The owner of the head looks at Marrin.

"Dagg not get tricked. No horsey rider trick Dagg," the head says. "Just buried. Get Dagg out. Or Dagg smash."

He's trying to sound tough, but it's hard to do when he also seems on the edge of tears.

Marrin leans forward on her horse and responds, trying to keep the amusement from her voice,

"Sounds like like Dagg got buried by a horsy rider."

She straighten and asks,

"Dagg, why would a horsy rider want to bury Dagg? Was it something smashing related?"

Dagg looks surprised at Marrin seeming to see so easily through his deception.

"Riders bad. Always say bad about Dagg. Dagg not kill horse," Dagg says, his voice rising to a near hysterical level. "Dagg find horse dead. Not help taste so good."

As Dagg's voice rises, Soren turns, looking out over the horizon in all directions.

"This is something the Qu'encesta would do for their own amusement," Soren says. He pauses and sighs. "If they're still near by, this may bring them back"

Insight on Dagg finding dead horse: 15

Marrin glances over at Soren and half whispers,

"Things must get very, very boring out here if this counts as entertainment."

Marrin suspects there may be some truth to what Dagg is saying about the state of the horse in question. It might just have been dead when he found it.

In a quiet voice she'll say to her companions,

"While I suspect that Dagg is telling the truth about his most recent horsy meal, I doubt it will matter to the Qu'encesta."

She'll glance back at Dagg,

"And we already know that Dagg can't lie to save his life, literally. We help him out, they'll know it was us."

"How did they even accomplish this?" Ethel wonders aloud.  "He's so large.  How did they hold him still long enough to bury him?"

To Soren and Marrin's points, Ethel frowns.  "If these Qu'encesta are active on these plains and are as cruel as this jape suggests, then the chances are excellent we will come to cross-purposes with them before this trip is over.  Whether we aid the gargantuan or not."

"And if we do aid him," she continues, "then perhaps he could be an ally against them when the time comes."

"... Or a large and noisy distraction."

Jan, after finding the fox doing fox things, dismisses it from her mind. She'll send K down to probe the soil and determine if and how the big fellow might be freed.

Avaria finds Marrin's quip about damsels in distress very funny and hard to not laugh at the large head in question.  As they learn more about the situation, "These Qu'encesta must be tough and cruel to do this.  But you're right, an ally would be good."

Down to the talking head, "Tell us, how were they able to bury you in the sand.  It might help us figure out how to get you out."

To Ethel's last comment Martin contributes ,

"Or a big noisy trouble attractor."

She'll then see how the Dagg disinterment goes.

“Dagg not drink all whisky barrel. Dagg not get chased. Dagg not fall in hole. Dagg just walking then Dagg stuck in dirt.” Dagg says.

K’ seems much more excited about this mission versus some of the ones Jan has sent him on. This was more like it; dirt, rock, sand. Jan gets a lot of excited images back about the different kinds of soil in the hole and something about the hard pack underneath. Eventually, getting K’ to slow down reveals that Dagg likely just can’t get any leverage to get himself out. There’s an enormous amount of dirt in the hole but Dagg’s big enough to get out if he can just get a bit of wriggle room or help.

Marrin nods along with Dagg and then says to Soren,

"Okay, I take it back. This is better than most comedians put together."

Marrin, interested to learn more about Dagg asks,

"So, Dagg...You have a family? Little Dagglets?"

"Dagg not little. Don't say Dagg little. Dagg smash best," Dagg says but then thinks about the question about family. He thinks for a very long time and scrunches his eyes together before finally adding. "Dagg have big family. All family of Strong Lodd."

He nods his head over in the general directions of the mountains to the west, northwest.

"Get Dagg out. Dagg want out. Dagg want out now."

"I... have no spells for this," Ethel offers.  

She looks to Geffroi and Hammerdasher.  "Once again, fate has called on the noblest and strongest of us to save the day.  Your damsel awaits," she says, gesturing broadly toward the brute.  "Best help him out before the riders return."

"K has... a lot to say about the soil and rock here, but to spare you all and summarize it, Dagg just needs a bit of the right leverage to be able to get positioned around to where he ought to be able to get out.", Jan shares.

Feeling bad for the big guy, Avaria needs no more push to attempt to help him.  She pulls out her rope and drops it to him.  Hopefully giving him just enough leverage to take some of his weight off the sinking area that he can put his feet where they need to go, she looks at Hammerdasher, "Any help from you would also be appreciated!" she says through gritted teeth. 

Dagg looks at the proffered rope but has no idea what to do with it. His entire body except his head is buried under dirt and sand

"Dagg bite rope?" Dagg asks

Hammerdasher eyes the situation for a moment and nods.

"You know what, ladd? I think that's exactly what you need to do," Hammerdasher says to Dagg.

Hammerdasher places the rope so that Dagg can chomp down on it, which he does immediately. Hammerdasher then quickly begins digging with his hands, exposing Dagg's very massive shoulders.

"I think if we can get him up just a little we can get the rope under his arms and he'll be out easily," Hammerdasher says to Avaria. "But we need to pull hard to make that happen."

Ula climbs down from her pony and places a hand on Avaria's shoulder. The shifter immediately feels warm energy flow into her arms as Ula provides her with Guidance. She then settles in behind Avaria, her own heavily muscled arms flexing as she grabs hold of the rope to help Avaria pull.

"Now don't let go," Hammerdasher says to Dagg.

Geffroi moves over to be next to Ethel. He lowers his voice to a whisper.

"You know he's a hill giant, right?" Geffroi asks Ethel. "They're known to be violent and thuggish."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Athletics check from Avaria if she's pulling w/ advantage from Ula's help, plus d4 from Guidance - DC20

Ava smiles as Hammerdasher helps the hill giant put the rope into Dagg's mouth.  Once set, she starts pulling with Ula.

Unfortunately, her feet slip and even with her friend's help and guidance, she's only able to give 16.

Athletics w/adv: 15 + 1 guidance

Dagg starts to wriggle and his shoulders become more visible and his eyes grow wider. But then as Avaria loses her footing, he slips back into the dirt, though not all the way.

"Again, Avaria," Hammerdasher says then looks at Dagg. "Keep holding on."

Ula taps Avaria's shoulder again, and once more magical energy flows.

"We need to get going," Soren says. He's had limited interest in helping Dagg and has been watching the horizon. He points to the east. "Riders are coming."

The group probably have time for one more try if they want to be either on the move or ready for when the riders arrive.

The groups own horses neigh and paw the ground impatiently.

Avaria looks to the East where Soren is pointing and nods to Hammerdasher's comment.  She regrips the rope in her hands and tries to find better footing, then she pulls

Unfortunately, there is no good footing it appears as her feet start to slip again.

Athletics w/adv: 16

But then out of nowhere, her foot finds a solid rock under the almost gravel like top soil and she holds.  She would swear it was Ula's doing.

Guidance: 4!

JUST made it!