Agnar: 10*
Kereek: 9*
Prazil: 20
Treshiell: 20
Orin: 15
Nagrundi: 14
Agnar steps back, letting loose an arrow, but the shaft flies wide as he tries to make sure he doesn't hit Prazil.
Kereek's magic means he doesn't have to worry about such, as he explodes a fireball behind Nagrundi, catching the two-headed troll by surprise.
Prazil presses the attack, but neither his lance nor Spike's horns is enough to penetrate Nagrundi's tough hide. Treshiell's spell has as little effect
Despite his horrid injuries, Orin rushes in. His sword rips into the creature's chest, as he ducks under the creature's jaws.
Nagrundi: 64; -2 attack 5 rounds
Kereek steps forward and gestures toward the dead troll king. "Hargulka am dead! There am no more troll king. You am free to make you way alone, with no troll telling you what to do. We am killing Hargulka because Hargulka am making war with Hartsland. You do no need to make war on Hartsland. You can be walking away. You can be free. Stop fighting and leave. You am can head west, away from Hartsland, away from dead troll king. You can have new life. No need for you to die. No need." Kereek sighs hard, feeling a terrible weight upon his head, the weight of the dead troll king and his wasted future.
Treshiell summons another piece of magic to hurl at the two headed troll but delays to see his reaction to Kereek’s suggestion.
Prazil adds helpfully, "Maybe Narga- Nurgle- maybe two headed troll be king instead? Hmm?" The grey scaled kobold hesitates, ready to still bring his lance to bear should the troll be committed to violence.
--Prazil--
HP: 42/43
AC: 27 (17 T / 22 FF)
CMD: 22
F/R/W: +5/+6/+3
Cavalier's Challenge uses remaining: 0/2
Tactician uses remaining: 2/2
+1 arrows remaining: 20/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Banner: +2 morale bonus vs fear and +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge for all allies w/in 60ft
Fighting Defensively: -4 hit/+2 dodge
Prayer: +1/+1/+1
--Spike--
HP: 39/39
AC: 26 (13T / 23 FF)
CMD: 18 (22 vs trip)
F/R/W: +6/+7(evasion)/+3
Agnar: 10*
Kereek: 9*
Prazil: 20
Treshiell: 20
Orin: 15
Nagrundi: 14
Agnar heals you all once again as Kereek tries to appeal to the two-headed troll. One of the heads seems to a listen for the moment, but the other apparently carries the day and it resumes its attack.
Prazil and Spike jab him, opening minor wounds, as Orin's arrows go flying past and Treshiell's curse
It claws and bites furiously at Prazil, but the tough kobold's armor manages to take all its blows and he isn't able to injure the cavalier.
Nagrundi: 69; -2 attack 5 rounds; misfortune
Agnar takes up his bow again and fires at the troll.
Treshiell reaches out into the air to pluck the eyes from Nagrundi from afar. All while humming an unsettling tune.
Kereek sighs as the murderous head overwhelms the head of good ideas. He raises a finger and launches a glob of acid at the troll! for acid damage!
With the trolls decision made Orin continues with his attacks.
Seeing the wound he scored heal almost as quickly as he dealt it, Prazil tries to work over the troll's defenses and create an opening for Orin to exploit.
--Prazil--
HP: 43/43
AC: 27 (17 T / 22 FF)
CMD: 22
F/R/W: +5/+6/+3
Cavalier's Challenge uses remaining: 0/2
Tactician uses remaining: 2/2
+1 arrows remaining: 20/20
-Ongoing Effects-
Banner: +2 morale bonus vs fear and +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge for all allies w/in 60ft
Fighting Defensively: -4 hit/+2 dodge
Prayer: +1/+1/+1
--Spike--
HP: 39/39
AC: 26 (13T / 23 FF)
CMD: 18 (22 vs trip)
F/R/W: +6/+7(evasion)/+3
Agnar: 10*
Kereek: 9*
Prazil: 20
Treshiell: 20
Orin: 15
Nagrundi: 14
Agnar's bolt bounces of Nagrundi's tough hide, though Kereek's splash of acid has a touch more effect. But then Treshiell's spell takes effect, blinding the two-headed monster, and letting Orin finish it with relative ease.
The cave falls silent as the battle concludes.
Nagrundi: 70; -2 attack 5 rounds; misfortune
Prazil whoops as the two-headed troll collapses. He spins around to look at all his long-leg companions, a bright smile beaming on his face. "Did we do it? Am we for having stopped a war?" The spirited little kobold can barely contain his exuberance and his big eyes shine with excitement.
Kereek aims another few acidic splashes at the two-headed troll just to make certain it's down for good. He then walks over to the dead troll kind and sighs. "We am stopping war. But why am troll not seeing reason? Why am trolls all for fight-fight? What am trolls looking to get that death am so preferable? Kereek am not knowing, but Kereek am worried."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Those ruled by strength often feel justified to take what they want. That's why when Jon, Orin, and Treshiell found me I was stuck in a cave holding off a mob of bandits."
Orin looks at prazil "Trolls are a fractious lot. With out a strong leader they will eventually wander off. My only concern is how much damage they'll cause before then."
With his sword at the ready Orin will sneak off down the remaining corridor.
Kereek sighs, casts detect magic and goes lookin' for treasure!
Orin heads down the rough tunnel, which widens into a 30-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 a niche in the northwest corner of the cavern he discovers a stash of 1,902 sp, 888 gp, and a dusty rose stone carved into a prism.
In the throneroom, Kereek discovers an amulet of natural armor +2 on the two-headed giant and, on Hargulka, a necklace with six red stones that detects as magic, +1 hide armor, +1 darkwood thundering morningstar, and a rusty key wedged inside a skull on his bracelet.
Also, tacked to the western wall of the cavern is a large map drawn on the back of a thylacine hide. Several locations, including the troll lair and Thronehold, are marked on the map, some marked with large X marks along with several arrows and other marks showing planned raids and routes of attack.
In the wagon that apparently served as Hargulka's bed is a chest that the rusty key opens. Inside are a small statue of a dragon carved from exotic wood worth 200 gp, a gold necklace with a jade pendant worth 500 gp, several pieces of minor jewelry worth a total 750 gp, five medium quality gemstones worth 100 gp each, three bottles of fine wine worth 15 gp each, an engraved silver tankard worth 50 gp, 1,484 cp, 3,550 sp, and 652 gp.
Kereek hurries over to the map and studies it, reading it aloud phonetically before translating.
Treshiell looks at the decapitated body of Hargulka. "What if they get a strong leader? One of the two heads seemed willing to take Kereek up on his offer. Are the trolls easy to organize or was Hargulka special?"
It appears that the trolls have been carrying out a series of organized, planned attacks in the region against locations where civilization has intruded on the Stolen Lands. Areas where fey creatures live, however, have been carefully marked to avoid.
"Hmph. Trolls have marked places where people am settling, but am marking fey for staying away. Why am they troubling little fey and little fey dragon then?"
"The only reason I can think is that they're friends of ours, but how would Hargulka know that? He was pretty smart for a troll, but they're not exactly good spies."
"Maybe stupid troll am attacking fey dragon and fey bug not on dead Hargulka's orders? It am no matter. Hargulka am made him choice. We am for taking treasure and map and magic and heading back to Thronehold, yes yes?"
"Perhaps a deal was struck and they where not included. Which makes us wonder, who talks for the fey? Does the notes hold anything of the other enteties Hargulka tried to recruit. The lizard folk? The sooth scales?"
"Let's load up and sort this out back home. We can sit in council with Jon and sort this all out," Agnar says, wrinkling his nose. "It's hard to think with the smell of burnt troll so heavy in the air."
"So, am trolls friends with fey or scared of fey?" Prazil scratches his head, not understanding overly much of what's being said or the regional implications.
Vaguely disturbed by the circle, Orin will walk over to it and remove the skulls from it before marring as much of the blood as he can. "Before we go we need to decide what to do with those Trollhounds. We can't just leave them chained up to starve to death. We an either release them back into the wild, which I'm against, or we can put them down."
"Do as you wish", Treshiell tells Orin absently before returning to the map. She tracers her fingers over the map before taking it down and folding it into a more transportable package. Before leaving she scans the circle for magic.
"If troll doggies am just hungry, maybe we could be for keeping them?"
Kereek shakes his head. "Troll dogs am too mean to let free. Kereek am for killing them. Kereek am having acid spells to make sure dogs stay dead, yes yes."
Prazil frowns but doesn't argue, his nascent dream of being Hartsland's Houndmaster in addition to Marshall dying as quickly as it was born. "OK. If you am for thinking that's best."
Feeling victorious, you being making your way back home. The start of the trip is uneventful, and spirits are high, despite Prazil and Kereek's disappointment. As you get close, however, something feels wrong.
You arrive to find Thronehold in shambles. Newly plowed fields have been torn up, trees have been knocked down, livestock has been slaughtered and buildings have been flattened. A pall of smoke and dust hangs over the town, and the few people on the streets mill about in shock, as if they have just come from a war zone.
Your first inquiries are met first with blank stares, but eventually the whole story comes out: With the militia deployed to fight the various troll armies, the town was attacked by a terrifying monster of immense size, part bear and part owl, that crashed into the town and killed dozens before it had its fill of destruction and lumbered off into the hills to the south!
Kereek gapes, his mouth open and his eyes staring at the destruction. "Owl-bear? What am making bear-owl come into town and make mess? We am for stopping this owl-bear from making more mess, yes yes?"
"Bearowls?! Prazil was not for thinking we am killed the only one back with bandits!" Realizing suddenly how insensitive he's being, Prazil turns to Orin with a reassuring look on his scaly face, "Prazil am sure Baron Jon am safe and not hurt though, Orin. You am not needing to be for worrying." He shoots Kereek a look that says "Prazil hopes Prazil am right!" before offering Orin another reassuring smile.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Agnar's face flushes and his knuckles whiten as his grip tightens on his bow. "Damn it. We take care of one threat and another one pops up before we've dealt with the first one." He chews on one of the ends of his mustache, scowling and surveying the destruction before speaking again.
"We need to see Jon, if he's here, let him know about the trolls, and then get some rest. Then we track the beast back to its lair and ensure it never hurts another soul again."
An investigation reveals that Jon was called out to help against one of the armies of trolls. He's not in the city, but it's believed he's in no greater danger than anyone else in Hartsland.
"Hmm. We am ought to go after bear-owl now. Before it am have time to hide."
"I suppose you're right," replies Agnar, sighing. "Give me a bit of time to be sure any wounded are being properly cared for, and then we can go after the brute."
Assuming there are any wounded, Agnar will ensure there are enough clean bandages, water, and general healing supplies to go around. He'll use a channel energy or two if there are any close to death's door, to ensure they don't die before the group returns.
The owlbear’s trail is simple to follow. It heads south, leaving a swath of felled trees, trampled brush, and churned earth across the southern Kamelands.
On the second day of pursuit, you arrive in territory you haven't been, eventually coming to a dark, gaping hole yawning in the side of a large, rocky hillock.
The earth in front of the cave has been trampled flat, and shattered trees and stumps bear the marks of powerful claws. Tufts of dark fur are snagged in branches, and huge feathers litter the ground.
"Oooooo. Prazil am thinking we am here." He looks to the bigger folk, Orin and Agnar in particular, and asks, "Ummm, what now?"
"Well. it looks like we've come to the right place." Orin says looking down at Prazil. With that he loosens his sword in it's scabbard before heading up to the caves mouth.
Once there he'll pause for a moment to listen for any sounds coming from inside.
Not hearing anything definitive he will enter the cave, sticking to the wall as he enters to make sure he is not silhouetted against the opening.
Agnar glances at Orin, speaking quietly. "Draw it out here, where we've got room, or risk the cave? I've a few spells I'd like to cast before we go to work. I'll have Fang circle the thing and flank with you and Prazil, harry it until we can take it down."
Prazil nods, adding cheerily, "Prazil am for liking Agnar's shrewd battle tactics!"