If someone is more skilled Beorn defers and assists. Otherwise he works to prepare the food.
”Good morning and good riddance to this one. Have fun babysitting, we’re going to go track down some trolls.” Beorn says trying to get his companions moving before they get tagged with an additional duty.
Zod rolls over now in his new bed of leaves, some 1,000 feet from the hill giant. Likely with the rest of the group. He lazily says as he stretches, "Ahhhh... mmmmm.... thanks again Beorn that roast deer was great! I can still taste it. Oh we ready to head out?" He shakes his head and splashes some water into his face. Getting up he brushes off some spiders from his shoulder. He grabs his weapons, one for each of his sizes.
He walks over to the black pegasus and rubs it down.
Dinner was good.
Beorn knew what he was doing and judging my the other's expressions, they agreed.
Koldur tries to join in the conversation with the Hill Giant, but he wearied of it fast. The twice dammed creature was a true glutton with every other sentence mentioning food of some sorts. The old weapons master couldn't keep up with that.
As for sleep. By the Gods! He ended having to move away a distance before getting some semi comfortable shuteye. Even then the ground trembled with every snore. Luckily he was able to get his sleep when Soar Wing joined in and nearly smothered him with its bulk but it kept the snores away.
In the morning, Koldur was awake early and preparing his equipment when Sable arrived. With little words to expressed his relief at what he said, He nodded and prepared to mount Soar Wings and fly with the rest for troll hunting.
He needed to vent somehow.
Flouncy has, over the years, developed the ability to sleep through just about anything.
Then this happened. It sounded like a huge crew of woodsmen were sawing down a forest all at once.
He distanced himself as far as practical, and was grateful to see the dawn.
She offers graciously, "I brought some supplies that should help fight trolls. Though my own spells may be more effective if you would have me?" She does hand Koldur a chest. Opening it up you see it is cushioned and sectioned off inside, revealing 10 bottles of alchemist fire, 10 bottles of acid, and 20 potions of cure light. She offers Beorn a quiver, saying, "Either way these arrows should help, they are acidic. There is such a back order onagical items that those wont be ready for a few weeks. I am lookimg into s3nding someone to recruit more magic item crafters. I fear I will need to go be the recruiter."
"You're more than welcome to play if you want. Thanks for the arrows and alchemists fire. I have some but I figured we'd just beat them into the ground and burn them up. Your additional supplies will give us other options." Beorn says. He then removes his pack and quiver and rearranges some of the items so that he gets all of the new arrows in his efficient quiver. (how many arrows are they? Are they magical 1d6 acid or alchemical 1d4 acid?)
"Your help would be much appreciated though your concerns on havign enough magic craftsman is important as well. I was hoping among the gnome explorers we are searching for may include one such in their numbers?" Koldur grins as he sees the newest supplies given by Olivia.
10 arrows are +1 with the caustic property on them as well. 20 arrows are MC alchemical acid 1d4.
She states, "I will join you then, it would be good to expend more of my spells compared to late."
She did not come on a pegasus and unfurls her black feathered wings behind her.
You fly over the land, soon you enter into forested hilly terrain, staying above it you easily get to the area that the hill giant was talking about and you begin searching for a an ancient dwarven outpost in a clearing.
A narrow path winds its way up the hill, a steep cliff face on
one side and a sheer drop-off on the other. At the top, the path
follows a wide ledge, where the corner of a weathered stone
building juts from the side of the hill.
50% low it notices you.
-2
Before you can even land you hear the roaring of creatures.
There is not much of a ledge to land upon.
"They're on top of the hill as well as inside the building. Stay alert. I think we should clear top to bottom. Land on the hill, vanquish those and then move to the building if its inhabitants have not stalked out after us by then."
She seems almost too happy to be in action again, "That sounds good, since landing on that narrow walkway would be hazardous. Shall I bring the thunder?"
Not knowing what exactly she is referring to but interested see Beorn says, "Sure, ladies first."
"Strange that they would choose this terrain and would sound it off. Are the gnomes here instead? I could block off those in the building while the rest of you finish the ones on the hill." Koldur suggests even as he gets Soar wing ready for a fly by for the arms master to drop off and enter the fight with his axes in hand.
"After Olivia has given them a courtesy greeting of course." he nods to Olivia to give them hell.
Hearing Koldur's remarks, the halfling says, They may be celebrating because they captured the gnomes. I don't know, but I can sneak inside and look for them. I'll ride with you, if you're going straight at them.
Surprise Round...
With encouragement she makes some arcane motions with her hands and then states some arcane words, "Flamish Scaldis! I will bring the fireball when there are more of them near each other." With that done she shoots two red rays at the troll on the top of the hill.
Surprise round.
Koldur nods at Flouncy and has Soar Wing get him as close as possible to the ledge so that he can get to the bulding in question.
Not feeling overly stable to shoot and fly but thinking it may be a good idea to start practicing such, Beorn takes his pegasus down toward the ground where he can put his feet on something solid and make the beasts hurt. He chooses a spot out from where any monsters actively are to keep the stallion out of danger.
In flight, Flouncy casts Message, Fly, then Invisibility on himself.
If Koldur got him close enough, Flouncy will make a silent beeline straight into this mess.
I landed. I gotta get inside.
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Koldur loses sight of Flouncy and isn't sure where the halfling went. The his voice came floating by and still no halfling in sight.
I'm just going in to see if the gnomes are inside. They won't notice me if you can keep them busy for a minute.
Flouncy flies, invisible, and goes inside.
Soar wings flies forward 90 feet with a good amount of descent, he is now 30 feet above the ledge and close to the door.
The troll on top of the hill gets hit by two rays and howls in pain.
Beorn lands on the North side of the hill, giving him a nice view of the hill.
Flouncy disappears, his mount veers off as soon as the halfling begins flying himself.
The corpse is that of a luckless halfling trader, partially devoured by the trolls and their pets.
Creatures: A troll stands next to the table, feeding
scraps of the unfortunate halfling to one of the gang’s
trollhounds, a slavering, brutish beast that looks like a
monstrous cross between a troll and a warhound.
Flouncy stays airborne and moves quietly, first going south, then west.
Seeing the brutal feast, he fights the urge to vomit, but thinks this may have been a member of the unfortunate party of gnomes.
He spends a round looking for other passageways, any place where surviving gnomes may be imprisoned.
Then another round.
When you went South, you go up the flight of stairs and find a troll in your path at the top of the tower.
Heading West you find there is a path North and South:
North is the KENNEL.
Three thick chains are bolted to the northern wall, and the
floor is covered with bones, half-eaten rotting meat, and
mounds of foul-smelling dung.
Creatures: Two trollhounds are chained to the northern
wall of this room. The chains, connected to iron collars
around the trollhounds’ necks, are long enough to allow
the trollhounds to reach any part of the room. As you enter the room they get up and sniff the air.
South R6. STOREROOM:
Stacked boxes, barrels, crates, and bags fill this room from floor to
ceiling and line the crude wooden shelves along the walls. A rough
hole gapes in the southern wall, leading deeper into the hillside.
Further into the lair: R7. NAGRUNDIÔS ROOM
The rough tunnel widens into a thirty-foot-high natural cavern
hung with dripping stalagmites. Gnawed bones litter the floor,
while the northern portion of the room holds a collection of
severed, humanoid heads arranged around a large circle drawn
on the floor with dried blood.
In this room there is a giant, two-headed
brute the monster stands erect (not hunched over, like most trolls) at 15 feet tall and has mottled grayish skin.
Or
Further into the lair: R8. TROLL BARRACKS
This floor of this wide cavern is littered with half a dozen pallets
made of branches, leaves, and smelly, uncured hides.
Four trolls laze about as two stand guard at the entrance.
Beyond the Troll Barracks: R9. LARDER
The air in this cavern seems somewhat cooler than that of the
rest of complex, but the stench of decaying flesh hangs heavy
in the air. Along the walls are stacked the carcasses of dozens
of beasts, from foxes and wolves to deer and elk, as well as a
couple of horses and what appears to be a skinned bear. The
southern portion of the room holds a grislier collection of
corpses: the bodies of several humanoids, from gnomes and
halflings to humans and elves. Most of the cadavers seem to
have been decapitated.
There is a rock troll in the Larder. Rock trolls are a rarer version of
standard trolls, standing a few feet taller and possessing
rocky, earth-colored skin studded with small crystals.
Subterranean by nature, rock trolls are turned to stone by
natural sunlight.
Or
Beyond the Troll Barracks: R10. HARGULKAÔS ROOM (CR 8)
The ceiling of this cavern arches thirty feet overhead. A wagon
with its wheels removed sits against the eastern wall, heaped
with smelly furs, and a single barrel stands in the southwest
corner. Against the northern wall, a crude throne carved from
a giant tree stump sits atop a makeshift dais made of boulders,
with a large bearskin spread on the floor before it.
A troll rests in the wagon as if it was a bed.
Koldur has Soar wings bring him closer before he leaps off his trusted mount and bid him to keep away from the fight likely to occur. With his axes in hand, Koldur waits. at the entrance of the building.
Seeing no live humanoids, Flouncy goes back outside and looks for Koldur.
I saw no living people. Just dead ones, the halfling whispers.
There are 5 or 6 trolls, a stone troll, and an ettin inside. This will take some work.
As Flouncy's voice floats towards him from somewhere.
Koldur grimaces.
"That maybe a little too much troll to handle by myself."
We're going to need the whole crew. Let's join up with the others and start at the top. Maybe that will draw them out. You don't want to go in there. It stinks!
"Agreed but are those inside coming out?" Koldur asks concerned at the numbers arrayed against them
Soar wings flies forward 90 feet with a good amount of descent, he is now 30 feet above the ledge and close to the door.
The troll on top of the hill gets hit by two rays and howls in pain.
Beorn lands on the North side of the hill, giving him a nice view of the hill.
Flouncy disappears, his mount veers off as soon as the halfling begins flying himself.
Up on the hill you can see one troll hiding next to a pillar. It got hit by a few fiery rays from Olivira. The troll does its best to stay on the other side of the pillar from the flying arcane spell slinger.
Beorn maneuvers on the rock outcropping to get line of sight on the troll. He will continue to try and get so that he is shooting at it from the near opposite side of Olivira so it has no cover from him or if it moves it will have no cover from her. (firing all regular arrows)
Under a hail of arrows from Beorn, the troll drops.
Olivira flies down and makes sure that it is dead, casting burning hands.
Beorn then hustles to the opening to find the others. (double move, 70')
Koldur lets Flouncy inform them of what he's found inside.
Beorn, Olivira, and the others follow behind on the path. Flouncy says... as the group is 30 feet from the entrance. On the walkway with a sheer drop.
"We either lure them out or go in and take them out as fast as we can." Koldur checks with his companions.
"With a precarious entrance such as this it would seem luring them out is the best option. No sense in fighting more than one giant at a time. The trick will be getting them to come out." Beorn says pondering his own statement.
She theorizes hovering above the group, "Shall we collect some wood and make a fire within their compound to smoke them out, they are afraid of fire? Then we can go in invisible, Flouncy how many more do you have prepared, I have one prepared."
"If we smoke them out there should be no reason to go in. I'll go collect some wood but it seems to be a rather large structure in there. It may take quite a bit of wood to get a good smoke throughout." Beorn says heading up to get wood for a fire.
"How long is that going to take?" Koldur muses as he joins Beorn.
She theorizes hovering above the group, "Shall we collect some wood and make a fire within their compound to smoke them out, they are afraid of fire? Then we can go in invisible, Flouncy how many more do you have prepared, I have one prepared."
I can cast it about 5 more times, but it ends as soon as you attack. I'm not experienced enough to cast the better Invisibility.
"Good to know Flouncy. Let's go collect some wood." She says as she flies to the top of the hill going for the trees and begins hacking at them with an axe. She pulls out several MC Battle Axes for others to use should they want one.
Things easily settle down within the fort. None of the trolls seem interested in what has occurred on top, they may not have known about it or don't care.
It takes your group 15 minutes to collect 20 pounds of wood. You could continue,