Rocko's attacks are devastating, and would put the fiercest Ogre into the ground, to the extent that Rocko is actually impressed with how much his skill at battle has improved in just a few months. That said, the troll still stands, and no longer stunned, is looking for payback.
Bite/Claw/Claw on Rocko:
The blinded troll, now outside the Grease area, stands (taking an AOO from the elemental) and runs 30' map-north.
The troll flanked by Amideo and Djack attacks Amideo with a Bite and Claw, and Djack with the other Claw:
On Djack:
The Crossbow troll walks southwest until he has Yoltzin and Chinuye within range, and fires at...
Chinuye.
Chinuye, Amideo, and Djack may act.
Leave us alone!
Djack thrusts with his rapier at the behemoth's ankle.
Chinuye screams in pain before dashing over next to Chaucair hoping that the horses will provide some cover from the crossbow wielding troll. Working her magic she slings a bolt of acid against the troll between Djack and Amideo.
Djack further injures the one between him and Amideo, overcoming the unnatural rate at which the creatures seem to heal. The slightest hint of fear crosses its face.
Chinuye's damage is less than Djack's, but causes a similar reaction to the crossbow troll: fear. Acid, like fire, reminds the trolls that they are mortal as it inhibits their healing.
Amideo may act in round 3.
Amideo follows up Djack's attack with one of his own at the troll between them, "Hah! I've had a harder time dancing flamenco with my grandmother. Have at you, beast, you're no harder to hit than a windmill!"
Rocko, please... a little help?
Rocko is mostly focused on the troll he's been hacking and barely catches hearing his name,
"Help? You okay?"
Finish this guy! Djack seems to be indicating his own troll.
While Rocko is contemplating the risks of stepping away from the troll he's been occupying, a cawing comes from somewhere above and to the right of Djack's head, about eye level with the troll.
"I got this Rockhead, you keep pecking at that one!"
Kaki has been hovering around mostly unnoticed, and makes a quick swoop in against the troll Djack and Amideo have been pelting. The raven was close enough that he gets off a vicious flurry of pecks and talon slashes, aided by Chaucair's magic and the tactical advantage of flanking.
Rocko nods, "Thanks, pal"
with his attention diverted from 'directing' his animal companion, Rocko can only get one mighty slash in against his opponent.
Top of Round 4
Kaki has been hovering around mostly unnoticed, and makes a quick swoop in against the troll Djack and Amideo have been pelting. The raven was close enough that he gets off a vicious flurry of pecks and talon slashes, aided by Chaucair's magic and the tactical advantage of flanking.
Between Amideo and Djack's attacks, and a little help from a Rocko's friendly raven, the troll between Djack and Amideo drops to the ground.
Meanwhile, Rocko sends another powerful axe-strike into the one he's battling. It staggers a bit, but remains standing.
Yoltzin and Chaucair may act in Round 4.
Approaching Rocko with her ha d outstretched, the elf tries to impart a sliver of her God's mercy upon his mortal form. Mercy it seems which is in short supply at this time. While she struggles to keep one of her longest traveling companions alive, the fire spirit takes off after the fleeing troll. It comes around at the side, nipping at the lumbering beings feet in an effort to push him in a new, more solid direction.
Chaucair figures the Grease worked pretty well last time, and drops another.
Unfortunately for Yoltzin's plan to drive the blinded beast back into rocky wall, the creature seems to have finally blinked out the blindness, and can see once again. Nevertheless, it is now terrified of the fire elemental's damage, and seeks to remove itself at the fastest rate possible (withdraw action, no AOO).
Likewise, the crossbow troll turns to bolt...
The troll with the crossbow moves at top speed away from the conflict, defeated.
The unconscious troll between Djack and Amideo continues to die, thanks to the blast of acid from Chinuye.
Rocko's opponent has a save to make:
The troll by Rocko is now prone.
It nevertheless attempts to attack Rocko and Amideo:
Bite on Rocko:
2 Claws on Amideo:
Amideo, Chinuye, and Djack may act.
What... are trolls?
Chinuye fires off another blast of acid, targeting the still conscious troll.
Djack moves to flank the remaining troll, trying to thrust with his rapier at the behemoth's broad back. In his haste, he forgets the creature's reach.
Djack and Chinuye manage to down the remaining troll, the acid keeping it from regenerating. The other two trolls have hightailed it out of there, terrified.
It seems the explorers have won the day, for the moment, anyway.
Djack notices a cave opening in the side of the larger butte to the North, covered in vines.
Djack breathes deeply. Good work everyone. Is everyone alright?
I usually don't like... just killing stuff. But, we've got to make sure these guys are done, well done.
Oh wow, over there... a cave opening? He starts dusting himself off, ready to move on.
Yoltzin could hear the elemental race off after the fleeing, burn ridden troll ad it attempted to make its escape. Either it would get away, or another would soon fall. It mattered little to the elf any longer, the spirit had done its duty.
Taking stock of the injured, she held the charred skull pendant aloft to draw upon Xenxolotl's mercy. After she did that, she turned to the gnoll to give him some more dedicated treatment for his Wounds.
"I've grown to dislike caves." The elf states plainly, echoing racial prejudice against dwarves held by elves the world over.
The cave is up a pile of rock that has fallen off the butte over the course of centuries, basically making a rocky "ramp" up to the entrance (and all around the rest of the butte). Plenty of shrubs and small trees obscure it slightly; it's a wonder that Djack managed to see it by chance at all.
The inside of the cave is fairly spacious; obviously home to the four trolls as there are four makeshift beds of animal skins. Piles of bones (mostly animal, but some human, gnoll, and kobold) litter the floor. And at the back of the cave, a small trove of goods probably stolen from homesteads and travelers over the years:
Large copper bowl with native markings (100 gp)
Gold chess set (500 gp)
760 gp in loose gems
57 gp
125 sp
290 cp
scroll of chill metal
Djack seems more concerned with the novelty of the trove, pieces like the bowl and chess set and a few of the loose gems. He doesn't however seem overly concerned with their value in gold.
Hmm... think we'll ever come this way again? Maybe we could take this as a resting station. Stock it with non-perishable provisions.
Think... there could be hidden tunnels? Not like our friends would have been too observant.
He looks for any indication of a smoothed out path that seeming ends up at a wall.
Rocko will ask Kaki to fly around and keep a lookout in case the two trolls linger and look ready to return.
"Stay safe. Don't get too close to that one with the crossbow."
Rocko will ask Kaki to fly around and keep a lookout in case the two trolls linger and look ready to return.
While the group investigates the cave, Kaki returns and indicates to Rocko a negative, as far as the trolls go.
Chaucair investigates the bowl.
Chaucair recognizes the symbology on the bowl as native in origin; he's not sure of the tribe or anything about the exact history. If he uses his detect magic ability, he finds that it is not so, though it may have been used in rituals as it radiates a weak, residual necromancy aura.
He looks for any indication of a smoothed out path that seeming ends up at a wall.
Definitely no indication that this cave extends beyond the one or two alcoves you've already noticed.
Amideo gives the bowl a look, trying to remember if he would know anything about it's history or origin based off his noble education in the humanities.
Amideo remembers stories of a tribe or group of tribes that lived on these plains around 500 RC (over 500 years ago) but they were, according to your history, "hostile savages" and needed to be destroyed for the safety of the colonists. The names of the tribes were not recorded.
Amideo shares what information he remembers and mutters, ”By the gods, the barbarity of those early settlers was shocking.”
Sad but nothing to be done about it, now... Maybe don't repeat it.
Let's get the stuff on the horses and move, still early.
Having a slightly different point of view than Amideo, Yoltzin remembers stories of two tribes named Quaponca and Manchesote in this area battling each other, one (the Manchesote) far more warlike. Since it was over the mountains from the elven forest, her people didn't know much about them.
"The Quaponca and Manchesote peoples. They were in conflict at the time, the latter being an aggressive expander. Your... colonialists? Were caught in the middle with their arrival. Both paid the price in the end, underestimating the power of these new arrivals." She shrugs her shoulders, holding no strong bond towards any if the parties involved. "Such is the nature of war, and life by extention. Do not blame those early people for taking their own personal safety into account, Amideo. The dance of conflict has existed since time immemorial, and will persists long after we have become ash as well. This is what it means to be alive."
"War is an unfortunate reality. All the more that the initial settlers actions were cruel and unfortunate. One's duty, if they are to find themselves as the greater power thrust into the midst of war, should be to broker peace..."
As he speaks, his tone grows ever more passionate.
Amideo sighs and shakes his head, "There it goes again, that dreamy idealism of mine. Raised on the tales of chivalric and gallant heroes of old, ever at odds with the cruel realities of these times."
She tilted her head, "I know of rituals that allow one to speak with the departed, yet they are outside my level of skill. The spirits of old have much wisdom to offer".
Rocko grins, "Must say I'm grateful you and yours treat the dead far better than this Gavaddy guy who wanted the lantern we're huntin'."
He shrugs as he adds,
"Sorry I won't be any help with this bowl or all the old timey stuff. My tribe's stories are all about wandering heroes, old legendary places and tales, and lessons on how to live in the rough."
"I would love to hear more of them when we have time." She says, a smile briefly coming to her lips before turning ing to the bard who held the bowl. "If I might hold onto it? Perhaps it will be useful later given its history of ritualisusm."