Monster Profile #13: The Fire Giant

[Martok]

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From the personal journal of Azalai Korias, Elven Wizard

28 Dravago, 998:

Many of the locations we explore are inhospitable at best. Ancient treasures are found in volcanic areas with surprising frequency, making lava and flame common occupational hazards of adventurers. Such areas of intense heat attract fiery outsiders, though these caverns are often also occupied by fire giants that force the lesser creatures into servitude.

Today’s expedition led us to one such cave. The scent of brimstone tainted the heated air that rushed past us, and ash crunched beneath our feet as we entered the basalt cavern. A small trickle of water bubbled down the sloping passage, and we progressed slowly and carefully downward – one slip here could be disastrous. The vent widened as it connected to the main chamber, with a narrow ledge precariously wrapping about the chamber, leading down to the main floor. Pools of bubbling magma were visible, and a trio of fire mephits frolicked in the liquid rock while a fire elemental looked on the proceedings impassively.

Zarn stumbled over an outcropping of stone, sending a cascade of pebbles down to the floor below. The mephits looked up at the noise, shrieked, and one summoned another of its kind from Fernia. Kleija peppered a mephit with arrows as another fled to alert its master. Zarn and Senna leapt down from the ledge, landing awkwardly but relatively safely. I cast an Ice Storm at the elemental, and Khovis continued down the ramp.

The remaining mephits fell quickly as combat continued, then a deep roar echoed from the side room the mephit escaped to. The master of the caverns had been alerted.

Fire giants are roughly twice the height of a human male, weigh about 7000 pounds, and are proportioned like an enormous dwarf. They are, as expected, immune to fire, but vulnerable to cold. The giant that approached us carried a large scimitar and wore tarnished half-plate armor, and raised a hand to the air, calling for the favor of a dark god.

It is rare that Khovis leaps into the front lines, but it seems that our stout cleric of Onatar bears an understandable dislike for evil clerics of flame. Watching a dwarf fight a giant is an interesting sight – the dwarves are trained to combat larger foes and dodge about the blows of their larger cousins with surprising ease. Zarn brought his greataxe down, sundering the giant’s armor, giving Khovis the opportunity to deal a grievous blow to his opponent with his holy warhammer. I was left to deal with the elemental, but had an excellent view of the battle from the ledge.

A fire giant does not fall easily. The giant shook the earth with a mighty stomp, sending Zarn stumbling back, but Khovis braced for the attack and stood his ground. Senna strode in to flank the giant, slashing at the behemoth’s tough hide. It finally dropped to a storm of arrows from the halfling. Clutching its side, the giant died, laughing madly between curses.

Within the giant’s pouch we found a curious stone statue, half the size of Kleija. The statue radiates powerful conjuration magic, and I absolutely cannot wait for a chance to discover its purpose.