Oak looks at the freed slave confused. He hunkers down with them near the slave and the goblin. He says to the slave in common, “You’re free, why don’t you run? You need this one’s hand?? I can lop that off too if you want to take it with you?”.

He waits to see what the slave says about that, but as it dawns on him, he also says, “Damn it... the collar, how do we release it?”.

((he’ll cut through the goblin’s forearm near the wrist if the slave wants him to. Any checks needed?))

The slave shakes his head frantically and begins to count down from five one one hand. The more numbers he counts down, the more he begins to quiver in fear. When he reaches one, the collar blazes and releases intense heat and light. He screams and writhes as he claws frantically at the collar. You can see the collar is glowing a cherry red and is quickly approaching white. You smell burning flesh as his hands and neck blister and blacks from the heat. He soon stops writhing as pain drives him into unconsciousness. The dollar begins to cool, and you see his whole neck is blackened and charred. Smoke rises from his flesh, and you can barely hear his breath struggling its way through a ravished throat. You can tell he is barely clinging to life.

Caelynn fires another glowing arrow, silently hoping that her friends are successful but not willing to take her eyes off the giant. If it’s getting too close to her (within 30 feet or so) she’ll back up and try to find another perch.

Attack: 23 Damage: 10 magical piercing + 1 psychic

(Is the giant mostly staying in place or is it moving closer to the slave pen? If she glances around quickly, does it seem like anyone has noticed her?)

Oak kneels near the slave, everything dawning on him as the slave counts down and then he just stares as one of the most horrific things he’s ever seen unfolds before his vary eyes, made all the worse since it was his own doing...

He stares at the slave for too long before he realises they’re not entirely dead. He thinks that’s maybe even worse. His army training kicks in, he feels for a pulse he tries to stabilise the slave... ((can he attempt a medicine check to stabilise?))

Medicine check: 11 

Trill tries to see if there is anything she can tell about the collars.

Arcana: 7

Aimon looks at the glowing collars and then looks around for some sort of control stone or anything that might deactivate them or a simple key.

(Perception 21 )

Oak, you manage to stabilize the man. He isn't in danger of immediate death, but you aren't sure about the long haul.

Trill, you aren't familiar with this kind of magic. All you gather is that they produce heat.

Aimon, you doing fine anything of the kind. The slaves sadly and silently watch you search.

Caelynn, you shoot another glowing arrow that sinks deeply into its flesh. The two guards swing their faces at the giant, and you can see the flesh around where they strike vaporize and become black and crispy. It howls in pain before it charges past them into the stalls, screaming insanely. The guards give pursuit, and you can see other patrols closing in.

(Is it moving towards us or away from us?)

Quote from ArtymisMoon >>

(Is it moving towards us or away from us?)

 It approached, but moved past and ignored you. It is fleeing the the crowded vendor stall section.

Seeing that the immediate danger has passed, Caelynn hops down and looks for her friends, but keeps her bow on hand in case the giant decides to return. She spots Oak first, kneeling over the bodies of the decapitated goblin and his slave. Heading over to them, she notices the charred flesh around the glowing, rune-engraved collar and puts two and two together fairly quickly - something must have caused it to activate. She crouches beside them, preparing to cast a spell, then hesitates.

”If I heal you, will that make the collar burn you again?” She asks the slave, voice low.

As Caelynn turns up, Oak admits, “m’Lady, I just... the goblin... I didn’t know that he... that it would.... ...”. He looks at her with the slave, wanting her to do something, but not wanting anyone to make it worse.

With Caelynn focusing on the injured slave, Oak stows his axe and draws his shortbow. He stands up slowly, rising up out of the frantic crowd, to survey the battlefield...

He sees the giant, engaged with a number of small- and enlarged- duregar guards. He sees Aimon and Trill, some ways away, by the slave pen. And he sees the general commotion.

He nocks an arrow and scans the scene down the length of the arrow-shaft. Firstly, he will look out for anyone dangerous-looking near any of the party? And secondly, he will be on the look out for any of the slave market people: the slave-guards, the lackies, the auctioneer, anyone majorly involved.

Perception check (if needed): 8 (passive 13)

Caelynn, the man is unconscious. Oak saved him from immediate death, but he is going to be it for a while.

At the moment, no one is watching the group. They are all preoccupied with the rampaging giants.

Oak relaxes his bowstring, and stows his bow. Can he see the blacksmiths and are there any shields on view? Is the blacksmith around? How far away is the smiths?

Oak says to Caelynn, “Have you ever seen anything like these collars before? Are they magical?... We need away to deactivate them somehow, or get them off without hurting anyone”.

“I don’t know...” Caelynn examines the runes on the collar, trying to figure out any specifics on when they activate or how to remove them.

Arcana: 14

Unless she realizes that doing so will cause the collar to activate again, Caelynn gently places her hands on the slave’s neck, careful not to touch the collar. “I’m going to try a healing spell. Hopefully that won’t make anything worse.”

Cure wounds for 8

Aimon looks over at Trill, a look of helplessness on his face.

"I don't think there's anyway for us to release these people. We just don't know enough about how everything works here. We need more time to observe how the slave traders transfer control to a buyer."

He gestures around at the chaos the giant is causing.

"And obviously that's not going to happen now."

He pauses, taking in the situation again.

"Maybe our best bet now is to endear ourselves to the powers that be in this town. That might gives us more freedom to move about. Let's continue what Caelynn was doing and help take down the giant."

Aimon jumps up and takes off after the giant.

(If he's close enough to get into melee with the giant he will - Movement 30' and Bonus Action - Cunning Action Dash for an additional 30' if needed and then will draw Lightbringer to engage the giant - an arrow would be wiser but he wants to be 'seen' helping the town: Attack: 24 Damage: 11 plus Sneak Attack Damage 5 )

Just as Oak decides that none of the party are in imminent danger, he sees Aimon move, out of the corner of his eye. He’s heading somewhere. He’s running... at the giant?!!

”Oh no! NO PLEASE NO!!... ...No you don’t!!... .... NOT WITHOUT ME YOU DON’T!!.. Ha!.. .. gGgrraah!... You don’t get all the fun!!...”, And with a devilish glint in his eye, he’s off towards the giant too!

((Oak would still like to know if there’s a shield handy. Could he swipe one on his way to the giant?! Also, how far is the giant from Oak? As it would effect how much he can do on his first turn. Also, how ‘big’ is the giant? Large? Huge? Thanks))

(If the slave gets burned again, Caelynn will stay with him. If not...)

”Idiots...” Caelynn mutters under her breath, shaking her head but smiling slightly. She isn’t completely sure what they’re up to - at this point it would be easy enough to stay out of the fight - but she figures some back up wouldn’t be unwelcome. Taking off after Aimon and Oak, she once again tries to find a perch somewhere high up.

You don't see any kind of buttons or such on the collars. You assume that their must some sort of command phrase to do things to the collar. As you push healing energy into him, he comes to with a start. He looks wildly around, but doesn't move at all. He tries to stay as still as possible, but you can see thanks in his eyes. He mouths, "Can't talk," and the collar burns him again, but this was more of a warning.

Oak, you see a few shields lying on the ground near the bodies of the fallen guards. You can get one this turn, but you would have to use your moment and action this turn to grab a shield and get close to the giant.

The giant is considered huge. It stands nearly 25 feet tall, and it has the musculature of a marble statue. It's skin looks like it was carved from the rock itself. It is hairless, and its face would be stern, but insanity and fear twists its features.

Going to wait for Trill before I wrap up this round.

((Oh cool! Oak’ll do that then I think, grab a shield and get in melee with the giant. Just for fun and flavour, what does an underdark duergar shield look like in your world?))

((Trill's been invisible, but would have chirped and/or touched at least some of the party members so you knew she was around.))

She heads in the direction Oak and Aimon dash, but has a look at any of the killed slavers or slave owners, to see if there are keys, or magic crystals or the like that serve to control the collars. 

Perception: 23 (and only a 5 if Investigation).

Seeing nothing useful, she hurries after the others, staying well back from the giant.