Prologue IV: A Giant Conundrum
Generally scouting is not a job for commanders. However common practice is silent on the matter of having one's entire company dumped in some other land overnight, making every map a useless rag. You need to get your own eyes on the land, and you need to prove that you won't flinch from the challenge. You were not the only one unnerved by the world changing around you.
"Garnak," you call out to the old scarred giant of a Sivak with every indication of calm and control "You're in charge of this lot. They'd better not have drunk all the dwarf spirits by the time I'm back," you joke.
"That's alright, sir," Garnack replies. "I'll just get this lazy bunch of lizards to throw up a palisade and put their backs into making a ditch, to keep them from mischief."
"And what about you," a kapak hisses out amused, from semi-anonymity among a a squad of his fellows. "Hauling dirt along with the rest of us or enjoying the privileges of rank."
"Watching you lot will drive any sane man to drink," Garnack replies in the same tone. "Now
get." In marked contrast to the informality of command that would make a Lord Knight of any stripe red with anger the company begins throwing up defenses like a well oiled machine. You'd seen enough of officers acting like they were Her Majesty's own gift to the world back in Neraka. Discipline is built on trust,not simpering. Let the men grouse and jest if they work and no one can say they don't do it with a will
***
You set out at a long ground eating peace sometimes launching yourself into the air and allowing yourself to glide, the way you were taught to do on long marches, where secrecy is not an issue. You take the route north along the river, reasoning that where there's water there are likely to be locals to interrogate about where the hell
here is
Your patrol consists of three of the sneakiest kapaks and two sivaks keeping to the air at all times to warn you of danger. So far they've seen only normal beasts for wet lowlands like this, though one of them caught sight of a manticore in peeking over the ridge, the river falls over in a crashing waterfall. Since you had no intention of going that far you are happy to leave it to its hunting grounds
You see a flash of a red streamer above, a signal to halt at once. No sooner had you done so and one of the sivaks lands to give a hurried report. "There's a village ahead," the scout reports. "Doesn't look like much, human if I'm to judge. It's about to look a lot worse too. They are under attack by giants."
"
Giants, more than one," you ask amazed. You knew ogre tribes would sometimes see the birth of a giant, who usually bullied his kin into line and became chieftain by virtue of greater stature and wit, but you had never heard of more than one giant in the same place outside of the Dragonarmies.
"Three, commander," the scout replies, trying to hide his unease. "The one that looks to be the boss is even wearing armor, the way ogres usually do, I mean." He snorts in laughter and you have to crack a smile. You could usually slip a broadsword between the pieces of an ogre's mismatched armor. Most never seemed to grasp the point of strapping metal on yourself was supposed to be
protection not looking fierce.
"How are the defenders holding out?" you question.
"Well they are shooting arrows, and that old log palisade is holding out a lot better than it has any right to be. Might be someone magiced it."
"Think they'll hold out till we get there?" The Question is thoughtful as you try to weight the situation. "
"Maybe..." he replies dubiously. "Ogres aren't much for sharing loot, but they aren't very clever neither."
Of course he'd assume we'd take the giants side, you think. You could count the number of humans that would treat fairly with "lizard men" on one hand, with fingers left over... but maybe in this new lands things could be different, you could not help but hope. They might be grateful enough to hand over a map, maybe even some supplies. Of course there was a
small problem to that plan of peaceable cooperation. Going the other way might also have merit. Humans don't put up near as much of a fight as giants.
What do you do?
[] Draconians to the rescue
[] Ogres are the Dark Queen's first children you've heard and giants are ogre stock, help them out for a cut of the spoils
[] Ignore the whole mess, no point risking the lives of your men over quarrels that don't concern you
[] Write in
OOC: Here's your chance to introduce yourself to the neighbors 
