Storm King's Thunder

"Harshnag, don't fret. It's how I thought it would result. So, now, Harshnag, and only Harshnag," Ink stares at Crownsguard as he says this, "should take Thrym's axe and touch the ise rune with it."

Ink walks with Harshnag through this whole process, providing encouraging words via old giant sayings he read, likely from old giant nursery tales that he didn't realize were nursery tales.

Crownsguard gives a thumbs up, “Affirmative!”

//First of all Steele's HD from short rest 7//

Marav starts to search for tracks, scuff marks, etc. 

Steele takes flight helping the search.

Steele Perception: 18
Survival: 20
Survival 2: 15 (if help works)

Marav can tell that there have definitely been giants here, but how long ago is anyone’s guess—all the signs he can find point to years at a minimum. The stale smell of things, the lack of discernible footprints in the dust and frost of the complex, and just how everything seems to have been more or less “at rest” when you first came here.

Harshnag, meanwhile, follows Ink’s instructions, silently lifting the heavy greataxe off the statue and touching its blade to the ise rune.  

The rune glows, a bright blueish-green, and the steel greataxe vanishes from Harshnag’s hands, reappearing in the grip of Thrym’s statue. While this happens, the gentle glowing mist transforms into churning thunderclouds lit by flashing lightning! The sound of rolling thunder fills the temple, and beyond the clouds you can just barely see another room.

“This is it,” smiles Harshnag, shouting excitedly over the thunder. “The portal will stay open for an hour, so we will only have that long before it seals itself again.” He enters the clouds, beckoning you to follow.

Marav with Steele on his shoulder walk through.

Rip follows

Ink walks in, in amazement, alongside Harshnag. 

Crownsguard and Cat follow, Crownsguard gives Ink a double thumbs up.

Beyond the thundering archway lies a hexagonal chamber whose walls rise 50 feet before tapering to a 90-foot-high apex. Standing in each corner of the room is a life-size statue of a giant holding up a heavy, iron lantern with one raised arm. Each type of giant is represented: hill, stone, frost, fire, cloud, and storm. A cold, magical light radiates from each lantern, illuminating a giant corpse lying on the floor beneath a shroud of frost in the middle of the room. The corpse looks like it has been here for some time, preserved by the cold. Next to the body rests a giant morningstar, covered in frost.

"well looks like the answer to his question wasn't so great"

Ink approaches the body to examine it for evidence of what may have killed the giant (also - what type of Giant?)... Ink isn't the best at medical practices, so he asks if someone can help him or take lead while he helps. 

The dead giant lies face-down and sprawled out. As you approach the giant’s frozen corpse, a towering apparition rises slowly from the body—it is the spirit of a cloud giant, wearing a sad expression on his bearded face. 

“Why have you come here?” Asks the cloud giant’s ghost, his tone mournful. 

Crownsguard looks up and then toward Harshnag, “I believe we have questions. Harshnag, would you like to go first?”

Harshnag shakes his head, “Not for this ghost, I don’t. I didn’t expect him to be here.”

The ghost sighs; a dejected, pitiful noise.

Marav raises an eyebrow... "Friend of yours? Enemy?"

"All right," Ink says, "I'll bite..."

Then addressing the ghost, taking a few step closer to him, he states, "We are here to ask for guidance from the All Father, but your presence is curious - why did you come here? How did you die? What have you learned? Why have you not 'passed on?' What is your name?" 

Harshnag shakes his head. He seems perplexed and, not being one given to excessive conversation, stands back and observes the room.

The young cloud giant’s ghost nods sadly and answers. “I can help you access the oracle...I know how it works, and the words to say.

“As for me...my name is...was...Eigeron. I came here with my father...like many giants before us, we sought wisdom. The oracle told us of a great upheaval, one that would upset the balance of power in the world, and that would give all giants the opportunity to win the respect of our gods. We could bring glory to our race. The oracle told my father, Blagothkus, that he could never impress the gods enough to earn their favor, and urged me to step out from beneath my father’s dark shadow.”

Eigaron's ghost sighs once more and looks down at his fallen body. “It was then that my father struck me down. The fight was terrible, but in the end I was slain, and my father left this place. And here I have remained.”

The dead giant wears a beautiful, golden breastplate, which gleams in the cold lantern light. Additionally, the corpse has something clutched in his right hand—a small object, hard to make out.

Also, if you have come very close to Eigeron’s body, you will notice a rune-inscribed circle carved into the floor, obscured by frost.

Breathing heavy from trying to keep up, flint plunges through the portal just as Elgaron mentions the upheaval. He waits for the giant to finish them asks "did yer father think you a threat ta his position then? Who is he? "

The ghost turns to Flint and continues in lament, "In life, I was the son of Blagothkus, an evil cloud giant lord obsessed with many conspiracies. He does not share power, but rather hoards it, and is bitter and jealous. I regret that I was not wise enough to separate myself from him when I was still living."

Quote from Awaypturwpn >>

The dead giant wears a beautiful, golden breastplate, which gleams in the cold lantern light. Additionally, the corpse has something clutched in his right hand—a small object, hard to make out.

Also, if you have come very close to Eigeron’s body, you will notice a rune-inscribed circle carved into the floor, obscured by frost.

 Ink responds, surprisingly shrewdly, "Would your spirit be at ease if we took vengeance on your behalf? Perhaps we could use this gear of yours to aid us in exacting your revenge? And to remind your father of the evil he did. Your armor seems perfect and unblemished - perhaps Harshnag could wear it in your honor? And... what of that small precious object clutched in your hand?" Ink gets closer to examine it. 

"Do you know where your father retreated to after he left here? Or, perhaps best said, where you expect him to retreat to?"

Ink also adds, after a shake of his head, "You also said that you knew how to entreat the All Father - we'd appreciate it if you told us how - we have many questions."