HotDK 35: “Giant Tankards and Giant Castles”

The wheelwright, Gundalin, assist you dragging all the bodies out of the village square along with the bound and gagged Captain Othelstan and the tavern owner, Raggnar Redtooth. Shortly after doing so, Malic reappears via an interdimensional portal confused about the scene.   Once Malice is caught up on the events, you revive the Captain and the innkeeper for questioning. Raggnar is bit more willing to talk but doesn’t really know much. The Captain, you manage to intimidate into giving up some information, mainly that Rezmir has been here recently and that the castle is expected to depart sometime today but he doesn’t know exactly when. Other than that, his loyalty to the Cult is that he’d rather die than be a traitor.   Gundalin points out that Raggnar’s regular customers, cultists or not, will start arriving at the tavern soon expecting breakfast and wonder where he and the Captain are. He offers to help in that regard since he’s familiar with where things are at The Golden Tankard, but he suggests you try to blend in better.   You dawn the cultist masks you’ve gathered over the months and even convince Pubert to put Langderosa’s rather well-known sword in the bag of holding for now so it is not recognized. Brehana even manages to alter one to be a bit closer to Gnome sized.   Upon arriving at the tavern, you see the place’s name sake behind the bar in a locked glass case – a golden stein decorated with dancing dwarves and grain patterns. Gundalin breaks the glass and gives it to Pubert, demonstrating it’s magical ability to fill itself with three pints of dwarven ale up to three times per day. (Tankard of Plenty)   As patrons come in, noticing that Raggnar is not present and the gold stein is missing, Gundalin spins a tale of Raggnar getting drunk and forgetting where the key was (again) and breaking the glass and that he’s sleeping one off at the moment. Seems that’s satisfactory for the regulars as Raggnar’s done that before.   After breakfast, you head out the back door of the tavern and hook up with a group of Cultists taking a wagon to the Giant’s Castle. Gundalin, having had to assist with that duty before, as have a lot of other villages as they are forced to by the Cultists, knows the passwords to enter and advises that ever individual must speak one or the other while crossing the bridge.   You all manage to remember the password and make it into the lower courtyard of what is obviously a Cloud Giant’s castle. The Cultists carry on with their task of taking the wagon to wherever it was going and suggest you check in at the barracks (but don’t tell you where those are).   After some brief exploring, including almost waking into the stables with very hungry Wyverns, you manage to find what appears to be a guest bedroom. Pubert suggests getting some rest as you’ve been going for some time now without sleep. Malice, worried about getting stranded on the Castle when it leaves begins to object – just as he does, you feel the castle lurch. Malice goes to one of the windows where he also discovers that the wall is magic and disappears when he touches it, exposing a balcony. Stepping out onto the balcony you discover that the castle as indeed taken off and is rising into the air on its way to wherever it is going. You decide at that point, a long rest is indeed needed and since the castle has departed with you on it, you can now at least afford to get some much-needed rest.