Atsuko does her best to act the prisoner as she's guided into the next room by Yuto.
The troll grunts before lumbering back towards the right, allowing the heroes to pass by freely. As they approach closer, it becomes clear that he's wearing a thick layer of furs, as though to keep himself warm - even as he goes back into the room that radiates heat.
Looking after him, they can tell why. A coal furnace roars in the far wall, giving the room a dull red glow. A heap of coal is stacked against the east wall. An iron door opens in the ceiling above the coal pile. Three crude beds made of poorly cured bearskins and wolf pelts have been thrown on the floor before the fire. A hogshead rests between them, next to the bloody bones of some unfortunate creature.
Alarmingly, there's another troll, equally covered in furs, inside the chamber as well, though the first grunts something in a language that the heroes can't understand - likely Giant.
Opposite this coal cellar is a door that presumably leads deeper into the dungeons.
Audacity had paid off, but Ritti was afraid the bill was about to come due…
While her allies are coming across the bridge and filing up the corridor, she tries to distract the trolls as she slips into the room behind them under the guise of getting closer to the blazing fire and warming herself up. ”Ni helvede, drenge! Du er i gang! Har du noget imod, hvis jeg varmer op et øjeblik? Jeg har ikke været varm i uger.”
As she sees the team form up in the corridor, she wipes her brow as if hot and pulls out a flask. “Du har det så varmt i 'er, jeg skal have noget at drikke!”
Ritti gulps her potion of Mage Armor and looks pointedly at the warriors on their team, waiting for someone to begin the attack.
Stunning Fist (3):
Boots (1):
Inspired (1):
Arrows (20):
Effects:
Mage Armor – 1 hr
Assuming the group managed to approach enough for a surprise opportunity on the trolls, Yuto releases Atsuko at the first moment he notices Ritti moving on, and attempts to throw to the ground the green troll pushing it with his shield.
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The trolls look at Ritti, confused, but neither raises an objection until Yuto moves to the attack.
Atsuko reclaims her seax and shield from whoever is holding it.
Torra can just see one of the trolls past Andochtuir and Yuto. She understands the necessity, but this doesn't change that they are attacking unprovoked. She fights against the squirmy feeling that this gives her, trying to channel that intense discomfort into the barrage of stone and coals that she hurls at the creature.
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Ritti has never seen a man try to throw a troll… Well, to be fair, she’d never seen a troll at all until now. Desperation pushes her to drive a hard kick at the monster – in the groin if it's still standing, in the throat if Yuto knocked the behemoth over. Fear, unfortunately, makes her kick far less accurate than she would like.
Stunning Fist (3):
Boots (1):
Inspired (1):
Arrows (20):
Effects:
Mage Armor – 1 hr
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Andochtuir goes along with the ruse, the signal to strike rousing him from his period of stoic observation and deep introspection - and/or from the lingering shock of learning Ritti was a girl.
"Right. Note to self, congratulate Yuto on the katana. Ameiko will be pleased. Now to just find that prisoner and deal with the rest of the shadows..."
Quicker than might be expected of him, he strikes the troll just attacked by Torra, hoping to quickly put it down before it had a chance to react!
Atsuko retrieves her weapon and shield from her "guards," as Ritti lashes out at the unprepared troll, cracking into his back and sending him stumbling in confusion. She feels his ribs crunch under her booted foot, but he doesn't seem excessively bothered by the pain.
Yuto takes the chance to slam the troll with his shield, using its confusion to knock it on its back with a tremendous crash.
As he topples to the ground, Andochtuir slashes with his fauchard, tearing a deep gash in the troll's throat. He gurgles, but is clearly still conscious.
Torra hurls a blast at his female counterpart, which rips through her clothes and tough hide, shattering and tearing her skin - she growls in anger, but barely staggers from the attack.
Round 1
What Ritti’s sifu had drummed into her head (sometimes with kicks) was that in a real war there is NO room for a ‘fair fight’. You seize every advantage because failure likely means death. So, the young thief doesn’t hesitate because the troll at her feet is prone and bewildered. She presses her advantage and delivers a set of savage kicks to its head and throat.
Sorry, pal, if it’s me or you… I choose me.
Stunning Fist (3):
Boots (1):
Inspired (1):
Arrows (20):
Effects:
Mage Armor – 1 hr
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Atsuko takes a moment to get her shield in place and her weapon correctly in hand. As she readies herself, she encourages those already fighting to greater efforts.
Shifting a little around Atsuko so that she can see the whole room, Torra takes stock of the situation. The troll being kicked by Ritti seemed the most weakened, and Torra seizes the chance to take it out of the fight before it can bring those huge fists to bear on small, fragile Ritti.
Confident Ritti and Andochtuir can deal with the fallen troll, Yuto draws the flaming katana into his free hand while seeing a chunk of stone flying away "Don't hesitate Torra, they will break us quick otherwise!"
And strikes on the other troll's leg with Suishen, trying to scare him with the flames while still surprised.
Seeing what was perhaps the most wince-inducing groin punch ever followed by a nek clop and yet another magical blast from Torra, Andy was fairly sure the red troll was down for the count and only needed a bit of fire or acid to be put down permanently. That said, it never hurt to take a moment to check.
One he decided either way he struck, feeling stangely emboldened by Atsuko's song!
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Atsuko begins rousing her comrades' spirits, encouraging them to greatness. Ritti takes this to heart, and crushes the troll's life from him with a few quick stomps, though the damage is already reversing itself before her eyes.
Yuto attacks, Suishen burning bright. The troll lifts her arms helplessly, trying to block, but he cuts her leg to the bone, fire searing her flesh. She shrieks, stumbling away in nigh-animal terror as blood sprays messily from a critically severed artery.
Torra hurls a burst of earth at Yuto's target, but it shatters against the wall behind her as she shifts slightly to bring Yuto into the way.
Andochtuir's fauchard flickers over Yuto's shoulder as he slashes the conscious troll's throat. The unlucky troll's dodge functions to instead bring his weapon fully through her neck, and her head sails from her shoulders in a bloody arc that splatters Yuto in gore. There is no sign of the wound closing as her headless corpse topples to the ground.
Meanwhile, the last troll's injuries heal, but it only takes a single slash from Suishen to put a stop to that, ending the hapless troll's life.
"Swiftly executed." Helgarval observes.
Atsuko, ready to raise her shield and step forward into the fight, lowers it instead. She's shocked by how quickly the trolls are killed.
"Gosh..."
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”Right…” Ritti is grim and murmurs something like, ”Gonna check that other door, make sure nobody heard us…” and quickly heads across the darkened corridor, sliding past Torra and Atsuko. The thief listens at the other door while balling her fists incessantly, trying to get them to stop shaking. She breathes deeply, hoping to calm her pounding heart and quickly wipes away the tears threatening to puddle in her eyes with her sleeve. She’s glad for the darkness of the corridor. Get it together, Ritti-girl! You’re a professional and there’s a job to do.
While she doesn’t quite trust her trembling hands with a lock yet, she does test the handle gently to determine if the door is locked.
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Torra is sweating. Yes, the furnace room is very hot and the dwarf is still swaddled in six layers of wool and fur, but...
The image of the troll's severed head flying through the air, the sound it made when it landed on the floor, the smell of charred flesh as the flaming katana ended the other troll -
Torra stumbles to the nearest corner and heaves. After, they remain bent over, hands on their knees, taking shallow breaths for a few moments before turning around again. Something, anything, to distract from what just happened.
"*cough* There are three beds..."
Yuto slowly recovers his breath as the excitement of the combat fades off "Th-that was lucky... they were s-so big..." he looks down at Suishen surprised by the blade's efficacy.
The young man nods, noting Torra's note on the three beds, he approaches them and searches for any hint of who might be the third host.
"I'm... sorry," Andochtuir says as his alchemically-enhanced muscled form slowly relaxed. "Their grotesque forms reminded me of the demons back home, in the Tanglebriar. I'll... try and maintain composure better, next time," He follows as he wipes the blade just used to cleanly behead the troll on a nearby cloth.
"Th-that was lucky... they were s-so big..."
"Not luck," He shakes his head. "A good plan, well-improvised. That was impressive, Ritti. I am happy we did not have to be enemies. It seems you would have been a formidable foe. And you yourself, Yuto, for downing it so quickly. Don't discount your own feats of strength so readily."
He leaves it at that and helps Yuto search the room.
Ritti returns to the room - professional mien back in place - in time to hear Andy's comment. "Thanks. I do my best." She has her hands stuffed in her pockets, presumably to warm them up.
Plowing ahead, she provides an update on what she heard through the door (if anything) and whether the door is locked or not. She tries very hard to avoid looking at the corpses.
Andochtuir and Yuto's thorough search of the trolls' coal room is rewarded when they discover a stash of loot beneath the coal pile. There's 17 gold armbands and a sack of gemstones - amethysts, it seems.
Torra is able to identify that the armbands are worth more than their weight in gold - something to the tune of 25 gold pieces each, though no one is able to quite grasp how much the amethysts are worth.
Ritti does discover that the door to the west is quite firmly locked .
Ritti examines the lock, pulls the picks from her boot, and mutters something about 'quality'... The lock unlatches as if she was using a key. She leaves the door closed until the team is situated.
"Y-yes, go first Ritti" Yuto goes after Ritti 15' feet away.
Ritti nods and tries to crack open the door silently to take a peek inside…
Stunning Fist (3):
Boots (1):
Inspired (1):
Arrows (20):
Effects:
Mage Armor – 1 hr
"Guess she's cold. Not much of a wonder, deep down in this cave-fort. Maybe I can brew something for Ritti later." Andochtuir thinks as the group's new scout practically vanishes from sight. "Another time, though. I shouldn't distract her."
He patiently waits just behind Yuto, staying as still as possible.
Trying to stay as quiet as possible, Torra follows a few paces behind Ritti, marveling at the girl's ease with locks and doors. She was so brave, going first where there could be traps or enemies or other dangers, and the way she had tricked that troll - no. Not thinking about the trolls right now.
There are a few doors on the north end of the hall, though they don't seem to be nearly as ostentatious as the rest of the room.
Ritti closes the door then whispers a description of the room. With the team knowing what to expect, she opens the door halfway. Since the ceilings are high and paranoia is her mantra, she looks directly above the door to make sure no giant executioner’s hoods are about to drop on her… then she sneaks into the room, peeks around the door, then sticks to the wall until she gets to the corner.
As Ritti enters the room, she sees the southern wall, where a small porcelain bowl rests before the center column, with four reed mats arranged before it.
Ritti points upward then shouts a warning (hoping it won't be the last thing she does), "Three ninja on the ceiling and four mats on the floor!"
Stunning Fist (3):
Boots (1):
Inspired (1):
Arrows (20):
Effects:
Mage Armor – 1 hr
Alerted by Ritti, Yuto moves in, avoiding to step over the mats and activating the blade's flames to push back the shadows.
Trudging cautiously behind Yuto, Andy looks up instantly at the warning and readies himself for battle!
Torra rushes in, ready to protect Ritti from the ceiling ninjas.
The shout brings things to a head as the heroes rush into the room.
Ritti stays in the corner… more than a little concerned with the 4th ninja that is likely lurking and the 3rd troll-sized creature (probably the Oni) that is also unaccounted for. She eyeballs the distance to the closest ninja, unshoulders her bow, and puts an arrow into the chest of the dark shape.
Stunning Fist (3):
Boots (1):
Inspired (1):
Arrows (20): x
Effects:
Mage Armor – 1 hr
Andy rushes into the room, quickly drawing a javelin and throwing it at the same one just shot by Ritti!
Afterwards he grips his polearm, ready for anyone moving through his range!
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Andochtuir moves first, hurling a javelin at one of the closest of their foes. The misfortunate woman is struck hard by the projectile, which rips into her flank. A low yelp emerges from her mouth, but she clings to her place in the ceiling nonetheless. As the half-elf moves into the room, the floorboards beneath his feet squeal loudly.
Ritti finishes the job, firing her bow at her enemy. The arrow catches her in the throat and she gurgles as she falls to the ground and lands with a sickening crunch.
The ninja pulls a small object from his belt, then hurls it down at Andochtuir. It slams down beside him and erupts in a thunderous clap of sound that leaves Andochtuir, Ritti, Yuto, and Torra's ears ringing. Soon, however, the ringing fades.
The other visible foe pulls the same stunt, hurling another stone at Andochtuir. Once again, it explodes in a vicious eruption of sound, assaulting the four's ears - Atsuko is just far enough back that it leaves her largely unaffected. This time, however, Andochtuir is left with ringing ears - the sound doesn't seem like it's going to fade any time soon.
Torra moves through the door to stand between Yuto and Ritti, her eyes searching for danger up above. The wooden floor was a problem, but the walls were still stone, and Torra rips out great chunks of them to send them flying at the closest ninja.
Atsuko switches from blade and shield to bow once she knows what's up. She then takes a couple of steps into the room and immediately takes aim at the ninja off to the left .
Yuto moves forward and puts the flames of the katana to cast light on the ninja over the ceiling "It is there!"
He uses the katana and the shield to deflect any incoming attack.
Atsuko enters the large room, firing her own bow at one of the other enemies, who deftly evades the shot, twisting where he hangs and letting the arrow pass him harmlessly by.
Yuto advances, readying Suishen and his shield both as he prepares to defend against any oncoming attacks. "Using a shield..." The sword grumbles. "A curious choice for one with the training to wield me."
Torra tears a chunk from the wall, hurling it at the same target as Atsuko had fired upon. This time she clips his hip, wrenching him violently around - however, he keeps himself balanced, able to cling to the ceiling despite the attack.
With possible unseen enemies about, the thief doesn’t want to get drawn further into the room with a door left unchecked behind them. This is where I’d stage an ambush, sooo… let’s see. Ritti stops to listen at the door and determine if it is locked.
Stunning Fist (3):
Boots (1):
Inspired (1):
Arrows (20): x
Effects:
Mage Armor – 1 hr
Andy clutches his ears as the explosion causes a ringing that just. Won't. Stop! Fortunately, he didn't have to hold back his anger as Torra was already attacking the offending man, and he throws a second javelin to assist her!
Andochtuir, still dazed by the ringing in his ears, approaches the stone-thrower and hurls a javelin at him. Unfortunately, the offending Frozen Shadow twists elegantly out of the way, and the pointed projectile flies past him without harming him.
Ritti drops her bow and throws open the nearest door, revealing a simple - if large - monastic cell. There is a small sleeping pallet, a water cup, and a shrine to a deity that she doesn't immediately recognize.
The enemy that Andochtuir attacked pulls a spear from his back and hurls it down at the alchemist. The half-elf takes the spear on his chest, but it fails to pierce his skin.
The other enemy pulls out a similarly fine spear and hurls it downwards at Yuto. The samurai is more than prepared, and deflects the spear with a swift strike from Suishen.
Atsuko shoots again at the same target, telling herself to try harder this time. When it makes no difference, she sighs.