The hallway was cool, cooler than Adam expected. Even with his cloak, the chill flowed through him. It was pitch black, though with his half-fey sight he could see through the darkness to see all the runes around them.

Klara was leading ahead now, behaving much differently than she had last night. Last night she had almost talked his ear off, but now she was dilligently leading the party on ahead. Adam would never have guessed she was the kind of woman to go from such a playful and talkative woman to such a serious warrior.

Adam glanced back now and again to see Typ bringing up the rear. Inga was right beside him and Hisan was ahead of him, between himself and the other Priest.

The gem within his pocket burned with a heaviness. It was worth several hundred gold, and Klara had loaned it to him in case any of the others died near him. He wiped his brow as they then approached the giant heavy doors.

Klara turned to Hisan and Inga, who both marched up towards the doors. Typ remained behind, her eyes glancing around the area. Even Typ, who had been fairly lax, was completely stone faced. Was this how a party acted on duty?

Hisan and Inga pushed against the doors, which shuddered as they opened. Hisan managed to force through with ease, though Inga’s door seemed to get stuck on something. Hisan looked back at Adam and narrowed his eyes, but then continued.

“The runes on the doors say we should be careful,” Klara said.

“Runes? What runes?” Adam asked as he followed them forward.

“There were invisible runes. Only those who can speak giant can see them. They say there is danger ahead.”

Adam raised his brows in surprise. That sounded like a complicated rune, one which could only be seen by those that could read the language. Did that mean if you didn’t speak giant then you wouldn’t know there would be danger ahead?

“Did it say anything else?” Adam whispered.

“Yes,” Klara replied. “Though it’s nothing of concern. Just be careful.” She spoke so curtly and it made Adam shudder. He didn’t like this side of the group.

Adam followed forward, noting how everything seemed to be drawing in and tighter. The walls around them had allowed them to walk unabated, but soon they found rocks and rubble on their path. The group easily climbed over and dodged them, until another door blocked their path.

Typ scrambled forward, her eyes scanning the doors, and then she ran across the wall, the ceiling, the other wall, and then skid to a half on the floor. She looked back to Klara and nodded. Klara seemed to understand what she had meant and then stepped forward. She muttered a small prayer and then inhaled deeply.

She sang something in the giant language, the deep guttural notes echoing through the small hallway. The doors began to glow for a moment, the white-blue light seeping out through the cracks before it darkened. She looked back to Hisan and Inga, who both tried to push the door open. Inga managed to make the door budge, but Hisan was unable to push his half, and the doors remained still.

“Something is blocking the way,” Hisan said as he stretched his arms to warm himself up.

Athletics

D20 + 8 = 28 (20)

Adam walked forward, placing both of his palms on the door. He grunted as he pushed forward, feeling the doors budge under his strength. He managed to open the doors a crack, and Inga pressed up against the door to assist. Hisan tried to push the other side, but was unable to let it budge. Adam then pressed his shoulder against that door and the two doors finally gave in, almost dropping down.

Adam was unable to see Hisan’s look, because directly in front of him was a large open room. Pillars kept up the ceiling from falling down on them, six in total, and directly ahead of them was an open doorway. The room was made of the same stone of the mountain, but the entire walls were engraved with runes from top to bottom. Even the pillars held a number of intricate designs all around them.

“Whoa,” Adam whispered.

“Danger,” Klara said as she grabbed onto her black and purple sword, and donned her shield.

Adam hoisted his own shield when he noticed the gentle glow of the pillars, and then watched as the glow took form into something more real. He narrowed his eyes to see the glow turn into several humanoid creatures.

They seemed to become ghosts, each wearing ethereal armour, and wielding large axes. They were giants, that was for sure, perhaps those who had been long dead. Four of them stood ahead of the group.

Adam grabbed his longsword, ready to attack, but Klara stepped forward. She began to speak in the giant language, the glowing forms replying moments after. The pair continued to speak as Adam looked to Hisan and the others.

Inga held her dark greataxe casually, though Hisan held his greatsword with more seriousness. Typ cracked her knuckles and walked a few metres away before squatting down. They seemed to be waiting on Klara’s mark.

Klara continued to speak with the giant ghost for a few more moments before she stopped. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t come to an agreement,” she said.

Battle Order

D20 - 1 = 19 (20)

Adam’s entire being had screamed at him to move when Klara spoke. With the words echoing through the room, Adam darted into action. They hadn’t spoken to him in the way he should react, so he moved with his own will.

Samurai Spirit

3 -> 2

Attack

D20 + 10 = 15 (5)

D20 + 10 = 16 (6)

Hit!

3D6 + 8 = 25 (5, 6, 6)

Mana

44 -> 43

Divine Smite

3D6 + 3 = 9 (1, 1, 4)

34 damage!

Attack

D20 + 10 = 15 (5)

D20 + 10 = 25 (15)

Hit!

3D6 + 8 = 14 (1, 2, 3)

Mana

43 -> 42

Divine Smite

3D6 + 3 = 10 (1, 2, 4)

24 damage!

Onward Soar

1 -> 0

Attack

D20 + 10 = 11 (1)

D20 + 10 = 12 (2)

Miss!

Attack

D20 + 10 = 13 (3)

D20 + 10 = 27 (17)

Hit!

3D6 + 8 = 22 (3, 5, 6)

Mana

42 -> 41

Divine Smite

3D6 + 3 = 17 (2, 6, 6)

39 damage!

Adam sped forward and met one of the giant shapes, surprising them with how quick he was. He swung his blade wildly, managing to cut through the giant ghost with his blade, feeling very little resistance, as though he was cutting through paper.

His eyes flashed towards one of the giants, who was mid motion of trying to swing at him, before a tiny form dropped kick through it and the creature froze. He didn’t spend long thinking about the giant, as he ducked under a blow and then struck the same creature again, the white hot energy of his divine powers flashing through it. The giant began to dissipate, though tried to attack Adam again.

He swung upwards, missing the creature entirely, before he slashed downwards and sliced it in half. The giant then disappeared, leaving behind only a core. Adam ignored the core as his eyes flashed towards Klara, who almost fell to one knee as the giant forced its axe through her.

A whiteness surrounded them as skulls formed all around the group, Klara calling forth the might of Sozain. Each of the creature’s shuddered under her spell, though found themselves under the might of the raging Inga, who cut through one of the ghostly figurers recklessly. Adam ducked under one of her swings, though it was going to miss anyway, and clasped his blade a little tighter.

Hisan’s blade flashed hot white as he cut into one of the ethereal figures, the same which Tyg had stunned with the might of her ki. As Adam made to step towards Klara, he watched as Inga stumbled backwards as a ghostly giant forced her blade through the woman. That’s when he realised what manner of creatures these really were. It had been some time since he had last faced these creatures and suddenly his heart began to pound wildly, his blood coursing through his veins with alarm.

Attack

D20 + 10 = 22 (12)

D20 + 10 = 30 (20)

Critical hit!

6D6 + 11 = 34 (1, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6)

Mana

41 -> 40

Divine Smite

6D6 + 6 = 37 (2, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6)

71 damage!

Attack

D20 + 10 = 16 (16)

D20 + 10 = 30 (20)

Critical hit!

6D6 + 11 = 36 (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6)

Mana

40 -> 39

Divine Smite

6D6 + 6 = 31 (2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 6 )

77 damage!

With blade in hand, Adam leapt into the fray. The tiny form of Tyg leapt over his head as he cut through the frozen ghostly ice giant, calling out for his divine strength to aid him. His blade flashed white for a moment and the creature exploded into light and then nothingness, a core dropping down beside his boot.

He turned as Tyg frozen another, her eyes wide in alarm as Adam dispatched a second giant in the span of a few seconds, but Adam then charged at the frozen ethereal creature. The giant turned to face him, axe ready to swing before Adam cut through its heart. He dropped his axe as the divine glow filled his body and he exploded into darkness, a third core dropping down beside Adam’s foot.

“Are you alright?” Adam exclaimed, turning to face the last giant.

The giant stared at him and bowed her head as Inga and Hisan made short work of her, allowing her to pass on. The last core dropped down and darkness consumed the group.