MTG: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms

Tauzan peers into the entrance, watching as the now light-emitting ball bearing rolls up near the statue. "A very useful skill there," he comments to Walks. "You don't suppose that is the giant those rocks spoke of and something has turned him to stone?"

The Blood Hawk familiar flies towards the entrance of the cave, bends downwards while crossing the mouth of the cavern then remains perched on the head of the giant statue...moving it's beak near the nose of the structure to peck at it.

"I knew that something's wrong with the place, may be the whole place is haunted." 

Marlyth whispers something under her breath while holding the Totem firmly in her grip and examining the chamber frantically.

"Well it is clearly haunted , we fought zombie serpents and a bone monster, remember?" smirks Tabaqui.  "This statue looks a bit too realistic to be a work of art.  I'm fairly certain whatever he saw through that gap was petrifying. Literally."

Looking around you see near the feet of the statue a very large wooden shield that had rotted to bits.  Within the gap in the stone, the scenery looks familiar.  Its the well yiubwere in before from the other side. 

[You and the satue are roughly where that bluish green blonde is]

Marlyth will cast Greater Restoration on the statue of the giant using the charges of the 'Amulet of Restoration' while channeling the restorative effect through her wild companion in order to find out if their suspicion is true regarding the Petrified condition of the structure.

"If all those legends and lore that I heard during my childhood were true, we would be in trouble. I do have a fancy mirror and a herbal remedy in my stock, in case the petrifying entity decides to meet the party."

Angus clears his throat.  "Um, perhaps waking up the giant without knowing if it is friendly or not isn't a fabulous idea."

The restorative power of the magic Marlyrh releases takes immediate effect.  The inert giant's fingers begin to move, then his arms, soon as the natural brown color and softness of flesh return, the giant becomes fully animated. As his mouth returns to life, he shouts "Nooooo!" The giant stands straight and tall as he takes I'm his surroundings.  Looking at the lot of you, his face expresses confusion, then in an instant uderstanding.  "You have saved me from my fate.  Where is Sylvene? And Waltarn and Artura?  Are they safe? Have they sent you?"

The giant's grave tone suggests genuine concern for the welfare of the three he names.

Tauzan listens with interest, but keeps back as he doesn't share the memory of the picture from the tomb.  He is intrigued though that this giant seems to have actually known Sylvene. 

Marlyth observes the gradual transformation of the statue while mentally processing the suggestion offered by Angus, but she's already cast the spell without thinking about the outcome. She decides to let the stranger know about the current state of Sylvene and Waltarn when she finds him worried about their wellbeing:

"Waltarn sent us here, it was his departed spirit that instructed us to take a look at this site. Sylvene's sarcophagus was right beside his own coffin, but it was empty and there's no sign of her ghost. And Artura.."

<Artura's brother sent you.  He left you with the impression that he was unavailable, distant but presumed living.>

The giant's face brightens for a split second at the mention if food, but his serious expression returns the moment he learns that Waltarn has died.

"Waltarn... is gone.  And I wasn't there to save him.  We should have never come here.  And you shouldn't have either.  Why would he send you here?  This place was. It meant to be found.  I learned that the hard way.  It would seem Waltarn did not.  Take my advice: stay out if that well."

The wild companion bird lets out a shrieking noise at the sight of the small piece of ration offered by Calner to the gigantic male, then it leaps forward to snatch away the edible item and uses the gap in the stone to leave the outer chamber.

"No! Get back, Fivepoint!"

Walks looks up and up at the giant, "What is it that worries you here? How did you get turned to stone?"

"The arrows rained from the darkness beyond these stones, No! Don't look in there!  I felt it ad it began.  I knew I was being petrified, but it was too late.  I told them to go on as I held moved these stones to block the exit.  I know not what to call the creature I saw beyond these stones, but I will never forget those glowing green eyes.  The last thing I saw.  I beg you, turn back.  Sylvene took the artifact she came for.  It cost Waltarn his life.  Poor Waltarn.   I remember when they met, so young, so full of life.  And now.  Then back, before the snakes or whatever attacked us brings more death.  We should seal this place and leave it sealed." Hamish begs, leaning on the handle of his massive axe.

Angus introduces himself to the giant.  "We thank you for your concern, friend.  We have already defeated the serpents on the other side of this opening.  We saw nothing there that could fire arrows, nor turn a great warrior such as yourself into stone.  Perhaps whatever it was fled or died long ago.
"We welcome you to join us, however if you are determined to depart, do you have anything that could aid us in our quest?  That axe looks like it might come in handy...."

(Is the axe too large for a medium-sized character to wield effectively?)

"My axe is mine..  What brings you here? You must have heard of the artifact sealed in this vessel.  I would die for Sylvene and Artura and Waltarn, but I wonder if we were wrong.  I know her intent was pure, but why did the ancients seal away this object?  Why did they place these guardians with it?  Perhaps we should not have disturbed it?"

[He's a pretty cut and dry guy.  He's either on board with your exploration of this space or he's really against it.  I suggest you give him a reason to tewat you as allies.  Otherwise, this might take a dark turn.]

Meanwhile, Marlyth attempts to scout the bottom/ceiling of the dark chamber through her familiar's eyes but she finds the task difficult to perform since the Blood Hawk (Hawk) relies on sight for perception.

Hawk: Wisdom(Perception) (10, 8)

"So, Waltarn's spirit told you to come here, but he didn't tell you why? And you say you've been in rhe well, and the snakes are defeated?" Hamish replies, eyeing yiu incredulously.  "How, then are the stones I set in place still standing fast before me?"

<You're here because Waltarn's ghost sent you here.  Ghosts are notoriously unreliable because they are not omniscient and not only have a limited understanding of the events that preceded their demise but seldom know much of what has happened since.  Waltarn actually does know something of how he met his end and more importantly has new knowledge of recent worldly events.  Mainly, that his grandson is close to obtaining the artifact and that he is intentions are malicious.  Knowing something about what is here and that his evil grandson has the artifact from here, he told you to go here. 

What Hamish doesn't know is that Waltarn even has a grandson (he does know of Waltarn and Sylvene having a son, though), much less that he's bent on taking over Faerûn using the stone of creation.  Artura's brother also sent you after Tyreus, so that might carry some weight.  Plus this guy's pretty gullible, so DCs for persuasion or deception are pretty low. 

Its not a puzzle; you can get through to him in a lot of ways, but... he really doesn't want to see anyone get hurt, and that includes the prospect of letting put the things that were sealed within.  He doesn't know there is another opening on the other side: No galeb duhr at rhe time to move things about.  >

<I'm trying to work out what the hawk sees.  The light emitting ball bearing would have fallen up, so if tbe hawk is exploring down where the hole is, it's dark there so he wouldn't see anything and probably ly hits a wall taking 1dy fall damage because I am too familiar with birds to reasonably expect anything less.  Or am I missing another light source?>

Tabaqui drawls, "So here's the deal.  You've been stuck in here a long time.  Sylvene and Waltarn had a son, who grew up and had a son of his own.  Only that grandson of Sylvene's turned out to be a sociopath bent on conquering or destroying the world with the Stone of Creation, which he found here, in this crypt.  That's why the spirit sent us here, to try and find some way of stopping the brat from becoming the dark lord of everything.  Now normally I'm not much of a do-gooder, but I like my world the way it is, and I'm not interested in this Tyreus being in charge of it."

Hamish seems surprised.  "Little Tarin has a son?  He.. It must be decades since I was imprisoned in these lithic bonds.  So, Waltarn knows of his grandson and sent you here.  I don't know kw what he hopes to find here.  Sylvene and I trusted each other to the death.  I dont think she would keep such things from me.  They must have found d something about this place we missed as we fled.  That still doesn't explain how you have already been inside as you claim."

The galeb duhr interject, "Giant," one offers.  "At last you show signs of life.  You were rhe only stone whi h did not speak to us and now, you speak you move.  And yiu have these kindly folk to thank for it.  We did let them in, by way of some stone structure on the other side if rhe hill."

Hamish considers, "the serpent Shrine opens to the well?  So can thise things csn get out?!" He seems alarmed, but still and quiet. 

"No, no.  We know things down there not like the undermoor.  We sealed it up once these folk emerged." The gsleb duhr assures the giant.

"That settles it.  If Sylvene's grandson is the harbinger of doom you. Lair him to be, it is no doubt because waltsrn was not there to guide him.  For that, I am responsible.  If only I had not looked back, as I sealed the entrance.  I will go with you.  Whatever lies beyond this barrier, I must face it.  If you ha e rid the place of snakes, I fear that the guardians have already departed, but if they linger, I must face them with you."

<If you're all ready either Hamish or the galeb duhr can move rhe rocks blocking the way.  FYI, Hamish has 11 hp (significantly less than his hp maximum), so I imagine he looks a bit rough.>

Edit: also, his size is 'huge' so the axe is scaled for that.  From the DMG: "You can rule that a weapon sized for an attacker two or more sizes larger is too big for the creature to use at all." At a minimum it's disadvantage but it does triple dice damage, so the possibility is there, but those are rhe mechanics around it.

Marlyth will set the spider webs on fire when she casts Druidcraft on the flammable strings in order to illuminate the interior of the dark cave. The wild companion has advantage on perception check.

(@Brian_Avery, thanks for the inspiration)