| Session Date | January 7, 2023 |
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| Base XP Gained | 10582 |
| Player Notes | ZZ's Notes |
The party waited outside the Giant’s cave for some hours. Finally, as the sun began to sink beyond the mountains to the west, a long Stone Giant came out and began to call loudly. There was, of course, no response. The Giant left and returned a short time later with two more Stone Giants and a pair of huge cave bears. They bellowed once more and then began to take the track down from the cavern mouth. Although invisible, the bears clearly began to sense the party and began somewhat unruly for the Giants. The latter did not seem to pick up on the clue and eventually forced the bears to continue on. The party paralleled them down the slope.
When the Giants had moved into the woodlands and sufficiently far from the cave, the party attacked from range. Both Hans and Sirius cast slow. Burt lightning bolted two, ZZ cast prayer, Deaglan, Dane and HelgaVinka shot arrows, Mordecai used his sling, and Jarrik used his ring of mammal control to turn the bears on their masters. Although this was quite the initial attack, the fighters still rushed to finish the job, supported by missile fire and more spells. And even in their condition, the Giants managed to get some licks in before eventually being cut down.
Moving back to the cave, Deaglan slipped in quietly into the darkness, followed by ZZ, to scout. He did not get far when three more cave bears sensed his presence and tried to attack him. The thief fled the onslaught as Jarrik rushed his bears forward and tried to control the new ones, eventually gaining control over four of five. A bear-on-bear fight soon ended with the uncontrolled one dead. As in previous fights, even when slain these bears continued to fight on for a short time before finally succumbing to injuries. More bears soon followed for more bear fighting, until only two mangled ones remained to Jarrik.
The party proceeded inward and to the left, eventually finding more passages and a bear lair, now empty. Finally they came to a hard right turn after which they could see reflected fire light ahead. Deaglan slipped ahead stealthily and found a very large great cave with at least eight Giants in it, as well as several more bears and a few humanoid prisoners chained to a wall. Two more passages exited from the large cave, the southeastern one with a five-foot escarpment leading upward. He returned and reported to the party.
As the party quietly discussed their next actions, a booming voice of a Giant called out to them. It knew they were there and accused the party of being “bear stealers” and made general threats. A parley, more exchange of threats, followed, but it was clear the Giants were in no mood to capitulate. After all, the Giant’s voice said, if they were killed “the wizard will avenge us.”
The parley ended with a number of stones hurled blindly towards the party, bowling ball fashion, to some effect! The party responded by blocking up their passage with a darkness spell, through which a volley of fireballs was launched and the remaining cave bears charged at Jarrik’s command. A complex battle ensued (which, for those playing along at home, never lends itself to a clear account!). Briefly, Deaglan slipped back in to free prisoners, noting one or more Giants were missing. The wizards kept up their fireballs into the room, Hans began mining a tunnel of passwalls to flank the Giants. ZZ, as rearguard, would soon see a small force of Giants trying in turn to flank the party, only to be met by himself, Burt, Burt’s Plant, and Sirius with a web and grease spells. Meanwhile, Mordecai summoned an Air Elemental and sent it into the fight. When the passwall broke through, the Gaints reacted quickly, hurling stones (one missed Hans thanks to the cloak he’d taken from Alcibard). The battle raged for a time, but the repeated blasts of fire, a cone of cold from Hans, backstabs from Deaglan, forthright action by Dane and Helga, etc were simply too much for the Giants. Still, they refused to surrender and fought to the end, joined by a single old crone of a giant wielding a broadsword like a knife. The worst setbacks for the party, fortunately, were things like the Air Elemental accidentally slaying itself! (weird one, that).
When the last Giant fell, the party called out loudly for any remaining females and young giants to surrender and depart immediately. A number now appeared and quickly accepted the terms, taking only food (including a few dead bears) and personal items and clothing, and quickly leaving. They all seemed somewhat emaciated, and explained that the hunting had been terrible of late because of the Fimbulwinter. Despite their supposed loyalty to the Ice Wizard, they were happy to leave and seek out their kin to the south. When ask led about the Giant King, they had heard of him but had no interest in trying to join him, as that way was too dangerous for their kind, passing as it did through Dwarf lands. Oh, and there was one remaining Giant, Grumnir. They refused to take him with them, as he was old and blind. With that, they departed.
The party now cleared the lair (map to follow) and found it largish but not overly complex. Grumnir they found down a long, dark passageway. He indeed proved to be old and blind. He also proved to be a talker who was happy to delve into philosophy and to try to interest the party in his awful poetry. Given his seeming inoffensiveness, the party let him be. He did know somewhat of the Ice Wizard, calling him a “demigod” or powerful nature spirit. He’d never actually met him, but he had seen his palace form a distance and found it awe-inspiring. Now, however, he had fortified his dwelling because of a perceived war with the Dwarves.
The party decided to pass the night in the cave complex and retrieve Dwarves, squire, and horses the next morning before considering how they would assault the Palace of the Ice Wizard.