Chapter 4: Neverlight Grove

As Stool reels from the massive strike, Dustin streaks in, diving and shoving Stool out of the way as the second strike sails down from overhead, crushing into the rogue's back. Dustin's eyes go blank as he starts bleeding profusely on the ground. Dustin, make a death saving throw please.

Second Death Save

Dustin's still form lies on the ground, bleeding from every possible place. Cemos dives after him, filling him with a golden light. You see wounds stitch closed as a suffusion of light pours out of his eyes in the brief moment before a single golden hair descends from the heavens onto the rogue, causing a beard of glowing power to shimmer on the normally hairless chin. As the beard settles onto Dustin, you see the light fade from Cemos, the shield transferred.

Bildaweer slings another series of missiles out into the giant's face, causing bluish blood to pour from his eyes.

Georges, Stool, and Eldreth all leap back for the giant, sure they can finish him off. They each take their swings. Stool, in his fury at having watched his own mentor fall under the brunt of the clubstrike meant for him, misses the beast. However, Georges and Eldreth join together in a devastating dual attack. The scimitar rakes across the inside of the giant's leg, opening an artery. The giant falls to the ground, his eyes flickering. Eldreth walks up to him, looking in his eyes for the briefest moment. He mutters something in that same gravelly voice as she raises her hammer and brings it swinging around in a swift two-handed arc, faster than anyone could get there to stop her. The strike hits the giant's nose, forcing the splinters of bone up into his brain, and the last vestiges of his life flicker and fade, as his chest stops heaving.

Combat is over.

The only real thing of interest on this giant, at all, is a strange jug that seems to radiate some magical power. It's tied to his belt in a leather pouch. The item is about the size of a gallon jug and sloshes when you move it, even though peering inside reveals no liquid.

You all spend about an hour, recovering and recuperating near the corpse of the fallen giant. Aside from his massive greatclub, which you can't even manage to lift, the only real item of note he has is the jug that Cemos has taken. As you rest, you feel your wounds knitting closed and a power surge through your veins. By the time the hour is up, your wounds are completely healed, not even a remnant of pain remaining, even for you Dustin.

Stool takes some time to break Rasharoo up into little pieces and turns him under the soil turned up by your scuffle with the giant. You all rise and walk into the crumbling keep. Very carefully you proceed, wary of potential lurking dangers, especially now that your guide is gone back to the soil. When you make it into the keep, you notice a small ring of stones in the wall, with words in Undercommon circling them, as if molten brass had been poured into the carvings. As you get near to the ring, the words glow and the center of the rock shimmers away. In a few moments, a tunnel appears and you hear the bustle of an active mine beyond.

Oy look! Heartboiler, right? We did a lot of work for your tribe back in the day, for sure. You lot are strong as the demons of hell, and even that massive chopper you carry is a deterrant, but damn it all I can't have just one person running caravan guard back to Blingdenstone! Get it through yer head, yeah! Either turn up with a proper group o' guards, or sit yer ass down and wait for one. I won't have my ore and gems getting ransacked because I didn't mount a good enough guard, you hear me?

You hear, in Common, rattling through the tunnel. With a strange look to one another, you proceed on down the tunnel, and in about 25 feet, it turns to the side and you find yourselves in a mining camp. A series of hefty zurkhwood carts sit laden with chunks of raw ore and mounds of uncut gems. A massive woman stands, a drinking horn that looks to be the entire horn of an elder ram hanging from her belt and a gigantic greatsword strapped across her back. The pommel is easily above her head and the tip comes to her ankles. You can see some crude runes carved into the blade.