6. Fires of the Giants

Mythic GME Chaos Rank: 5
Scene setup: d10=4 (Interrupt!)

Event: Remote Event: Debase energy
Okay, so it’s remote, but it interrupts the party: that could mean that something happens to the main expedition while the party is out scouting. And energy could well be something to do with fire; the giants of Xen’drik worshipped elemental fire, often perverting its use beyond the natural. Introduce an element from ages past

Jungle north of Obsidian City, Xen’drik
Dravago 9, 997 YK

Esinor jumped down from the wagon and surveyed the clearing. It was getting late, and this seemed like a suitable place to make camp for the evening. There was little to interest Esinor in the jungle, and she had spent much of the day lecturing her students, as they rode, on the types of engravings that they might expect to find when they reached Kappefesting. She was not impatient—this expedition would be the vindication of twenty years of study—but was keen to be at their destination as soon as possible.

There was a stone obelisk at the centre of the clearing. Esinor approached it with tired curiosity. She passed by groups of hired adventurers, setting up their tents and cookfires, without acknowledging them. Once she stood before the obelisk, a glance brought her to full attention: this was an ancient relic from the Age of Giants.

“Fascinating. Vakhorli, Ijlenor, come look at this!” she shouted without turning, rapt in attention. After a few moments, she called again. “Vakhorli—”

She turned just in time to see a ball of fire streak across the clearing; it exploded one of the wagons, throwing fragments of metal and burning wood in all directions. There was a moment of quiet, and then a loud roar sounded from beyond the clearing. As adventurers started grabbing their gear and running in all directions, a giant figure pushed its way between the trees to stand at the edge of the clearing.

Esinor had only a moment to observe the red hair and flame patterns on the giant’s tunic. Then her eyes were drawn to points of fire, emerging from the trees all around them. So there are still giants that keep the old ways, she thought; the sound of flames and the cries of the dying filled the clearing.

---

As they made their way back to the main camp that night, Sakhisli’s suggestion that they head out on their own was under discussion.

“What about the Guild?” said Raenros. “We all joined up, don’t we owe them something?”

“As far as I can tell, no-one on the expedition has worked with the Guild before—not on anything like this, at any rate. We paid them, so they should owe us something; something better than this.” Kalina was warming to her role of advocate for the plan.

Raenros shook her head. “Esinor has all the supplies; we would not get far without food.”

Scout(Raenros): 2D6(4 1) +1 = 6 Failure!
Introduce a new faction or type of creature

They could see the campfires through the trees now. Kalina said, “Well, we could buy food off of the expedition; they will not need as much if we leave.”

Petovar said “What are they doing this evening? Those fires look—”

There was a brighter flash of fire through the trees ahead, bringing everyone to a halt; a scream cut through the jungle noises, and there were muted shouts ahead as well. Then, only a moment later, a flame moved in between the trees that they were standing next to; it collided with Raenros, who screamed as it burned through her leathers; she fell to the ground.

Monster: Fire mephit. d6 damage, 3HP. horde, small, close. Moves: flying, fire burst, call for help. Instinct: burn them all.

Defy Danger(DEX)(Raenros): 2D6(1 4) +1 = 6 Failure!
Think dangerously; Deal damage: d6=4 damage

Last Breath(Raenros): You died

Hack and Slash(Kalina): 2D6(5 5) +1 = 11 Success!
Deal d4=4 damage

Kalina’s sword was out of its scabbard in a moment. It was not just a flame in front of her; the flames surrounded a winged creature, about three foot tall, flying a few feet off of the ground and surrounded by—no, emitting—the flames. As it turned towards her, Kalina stabbed it straight through the chest; the creature flapped its wings once more, then its fire went out and it fell to the ground.

Volley(Aided)(Kyorlin): 2D6(5 3) +1+1 = 10 Success!
Deal d4=2 damage

Aid(Kluthlin): 2D6(5 5) +1 = 11 Success!
Aid given

I haven’t bothered to write down the bonds between the characters yet because there are still so many characters, but some are obvious: the drow are brothers.

Kalina looked around to see several more of the creatures surrounding their group. The two drow were already moving, drawing and loosing arrows at the creature nearest to them; both arrows found their mark, and the creature staggered, though the arrow shafts then immediately burned away amid its aura of flames.

Hack and Slash(Petovar): 2D6(1 4) -1 = 4 Failure!
Deal damage: d6 = 3 damage, 2 after armour

Does Petovar take damage Unlikely (Usually do something softer before doing damage).
Fate d100(26)=Yes

Petovar started with 8 Con, so he has only 2 HP.

Last Breath(Petovar): You died

Defend(Sakhisli): 2D6(5 5) +2 = 12 Success!
Hold 3

Petovar was behind them, and had drawn his sword as another of the creatures approached; he made a half-hearted slash at the creature, but it moved in behind his stroke and slashed at his chest with a burning arm; he fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Sakhisli stepped in to take his place; she shouted “Come ’ere you lousy creatures! This smith isn’t afraid of a little fire!” The creature lashed out at her, but she ducked the blow easily.

Hack and Slash(Arjen): 2D6(3 2) +0 = 5 Failure!
Use up their equipment

Deal damage? Unlikely (First failure).
Fate d100(64)=No

Hack and Slash(Kalina): 2D6(5 5) +1 = 11 Success!
Deals d4=4 damage

“Balinor have mercy!” Arjen cried; Kalina turned to see the woodsman facing another of the creatures. He was fumbling for his sword when the creature pushed forward both of its hands and a gout of flame surrounded him. The fire burned right through his leather jerkin. As he fell to the ground, fumbling to put out the flames on his clothes, Kalina ran forward to stand before him. With one downward cut, she sliced into the creature; she could feel its heat through the blade. It let out a sharp hiss and its fire flickered out, and it fell lifeless amid the tree roots on the ground.

Volley(Kluthlin): 2D6(6 3) +0 = 9 Partial success.
Use up ammunition; deal d4=1 damage

Aid(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 2) +1 = 6 Failure!

Spend hold(Sakhisli): Halve damage
Deal damage: d6=5, halved to 2, reduced by 1 by armour.

Current party is Kalina, Arjen, Sakhisli, Kluthlin, Kyorlin (2/3 HP).

Kalina turned around to see another of the fire creatures fall, as Kluthlin put an arrow straight through its chest. Kyorlin had been shooting at the same one, but had not noticed that the other creature was closing in behind him. It reached out its arms to push a gout of fire in his direction, but Sakhisli caught its wing with an upwards swing of her hammer; the creature tumbled sideways and the flames went wide, only licking the drow’s arm.

Hack and Slash(Sakhisli): 2D6(3 4) +0 = 7 Partial success.
Deals d4=2 damage, takes d6=6 damage

Spend hold(Sakhisli): Halve damage; armour reduces it one more. Sakhisli is at 2/4 HP.

Volley(Kyorlin): 2D6(6 3) +1 = 10 Success!
Deals d4=2 damage

The creature turned its attention to the smith. Sakhisli stepped closer and swung again, her hammer connecting with its body this time. The creature staggered back, catching the dwarf in its flames as it flailed wildly. Kyorlin sent an arrow into its wing; it spun around, its flames dispersing in all directions as it crashed into a tree and then dropped, inert.

Spout Lore(Kalina): 2D6(2 1) +1 = 4 Failure!
Use up their resources: The fight in the camp is going badly for Esinor and the main group. If the party goes there, they’ll have a challenge to get any equipment out.

There was a pause as everyone caught their breath. Kalina’s hand was shaking as she sheathed her sword. She had practised with a sword a few times, including in the camp at night with Petovar—the only one of their group who had any training with weapons—but she had never been in a fight with an opponent trying to kill her, let alone against strange fire creatures. One glance at Petovar lying on the ground, his flesh blackened and face unrecognisable, and she did not need to check that he was dead.

Looking around, she saw that both drow had made it through, singed but whole. Sakhisli was burned down one side, but still standing, and Arjen was standing again now, though he had had to discard his burned armour. After a moment, she realised that they were all looking at her; looking to her, she realised, for direction.

Discern Realities(Kyorlin): 2D6(2 4) +1 = 7 Partial success.
What happened here recently?

“The camp is under attack by more of these creatures,” said Kyorlin. They could still hear shouting and see flames moving through the trees in the distance. “If we go forward, it will be into another fight.” He was watching the jungle around them, an arrow nocked in case more of the creatures approached.

“Arjen, take Petovar’s hauberk,” said Kalina. “And empty his pack; we need everything that we can find if we are going to live through this.” She moved herself to Raenros’ body, and removed her pack, slinging it over her shoulder; there was a smell of burned flesh in the air, and the pack carried the smell also. Before rising, Kalina laid a hand on her departed friend, and quietly said “The Host watch over you.”

They already made the decision to leave the expedition; now is the time to do it.

Does anyone fleeing the main camp bump into our party here? 50:50 ().
Fate d100(54)=No

Then she stood. “We already lost two friends here, and several of us are injured. We should get away from here while we can. We have a better chance in the wilderness than we do against more of those creatures.”

Arjen and Sakhisli nodded, and Kyorlin seemed happy to follow her lead.

---

Mythic GME Chaos Rank: 6
Scene setup: d10=6 (Interrupt!)

Argh! I have two characters that could level up to level 1 if they can just Make Camp. Please don’t kill them now!

Event: NPC Action: Propose Riches
Hmm, well I have more groups of NPCs than individuals just now. This is the first time I needed an NPC list; I begin to see why Mythic GME wants you to keep a list. Random : Stormreach deserters.

They stumbled through the jungle in a daze. It was dark beneath the thick canopy of the jungle, but they dared not light a torch. The air was still thick and humid and, in the darkness, the sounds of the jungle seemed to close in around them.

Kluthlin led the way, used as he was to the jungle. He found a gulch with a stream at the bottom and led them down into it, where they would be out of sight of anyone searching for them.

Kalina was just beginning to think that they were out of danger and should light a torch, when a bend in the stream brought a fire into sight, only twenty feet ahead of them. With the encounter with the fire creatures still fresh in their minds, they came to a halt immediately; Kalina and the drow reached for their weapons. But they saw that it was just a small campfire, and there was a single figure seated beside it.

“Come forward,” they said, in a deep, rasping voice.

After a moment, Kalina said, quietly, “Stay calm, stay alert.” Kyorlin quietly repeated that to his brother, and they moved forward to stand by the fire.

The seated person was a warforged: one of the humanoid constructs of wood and metal that had been used as soldiers during the Last War. They wore no clothes, and the firelight flickered off of the burnished metal plates on their chest and legs. Their face was mostly wooden pieces, shaped to give a semblance of human appearance to the face.

“Who are you?” asked Kalina.

“I am Caceir.” The warforged was not armed, and did not rise to meet them; they merely turned their head to Kalina.

“You were on the ship,” said Arjen. “You were part of the expedition.”

“I don’t remember him,” said Kalina. One could hardly fail to spot a warforged in a group of humans.

“I left in Stormreach. I have not been on such an expedition before, but I saw how badly prepared it was and decided that I would be better off making my own way.” Caceir’s face showed little expression; it had not been built for it, Kalina supposed.

Kalina had spent most of her time on the ship below decks, seasick. “Yet you are here.”

Spout Lore(Caceir): 2D6(5 2) +1 = 8 Partial success.
Information, not useful

“I have my own reasons for wanting to explore Kappefesting. Esinor had the map, so I followed the expedition.” Caceir shook their head. “But the fire giant that attacked the camp, and his mephits, have upset all our plans; there is no expedition to follow now. If I am lucky, the map is still in one piece; I will search the remains of the camp tomorrow.”

“We know the way,” said Kalina. “Kyorlin and I saw the map, and his brother knows something of the whereabouts of the ruined city.”

“You do?” The intonation of Caceir’s voice was flat, but the haste of their reply betrayed eagerness. “Then we have an opportunity. The ruins lie waiting, and you know the way. Take me there, and you no longer need to take Esinor’s share; all the treasure that you find is yours.”

Kalina let her hand fall from her sword hilt. Although she had thought of them leaving Esinor to explore on their own, the thought of going to Kappefesting on their own had simply not occurred to her. They had come here for treasure and adventure, and chance had given them the way to a legendary Giantish ruin. She looked around at her companions.

“Riches and adventure await us.” She smiled. “We are going to Kappefesting after all.”

End of Session(party): We witnessed the deaths of companions; +1 XP for all present

XP: Arjen 6, Kalina 6, Sakhisli 3, Kluthlin 4, Kyorlin 2, Caceir 0.