Day 1: Part 2: Facing the Jarl
ADC summoned his slaad to help fight the frost giant he faced. Kalinar cheared slaad’s arrival and jokingly referred to it as salad. But their levity was short-lived as they as the stone giant swung his massive club at Silvius, missing him by inches. The second strike nearly critically hit Silvius, if not for the intervention of Czolg who deflected the blow. Meanwhile, Kalinar used his magic to reduce the power of the strike.
Czolg quickly and repeatedly stabbed the frost giant in front of him. Oscorn ran to Silvius’s side and cast beacon of hope and prayed for sanctuary.
Silvius prayed to Ilmater for protection and spirits swirled around him, hitting both the stone giant and the frost giant.
The frost giant that had fallen in to the lava and already nearly a skeleton from the molten rock, crawled out and hit Kalinar.
But Kalinar was not one to be underestimated even as he faced two towering giants, and he quickly stabbed the stone giant with his dagger, killing him.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, and another stone giant, Jarl, and Jarl’s wife Estia materialized. Jarl looked around in confusion and shouted, “Braam is dead! Everything will fall apart without him!”
Jarl was immediately hit with Ilmater’s protective spirits, but he fought on, determined to see his plan through. ADC and his trusty salad, attacked the frost giant from opposite sides, while Fennuris shot arrows at the frost giant.
Oscorn shouted at Jarl, “You sent us here, what are you doing?!” Jarl replied, “Your plan may give me the black ice, but mine gives me the world!” Oscorn cast a large heal on the team and urgently asked Silvius to back off the bridge.
Silvius hesitated, but ultimately decided to step towards Estia as he apologized to Oscorn. He said an even stronger prayer to Ilmater and over twice as many spirits began to surround him. Jarl hit Silvius twice to break the spell although Silvius remained focused on his prayer.
The frost giant near ADC screamed in blood lust as he crushed the slaad. Estia took two swings at Czolg with her massive morningstar. Kalinar, using his magic, waved his hands and created black tentacles that broek the surface of the ground underneath Jarl and Estia, restraining them both.
The frost giant from the lava hit Kalinar, but Kalinar pointed back at him and flames erupted around the frost giant, dropping what was left of him.
Jarl stood up and, with Estia, broke free of the black tentacles’ grasp. “Ok, Jarl. You’ve chosen to die by fire!” Kalinar shouted as he lashed out at Jarl with black tentacles emanating from him, draining some of his life.
ADC waved his staff and created a wall of ice through the stone giant, but the giant was able to dodge out of the way and jump to the center of the bridge.
Fennuris shot at Jarl again, but the arrows seemed to be pulled in by his glowing shield, missing the Jarl. Oscorn backed away from the Jarl and healed Silvius again, begging him to leave. Czolg struck the Jarl and knocked him down, striking him again on the ground.
Czolg approached Estia on the battlefield, saying to her “You are mighty fine” as he winked and his rune glowed. Czolg then asked her, “Who do you serve?” Estia blushed and fluttered her eyes staring longingly at Czolg and replied, “I serve my husband Jarl, and all serve him.”
Silvius’s spirit guardians hit Estia and knocked her out of her charm. Jarl called out, “Estia, run! Get the Snure!” The stone giant and Estia ran, but Czolg stopped her with a strike from his Panzerfaust. Kalinar drained the last bit of life from Jarl with his black tentacles as ADC finished Estia with a bolt of fire. Fennuris aimed and fired at the remaining stone giant, but the arrow snapped back and knocked her down. She tried to fire from the ground, but missed.
Oscorn tried to stabilize Jarl using his medical knowledge. As he approached the Jarl he slipped and his hammer went right through one of Jarl’s eyes to the back of his skull. Jarl coughed up blood and grew colder as Oscorn sheepishly stepped away.
The stone giant, determined to get help, ran even faster towards Snure’s gate. Czolg looked down at Estia and said, “Silvius, you owe me.” Silvius, with a slight sigh, ran up to Czolg and grabbed him, dimension dooring him in front of the stone giant. Silvius then ran to the stone giant’s back, and the spirit guardians surrounding him killed the stone giant.
ADC declared, “Never fear, if Silvius didn’t do that I would’ve had it covered!” as he wrung his hands. The team gathered together and Silvius detected magic. He pointed to the prince of darkness’s glaive and said, “That’s not magic.” Czolg exhaled and disappointedly tossed it into the lava.
He then walked up to Jarl, picked up the massive bone pipe that was the size of a club, and gave a few powerful swings, saying “I prefer this one anyway.” Silvius said, “Cool, also not magic, but very cool. Now this is magic” as he held up the prince of darkness’s necklace and tossed it to ADC. “What is it?” ADC took a hard look at it and declared, “It’s a necklace of fireballs! Even these tiny beads are fireballs. There are nine of them!”
Czolg said as he pushed Jarl’s body into the lava, “That would have been great a few minutes ago!”
The team threw the remaining giant bodies into the lava, the team placed their magic items in their designated locations and spoke the magic words to go to the astral plane.
Oscorn lit the beacon, signaling their location to any allies who might be nearby.
Silvius summoned Kazik, the dire wolf as he began playing restful music as they all took a much-needed break.
Eventually, an elf appeared before them. “Melf!” exclaimed Oscorn as he approached the elf. “Great to see you! Jarl was working with the Oni and planned to take over the world. Jarl is dead, along with many of his toughest warriors. There will be fewer in the black ice now. Jarl had also been recruiting others, including the Oni.”
Silvius walked up and handed Melf the elf the agreement scroll between Jarl and the Oni. “It was signed and sealed,” he said.
Oscorn continued, “Jarl also mentioned that a failure of the frost giants could incite issues between the giants in the ordering.”
“It’s been known there are issues between giants on our plane from the others we’ve sent before,” Melf began. “The giants from the other planes, the cloud and storm giants, tend to be the deciders of these things. When they come they call the shots.”
Kalinar spoke up. “What about Drow elves?”
Melf shook his head. “Now that we have not heard of. They aren’t known to work together.”
Czolg swung Jarl’s pipe like a club as he spoke. “We killed a cloud giant. Stabbed him and burned him in the lava.”
Melf nodded. “If there was a cloud giant they would have been helpful to any giants on this plane. They carry clout.”
Silvius added, “There were more than one, only managed to put one in the bottom of the river of lava.”
Melf chuckled. “Ahh bragging rights. After the Greyhawk wars there have been peace, we do not know what could have sparked this.”
Kalinar stood up, ready to leave. “Well, We’ve done all that we’ve came to do. Sounds like it’s time to get paid and go home.”
But Melf shook his head. “What you’ve done so far, while incredible, will not stop them. If you wish to run to the ocean, by all means, run. You are by far the most successful group so far. However, do not forget why you are here. The survival of all Greyhawk depends on stopping a greater foe. That’s why this group was put together. That’s why you are here.”
Kalinar sat back down, frustrated. “How many others?”
“You are my first,” Melf replied. “Owen sent others before. You’ve given us helpful information so far. Beware of the Drow. They can be tricky. Although they are best in their place. We rarely see them out and they struggle in the light.”
Czolg asked, “Any update from the front” as he continued swinging his pipe.
Melf sighed. “The front has slowed. It would take weeks to shift to an attack in the Ladher mountains. Push in to the mountain, find the Drow, see where that leads.”
Oscorn spoke up. “We’ve heard there is a dragon.”
Melf’s eyes lit up. “Ah so you’ve heard of the Wyrm. There are many dangers in the volcano. We’ve seen fire giants drag many prisoners into the volcano never to be seen again. Humans, orcs, even giants. It will be dangerous but you are in the best position to try. Is there anything else you need?”
As Melf prepared to leave, Silvius asked, “We can’t be sure we will make it back. Is there any way we can send any of the treasures we have to our loved ones?”
Melf thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I can’t take anything back now, we can bring a bag next time. Best of luck. Goodbye,” he said, grabbing the medallion on his neck and disappearing.
What will the team find beyond Snure’s gate? What prisoners are held within? What dragon guards the possessions that the Drow and Oscorn value most?