Rise of the Runelords Recap # 71 [RPG]

[4 Calistril 4708 continued]

Nerissa's mysterious past shall remain forever obscured.

After Kang finishes his experiment, he joins the others for a discussion of who is to blame for Nerissa’s death.  There’s no consensus.  Salma says she’s thought carefully about what she said earlier, and would in fact like to be raised from the dead should she perish in battle.  Ava is overjoyed about the turn of events, and says that if she herself ever dies, she hopes the others will carry on their mission to stop Mokmurian.  Kang adds that he’s written a will which he carries on his person at all times.  With Jinkatsyu in agreement, the group resolve that they can’t let the tragedy of Nerissa’s death dissuade them from taking the battle to the stone giant leader.

The group move back through the mazelike tunnels, having encountered no danger at all there since the original attack by redcaps.  Due to Jinkatsyu’s inability to see in the dark, the group is forced to travel with a source of light.  A stone giant sentry posted in the chamber previously occupied by the kobold Enga Keckvia has no difficulty seeing the group’s approach, and stands at the ready, slapping his greatclub in his palm.  Jinkatsyu gives a battlecry and charges forward!  Despite being knocked off-stride by the club connecting with his hip, he closes within rapier reach and lets loose a flurry of strikes.  Combined with Kang’s explosives, the giant is no match for the adventurers and soon falls.

Galenmir was a skilled 

military strategist.

The adventurers see tunnels leading out of the chamber to the north and to the east, and decide to head north.  They pass by what is obviously the “inside” of a secret door, and when they push through, they find themselves in the personal quarters of the giants’ second-in-command: the famous general Galenmir!  Galenmir and Jinkatsyu exchange blows as the stone giant bellows for his “Pit Guardians.”  Jinkatsyu jumps off a piece of furniture to stab the giant in the eye, but the half-blinded warrior retains the wherewithal to slam the kitsune to the ground!  Ava is grazed by Galenmir’s fist as she darts in, but she succeeds in magically teleporting herself and the unconscious Jinkatsyu out of the chamber just as Kang realizes three more stone giants are coming from the north.  The alchemist hurls an explosive at the giant general and then calls for a retreat.  The adventurers see Galenmir drink a potion before his body becomes almost cloudlike.  Salma evokes another fiery blast before everyone retreats to the entrance to the small tunnels.

Ava calls upon his most powerful magicks to rapidly heal Jinkatsyu, and then the adventurers decide to make a stand against the onrushing giants.  As the “Pit Guardians” start to succumb, the adventurers decide to counter-attack and Jinkatsyu rushes forward.  Just as the battle in front of them is won, however, more giants and and a handful of ogres join in the fray from the rear!  The battle becomes a true free-for-all, but the very size of Jorgenfist’s defenders means they get in each other’s way squeeze together in a manner that makes them easy pickings for Salma and Kang’s explosive attacks.  The adventurers fight their way back to the small tunnels and temporarily block it with melded stone before attacking again, with Salma’s cascade of magical fire jumping from enemy to enemy decimating the defenders.  In the end, only single ogre lives long enough to flee the scene.

Somehow, after all the furious fighting and ebb and flow of the battlefield, the invaders have triumphed over almost a dozen foes!  Only the most fickle of fates could bring tragedy from a single kobold and glorious victory from a horde of giants.  As the smoke clears from explosion after explosion, the adventurers have truly cleared a path into the heart of Jorgenfist.  Will they be able to take advantage of their victory, or can the defenders yet rally?

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Director's Commentary (9 September 2019)

This was pretty much an all-combat session.  The PCs chose their trademark strategy when assaulting fixed fortifications: start a loud fight, battle wave after wave of defenders, partially kind of but not really retreat, and end up triumphing.  Some would call it crazy and suicidal, but somehow it works for them!

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