Farewells, Vines and Ol' Greeta

3rd of Planting - Low Summer

 The party take their leave from the thankful giants, confirming Treggin will meet the heroes near the kobolds now living in the former mining town of Drekkar 10 days hence.

Skrit had decided to take one of the items -  spoke from the giant's wheel which has swirls of abjuration  magic. Vencer and Skirt talk about a potential magical staff, spear or multiple wands could be created..

The party do some further searching of the large bag/backpack covered in mold. To empty the bag, the party come up with a unique way to try and save any items tumbling out:

Vencer summons 2 monkey  with flock of familiars spells, uses his mage hand, Pyra uses her gauntlet to also summon a mage hand as well as Corrin. Vencer and Irakul lift the giant backpack, dumping the items as the 2 monkeys and mage hands try and save anything. (DM: art work please)

• 2 tome - 1st, Physiology of skulls of all types of creatures. 
• A large canvas bag - 6 bolts of fine silk - not affected by the mold
• Small Black case - has a number of magical vials - giant strength, healing x2 and a final very precious one, a potion of Youth - Vencer decides to not tell the party about the latter potion - "this is an unknown one" Corrin notes something different about Vencer while he is identifying all the potions

After the demise of 1 monkey due to the mold/spores, the party investigates and cleans - with the 3 mage hands heavily used. Vencer decides the prestidigitation spell may come in handy..

The party ascends the stairs a short way and then decide to end the life of the mimic, based on the knowledge the creatures are not sentient so could not be used as 'fuel' for the infernal engine of the flying tower. Vencer's magical blade appears and with a swift single stroke ends the mimic's life as it was just coming conscious again. Corrin decides to gather some of the flesh and blood of the shape changing creature - in his canteen.

Continuing the ascent they reach the caverns, where the party breathes a sigh of relief. The heroes come

into a cave that has the large boulder like spheres that are covered in a fine white powder. 

Skrit and with assistance from Corrin, have never seen or come across anything of the like (DM: with advantage natural 1 / 1) Vencer takes out his alchemy kit and using some of the gear - much of it depleted since the wizard has not been able to replenish any time recent - approaches and feels a pull on his source of energy for his spells. His light spell winks out, and then his mage hand after scraping a little of the powder does as well, but with continued castings of the cantrip, is able to acquire some of the anti-magic (?) dust in a vial.

With great relief and long breaths of fresh air, the party exits the mine. Seeing the sky, sun - late morning - it is a beautiful sunny Spring day, with hardly a cloud in the sky.

The party sees Poet with the two kobolds, as well as Heste smoking his pipe near the wagon and war horse. (being used as a cart horse)

Corrin advises he has something to tell to the party in confidence, but when they are alone. Poet thanks the party, and advises she will take no share of the treasure.

Corrin buys a sealed jar from Heste (at an exorbitant cost), to transfer the remains of the mimic flesh and blood from his canteen. Corrin cleans out his canteen after.

Poet provides some food - Grizzelle the older female made some steak and kidney pot pies to Pyra and

Skit receives 2 bottles of wine of the Monastery of the 3 Crescent Moons -  and advises the party to top up their canteens from the well. Skrit and the two kobolds have a emotional farewell. Saying their goodbyes, the party heads out. 

Corrin and Pyra takes on the role of scout and Irakul and Skrit take on the survival role to keep the party on track. Moving up the main path road, the party enjoy an afternoon of good travel. Pryra notes a group of the flying kobolds far off as they fly but the flyers don't notice the wagon and all it seems. Pyra whom is scouting ahead, hears a voice and gurgling cough.

Sneaking ahead, the rogue sees two men ahead just near the road. One the younger a redhaired skinny boy probably late teens is unconscious, multiple vines wrapped around his body and 1 on his neck. The older, is fighting off 2 vines feebly.. Tall and heavy set man, Black skinned with long braided hair. 2 vines wrap him, and he continues to fight off 2 more. The scimitar is just out of his reach. There is a lush amount of green growth in the area around a tree, whereas the plants and trees in the area are stunted and sparse.

Pyra does a near perfect shot with her assassin skills, and takes a vine out with her Dwarven Crank Bolter, that was just about to wrap around the older man's neck.. "Thank you he calls out hoarsely".

The party engages the vines to save the two men. Irakul does a perfect shot using his echo t slice one of the vines off the younger man, his executioner ability in good form.

Corrin casts enlarge on the older man - whom amazed as he grows in size to over 12' in height and the vines stretch and break. The blue flames of Skrit's sacred flame spells are effective against the attacking vines. Vencer tosses a vial of clear fluid - supposedly the 4th potion from the case - and is annoyed when it has no effect on the vine. 

Vencer uses his wand of chromatic orbs to blast the vines holding the man/giant. In the end, the vines are defeated and two men are saved with Telnio - in giant form - smashing a large boulder into the vince creature. Skrit's sacred flame does the killing blow. Healing word of Corrin and the medicine skills of Skrit save the 2 men.

It seems the two - the younger Jonah and the older Telnio - are caravan guards for a group working with the monastery of the 3 Crescent Moons. The party all exchange looks back to their wagon and the barrel
- worth thousands of gold - that belongs to the Monastery. After some discussion and recovery, the older man, Telnio sees the wagon and contents. With some deception and persuading words of the party, the 2 mercenaries are left behind.

The party moves on, not sure how the mercenaries will act on this. Telnio wishing the heroes "Good luck against the kobolds.."  Skrit, Vencer and Irakul all seem to feel he is NOT being sincere.

Near the end of the day, Corrin is scouting, and Skrit navigates, noting this area of the road looks to be more used. Corrin sees ahead on the road over a rise, the path goes up between two small hills. An elderly woman slowly moving along in same direction as the group. Corrin tries to stealth closer, and checks the area after a message spell to Vencer. Corrin does not see any other creatures in area. She looks to be bent double under a backpack or large bag on her back - possibly filled with vegetables or fruits..

Corrin casts message to her saying  "Who goes there?" The old woman jumps, her bag of vegetables and fruits tumble to the ground. She screeches in surprise and fright. Corrin casts the spell again and tries to calm the woman but the woman holds her head screeching to stop it.

Corrin tries to move up stealthily, but a spray of loose gravel tumble down from his feet. 

"Don't hurt me!" She cries out as she had been trying to gather 

"What are your attentions on this road?" Corrin asks, his hands out in a peaceful gesture.

She looks back as she continues to gather seeing the young man seems to not be a threat. Huffing,
"What do you think it is, you.. young ruffian! I am walking on it." She grumbles.

"What of the kobolds? They have been attacking travelers on the road, it is not safe."

The old woman cackles, "Heehee.. not if ya know how to deal with them. They like things ol' Gretta will give'em." The old woman looks to be a human, weathered skin with greyish hair in a bun. Carrying a variety of vegetables and fruits which she is putting back into the bag.

Corrin assists her.

Until next time..

The Final Mephit, a Mimic and return

3rd of Planting - Low Summer 

Battle continues with the mephitis under control of the Dark Shadowy large mephit. An oppressive negative energy waves over the party - emanating from the large hole the stone giant has been digging into.

“Be careful with those tentacles! They sap the strength from you.” Corrin warns while in the midst of combat

The gaunt and near skeletal stone giant looks over quickly holding back a shadowy tentacle with a piece of chain. In a raspy rumble, "Aye small one.. they sap your life.."

You realize th
e giant looks weathered.. and older than his brother, possibly like a father in age or grandfather..

Hearing these words, Corrin realizes.. he feels older..? The shadowy tentacle seems to drain life force (years of life as well as strength). The lantern is a powerful artifact..

"Get away from the tentacles gentleman. I wish to live a long happy life. Death and old age be damned." Vencer yells preparing another spell

As Avalanche falls Pyra takes out her two daggers and prepares to fight as she moves Avalanche out of

harm's way.

The heroes start to coordinate spells in their attacks on the "Boss". Pyra binds the wounds of his pet ghole, Avalanche, carrying the 6-legged creature into the rocks and boulders hiding.

Irakul, continues to use his echo to destroy mephits attacking the party - as they explode. Skit uses his healing to assist and buff the party.

Corrin and Vencer coordinate doing damage and forcing the Boss away. Pyra uses her crossbow and sneak attack, the piecing bolts doing damage to the tentacles as well as the Boss. Zimblaa, the Steam Mephit and allies attack and are able to engage many of the Boss' minions. 

Then the injured mephit joins in the battle, engaging the negative mephit but having little effect. The Boss - using the Shadow lantern - summons shadows to engage the party.

The old giant, Treggin, fights off and with Pyra's help destroys one of the shadowy tentacles. Vencer uses his Shadowblade spell and scimitar in hand to hand combat, taking down a mephit. Slicing the wings off, and then skewers the mephit in the mouth. It explodes into both, Corrin and Vencer. 

The Boss summons another shadow tentacle and it wraps up the old giant. A final lava mephit is killed as it explodes in death, doing some more damage to some of the party.

Irakul swings the Giant handax and it flies out of the goliath's echo destroying the summoned shadow. The Boss - using a legendary action makes a smoke mephit explode right in the middle of the party, fills the area with smoke. Making it hard to breathe and see.

Vencer moves out of the smoke, and then uses one of his calling card spells - iceknife. Vencer has a small waterskin at his side. The wizard tosses up a handful, then intoning some words, an iceblade forms and with both hands flings it at the negative energy mephit.

The icy short blade flies true.. (NATURAL 20) striking the head burying in and explodes with icy shrapnel. The lantern falls to the ground, the shadowy tentacle shrivels up snaking back to the lantern. The mephit explodes, negative energy blasting in all directions. Fortunately the heroes were out of range.

The mephit scourge is defeated. Zimblaa survives and agrees to live in the area until he can return home - at least being friends to the giants.

The party finds a number of items as they search the room. A fallen gnome skeleton, has a variety of treasures the party is able to recover. Vencer starts to scan with a detect magic spell. The 1st item that is magical is the lantern. A crossbow is found as well that looks to be able to be cranked back further than normal for a more powerful shot. Dwarven crank Bolter.

The party find a steam/magical jackhammer. The power source the party cannot determine and the large device is partially destroyed - covered in magma and mud. Corrin and Irakul start to search a side room

with large containers. Corrin gets stuck to one.. and the party is fighting a mimic. After some heavy battling, one is destroyed.. 

The party decides to try and capture one -  a possible power source for the tower!

The party starts to try to subdue or knockout the creature. In the end the party are able to knock it out.

Further treasures are found.

After some further investigation, They determine that the gnomes and dwarves used the mimics as energy for the drills and jackhammers uses in the mine. Pyra and Vencer scavenge mechanical components as well as 6 feet of mithril wire. The adventurers decide to head back to Shraxin's smithy escorting the giant home. Between Treggin and Irakul, the two are able to drag a makeshift sled with

the unconscious mimic on top - strapped down.

Without further mishap or issue, the party returns to Shraxin's smithy, with a hearty welcome by the giant to his now MUCH older brother.

Shraxin offers to repair equipment - cleans and fixes Pyra's new dwarf crank Bolter. 

Skrit is able to scrounge up: A piece of a broken giant wheel made from precious, exotic wood. Vencer and Skrit look at this..  This could be made into a magic item - spear, staff. would have a potential to give some type of extra bonus - resistance possible if well crafted.

2nd, item: A pouch of 3 large, 6-sided dice made from amber (each about 2 foot cube), one of which contains a preserved pixie/fey flying humanoid - female - about a foot tall.

3rd item: A charred leather cuirass with a wooden stake through the breast. There are still fragments of skeleton and bone in the armour

Skrit is not sure about the nature/life of mimics, but he is QUITE sure that if the creature is not sentient it is unlikely to have a spirit or soul that the flying tower could use as fuel.

As he recalls from time studying in old temples in the Green.. infernal pacts require this and this one specifically - as he thinks back to the room with the cages, racks and all under the control room in the tower.....

Vencer casts detect magic. All three items have a glow to Vencer of a variation of types.

The spoke from the giant's wheel has swirls of abjuration  magic. The one die that has the fey in amber has enchantment glowing around the figure. The wooden stake, cuirass and bone has necromantic veins of magic like blood flowing through..

Corrin finds a jewelry box that plays a different song each time it wound. Songs the bard has never heard before. Plays a different song every time it is wound. A dwarven/gnomish combined magic and mechanical craftwork. The shapechanger continues to search..

Vencer, first, finds a freshly shed skin from a red dragonborn scaly skin. 2nd, A broken giant's wand, and approaches the giant to ask if it can be repaired combined into the broken stone staff from the dwarf statue of a god - [DM: Previous room...]. Vencer strikes a deal to have the staff and wand combined. It will take a week or so.

Irakul finds a a bag with a head of a devil or demon inside. [Bag of holding] 

Corrin continues to search, find a small little house - made for 1' tall creatures. 2 story doll house.

Corrin searches one final time. Finding a map showing an island off the coast of Fax - possibly a pirate stash. There is illusion magic on the map.. as Vencer scan goes over some of the words and geographic markings, determines there is an illusionary magical script covering extra details on the map - written in a way that the words/letters keep changing. The wizard with Corrin's assistance realize some of it is in a script. Kantif mentioned a few times used by the BlackRunes. Possibly a Black Rune stash..?

Pyra finds a slowly spinning compass. then a 2nd search, find a ghostly semi-translucent single gauntlet. [can cast magehand spell 2 times per day]

Treggin agrees to meet the party to fight the kobolds in ten days at the former mining town to the North. Now, to take the merchant to his home, then kobolds to capture!