Chapter 4: Neverlight Grove

You return to sleep and proceed through the night without interruption. When you are all awake and refreshed, you set out again, slogging through the myriad caves and caverns. Tiny winding paths and sweeping cathedral type spaces that make you forget you are underground.

You spend the next week moving quietly, chatting here and there. Eldreth sinks more into a funk with each passing day. You hear her muttering to someone that clearly isn't there at night. Whispers about not trusting the rest of you and that this invisible presence is the only thing she can trust in. You see creatures off in the distance but they don't attack and move far wide of you. It's not common for a group this large to be tramping around. One of the days, about 5 days in to this portion, you end up getting lost and wander even more. Somehow at during your time of being lost, Ander disappears from your number. This adds more delay to your trip. Once you find the path again, you're all stressed and agitated. You spend another 5 days wandering until you come into a cavern, massive cavern, one of the largest you've seen since you left Velkynvelve.

This cavern is odd. Very odd. In fact, short of the demon lords you've seen so far, this is up there in the top 3 or 4. It's almost as if you are outside. There is so much luminescent moss clinging to the ceiling of this place that it's almost as bright as if you were on a meadow during a spring afternoon. Enough light, that grass actually grows along the ground here! There are rolling hills and a single crumbling keep off in the distance. Rasharoo sets off towards this keep. It must be an important marker for Blingdenstone, the way he's moving towards it. As you follow him, faster than you've moved yet, you come across a gorge running through the middle of the space. There is a massive stone bridge spanning the raging river beneath. Black water moving back the way you came.

Carefully, you cross the bridge, wary for attack from all sides. The stonework on this bridge is immaculate, precise and pure in a way not even the dwarves have achieved. Whoever built this is a true master of the stone. As you make your way up to the crumbling keep, you see that even though it appears disheveled, it's actually very well constructed. All of the crumbling is artistic in nature and doesn't detract from the structure. The door is massive, easily 25' tall, and made of zurkhwood bound with battered iron bands. It stands open, swung out towards you.

We must pass into this keep. It holds the door to this entrance to Blingdenstone. Be careful, I know not if the master of this place is still here or.....

Rasharoo's mental comment is cut off as he passes through the doors of the keep. From far overhead, a massive stone and wood club swings once, then twice, in rapid succession, flattening Rasharoo into mushroom paste. A terrifying roar emanates from the structure.

A low guttural sound follows it, as if boulders themselves were rolling down a hill, but structured like words.

You all fall backwards as a towering bulk of blue-gray giant strolls through the door, stumbling slightly, dragging the greatclub behind him. His eyes move across you and his eyes blaze in a fury. The smell of alcohol is exceedingly strong here. COMBAT! You are all up.

Georges, Stool, and Eldreth all leap into action, swinging at the giant creature. The creature is easily three times Dustin's height.

Dustin's strike lands true, piercing into the giant's stone-like flesh. Bildaweer's missiles pummel the giant's chest as Cemos steps up swinging. The first attempt goes wide, but the second slices into the back of the creature's legs. Of the other three, only Georges manages to connect, and only with one stroke. The giant howls and swings at Cemos, his attention gained by the glowing golden beard settling on the dwarf.

The first swing Cemos manages to duck out of the way, however as he straightens back up, the giant's club catches him upside the head, rattling him. Take 16 damage Cemos (19 - 3 from your armor feat) and please make a DC10 CON save or you lose concentration on the shield of faith.

you are all up

As Bildaweer pummels the giant with magic, Dustin attempts to stab once again, but misses. Cemos misses with his first swing and then makes a crucial correction and lands a critical hit on the creature's ankle. Georges, still a bit stunned at the giant's size misses, as does Eldreth. Stool misses with the dagger, but having learned much about wielding two blades, slashes his sword across the giant's Achilles tendon, cutting deeply.

The creature howls, and turns to swing at Stool, enraged by the slicing wound dealt to him by a mushroom.

In horror, you all watch as both slams of the club land on your long-time companion, crushing him beyond the point of saving.

You are all up