Tairn

The two badly injured hill giants retreat into the cave. People run at different speeds towards the cave. Invisible Keddick arrives first followed closely by Jack and then Varende. Kordis soon catches up as two giants come boiling out of the cave at Jack.  Keddick hastes the lions, Jack, Varende and himself. Jack and Varende back up some as the battle ensues. The lions are quickly destroyed. How did those monks use them effectively? Keddick, still invisible, polymorphs into a Tiny dragon and flies runs into the cave passing two more hill giants on the way. A mighty battle ensues as Keddick explores the cave. Kordis retreats from a giant, but a heavy club strikes him hard. Were it not for Banic’s quick spell, Kordis would have been unconscious on the ground. A few seconds later, Jack is laid low and Banic again saves him from certain death with a spell. Another giant clubs Banic into unconsciousness with no chance to stabilize himself. Luckily, only a single giant still stands, and it soon lays dead on the ground. The group moves further away as Banic heals people after being revived with a potion or two. Within 30 seconds, another band of giants can be seen about 300 feet away and moving fast towards the group. Flames erupt from Kordis and flaming arrows leap from Varende’s bow. Only two of the giants make it to the group, and they are dispatched without too much trouble. Just before the last giant falls, Keddick, still invisible, appears on the hillside not ten feet from the battle. The giant falls and Keddick becomes visible. Keddick tells his story of exploring the cave. He saw the water room on Varende’s map, explorered another tunnel that went a long distance, at least 200 feet, and found a chamber with a stone over the passage. He teleported to the other side of the stone and found a huge chest measuring 4′ x 2′ x 2′ at least banded in iron and locked. He could see a moderate adjuration aura inside. He saw no sign of Amelanril. Keddick says he thinks this chest might be the one that the ogres were seen by Del carrying out of Dareth Coul a year and a half ago. Most people have no recollection of Del’s story, especially Kordis. After many minutes of discussion, Kordis says “I give little chance to the survival of your brother if we do not go in Varende.” Keddick says two giants were within a large chamber eighty feet in diameter. A fire pit dominated the center of the room.

At the mouth of the cave, Varende draws Songweaver and releases the spell within. He concentrates and the weapon points down and to the left. He swears under his breath at his rememberance of Isha’s words. He hardly knows exactly where Amelanril is now. Everyone moves down the cave passage. As it opens into a larger room, Keddick invokes words of power and everyone feels quicker. The dwarves lead the way. A giant swings his club at Malperder as Banic moves into the room with the fire. Malperder engages the giant. The hapless thing cut, bruised and burned throws down his club and says “I surrender.” Jack interprets. Varende asks where the elf captive is. Malperder cuts the giant down with no pause.

Following Songweaver, a heavy stone is found across the end of  passage. The stone is immovable by the strong dwarves. Banic laments he has expendable all his magic on healing, and he has no stoneshape left to free Amelanril. A faint shouting can be heard from the other side of the stone. The caverns are further searched for giants; another exit is found - perhaps where the second group came out to circle around the hill. Malperder and Banic decide to chip away at the rock until it can be moved. They hammer away for half an hour until they can shift the rock letting it fall into the hallway.

 An unhurt elf in a bloodstained undertunic emerges from the tiny room beyond. He greets Banic by name and thanks him. He hugs Varende close. He asks “Where is Ferha? Is he dead? He has my necklace and ring.” Amelanril wants to go outside and search bodies and find a forked twig. Meanwhile, Keddick turns dwarven labor to the second stone covering the small room where the chest is. The dwarves hammer away at it while Varende and Amelanril search bodies. Amelanril does not find the one he looks for. He sits down in the main chamber with forked twig, casts a spell and concentrates. He fails to find what he wants and swears for some time about the damn giant Ferha.

The dwarves crack open the second stone, but only an empty chamber is found beyond. Everyone walks back to the druids who morph back from tress and transport all seven back to Kinspa Forest…