Session 50

=April 9th, 2020 - Hold of the Storm Giants=

Hold of the Storm Giants
The session began right after the female storm giant said to “kill them.” Even before the huge giants twitched into action, Alburt began casting a wall of force. He put up the barrier across the room, blocking only two of the storm giants on their side. The other storm giants, and the only doorway out of the room, were on the other side. However, even just two storm giants posed a terrible threat, with the first throwing a mighty lighting bolt across the room towards Alburt. It struck many of the party, and the booming thunder reverberated in the small space.

Somehow, Alburt was able to maintain concentration on his barrier spell, while Cadmus summoned his spirit guardians - who immediately began swarming the legs of the two giants. Rachen began close already, and engaged with the nearest giant that fired the bolt of lightning, slashing deep into his legs and drawing lots of blood. The second storm giant then caused a thunderous stomp, devastating multiple members of the party. Through the onslaught, the group was able to deal enough concentrated damage to the first giant to allow Rachen to knock it unconscious. Although the second giant was still quite healthy, and looking about to kill the rest of the party when a new storm giant entered the room, and shouted to stop the fighting.

The second storm giant on the parties side of the wall of force froze in response, and slowly backed up towards the wall. The new giant, definitely older and commanding authority, was walking back and forth testing the magical barrier. He was clearly impressed, also with how much damage these ‘smallfolk’ were able to do. The giant spoke, introduced himself as Imperator Uthor, and apologized, for they should not be treating guests that way. As bearers of a giant’s conch they should not be as intruders. He offered to escort them upstairs to have an audience with their Queen-Regent.

The party agreed, and Alburt let down the wall of force. They were indeed escorted up peacefully, while the female giants came along clearly unhappy. Most of the remaining storm giant guards below tended to the two wounded, mainly the one who was beaten unconscious. The group was escorted through an enormous waiting chamber, filled with giant sea shells turned into seats, and a very large crystal window showing the deep sea on the other side. They were at the bottom of the ocean.

The party was then escorted into an even larger chamber - the royal audience chamber. Along the half of the circular room they entered from were giant sized stadium bench seating - where all the guards lined up along. The party was taken to the ground level, in the center of the room was a circular pool of water, and on the opposite side the raised dais upon which the three thrones sat. The two flanking the center were just giant sized thrones, one taken up by a female giant adviser, and the other was taken by Imperator Uthor. The center however was a massive throne made up of the skulls and bones of at least four very large dragons. This Wyrmskull Throne hovered solidly in the air, and upon it sat the youngest female storm giant in the room. She awkwardly held a very large strange looking scepter.

The giantess talked with them in fluent common, and introduced herself as princess, then paused, Queen-Regent Serissa, the youngest daughter of the late Storm King. Cadmus politely inquired as to how the youngest daughter came to be on the throne, to the ire of the other two clearly older female giants in the room. The Queen-Regent was gracious in saying that all she knew was it was the wisdom and will of her father. After again apologizing for the mistreatment of her guests, she asked why the smallfolk had come with a conch of a giant lord. Rachen and Cadmus then explained everything - all that they had learned from the Oracle at the giant’s Eye of the All-Father temple about the treachery that had led to their great Ordning being shattered.

The giants were in shock, and Serissa’s two advisers both counseled her to ignore the lies of smallfolk, but she insisted that some of them could be good and trusted. While her father did not believe in them, both she and her mother had good experiences with a number of smallfolk before. The giants asked how the Oracle would speak to smallfolk such as them. The two party members filled in the gaps, talking about Harshnag, their trip to recover giant relics from Svardborg, and their frost giant friend’s ultimate sacrifice against an ancient blue dragon - they believe the same one who has caused all their troubles.

Rachen and Cadmus continued, describing how they had learned from the Oracle of the manipulations of the Cult of the Dragon, and specifically a single ancient blue dragon in the fall of the Ordning. The first was capturing the son of Blagothkus, causing him to turn on his kind to serve the dragon cult. The second thing this ‘Doom of the Desert’ did, was orchestrate the assassination of both the Storm King and Queen. This revelation sent shock waves throughout the room, Serissa’s cried out they had only recovered her father’s body, and had been searching everywhere for her mother. The female adviser to Serissa’s left called out, “These must be lies,” but then when Uthor asked the name of this dragon, everything happened so quickly afterward.

Cadmus said it was named Iymrith, the Doom of the Desert. And all the giants in the room looked to the female adviser to Serissa’s left. The eldest sister, the one who had ordered the party to death earlier, burst forward in anger - proclaiming she, "never would have helped Iymrith if she knew she was a dragon!" Guards moved towards both Iymrith and now the elder sister, while Serissa sat back in shock, and dropped her scepter. Iymrith reacted fast, and picked up the scepter, which immediately caused Serissa to convulse in magical shock, and then the traitor transformed in front of everyone into her natural ancient blue dragon form.

She turned laughing at all in the room, with the scepter in claw, as she instantly teleported away. A thunder clap went off as air rushed in to fill the massive space she just vacated. Uthor and a few guards were quickly at Serissa’s side as her convulsions slowly stopped, and the other eldest sister was chained and led away.

Soon afterwards, once the shock of what had occurred ran off, Serissa addressed the party once more. She thanked them for bringing this dragon deceiver among them to light, and promised that she will see the beast pay for what she did. Now that she knows her mother is dead, Serissa will call off the search parties, and instead focus their attention to scrying and finding Iymrith. Once they do, she asks that the party join them in taking her down - they had proven themselves capable already. After the party happily agreed, the now giant Queen had the party given six smallfolk-sized conch shells. Now she could contact them, and they could each have the means of transporting to the stronghold.

Serissa described that they need to find her not only for vengeance, but to recover the scepter Iymrith stole. The reason she went into paralysis after it was taken was because it was wielded by someone other than who sat upon the throne. The Wyrmskull Throne is an ancient giant relic, and when the person who sits upon it wields the scepter it unlocks great magical powers. In ancient times, the Storm King rode into battle on this very floating throne. With the theft of the scepter, the storm giants had lost a great weapon. One final betrayal of Iymrith.

Before the party departed, the new Storm Queen offered them a meal and rest in the second smallfolk quarters - the one not disheveled and covered in blood. And that is where the session ended, at the end of the two hundred and twenty second day since the raid on Greenest.

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