attention to him. He swung around and caught Simon with the entire length of his club, smashing him into a tree.
I hate to say, I empathize with the evil Wizard Sazor's dilemma after he slew the Cloud Giant wedding party arriving on the island. Hiding the bodies of giants is incredibly difficult! Triple our size, with a body shape more akin to a dwarf, we exhausted ourselves getting them into a shallow gully.
We acted opposite to our mission in Pelister. After binding wounds and whatever magical healing Brother Eligius had left, we wrapped up Simon's body and returned to Algyros. We paid the locals to bury Simon and warned the town elders that the giants were furious and actively searching for humans. More adventurers would incite them further. Organized military action would be much preferred.
While we almost caused a widespread panic, we were shocked to return to Afiny to find total indifference to our report. The aide for Ploutis Kadis simply took our report, thanked us for our service, and handed us the agreed-upon payment.
Preferring to avoid any more conflict, we left the capital and wandered further south. We've arrived at Asimenio, a beautiful seaside village. The weather is perfect, the water is warm, and I surely hope they have enough wine at the inn to last us the winter.
Yours in Service,
Fun fact as I was trying to plot out the letter, Simon the guide was "going to get the mother-lode of magic items" while in the employ of the Order. In fact, the cherry on the top of the his gifts was getting the shortsword the Hill Giant search party leader wore as a bauble on his necklace. The shortsword was the much famed Lofo Fonios, (+1, +4 vs giant-kind). Now it's been sold off to someone in the capital of Afiny, and the Order can have a seaside holiday over the winter.
Danaan would be plagued by Evar for over a hundred years, until the famed Burning Trogs completed the destruction of the steading.
NEXT: #49 ???????
The Village of Asimenio, Province of Akro, The Republic of Danaan
To His Lordship, Viscount Wilifrick of Verbobonc,
After enjoying the hospitality of Danaan for quite some time, we were encountered by leaders within the Republic.
Ploutis Kadis, a well-respected member of the Boule, and a member of the Presidium, the administrative arm that guides the government from within the Boule, had discovered our previous run-ins with the elf Talanth Blackash and his associates, and offered us yet another job to clean up after them.
At some point quite recently, the elf and his companions were hired to a remove a rather active community of Hill Giants who were known to terrorize local caravans and farmsteads. The party had taken the usual payment up front, stocked up on supplies, and the five of them journeyed up to the village of Algyros, the close safe "home base" for their operations. There has been no sight or sound of the party, but travelers have reported very aggressive Hill Giant activity throughout the low mountains.
I immediately accepted the terms, adding that we would do the job for the regular fee, but we didn't want half up front to cloud our judgement, should things turn for the worse.
Staying on foot to avoid suspicion, we encountered our first group of giants, bugbears, and ogres ten miles before arriving near Algyros. They were quite agitated, searching for something... more so probably some one.
Once arriving in Algyros we got a larger chunk of the story. Blackash and Company did arrive, messed up with numerous projects in town, and headed off to Steading. No one had seen them since, although one of the horses did arrive back in town, scarred, but certainly missing any humans.
We carefully followed the edge of the trails heading to the homestead. We managed to waylay a few individuals without raising an alarm. Translation was poor at best, but it appears that Blackash thought a direct assault was a good option and the giants and their hirelings trounced them, scattering the "heroes" to the four winds. Now, the Hill Giant Chieftain Evar, was torn between adding to his legend, or the heroes getting reinforcements, so he ordered an all-out manhunt against Talanth.
 |
| Talanth Blackash and His Crew fighting the Hill Giant Chief Evar |
Knowing the size of a floating cloud giant island, I was still amazed by the homestead. Evar owned the largest wooden building in all of Danaan, possibly rivaling the current column-lined stone structures back at Afiny.
Guards were everywhere around the complex. Giants, bugbears, orcs, and a few hobgoblins took part in patrolling the area, with other groups actively searching for their recent attackers.
No one in our group suggested sneaking into a massive viking lodge surrounded by an veritable army.
We stayed long enough to ascertain the situation and confirm some of our intelligence. The fresh scorch marks coming out of certain windows and the front door basically confirms that Thendara Wandsregal, "The Busty Mage" used her modus operandi when engaging powerful foes. Not to say it wasn't somewhat successful, as we also witnessed the construction of a huge funeral pyre for multiple inhabitants who were recently killed, but the huge response of the giants, and the lack of the party means that things did not go as planned.
We chose discretion against berserking valor with this group, so we tried to quietly leave.
Prior to returning to Algyros, we did encounter one Hill Giant search party returning to the Steading. I'm not sure how we didn't see two giants wandering through the wooded hills. The ogre, it's cave bear, and four bugbears, I understand, but we were terrified and oblivious at the moment.
By luck, Andrei let off a fireball behind the search party, wounding all and killing off a single bugbear, before we engaged.
Giants are rumored to be as powerful as they are tall. I'm happy we didn't need to engage the Cloud Giants, as we could barely handle two Hill Giants. The search party was smart enough to identify and keep our spellcasters (Andrei and Brother Eligius) entertained while the giants and ogre smashed us to bits.
I'm not sure how we defeated them, In hindsight, I believe we were more talented, avoiding their brute strength. I also believe we were incredibly luck.
I'm incredibly grateful to Akana that Andrei survived (and more importantly defeated) a 10 foot tall primordial bear. Once he dispatched the beast, he was able to help kill the bugbear engaged with Brother Eligius, and we got the spell support that allowed us to prevent the giants from fleeing and calling for reinforcements.
Alas, we did lose one essential member of the Order of Merit. Simon Balasz, our multi-lingual guide, fled once charged by a bugbear. He never completely eluded the bugbear, but tried to backstab and Hill Giant leader of the search party. It was a fair blow, but it directed the giant's entire attention to him. He swung around and caught Simon with the entire length of his club, smashing him into a tree.
I hate to say, I empathize with the evil Wizard Sazor's dilemma after he slew the Cloud Giant wedding party arriving on the island. Hiding the bodies of giants is incredibly difficult! Triple our size, with a body shape more akin to a dwarf, we exhausted ourselves getting them into a shallow gully.
We acted opposite to our mission in Pelister. After binding wounds and whatever magical healing Brother Eligius had left, we wrapped up Simon's body and returned to Algyros. We paid the locals to bury Simon and warned the town elders that the giants were furious and actively searching for humans. More adventurers would incite them further. Organized military action would be much preferred.
While we almost caused a widespread panic, we were shocked to return to Afiny to find total indifference to our report. The aide for Ploutis Kadis simply took our report, thanked us for our service, and handed us the agreed-upon payment.
Preferring to avoid any more conflict, we left the capital and wandered further south. We've arrived at Asimenio, a beautiful seaside village. The weather is perfect, the water is warm, and I surely hope they have enough wine at the inn to last us the winter.
Yours in Service,
Sir Elsderth Greyhawk, Lord of Greyhawk
Sage of the The Order of Merit,
Sage of the The Order of Merit,
Sellsword - Extraordinaire
Wielder of the Legendary Betrayer.
Wielder of the Legendary Betrayer.
Defilier of the Temple of Tiamat.
Slayer of the Wizard Sazor
Freigraff of the Totenlinden of Amberstoll.
DM Notes: G1: The Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, was the very last adventure I ran in high school. After dealing with the mind flayers in Needlespire, to get walloped by the hill giants was a complete 180 degree turn. and effectively derailed the campaign for other projects.
The sole issue? I converted all the monsters to AD&D 2nd Edition stats. Second Edition giants are massively more difficult and that difference nearly got them killed.
For the last few months of high school, we did board games and one shots. They never had enough time to lick their wounds and even think about returning and if they did, we had already graduated and I was off to basic training.
DM Notes: G1: The Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, was the very last adventure I ran in high school. After dealing with the mind flayers in Needlespire, to get walloped by the hill giants was a complete 180 degree turn. and effectively derailed the campaign for other projects.
For the last few months of high school, we did board games and one shots. They never had enough time to lick their wounds and even think about returning and if they did, we had already graduated and I was off to basic training.
Fun fact as I was trying to plot out the letter, Simon the guide was "going to get the mother-lode of magic items" while in the employ of the Order. In fact, the cherry on the top of the his gifts was getting the shortsword the Hill Giant search party leader wore as a bauble on his necklace. The shortsword was the much famed Lofo Fonios, (+1, +4 vs giant-kind). Now it's been sold off to someone in the capital of Afiny, and the Order can have a seaside holiday over the winter.
 |
| RIP: Simon Balasz |
NEXT: #49 ???????
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