"It begs now, but know that it wouldn't listen were the tables are turned. If we let this troll live, its future kills would be on us. Let us finish it."
The troll previously took the Dodge Action. Attack Roll is normal, advantage cancelling disadvantage and vice versa.
Belwick watches as Venn swings his blade...
Venn raises his blade to slay the troll. The troll attempts to roll away, but takes the blade across the back! It yelps in pain and alarm!
Caelius sheathes his blade. "Just let the brute run away. We are out in the middle of nowhere."
"Evil is evil, and this troll would gladly eat us on the way home."
Roberts lunges with the rapier, that hits with a 16. 9 Piercing Damage plus 2d6 Sneak Attack damage. One of those is a 5 so So the first is a hit for 15.
Then the second roll is the off-hand bonus attack with the dagger. That Crits on a 20 and that damage should be
With a pair of attacks, Roberts nearly fells the Troll.
Alisanne is up.
Seeing the troll on its last legs, Alisanne readies and fires her crossbow.
A crossbow bolt comes from behind surprising the front line warriors. The bolt strikes the troll square in the forehead--a mortal wound, it sinks right to the fletching.
The Troll blinks. Then collapses to the ground, dead.
Then it stands back up and draws the quarrel out of its own head and throws it aside, and everyone hears bones snap back into place and rubbery flesh knits. Some burns remain, but the troll appears hale and lethal.
It takes the withdraw action, all the while seeming unperturbed by its, 'death'. It moves around the party, past Caelius who is no longer threatening it.
It speaks in a pleading tone,
It goes over to the mount of tree nearby and clears away an enormous stone, covered in moss and vegetation. It points into the hole, which is large enough for two of you to walk abreast. It is pitch dark inside--not enough light is passing through the canopy to light the way.
Map Updated.
"Kord's teeth! Hold!" Belwick commands the group. He then weaves a spell that allows him to better understand the troll's words.
He moves forward and, to the troll shouts, "Say it again!" He also makes a circular gesture with his hand, miming repetition.
He repeats his previous words--check the spoiler.
"The troll is volunteering his treasure for his life as a token of friendship even!"
Baghotir is uneasy about this truce. His gut tells him the troll will turn on them given the opportunity. So he says so, "Look, it's being all nice now to preserve its life! As soon as we turn our backs, it'll be hunting our new allies in the region. It's a troll."
He won't go against the Baron so boldly, but he hopes to convince him.
He moves to be adjacent to the troll and continues to dodge threateningly.
The troll smiles with its mouth full of very sharp teeth and it gestures into the hole.
Caelius moves into the hole. "Evil as it may be this is all the brute knows living on its own in the swamp." He looks back. "Let's see what it means to show us, we have bigger things to worry about."
It is pitch black, but appears to go down and west. You smell rotting meat and composting vegetation.
Venn looks hard at Roberts, and gives a slow and deeply approving nod. Entreating with monsters is madness!
The troll is cut from neck to nethers by Venn... And it dies again.
Next!
On his next turn, Baghotir takes out his alchemy fire and pours it over the 'dead' troll to finish it!
The troll screams and burns and... Dies.
+300 XP for each of you.
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Here Dies Creek, Troll of The Hool Marshes.
Belwick considers the whole situation, shaking his head at what might be a lost opportunity. Then he shrugs. "Well, we did start the fight after all. I can't say this end is a surprise."
Inside the dark hole is a fetid and disgusting lair. Remnants of creatures great and small, "season", on make-shift hooks and spikes. There is a pile of bones in the corner and a sleeping pallet made from moss and mud. A low, flat rock is here, and looks to be acting like some kind of table.
The remains of some kind of humanoid are hanging on an x-shaped rack. Investigation of the scene indicates that everything edible from this body has been eaten or removed and is now being dry aged on the afore-mentioned hooks and spikes. Some of the bones have been gnawed upon as well.
The person's personal effects are nearby--light armor, pouches and belts, a staff. Notable are a set of goggles, a pouch of some kind of fine sand, a strange liquid in a vial and a scroll.
The baron looks inside, immediately gagging as the smell reaches him. When he spies the hung humanoid it's too much for him. He hastens away, finds a bush, and empties his stomach.
Baghotir certainly goes in, and he'll keep his lunch down, but only just. Casting detect magic as a ritual, he scans the area, grabs anything of obvious value, and makes for fresher air to examine things more closely.
"Ugh. Trolls." is all he says when he comes up.
"At least there are no baby trolls down here." Caelius digs through the mess. "Also seems that they s#@+ where they eat." A glob of slime sticks to his gloved hand as he tries the goggles on for a moment.
All the notable items are magical.
When Caelius puts the goggles on, he can see in the dark!
-Goggles (Caelius can see in the dark!)
-Pouch of something like sand
-Vial of Unknown Liquid
-Scroll
Baghotir will recommend a short rest to see what there is to see. If folks agree, he'll try and figure out what the sand is, unless someone else is interested in that.
Venn looks at the victims on the hooks. He'll sleep well tonight after his choice. If the smell is getting to him, he shows nothing.
Venn nods to Baghotir and heads outside to catch his breath. Before he goes though, he eyes the items that aren't "notable." "I wonder if there's anything to identify the erstwhile owner. Someone may be wondering what happened here." He then looks about for anything to tie the items to an owner.
Venn should give me an Investigation (Int) check please.
During the downtime, the party can take a short rest outside of the hole--too smelly inside.
Examination and experimentation of/with the items reveal:
-Greater Potion of Healing (heals 4d4+4 HP)
-Goggles of Night https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/4648-goggles-of-night
-Dust of Disappearance https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/4623-dust-of-disappearance
-A spell scroll that reads more like some kind of engineering schematic, but Belwick is able to decipher it and makes out a spell scroll of Elemental Weapon, which would be exceptionally useful against a troll.
[dice=Investigate]d20+2
You search the remains and the cave and find two things of note:
1. There is a groove in the ground by the flat stone table. You think it was slid into place.
2. Fragments of a letter, or... A receipt? Maybe a contract. You can make out one of the signatories as KELEDEK THE UNSPOKEN. Some of the other writings are some kind of... Blueprint? Plan? It's like an architectural drawing but isn't a building. Some kind of schematic of an item.
Each Adventurer earns 50 Experience Points.
Venn tries to slide the table back along the grove, Mayhap something secret is covered?
"Hey, anyone know the name Keledek the Unspoken?"
Venn tries to slide the table back along the grove, Mayhap something secret is covered?
"Hey, anyone know the name Keledek the Unspoken?"
Venn, Alone, is unable to move the table.
"Hey, gimme a hand!"
Baghotir goes down with Venn ostensibly to keep watch while he searched. But he's happy to be used as muscle. He sheathes his weapon and helps heave the table into the light.
The two adventurers together easily slide the table, and uncover a cache of coins! A veritable hoard!
700 copper coins
5000 silver
2300 Gold
110 Platinum
You also find a VERY BASIC ledger, written in giantish. Written in what you don't know. The image of something vile being scratched onto stretched skin by a claw dipped in something gross enters your brain.
Some of the coins are ANCIENT.
Venn gives Bagothir a slap on the back. He hauls the coins up to the light before counting them, "Looks like 700 Sparrows, 5000 Hawks, 2300 Lions, and a full 110 Griffons!"
Having already cast a spell to comprend giantish (which ended during the short rest), Belwick will take about ten minutes to repeat the spell as a ritual. Once completed he says, "Allow me to have a look at that ledger. If there's anything beyond the math, mayhap I can piece it together."
Venn gives Bagothir a slap on the back. He hauls the coins up to the light before counting them, "Looks like 700 Sparrows, 5000 Hawks, 2300 Lions, and a full 110 Griffons!"
It is NOT all Keoland coinage, though much of it is. Some date back to The Imperium.
It is NOT all Keoland coinage, though much of it is. Some date back to The Imperium.Venn gives Bagothir a slap on the back. He hauls the coins up to the light before counting them, "Looks like 700 Sparrows, 5000 Hawks, 2300 Lions, and a full 110 Griffons!"
