As always, Alasyn is quick to consider some of the most pressing of matters. Much like the creatures they are named after, trollhounds possess fast regeneration only hindered by sources of fire and acid.
Alasayn says softly, "They've got at least one troll hound. Nasty beasts. Like dogs but...well...trollier."
Dawn nodded, gestured to her ear, and then pointed to where faint snoring came from.
Hmm... Kaliban is being quiet as he approaches, while Emma is being musical... I'm seeing a slight discrepancy here.
Noting how everyone is being stealthy, Emma Jane cuts off her humming, moving the song into her head. Once again, no effect yet, she just wants to get her "mojo" working, so to speak.
Dawn snuck forwards, or tried to, to see what was hiding among the bones.
Dawn carefully approaches the bone pile, making not a single sound.
Though there doesn't appear to be any monster hiding within the pile of bones, Dawn takes note that a few members of the pile are humanoid. One of them, a small body covered in the chewed leather strips of what was some very ineffective armor, has an arm partially shoved into a gray sack. Whatever the poor victim was trying to pull out isn't clear, as the sack seems empty even from where she stood.
She feels she could try retrieving it, though it'd be tricky navigating the pile without toppling everything over.
Showing caution, for once, Dawn gestured to the others that there was a sack, and the arm, and also the dead person. The fact that there was a bunch of sentient creatures made her feel better about attacking the monster as intended.
Sensing Dew was doing what needs be done, Kaliban readied his axe and shield.
Seeing Kaliban ready his weapons, Alasayn presses a finger to his temple and conjures a skin of spectral force around him, readying himself for battle.
While the menfolk prepare for anything to come leaping forward from the pile of bones, Emma is able to carefully lift the strange gray sack. There's no distance of the haphazard Jenna structure so long as she was slow in her movement. Once in hand, taking a quick peak inside reveals it to indeed be empty to her eyes.
Backing up, Dawn asked, "Is it a magic bag?"
Kaliban raises a brow... Of all the nearly useless things.
He takes one tentative step back.
Emma Jane will try Detect Magic when she gets a chance.
Hilde looks as they so carefully pull the sack, examine it, and start a little retreat. "So, we doin' this, or not?"
As Emma exams the bag for awhile, ago notes that it does seem to possess a slight magical aura of conjurstion. With some more close examination, she notes that the top lip of the bag has been embroidered with a small ring of rabbits chasing each other's tails, with cute little carrots in the margins. The sack itself, however, is a dull grey in color in sheer contrast to the careful needlework.
She deduced after a momment that this seems to be a Bag of Tricks? All one needs to do is reach in to the bag, and they'll draw fourth an animal for a short time. She estimates that this is the lowest form of said bag, summoning smaller critters more useful for scouting and distractions then combat assitance.
You ladies done with your new purse..?
"Yes, I believe it's a low-powered Bag of Tricks. I read an interesting book on them back in the College." Emma Jane offers it first to Dawn, since she noticed it.
Dawn took the bag, more out of curiosity than any desire to own it. "What kind of tricks? Like making a coin vanish in your ear? It took me ages to get it out again."
"More like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat kind of trick," Emma Jane explains.
"I must say I'm a bit concerned that the troll hasn't come to greet us yet. Dim as they are they can be rather brutally canny sometimes."
"Then should we make a trap? If he'll try something anyway, then why bother hunting? We could just drop him in a big hole and set him on fire, right?" Daw looked around.
As her eyes dart round more quickly, Hilde gives a low growl of frustration.
Dawn frowned as she noted the silence. She looked around to see if there was any sign of life - birds or small animals in the undergrowth or anything at all. If not, then there was something making them flee, which wasn't the best sign.
What the
As the party takes notice of the distinct lack of Troll's deep slumber, they stand back in anticipation for the wooden barricade to burst forth, a frothing troll ready to lay waste to your party. Yet the seconds continue to drag on, until a full minute has passed. The more tactically minded of your group come to the brief conclusion that perhaps the beast intends to wait in ambush, already expecting your arrival.
As the stand-off draws onward, impatience finally seems to drive the troll hiding within to announce his presence. "I hears ye, small tasties. Thinks ye be hiding from Bonesnapper, but I knows you there. Can be hearing you with my ears I did. Want to be sticking me with your metal pokers I be betting on. I'm not some big dumb dullard, I knows what you be planning. Gonnae' hafta' come down if you want to be killing me, you will."
Alasayn says softly, "How do we wish to handle this? Trolls can't often talk quite as well as this one...threats could work. Perhaps even negotiation?"
"Couldn't hurt to try, though I'm doubtful we can believe much it says." Emma Jane whispers to Alasayn.
"Why, please tell, do you think we'd be here to hurt you? Have you done something necessitating such?"
Dawn moved to attack, but stopped, clearly confused. Her Ioun stones hovered uncertainly. She was pretty sure that they'd decided to kill the thing, but she was pretty sure that saying that now would be a bad idea. Probably.
Hilde looks at the others with some consternation, but doesn't verbalize anything. She does lay her bill over her shoulder, draping her arm along the shaft before her to hold it in place. Waiting.
Kaliban shrugs.
I'll come in alone, keeping my poker... more of a slicer or chopper really... to myself. You wanna talk this out?
There's a long pause, such heavy thoughts weighing even moreso for a troll. "Will talk. I be telling youse to leave, and then I be going hungry, and you get to not be stew."
Sounds fair... how much do you need to eat, to not be hungry?
Kaliban slowly enters the hole, no weapons in his hands. Palms up.
Alasayn says loudly to the troll, "Now listen! Those villagers want you dead. We can help you find a new place to go if you promise not to eat the people in the town."
There's some rumbling heard from within the hole a moment more, "Don't like this place. Too hot. Not wet at all. Meatses is all skinny and stringy. Brother said there be good foods down here. Wrong. Only skinny things and bad fires. Want to go back to cold cave."
"What's this cold cave? If you promise to go back there, the people in the town will not threaten you with fires anymore."
"In mountains. Walked many nights. Can't go back without brother now." A grunt that sounds like it could almost be considered remorseful is heard. "Brother protected me."
Kaliban hesitates, but decides to add... I'm sorry about your brother. But, if it is on our way, we can protect you... as long as you promise not to eat any human-y things along the way.
What happened to your brother? Did someone trick him or something like that?
"I only be hearing his screaming and smashing, bad fires all over him when I come. Human-y things be swinging fire sticks at Bonesnapper too. Brother said fire not bad for Bonesnapper, but fire not fine. Fire be killing brother, and maybe be killing Fuzzy Wuzzy too. All fires bad. Stick fires, rock fires, sky-fires. Want cave back."
Alasayn sighs and says quietly, "Fuzzy Wuzzy? By Typhis, I can't kill a beast named Fuzzy Wuzzy. Suppose we'd do best to help it find it's cave."
He says more loudly to Fuzzy Wuzzy, "Well alright then, we'll help you to the cave if you promise not to eat any more human-y things."
Anorher pause as the British cresture within it's hole considers Alasyn's extremely complicated words. "How Bonesnapper not know youse be lying? Youse might just be waiting with fire sticks out there's."
Kaliban, having already set foot into the hidey hole, presents open hands... I mean you no harm. I go to great lengths to protect things, it is in my nature.
My word is my bond. And, I came in as a show of trust.