Day 3: Part 1: Attack of the toads

The team feared the giants could still find or force their way into the dragons’ lair. So they split up to both prepare for a fight and gather treasure. Kalinar, ADC, Czolg took a break while Oscorn focused on feeling the magical energies emitted from within the piles of treasure and snow. Oscorn pointed Silvius to a glowing pile of armor while he inspected another smaller glow underneath a mass of snow and weapons. Silvius pulled out a stunning set of chain mail while Oscorn found a striking dagger. They also found several potions amongst a pile of bottles and vials. ADC later identified several useful ones including potions of poison, diminution, growth, and fire resistance as well as a healing potion from a giant bag. Silvius and Oscorn then turned to gather the gold and create a pile near the foot of the dragon’s ledge. As the rest of the team woke up, Oscorn and Silvius passed out treasures: Oscorn lightened and brightened his armor with a beautiful set of +2 chain mail Kalinar will bring a more accurate boom with a +2 dagger ADC received a potion of healing Czolg a potion of growth Silvius was excited for shenanigans with a potion of diminution Oscorn improved his ability to protect himself and others with potion of fire resistance Kalinar filled his treasure bag with: 5,000 silver coins 12,400 gold coins A statue worth 800 gold Ivory from 8 silver boxes 800 gold pieces overall 350 gems worth 1 gold piece each Silvius grabbed two silver boxes worth 300 gp each and a standard dagger
Kalinar also packed up the remaining 6 silver boxes worth 300gp each Silvius took several of the glass vials and carefully holding one with his pliers, attempted to fill it with the flaming ice snake’s stomach acid. However, the acid quickly started eating through the glass and Silvius dropped the vial. Realizing Kazzug’s battleaxe was also still in there, Silvius used his mage hand to pull out what was left of the battleaxe. He found the magical battleaxe head tarnished and attached to a disintegrating handle. He poured a giant’s water skin over it to clean it off and packed it up.

With the treasure found and sorted, everyone was ready for a proper rest and ADC began to prepare his hut. Silvius decided to make one final preparation. Looking at his fallen friends, he began his summoning ritual. Tracing a 10-foot wide circle in the ground with his flaming short sword. He slowly circled as he chanted the ancient rites laced with praises for the loyalty and bravery of Kazzug and Erik. As he completed his ritual, a large and mighty dire wolf appeared in the center. Silvius declared the fey beast will be known as Kazik in his fallen companions’ honor.

Oscorn and Silvius joined the rest of the team in a fresh hut and everyone took a long rest. They were relieved to wake up the next day to no attacks or issues. Czolg was thrilled to see a large wolf and immediately ran up to him petting and barking at the wolf in broken wolffish.

ADC glanced at Silvius “Are you going to tell Czolg that’s your mount?” Continuing his confused and amused look at Czolg, Silvius replied “I’m not even going to tell him Kazik speaks common… Czolg seems to be enjoying himself” Kazik could only manage a bemused stare at Silvius as Czolg continued to bark and lightly growl at him.

ADC summoned a fairy and Czolg went over and cracked the door just enough to let the fairy pass. The fairy saw two giants as they continued their patrol to the north. As they walked out of sight, Czolg opened the door the rest of the way and the party cautiously headed further south deeper into the cave. Czolg barked at Kazik to lead. Kazik glanced back at Silvius in mild questioning disbelief as Silvius telepathically replied “go on, you know what he means.”

As they walked they came up to what appeared to be an old storage room. Czolg took a deep smell of the wine and turned to Silvius and suggested “Time to spike the punch!” Silvius replied by grabbing another wine cask saying “Unfortunately the party has been over for awhile Czolg” as he poured clumps of wine vinegar on to the ground. Seeing the room was filled with nothing but barrels of old wine and beer, boxes of rotting bits of food, and other broken items strewn about, they decided to continue on.

They next came up to a large opening in the cave and could see the faint glint of gold shining in pieces from the center of the room. As the party slowly entered the room, six ice toads ran out from a passage to the north west. They came hungrily up to members of the group as icy drool ran out of their mouths and the cold emanating from their bodies caused the team to shiver in freezing pain. Kalinar boom stabbed a toad with his new dagger. The ice toad responded by biting and holding Kalinar in place with his massive hungry mouth. Kalinar stabbed the toad to death to free himself from the toad’s toothy grasp. He then viciously blasted toads in revenge. Czolg turned giant and repeatedly stabbed the toad across from Kazik. Kazik and Silvius bit and stabbed the toad together. ADC summoned a dragon breathing cold breadth at the toads and attacking them with tooth and claw.

The ice toads were nearly all licked when ADC heard a sound of wind behind him. Taking a quick glance, he caught a boulder right in the face knocking his teeth and nearly his entire body to the ground. Oscorn smashed in the last toad’s head with his hammer, while Czolg, Kalinar, and dragon ran to the hall they came from to fight the frost giants.

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Silvius, seeing the north passage was taken care of by the rest of the team, picked up the 500 gold coins that were littered among giant bones then ran to inspect the south of the cave. He came to a pile of rubble blocking a passage. Buried within the rubble was a frost giant skeleton with only part of its upper body exposed. In the giant’s outreached skeletal hand was an iron tube. Silvius grabbed the iron tube and ran back to his friends. As he ran he opened the tube to find a map. The map was clearly from the giants and detailed the areas the team had seen so far written in common. The map also showed that beyond the rubble are barracks, Jarl’s private room, and a treasure room.

Meanwhile the giants and the rest of the team had found spots of cover along the passage. The team and the giants are held in a standoff. Each side hiding behind gaps in the wall waiting for the other to expose themselves to attack.

Will the team push back through the boulder hurling giants? Will they pursue the Jarl beyond the rubble? Is the Jarl and his army still alive or crushed beneath the shifting glacier?