A Giant Nuisance (Storm King’s Thunder #2)

We begin “in media res”, which is Latin for “shit’s gettin’ real”. A party of mounted orcs very big walking orcs is bearing down on our location at the NorthShield Inn. Svela and Narth dash inside and up to the second floor to try to get some early shots at these guys. Svela managed to skewer one to death, and Narth also scored a hit. Then the orcs reached the main battle. Redfang lit up the club with his sick beats —seriously, he’s able to send poison out of his whip and also zing force bullets from his hands. Pretty cool. Bardalph wailed on the orcs with his mace, and Rolfe murderated in his own particular idiom. Our new companions also did their bit, and soon enough we defeated our immediate enemies.

Bolstered by our success, we hurried to Evermoor Way, where some of the weird fire demons were chasing after more orcs, and lighting up houses on the way. We dispatched them fairly quickly, and rushed onward to get to the orcs in the town square. PEW PEW PEW!!!! This is an approximation of the thrill onlookers felt on seeing a crap ton of arrows fly from the top of the provisions shop while the main party continued to engage the big orcs.

We lost a couple town guards but finally took care of the orcs, leaving only the fire giants, who had gone ahead to the north campground and were apparently digging…something…up from the ground there. (Seems the orcs and fire guys were mostly a distraction move, albeit a hugely destructive one). Anyhoo, we snuck up to the fence surrounding the campground, and the ranged folks let loose a few arrows/bolts/new singles to the shock of the fire giant who got hit by all that shit. He was not expecting it! The fight was joined in earnest as most of the party charged into melee (except Redfang, who hangs back ten feet in a sort of aloof way and lets his whip do the talking. It’s social distancing, but still ends in death. Giants are generally confident, but our band was surprisingly effective, and the fighting giant took a beating. (Note: Urgala HATES giants, but she LOVES whomping on them).

He called to his wounded but still digging friend, who grabbed something rod-shaped from the hole. Then they both took off in the direction they came from. We tried to pursue them, but it’s really hard to beat a giant in a footrace (I mean, think about it). They eventually got away from even the very tenacious Rolfe, and we all made our weary way back to the center of town, where Lady Shendrall directed the beginning of the recovery.

What were the giants after? What do the other rumors mean, if we now know that SOME of them must be true? And most importantly, is there money in it for us?