The gnome reloads his crossbow, peeking out and shooting at a visible guard if one happens to be in range. If an archer doesn't present himself as a target, Bugsby tries to get a shot at the troll. "Ankih, didIhandyouthegrapplinghook?" he asks, trying to recall who has it.
Kalt winces in pain at the multiple wounds he's suffered, then collects himself. He takes a quick step forward past Sven, and lands a devastating blow on the troll.
Avora, spear in hand, dashes at the troll, roaring like an enraged grizzly.
" I might have Bugsby, but if I did it's in my pack."
The troll howls in rage as Sven and Kalt cleave large gashes across it's chest, blood and ichor spraying all over Avora and she dashes right up next to the Troll.
Bugsby's shot strikes the edge of the rampart and deflects away from the guardsman.
Noting the man running along the outer ring of the upper walls, Gilganis snaps his crossbow level with his eyes and takes a careful aim, following the man's movements as he quickly heads out of sight. With a careful squeeze of the trigger he sends the missile flying towards the quickly vanishing target...
...when he realizes that he forgot to put the bolt in the correct way, and the missile spirals out of control and ends up flying into a wall and shattering.
Seeing the incredible amount of damage the two ulfen have done to the troll in so short a time, the remaining guards flee in a panic, dreading the thought of meeting that axe or blade again. The distant guard makes it through the door while the others make it most of the way around the circular ramparts.
Howling in rage over the vicious attack, the troll focuses in on Kalt, the one who fired the stinging arrows and shredded it’s torso with a blade. In full fury, he lunges forward with both claws, piercing armor and flesh, grasping the bones within the lanky ulfen’s chest. His foe in grasp, he chomps down hard on Kalt’s shoulder, blood spraying out at odd angles for the gaping wound. Then, in horror to everyone, slowly begins to pull the man apart from the inside. Bones splinter and muscles tear as the troll tears open his chest, butterflying his ribs and exposing his entrails for all to see. Tossing aside the corpse, it howls in victory, while glaring at the others in the courtyard.
"Nooooooo!" Avora screams in anger and horror, tears streaming down her face. Roaring with rage (literally), she stabs at the troll with her spear, screaming "Die, die, die!" Unfortunately, her anger clouds her aim, causing the attack to come up short.
"Ankih!" she shouts, "Do something Hurry!"
Ankih gapes in astonishment as he watches his northern friend become eviscerated.
" Noooo! Burn monster!!!"
He shouts as he hurls his last fiery orb at the troll.
The fire in his hands flickering out, he stumbles up behind Kalt, frantically trying to find some way to restore him.
Ahh Milady. Help me, I know not what to do with one so far gone...
If only I had healed him instead of playing with fire...This is my fault! Forgive me friend Kalt.
Ankih's fire sears the troll, enraging it further. However, in it's dance of death with Sven and Avora, the two notice it's blows are becoming sluggish and less accurate, as if the numerous wounds are slowly getting the better of it.
The axe bites home deeply. The beast staggers slightly, trying to maintain his consciousness, but the wounds are too much for it to bear and it slumps to its knees. Even as the beast collapses, Avora and Sven can see the natural regeneration of the Troll trying to begin pulling it self together around the scorch marks from Ankih’s divine flame.
His crossbow slips from nerveless fingers and clatters to the ground as the beast takes Kalt apart. He watches numbly as Sven and Ankih finish the foul beast off. Without even realizing it the small gnome runs over to the fallen monster, drawing his small knife as he moves. He quickly casts protoplasm, the acidic spell wrapping about the beasts face, and then starts stabbing the troll with wild abandon.
After about ten bloody stabs, and the gnome makes sure the thing is finished, his small body remarkably covered in gore for one who didn't actually assist in the fight in any fashion. His small, angry eyes deliberately avoid looking at the form of his fallen friend, instead radiating a kind of madness, "Weneedtogoaftertheguards! Weneedtokillthem!" and runs back to retrieve his crossbow.
"No! Ankih! Heal him! He can't be beyond your help!" Avora refuses to accept the inevitable.
Bugsby forces himself to look at the canvas wrapped shroud of his friend, "Hewassuchagoodone." he laments quietly to himself, a single tear trailing down his cheek. Shaking his head he turns to an ice chute and tries to ascend it -not making it far at all.
"AnkihorSomeone, canyoutossupthegrapplinghook? There'sfewarchersI'dliketogoafter." he asks impatiently, sounding a little callous and clearly handling the sudden loss poorly.
Bugsby climbs the rope adroitly, and approaches the north rampart door with a critical gaze, running his fingers over it lightly. He also quickly casts detect magic as he examines the door, and casts it down into the area of their battle for good measure, making sure they're leaving nothing behind.
After dealing with the troll and carefully collecting their comrade, the group prepares to chase after the guardsmen who sent the troll after them. It takes a few minutes to scale the ice floes, even with a rope caught on the distant wall. Eventually, the group assembles on the northern rampart and Bugsby begins to examine the icy door for anything unusual. Soon, he declares it safe, but as he does so, the sounds of shouting can be heard from above.
Suddenly, a form appears on the elevated aerie above and another is tossed bodily from the ledge. The man screams as he falls the long distance to the ground below, bouncing a few feet before laying there, unmoving. At this distance, it appears to be dressed in a guardsman uniform.
Ankih stares in shock as Sven wraps their friend in canvas, and then ascends the chute after Bugsby.
I thought we would be able to beat anything. With their prowess and my healing...Thank you for revealing my hubris Milady. But at such a high cost! Almost more than bearable...
His descent into self-pity is halted by the sound of a body impacting the ground.
"Sven! Bugsby! Wait don't rush off alone! We can't lose anyone else..."'Looking at the others.."Avora, Gil we must catch up to them. We need to stick together!"
Ankih grabs his gear and runs toward the rope, before stopping and returning to the Ulfen's body.
Dropping to his knees, and laying his holy symbol on the warriors chest...
" May Sarenrae's guiding light lead you to whichever afterlife you prefer, Kalt Isson! Know that your Name and Deeds will NOT be forgotten!
Blessed be Milady!"
The door opens to reveal a switchback staircase that descends toward the ground floor. No sound is heard from within the stair well. However, the stairway is a fairly tight fit, and the group is forced to go single file as they descend. Reaching the bottom, another door is closed and locked.
Bugsby repeats his door inspection at this new portal, checking behind him to make sure theyre all together.
Bugsby determines that the door is safe, and opens it. The room beyond is filled with steamy air, emanating in lazy wisps from a bubbling pool recessed into the floor of a raised dais surrounded by six pillars of ice. Four foggy mirrors hang from the walls near ice sculptures of helmeted pike wielding warriors. At either end of the hall a glassy pattern of striated, crystalline ice covers the tiled floor in this open alcove, illuminated by a soft, blue light.
The gnome surveys the room with red-rimmed eyes, his gaze quick and distrusting. The usual inquisitiveness and acceptance found there is missing, replaced by the lost look of one who has seen something truly horrific. He quickly casts detect magic and scans all visible area's of the room.
The striated, crystalline ice radiates a powerful conjuration aura and the mirrors have minor divination.
Gilganis takes a moment as the guards flee to gather his thoughts, and reaches the spot where Kalt fell. His eyes roam over the wounds on the fallen man's body and he sighs to himself.
I only just met you, yet I feel that we have lost so much. Too much. May your soul find a better place. One without the evil that infests this land so deeply.
He turns to the group as they each in turn say goodbye to their friend, and realizes suddenly how each of them must feel. He lost his family, and in a sense they have now lost a member of theirs. A resolve grips him once more, a renewed sense of vengeance that had faded somewhat since he had met these travelers.
"Ice or no...this place will burn. And this Radosek will be the kindling. Kalt will know vengeance in the afterlife." the tiefling vows.
Gilganis follows the party along the ice corridor, and watches at the gnome nimbly works the lock and gains entrance to the passage beyond. "One man fell, yet more escaped. I see no sign of them. Should we expect more falling bodies?"
Avora sadly follows the others inside. Her bluster is gone, drained from her with her magic. At Bugsby's proclamation regarding the magic in this place, she replies to Sven. "More likely a conjuring/scrying chamber."
Bugsby relates what he knows about the crystalline ice, and the mirrors. "Ithinkthemirrorsarelikethemirrortheguardhad, forcommunication. Justguessing, butIthinkthecrystalstuffiswheresomethingstronggetssummoned..." The gnome takes a quick stroll to the unexplored doors, checking each one for traps and listening for sound beyond. At Gilganis's question he shrugs, "Wecanalwayshope!" he says hotly.
At Sven's words, the crystalline matrix ice tiles pulse with power, but nothing happens. Bugsby examines the multitude of doors and finds that the doors to the north and south are completely quiet. However, behind the doors to the west, the tell-tale signs of ambushes being set, positions arranged, and people preparing for combat.
After having some difficulty ascending the chute, Ankih glides into the room, just in time to see Sven try the passcode.
"I just don't know enough about arcane magics. Sorry Sven. Plus there are probably many things that guard didn't tell us. Like the daily password..."
He draws his scimitar and dons his shield.
" Pick a direction, Sven. I'm right with you."