Giants Are Not Dragons

Military: Skirmish

Getting to what would have been the hospitable lands of the central Ulgoine Valley, Myska's Menagerie finds that it still is home to an entire civilization, just not the kind of folk their were expecting. A village of goblins is attacked by a mixed band of two stone and two hill giants. The party is split on who to aid. In the end, they find the next clue to Temperance Shard activity in the Valley.

The first morning that Myska's Menagerie had over open terrain of the Ulgoine Valley brought with it diversion. Giants were spotted coming down from the Orods in the west and seemed to be on a trajectory for a village the party could see midway out. The spyglass confirmed that it was a war party. Notably, the group consisted of two hill giants and two stone giants working together. Chupta and Crush immediately flew off to attempt to meet with them to leave Fozz and Astrid to slowly wait for the ship to trudge onward. Approaching the giants before they got to the village, Chupta's conversations were of peace but he gave no incentive for the giants to listen to them. As they got close enough for the village alarm to begin to ring, the giants increased their lumbering gates into a sad excuse of a fluid run. Crush summoned a lighting cloud but aside from a single bolt, they continued on out from that cloud.   The party reconvened from two directions coming to the village's aid. It was only in fully closing in that it became known that this was a goblin village. The giants plowed through buildings, throwing stones and rafters all the same. The party found themselves divided with Chupta trying to side with the giants while the rest opposed them. Chupta went so far to attack a goblin villager before Crush crashed through a roof and out a window to intercept any other fire. Fozz got crushed by a flopping hill giant though Astrid called on the protection of Chauntea to protect him from the worst of it. Fozz and Astrid tag teamed the Stone and Hill combo as the goblins finished off the hill giant that Crush had channeled famine into. With only a single Stone Giant left, Astrid strode onward with Fozz cantering between groups like a shepherd. Chupta bellowed out, calling about the pacts of his people, decreeing the bloodline of Guptah Speedwagon, and fully presenting the intricate tattoo upon his arm.   The stone giant hesitated with a boulder already cocked back. He spoke out, “That deal is no longer kept. There is a new Ordning in these lands. One where the kinds are even”. Despite ready to continue, Astrid allowed the final giant to turn it's back to jaunt away.   After driving the final giant off from the goblin village, Myska's Menagerie looked at the knot of mystery before them. Chupta evaded goblin aggression with his illusions and flight while the rest of the party began to pick at threads. The village was called DragonKiller Sitting. The goblin leader Srokx proudly proclaimed loyalty to a “Harfolk Sanctuary”. Harfolk Sanctuary was the eastward center of activity in the region seemed to be home to all sorts of goblinoids, gnolls, lizardfolk, and possibly more. The giants had attacked Harfolk Sanctuary at least once before and Srokx decreed that he would gladly fend off the giant threat for the protection of Harfolk's leader, Kovlat Singleblood. The rest of the goblins were not nearly as enthusiastic but did not argue.   Astrid presented the Shade Crystal to inquire for leads. The goblins spread a gossip of the hunter Klark seeing a purple light until he was summoned forth. The finicky goblin spoke of a beast he killed in the woods. After the attack on Harfolk Sanctuary, he had been told to engage any giant he saw. In this case, it was a monstrous giant. As he shot it with arrows, dropped a tree on it (a hunting trap), and sprayed it with oil, this creature began to shine out the same purple light from it's wounds. This creature looked like “one that would get up quickly from wounds” but it one did not. The trollish creature stayed down and Klark ran away. Klark warned everyone away from the jungle and Astrid made sure to get a specific direction along the jungle horizon of where to absolutely steer clear from.   Chupta left the goblin camp early to catch up with the stone giant in retreat to question him some more. Through looping questions, Chupta learned of the giants' desire to no longer be limited in where they were supposed to live. They would take the volley and the deconstructed Ordning would work in tandem to create a new order. The stone would build the fortress, the fire would build the weapons of war. The Frost would plan the process. The Hill would plant the pastures. Chupta also received the name Kimmalog. The final words were of warning, telling Chupta to gather all of the small folk and leave valley or die. A boulder bid Chupta farewell as he flew back to his companions and they gathered onto the airship once more. The party's destination was the jungle line Klark had warned them away from.   The travel took a few hours. Upon arrival, scanning the initial edgeline Myska's Menagerie found trampled vegetation and huge sets of claw marks. The sets of four claws dug deeply into the trees and ranged from 3-4feet off the ground to arcing downward from 14 ft up. The Party carefully studied the markings from their spyglasses, conspired, and decided “Nah. Why go into a jungle after a beasty like that when we can just go straight at a band of mixed giants seeking war. The cooperation is evidence that there is probably some form of Temperance Shard at work.”   The second half of the day was then spent flying south west towards the Orods. Chupta gauged the most likely point for giant passage through the mountains and direction of probable headquarters. The night had flocks of familiars conjured to do reconnaissance. Guided by a point of light Astrid saw in the distance, the familiars only got close enough to witness a fortress upon the mountainside due to how far off it was before they reached the limit of their conjuring. They would travel in to investigate these newly organized giants in the morning