The Hill Giant Steading

This week, the players in my Swords & Wizardry campaign got into the Against the Giants trilogy. Last week was the introduction, the hook. This week, they stormed the Steading of the Hill Giant Chief. I am running the 2nd printing (Green Cover) version I bought in 1982.

The changes to make it work as a Swords & Wizardry adventure were minimal. I used the S&W rules for the monsters, but they are almost identical to those in the module. Some treasure and magic had to be changed slightly.

I have never GM'd the adventure before, but I have played through it once. My experience as a player was massive combat in the Banquet hall, in which the two powerful magic users in our group confined the giants behind Walls of Force and tossed fireballs into the area until the giants were all obliterated. In this session, there was also a huge melee, with the magic users doing the most damage. In this case, everyone was able to get involved. That was not the case when I played through the adventure. My cleric sat on the sidelines, waiting for something to do.

As written, I have noticed an issue with the adventure. My players are of appropriate level and have potent spells that could allow them to bypass the next adventure and go straight to the Fire Giants. Spells like Contact Higher Plane, Speak with Dead, Charm Monster, or Commune could reveal that they can bypass the Hill Giants and Frost Giants because the secret of what is going on is in the Fire Giant's lair.

Session 169: Storming the Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

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 returned to their homes in Edgerton. They recently stopped the siege of the town of Caster’s Ford by Hill Giants. Duke Robert has requested that they bring the fight to the Hill Giants. To that end, they await the arrival of a scout who knows where the Hill Giants reside.

Aelshara Half-Elven arrives at the Manor of the Black Dragon in early Novem. She immediately advises the Company on the location of a Hill Giant stronghold in the Northern Hills.

“It is the Steading of the Hill Giant Chief Nosnra,” Aelshara explains while showing the Company the location on the map.

“Chief Nosnra is smart for a Hill Giant, but his organizing the Hill Giant tribes shows a level of skill and an amount of gold beyond what he is capable.”

“One of the other Giant races must be behind this crusade against Valnwall,” Lakima says.

“We set out on the Cloudstealer tomorrow,” Lakima says, “We should take the entire company.”

“I will accompany you to the Steading and show you a safe location to scout it,” Aelshara promises.

The next day, the company left on the Cloudstealer for the Northern Hills. On the map, Aelshara showed that the Hill Giant Steading was well north of the Hills in the foothills of the Valen Peaks. She shows the Company a clear valley to land the flying ship.

“From here, it is a mile or so to the Steading,” Aelshara says.

“Once we get close, we will have to be careful. The Hill Giants have guards outside the Steading and patrol with wolves.”

The Company follows Aelshara to the north. From a high ridge, she points down at a small valley. The Hill Giant Steading is enormous and covers almost half the valley. All trees in the area have been chopped down. Smoke can be seen rising from chimney holes in the roof of the Steading. Strangely, the Valley is quiet. There are no animals or birds about. They do not see any Giants on watch around the Steading.

“I don’t like it,” Aelshara says, “They have always had Giants on watch before.”

“Do you hear that?” Ambro says.

“It sounds like singing?”

As the company members fall silent and listen, they realize that the sound of singing and laughter echos up from inside the Steading.

“Perhaps we have caught them in the middle of a banquet?” Lakima says.

“Let’s go.”

The Company moved forward until they were within sixty feet of the Steading. The enormity of the building became apparent. The outer walls were 30 feet high and made from enormous timbers. Near the entrance gate doors, a pair of human-sized wagons lay empty.

Lakima signaled for Ambro to scout the doors. She moved up and pressed an ear to the 12-foot-tall, six-foot-wide double doors. Then, Ambro returned to the group.

“I can hear snoring. It sounds almost comical. It is very loud.”

“Domago, do you have a silence spell ready?” Lakima whispered

Domago nodded.

“Be ready; as soon as we attack, cast it on one of the fighters.”

Eathwund went over to the double doors and carefully lifted a latch. The doors were weighty but Eathwund opened one easily. Inside, an entrance hall with a flagstone floor was lit by flickering torches. A wide staircase ascended to the watchtower. The sound of merriment was louder now that the door was open. Eathwund surveyed the scene, and then his eyes fell upon a pair of 12-foot-tall Hill Giants, who were seemingly asleep beside an open keg of ale. One Giant slumped on the floor while the other leaned back on a stool.

With a signal, Eathwund and Aldus rushed into the chamber, swords at the ready, and attacked the unsuspecting giants. One giant fell off of his stool as Aldus slashed him in the stomach with his sword. Domago made a quick prayer, and silence fell throughout the entire scene. The giants awoke and desperately tried to yell for help, but no noise escaped their lips. Aldus and Eathwund soon killed both of them.

The group waited warily, but the attack had gone off silently. Lakima found he had to motion Ambro thirty feet away from Eathwund to confer with her. Lakima directed her to check two double doors on the north side of the entrance hall.

Ambro moved up and listened at the door. She could hear the sounds of many voices on the other side. The doors were crudely made from pine trees, and she was able to peer through a crack between them. In the distance, she could see dozens of Hill Giants, ogres, and even a giant among giants—a blue-skinned giant over 25 feet tall.

Ambro moved back to join Lakima and told him what she saw.

“The blue-skinned one is a Cloud Giant,” Lakima said, “We have fought them before.”

“We need this to be a stealthy mission if possible. We need to find out who put the Giants up to this war with us. Let’s move on and avoid this banquet hall.”

The group searched rooms to the west of the entrance hall finding empty bunkrooms and two armories full of giant-sized equipment. Then they came to a kitchen where Hill Giantess ordered about ogres and dozens of orc slaves. Again, it was decided to avoid a confrontation. They ended up back at the entrance hall.

“I guess we are going to have to take them on in the banquet hall,” Lakima said.

“I know the spell Ice Storm and Lightning Bolt,” Aelshara told him.

“And I have a Fireball and Lightning Bolt ready,” Lakima said.

“Aldus. You and Eathwund will hold the doors once we open them. Aelshara and I will hit them with spells. They should draw them to us. Aelshara, when the doors open, cast Ice Storm, and then when they advance, hit them with your Lightning bolt.”

Aelshara nodded.

“Any other spells?”

“Just magic missiles,” Aelshara said, “I will save them for last.”

“Aldus, try to explain the plan to Eathwund.”

“I’ll try,” Aldus said. He went over to Eathwund, who stood alone in a zone of silence. Aldus communicated with Eathwund with hand signals. Eathwund appeared to understand and moved to the doors to prepare to open them.

Lakima opened his mouth to give some last-minute instructions, but no sound came out as Eathwund stood a short distance away. He waved to Aelshara, and the two moved south, away from the doors and out of the radius of the silence spell.

“Ready?” Lakima asked. Aelshara nodded. Lakima waved a hand at Eathwund.

Eathwund swung open one door while Aldus struggled with the other. Eathwund moved over and swung the second door open. An eighty-foot hallway extended to a vast banquet chamber, the ceiling well over 30 feet above, allowing the Cloud Giant to move about freely. In the hall, two dozen Hill Giants and half as many ogres were enjoying a banquet. Food and drink were distributed about. In the hall's center was a massive firepit with an entire giant ox roasting on a spit. Behind the fire pit at a central table sat the Cloud Giant and a huge Hill Giant who could only be Chief Nosnra.

Aelshara cast her spell, and a snowball floated down the hallway to land in the center of the first table. An ice storm immediately erupted in the hall, pelting the Hill Giants at the table. Lakima followed it up with a fireball landing on the same table. There was stunned silence for a moment, followed by moans of pain. Then there were yells of anger, and the Giants got to their feet and started angrily running south toward the adventurers.

Aelshara cast her lightning bolt, blasting more of the giants. Ambro and Luna fired arrows at the Cloud Giant. Two arrows from Ambro struck the enraged Giant in the throat. Lakima then cast a fear spell. A number of the giants stopped and then fled in the other direction, including Chief Nosnra. Aldus blew the Silver Horn of Valhalla, and a half-dozen berserkers appeared, forming a line between the adventurers and the giants. The giants were led into the line of berserkers by a huge cave bear. The first giant began crashing into that line of berserkers, and the summoned berserkers began to fall. Soon, the cave bear led the giants upon Eathwund and Aldus, and the desperate melee began. Lakima cast confusion, causing six more giants to stand motionless, stunned. Then Lakima cast another fireball into the midst. All but one of the berserkers went down. One berserker managed to stand his ground against a Hill Giant. Aldus and Eathwund accounted for those giants that made it to the doors. Both took a lot of massive blows from the Hill Giants. Domago cast several healing spells on Aldus. Eathwund relied on his armor and his ring of regeneration. At the height of the fight, a Hill Giant came down the stairs from the watchtower. Aelshara hit him with magic missiles, and Lakima summoned a wraith to harry the giant. Luna and Ambro finished him off with arrows. Lakima cast a Wall of Iron to block the doors so no more giants could flank them.

The Giants attack

Gradually, the giants fell. There was a huge mound of dead giants, and the Chief’s pet cave bear lay dead on the floor. A few giants remaining fled, and a few others fought to the death. Eventually, it was all over.

“Eathwund, Aldus. Are you two all right?” Domago asked.

Both fighters appeared winded but okay. Domago cast one more healing spell on Aldus. Ambro busied herself, removing a gem-studded collar from the cave bear. Then Ambro removed jewelry from the corpses of ogres and giants. Eathwund advanced into the great hall and discovered three Stone Giants in the corner of the room. Two leveled huge clubs at him while the third cowered in the corner, a victim of Lakima’s Fear spell. Lakima and Luna came to join Eathwund, and Lakima tried communicating with the Stone Giants, but they did not understand.

“I speak giantish,” Ambro said as she removed a jeweled necklace from a charred corpse.

“Tell them we want to know who leads the giants,” Lakima said.

Ambro spoke with the Stone Giants and learned they were guests of Chief Nosnra. Their chiefs had sent them to hear the Hill Giants' call to attack the human lands, but they had not made any commitment. The Stone Giants claimed not to have any quarrel with humans, elves, or dwarves. They were uncertain who was backing the Hill Giants. They asked for permission to leave in peace.

“They want to go in peace,” Ambro said.

“Sure, tell them we plan to burn this place to the ground, so they had better not come back.”

Ambro translated the statement, and the Stone Giants took their leave of the Hall.

“Domago. Do you have the Speak with Dead spell prepared?” Lakima asked.

“Yes. Who do you wish to speak with,” Domago asked and looked about.

Lakima pointed at the huge body of the dead Cloud Giant.

Domago cast the spell, and the spirit of the Cloud Giant rose to the rafters, glaring down at the Company.

“Speak puny humans.”

Lakima told Domago what to ask.

“Who leads the Giants in this war on the human realm?”

“Chief Nosnra leads.”

“Who put Chief Nosnra up to this?”

“I do not know. I was invited to the banquet. Perhaps the Fire Giants.”

“Where is Chief Nosnra now?”

“I do not know.”

With that statement, the Cloud Giant vanished.

The Company headed out of the banquet hall and reencountered the kitchen. This time, the doors were wide open. They came face to face with a started female Hill Giant and a bunch of ogres. The giant made no move to attack. Lakima had Ambro threaten them and demand to know where the Chief had gone. The giant refused to answer and threatened them in return. The Company decided to move on.

Checking a door, they encountered a room with six ogres in it, and the fighters, Eathwund, Aldus, and Ian, attacked. Ambro put on her Ring of Flying and flew up and behind the ogres to stab them repeatedly from behind. The fight was soon over, with the ogres dead except for three, who surrendered.

“Where is Chief Nosnra,” Ambro asked in the giant tongue.

The ogres answered that he had fled to the dungeon, but they claimed they did not know how to enter.

“Will find the entrance ourselves,” Lakima said, taking out the Arrow of Direction. The arrow pointed north and down.