Session 62 - Giant Ambush, Ambushed Giants

25 Ambyrmont 1010 - 27 Ambyrmont 1010

General Summary

The combat with the giants at the cave didn't quite go as planned. After pelting them with long range arrows, drawing the Dire Wolves after them, the "boss" of the giant group yelled something that stopped most of the giants and the wolves in their tracks, and they retreated back to the stronghold. This felt very strange. The party was able to kill one giant and one of the Dire Wolves that didn't immediately retreat, but their plan of killing more to thin the herd wasn't a complete success. After some debate about what should be done, they decide to try and goad the giants.  First, Stavos sews a coin into the mouth of the hill giant.
Elincia and Leo do some fly-bys and taunt the giant in the guard tower but, when it throws a big rock their way, they back off and return to the party. There wasn't a lot to see, since most of the camp is covered by a thick, matted and soiled thatch roof. after some further debate, they decide to wait until nightfall for their next effort. They set up a "taunt" on the hill just a bit away from the camp, using the recently killed giant's head on a stake, where it would be visible from the steading. They set up spooky light-show effects but, as with the cave, the giants seem unwilling to engage the party and none leave the compound that night.
With no movement from the stronghold, the party decides to sneak along the side of the camp and have Elincia do some underground exploration, which she does as a Cave Badger. She is able to dig below the walls and search around, eventually finding a couple rooms in a lower level, which she monitors for a while. There doesn't seem to be a ton of activity in the underground portions of the lair.
After she gets her fill of exploration, which has revealed a major north-south tunnel under the spine of the camp, she returns to the party for a full report. This could be very useful for when they attack the camp later, as a small infiltration team (likely the party) could create havoc while the giants are distracted with attackers from without. Now almost mid-day, they decide to depart for the meeting point, so they should arrive before the meeting itself.
During the hike, Tork is contacted by Bondebarg again, and the news is devastating. The giants have raided the meeting point and there is chaos. The party makes double-time for the camp, but know there is little chance of being any real help.
They arrive at the meeting point in the evening, and find it in a sad state. Getting a debrief from the people there, they learn it was a large raiding party of giants, ogres, and dire wolves, and they seemed to be here only to kill, not to capture slaves. While two giants, six ogres, and three wolves were killed, 68 tribesmen were slain in the attack, and many more seriously injured.
Prior to the attack, all of the tribes had arrived, except for the suspiciously missing Kuurn Kopan. Only Zarm the Champion who fought Tork in single combat has arrived, accompanied by Koblu. Zarm explains that Rehla the Matriarch decided that she would not honor their agreement to attend, and this angered Zarm, who came himself. Why Rehla decided not to attend is not totally clear, though suspicious given the attack, and the figures seen entering the giant fortress some days past.
The one good thing is that the giants left highly visible trails. The party explains that they are going to track down the giant's raiding party, and destroy it. If any warriors are willing and able to help them, their help would be greatly appreciated. Zarm of course volunteers, as well as a half dozen other Half-Orcs that are able to fight and not injured from the earlier raid.
Tracking the giants is no problem at all, with the giants leaving plenty of highly visible evidence of their passing. They are able to catch up with the giants by evening, spotting their campsite. The party decides to act now, rather than waiting for morning.
The Party tells the volunteers to stay back and use their bows to reduce the risk of casualties, with the exception of Zarm, who will fight alongside the front line team of Seraphina, Tork, and Stavos.
The campsite has an array of tents set up, with the slightly larger one in the center, likely that of the "king" giant. There are dire wolves around, and a couple of giants milling about, though there is no sign that they have been detected.
The combat begins with the party striking the camp from one end. The arrangements of the tents tend to split the combat along a North front and a South front. With the size of the giants, and their tents occupying much of the clearing, they tend to get in each other's way, restricting their ability to get to the party. Inevitably, the archer volunteers slide too far out towards on the north and draw the direct attention of some of the giants; one tribesman is killed, while the other two are forced to flee. The archers on the southern flank do a better job of staying out of trouble and are able to sustain attacks each round, continually pelting the giants and dire wolves with stinging arrows.
Any time the giants get sufficiently close together, Leo drops Synaptic Static on them, both dealing significant damage and disorienting the giants, reducing their effectiveness. Tork and Seraphina managed the northern flank, protecting the weaker defenders, while Zarm and Stavos focus on the southern flank. Zarm ends up taking a scary amount of damage in just a couple big hits - Stavos is forced to call him off and try to hold the flank himself. The giant king, mostly held back by the arrangements of the tents, orders the central tent pulled down. Spotting the softness of the southern flank, he moves that way and tries to force engagement with the injured Zarm, who has received some healing at this point. Thankfully, Zarm is able to disengage, but this again leaves Stavos to take the brunt of the attack.
Elincia mixes attacks with bow and spells to help control the battlefield. Seeing the trouble on the southern flank she creates a Wall of Fire, to hopefully contain the giants and give Stavos and Zarm some breathing room. Unfortunately, the "King" turns the situation around by charging through the wall and shoving Zarm back through it to the hot side. This forces Elincia to drop the Wall of Fire to prevent potentially killing Zarm. By now though, the party has taken down many of the giants and, with their numerical advantage, the party and volunteers are able to overpower even the extremely strong king. With the combat over, the party now needs to decide how to proceed.
The Giant's attack seems to imply inside knowledge, backed up by the scouts report on humanoids entering the Giant's compound. It also seems quite suspicious to the party that the Kuurn Kopan "decided not to attend" after agreeing to, and then the attendees were surprise-attacked. However suspicion alone is not enough. Perhaps there will be some evidence found?

Report Date

03 Apr 2022

Primary Location

Cruth Lowlands