Grymar claps Berkarak on the shoulder, laughing and cackling.  “Thas it!  Weeeee, that has a kick, don’t it!  Stronger than a mule hittin you in the backside!  Welp, thas good enough for me good sir, welcome aboard!  If you can hannle that, you can hannle goblins or crabs or giants or whatever comes at us.  Grymar’s my name, and beez are my game heh!”  He leans in close to his pouch, “Izznt that righ?  Yahhhh you know, don’cha?”  He sits up on the chair straight with difficulty and smiles a crooked smile.

Berkarak - Randur nods and salutes his thanks before turning to speak with another patron on his other side.

Grymar - Blarnie nods and says, "Yup, still got plenty left. Yer 'bout the only feller 'round here can swaller it, most cain't even take the smell." He turns and finds a peculiarly shaped bottle that resembles its namesake and pours a few glasses. As he does this you hear a voice call out, "Wait, did you say goat scrotum ale?" Jahia steps over, obvious interest in her expression, "I haven't had a goat scrote in years! Did some mercenary work up in Saltmarsh a while back, and those salty buggers thought they'd make me flinch by pouring me a round. Heh, my eyes did water a bit but I didn't flinch! Good stuff, works wonders for shining up your armor too! Pour me one while you're at it Blarnie!"

At that moment, Lehmani approaches, taking a seat beside the dwarven ranger. "I have something for you, friend Grymar..." She pulls out a small glass honeybee figure. "It isn't much, but I thought it might provide you some amusement."

As she sets the figure on the bar, she notices the half-orc sitting beside him. She gives the fellow a polite nod of greeting, then eyes the drinks in front of him and Grymar. Finally ready to imbibe, she sits up straight and drums her fingers on the bar. "So... what are we drinking?"

“Thas right Jahia, it’s good for what ails ya!”  He turns to Lehmani, clapping her on the shoulder as well.  His eyes widen when he sees the glass honeybee and a grin from ear to ear comes on his face.  “Well now, would ye look at that!  That’s mighty kind of ye!”  He picks it up, ever so gently, and puts it into the pouch with the other bees.  He starts speaking into the pouch, “Now bee kind to the new un, don’t you bee mean to im!  Teach him the bee ropes, yeah?”   He gives a good laugh, looks at Berkarak and gives him a wink.  Then he turns back to Lehmani.

”We’re drinking Goat Scrotum Ale, lass.  Will make you hearty and clean out your goozle.  Make you breathe fire if you have too much.  Makes ya feel like you could conquer two giants in a day!  Hey Blarn!  Pour her a glass, will ya?  For the victors!”  He puts his glass down for a refill and he takes another good swig.  

Lehmani smiles. "Yes, well... I suppose my goozle could use a good polishing after a day like today. Goat scrote it is!" She nods at the bartender when she takes her drink and lifts it. "For the victors." Following her short toast, she throws back the glass, draining it in one hearty sustained chug. Upon finishing the drink, she lets out a long, loud belch after which, she dabs at her lips with her sleeve in a genteel fashion.

"Oh dear," She says. "No fire yet. Perhaps I haven't had an adequate amount yet. Blarn!" She signals to the bartender, indicating for another drink. As she waits her eyes turn to the lockbox at Gymar's side. "Find anything worthwhile, friend Grymar?"

He turns to the lockbox and opens it again, when Lehmani mentions it.  “Yeah, somethin you might be interested in here.  Let’s look at it together.”  He pulls out the pieces of the sword, setting them on the counter.  Then he pulls out the letter, with the cog seal.  “Isn’t this like the shape that appeared over me, when you protected me from that big crabbie?”  He shows it to her, encouraging her to open it if she wishes.  

Lehmani - The wax seal on the letter does indeed bear the mark of Gond and, glancing at the sword hilt, you see that despite being broken it appears to be of fine craftsmanship. Breaking the seal on the letter, you open it to find correspondence from a temple of Gond to another Cleric also in His service, though both temple and Cleric are unfamiliar to you. The temple tells the following tale about a master smith named Durgeddin:

Durgeddin was a master smith who forged blades of surpassing quality and power. Centuries ago, his home was sacked by orcs. Durgeddin led the remnants of his clan to the mountains north of the town of Blasingdell and established a small, secret stronghold somewhere in the trackless wilderness.

From his hidden redoubt, he waged a decades-long vendetta against all orc-kind, until his enemies discovered his fortress and attacked it after a long siege. Durgeddin and his followers perished, and much wealth was carried away by the conquering hordes. But it’s said that the deepest and best-hidden vaults and armories escaped the looting, and that some of Durgeddin’s extraordinary blades still wait in the darkness for a hand bold enough to claim one.

It appears the temple was urging this Cleric to find these swords and claim them in Gond's name. As you read, you begin to feel a bit light-headed. Your vision begins to get a bit fuzzy, the lights in the room beginning to appear as though viewed through rain-lashed windows. You initially chalk it up to the Goat Scrotum ale, but it gets worse, and as you finish the letter the room suddenly spins and you fall into darkness...

You fall, spin, hurtle though darkness absolute for an indeterminate amount of time. Eventually you see a spark in the darkness. The spark grows and you realize you are flying toward it. The light resolves into a massive glowing symbol of Gond. The symbol dwarfs you even though you sense you are still a great distance away from it. The light emitting from the cog pulses, again, faster until it shines blindingly bright. Your eyelids do nothing to block the light, neither do your clothes, nor your skin. The light shines though every bit of your being until your awareness is nothing but pure radiance. The sensation fades and as your eyes adjust you see a landscape below you as though you're hovering above it. You recognize a section of the Spine of the World, far to the northwest of Frickley. A particular peak of the mountain range stands out to you, resembling a stone tooth jutting up from the rest. You sense Gond wishes you to seek out this place and recover the lost blades within. Your stomach suddenly drops and you feel as though you're falling again, though the landscape below has disappeared, leaving only darkness again. With a gasp, you suddenly find yourself back in your body, in Pello's taproom, in Frickley. Please make a DC 12 DEX Save to see if you can keep your seat with this sudden jarring return to your body.

Lehmani crashes to the ground, the glass arrowhead she made for Zubien shattering on the ground when she lands. She seems lost for a moment as her senses start to return. "My Lord... Spine of the World....  Stone tooth peak... The blades, My Lord... The blades... Your will is mine... Your will is mine..." is all she seems able to say for a long moment.

Grymar loses all hint of buzzzz, instantly dropping to the ground and ignoring everyone else in the room.  He lifts her head up and checks for blood at the back, looking for any injury.  “Wha happened!?!  Whatyre sayin lass?  What got intoya?  Spine o the world, tooth peak, whaddya mean?”

Medicine check : 14 

Grymar - Lehmani seems physically fine from her sudden collapse, and you see no obvious injuries. Whatever she's experiencing reminds you of the religious experiences reported by a fellow you once knew that regularly partook in psilocybin mushrooms. The fact that he claimed to worship the turtle that the world rests upon did nothing to diminish to you the obvious, world-view altering effects of his vision.

Quote from Dylanthalas >>

Berkarak - After you receive your ale you catch the attention of the person seated next to you, a tall red haired man by the name of Randur. "I admit, I don't quite remember their names, but I can point them out to you." He indicates a scruffy looking dwarf that you see looking into a pouch on the table in front of him and speaking at whatever is inside. The dwarf suddenly begins laughing then quaffs his drink. He notices you and raises his glass in salute. Randur next points to a tiefling woman sitting aside from the more raucous patrons. She appears to be leading those around her in a prayer of sorts. Randur Also points to a human man in simple clothes, though of a different style than the farmers and hunters around him. "There was another one but I guess she took off already. Anyhow, they're good people. Saved my family and I from some goblins on the road and then escorted us here to Frickley before they took out the giant that was threatening the town. If you're looking for the adventuring sort, I think you'll find no better 'round here." Lastly, Randur points to a middle-aged half elven woman in the middle of telling some story. A good number of people are listening to her speak and when she comes to a climax you see them cheering and clapping. The woman wears a medallion around her neck that rests between her graying blonde tresses. "That one I do remember, her name is Jahia Giantslayer. A bit of a local legend around here. Not many people can say they've fought a giant and lived to tell the tale, let alone two."

Grymar - Using your dagger, you're able to pry open the lock box. Inside you find not coins, but a piece of a broken sword. The handle and crossguard are there, but the blade is broken off after a few inches. You see a maker's mark on the bit of blade that remains, it appears to be a heron. A folded piece of parchment accompanies the broken sword. The parchment looks to be a letter, sealed with a thick daub of wax. A symbol is pressed into the wax, resembling a cog with four spokes. Before you can open it, you're interrupted by the sound of Pello tossing a fat sack of coin onto the table "I know you all didn't ask for one, but I think you deserve a reward for all you've done. Frickley is truly indebted to you and it's the least we could do." Inside the sack you find 50gp.

Zubien - Pello also hands you a sack of 50gp. The farmers and hunters reciprocate your praise and thank you for your help in coordinating the attack on the giant.

Lehmani - You get a sack of 50gp from Pello as well. The children and more than a few adults are enraptured by your work, some even offering to buy the trinkets here and now. You find Jahia amid a crowd of folks laughing, jesting, and swapping stories. When she sees you she stands and returns the embrace. When you release, you see there are tears in her eyes that she wipes away with the backs of her hands, "Thank you. For your kind words and for helping me find myself again. I think I'll stick around Frickley a while." You see her glance over to where Jahner is sitting, "Nothing quite like coming home after a long time away." She squeezes your hand and returns to her seat.

 Zubien bows in acceptance of the coin. 

Berkarak starts at the tiefling's sudden fall. He stands by to help the dwarf if he can, a look of concern and curiosity on his face. He holds his arms out wider, trying to hold a larger space in the tavern to give the dwarf and tiefling space and air.

“Sjus like that feller with the tattoo on his head, talking about a lion turtle, moving an island, movin the world!  Course he was baked with mushrooms, the tea from a tree bark that is no foolin matter and whoknowswhatelse!   Never knew what happened to him, anyway…”  Grymar makes space for her on the floor, letting her recover on her own timeframe.  “Blarn!  I’m gonna need another un.”  He looks up in a frenzy at the rest of you, “Anyone else gottanidear?  Join me?”  He raises his mug, for all the good it will do, to settle his nerves.

After a moment, Lehmani's senses return to her. She sits up in a start, bracing herself against the barstool, taking a moment to look at the half orc looming above her, handling crowd control. "Thank you, stranger." She says as she climbs to her feet and straightens her clothing. "Protecting the dignity of another is a small act, but a great kindness." She offers him a chagrined smile. "I'm afraid I'm very much in your debt."

She then turns her attention to her dwarven companion and sees him accepting another drink from Blarn.

"Grymar..." She says. "Something just happened. I need your friendship and I need your aid..." 

Her eyes focus on the ale he's sipping... "And I might need another drink."

Over the next few minutes, she recounts her vision in its entirety, speaking passionately but matter-of-factly

"You've known me only a short while, but I think you understand that I'm not the type to chase random flight of fancy. My god is a builder. A maker. The divine forces I wield have their roots in the material world... Which makes this... vision... or whatever it was that much more distressing. It cut me to the core. As mad as it sounds, I think need to follow the path it set before me... If I do... Will you walk with me?"  She take a deep, calming breath and looks to Grymar in earnest hope.

Berkarak reached to help the tiefling to her feet and only nodded sheepishly to her gratitude. He couldn't help but eavesdrop on the tiefling's narrative.

The usually friendly, gregarious face of Berkarak is replaced by a look of stern confusion, anxiety, and resolution. He doesn't wait for a gap in conversation or an invitation to speak.

"I, Berkarak, have never been one to concern myself with the gods, though I have seen them work wonders for those that do. I've seen worshippers of all kinds perform magics and healings, some that have saved my very life or those of my brethren. But for me," he trails off in thought.

"But my wife," he continues, "Calico," his face loses the confusion and anxiety, and is now just stern and resolute, "when she was still well, she would occasionally kneel to a makeshift altar of a god. She was a builder. She liked to give me credit but it was her plans and skills that built our library. She was a builder. She knelt, when she was well, she knelt to Gond."

Here, Berkarak kneels beside the tiefling to speak to her face-to-face. "I left my town to find fellow adventurers and a mission, told to expect a 'sign,' but with little hope or expectation of finding one. Yet I happen into Yarter on this night of celebration and hear your narrative of a vision from the god to whom my wife knelt. Hero tiefling, worshipper of Gond, you and your friends," here he looks to the dwarf and smiles sheepishly again, "please, let me join your band on your journeys."

Zubien comes over, concerned with what appeared to be a feinting spell.  "Lehmani, is there anything I can do for you, are you ok?" he asked, concerned over her wellbeing. 

Grymar nods to Lehmani, saying very seriously “Aye.  I will.  I will walk with youuns on this path, sounds like we have more work to do.  My pappy didn’t raise an idiot, (he did think I was daft about my bees, but that’s another tale), when you see and hear of such a sign, you gotta pay attention.  Thas for certain and true.  You can count me in.”  Grymar stops and looks up at Zubien, Berkarak, giving them each a single nod, and when Berkarak speaks, he says “Aye lad, you proved your mettle with yon goat scrotum to me.  Join us.”  He holds up his mug, “To the … To the - Giantsbane?”  He says the last with an upturned note as he ends it, looking around at the others to see if the name will stick.  

Lehmani's expression is someone equivocal, but she nods and smiles in acceptance of that name. "It's certainly accurate."

She then turns then to Zubien. "Yes, I'm fine now friend, but we have much to catch up on."

Finally, she looks to Berkarak, studying his features to get a read...  "You have known love and loss and the forge-heated warmth of My Lord's presence... I don't know whether fate brought us together or not, but I would gladly have you at our side as we walk this path." She bows her head respectfully. "I am Lehmani, Seeker Postulate in the Church of Gond. I'm honored to meet you. I trust we learn much about one and other in the coming journey." She offers him a warm smile then excused herself to move to Zubien, updating the monk about Grymar's discovery and the vision it inspired.

At the earliest reasonable time, she'll want to retire from the celebration to sit in silent prayer, plan the journey ahead and get some much needed rest.

Quote from MAOShea >>

Lehmani's expression is someone equivocal, but she nods and smiles in acceptance of that name. "It's certainly accurate."

She then turns then to Zubien. "Yes, I'm fine now friend, but we have much to catch up on."

Finally, she looks to Berkarak, studying his features to get a read...  "You have known love and loss and the forge-heated warmth of My Lord's presence... I don't know whether fate brought us together or not, but I would gladly have you at our side as we walk this path." She bows her head respectfully. "I am Lehmani, Seeker Postulate in the Church of Gond. I'm honored to meet you. I trust we learn much about one and other in the coming journey." She offers him a warm smile then excused herself to move to Zubien, updating the monk about Grymar's discovery and the vision it inspired.

At the earliest reasonable time, she'll want to retire from the celebration to sit in silent prayer, plan the journey ahead and get some much needed rest.

 Zubien thanks for the update. "I am at your service and will help if needed."

All - Many of the townsfolk show concern for Lehmani but respect the need for space as Berkarak maintains a perimeter. Once she has recovered, the night continues on as it had before, with much drink and merriment, most chalking up her fainting spell to the libations at hand. You all spend the night doing whatever you so choose and come morning Pello has managed to rustle up a rather decent breakfast for you. After making sure everyone has been served he sets three medallions on the table and slides them to Lehmani, Grymar, and Zubien. They're roughly palm-sized and made of a dark heavy metal. A dwarven rune is etched into their surface. "It says Giantslayer. Got the idea from the one Jahia wears. Made 'em out of what's left of ol' Don Jere's plow. I figured it was appropriate." Pello then sits down and says, "Well, now that they've saved Frickley, where are the Giantsbane headed next?" He shoots a wink and a smile at Grymar, "That one really stuck didn't it? They'll be saying it in Neverwinter by noon I bet."