Session 57: A Cool Mountain Breeze Report

General Summary

An Ancestral Chat

The party, as they stood before the spirit of the Hill Giant, watched and waited. As they waited, Andrak was instructed to cleanse the Frost giant's tomb, and did so, leaving just one remaining spirit. As they stood, a figure stepped from beneath the ghostly cowl, a shape, not unlike Hill giants you had already seen, ugly and misshapen it lumbered out.   Ogas , as the figure introduced itself, was the original hill giant ancestor, one of the group who had helped set up Priom Crana. He explained that the giants who had founded this place had not been the stagnant, unmoving spirits who now resided in the Ancestors' rest, but rather the spirits of giants over millennia had overtaken them and bled all personality out from them. This meant that the only thing they could agree to do was stagnate, to sit and watch the world go by as though nothing were to ever change.   Ogas himself, however, was different, thanks in large part to the curse placed upon him by Scodorm , he was spared from the sapping of his individuality as a general rule and able to maintain his individual connection to the sanctuary. Hill giants did not know his true nature and their spirits were so different from his that, rather than joining with him, they departed this realm. This left Ogas a free spirit among the ancestors.   The remaining spirits,however, in the chamber above, muted him, rendered his views indistinct, separate from the rest, not sufficient to reach the consciousness of the majority of giants. Ogas therefore ended up going along with the "ancestors" as he simply had no choice. Having said this, he made a proposition to the group, they could either banish his spirit too and then leave their own fate and the fate of Priom Crana up in the air, or they could let him be, let him advise the giants on their future and help them break the cycle of stagnation.   The party agreed to let him assist and in turn Ogas agreed that he would encourage some giants to join the fight against the collective, however, he would not commit his full strength unless there were to be a good chance of victory, for the giants to come out of their mountains and be immediately destroyed would not be particularly useful or productive in the grand scheme of things.   The party, satisfied that he would do his part, took their leave, making their way out of the refuge and back towards the centre of Herin. As they left the rest, however, they were accosted by a group of blue-grey giants let by Vail.  

The Elders Convene

He instructed them to come with him and escorted them across town, back to the Elders' meeting hall.   They were thrust inside and forced to speak with the Elders. After some discussion and the casting of a Zone of Truth, Xolos and Fera, the Ice and Fire elders, were sent back to speak with the ancestors.   After some time, and further questions, the two giants returned, Xolos spoke with Hafnir and informed him of what had gone on.   While they were somewhat offended by what the party had done, they were prepared to allow them to live out of respect for the last remaining ancestor, who had told the giants what the party had done and how they had preserved their history.   In addition, they stated they had another consideration which furthered the cause of the lowlanders who had disrupted the status quo. Vail dragged in the last of the Goliaths who had been a part of Daanea Truedrifter's team ascending the mountain. He was barely conscious, unable to speak as they threw him into the centre of the group. The Cloud Giant Elder, Elva, placed a single finger on his back and as the party watched, the skin seemed to peel away, revealing a leathery, grey skin, large wing-like ears flopped out, and a trunk snaked from his face.   A loxodon, and, as the giants explained, one of the Ebonshade, a name not much heard of in the mountains but familiar to some of the older giants. It showed what the party had brought to their suspicion, that the Serpentine Collective sought to gain purchase in Priom Crana, and that was something the Elders could not allow, despite what the ancestors had previously said.   The giants therefore, seemingly won over by the party's logic then explained that there was one final problem with what they had done, Vorsygnar.  

Vorsygnar's Bane

Vorsygnar, they explained, had been bound by 2 agreements, the first was to the Champion of Warldswarm, the Champion's Champion - this stated that the dragon would remain in the mountains in order to protect his tomb and keep those unworthy individuals away.   As this was going on, he was also bound into agreement with the Ancestors, who made it clear that he would assist in the protection of the mountains and would not harm the people of Priom Crana except for those given to him in tribute. The dragon was happy to accept this thinking he could break free of his bonds later. 150 years ago, however, the dragon had returned to the ancestors requesting additional food as they had stopped sending people, and the ancestors revealed there was no need for that, Vorsygnar was trapped in this agreement, unable to feed on giants, but also unable to leave this place due to the first pact.   With the majority of the ancestors gone, Ogas alone could not maintain this agreement and this meant that Vorsygnar was free to slay whomsoever he chose in the mountains. As they explained this, a titanic roar was heard approaching the city, as Vorsygnar himself seemed to have become aware of this fact.   The group rapidly emerged, alongside giants, as an immense dragon, a creature of a magnitude larger than the dragon they had previously seen, swooped over the city, vast dark wings sent whole districts into shadow as icy breath burst out of the beast.   It was unmistakeably the same dragon the party had previously seen, however, it appeared as though 2,500 years of growth had happened in a very short space of time as the pact was lifted, and the true awe inspiring power of Vorsygnar was revealed.   The group knew they needed to go and release the other part of Vorsygnar's pact, to find the tomb of the fallen Champion and unseal it.   They fled the city, dodging between falling debris and icy blasts, as giants ran this way and that, trying to dissuade Vorsygnar from destroying everything. As the party watched the dragon pick up a fire giant and swallow it almost whole, they knew they were far outmatched and this beast was not something that could be fought, even a city of giants would struggle to match it.   Making their way as fast as they could they reached Vorsygnar's lair once again, though this time the dragon was absent. Searching the area they found a cave entrance leading deeper in, and followed it into a pitch dark tunnel. Following the tunnel, they only just noticed a hole in the floor, however, through the combination of Ludovic's athleticism and Rukk's flying owl, they were able to cross the chasm.   The path they were headed down, however, reached a dead end, a black slab of obsidian blocking their path. Thrack and Ludovic attempted to move it to no avail.   As they stood with no obvious path ahead of them they heard huge heavy wingbeats thrum and approach before a vast bulk shakes the very ground nearby. They heard the voice of Vorsygnar, the Seething Blizzard, it asked them what they were doing there and, after a brief conversation agreed to let them through to the tomb.   Pulling the stone away from the other side, the immense dragon, with individual teeth taller than Ludovic or Thrack, shifted the huge rock from their path, revealing a continuation of the tunnel, leading to a sealed door, a black, obsidian door with a huge lion's head carved onto it in full roar. The door asked, in a deep resonant voice, who was worthy of entry.   Ludovic, the muscled Minotaur strode forward and declared that he was worthy. The door, seeming to appraise him with eyes like polished diamonds spoke the words "You are Worthy". and the door rumbled down, the lights in the chamber dimming and brightening as the runes winked in and out of existence.   Beyond the doorway was a sparsely decorated interior of ice and stone. In its centre a large sarcophagus, unadorned and undisturbed lay. Above it a banner flew, showing an image of a white lion that almost seemed to move as the party watched. Stepping inside the room felt warm despite the cold of these mountains, warm and comforting. Ludovic rested a hand upon the tomb and the lid slid from it as though it weighed nothing.   Within was a skeleton, white bones turned grey with age, of impressive stature, around 9ft tall with what must have been a statuesque physique in life, the Champion of The Champion lay before them.   Also within the Sarcophagus lay a huge club, the size of a small tree that Thrack and Ludovic could lift. There was also the hide of what looked like a white lion resting between the legs of the skeleton and finally, around its neck, an amulet with a lion's head in full roar.   Taking the items and banner, the party were about to leave before Blaize, remembering his the power within his mask, decided to use it to bring back the spirit of this long dead hero.   Using Scodorm's remaining magic, the skeleton awoke, slowly and stiffly, and spoke, clearly and without a death rattle, though distant and confused, it stood up, questioning who they were and what was happening. After explaining this, the Skeleton told them that he could help get them out of here as the Dragon feared him.   They left, the skeleton requesting humbly to go first because it was his wont, he liked to lead.   As they emerged they heard the voice of Vorsygnar once again, though it was concerned by the other individual who emerged with them. The skeleton, taking the banner from Thrack, displayed it in front of him. The dragon attempted to blast the group with its icy breath which, judging by the damage it had wrought earlier, they would have been fortunate to survive even once, let alone the twice it attempted to blast down the passage, past the Champion. There was fear in its once arrogant eyes as it stared at the, now skeletal, form of the one mortal creature to best it in combat, the hunter became the hunted.   Seeing its breath was useless, the dragon turned, its limbs thundering back down the passage before the sound of immense wing beats were heard, before silence.   This done, the Skeleton, previously with bones grey was now pure white, the age and dust blown away, but still, nonetheless weak and feeble and confused.   The party made their way back to Herin, where the city was being prepared, they were taking to alternative accommodation where Andrak, Gortan and Bror were being held, and were informed that on the following day the elders would meet and their reward and future relationship would be discussed. For now the group merely wanted to sleep, it had been a long, eventful day.

Rewards Granted

Champion's Items:

• Heroic Banner of the Champion
• Winter's Pelt
• Amulet of the White Lion
• A Hero's Truncheon