Ice Titan's Might, Chapter 1: Rumblings in the Mountain

[Zilfer]

Regalia sat down putting an arm around her and she grinned looking over to her as she leaned on Regalia's shoulder. "It turned out alright in the end. I think we picked up some fairly good companions if we can keep them all together. Not sure about that man on about who seems to like Oen as a god but he pulled his weight from what I can tell," says Mei as she watches Austin shouting at the large giantess on the ground. She closes her eyes and briefly imagines sitting next to her sister in front of a pond so long ago, but the moment passes and she opens her eyes once more and takes in her new reality. "You don't need to worry about me Regalia. I know your strong arms, Austin's strong magic, AWE's interesting magic, and Puck's Amazing talents will keep me safe."

She chuckled faintly for a moment. "Puck got his first Giant kill, think he'll be happy about that? He's fairly odd, I think he healed me? I though only holy men and sages could heal people."

 

[holy_shitsnax]

Alder saw all of his newfound allies rush into action, and his eyes widened in panic as the area erupted into battle. He closed his eyes quickly and prayed for Oen’s blessing for his allies, then opened them to see that a wolf had made it through the gates, but was quickly being dispatched. Knowing that the gates would not hold for very long, Alder pulled out a long rod from his pack and rushed towards the inside of the gate. Reaching up, Alder clicked a small button on the side and the rod remained aloft in the air behind the gates, reinforcing them slightly. He took a few steps back, but the gates did not hold for long, and he caused a sacred flame to erupt around one of the foes outside the gate. This turned out to be a huge mistake, as a giant came right through the gate, and Alder’s eyes once again widened in fear. He tried to dodge the attack, but the massive battle axe caught him in the chest, and he felt Oen’s blessing slip from his allies.

Vision blurring from the strength of the hit, Alder grabbed his holy symbol of Oen and raised it to the sky so that it caught a little bit of the light. The light focused through his holy symbol, creating a beautiful prism of light centered on a point just outside the gate, when Alder pulled the holy symbol into his chest. This broke the reflected lights pattern, and caused an enormous blast of fire to erupt from where it was focused on the ground.

As the giant fell to the blast, Alder’s confidence began to return, and his vision dialed in to crystal clear focus. The hair on the back of his neck and head began to stand on end, and his already catlike gray eyes dilated, turning a golden yellow color as they did so. His canines began to grow and press past his lips, his long yellowed nail curling into sharp hooked claws, but weirdest of all was his nose. The nostrils grew wider even as his nose began to flatten, and Alder took one deep breath in, able to smell the blood on Mei’s clothes, the sweat from the guards; individual scents becoming clearer and more distinguished. Alder bared his fangs and hissed — only to find that the rest of the enemies had already been subdued. The hiss caught in Alder’s throat and he blinked in surprise.

As the giant was being restrained, Alder’s physical appearance returned to normal and he walked over towards his allies while muttering quietly under his breath a prayer of healing for him and his allies.

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Tynesvar:

One mighty thud from the fall of the first giant is enough to sense hesitation in the barrage of boulders hurled into town by the surrounding giants. A second is enough to give pause, almost as if they could tell that it was none other than the failure of their brethren that was the source. The brilliant displays of lightning and fire only served to highlight the glorious display that were, in their eyes, a resounding defeat from their leading group to even breach the gates of this walled settlement. The giants look at each other from a distance and begin to approach the north once more, leaving their remaining ammunition laying in the snow-covered ground.

With the sounds of battle dying down in the immediate vicinity, the lingering presence of silence is haunting: further into the city, rocks and rubble lay strewn about where there were once flimsy wooden dwellings and even a few sturdier brick walls buildings, smoke dissipating into the air all across the city. Many are lucky to have their house still standing, with or without a hole in their ramshackle pitched rooftop. While the fighting subsides only a scattered few brave leaving their shelter to check the damages around.

The giantess grunts and struggles as the suddenly enlarged tiefling grapples her down and knocks away her weapon, but to no avail. Weakened from the barrage, she kneels easily and is quickly pinned to the ground, under a combination of an immovable rod and a number of ropes and harnesses the less injured guards quickly work to toss over her body. A scattered few caught in the crossfire limp over to Alder and kneel in hopes that they too would feel the healing light, muttering soft prayers to Oen or Auril or some other power up above for their survival. The sheriff merely reloads his crossbow and ducks past the carnage to keep an eye out on the exposed gate.

As Puck finally returns to his smaller size the giantess makes one final attempt to break free of her bonds, mustering strength in her arms and trying to push up. Though she lifts several of the guards off their feet she is ultimately kept secure, and on giving up she glances in the direction of the party with a deep, scornful gaze. "I have already failed. Why do you deny me a warrior death?"

"Clearly you do not deserve one," the jarl chimes in, having descended the stairs to observe the large woman being tied down. She takes a second to look her in the eye, standing barely five feet away, before taking a deep breath and switching to Giant once more. "You have invaded our home but we are not a young town, there is a reason why we have maintained our independence for so long despite hostility from both north and south. But we are not brutes. Fair mighty one, on the behalf of our city I am offering my mercy for an explanation."

The giantess attempts to spit in her direction, growling slightly when the harnesses grant her no movement at all. "Do NOT disgrace our tongue with your blasphemy, puny one. You dare humiliate me like this, then pretend to be kind? You small-folk disgust me."

 

[Zilfer]

Mei seeing the happenings going on sighs and stands up walking towards the giantess. "You ask for a warriors death, but claim small folk are unworthy. If we had killed you would not your death be thus unworthy? Listen for once and you may still yet obtain the answers you seek. You're kinds actions today could set off a war, and if I am not mistaken while each of you may be worth thousands of us we are like a sea. The two who have fallen with you, what would you like done with their bodies? Is it burial or fire?" says Mei-Lynn holding her side still but glad for the blasphemer's healing all the same. She wouldn't look deny a gift such as that. She looks to the Jarl for a moment. "With your permission I'd like to give them proper burials aligned with their tradition."

Mei looks at the wreckage that had happened within the city and realizes it could have been much worse if she hadn't distracted a few elements on the outside from getting in but all the same the destruction was on a scale she hadn't seen before. Her eyes goes back to the woman before her knowing that she was probably preparing for a whole slew of things, from torture to execution. "You said before you were seeking the Ice that Never Melts, and that a Nicodemus had this? Is that correct?"

"Do you know anything about what she speaks of? Is it something the town protects or we are unable to give them? If we did find it, would we be OK with giving it to them?" she asks the Jarl inclining her head slightly as she did.

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Tynesvar North Gate:

"You would even let a child speak over you? A disgrace, all of it," the giantess scowls, not even looking in Mei-Lynn's direction. "I would have accepted death by flame, or thunder, or heavenly light. But no, you leave me trapped in bondage so I can feel the shame of my ancestors bear down upon me. And of my brethren," she says, hearing the footfalls of her fellow giants approach a bit closer. Their pace slowed, almost as if they were waiting to see what would happen.

"I have certainly heard old legends of icy artifacts, and of a man bearing that name... but why he would be traced to here, I haven't the slightest clue." The jarl sighs, unsure of how to approach this before looking back at the carnage laid bare upon her city. "Some investigation will have to be done if she will not confess, but I fear it is the least of our immediate concerns at the moment."

 

[WetHawk]

Austin was beyond relieved to see that the cool ninja girl was alright, and his anger died down briefly. It then reignited as the giant insulted Mei, and he shouted at her indignantly. “Hey, moron! It was a child that got your butt captured in the first place, so how about you watch who the heck you’re talking to. Keep yapping your dumb mouth, and I’ll show you disgrace.” He glared, although truthfully he wasn’t even entirely sure what he meant by his own threat.

 

[Abrahms]

Just as Puck had started to get used to his new height, he suddenly found himself returned to his normal five-feet with a slight sense of being off balance followed by a sigh. He rubbed the side of Cobweb's neck, watching his duplicate do an ornate bow before fading as he thought mentally to the elk, "That was quite fun -- might need to keep on the tiny mages' good side going forward ..."

Listening to the conversation shift mostly to a language he didn't speak, Puck watched the proceedings with a bit of a blank expression, and when it returned to common he smiled -- especially when it seemed he might be useful.

Rolling his eyes at Austin's eagerness he patted the tiny mage on the arm, "And here I thought great mages were wise and did not need to yell to get their point across? Perhaps you're not quite to that point yet?" Moving on he waved to try and get the Jarl's attention, "Hello, hullo, hi -- I was the rather large Tiefling a few seconds ago? Ah ... if it's a confession you want, I think I can help with that? Or ... I should say at least try to make sure anything she says is the truth?" Running a finger along one of his horns he smiled hesitantly, "Sometimes I can prevent people from speaking a lie, but it doesn't always work. If they're willing however, it can be a good way to try and gain some trust."

He grinned towards the Giantess' head, "If you want to have a warrior's death, perhaps we can have a proper fight at some point? I'm sure there must be an arena around here somewhere, yes?"

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Tynesvar North Gate:

"Wahhh... thas' pretty cool," Cobweb replies back, his head following Puck as he shrinks down to his regular size. "He seemed, uhhh... happy I guess? Got that big shinies n' stuff." Vincent meanwhile swoops down from where he was casually watching the entire endeavor and lands on Austin's shoulder. "Sigh... we gotta work on your threats, squirt. Remember, you want people to take you seriously BEFORE you blast 'em to bits. Saves time."

The Jarl stifles a chuckle at Austin's 'threat', then turns to Puck. "You can prevent lies? That's a very interesting skill, I can't say I'm the most well-versed in the capabilities of magic," she says thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "The question, of course, is whether they're willing to talk at all..."

As she considers that thought, the rumbling intensifies as the horde of remaining giants circle back to the north gate. The tallest of them, a towering male with a thick hanging beard and a hefty helmet with wide horns, steps up to the broken gate and looms over the scene, paying no mind to the ballistas aimed at them from both sides of the towers. His huffs echo through the walled settlement. "So this is how it ends, Hifrade? With two of our finest falling for naught?"

The giantess looked like she was about to respond to Puck's offer of a 'proper' fight, but upon hearing that simply clenches her fist and casts her gaze further downwards than it already had been. "... I..." She continued to be silent, the words of her native tongue failing her.

"I thought so. Perhaps next time you will think twice before you go on wild goose chases. Or perhaps you will die, it makes no difference," he replies flatly, before turning to the other giants and gesturing at the other two dead bodies. "In the meantime I will see that Bemr and Artr are buried properly. It is the least I can do to forgive them the mistake of believing in you." Silently and solemnly the corpses are picked up, one body carried by two giants apiece as the others pick up the weapons they left behind. Without looking back, the group of giants begins their trek back northwards, soon to disappear behind a curve of the mountain range.

In response the giantess only continues to clench her fist, and after a tense few seconds slams it down -- but weakly, so much that it barely makes a thud on the ground. "Gods damn you, Baulgf..." She stews silently for a minute before glancing back at the group. "So? I have already lived to know my shame, do your worst. If you grant me one mercy, I would rather not be made a spectacle for your smallfolk entertainment."

 

[Abrahms]

Nodding to the Jarl, Puck shrugged with a grin, "I don't understand it either, it comes and goes!" Listening to the heavy footsteps grow louder on approach the small tiefling tensed, a hand near his weapons, unable to understand the conversation.

Watching the others go he relaxed, returning to patting Cobweb before answering the Giantess, "Hmm ... well, while I do enjoy being a spectacle, I somehow doubt that's the same for others." Thinking for a moment Puck looked towards the Jarl, "Maybe we can continue this conversation elsewhere?" He shrugged again, "Maybe you can overcome your shame somehow, but for now I think answers would be nice." Adjusting the warhammer on his hip he continued, "And like I said, maybe down the line we can have a proper fight, eh?"

 

[Zilfer]

Mei looked to the Jarl nodding a understanding, and listened to the back and forth of the giants. She wasn’t really mad at being called a child for in some ways she still was, but people always underestimated children. She looked over to the frost giant apparently named Hifrade and smirked at Puck’s confidence.

“I think such things might have to wait,” said Mei before turning to address the Giantess once more. “I rather hope they will not make a spectacle of you, but instead put you to work on fixing a few of the things you have broken… I think it would be a good start to build relations between you and the town. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to find out what you were looking for and where it is?”

She looks back to the Jarl switching back to common. “I think if you need help in this matter me and my companions might be willing to help as long as there are some benefits tied to this…” Mei hoped that just maybe they would have found some sort of income. She needed to find some way to make a living rather than stealing to get by and getting caught by equally as talented people like Regalia.

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Tynesvar North Gate:

"A strange ability indeed..." The Jarl comments as an aside note, before turning to watch the giants march on into the distance. "There's always the keep of course if we need somewhere to talk but I think I would rather check on the people, I'm sure many of them have taken refuge in the temple or meeting hall in Flint Row..." She glances back down the main street as the dust begins to settle. "Hopefully both are still intact... "

Hifrade side-eyes Mei as she seems to place the monk as the one who tied her up and ran circles around her, but nevertheless had nothing to do but listen to the girl's words in her native tongue. "What does it matter if I have no use for it... it was for the clan, only for the clan... but what good is that now?" She grumbles a bit more, not caring to hide the contempt in her voice, before turning back to Puck, her expression softening slightly as she finally acknowledges the one who brought her down. "Then none of these... 'arenas'. I have heard of them, from the jotun who travel in the skies, but my people have no need for audiences. They prove themselves on the ground, in real war and battle. And they simply know who is mightier."

She falls silent for a few moments, feeling that last statement linger in the air as she stares up to the clear afternoon winter sky. "... I shouldn't respect you, not when you bested me with cheap tricks and sorcery. But I lie here, below all others in the Ordning. So I may only look up."

In the meantime a few more guards begin to arrive, having confirmed that none of the entrances to the city were undamaged except for the north where the loudest signs of struggle (and brightest flashes of lightning and fire) were observed. Most of the others along with some townsfolk are seen snooping around the buildings, snuffing out fires and inspecting the damages. Many are wary of the tied-down giant that seems to still be alive but seem to opt to let the current group handle that trouble, keeping a fair distance away.

The jarl steps forward in response, clearing her throat so that the giantess noticed her presence. "Then perhaps we can come to an agreement. It is not often that you hear of alliances with giants but I daresay we are different than the other holdings around. My name is Jarl Therese Engebretsen, and from the authority granted to me by these people of Tynesvar, I would have you detained... at least until I can make sure my people are safe. Then perhaps we may have talks, Miss Hifrade."

"...Just Hifrade. But perhaps." The giantess gives a restrained nod in acknowledgment and the jarl turns to the rest of the group. There's a silent strength in her expression now, a mix of resolution and determination. "Well there is much to do and not enough hands to do them with, so we'll need all the help we can get. You've certainly proven yourselves so I'm willing to put compensation on the table," she says, nodding at Mei's suggestion. "My first priority is congregating the people together for an impromptu Folkmoot, but I also need people to patrol the streets, search for anyone lost in rubble, check on the injured, and escort Mi-- Hifrade, to the keep where she can at least be housed within the gates. For everyone's sake," she adds, noting how injured the giantess seemed to be especially at the torso and below. "Once we have established some semblance of order in this town perhaps we can look to further plans, and to figuring out what everything that has transpired here implies."

 

[Abrahms]

Puck shook his head at Hifrade's words, "Arenas are where I've made my name, but I understand testing oneself away from them. I look forward to a true battle against you or other giants -- just my skills versus yours." He rested his hands on the pommel of his warhammer with a smile. "If it matters, I respect all I've had the pleasure to fight with -- and! If it's not a fight to the death, then we each get to improve our skills and try again. If a fight was won by those 'cheap tricks and sorcery' is it not better to come back on even ground?" He looked up as she did, "Even if currently you're laying on even ground?"

When the Jarl began speaking he turned his attention to her, fiddling with his necklace as the conversation turned to compensation, muttering, "Well I am looking for a new sponsor ..." The tiefling rubbed his hands together holding them infront of himself as if he was by a fire, "If Hifrade needs some healing, an' agrees to play nicely till we get our eventual battle, I've managed to do that a few times in the past? Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, if you need someone to help move stuff, I'm a bit stronger than I look -- Cobweb and I can work on digging people out." Puck rubbed his hands together with a grin, "I can also be pretty damn fast if I need to be, and loud, to spread word. Where ever ya need me."

 

[Zilfer]

Mei grins at the Jarl happy to seemingly have some employment that should come with a bit of money and maybe gratitude attached. "I will escort Hifrade if you don't mind, and once that is done I might be able to help out around the town putting some of the pieces back together," says Mei before she listens to what Puck was saying about a sponsor. "Seems this town might hold promise for us afterall. Though if you are going to fight the Giantess later, I want a good view of the fight." She grins deviously at the thought wondering if Puck was more likely to be punted or if he could actually take out the giantess herself. Mei knew she might be able to take one giant but she's have to get lucky and land a hit in one of their pressure points, and even then it'd be hard fought if they were using weapons like they had been. Most of those weapons would hurt just falling on her.

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Tynesvar North Gate:

"If I were you, I would conserve your strength," Hifrade says, looking over to Puck. "When they come again they will not treat it as a sport to be watched."

"...I would prefer to keep fighting to a minimum for the moment, thank you," Jarl Therese says to the two, drained from the whole ordeal and thinking of what would come next. "Now any help that you can provide at the moment would be greatly appreciated -- learning why in the gods' name this all happened in the first place would be a good start. Otherwise I will meet up with you in a bit at Mortham Keep to discuss next steps. Because I am certain there will be quite a few," she mutters, brushing her hair back and making haste towards the main plaza while a couple guards rush to flank her as backup. The sheriff from before meanwhile walks up to the group and gives a small salute, having taken some time to assess the damages in the meantime. "I'll accompany you back, thankfully there isn't too much damage up here. Now if you don't struggle giant ma'am I'm sure we can make this as easy as possible."

Hifrade nods wordlessly, having nothing to do except watch as more rope is brought in to tie her hands together firmly before the restraints holding her down are carefully released. Putting a hand up to dissuade any further prodding she slowly comes to her knees and then stands up, struggling a bit with her injuries. Without much other choice she is herded down a side street, her head poking above the roofs that are still intact.

Mortham Keep:

The walk back towards Mortham Keep is solemn and silent, Hifrade trying to keep her eyes low so as to not catch the glances of anyone. In the distance people walking around stop and turn towards the sound of heavy footfalls, though the presence of guards keeps them from doing much beyond staring. Most of them just seem to be thankful enough that this part of town was relatively undamaged from the assault.

The gates to the keep are swung open as widely as possible, to allow the giantess to squeeze through with some ducking. Only when she is sat down squarely behind the walls and hidden from prying eyes are the guards' weapons lowered, and the sheriff steps forward. "Sheriff Alvim Stagdane, at your service. I must say, judging from what I overheard your grasp on the common tongue is quite impressive ma'am."

"We are not savages," Hifrade replies, unamused. "There are those among us that are bear the burden of small-folk knowledge, heavy as it is." Seeming a bit bored, she turns her head to the group instead as she adjusts herself to lean against the stone walls. "Well? I suppose I will do this 'playing nice' if you so desire."

Flint Row:

The activity in the plaza slowly picks up as people realize that the short siege had finally subsided, peeking out of whatever bits of shelter they had hidden themselves underneath. The doors of the temple are wide open, allowing people to slowly wander out as well as wander in seeking medical help within its stone walls. Rendaril's Emporium, a primarily wooden structure, is not nearly as lucky -- as the hole through its second story can attest. The front door is shut locked, and a single guard leans against the damaged wall trying not to draw attention to himself.

In the distance, many of the stalls and carts within the marketplace are being inspected for damages by their owners (at least, assumed to be), while more campfires have been started up to keep people warm. A dwarf that would look familiar to Austin and A.W.E. is busy loading rubble onto his rickety cart, begrudgingly so. "Gods damn it, makin' me break meh back... too old for this," he grumbles, before yelling at some other workers who are also busy cleaning up. "Oi, pick up the pace! Town ain't gonna clean itself, yanno!"

The jarl looks to the guards that had followed her here and nods. "Spread word that there will be a folkmoot tomorrow at dawn, after things have been settled. Otherwise orders are to assist civilians and keep an eye out for anyone who would take advantage. I am going to see if there are any representatives we can speak to regarding a plea for aid." With a nod and a wave off she starts to make her way to a large building beside the church, which also seems to have been opened to refugees -- seemingly allowing you to follow if you so choose.

 

[Zilfer]

Mei followed along to the Mortham Keep as she wondered at the size of Hifrade, trying hard to recall the halls she had once walked. Halls that had not been built for the likes of her kind but of a much larger race. It seemed that Hifrade was still in a foul mood but Mei was very curious this was the closest she had been to meeting a real giant. She didn't know if Hifrade held any sort of answers that she was looking for but there was no way she was going to pass up a chance to ask about the place her monastery had decided to make it's home in.

"Maybe you'd prefer to talk about the subject of large-folk then? I'm not really from around here, but a place far off to the south. I was trained in Himinn Gardr, and it's halls were large and beautiful. I can only imagine your home city must be a marvel to see as well," says Mei as she glances for a place to city down and cross her legs. "Why do you consider the common tongue so burdensome? Surely additional knowledge is useful? Or at least that is what my Masters were trying to tell me. I don't think it stuck very well. I preferred oral lessons to stuffy books."

 

[Kanaxe_Ru]

Mortham Keep:

Hifrade raises an eyebrow at Mei, though she does not seem to recognize the name Himinn Gardr. "There is no point in speaking our tongue here," she says, looking around at the rest of the gathered group many of whom seemed to be lost on the conversation. "Your common tongue is not burdensome, but most of my brethren want nothing to do with small-folk. But tradition dictates that one amongst the tribe bears such knowledge, in the case that interaction with small-folk is inevitable. As the only daughter of my mother, that role fell to me regardless of my wish to be a warrior."

She huffs, unamused by the thought. "Tradition was everything to us. It was who sought knowledge, who gathered strength, who created marvels. Who ruled and who slaved beneath. Until now." Her eyes narrow, looking back to the others. "My attempt to rise above my rank failed. The others of my kind will not fall so easily. They seek to prove themselves worthy to rule in the absence of our king, and they will do so by force."

"By force?" The sheriff inquires, seemingly suspicious. "What would they have to gain from terrorizing us? Are they looking for the same thing you were?"

The giantess shakes her head in reply. "I thought I could claim an advantage by seeking an artifact, something fabled to be part of our people's history. They will simply demolish everything in their path and pray that it impresses the gods above as a sign of their power."

 

[Zilfer]

Mei frowns a bit making a note that maybe just like there were different people and cultures this far north that it was a mistaken to assume all giant people were somehow interconnected. "As you say," says Mei switching to the common tongue though she had switched more to keep knowledge private than for the Giantess comfort. She stretches her sore shoulder impressed at how much Puck and Alder had been able to heal.

"I've always found that picking yourself back up after failing was the only way to move forward, I still think you could be a warrior if you put your mind to it, though I don't encourage such wanton slaughter," says Mei knowing full well that Tradition could be a very hard thing to go against. She wasn't ever the most studious of people despite much of her culture putting an emphasis on learning. She often required more... practical lessons.

Putting an arm up over her head and stretching it back she looks over to the Sheriff. "Sounds like if we find this artifact maybe the others might listen to her. If you were to become the leader of them once more what would you do with such a position?" asked Mei-Lynn sounding genuinely curious. She had no idea what she would do if she was leading a bunch of people. It sounded like a lot to worry about, when she'd be happier going from place to place seeing brand new things and wonders. Even the Giantess was something potentially new and exciting.