Autumn turns into winter and then slowly into spring again. Putting your newly aquired wealth to good use, you keep quite busy and as spring comes, can look proudly on your achievements.

Come spring however, rumours of increased giant activity in the lowlands of Varisia are on everyone's tongue. The stories speak of remote villages attacked by hill giant hunting parties, ogres raiding farms and eating everything and everyone, and of bands of stone giants moving through the Malgorian Mountains, Churlwood, and even down along the Lost Coast. So far, none of the larger towns along the Lampblack River or Ember Lake have reported attacks from giants, but the growing number of sightings at the fringes of civilization are enough to cause even Magnimar to take notice. Patrols have been increased along the Lost Coast Road, the Dry Way and the Lampblack Trail. Signs of giants are there - immense footprints, houses crushed to splinters, and second hand tales of sightings by hermits and hunters. Yet so far, the giants have not engaged in a full-on attack and indeed, many are wondering what exactly they are up to.

Recently, however, there have been indications that several of the groups seem to be heading in the general direction of Sandpoint. For various reasons, your group has been contacted to assess the situation. You are the Heroes of Sandpoint, the Liberators of Fort Rannick and the Saviors of Turtleback Ferry. Who else if not you could deal with the giant problem. So, after several months, you once again reunite in Sandpoint, at Ameiko Kaijitsu's tavern who has graciously offered you free lodgings as a crisis meeting has been scheduled early tomorrow morning.

The Kalsgarder is in fine high spirits as his bark rounds the wooded headland and puts into Sandpoint Harbor. It has nothing to do with the little village. On the contrary, most of his memories of Sandpoint have to do with feral goblins and haunted ruins and bloody murder. But Kjell's mood lifted the moment he set out from Fort Rannick and has stayed that way for all the long river journey down to Magnimar and then along the Long Coast. Jakardros and the others have been fine company through the winter, but the long, restless months penned up in their little broken-down castle have taken their toll on him. A first, the northerner would range up and down the Skull River or into the Kreegwood to cure his wanderlust, but that grew tedious after the first week, and he more and more he would have to settle for gazing up at the looming heights of the Wyvern Mountains -- sadly unscalable in the winter's snow -- and imagining what he might see once he finally set out across the great Storval Plateau.

The spring thaw, therefore, couldn't come too soon for Kjell, nor the letter summoning him and his comrades back to Sandpoint. He was finally free of his cabin fever plying the bends of the Yondabakari, and the monuments of Magnimar brought a smile to his face that hasn't left it since. Filling his lungs with the salt air of Varisian Bay, he calls out a cheerful "Ahoy!" to the dockhands and fishwives along the Sandpoint piers and searches the crowds for familiar faces. He wonders if Shayliss Vinder will be waiting for him, or if she's found a new beau. When last he left the lass she was mourning the grisly death of her sister Katrine, and he can only guess what she'll think to see him here again.

While the roads were open Aylmora took the time to travel between Foxglove Manor, Sandpoint and Magnimar, organising work on the new building and generally keeping the road under her feet and the wind in her hair as much as she could. As the roads closed she settled into Sandpoint and back at Ameiko's tavern, turning her hand to tales of her adventures and keeping herself busy working as much as Ameiko would let her.

It was a good time, and one in which she felt comfortable as she had not done during the summer and fall as the events that propelled her to fame unfolded. In that time her smile was quick and easy and she danced often. Yet as the rumors of giants grew her smile came less often, and after her fellow "heroes" were called she danced less and spent more time on the roof of the tavern at night.

Aylmora does not want to go, but the question has plagued her nights since she was first asked to do so.

"If not us then who?"

Aylmora arrives at the council at the apointed time, she is dressed for the road and her disposition might best be described as grim.

Inits 1d20+5=8, 1d20+5=25, 1d20+5=10 Mixed bag as usual.

Jakob, having just filled his mouth with some of their delicious breakfast, nearly chokes as he swallows it down when Shalelu rushes in.  The giants, here, now?