Torsusnsomewhat bemused and somewhat in fear of the potential implications of 'stay longer' would have meant if that were an actual factor to consider, but shakes the thought as it was meant in another context.

He rubs his chin once everyone had said their pieces, and found himself somewhat in shock that the undead madam wouldnoffer to fulfill her side before her payment had been met. But he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth...

"Ah yes, well.. if you insist on keeping your end first, I am more than fine with it. If nothing else, as you... do your tests, myself, or myself and Narz can ponder on what information is revealed if any while we wait and how to proceed so we don't overstay our welcome. I am ready, if there is nothing else?"

He asks, the response to his statement of the goings on in the world telling him that they likely cared little.

Claire is ready.

Narz too appeared momentarily caught off guard, but accepted the Lady's offered to keep her end first with an assuring nod. Although going forward the hobgoblin would appear to ponderous and distracted, but not so much so that he cannot keep pace with the others. But at some point during the journey he would say offhandedly, "May the interrogation yet prove yet more enlightening than the one with those hill giants." 

Very well, Amrath, lead the way please. The dwarf bows and beckons you to follow while the other Lords go about their buisness. Lady Dene accompanies you while Amrath leads you all to the lower levels of the keep, eventually ending in an old storage cellar. In the center of the room is a large stone table that barely contains the corpse of the deceased fire giant atop it. Most of the giants wounds have been cleaned and you can see where parts if its skin and bone have already been harvested. 

Alright dears. Now the spell will only allow for limited communication. You can ask the spirit five questions. It won't be able to answer with any information it didn't know in life. Normally the spirit wouldn't need to comply, but if it tries to avoid answering I'll be sure to coerce it for you. Regardless you may want to discuss what you want to ask and how you wish to word it. Once the spell is over we won't be able to use it again for a temday.

Narz, who had been glaring at the corpse for almost as long as they'd been in the room, took a lengthy moment to say anything at all. But he eventually he mustered a slow nod, and tore his gaze away to for a ye old hero huddle with Claire and Torsus. Although unless the others went out their way to converse in whispers Narz certainly didn't bother with it. "For an obvious first question, we could ask what it was that the fire giants are seeking? ... no, wait.. too vague perhaps? But certainly a question that eludes to it. Another would be any information about their leader or where they could be found at least -- Not that I'm suggest that we seek them out of course, but--" He shrugs. ".... All I ask is that the last question is one reserved for something... personal."

Torsus looked at Narz a little confused..

"If I recall, you were seeking a specific giant, were you not? Perhaps ask it if it knew any likely whereabouts of that one..." He said as a statement, rather than as a question. "The only thing I want to ask it is this: " He said, crossing his arms as he sincerely considers how to word it before falling on... "I want to know how those rods we collected work. So I believe I would show him the rod, and as as such "how does this item function" I don't need to know what it seeks, just how it works. 

The rest I leave to you two." He said, knowing he had another question but for the life if him he couldn't remember what it was.

(Just waiting to see if narz or Claire have other questions)

"Their leader, king, whatever, is a separate entity to the one I personally seek. And ultimately, if it turns out we have more questions than there is room for this, uh... personal question of mines, then I'll abstain." Narz explained, though with a bit of sigh towards the end. "Either way, you raise a fair point. But I still say having at least an idea of what they are after using those can be a boon itself, seeing as whatever it is may not be as obvious in possible use." He small, wicked smile briefly crosses his face. "Although if they wind up volunteering this information in the process of answering yours, that might be well enough a boon... But let's see. We have your question. The location of their king or perhaps a main hub. My own... personal one that can be left towards the end. Do they know or better yet, where was where was it that they last saw Harshnag, since that could be a twofer. And... Hmmm... Claire, do you have any suggestions?"

Claire scratches at her cheek.  "I think you two covered everything.. maybe just asking more about what causing this chain of giant movement, if what we already know isn't enough.  I know I'm not the best at this sort of thing so I'll leave it to you."

(just realized I had missed stuff last night, for some reason on my phone it wasn't updating new posts for like 4 days.)

Torsus thinks for a moment, pondering on these thinking ofnthe best way to word each of them, and amking sure all questions could be answered, though as Narz mentions a personal one for the end means they have 4...

So briefly Torsus reiterates all the questions aloud just to make sure they're clear, then lists the likely best phrasing. (And tobhelp the Dm/players confirm)

1. The rods.

2. Location of their king or capitol/hub.

3. Harshnag.

4. Reason for doing all this

5. Mystery question.

"Well it seems to me that this would be the best way to phrase each, as being too specific may get us too narrow an answer....

1. What all do you know... whether hearsay or fact involving the use, and purpose of these rods? (Showing the rod as we ask)

2. Whatever you call your homes, whether a tribe, a city, or some other word; Where does the leader(s) of the giants live? (Perhaps he will know multiple locations.)

3. Tell us everything you know about a being called Harshnag.

4. What is every reason you know of that have led the giants of all kinds attacking non-giant settlements?"

(If anyone has an issue with wording, just make your own version in your post!"

(Just wanna hear from either Narz or Claire that the above wording is fine and I'll make a post with the results. Narz for your personal question we can do the above 4 first then word your question or you can Include it and ill narrate that as well)

(OOC: They look good, and it sounds good to me. And depending on some answers we can make adjustments and potentially have the 5th question be a follow-up instead.)

(looks good to me!)

Very well, let us begin. Lady Dene begin an encantation and a sickly green glow begins to eminate from the corpse, lifting it slightly off the table and slightly animating it. 

Corpse, hear our questions and provide answers...

Lady Dene repeats the first question.

1) They are the Rod of the Vonindod. They were created for the fire giants, to aid us in searching for parts of the Vonindad. They are meant to search for items of adamantine, such as the Vonindad would have been constructed out of. (Rod has 10 charges regaining 1d6+4 at dawn. A charge can be expended to cast locate object)

2) King Hekaton of the Storm Giants was ruler of our kind. He ruled from Maelstrom, in the Trackless Sea. But the ordinging was smashed. The time of the Storm Giants is at an end. The Fire Giants will rise to the top of the new ordining, under the rulership of Duke Zalto, from the forge under Mount Hamarhaast in the Ice Spire mountains.

3) He is a frost giant. Friendly with the small folk. Never met or seen him, but heard he was somewhere in the Silver Marches. Was told to keep an eye out, but never saw him. Suspected he was further north that me if he was here.

4) The ordining, the divine law that dictates giant society, has been smashed. Our gods have forsaken us. Thrown us into chaos for failing to be true to our nature. The dragons ran wild. A cult nearly succeeded in brining back Tiamat. Our long hated enemies almost brought back a dragon empire, and the small folk stopped it while giant kind stood by and let their enemies run amok. The priests say the all father gave us this chaos as punishment for our complacency. Now the clans scramble for power, to prove they should stand at the top of the new ordinging. To rule all Giants in turn. The stupid hill giants seek food. Our might clan seeks to reforge Vonindad, and set it loose on the dragons. The stone Giants seek to destroy human works which occupy the ancient lands once ruled by Giants. I know not what the frost, storm and cloud are up to. Smallfolk are in the way.

Narz silently mulled over the questions, absentmindedly combing his beard by hand. After a lengthy pause or as long as could be dared without Lady Dene losing the spell or becoming frustrated with the wait, he lets out tired sigh. "This might be a lost cause to ask. But, if his people are ranging as far as they are, I will have my answer to a more personal question answered soon enough." He stated, more to assure himself than anything. "So for a final question I would ask instead what are any of the known locations to dragon lairs that his people are aware of. Preferably adult ones, but..." He shrugs, not rightly caring at that point one way or another, as any known dragon lairs held potential for more leads... or loot.  And perhaps the fire giants were aware of some that even the black network agents the trio sought were unaware of.

Dene relays the question question and the corpse responds.

Old Klauth. Red. Lair, in the spine of the world. Bryn Shander. 

Rumors of a pair of blues far to the east. Desert of Anauroch.

In the Sea of moving Ice. Powerful white. Don't know where exactly it lairs. Frost giants drove off scouts.

Daggerford. Far south. The Happy Cow. Purchased information. A Bronze hides there. Disgused. Zira. 

A green lives in Kryptgarden forest. Drives off all others. Claugiyliamatar, ancient. Powerful. 

The spell ends and the corpse lowers back onto the table. You can ask no more questions. My my I must say, things have gotten interesting in the outside world. Who knew all this would be going on?

(I've a feeling you've been watching mr.rhexx..)

Torsus quickly jots down the bullet points of each answer on paper, borrowing the quill and parchment if need be. Though by the end of it, he waited to see just what sort of question Narz would ask.

It was far from what he expected... though Torsus didn't know any of these dragons, their name seemed to indicate power.

Noting their names and locations, before pulling out the rod he possessed. Eager to test it... if possible.

He'd spent quite a bit of time without passively if nothing else, and he tried to will the item into activation...

Failing that, he would inspect the rod more thoroughly to see if somehow, he could get it to function...

Arcana: 5

Trying one more time before responding to Lady Denes comment.

"The world is ever changing. I have lived nearly a century and entire towns are differen." He says, before an idea strikes him...

"I fully understand why your village keeps to itself, considering your... not condition... but state... However an idea has just struck me.

You are a pursuer of the arcane and alchemy, but many like us seek knowledge of other topics as well.

Remember the boy whom the others caught fleeing? Perhaps you could come to an arrangement with him?

You wish him to Smith for the village, yes? There are always new techniques that are better than those that came before, and pardon me for saying, but if you rely entirely on the same.methods forever... eventually they will fail or fall behind.

Perhaps you could make a deal with him. Allow him to leave, seek out techniques in the world. To better your own community, and in turn he also brings news of the world to you, which would allow your toen, to n improve beyond what it already is in greatness ....

Perhaps he cod even bring new spells or alchemy to you, as the condition for him is to come back in time.

He will get the freedom he wants, you will gain knowledge, and both parties benefit. Do you perhaps like the idea?"

He asks, honest and genuine.

Persuasion if needed:

7

A small frown touched the corner of Narz' lips at Torsus suggestion to Lady Dene. However, he wouldn't admonish the Tortle or even put forth a counter argument. As he himself after but a few moments more of thought looked a bit conflicted  in reflecting on it. So much so, in fact, that even the part of him that agreed with bettering their potential allies couldn't find strength enough to assist in negotiations. So, he busied himself instead in taking his own notes, but while also occasionally glancing over the rim of his book to study the noble undead's reaction. 

Come what may of that however, the time eventually came to put away his book and says, "I don't know if the other gentlemen truly enjoyed hunting giants, as I wasn't there for the initial meeting. But, if you could spare the time to search your lands for these adamantine deposits and such, or at least the town itself, might not be a bad idea to relocate them elsewhere on the off chance one or two giants slip past while ya'll are out and make a mess of things... though that's assuming of course ya have your own rod. Though, that's probably safe to assume of course given your previous intruder." He gestures over to the giant's remains. 

Claire pulls at her tunic while Torsus makes his suggestion to Lady Dene.  After she answers, and any subsequent discussion ensues, Claire will indicate that she is ready for the experimental stuff.