Shari
*With a heavy swing to the back of the giant's neck came a muffled cracking sound, and as the wound bled, the giant fell forward, the Orc woman attacking it quickly getting out of the way as it hit the ground with a thud. The giant was, without question, dead. She looked towards Odvan and spoke up.*

"Now, you. You have no business here, outsider. Leave at once!"

*The robed Orc called from the wall.*

"Ugor, no! These may be the ones we need!"

*Ugor looked irritated by the idea.*

"We need nothing from outsiders and... Whatever that *Thing* Is! Yamarz will provide for us."

*The woman continued.*

"We cannot carry on this way! You know we are doomed if we do not do something!"

*Ugor replied.*

"Yamarz charged me with keeping outsiders away from Largashbur. You would have me disobey him?"

*The woman answered promptly.*

"You were charged with keeping us inside the walls. Have faith, Ugor. I only wish the best for our tribe."

*Ugor grumbled and, begrudgingly, sheathed her sword and stepped aside.*

"Fine. It's your neck."

*The woman from atop the wall gestured for the armored giant and Odvan to come inside. The wooden gates to Largashbur opened up.*
Ernest
*Kaalzyr sighed and walked forward, only pausing to kneel down and grab the dead giant's corpse, tossing it some distance away. It landed at the edges of the clearing with a weighty thump.*
Billy
"So what is the situation, kin." He says, "Giants typically keep to themselves, it's odd to see them coming this close to a stronghold."
Shari
*The old Orc woman came down, dressed in black robes, to speak with Odvan and Kaalzyr.*

"I am Atub, wise woman to Largashbur. Forgive Ugor's harsh words, she's merely doing as she has been told."

*She sighed, looking warily towards the now distant giant's corpse with a distraught expression.*

"Once, our Chieftain Yamarz was a strong and proud warrior. But now he is stricken. Cursed. His weakness is our weakness. The giants sensed it, and began intruding on our territory. Now they assault our very home. We have been on our own for some time now, and I fear we won't survive for long."
Billy
"Seems Malacath has lost faith in you." He says, "Is there a way to contact him? To gain his favor?" He asks, "I can lend a hand if you need."
Ernest
"The mortal is correct. Malacath would only forsake you if you showed weakness, or if you failed him. What is it you need to commune with him?"
Shari
*The wise woman nodded to the two.*

"Yes, but Yamarz had ordered us to remain within the walls. I cannot travel to Malacath's shrine. The ritual must be performed here, and I lack the ingredients I need. I have no wish to depend on a stranger, but I have no choice. I will need troll fat and the heart of a daedra, such as yourself."

*Atub looked towards Kaalzyr, who said nothing, but he seemed to 'stare' at her for lack of a better term.*
Billy
"I doubt you'd let me take your heart, I mean we only just met." He says to Kaalzyr with a chuckle, "Troll fat shouldn't be too hard to get, either find a troll or buy some off an alchemist... Daedra hearts aren't as easy. Unless..." He looks back at Kaalzyr, "Think you could call in one of your soldiers, oh General of Boethiah? They'll just reconstitute back in Oblivion."
Ernest
"I know just the one..."

*Kaalzyr waved his hand, and at the base of his feet a fissure of purple and black color erupted. The air around it shuddered and shook as the portal abruptly shut, leaving behind a ghastly creature.*
Shari
*The creature bore the vague shape of a man, but its appearance could never be human. A withered humanoid creature with gray skin, a thin emaciated frame, glowing red eyes, and a bloody cylindrical maw that housed a long, slender tongue. It held itself up with clawed arms and legs, looking towards Odvan and the other orcs with an intense bloodlust. The Daedra had begun to regurgitate some vile substance when Kaalzyr grabbed it by the head, the poisonous bile from its maw missing widely.*
Ernest
*Without pause, the Havocrel effortlessly crushed the creature's skull in his hand, using his fingers to pry open its chest and pull out its still-beating heart. He turned towards Atub and tossed it.*

"Here. Fresh."
Shari
*Atub was taken aback a bit by the sudden mutilation taking place in front of her, but she quickly steadied herself, catching the heart in her hands. A bit of Daedra blood dripped between her fingers as she walked over to a nearby table, placing it into a simple wooden bowl.*

"This will work well. Return to me when you find some troll fat. And thank you, stranger. And to you as well..."
Billy
"You wouldn't happen to be able to summon a troll, would you?" He says with a chuckle, "I'll be back with the fat, just gotta find a troll." He looks at Kaalzyr, "So, Duke, will you be staying with them to guard from any more Giants or do you wanna go spelunking with me?"
Ernest
"I will humor you, mortal. If Malacath is open to sparing this stronghold, they will be fine until we return. Now, there are many caves around this place. I know there will be trolls nearby."

*Kaalzyr began walking off to the north, his weight again shaking the ground slightly.*
Billy
He sniffs the air like a hound following a scent, "Northeast." He says, "Trolls have a very distinct scent, or at least their dung does. Hard to mistake the smell, used to use it to cover up our own scent and ward off predators." He starts moving toward the source of the smell
Ernest
*Kaalzyr allowed the Orc to take the lead, following him as the duo moved further from Largashbur. Atub retired to the table with the heart, preparing herself for the upcoming ritual.*
Shari
*After some time, roughly fifteen to twenty minutes of walking, the odor of troll dung became stronger and stronger. Until... There appeared a cave mouth embedded into a hill, and there was a faint sound. Something within was moving. And given the odor, it wasn't hard to guess what it was.*
Billy
"And there's our prey." He says, crouching to hide better and moving slower to lessen his sound, "You could probably beat it to death with your bare hands all things considered." He chuckles quietly, "If you keep it distracted I can take it out, that is if you don't kill it first."
Ernest
"Then ready yourself mortal. I don't have the means or intent to hide."

*Kaalzyr stepped forward, walking towards the cave mouth as he drew his axe.*
Shari
*Within the cave, something stirred. A thudding sound, not nearly as loud as that of Kaalzyr's walking, echoed off the rocky walls of the cave mouth. A shape reflected a bit of sunlight that poured into the cave, and as it emerged with a monstrous roar, it became clear what it was. Nine feet of muscle encased in shaggy black fur, a cruel maw with an ape-like face and three black eyes in its forehead. This was the troll they had come for. It slammed the ground with its thick, tree trunk-like arms and began barreling towards Kaalzyr.*
Billy
He remains in the shadows, mostly obscured, his poleaxe readied to do the troll in, if it goes as planned. He barely moves, simply watching, waiting
Ernest
*Turning the head of his axe towards the flat side, Kaalzyr stepped towards the troll and, with a mighty swing, swung it into the troll's body.*
Shari
*Blood spurted from its maw as it tumbled backwards, but it managed to claw at the ground and slow itself down, bellowing again with bestial anger as its teeth had been broken and crooked. Already, the wounds in its mouth were bleeding slower and slower, the teeth shifting back into position. Its regenerative powers were kicking in. At least at first. The smell of singed hair filled the air, as the troll's face suddenly caught fire. Kaalzyr's axe was enchanted.*
Billy
"FIre. Good." He whispers, before rushing out of the shadows and stabbing the troll in the chest with his poleaxe's spearhead. He drove the troll into the ground, wiggling and twisting the blade to make the wound larger, before pouring a bit of high proof alcohol in the wound to set it ablaze.
Shari
*The troll struggled and thrashed violently with its arms as its fur fueled the flames, and the high proof alcohol only made them burn hotter. Its regenerative powers ceased, smoke billowing into the air. The grass and leaves underneath it started to ignite. Its movements slowed down as it grew weaker, the fire covering more and more of its body. This, until at last, its movements had ceased. The troll went limp, still burning with the fire, now dying down without fuel. Death had claimed the beast.*
Ernest
*Kaalzyr seemed to be 'watching' intently, or at least he was paying attention to the troll's death throes.*

"It is done. I'm sure you already have a knife."
Billy
He places his hand right under the plade of the poleaxe, using the long spearhead as a knifed and slicing fat off the body, placing it in a wooden bowl and covering it with a cloth, "This'll do. Let's get back to Largashbur. I hope I get to meet the fool of a chieftain who earned Mauloch's ire."
Ernest
"I already know this mortal is in for an unpleasant time."

*With that, Kaalzyr began walking back to the southwest in the direction the two came from, towards the stronghold of Largashbur. He sheathed his axe once more.*
Billy
He followed, using his polearm as a walking staff. He was quite interested in what Malacath had in store for this clan
Shari
*Like the outward trip, the trek back to Largashbur took roughly fifteen minutes, a bit faster knowing where they'd been and where to go exactly. As they arrived, the orcs on the walls noticed and opened the gates for the duo to enter. The giant's corpse remained along the tree line, buzzing slightly with newly-attracted flies. Atub appeared first, expecting the arrival.*

"I take it you were able to find some troll fat?"
Billy
"Easily." He said, handing over the bowl of fat, "I'd like to stay for the ritual, if that is okay." He didn't know much about Malacath, all things considered, and was very interested in getting a deeper view of his heritage
Shari
"Excellent! Please, come with me. You both are part of this now. You must be present for the ritual. I shall get our chieftain."

*Atub eagerly took the bowl of troll fat, walking over to the nearby table and retrieving the bowl with the daedra heart in it. She walked towards the longhouse, carrying both bowls and speaking to a figure that had not been there earlier. An orc carrying a warhammer of orichalcum, donning the brutal plate armor that signified its creators. Chieftain Yamarz himself. Atub gestured for Odvan and Kaalzyr to follow her as she led the chieftain towards a nearby altar.*
Ernest
*Kaalzyr nodded, walking towards the altar with a blank expression on his face.*

"And so the ritual is to begin."
Billy
"I'm excited." He says, bowing his head in respect toward the chieftain, only a show, he didn't actually respect Yamarz, not after what he'd seen.
Shari
*Atub led the three to the altar, a stone slab built outside the longhouse. On the altar were a small assortment of orichalcum weapons and armor pieces as offerings, and overlooking it was a wooden post with a deer skull. Atub spoke up, looking towards Yamarz.*

"It is time."

*Yamarz responded quickly, visibly annoyed.*

"You bring an outsider and a towering Daedra here, and now you insist I call on Malacath for help, when he has clearly forsaken me? You try my patience, Atub."

*Atub replied bluntly.*

"Doing nothing will not grant our tribe relief from this curse. We must try."

*Yamarz groaned loudly.*

"Fine. Let's get this over with.*

*With that, Atub produced the bowls, and from her robes she pulled out a carved stone bearing the etching of an eye, caked a bit with dried blood. She set it on the altar, using two fingers to scoop a bit of troll fat and smear it onto the stone. From the other bowl she produced the daedra heart, squeezing it slightly until blood flowed and dripped onto the altar, and she placed it next to the stone. Then, she fell to her knees and began to pray.*

"Now, we begin the ritual. Great Mauloch, we beseech you. Aid us in our time of need..."

*Yamarz spoke up.*

"Why are we bothering with thi-"

*Yamarz was cut off by a disembodied voice. It was loud and rough, and a presence fell over the altar.*

**"You pathetic weakling!"**

*Yamarz was shocked, taken aback. Atub did not flinch.*

"Who is that?"

*Atub spoke aloud.*

"Mauloch has heard my pleas! He speaks to us!"

*Malacath's voice didn't acknowledge Atub. It was focused entirely on the chieftain.*

**"You dare summon me, Yamarz?"**

*Yamarz replied in a disbelieving voice.*

"What? What is this!"

*The voice of the Lord of Monsters bellowed again, more intensely. The ground shook slightly. The presence of the Daedric Prince filled the air.*

**"You don't deserve to call yourself an Orc! You're weak, you're small, and you're an embarrassment! You let giants, GIANTS, overrun my shrine! Bring me their leader's club as an offering, and I might release you from this curse!"**

*As quickly as it had come, the voice and the power of Malacath faded. His attention had turned away. Atub called aloud.*

"So it will be. Malacath has spoken, Yamarz. Your path is clear."

*Atub stood up, and with the ritual over, began to clean up the altar. Yamarz looked over to Kaalzyr and Odvan, walking over towards the longhouse, where he stopped beside the wall.*

"Very well... You two, come here. I want a word."
Billy
"This oughta be good." He says quietly to Kaalzyr, stepping toward Yamarz, "What can I do for you, Chieftain." He asks plainly, looking Yamarz in the eyes
Ernest
*Kaalzyr approached a bit closer.*

"What is it you want now, mortal?"
Shari
*The annoyance had not faded from Yamarz face. It had only been intensified by the revelation.*

"This is all your fault, you know. I'm stuck fighting a giant now, thanks to you two. So you're going to help me. You're going with me, and you're going to make sure I don't have any trouble reaching that giant. Don't worry, I'll make it worth your while."
Billy
"It's our fault you failed your clan?" He laughs, "Money talks. Tell me how much you'll give and I'll go with you. Not sure about the Duke, here, though. Doubt a Havocrel has much use for septims."
Ernest
"You are right, mortal. What good are shiny rocks to a Daedra? They are worthless. But I have another idea, once all is said and done."
Shari
"A thousand septims. A small fortune I've had stored away. It's yours if you help me. And for you, Havocrel, I offer my axe as a trophy."
Ernest
*Kaalzyr seemed amused by Yamarz' offer, but he nodded in agreement.*

"Your axe will make an acceptable trophy."
Billy
"I like the sound of that." He says, "Fine. My steel is yours, lead the way."