"I think for the moment we keep exploring... but perhaps if we find those dwarven ruins that might be something you'd find worth trading the information for as well."
"Agreed" - Reknar returns to the circle after having no luck with the other gnomes - "Forget the five hundred gold" - he adds with a chuckle - "Let's just get going"
Zelera was surprised at the concept of domesticated kobolds. She would have to ask about that later on. Instead she turned her thoughts to the uptight gnome and his exorbitant price. She thought of trying to steal the maps but decided it wasn't a smart idea, instead she made a mental note of "Master Narthropple" and planned to start a campaign of mischief to pay him back for the rude attitude towards his saviors.
Zelera piped up in support of the cost being too much, "I agree, that is far too much to pay," but it was fairly obvious that she had no clue of the real value involved. "Besides, it's far more enjoyable to explore yourself, you can't see the beauty of nature if you don't experience it."
Saying your goodbyes to the odd group you continue westwards.
As you reach the deeper cover of the forest you become aware of loud voices ahead of you?
"Shuddup! We gonna be close to the meat town inna day. Don't want no one spottin us afore we git some rations. So be keepin quiet!"
Sneaking a little closer your blood runs cold as you easily spot six trolls travelling eastwards.
What are you doing now?
"We could pull back and set up an ambush, I've got those bear traps about still but that might take too much time. Either way weakening them with some ranged fire might be a good opener before they can close. I'm going to regret Elena not being here to cast entangle this time."
Niadroub Kliip explains that he has both grease and flaming sphere prepared. He could open with the grease spell.
Zelera considered what she could do to help against the trolls and finally had an idea enter her head. Very quietly she said, "I can try to turn one of them against the others, it won't last more than a few seconds but if it works he will try to kill his nearest ally. I can try to take another out of the fight or turn him as well with a different spell as long as he can understand me."
Colwyn's face blanches. His body acts paradoxically, simultaneously clapping his hand tightly upon the hilt of his rapier while also plunging into hiding among the surrounding undergrowth.
Although it is impossible that they are the same tribe, as far as Colwyn is concerned, these are the same damnable trolls that rampaged through his home and ate his mother when he was a lad. That had been the end of the golden age of his childhood and the start of a life of vagrancy for Colwyn and his father.
"Foul, green creatures," he whispers. "Cause of all that went wrong in my life. I would see them all burnt."
For the moment, the sight of these hated trolls erases all that he has accomplished from his mind. Colwyn is again the bitter, spiteful toad who would like nothing more than to see these creatures heaped upon a great pyre. He would call down his entire tiny army upon the trolls if he could, even though it would likely mean sending those soldiers to their deaths.
Nevertheless, he turns his worried, cautious eyes to his friends, and Colwyn finds something to temper his impetuous wrath.
"We could pull back and set up an ambush, I've got those bear traps about still but that might take too much time. Either way weakening them with some ranged fire might be a good opener before they can close. I'm going to regret Elena not being here to cast entangle this time."
"Agreed" - Reknar nods - "We need to use our brains this time around. And we definitely need to do something - they are planning on attacking the closest settlement" - he adds - "Lead us to the best trap spot Richard - I may be able to draw them there, since I can speak their language"
Zelera considered what she could do to help against the trolls and finally had an idea enter her head. Very quietly she said, "I can try to turn one of them against the others, it won't last more than a few seconds but if it works he will try to kill his nearest ally. I can try to take another out of the fight or turn him as well with a different spell as long as he can understand me."
"Good thinking. Will that work after the ambush Zelera?" - he questions.
"Foul, green creatures," he whispers. "Cause of all that went wrong in my life. I would see them all burnt."
"Get ready, you may just have your chance" - Reknar winks at Colwyn - "Then you can tell me that story. You pay for the drinks, by the way"
Zelera nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, the spells will work just as fine once the fighting starts, better even as the second has to be able to hear me for it to work right."
Richard considers a few spots to set up the traps.
"Reknar, you have a grasp of the giant tongue, perhaps come up with a quick phrase she can try to say that will work for her spell. The first one not dependent on language is a good opener." He nods to Zelera.
"Niadroub, if this 'Grease' spell has any longevity you could perhaps cast it on that crossroads while we wait. Once they catch wind of us I think they'll move in haste."
"If any flee hold your ground and finish those that are here before we pursue. Some of us can stealth some can not, if we have one brave soul who can not to act as bait it would help make them overconfident and lure them in. Watch each others backs. I'll put down some weaker traps in case they try to flank us."
Niadroub Kliip explains that the grease spell will last about four minutes. He will agree to cast it wherever the plan needs.
"I'll be the bait," Xan said, looking over the trolls, "I think I'll manage. Although aren't these things supposed to be hard to kill?"
Zelera nodded agreement with Richard and turned to Reknar, "How would you say 'He's going to kill you and eat your share, kill him first'? If I use the second spell on the one the first attacked that should turn him on his attacker." Once she had the right phrase Zelera went so she would be in position for her spells and waited quietly for the right time to cast.
A good portion of the battle planning is lost upon Colwyn, drowned out by the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears. He understands that he will get to unleash his pent-up wrath upon these trolls, and that is enough motivation for him to go along with what his more focused comrades have devised.
As the whispered plan is formed, Colwyn takes out his tightly sealed flask of Blue Whinnis and begins dipping a few arrows into the poison.
He then climbs up a tree, settling into the cover of the foliage like a hunting blind, to give himself a commanding view of the soon-to-be battlefield - and to hopefully keep out of reach of the trolls' claws.
Finally, Colwyn hangs his backpack from a nearby, sturdy branch to ensure that his small supply of potions are near at hand should he need them.
Richard considers a few spots to set up the traps.
"Reknar, you have a grasp of the giant tongue, perhaps come up with a quick phrase she can try to say that will work for her spell. The first one not dependent on language is a good opener." He nods to Zelera.
"Niadroub, if this 'Grease' spell has any longevity you could perhaps cast it on that crossroads while we wait. Once they catch wind of us I think they'll move in haste."
"If any flee hold your ground and finish those that are here before we pursue. Some of us can stealth some can not, if we have one brave soul who can not to act as bait it would help make them overconfident and lure them in. Watch each others backs. I'll put down some weaker traps in case they try to flank us."
Zelera nodded agreement with Richard and turned to Reknar, "How would you say 'He's going to kill you and eat your share, kill him first'? If I use the second spell on the one the first attacked that should turn him on his attacker." Once she had the right phrase Zelera went so she would be in position for her spells and waited quietly for the right time to cast.
Reknar tries to explain the inflections of the crude language to Zelera as best as possible, then moves to take up his position, hidden behind a tree.
With the plan set, Xan positioned herself behind the traps, drew her bow, and called out.
"Oi, uglies! Looking for dinner?" she called out before shooting the lead one with her bow.
Zelera kept herself close to Reknar since he seemed to know the language, just in case she forgot the words, and cast a spell to help protect herself from attack. She then did her best to conceal herself from sight and wait for the chance to get close enough to work her magic on the trolls.
"Oi, uglies! Looking for dinner?"
As soon as he hears Xantria speak, Niadroub Kliip lays down a layer of magical grease in the middle of the crossroads.
Hearing Xantria challenge them the Trolls perk up and immediately rumble forward.
Orange squawks is shock as it's feet go out from under it.
What are you doing now?
Zelera would have cursed when all the trolls went the direction they did, it left her out of range fr her part, but she knew the value of adapting to changes from dealing with her siblings. She began to move quietly and kept the underbrush and trees between her and the trolls as she moved closer to the group of oncoming ugly.
Richard releases an arrow at the downed troll. "Niadroub pull back a bit if you can."
Colwyn snaps off his poisoned arrow from his concealed blind, aiming for the troll that has fallen on its arse.
Colwyn then tries to climb higher in the tree, both to continue concealing his presence while also keeping out of reach of the trolls' claws.
"Get ready for the fun boys and girls!" - Reknar roars.
Niadroub cast his flaming sphere and moved back.
Colwyn & Richard both put arrows into the fallen Troll.
Moving past the fallen troll (and avoiding the grease as best she could), Xan positioned herself behind the traps before firing another arrow into the fallen creature.
Xantria puts another arrow into Orange who is howling in rage and pain now.
Orange attempts to stand and fails.
Yellow having seen Xantria moving crashes into the brush to chase her.
The other Trolls are still confused and don't know what's happening advancing slowly and asking Orange what he's doing and what's going on?
The party may now act. Staying stealthy is helping you. :)
Richard knocks and releases another arrow at the downed troll.
Finally in position to wreak havoc Zelera chanted and gestured before pointing at the one troll while she glared at another and said in the rough giant she'd been given, "kill him!" as she forced thoughts of bloodlust and murder into the troll at her indicated target. She then withdrew back into cover in case the spell failed.
From way back, Niadroub Kliip looses his loaded crossbow bolt at the downed troll.
Hoping that the latest volley of fire, both figurative and literal, has ended the threat of the toppled troll, Colwyn aims his next sniping, poisoned arrow at one of the beasts just behind the first. The light of Niadroub's fire illuminates his hulking target.
To keep his foes in the dark - he mentally chuckles at his pun - Colwyn again creeps among the branches so the trolls cannot single him out among the canopy.
"Maybe they'll mistake me for a whole squad of archers," he muses fitfully.
Purple's simple mind is gripped with murderous rage and he lashes out at Yellow. Rending him savagely.
Yellow is stunned by the shock of this betrayal.
He howls "Kill you!" at Purple.
Lashing back at Purple but missing the rend.
Orange dies still howling on the ground as arrows, bolts and fire take him.
Teal moves through the grease and attacks Xantria. Shrieking as it walks into two beartraps.
Yellow is badly wounded, Purple and Teal are wounded. Red and Green are staring in confusion at what is happening with Purple and Yellow?
The Party may act, Reknar you still have an action from the last round.
From his position, Reknar unleashes an arrow at the Teal (Cyan?) one.
Taking advantage of the mayhem, Reknar continues firing arrows.
Pleased with the success of her tactic Zelera began to move again, trying to get into position to cast on another of the trolls. Tricking the first one was so much fun that she couldn't wait to do something similar again.
Richard does his best to help put down the troll before Xantria. Spotting the troll moving through the underbrush he strides forward not wanting to let Xantria get encirled.
As the trolls approached, Xan dropped her bow and readied her sword, bracing to strike once a troll got into reach.
Holding her ground, Xan continued to strike at the one that stumbled into the traps.
Niadroub Kliip moves his five-foot ball of fire to target the new troll, hopefully keeping it out of sight of the trolls further down the path. He reloads his crossbow as he does so.
Sitting among the branches like a tree frog, Colwyn rues two things. First, he resolves that he needs to keep oil handy to burn such damnable creatures as well as his magister does. Secondly, he curses that he is just too far away to pick out vital points in the trolls' hides to properly pepper them with arrows.
He shimmies forward, but hisses as a branch snaps off in his hands. He hopes the din of battle drowns out the sound and does not alert the trolls to his presence. All the same, he mouths a silent prayer to Erastil to guide his next arrow true. Not wanting to break Zelera's spell, he instead grins as he aims for the other troll, being torn apart by his enspelled kin.
The party hammers the soon very dead Teal
Purple is no longer under Zelera's spell, but his blood is up and Yellow, not knowing of the spell just wants to kill him, so he keeps fighting.
Yellow would still be standing, but a sneaky arrow from the bushes sends him to the ground. Purple looking around in confusion for a moment
Red pushes forward and sees some of the party.
"Humies! They be tricking us!"
Green plunges into the bushes heading for the party.
The party may now act.
Zelera qs quite pleased when one of the trolls came closer to her and began to chant and pulled a few components from a pouch as she cast her second spell. When she finished she spoke to the nearest of the trolls and said the words she'd been taught in giant.
With her efforts completed Zlera began to move away from the trolls again as she knew it would end badly if she let them catch her.
Colwyn loses sight of the troll he just targeted as it topples among the thick brush. He turns his attention northward, to one of the brutes standing in the open but seemingly aware of the real threat.
He mutters another quick prayer to Erastil to guide his aim.
Realizing that his hiding spot has been discovered, Colwyn eschews stealth for now to escape being caught like a sitting toad. He grabs his pack from the hanging branch and slides down the boughs of the tree as quickly as he can.
He skids to a stop beside Xantria and begins internally debating whether to hold onto his bow or toss it in favor of his sword. He hopes it doesn't come to that.