Mission: Fail ... I am so ... tired ... of healing Gerald

Erastus 9, 4712 

Following their battle with the crag linnorm in the wilderness of the mountains, the Coopers triplets spend the night in its lair. In the morning, Gerald reflects that the lair could be useful as a lookout post, as the view of the entire valley below is breathtaking. Daryle and Darelle notice that the giants' tracks are easily followed eastward. Darelle uses her jar of cloud and they regain the valley's floor.

The valley slopes downward and eventually the Coopers leave the wasteland behind and they enter the forest again, floating on Darelle's cloud. After another hour three of them catch the sound of human voices discussing an ambush of the giants. The voices are under the mistaken impression that the Coopers are giants. Gerald departs the cloud and uses one of his natural abilities to attempts to sneak around the ambush, but he is noticed by the ambushers. Like a one-horse poney, Gerald returns to his tried and true fireball, aimed at the top of the trees. The farmers laying in wait run away, dropping their weapons behind. Daryle notices a small encampment in the distance made of three wagons. The farmers run back to their camp and hurriedly begin to pack their meager belongings, hoping to flee before the giants catch up with them.

Gerald collects the farmers' weapons, a set of old and worn farm implements. Darelle maneuvers the cloud closer, and Daryle yells down at the farmers. After a tense exchange, the farmers agree to meet with the sisters. They explain that their small village was destroyed about twenty days ago when a large group of giants moved through the area. Though the farmers were aware that there were giants in the hills beyond, they had never had an encounter with them. The giants killed several of the farmers' kin and the survivors fled with what they could grab. This large group had at least fifty giants. Two days later, a smaller group of seven giants moved through the area but the farmers were able to avoid it. Finally, a day later another smaller group of four giants passed through without causing any harm. They appeared to be in a hurry.

The farmers invite the Coopers to share their meager meal, but the sisters politely decline. They depart the camp on the cloud, but they soon notice three of the farmer lads following them. Darelle speeds up the cloud and soon they outrun the boys. A few minutes later, they spot the ruins of the farmers' village.

Late that afternoon, as they float in the air on the cloud following the giants' trail, the Coopers notice six giants hunting a very large bear, at least three times the size of the biggest bear they've ever encountered. They decide to let the giants bloody themselves on the bear first before attacking. One of the giant is slain before the remaining giants are finally able to dispatch the bear. Not giving the giants any time to rest, Gerald engages with his trusted fireball, while the sisters rain arrows on the giants. Soon all of them are laying dead. Gerald ponders removing the bear's pelt, but it would take too long. The Coopers decide to press on, but not before they loot the giants' bodies. Among the miscellaneous items the Coopers find, they discover a glowberry mistletoe bush. Darelle wonders if Gerald would be amenable to hosting it. The sorcerer politely declines.

The giants' trail finally end up at a makeshift camp. There are several groups of tents placed around a hill, and there is evidence that more than a hundred giants were here at one point. The Coopers conduct a quick count from the air, and find seventeen giants and fourteen juveniles. Gerald unleashes a few fireball spells at groups of giants, while the sisters attack. Most of the giants flee, but they successfully slay nine of them. Searching the camp, Gerald notices that there is a cave at the base of the hill, and it is guarded by two mean-looking giants. Gerald employs more spells, and Darelle and Daryle join him. The giants surprise the Coopers by hurling large rocks at them that immediately transform into earth elementals upon impact and grapple with the Coopers. The party is soon under intense pressure, and Gerald goes down for the count.

The sisters effectuate a tactical retreat and heal Gerald. Daryle enters the cavern, and is viciously attacked. She withdraws. Darelle quaffs her last potion of invisibility and explores the cave complex. She discovers that the giants guards protect a room with several trolls in it. The trolls are chained to the wall and appear to be slaves for the giants. Beyond are three more rooms. One appears to be the treasure room. The second seems to be the room of a shaman. The last room is the chief's room. In there Darelle observes the chief, who is smaller than normal giants, talks to a cyclops and discuss the recent attack on his forces.

With this information, the Coopers decide to retreat back to their cloud to spend the night and heal up.


Erastus 10, 4712 

In the morning, they notice that some of the giants have returned. Gerald decide to incinerate the camp, and the giants scatter once again.

Entering the cave, Gerald does his thing and gets dealt a grieving blow. Daryle and Darelle attack again, and this time they manage to kill both giants. Reviving Gerald, they proceed cautiously down the path. Using his spells, Gerald burns the trolls until they are all dispatched. Searching the remaining rooms, they discover that the cyclops has disappeared. Entering the chief's room, Gerald immediately fireballs the chief, who had just begun his very eloquent "I surrender" speech. The chief can't believe that Gerald attacked him, and he offers him anything to spare his life. Gerald casts another fireball, effectively incinerating the chief.

The Coopers search for the cleric cyclops everywhere, but they cannot find him. He escaped through a secret passage in his cave. Now that the giants are all dead, the Coopers are stymied. Who will answer the question of whom sponsored this attack on Zoarth? Thankfully, in the giants' treasure chest, they discover a large quantity of crude gold pieces. These pieces feature a bird of prey on a background of lightning on both sides of each piece. Along with other treasure, they discover a vestment of cloth-of-gold that fits Gerald perfectly. Daryle decides to save the vestment of cloth-of-gold for Gerald's final burial, which is more likely to be sooner, rather than later...