Azen switches to rapid fire again and tries to focus her attacks on the same ones the others are hitting so that they go down faster.
(rapid shot, point-blank)
(rapid shot, point-blank)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Kalaman remains on the ground, attempting to play dead, knowing full well that should he try to stand in this delicate condition, the trolls would immediately cut him back down, perhaps for good this time.
The combination of arrows and sword strikes is enough to bring one of the trolls low, before Celebeth can strike.
With her intended target downed, Celebeth maintains her invisibility and moves into position to strike at the War Troll.
The two remaining troll move over to the wall near Garethane and Rhiaannon, reach up and grap the top of the wall and begin to climb up.
Creeping forward, Tove tries to get to Kalaman’s side without drawing any of the troll’s attention.
Cursing under her breath, the cleric stumbles on some debris from the ruined tower, but nonetheless she reaches her companion and lays her hand on Kalaman’s back.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
With Kalaman down and Tove in a vulnerable spot trying to heal him, Rhiannon draws the attention of the adjacent troll, plunging her weapon deep into its back with deathly efficiency, the force of her first strike throwing off the aim of her second.
Azen continues her rapid fire arrows.
(rapid shot, point-blank)
(rapid shot, point-blank)
Making his best effort to knock the trolls off the walls, Garethane fires one last volley before switching to sword.
Arrow 1
Arrow 2
Celebeth takes a very risky chance and breaks her invisibility by stabbing the war troll.
She misses, which causes her to reappear, ready to be torn limb from limb.
A hail of arrows from Azen and Garethane sink into the troll, while Rhiannon stabs at the same with her fiery blade, badly wounding the beast.
Tove moves up to heal Kalaman, hoping to get the magus back into the fight.
With the lifeforce flowing back into his body, Kalaman swings his blade at the closest troll from the ground, chopping the creature's legs out from under him. Following the strike, the magus stands.
(enlarged, bull's strength, prone)
(enlarged, bull's strength, prone)
With the "normal" trolls all disposed of, Celebeth risks herself by striking at the wartroll, but fails to land a blow.
Having not noticed Celebeth, the Wartroll drops from his attempt to climb the wall and steps toward the magus, attacking with sword and teeth, cutting down the magus again with a mighty swing of its greatsword.
Rhiannon shift her focus, pressing the attack on the vicious war-troll, seeking to take it down before anyone else falls to its primal violence.
Seeing Kalaman down again, Tove quickly moves to heal his wounds once more.
Seeing the War Troll drop from the walls, Garethane rethinks changing to the sword and keeps up the rain of arrows, now focused on the final foe.
Arrow 1
Arrow 2
Arrow 2 Confirmation
Azen continues firing.
(rapid shot, point-blank)
(rapid shot, point-blank)
The combination of blade strikes and arrows from Azen, Celebeth, Rhiannon, and Garethane, nearly bring the War Troll low, Rhiannon's burning blade preventing the troll's supernatural healing.
Tove does her best to keep the magus from dying while the latter stands up and takes a defensive stance.
Deciding that it is overmatched, the War Troll withdraws from the battle, trying to make a hasty escape.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Celebeth's blade finds a vulnerable spot along war troll's side, sliding in deep to the troll's lung, ending its life.
"Well done!" Tove cheers. "Great work all ‘round!"
Rhiannon slips the point of her blade into the war troll's chest, letting the flame sizzle for a few seconds to ensure its death before relaxing somewhat and crouching to check the body for anything of use.
"That definitely went well... aside from poor Kalaman."she says looking at the battlemage.
After the last troll goes down, Azen hurries down to check out Kalaman. She thought earlier that he was just playing dead, but wanted to be sure.
We should search the bodies and then set up camp... somewhere safe.
"Agreed," Tove says. "The other patrol was last seen nearby the lizardfolk’s village. We should make a start in that direction, but be wary."
For now, she channels some more of Erastil’s light into the wounded Magister.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Celebeth shakes her hands and arms, jittery. It was very, very risky for her getting into the thick of things with a troll like that, and she feels like she took an unwarranted risk. It worked out, but it could've been very painful. Like what happened to Kalaman.
"Gonna go scorch all of them, just make sure nobody gets up." She wipes off her blade and sheathes it, then proceeds to go apply judicious acid splashes to various downed trolls.
"That was too close. Too, too close." The elf looks upon the bodies of the fallen trolls and sees how easily it could have been the other way around.
Azen follows Celebeth and searches the bodies after she makes sure they are dead dead dead.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The sisters scorch the troll bodies, making damned sure the vicious creatures would not be getting back up to wreck more havoc.
A search of the bodies finds a total of 150 gold, most of that being on the war troll, the war troll's greatsword and breastplate armor, and pouches of jerky of almost certainly dubious origin.
Kalaman thanks Tove for the efforts to keep him alive, but otherwise remains sheepishly silent.
With the immediate troll threat neutralized, the Councilors of Elkmark leave the ruined fortress and set off southeast toward the remains of the lizardfolk village.
By early evening, you find yourselves back at the edges of the swamp and and begin looking for a place to camp for the night. Either way you knew you were in for an uncomfortable night - it was either going to be too warm, sticky, and smelly, or it was going to damp and chilly.
As it would turn out, it was really about as good as it gets sleeping at the edge of a swamp - a few too many bugs, the temperatures were mild and threaded the needle between humid and cooly damp. A few times throughout the night you think you see the tell-tale glowing balls of light associated with will-o-the-wisps, but fortunately none seem to approach your camp.
The morning arrives with little of note and you begin you travels to the remains of the lizardfolk village. Shortly after breaking camp you find yourselves at the village - nothing remains but the caved in remnants of the huts. Any bodies left behind have seemingly been carried away by either the trolls or the many scavengers that make their lives in the swamp.
Tove steps forward, her boots sinking slightly into the damp earth as she approaches the ruins of the lizardfolk village. "Keep your eyes open," she says softly, moving slowly.
As she reaches the entrance she pauses, her breath catching as the weight of the devastation settles in her chest. She clenches her jaw as she scans the surrounding carnage. So soon after the village was rescued, now, all that hard work lay undone before her.
She glances up at the sky, then closes her eyes and presses a hand to the symbol of Erastil around her neck, asking Old Deadeye for strength and offering a prayer that another community might one day thrive here.
"Garethane," she asks, "any signs of other patrol on the way here?"
"Or do we have any ideas of where they might be?" She asks the others. "It doesn’t look like they’ve left much to come back for but they might still patrol out here again if they’re hoping to claim the territory for their own."
Azen moves forward to try to find a hut that they can prop up enough to spend the night in.
"Let me get some altitude and see where the nearest patrols are."
Garethane casts Greensight and takes wing, spiraling out from the village for an hour to scout the local area for troll activity.
Should he see inbound trolls, he will immediately head back to the lizard village.
Garethane's initial search reveals nothing, but second, more far-ranging search reveals a scouting party of trolls a number of miles off. Based on their trajectory, you would guess that they will pass well south of the destroyed village.
"They may be on a path to bypass us, but we're better prepared to deal with them than anyone else they might encounter. I vote we hunt them down." Rhiannon recommends.
"There’s no question in my mind." Tove agrees. "The trolls have to be stopped, and we’re the ones to do it."
Celebeth returns from her gruesome errand and says, "Most of the people out here are not equipped to fight off trolls. But we can't keep this up without some rest in between to prepare more magic. If they're going to miss the lizardfolk, maybe we have a little time."
Agree. Let's hunt them down.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Assuming Garethane's observations are correct, you believe that you can intercept the troll scouts about 5 miles south of here. The travel will not be easy through the swamp, but you can make it before the trolls arrive.
Hustling through the soggy muck of the swamp, you trudge your way to the intercept point. Looking around you don't really see any great cover for setting an ambush, but there are a number of old, large cyprus trees that could be used for cover.
Azen climbs one of the trees, trying to find a place where she can wedge herself in and still use her bow from above.
Nodding at Azen's idea, Rhiannon secures her sword and bow on her person before climbing the sturdiest looking of the trees for a good vantage point.