Storm King's part 32 - We saw Death with our own eyes!!!

As we were looking for the Stone Giant BO$$ we reach a huge cavern with Stalactites and Stalagmites that seemed very natural. Here the Biggest Stone Giant we have ever seen is awaiting us with two bodyguards.

Quick minded, Groin banishes the Boss and we are left to fight only the bodyguards. We kill them pretty easily if the Boss is not around to coordinate them. Big Victory!... NOT SO FAST...

After 1 minute of going missing the Chief is back and he seems to have some surprises of his own.[1] As a flicker we see his feet and than he disappears again. Well what to do if the host is not at home? We investigate (meaning looking for loot) further in the cave. One of the stalactites has some kind of writing on it. Groin flies to read what is written on it - questions the Stone Giants have asked of some deity. Mid reading the Big Boss emerges exactly from inside the stalactite and grabs him in the air.

The party is sharp and quickly attacks the Giant, but the surprises are not over yet... The Giant pulls out an Orb, very similar to the Orb we had from the deal with the Green Dragon just that is has a different colour.[2] He throws it into the fight. We try to destroy the Orb by attacking it, it seems this is not the smartest way to get rid of it.[3] Undead start pouring out of the orb in waves, stronger every time. Wave by wave we defeat them leaving us wounded and in a very bad state, but nevertheless alive.[4]

The last out of the Orb is something looking like DEATH, black cloak, scythe in his hand and very hard to get rid off. We fight it and kill it.[5] But how can you kill DEATH? [6]

While we are leaving the caves we look back, and there IT is... waving at us... very much alive... or maybe not...[7]

[1] It was actually a "she", but proper introductions were never made.

[2] Could the orb have been corrupted? Maybe. Maybe not.

[3] As it vaporised, creating a smoking rent in reality. But sure, go ahead and attack it.

[4] For now.

[5] Except Selene, who uses Dimension Door to flee out of the cave. She waited for her companions at the entrance.

[6] Hue hue hue.

[7] Ah, but there was so much more to this. After the final wave, the portal closed. The adventurers defeated the undead, although they came close to TPK with one of them waiting outside. When the dust settled, they checked the Giant Boss for loot, and discovered that he had some of their items - but not everything. Both Selene's and Szivem's artifact was gone, as was the Orb of Dragonkind and most money. Some magic items went missing, although I don't remember which. Furious with the sorceress, Groin kept most of Selene's recovered items for himself for a while. And yes, some sort of humanoid spectre was watching them from above, but it was definitely not waving in a friendly manner. There was also a gnome kept prisoner by the giants, whom the party freed and escorted back to the city. He rewarded them with an arcane mechanic trinket.