Saipres roars furiously as he charges immediately at the closest troll, slashing at it with his powerful claws.
"How gracious of them to provide us with ample means to burn their mangled bodies.", Kenna said looking at the burning building.
Lysira ears perked hearing the scream as her fellow representatives took off. 'Sounds like they've found a fight.' She took the chance to shift, letting out a howl as she did so.
She took off running towards the sound, exhilarated. 'Always enjoyed a good fight.'
Initiative:
Guards
Skinwalkers
Trolls and Troll-handlers
Arren
The guards win initiative. One guard you can see through the burning building is looking to loop around and flank the enemy - the other, the broad-shouldered white-haired Coldborn lieutenant, charges directly at the nearest troll. Roaring, he shifts form as he draws his battleaxe, his features resembling a polar bear. With a mighty roar, he swings his battleaxe in an overhead chop.
It doesn't strike home. The troll catches the battleaxe's haft with one hand, and begins to slowly lift the weapon, with the guard still clutching it. The guard struggles mightily to get his weapon free, but the troll tightens its grip and chuckles as it leers at the guard lieutenant. As the man cries out in dismay, the troll's caustic skin seems to sweat some sort of green, thick goo, that flows over the wooden haft of the weapon. As the troll grips it, the axe breaks in two, and the lieutenant falls prone at the troll's feet.
Immediately after, Saipres leaps into action, charging across the cold cobblestones of the street and roaring as he leaps at the troll. His blow lands, but his use of natural weapons costs him acid damage as he gets the troll's green sweat all over his claws.
Moriarti, seeing one of the guards head around the burning building to flank, sneaks around the other side of the battlefield. As he gets closer to the enemies he takes a moment to imbibe a defensive extract he prepared earlier that day.
Kenna dashes towards the troll in front of her, puts both hands on thehilt of her sword and thrusts it toward the creature.
After cutting into the giant's flesh she pulls back and holds the sword in a defensive position.
Saipres growls in a combination of anger and pleasure as a mixture of the troll's blood and caustic sweat spreads over his hands. After briefly clenching his hands once or twice, he takes another swing, his claws digging deeply into the troll's flesh.
While some of the skinwalkers delay, dazzled by the spectacle of the burning buildings, the trolls lurch into action, spurred by their horrible-looking handlers.
The handlers throw two firebombs. Saipres and Kenna, roll two DC14 Reflex saves for half damage, fire:
Meanwhile, the trolls split up, lurching in different directions. One comes around just to Moriarti's hiding spot behind the tree - desperately, the Nightskulk ducks against a small hole in the bark, just avoiding notice.
One troll has the guardsman in deep trouble. It kneels over the prone man, and begins to grasp at his shoulders, smiling in evil anticipation as the man struggles desperately to not get grabbed. The troll's mouth gapes open, and drool falls onto the white-haired guard's face.
The troll that Kenna and Saipres engaged together roars a ferocious challenge, and swipes at both of them, one with each arm!
Initiative:
Guards
Skinwalkers
Trolls and Troll-handlers
Arren
Arren sees his fellow tribesmen in deep trouble. Pride injured, he knows he still must do what he can for his friends and allies.
He calls upon his lord, Erastil, patron of a stable homestead, to protect his allies from the flames. A flash of divine power, a spark of green between his fingertips, and the air nearby the troll-handlers condenses more quickly than would naturally be possible. "Air of the tundra swallow you!" he shouts as the fog billows out to obscure the handlers.
Darath is surprised to see that the trolls were not completely mindless, but instead had been guided here by some other creatures. He slowed to a stop for a moment to consider that new bit of information, as well as to let the others move in front of him. He worked best at a tactical arm's length, after all.
Still, the perplexities of the handlers did distract him a bit too much, though thankfully the troll's roar as it attacked Kenna and Saipres snapped Darath out of it. His attention was not drawn to that one, however, but the one next to it, who's mouth threatened to close upon the poor guard... and also made a very tempting target.
Darath begins mixing things into a vial, moving forward as he does so. A bit of this, a bit of that, a drop of my blood to enact my will, a shake to start the reaction, and... the alchemist thumbs the stopper on before flicking the vial troll-ward.
The small vial flies true, sailing just over the guardman's head and contacting the left edge of the troll's mouth. That last jolt is enough to kick the reaction Darath had started into full effect, and the troll suddenly finds itself with a mouthful of not flesh, but fire, as the ingredients within the now-shattered vial combine violently with each other.
This isn't a simple radial explosion, however. The guardman, despite being very close to the blast, feels little more than a bit of heat as the main force of the explosion somehow appears to bend around him. The other troll, on contrast, is hit by a 10-foot gout of flame; not as powerful as the main explosion, but certainly enough to singe some skin.
Darath's cunningly-shaped explosion drives the troll to a standing position again as it screams and fans at its mouth with its huge hands. The white-haired guard on the ground scrambles away to safety. Meanwhile, over the sound of burning timber, you hear the scream of the other guard as the troll lands a ruinous hit on his breastplate, causing a worryingly deep dent. The guardsman is still standing, but only by going fully feral, letting his Coldborn instincts take over. It is said that Skinwalkers sometimes enter this state in periods of extreme stress; well, this'd qualify.
The troll that was struck by the flames is completely occupied with putting them out. You can see the flames leaving charred and burnt patches of disgusting flesh on the troll's face. Meanwhile, Saipres and Kenna dance around the troll they're engaging, dodging its swipes. With a frustrated growl, it lunges forward! Overrun combat maneuver against the both of you - you get an AOO and take a d4 acid damage if you strike with your natural weapons. You may choose to move out of the way of the Overrun with no ill effect.
The troll bursts through the two of you and joins its fellow troll, roaring a challenge to the darkening sky.
One of the handlers bursts through the cloud of fog that Arren summoned, yelling expletives in Sylvan.
Initiative:
Guards
Skinwalkers
Trolls and Troll-handlers
Arren, Harthresh, and Darath
Kenna took another swing at the troll. She was planning on using her teeth, but with it being coated in acid now, this seemed unadvisable.
Arren growls, his teeth baring and his cheeks raising in an expression of frustration and anger. "Stop using your claws, you fool!" he shouts, at Saipres, "Savagery won't win you this one!"
Harshuk was about to draw an arrow, but after the trolls simply bull through the other representatives he reconsiders. This is no simple hunt.
Taking advantage of their momentum, he gestures with his free hand and creates a slick beneath the offenders.
Kenna and Saipres work together against their troll target. Saipres actually jumps onto the creature and slashes ferociously with his claws at the nape of the troll's neck, acidic sweat flying everywhere. With a groan, the troll falls to its knees, allowing Saipres to hop off to safety as it dies. Though he's successful in bringing down his target, Arren's warning rings true in his ears as acid burns his fingertips.
Troll 3 roars and falls to the ground next to his prone companion as Harshuk's spell makes him trip. Some of the skinwalkers have time to act before the handlers and the trolls take initiative once more.
Initiative:
Guards
Skinwalkers
Trolls and Troll-handlers
Arren, Harthresh, and Darath
Moriarti, lacking the ranged alchemical prowess of Darath, moves in on the handler that emerges from the fog cloud drawing his rapier as he goes. Finally getting a good look at the creature, he scans his brain for a comparable entry while attempting to get a stab in.
What are these things... and why are they and the trolls working in concert?
Saipres roars triumphantly as the troll falls to the ground. Turning towards Arren with a grin, he replies, "What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of it dying." He notes that Arren is right, though, and tries to wipe the acidic sweat from his hands.
"But it's more fun that way!" Lysira said with a grin as she charged past him, moving to slam her fist into the still standing troll before her.
Moriarti, as you study the thing you see that it's holding a bomb in one hand and some sort of rod in the other. The tip is glowing with a faint green light that you recognize as magical in nature, though you don't know exactly what it does. The rod is covered with tribal accouterments but underneath you notice that it's made of finely wrought steel.
As it turns to face you, screeching a challenge, you recognize it for what it is. You've never encountered one of these before in person, but you've heard many tales of their primitive savagery - before you stands a Riekling. Some have postulated these creatures to be demonic in nature, or at least from some strange parallel plane - but communications have never been successfully established with the creatures, as they attack all non-rieklings on sight. They have become a common nuisance for travelers across Varisia, but they are said to be weak and cowardly unless in large groups. They vie with the goblins of the region for the title of "Most Annoying Danger." or maybe it's "Most Dangerous Annoyance." You can never recall which.
Your ruminations are calm and calculated inside your efficient brain even as your body thrusts forward in violence, landing a deep stab in the thing's arm. It snarls and headbutts you, since its hands are full.
However, it's easy for you to lean backward and out of harm's way.
The other riekling bursts out of the fog, panting. Harthresh gets an AOO.
The troll that Lysira punched doesn't react quite like Arren did when she punched him. The beast has finished patting the flames out in its mouth, and as it roars you see that its tongue has been blackened to a worthless crisp. Your punch is direct, forceful, and accurate...as well as being utterly ineffective at hurting the troll through its thick hide. Take acid damage.
It doesn't even use its arms to attack Lysira, instead lurching forward with a snap of its heavy-looking jaws. The she-wolf is barely able to dodge out of the way in time.
The prone troll reaches out with its long arms and slashes Arren's leg!
In the distance behind you, you hear signal horns being blown as alarms are raised and reinforcements summoned. The rieklings cry out in dismay at the sound.
The troll battling the guard tries to grab him. However, the guard manages to barely elude him by ducking into the burning building!
Initiative:
Guards
Skinwalkers
Trolls and Troll-handlers
Arren, Harthresh, and Darath
"Ouch." Arren grits his teeth as the troll's claws rake along his right leg, drawing blood and sending jolts of pain through his body. He takes a step back, away from the troll and out of arm's reach and raises the bloodied arm. He grimaces in pain from using damaged muscles, but he calls upon the fury of the winter storm and a slow, painless death as one lies in the snow, forgetting how to stay awake.
The troll's movements gradually grow more sluggish as he reaches his arm out for you slowly, allowing you an easy escape.
"Then please, do continue. I'm sure your liquefied body parts will provide for much interesting study." Though slightly sarcastic (but only slightly), Darath was interested in seeing if he could get some of the acid these trolls were secreting in a vial or two before they lost potency, maybe some tissue samples, friend and foe, as well. Blood too, assuming these things weren't literally bleeding acid...
Multitasking as he thinks, Darath is once again mixing up another bomb, this time shifting away from the prone and (hopefully) dead troll as he does so. He's about to give the one in front of him another facefull of fire when he sees one of the handlers make its way out of the fog. Also seeing the troll about to lunge forward, the alchemist changes his throw for a lob, hoping to hit the back of the troll instead, with the spin into a gout of flame towards the handler.
Darath's wrist cramps up slightly as he lobs the vial. He misses the troll, hitting the ground behind him - luckily, the riekling is still caught in the blast and immolated. Its anguished squeals cause it to wave its arms around madly, dropping its bomb and causing it to explode on himself!
Harthresh quietly looms out of the fog, quickly grasping at the creature as it tries to rush past him, seemingly oblivious to his proximity.
"The little green thing!" Arren shouts as his keep eyes pick up on a new development. "It's controlling the troll! Take the glowing rods from them or kill them!"
You have the riekling in a full nelson!
Harthresh clutches at the creature tightly, a low hiss escaping his jaws as he snaps down to bite at his prey...
...in the process, Harthresh viciously wrenches his grip tighter on the creature, looking to fully incapacitate it.
Moriarti watches curiously as the green light on the rod the riekling holds flickers and the trolls experience a moment of confusion. As he considers the implications of what he's witnessed, a shout from the Coldborn who issued the earlier challenge confirms his suspicions.
With a flourish of his rapier Mori attempts to relieve the riekling of its mind controlling apparatus.
The disarmed, white-haired guard stands, cursing the troll for destroying his spear. Swiftly, he draws his shortsword sidearm and attacks, landing a solid cut on his troll!
Meanwhile, the other guard is ducking the flames and falling debris of the burning house while the troll leers at him from outside. However, his foot breaks through the floor paneling and into the basement below! The guard inside the burning building is trapped, and he cries for help!
Initiative:
Guards
Skinwalkers
Trolls and Troll-handlers
Arren, Harthresh, and Darath
Seeing his injured clansman stuck inside the burning building, Harshuk the bard barks a word of power. Sudden strength and suppleness fills the guard's limbs, and with a whoop, he escapes from harm just before a wooden beam, still on fire, collapsed where he was just lying. "That's two I owe you now, Harshuk!" the man cries, referring to an earlier incident in which you successfully advised the man on navigating a rough patch with his girlfriend.
Meanwhile, with an adroit flick of his wrist, Moriarti disarms the riekling troll-master. With a "Hup!" he extends his other arm, and catches the rod in his free hand. The ratfolk-kin doesn't just succeed - he makes it look good doing it. The riekling is too stunned by his ploy to even react, staring numbly at the Nightskulk man.
You see dawning horror on the riekling's face, as he turns away from looking at Mori to the trolls. Mori looks to his left, and nearly jumps out of his skin in pure physical reactionary shock to see every single troll present staring at him with their arms at their sides.
The Riekling that Harthresh is grappling with gives a long, anguished wail of defeat at the sight of the trolls awaiting Mori's orders. The riekling that Mori disarmed turns to run away in desperate fear.
Lysira only briefly paused when the troll suddenly stood at attention looking at Mori. Glancing that way, she saw one of the attackers look like it wanted to run. 'Oh, you don't get to run.' With one last glance to be sure at the troll, she moved. Her mouth full of sharp teeth glinting in the light.
She slammed her fist into the creature that would dare turn tail. Intent on stunning it where it stood.
The trolls don't even acknowledge Lysira as she charges past them. With a cunning strike at the riekling's kidney, the she-wolf incapacitates him. Combat is over -the trolls are under Mori's sway and both rieklings are captured. Well done!
-Posted with Wayfinder
Harthresh grips his prey tightly, his jaws opening wide as he snaps them shut...just short of the creature's throat. He seems to tremble for a moment, struggling with some inner compulsion.
After a long moment, he shifts, quickly beginning to bind the creature with a sash pulled from his waist, the fabric intertwined with dull lengths of thin chain.
His eyes fade from a fever-bright gold to a sickly yellow under the firelight, his breathing slowing from a ragged panting to low hissing exhalations.
Finally, he looks up at the others, still crouched and looming over the bound riekling.
Arren, crouching and spear ready, was just about ready to attack the prone troll when the dynamic of the whole combat shifted (pun intended).
He looks around, concerned for his compatriots and fellow skinwalkers, and begins to tour the battlefield, inspecting people to see if they're injured or if there's anything he can do for them.
The white-haired guard captain warily circles the troll with his short sword drawn, staring at it. "good work, friends," he says, after confirming the troll is passive. The troll stares down at Moriarti still. It's eyes contain only lust for violence and dull hatred, but it's muscles remain completely slack.
The guard captain is largely unharmed, and his second has a large dent in his armor, but will be okay.
Across the vale, back toward the longhouse, you see a group of perhaps twenty guards approaching, with Temmeruk following, fully shifted. Behind him you can see the open door of the longhouse in the distance, where the feast continues on.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Coward." Lysira spats at the reikling she'd taken down before it could complete it's thought of running. She made sure that any remaining thoughts of running while she was around were null and void as she waited for the reinforcements coming from the longhouse to arrive.
Kenna sheathed her sword, inspecting the burns she recieved from the Riekling's bomb she walked over to Lysira to take a look at the stunned creature. "Aren't they so adorable? Do you think Ceyne is going to let me keep one?“