Dicing with Death: Episode 196

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==Synopsis==
Divan sees the giant in Nekkraut, but decides to do nothing about it since he is no shape to fight. Platos is grateful for the shrine and increases the water flow. Divan visits Atropos to get more information about giants and finds another client already visiting Atropos. After some rest, the giant returns, Divan taunts it. Giant, Grindel, is defeated but says she will seek revenge as she runs away. Divans leave the village in search of a regenerating two-headed troll.
During the search, near the swamp, he finds an abandoned village and decides to stay there for a night. He is attacked by a female ghost looking for warmth, but seeing has no weapon to use against her, he flees. He returns to Atropos to have his wounds healed.
==Recap==
===29th July===
A tired Divan returns home to Nekkraut to find in the middle of town a hill giant carrying a shepherd's crook. As Divan arrives, the giant leaves, taking a herd of goats with her. Divan arrives with the sheep he took from Romulus.
Divan finds that one of the young boys in town, Gretchen, has been slain for trying to stop the giant. Divan uses his magic crown to find out what happened from the hysterical population. The Giant arrived and demanded goats and sheep. Gretchen tried to stop the giant, but she caved in Gretchen's head with her club. The giant then kicked over a fence and took a heard of goats with her.
Divan hands over the sheep to the family that had their goats stolen, but still plans on giving them back to their real owners later.
Divan then goes over to visit with Platos. As Divan travels, he uses the Legend Lore powers of his crown to reveal information about the giants. Divan learns about their living arrangements and that 20 hill giants live across the whole of the hill lands around Nekkraut. 
Divan arrives at the qanat and Platos's shrine. The water is flowing stronger out of the qanat but there doesn't appear to be any construction done on it. Platos's shrine however looks completed.
:It is a hexagonal structure that comes straight from the ground. The first floor looks to be three to four feet above the ground. There is a five-room structure inside this hexagon. A pagoda-style hexagonal roof sits atop of it made of Tulip Wood. 
Divan speaks with Platos, with Platos pleased by his new shrine, and is increasing the water flow from the qanat. Divan admits he is in no condition to fight a giant. He is down 17 HP.
===30th July===
Divan learns over the next 2 days.
===1st August===
Divan visits with Atropos in her cave. Atropos is however busy with another client, a young woman. Divan leaves the cave to wait but uses the ESP of his crown to spy in to find out what the client wants. While Atropos's thoughts are alien in nature and unable to be understood, the young woman's problem is that she is to be married to the son of her neighbor, but neither she nor the son wishes to be married to each other, so she came to Atropos to change her future. Atropos offers to train the young woman as a wizard, but the young woman doesn't like that option. Atropos adds a third option, to serve in the tower when it is built.
Divan goes into the cave after the young woman leaves. Divan tells Atropos of his journeys. He then leans his magic crown to Atropos so she can use the Legend Lore ability of the crown for herself. Atropos uses the crown and breaths in the fumes. Afterwards, Atropos claims to see the future.
Divan then asks Atropos about the giant who took the herd of goats. Atropos reveals the giant lives 5 miles away to the North East. There is also a giant chicken and a 2-headed troll to the north-west. If Divan brings some troll blood to Atropos, she can use to make something that can heal. 
Divan returns to town to rest for a week. During the week Akitos's supplies arrive, so he is able to develop the qanat tunnel system. Divan gives Akitos 3 more gems in order to get more lumber to continue the work on the qanat further.
===6th August===
Divan's rest is interrupted as a female Giant arrives in Nekkraut. Divan gathers in the town square with the other villagers. The giant demands more goats. Divan confronts the giant. The giant sets side her club and goes over to meet Divan's challenge. Divan threatens to turn her into a cyclope if she doesn't leave, but the giant refuses. Divan casts on the giant, holding her in place.
Divan slings the giant in the eye, as promised, landing a direct hit. Divan calls for the villagers to throw spears at the Giant, but they are untrained and too nervous to do so. The giant throws a bolder at Divan, but he uses to mitigate the blow. 
Divan climbs on the hill where the qanat is and attacks the giant from beyond with . The villagers rally and throw the five spears Divan took from Romulus, one spear lands and wounds the giant. Divan gets hit with another boulder.
Once Shadow Snap wears off, the giant retreats, revealing her name is Grindel, and says she will be avenged.
Divan, very wounded, returns into the village and is congratulated by the villagers. Divan goes to rest for 16 days.
The villagers, after repairing the damage to their buildings, build Divan a circular hut near the qanat.
While resting Divan uses Legend Lore of his Crown to find more about Platos.
:Platos is a minor deity. He has minor control over a river or a minor body of water of his choosing. He came into existence when a body of water was created as the spirit to guard it. Usually, these spirits are bound to a specific feature or location, stuck to that feature for all time. Platos however has been able to break his original form and take on one that is mobile, allowing him to choose his feature. Originally a water sprite of a small river, which was turned into a well in Grekos, and Platos found a way to break his form. Being linked with a feature enhances his natural power. The greater the feature, the greater he is himself. If this were a mighty river, Platos would grow into a mighty serpent.
Divan also learns legend lore about the two-headed troll. People from Grekos have told stories about the troll that keeps regenerating the damage it has sustained.
==Experience==
2900 exp (1450‬ exp to each class)
* 20 MP spent = 200 exp to Wizard (New system: 10 exp per mana spent)
* 480 exp to fighter (40 exp per hit die defeated)
==Recap==
===21st August===
Divan finishes resting. Divan suggests to Akitos they build a tower to look out for threats, and Divan gives Akitos some gems to fund it. Akitos goes to look for more workers from nearby villagers to help with the project.
Divan learns , which takes 3 days.
===23rd August===
Divan learns , which takes 2 days.
===25th August===
Divan leaves Nekkraut and heads north in search of the two-headed troll. As he travels he spots a giant in the distance leading a heard of goats while holding a shepherd's crook. Divan can't tell from the distance if it is the same giant that he attacked before or not.
When camping for the night, Divan casts and finds out that the swamp he is looking for is further North-West.
===26th August===
It is 5 days after the new moon. Divan reaches the edge of the swamp. Divan is afraid to enter the swamp, moves along the edge of the swamp, looking for landmarks or signs of trolls. During the travels, he finds an abandoned village of 20 huts. Divan makes camp inside the ruined village. The village appears to be claw marks on the ruined walls and was abandoned years ago. Divan casts and feels the faint sense of magic around him. He feels that he isn't alone.
That night as Divan sleeps, with the legend lore of the crown, he sees the deaths of many people in town. He wakes to find a ghost of a human woman in front of him. The ghost moves towards Divan, whispering "Warmth, Warmth".
Divan casts on the ghost. The ghost seizes Divan, drawing out his life essence, causing him harm, interrupting Divan's next spell. Divan tries to strike the ghost with the staff but it just goes through the ghost harmlessly. Divan decides to flee, the ghost not moving far from her house. As Divan flees through the village, he sees other ghosts at other buildings. Divan flees into the woods and waits for daylight.
===27th August===
In the daylight Divan returns to town to recover his belongings safely. Divan concludes since he has no way to fight with the ghosts, he will head back to Nekkraut. Divan makes it to Atropos Cave exhausted. Atropos treats Divan's wounds.
Category:Divan Episodes
Category:Dicing with Death Episodes