Chapter 3: The Jotun Pit

The party continued up the mountain, eventually discovering a clearing where several trees had been carved with giant-runes. Jawhara used her innate magic to identify sources of magic in the area, discovering the runes were magical and matched a set of runestones on the ground buried beneath the snow. Kelthar and Jolkottr translated the runes on the trees as a riddle:

“Who is the great one that glides o’er the earth,
and swallows both waters and woods?
The wind he fears, but wights nowise,
and seeks to harm the sun.”

After a moment, the group answered the riddle with "fog" using the runestones on the ground. The air shimmered and revealed a massive pit dug into the ground with dwarven ruins surrounding it. After gathering themselves, they delved into the pit and found a carven path circling around the perimeter and a giant lift at the bottom. Jolkottr sent his familiar ahead to scout, but the small cat stumbled upon a trap rune and was frozen to death. Jolkottr then transformed into a panther and led the group down into the pit, scouting for traps along with Jawhara. Despite their efforts, they stepped across runes that triggered a rock collapse and wounded some of them. Eventually, they discovered a passage dug into the side of the pit that led into a large chamber filled with ogres.

The party planned a surprise attack against the ogres, and managed to slay one of them before alerting the rest. Battle ensued, and before long they slew all of the ogres with relative ease. The chamber was filled with bones and discarded meat, as well as refuse and waste from the ogres. They found crudely drawn maps drawing them to the pit, as well as shackles and chains suggesting some of them were enslaved.
Pressing forward, the group ventured deeper into the pit and discovered another chamber. This one was filled with refuse and a waste pit, where they encountered two vicious trolls. One of them spewed venom, while the other was rotting and exuded an aura of rot that exacerbated their wounds. They managed to use their magic to banish the venom troll while they dealt with the rot troll. Despite eventually slaying it, they were badly wounded by the rot troll. They prepared for the return of the venom troll, unleashing all of their attacks and slaying the venom troll as soon as it returned. But their victory soon turned against them as the troll's wounds spewed venom all over them. Jolkottr then used the acid from their alchemy jug to finish off the troll.

Badly wounded and exhausted from their battles, the group left the pit and found a cave to rest in for the night. The night proved uneventful, and they found rest. Jolkottr cooked a meal for them and they were all strengthened by it. With their strength returned, they ventured back into the pit. They found a 3rd chamber serving as a forge for the giants (clearly built by the dwarves who built the pit). There, a pair of fire giants were shackled to anvils working on weapons and armor for the frost giants. The group decided to try to free them, and talked them into allowing them to break their chains (which were enchanted to prevent them from breaking them with their fire). With a bit of acid and the strength of Jawhara, they broke the giants' chains and set them against the giants. On their way out, the fire giant brothers smashed the chains holding up the pit's lift. The noise and chaos drew the rest of the giants to them, and they were soon assaulted by a flying storm giant.

The group dispatched the storm giant quickly, but it was able to throw a lightning bolt that badly wounded some of them. As they celebrated their victory, they found themselves joined by a multi-headed frost giant woman and a pair of white dragon wyrmlings...