Hall of the Fire Giant King

At last, the players in my Swords & Wizardry campaign came to the last of the Giant Series adventures, The Hall of the Fire Giant King. They had to get some information out of the spirit of the dead Frost Giant Jarl first, and then it was off to the Fire Giant. As written, the Fire Giant dungeon has the King right in one of the first rooms the players are likely to enter. He sent his guards to deal with the players and slipped out a secret door. But this only leads to a dead-end treasure vault or his personal quarters where he can pick up more giants for help. I assumed we would do the latter. The players were only the Fire Giant King's trail so quickly he did not get a chance to get further away than his quarters, and then magic spells brought him down.

The adventure ended there. The players did not see a reason to go on. They learned that the Drow were behind the attacks on the human realm but they reasoned that the Drow would not be able to fight on without their pawns. They could not survive in the sunlight. The beautiful maps I had for levels 2 and 3 of the dungeon were for naught. I even spent some time prepping the Underdark in case the players decided to pursue the Drow.

Comparing the three dungeons, the players enjoyed the Glacial Rift the most. They spent much time exploring the ice caves on either side of the rift. They loved the encounter with the pair of white dragons and the final showdown with the Jarl. The Steading of the Hill Giants was one big melee after another. The Hall of the Fire Giants was anti-climatic.

Session 174: The Hall of the Fire Giant King

Lakima (human magic user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Ambro Feyvine (elven thief), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Aelshara (half-elven magic user/fighter), Luna (charmed Human Fighter NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon has just killed Jarl Grugnur, leader of the Frost Giants. They had hoped to question the Jarl about the attacks on Human lands while he was still alive, but he fought to the death. Their new Storm Giant friend Uldinia carries the dead body of the Jarl of the Frost Giants as the Company leaves the Glacial Rift. Lakima still has the repulsion spell functioning on him.

Lakima made his way in silence through the caves until he entered the ice tunnels. Ahead, he heard movement, and when he entered one of the caves that the Frost Giants used as a guardpost, he saw almost a dozen yeti in the cave. The Yeti yelped in confusion when they found they could not pounce upon Lakima who looked undefended.

“Death!” Lakima hissed and cast the death spell. All of the Yeti collapsed in heaps on the cave floor. All dead from Lakima’s powerful magic. Lakima reached the ledge of the glacial rift and began the long climb to the glacier. Climbing up the steps carved for giants took almost an hour. Reaching the glacier, Lakima dispelled the repulsion spell. Ten minutes later, the rest of the Company joined him,  with Uldinia striding at the party's rear carrying the dead Jarl.

“Ambro, scout ahead. Let’s get off this glacier and back to the ship,” Lakima shouted.

Ambro began to cross the glacier avoiding a hill of snow on the ice. Then a strange creature erupted from the ice, an insectoid body 40 feet long covered in blue scales. The creature had a spine and crested head glowing red-hot with heat. In let out a strange raspy scream and launched itself at the adventurers.

“A remorhaz!” Lakima shouted, “Beware, its blood can damage weapons!”

Aldus and Ian moved back once they heard Lakima’s shouted warning. Eathwund, however, did not heed it, and he charged into battle against the creature, slashing into its soft belly. The creature turned to attack, but Eathwund managed to redirect its blows with his shield. Uldinia dropped the Jarl’s corpse in the snow and picked up a huge chunk of ice. Hurling it, the ice block crushed the head of the creature, and it lay still.

“Is it dead?” Aldus asked.

Ambro poked at the corpse and nodded to the group. Then she headed off, scouting ahead again. The rest of the company picked up their burdens, (sacks, backpacks, and a frost giant corpse), and followed. Ambro eventually returned and told everyone that the steps down from the glacier were clear.

“I can see the mast of the Cloudstealer in the distance,” Ambro shouted.

The company arrived at the camp their henchmen had built around the Cloudstealer late in the afternoon. Lakima told the assembled henchmen and the rescued prisoners what events had transpired. A snow squall came up, and everyone took cover under the tent in the camp or onboard the flying ship.

The following day Domago busied himself casting healing spells on Aldus and Ian until the two were almost back at full health. He used the remaining healing magic on Uldinia. Domago then cast speak with dead on the corpse of Jarl Grugnur. The Jarl’s spirit told them that the King Snurre Ironbelly of the Fire Giants was his ally in the war on humans. He also revealed that King Snurre took his orders from elves. The final question they asked gave the company the location of the Fire Giant Hall near an unnamed volcano in the Valen Peaks.

“We should set out for the Fire Giant Hall tomorrow,” Domago said.

“We have to go to Larm,” Lakima countered, “You are forgetting the prisoners we rescued.” Domago looked suitably embarrassed. Ulein, one of the prisoners, offered to try to lead the other prisoners to the wilderness road. Lakima told him that they would fly them to Larm. Having heard the words of the dead Jarl, her tormentor, Uldinia thanked the Company and told them she was long overdue for her planned visit to her uncle. She waved goodbye and walked off to the north.

The Cloudstealer, with the Company and guests onboard, headed south toward Larm. A two-day trip. Aelshara told the group that she would go with them to the Hall of the Fire Giants. The Cloudstealer only spent one night in Larm. They arrived late at night, dropped off the prisoners, and gave the militia captain the news of the giants. The following day, Lakima gathered some snow and cast the ritual spells needed to create a new simulacrum of Luna. Luna rose up from the ground once the spells were cast.

“That’s not natural,” Aldus said quietly.

Soon, the ship was airborne again, headed for the volcanic fields of the Fire Giants. Two days of flying brought them north enough over the Valen Peaks to see the unnamed volcano. The volcano was belching dark smoke, and a river of lava could be seen running down one slope. A large valley a few miles long lay before the volcano. The valley looked like a hellscape of volcanic vents and heaps of slag.

“There! On the side of that hill of slag,” Ambro shouted from the bow. Everyone moved to the railings to look. Two huge obsidian doors could be seen on the side of a slag hill. A flat area lay in front of the doors. Lakima brought the Cloudstealer down close to the ground a few hundred feet from the doors.

“If anyone approaches the ship, you ascend and get out of here,” Lakima told August, his apprentice. “I will know how to find you.”

Lakima, Eathwund, Aldus, Ambro, Domago, Ian, Luna, and Aelshara descended on a rope ladder to the ground below. Ambro ran forward to check the stone doors. The rest of the Company followed at a slower pace, Aldus and Eathwund in the lead.

“The doors are not locked or trapped,” Ambro said. “But there is no handle to open them.”

“Eathwund?” Lakima said.

Eathwund walked up to the doors and struggled to open one. It would not budge. He tried pushing and grabbing the bottom of the door and pulling. He moved on to the second door and found he was able to get his fingers under an edge. Using his giant strength, he pulled the door open. Beyond was a hallway lined with black stones. Huge red tapestries lined the walls at intervals. Flaming gas jet fixtures lit the hall. There was a distant echo of what might be giant footsteps.

“Wait,” Lakima said, “Domago cast a silence spell, and then I will step out of the area and cast a mass invisibility spell.”

“Right. Maybe we can get the drop on the giants!” Aldus said in agreement.

With the spells cast, the group enters the hall, invisible and silent. They walked boldly down the hall until Ambro signaled two creatures ahead. The group moved forward until they could all see two strange, two-headed giants carrying a pair of clubs each. The creatures, Lakima knew to be Ettin, swung their heads about from side to side, constantly scanning the area for intruders. The Ettin patrolled an enormous, well-lit hallway. Five-foot-in-diameter stone pillars held up the 60-foot-high ceiling. The dark stone floor was inlaid with swirls of lighter-colored stone. They could see a Fire Giant sitting on a large throne in the far distance to the east. Gems sparkled on the throne.

The Hall of the Fire Giant King

Lakima signaled the attack as Aldus, Ian, Domago, and Eathwund took positions beside the Ettins. They attacked, gaining surprise. The invisibility was dispelled once they made the first attack. But the surprise was enough to get the jump on the Ettins, and both were soon killed. While the attack had been silent, their fight had not gone unnoticed. A quartet of Fire Giants could be seen striding down the hallway toward them, with two enormous hellhounds leading. The Company vanquished the Fire Giants and the Hellhounds. Lakima dispelled the silence spell so they could speak again. He then cast a wall of iron spell blocking the passage they entered from.

“Why did you do that?” Aelshara asked.

“I don’t want to worry about someone coming up behind us.”

The group approached the throne area at the far end of the hall. The Fire Giant, who had been sitting on the throne, was gone.

“There was a King on this throne,” Lakima said, looking at the empty throne. He looked around but saw no passages from the throne area. The stone wall behind the throne was carved with bas-reliefs showing a Fire Giant King defeating dragons, fire giants, and other harder-to-identify monsters. Ambro approached the throne and checked it carefully. Once she was certain it was not trapped, she began prying dozens of gems out of the back and sides of the thrones.

“Fire opals and rubies,” Ambro said, “Finally, a giant with some treasure.”

Lakima checked the wall carefully but did not see any cracks that could indicate a door. He took out the Wand of Secret Door Detection and immediately discovered that one of the carvings of a Giant King concealed a door.

“Here is where he went!”

Ambro opened the secret door and ducked into the dark passage beyond. She returned after a short absence.

“There are no visible exits from the hallway,” Ambro said, looking at Lakima’s wand.

The entire Company entered the hallway and traveled to its end. Lakima took out the wand of secret door detection and immediately found a secret door.

“Eathwund, Aldus, you go first!” Lakima said and then triggered the door.

The secret door opened into the secret passage. It revealed a chamber carved from the rock, well-lit by gas lamps hanging on the walls. Directly before them was an enormous bed and four iron chests. In front of the bed, a group of four fire giants waited expectantly, weapons ready, behind a giant table they had tipped over for cover.

Lakima immediately cast a confusion spell. Fire Giants and their hellhound pets began shouting at each other. These shouts escalated to shoves and an all-out battle as fire giants attacked each other and the hellhounds. Into this confusing melee, Eathwund and Aldus began attacking distracted Fire Giants. The Hellhounds fell beneath the blades of the fire giants, and Aldus and Eathwund each killed a giant. Then, the fire giant leader arrived on the melee scene with four more hellhounds. Deducing that Lakima was the cause of the confusion, he picked up a boulder and hurled it at Lakima. The boulder struck Lakima, knocking him sideways. Luna took up a defensive position in front of Lakima. Lakima cast a mirror image spell to create four false images of himself.

Eathwund and Aldus brought down the last fire giants and began fighting through the hellhounds. Lakima cast flesh to stone on the Fire Giant king and was pleased to see it work. The king of the fire giants was turned to stone. Once the battle was ended, Lakima told Eathwund to tie up the Fire Giant. Eathwund pulled the rope from his sack and bound the giant statue as securely as possible. Lakima then pulled a scroll out of the bag of holding and cast stone to flesh.

The Fire Giant’s eyes opened, and he began to furiously struggle against the ropes. The sword he clutched in one hand burst into flames and burned through the ropes.

“Ambro. Tell him to surrender, or he will be killed!” Lakima shouted.

Ambro shouted at the Fire Giant in giantish telling him to surrender but the giant ignored her commands. The ropes burned through and he fell forward face-first on the stone floor.

“Get him!” Lakima shouted.

Eathwund, Ian, Domago, and Aldus all pummeled the Fire Giant on the floor. The giant took grievous wounds but struggled to his feet and shouted a war cry. He swung his giant, flaming sword at Eathwund, but the attack was blocked.

“Keep trying to get him to surrender!” Lakima shouted. Ambro continued yelling at the giant in his native tongue.

“Don’t kill him yet!” Lakima shouted.

Too late, Eathwund stabbed the giant through the chest, killing him. The fire giant tumbled to the floor dead.

“Oops,” Eathwund said.

“Ambro, scout ahead and make sure no more Fire Giants are headed our way,” Lakima shouted. “Domago. I hope you have speak with dead?”

Domago nodded and cast the spell. The ghostly spirit of the Fire Giant rose up from the corpse. The angry spirited swiped ineffectually at Domago with a ghostly sword.

“Who dares disturb King Snurre of the Fire Giants”

Lakima whispered to Domago the questions he wanted asked.

“Who is behind your attacks on the human realms?”

“I am following the orders of the Drow,” the spirit answered.

“How did you come into contact with the Drow?”

“I encountered their emissaries when clearing the deepest dungeons beneath these Halls.”

“Where do the Drow come from?”

“They come from the Underdark, miles beneath our feet.”

The spirit then sighed and vanished. The entire company stood there looking at the corpse. Slowly, everyone began to look at Lakima.

“Let’s leave,” Lakima said, “We have accomplished our task.”

“But what of the Drow,” Domago asked. “We should learn their plans.”

“The Giants were their instrument. The Drow cannot survive on the surface in the sunlight. Without the Giants, their schemes are finished.”

“I am not as certain as you,” Aelshara said. “We certainly broke the backs of the Hill Giants. But the Frost Giants still have numbers, and another Jarl will step forward. We have barely scratched the Fire Giants.”

“We killed their King. We have loped off the head of the beast,” Lakima said with finality. “Let’s leave this place and go home.”

At that moment, Ambro entered the chamber, dragging a large sack full of gold coins. She looked around at the silent group.

“What did I miss?”

The Fire Giants did not let the Company of the Black Dragon leave uncontested. Retracing their steps, they found gnolls and fire giants approaching the hall where they had fought the Ettins. Lakima cast a wall of ice to block their entrance to the Hall. The ice wall would not last long, but he cast repulsion on a projected image near the hall to allow them to escape. They found their exit blocked by the wall of iron that Lakima had created when they entered the dungeon. Lakima had to cast an acid finger spell to burn a hole through the iron wall. Eathwund was the first to step through the hole in the wall, and he was attacked by a Fire Giant guard. The guard was soon killed.

The Company exited the Hall of the Fire Giants and signaled August on the Cloudstealer. A rope ladder was tossed down to them, and everyone climbed back aboard the ship.

“That was quick?” August asked.

“They did not have much fight in them,” Lakima answered, “We are headed home to Edgerton.”

It took two days of uneventful travel to reach Edgerton. Once they arrived back at their Manor House, Lakima told the Company they needed to report to Duke Robert immediately. Aelshara told Lakima that she also should report. They took the portal to the Bridgeway and the Bridgeway to Dolmvay. Arriving near the palace, they were taken directly to meet with Duke Robert and his advisors.

Lakima told Duke Robert the story of their exploits. Robert asked whether they felt the threat of the Giants had been dealt with, and Lakima claimed it had. Robert told them that he had sent his flying ship with a company of knights to arrest his half-brother Uther. Uther abandoned his capital and fled to his stronghold, Fort Doom. Robert told them that even with a flying ship, a long siege would likely occur. Robert then tried to entice Aldus to take charge of the siege of Fort Doom in return for the title of Earl of Calwell. Aldus thanked Duke Robert but politely declined. 

The group returned to Edgerton and decided it was time to take a long break from adventuring. Domago wished to lead a company of priests to Aleenton to re-open the Shrine of St. Aleena. Eathwund had a new Inn in Peake’s Crossing to look after. Lakima had spell research he wished to complete. Aldus felt it was time for Ian to take the test to move from squire to knight. Aelshara said goodbye, telling them she wished to keep an eye on the giants in case any new trouble started. Ambro was silent and decided to wander the town, looking for something to do. She was troubled by dreams in which the Dark Lady warned of the threat from a Spider God.

Thus ended the adventures of the Company of the Black Dragon, for now.

Battle with Jarl Grugnur

The players returned to the Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl this past week. It allowed me to set up the Rift for a return foray. I had the Jarl of the Frost Giants set up in his throne chamber with the rest of the Frost Giants and Polar bears arrayed in side tunnels to ambush the players. We got a massive melee in the audience chamber. The players killed the Jarl but were severely outnumbered by Frost Giants. The use of a Repulsion spell turned the tide. The Frost Giants could not approach the group. High-level magic is often the deciding factor in these high-level games.

Session 173: Confronting Jarl Grugnur

Lakima (human magic user), Eathwund (human fighter), Aldus (human cavalier), Ambro Feyvine (elven thief), Domago (human cleric NPC), Ian of Darkhollow (human cavalier NPC), Aelshara (half-elven magic user/fighter), Luna (charmed Human Fighter NPC).

The Company of the Black Dragon has been charged by Duke Robert of Valnwall with putting a stop to the raids by Giants on the Duchy and to find out who or what is behind the raids. They stormed the Steading of the Hill Giant Chief and learned that Jarl Grugnur of the Frost Giants paid for the Hill Giants to attack human lands. Now they have entered the Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, and after many battles with ogres and frost giants, they have rescued prisoners and need to get out of the ice caves to rest and recover.

The company makes it back through their path in the lower caves, passing the scenes of their past battles. Then, they ascend back to the ice caves.

“Which way?” Ambro asked.

“Back the way we came,” Lakima said, pointing right.

Ambro took the lead well in front of the rest of the company. Their numbers swelled to 13 by the rescued prisoners Ulein, Olbigo, Ciri, and Sefi. Aldus and Ian stayed back far enough that they could just see Ambro slipping through the shadows ahead. Behind them came Domago and Eathwund, then Lakima and the simulacrum Luna. Finally, Aelshara led the freed prisoners and the storm giant Uldinia. Uldinia found the tunnel small and confining.

Ambro returned to the group and warned that she had spotted ogres ahead.

“They found the guardroom and the frost giants we killed there,” Ambro said.

“They will expect us. Fighters to the front and charge them!” Lakima said.

Eathwund and Aldus led the group into the cave, followed by Ian and Domago. Six ogres were encountered and quickly killed. One ogre tried to flee but was cut down by Eathwund. Ambro checked through the corpses but did not find any treasure.

“These frost giants and their underlings seem far poorer than the hill giants,” Ambro complained.

The group continued north. Ambro’s keen senses warned her just in time as she crossed an intersection of two tunnels. She leaped forward to avoid the clubs of five ogres bent on an ambush. Eathwund, Aldus, and Ian took care of the Ogres but Ian was injured yet again.

“Where to?” Lakima asked.

“Out onto the ledge,” Ambro pointed to an open tunnel. Orange light flooded in the caves. “It looks like the sun is setting.”

They headed back from the ledge into the ice caves until the tunnels came back onto another ledge. To their right was the long climb out of the rift and onto the glacier. The party climbed the steps cut into the ice by the frost giants until they reached the glacier. Crossing the glacier took another half hour, and then they descended the slippery ramp down the front of the glacier. In the distance, they could just make out the tall mast of their ship, the Cloudstealer.

The party arrived at the camp August had set up after the sunset. Exhausted and injured.

“It will take a few days of resting for me to heal the fighters and perhaps longer for our giant friend,” Domago told Lakima.

Lakima looked about the campfire at his injured companions. Aldus, Ian, Domago, and Uldinia were all badly injured. It might take a week to heal. He looked at Eathwund, who was busying himself chopping firewood. Eathwund was fully healed and looked full of energy, which was the benefit of his Ring of Regeneration. Lakima then had a thought.

“Eathwund. Could you loan your ring to some of the fighters?”

Eathwund looked up, startled.

“I guess… But I would need it back.”

“Of course, it would only take a few minutes per person,” Lakima said.

Eathwund struggled to get the Ring of Regeneration off his finger. It seemed to be stuck on tightly. Once off, he handed it to Aldus. Aldus put on the ring and sighed in relief. After a few minutes, he looked hale and hearty again. Eathwund tapped Aldus on the shoulder and held out his hand. Aldus returned the ring.

This continued with Ian, Domago, Ambro, and Lakima each taking turns with the ring. Eathwund looked relieved each time it was returned to him. He then looked in askance at the Uldinia, the storm giant. Uldinia was severely injured. Blood dripped from an open wound on her right arm. She sat on one side of the fire, blocking the wind for the rest of the party.

“Sorry, Uldinia. I don’t think this will fit you.” Eathwund slipped the ring on his finger. It would need to be the size of a barrel hoop to fit Uldinia.

Lakima suggested that he could magically temporarily shrink Uldinia to human size, but Uldinia refused the offer. Lakima persisted and suggested that it was the smart thing to do.

“I have endured many humiliations these past months,” Uldinia said,” I will not add being shrunk down to a tiny size one for them.” That ended the argument.

The party rested for the night. Those who were not as tired took turns on watch. The released prisoners told their stories around the campfire. Lakima suggested it would be best if they stayed and guarded the campsite.

“The frost giants will be ready for us this time,” Lakima said.

“Maybe they think we came to rescue the prisoners,” Domago suggested, “Maybe they cannot imagine we would return.”

Lakima just looked pointedly at Domago.

“I don’t believe it either,” Domago admitted.

Having rested, Domago administered treatment to Uldinia’s wounds and used his most powerful healing spells. After he finished, the open wounds were closed, but Uldinia still labored when she walked.

“Ambro, can you scout ahead to the glacier while we pack up?” Lakima asked.

Ambro nodded and slipped the hood of her elven cloak over her head. She jogged off toward the glacier. The rest of the party assembled their gear and set out toward the glacier. After a half hour, Ambro returned to the group.

“There are Frost Giants on the ramp up onto the glacier,” Ambro said. “They lie in wait with boulders ready to smash us if we come up the ramp.”

“Then we should surprise them,” Lakima said.

“We will take the Cloudstealer to the top of the glacier,” Lakima said.

“I don’t like having them behind us,” Aldus said, “And how will Uldinia fit on the boat?”

Lakima looked at Uldinia. The Cloudstealer was only about twice as big as her, and next to her, it looked like a rowboat.

“I will arrive alone at the base and distract them,” Uldinia said.

“Then we can hit them from above,” Aldus added.

“Are you sure you are up to it,” Lakima told Uldinia.

“They are lesser giants,” Uldinia said in response.

“Yeah, but you are not at your full strength,” Lakima said.

“I will manage.”

Uldinia set out for the glacier while the company with August and the crew flew high up and to the west in the Cloudstealer. As Uldinia neared the glacier, the Cloudstealer settled on the glacier just above the path to the top. As expected, the frost giants began hurling boulders at Uldinia as soon as she came into range. She was struck three times.

“She’s getting pummeled!” Aldus shouted.

“Attack!” Lakima yelled.

He directed the fighters forward down the ramp while the Cloudstealer, with the rest of the company on board, flew out over the giants. Lakima yelled at Aelshara to use the wand of lightning bolts. The frost giants stopped hurling boulders at Uldinia and threw them at the flying ship. Three boulders crashed into the ship before the fighters overran the giants. The fight was soon over. All of the Frost Giants lay dead. Uldinia climbed slowly up the path until she joined them on the glacier.

“You need healing,” Domago told her.

“Save it. We will need it when we confront Grugnur!”

The party made their way across the glacier and again descended into the rift with Ambro in the lead.

“Take the right path this time!” Lakima shouted as the wind and snow began to swirl about them.

Ambro nodded and headed off down the right descent.

“Is this wise?” Domago asked.

“They might not suspect it,” Lakima answered.

The party followed Ambro along the ledge on the side of the rift. Continually descending. They passed the first few caves until they came to one blocked by a rock.

“Uldinia. Can you move this? They are protecting something here. Maybe it is the Jarl,” Lakima shouted. Uldinia could barely hear him as she towered above and took the brunt of the wind. She stepped forward, picked up the boulder, and tossed it into the rift. Ambro immediately entered the cave and scouted ahead.

When she returned, she gave them a report on what lay ahead.

“There is a large cave outfitted as a guardpost or barracks. I counted a half dozen Frost giants on watch.”

“Are they alert?” Lakima asked.

“Yes. We will not be able to surprise them.”

Lakima told Eathwund, Aldus, Ian, and Domago to take the lead. The others would support them with missiles and magic. Eathwund led the charge into the chamber. Immediately, he shouted a warning as he saw a small cave off to one side where four frost giants rested. He rushed to attack the first frost giant who stepped in front of him.

Lakima heard Eathwund shout the warning and instantly changed the spell he was preparing.

“I am on it!” Lakima shouted, then cast a Wall of Iron across the mouth of the side cave.

The fight went well for the heroes until reinforcements arrived. Another six frost giants entered the cave from the north. Things looked desperate as the front-line fighters took the brunt of the assault.

“Elf. Use the wand!” Lakima shouted at Aelshara.

“It only has 2 charges remaining!”

“Use it!”

Aelshara cast a lightning bolt from the wand, blasting into the frost giants. If gave a brief respite, but none of the giants faltered. Lakima used the pause to summon an Owl Bear! The Owlbear appeared out of nowhere and launched into the frost giants, slashing with its claws and biting with its beak. The ferocity of the owl bear’s attacks pushed the frost giants back, but they soon ganged up on it. The owl bear fell, but the tide had turned, and soon the Frost giants were also falling. Lakima finished them off with a fireball.

As the smoke cleared Ambro busied herself searching the dead giants. Lakima walked over to the corpse of the frost giant who had seemed to be leading the fight. He asked Uldinia if this was the Jarl. She shook her head. It was just one of his underlings. Lakima asked Domago to cast speak with dead on the corpse. Soon the spirit of a dead frost giant rose up.

“What do you wish of me,” the ghost spat out in anger.

“Where is the Jarl?” Lakima asked.

“He is below in his audience chamber.”

“How do we get to this audience chamber?”

The spirit gave them some vague directions. Lakima could not think of anything else he wished to ask, but the frost giant's spirit could not leave until they asked a third question.

“Anyone else have a question?”

No one said anything, so Uldinia stepped forward and asked a question.

“Why did Grugnur dare imprison me and risk the wrath of the Storm Giants?”

“His bad luck. He is enamored with you.”

The spirit vanished.

Ambro set out south, scouting the route ahead. Aldus and Ian slipped off behind her. Lakima paused to prepare a spell near the wall of iron. Aelshara stepped closer, not recognizing the spell he had cast. She could hear the faint thumps and shouts of the frost giants trapped on the other side of the wall of iron. When Lakima completed the spell, a bright spark appeared in front of the wall and then faded from sight.

“What was that?” Aelshara asked.

“A little surprise for when the wall vanishes in an hour. A delayed blast fireball,” Lakima said with a smirk.

The group found that they were at a dead end. They would need to retrace their steps to get further south, where they knew the ramp to the lower level resided. They exited back out onto the ledge and headed along it south. A short distance along, they entered another cave in the side of the rift and followed it south until it exited back out on the ledge. Below, they could see a pack of winter wolves running through the snow at the bottom of the rift. Ambro led them into another cave and headed south well in the lead.

Ambro soon returned. “A small cave ahead is being used as a guardpost. There are at least two frost giants stationed on watch. Another tunnel heads east, just past the cave. If my sense of direction is correct, it should lead to the ramp to the lower caves.”

“Two will be easy. We have this.” Aldus said and motioned to Eathwund.

“Wait. I have an idea,” Lakima said. “I will cast a darkness spell in the tunnel. You run up to the edge, and then I will drop the spell.”

The two fighters rushed down the tunnel, followed by Ian and Domago. Lakima cast a globe of darkness in front of them. They could hear the confused voices of the frost giants just ahead. The fighters readied their weapons. The darkness fell, and Eathwund and Aldus leaped at the frost giants, gaining surprise. The pair of giants fell, but another two emerged from an area that was out of sight from the entrance. But soon, all four giants were dead. Eathwund searched the corpses and found nothing. Ambro headed off down the side tunnel, which led out onto the ledge again. Then she followed another tunnel back into the rock. Two routes stood before her. In one direction, she could see a dim flickering light. In the other, there was only the cold and darkness. A short time later, the rest of the party caught up with her. The giant Uldinia against having to turn sideways in the tunnel. But at least these tunnels were high enough to allow her to stand up straight.

Ambro told the company what she had learned. Lakima suggested heading toward the light so Ambro investigated. She crept up to a turn in the tunnel. Peering around the corner so saw three fire giants. One stood in front of a large brazier full of burning coals. She carefully slipped away to the group and told them.

“We don’t need another fight,” Lakima said, “Let's take the dark tunnel.”

The dark, cold tunnel led through the rock for a few hundred feet before they came to the familiar junction where the tunnel was joined by the entrance to the lower caves. The entire group prepared, expecting an ambush or traps as they descended. But below the entrance, the cavern was quiet. Torches still flickered along the walls, casting shadows over the large carvings of frost giant victories. The boulder to the dragon’s lair was still pushed to one side, but the boulder that had concealed the frost giant's lair was back in place.

A tight fit for the Storm Giant

“Search for the trigger,” Lakima whispered. Aelshara, Ambro, and Lakima looked. It was Lakima who found it and triggered it. The boulder rolled into the cavern beyond.

“Check it out,” Lakima whispered.

Ambro slipped forward and peered into the cavern, where they had a battle with ogres, frost giants, and a cloud giant the day before. All of the dead were gone. On the floor, there was a thick trail, five feet wide, of darkened blood. Ambro knelt and stuck a finger on the floor. The blood was still sticky. She motioned the others and then advanced. There was no sound in the caves. All was quiet. She looked into a chamber to the south at the crossroads beyond the cavern. The corpses of ogres were heaped in piles near the entrance. Frost Giant corpses were laid out on hides and furs. In the center, the corpse of the cloud giant lay. Ambro moved back to the party.

“It’s quiet. All the dead have been laid out in a cave,” she said.

“Too quiet,” Lakima said.

“Maybe they are gone?” Domago added.

The group filed past the cave full of the dead.

“Why would they drag them here?” Aldus asked.

“They prepare them for a funeral pyre,” Uldinia said, “It is the way of the Frost Giants.”

Ambro led the group through the caves to the cavern where the barricade had been built. The barrels still stood in the center of the cavern, but the dead were gone, and the cavern was empty.

“This is creepy,” Aldus said.

“The audience chamber is ahead,” Uldinia said.

The group entered the great cavern audience chamber. The chamber was lit dimly by a few cages holding live fire beetles. All was still and quiet. The adventurers spread out. They heard the laughter of a giant that echoed off of the wall.

“Come forward and show yourselves. Intruders. Thieves!”

“Avengers. We come to avenge the humans you have killed!” Lakima shouted back.

“Step forward so I can see you!” the voice called again.

As the adventurers moved forward, they began making a dais of stone. Atop it was a throne of mammoth bones. On the throne sat a large frost giant wearing a dragon skull crown. To either side of him were polar bears. In the shadows, they saw frost-giant warriors to either side of the dais. Ambro slipped on her Ring of Flying and ascended to get a better look.

“There is a frost giant with a ballista on the ledge,” Ambro shouted down.

“So, these are the heroes that the humans have sent to challenge me,” the frost giant said.

“Puny weaklings,” he scoffed.

“You dare incur the wrath of Jarl Grugnur!”

“We have killed dozens of your kind already,” Lakima boasted, “I don’t think you will be very difficult to kill.”

“Spoken like a child, like all humans are,” Grugnur replied.

“We have killed many Frost Giants and the White Worm,” Lakima stated.

This seemed to give the Jarl pause. He stepped forward from his throne. Several of the frost giant warriors edged forward, but the Jarl held up his hand to stop them.

“You killed the White Worm? You?”

“We did,” Lakima said proudly.

“Then I am in your debt. The White Worm enslaved many of my tribe,” Grugnur said.

“If you leave now you may go in peace,” he said, “I will give you safe passage.”

“Will you stop all of the attacks on human lands,” Lakima challenged.

“We have claimed the human lands. I give you your freedom. The rest of the humans will be our slaves,” roared Grugnur.

“You should have surrendered while you had the chance,” Lakima yelled back.

“Impudent human,” Grugnur roared and shouted out one word in giant.

A loud noise and a ballista bolt the size of a spear struck Uldinia through the side. She slipped but then recovered and grabbed a boulder at her feet. The frost giants roared battle cries and surged forward. The polar bears were unleashed and charged forward as well. What happened next was a battle for the ages. Eathwund, Aldus, Ian, Luna, and Domago manned a melee line and kept the giants at bay. Eathwund challenged the Jarl himself. Uldinia stood back and hurled boulders at the frost giant with the ballista on the high rock shelf. Ambro flew above, firing arrows at giants. Lakima cast spells. A fear spell sent two of the polar bears fleeing. Aelshara used up the wand of lightning bolts on the frost giants, and then she cast an Ice Storm. Lakima cast a wall of fire about the party to protect them, and then he summoned an enormous fire elemental. Luna fell beneath the blows of a frost giant, and she turned to a pile of snow that melted almost immediately. Uldinia, Ian, and Aldus were badly injured. The battle flowed back and forth. Several frost giants fell, but others took their place. Then Eathwund slew the Frost Giant Jarl. Several of the frost giants fell back. Lakima cast a repulsion spell that forced the giants to only move away from him and the party.

“Uldinia. Tell them to surrender!” Lakima shouted.

Uldinia shouted to the frost giants in their tongue. There was a pause and then angry shouted words back at Uldinia. The Frost giants began to move back and leave the cavern.

“They are afraid of your strange magic that does not allow them to come near us,” Uldinia said.

“Are they surrendering?”

“They do not surrender. They are enraged but confused by the magic.” 

“Do they agree never to attack human lands again,” Lakima asked.

“No. This is a brief reprise. They need to choose a new Jarl. They would attack us if they could.”

“I think we have accomplished enough. Let’s leave.” Lakima said.

Uldinia came over to where Eathwund stood beside the fallen Jarl. Eathwund was removing the dragon skull crown from his head. Uldinia looked down. Then she removed a sea shell from her pouch, leaned down, and handed it to Eathwund.

“Uhh. Thanks,” Eathwund said, looking at the white shell. The interior was covered in strange runes.

“It marks you as a friend of the storm giants,” Uldinia said, “For slaying my tormenter. I wish I could have slain him myself, but I am glad you did the feat.”

“You’re welcome,” Eathwund said.

“I will leave you now. I am forever grateful that you freed me and slew my captor,” Uldinia said to the group.

“Wait. We will head out with you,” Lakima said. He looked at the Frost giant warriors still backing away into the side tunnels.

“Is that all?” Aldus asked.

“We killed Grugnur. He claimed to be behind the attacks.”

“It is clear Grugnur did not have the gold, gems, or the intelligence to put this together himself,” Uldinia said, “Though he bragged to me he was the mastermind, I did not believe him.”

“Domago. Do you have another speak with dead prayer?” Lakima asked.

“We will have to wait a day,” Domago replied.

Lakima suggested cutting the head off the giant and carrying it out but Domago told him there was a good chance it would not work. Uldinia then offered to carry the Jarl’s corpse out of the caverns. She picked up the corpse easily carrying it before her. Lakima told everyone he would take the lead.

“As long as this repulsion spell holds, no creatures can approach me.”

Unfortunately, the party also found they could not approach Lakima so they had to stay out of the range of the spell, 120 feet behind him as they made their way to the glacier above.