We have arrived in Triboar and found it to be a bit smaller than I had last heard that it was. In Silverymoon it is noted as a major settlement in the region and the maps we have on archive showed a small town of close to a thousand people with many inns and taverns and an extensive graveyard tended by a temple to Kelemvor. Instead we have found a few houses and only one inn and one tavern a piece. It is rather as if someone has taken a village or even a hamlet and spread tales of how it was a full town. In any case, there was little more than a shrine to Kelemvor so we remain in possession of the knucklebones and skull fragments much to my disquiet.
Gwenfys reported to speak to Alaestra Ulgar and report the death of her estranged husband. I understand the dwarf bore up the report with the stoicism typical of their people but I myself was not present so I cannot speak to the details.
After finding a distinct lack of a Kelemvorite temple, I reported to the Lord Protector of the town a bit more extensively than we had on arrival. I learned that there had been something of an assassination attempt on a mage on the periphery of town, one Meister Carlstag. The name rang a bell from my time in the court of Suzail. There was a mage who aided in the destruction of some sort of extraplanar mechanical beast somewhere near the Inner Sea some years back. I thought about proceeding to ask him about his issues but had found that Gwenfys and Filia had already made that venture. Unfortunately, Filia's typical manner had put off the mage and ended the conversation. We made some cursory attempt to track the criminals from where they fled and had murdered a local stablehand, but it had been many days and even Gwenfys amazing skills could find now trace.
Oddly, it was Tarnish who had the most luck of us in discovering useful information. Apparently there are hill giants in the regions surrounding Triboar, something relatively new to region which had been having some trouble with some odd cults of late. We were planning an expedition into the hills to investigate these reports, and had engaged a guide for that purpose. However we were interrupted in our plans.
Reports had come about an orc raid somewhere to the south and the Twelve had been dispatched to deal with it. The Lord Protector, Daratha Shendrel, asked us to hold in reserve in case something occurred while the Twelve were out of the town. Much as I desired to face the orcs in battle again, the need was clear and I put forth the request to my traveling companions such that we made ourselves ready. It was fortunate that we did so as we very soon found ourselves facing a small raiding party of orcs and small fiery entities all led by massive red-haired figures with coal black skin. Giants, certainly.
The massive creatures shrugged off Filia's arcane fires as if they were nothing, though the concentrated fire of Gwenfys and Tarnish certainly did attract their attention. They were both nearly killed in the mess that the giants' boulders made of the tower, though Gwenfys was able to stay on her feet and use her divine gifts to get Tarnish back on hers. Filia and I for the most part turned our attention to the various creatures moving out ahead of the giants, though I made time for calling out shots of opportunity for the ranger.
Between us and the remaining townsfolk, including some retired adventurers, we were able to drive off the giants and destroy their minions. For that matter, Tarnish pushed on out of view to strike the killing blow upon the giant we had focused most of our attention on. We found her after the battle lying unconscious next to the dead giant with a rather more bestial aspect to her body than normal. When we awakened her and called attention to the talons of her hands she reacted in a near panic and fled to the nearest tavern as is her wont.
I now wonder what drives her drinking. There is clearly something about her condition that seems a bit out of the usual even for the dragonborn.
The fallen giant had an item, a dowsing rod by the looks of things, that they were following. It led us to a particular spot and, upon some digging, we discovered a massive piece of adamantite. It was quite clearly a fragment of some sort of construct but I had never heard of anything so massive during my time in the corridors of learning or from my more arcane directed parents. However, the town did have someone present who might have more expertise regarding constructs than any of us.
Meister Carlstg was every bit as arrogant as Filia can sometimes be, but without any of the redeeming characteristics the planetouched woman has. For instance, Filia never hesitates to contribute to the defense of others, at least not as far as I've yet seen, while this magus simply remained in his tower unconcerned while the giants attacked. Still, he was predictable and could easily enough be handled when you were willing to appeal to his ego. It was uncomfortably similar to that lengthy posting in Silverymoon's Suzail embassy and having to play the games of etiquette day in and day out.
Regardless, the Meister had much to tell us. According to him, this massive piece of adamantite was a fragment of a construct made by giants during the days of their war with the dragons. If his descriptions are correct then it is more massive than any golem or construct since attempted. And it is thus apparent that these rogue giants are seeking to reactivate it somehow.
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