Melianse shakes her head. "No, I don't want saplings, I want fully grown shade trees!"
She thinks a bit then brightens. "I know! The Dryad to the west has some tree tokens. If you get five off her to replace my trees then everything is settled."
What is your response?
Lisl purses her lips but if Isabel or Darian glances at her she nods subtly.
|
"We're going west anyway..." Isabel glances to Lisl and, receiving her nod (and Freya's presumably) offers her hand to the fey.
"Then we have our accord. I'm glad this could be resolved without bloodshed."
Dispatching the loggers with a letter of introduction to Akiros (or Ludi if Akiros can't read) Isabel insists on riding a mile or two with them to make sure they don't renege on the deal before turning west again.
"So we're looking for a dryad. Hopefully she'll be friendly." She says with a smile.
”Agreed. I’ve heard tales of Fey Queens...” Darian says cryptically without looking at his wife, less his poker face might falter and his jest not strike home.
You travel west, the woods are deep now and nearly completely unmarked by any of civilizations marks. After a days travel you encounter a recently made trail where a group of large humanoids have passed by heading north and east.
Trolls, at least four of the brutes and only a few hours ago.
What are you doing now?
Darian reigns in his horse and signals for a halt before dismounting and looking over the trail. ”Anyone have an idea as to what made this trail?”
(free use of inspiration)
Freya regards the tracks momentarily before responding. "Trolls. At least four of them, maybe three or four hours ago."
"Do we wish to pursue them, or shall we continue on toward the dryad?"
Darian squats down beside the tracks and thinks a moment. ”Trolls moving through the land we are responsible for is a big risk. The dryad is a side errand...let us deal with the threat and then resume our trek to meet with her,” he says as he stands. He remounts his horse and calls out ”Dante!”
The head of the groups personal guard rides up and asks ”Sir?”
”Find a suitable place to establish camp, while we track and deal with these trolls. Try not to harm the land, we are guests here after all. Find a nice natural clearing. We will return shortly,” Darian says as he reigns his horse around in the direction of the troll trail.
”As you command, my lord,” Dante replies. He turns back to the men and begins ordering riders to search for a good defensible position fitting the ordered description to set up the camp.
”Let’s move out! Lord Orlovsky, if you’d be so kind to take point as Lady Vel...I mean...as Freya tracks them?”
Freya allows herself a small smirk as Darian "corrects" himself.
"Alright, after the trolls it is." Turning to her faithful companion she says, "Come on Fenrir, let's find these green-skinned behemoths."
(free use of inspiration)
"Trolls?" Josef doesn't sound particularly happy. "Those are pretty hard to keep down. What have we got for them?" Even as he whines and complains about the beating to come, he moves forward and starts following the trail as best he can.
”I do not know much of trolls,” says Lisl. ”What do we need?”
Troll
CE Large humanoid (giant)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 14; (+2 Dex, +5 natural, –1 size)
hp 63 (6d8+36); regeneration 5 (acid or fire)
Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +3
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d8+5), 2 claws +8 (1d6+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d6+7)
TACTICS
During Combat Trolls are single-minded berserkers in combat. They attack the nearest foe without hesitation and don’t stop until that foe is down.
Morale Because of their regenerative abilities, trolls are fearless. Even flames or the presence of acid don’t slow them down—they always fight to the death.
Languages Giant
ECOLOGY
Environment cold mountains
Organization solitary or gang (2–4)
Treasure standard
The Trolls are not in any particular hurry it seems, you soon close in enough to hear them talking to each other idly as they stroll along.
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As they ride, Darian reminisces quietly. "My father, back in Kintargo, he loved to hunt. He would go out with a group at least once a week during the warm months to find some game. Depending on what they found, they'd either fix it in a big group dinner, or he'd sell the excess to a local butcher."
"Anyway. One evening I remember he came home, and the men weren't as...jovial as usual. Several men had died, and they didn't have any game. He later told me about how they had come across a troll hunting the same elk that they were after. He said the troll tore into them like a fearless nightmare. Talked about how it ripped men's arms off like they were twigs on an old dead tree. Bit another in half like a strip of jerky. It took all they could throw at it to bring it down, but it wouldn't stay down. Got back up and tore my dad's houndmaster's leg off. He said the things wounds just kept closing on their own like magic. Eventually, they burned the thing while a few of the men kept stabbing it to just keep it down. The fire seemed to do the trick."
After a brief pause, he adds "He later told me he had learned that acid worked well against the beasts too. So on his future hunts, he always carried a flask of acid and a flask of alchemist fire with him. I believe we have a couple flasks of the fire with us. We should distribute those. And when we get them down, pile them up and burn them. After we get the troll blood we need, of course..."
__________
When the trolls can be heard, Darian reigns in his horse and dismounts, tying it off to a nearby tree. As he does, he gets his bow and whispers to the others "Let's do what we can at range first, we should be able to get at least one volley off before they close. Bring them down one at a time as fast as possible, and someone try and burn them whenever possible to keep them down."
He then lights a torch and puts it in his shield sconce for easy retrieval later before moving up slowly as the group makes preparations...
Johanna uses a charge of her wand before the group approaches too close. (45/50 charges)
"I have not fought such a creature either just heard stories. I am ready as I can be. Do we have a plan other than get them?"
Josef shrugs at the question, but nods and points at Darian as he answers. "That sounds right."
As Darian goes through the effort of lighting a torch and placing it, Josef throws his light stone into orbiting his head. "Ranged it is. I hope."
When the group starts preparations, Lisl bows her head and prays feverishly for a multitude of blessings, hoping that this might turn the tide.
Bless
Prayer
Shield of Faith - on Josef
Magic Weapon - on Josef
Divine Favor
Red yelps in shock as 4 arrows sink deep into his back.
"Fenrir, stay close for now." Freya commands her companion before casting a spell in hopes of blinding a pair of the trolls.
The Trolls turn and seek out the source of the attack.
Lumbering your way with arrogant confidence.
The party may now act, except for Lisl. She goes after the Trolls next actions.
Darian steps forward and let’s loose another volley of arrows at the front troll!
Hoping to keep the trolls at bay, or at least slow them down, Freya casts a spell that causes the plant life to write and grab at the creature's legs.
Red drops as Darian & Josef turn him into a porcupine, Josef putting one well placed arrow into his throat.
Green howls in anger as the plants bind him in place.
Yellow & Orange force their way though to plants, hurrying to reach you.
Lizl may act, then looping back to everyone else again.
Round 1
Johanna moves to the front rank and readies to take a 5' step and attack the first one to come within 10'. She will also be parrying any attacks that comes her way.
Round 2
As the group brings down one of the creatures she continues her plan to protect the front readying to step and attack while parrying any attacks that comes at her.
Lisl blasts the trolls with a burst of radiance, a flare of white-hot energy that flashes them with blinding light!
rounds
Darian, Josef & Isabel may go, Joanna is ready to defend.
Darian continues letting arrows fly, this time at the next nearest troll.
__________
Since Red is down, for now, Josef will shoot at the next closest. Looks like a toss-up between Orange or Green, actually, but Orange is probably the one closer to Darian, so I'll put my arrows with his . . ..
Yellow forces his way to the end of the entanglement area.
Isabel bolts Red & Orange.
Darian & Josef pepper Orange with arrows.
The party may now act.
Freya reaches for a wand and utilizes its protective magic while waiting for the trolls to come within the range of her spells.
Darian rushes up to the very edge of the writhing, grasping plant life and let’s another arrow fly at the troll nearest its edge.
__________
Lisl advances somewhat so that she is in range for her prayer spell to both affect the party beneficially and hinder the trolls.
Josef adjusts his position, slightly, and continues throwing arrows at whichever target Darian selects.
Yellow grunts in annoyance as Darien & Josef put arrows into him, forcing his way out of the entangling plants he begins to push through the brush towards you.
Joanna readies for when he gets close.
Green & Orange are blind still, so they don't do anything more than struggle in the plants.
The party may now act. Yellow has partial cover on you this round
Josef steps towards the only troll which seems an immediate threat before trying to put more arrows in it.
Darian drops his bow on the ground and draws his sword as he advances on the troll that has escaped the entanglement. He thrusts it up towards its rib cage as the blade flares with a bit more of his internal magic.
__________
Freya conjures a ball of molten metal in her hand and hurls it in the direction of the free troll.
(vs. touch AC, inspire, bless, prayer, cover)
(inspire, prayer)
Yellow takes Josef's arrows and Darian's blade with anger, but Freya's spell makes him shriek in fear until he collapses dead.
Green & Orange regain their sight and lurch to their feet, bellowing in rage.
Orange still struggles with the plants, but Green tears himself free and makes the edge of the zone.
Lisl, then everybody else may act.
(Prayer)
Johanna tumbles in close trying to avoid the Trolls long limbs.
(IC,Bless,Prayer)
(IC,Bless,Prayer)
(IC,Prayer)
Lisl, meanwhile, gives Johanna a bit of inspiration. "Surely these should be no trouble for you."
Joanna moves in under the flailing arms of Green and cuts deeply.
Darian slashes our with his sword against the troll that had moved up to the edge beside him. His enhanced speed allows him to make two speedy slices at the advancing troll.
___________
"You could have kept using the bow, contributing excellently, and let the swordsman close to the edge of the spell, you know. Now there's just no room for me to join you."
Josef adjust slightly again, before seeing if he can't shoot to the left of his companions and still strike the closer moving troll.