On a signal from Ingrit, Wapiti prepares to rush the enemy when he attacks.
Erland's spell only partially affects the bugbear.
Rurik moves to support Dom against the foes, bringing his blessed morning star to bear.
Stepping up, Domitian strikes with his falcata.
to hit, for slashing damage
to hit, for slashing damage
DC 10
Domitian and Rurik rush Bonepick and nearly kill him, but he has one attack still in him. He roars and raises his ogre hook to strike Domitian, who hurt him the most.
The nasty looking hooked weapon catches in Dom's shoulder and tears a nasty wound as it is pulled back out.
The children begin to cheer when they see Bonepick injured, but they are quieted when their captor draws blood from one of their would be saviors. A girl pulls a pouch from her dress pocket, reaches through the bars, and empties the contents on the floor near Bonepick's feet. A bunch of marbles scatter around his feet. They don't cause Bonepick to fall, but the area is covered in marbles.
Anadrien has been waiting, arrow drawn back to her cheek, waiting, waiting as they others fight and flail - and when at last the opportunity presents itself, she looses.
The arrow flies through the combatants and lodges in Bonepick's chest, sinking in just deep enough to topple over their foe.
As the white furred goblinoid goes down, Erland lays his palm on Domitian's shoulder and channels some healing energy into the warrior.
HP healed
"Whonis good with locks? Or did these guys have a keyring one them, I dont recall."
Erland moves into the room, careful to avoid the thrown marbles.
"That was a brave move, my little friend. Do not fear, we are here to free you."
The group has found 3 keys so far. Of the two carried by the female ice troll, one opened her locked chest. The male ice troll had a key on his belt. The latter fits the locks in the cells.
The six children in the cages range in age from 6 to 12, three boys and three girls. A few of them are the ones the group observed being delivered by the slavers minutes earlier. After they have been released from their cages, they rush the group, some crying, some talking excitedly and pointing.
Only a few words can be recognized while they are all talking at once: "nastiest." "old witch." "ghost." "two dragons." and "princess."
"Nice shot!" Ingrit says with a grin at Anadrien.
Taking the key off Bonepick's corpse, she opens the cells, cruching down to comfort those in tears as she tries to decipher what they're saying amidst the chaos.
Skald: "It's alright little ones, we're here to put a stop to these monsters. Did someone say there were TWO dragons?"
The oldest boy, a skin and bones lad, quiets the others who try to answer, again, all at once, and then says, "I's taken up ta meet the witch what does da cookin' an' I caught a peek through da door a'fore she sent me back down ta fatten up. In da kitchen's a big black dragon what breathes fire and ev'rythin'. She took Inga an' put 'er in another room, she did. Ain't seen her since. No one what goes up ever comes down, 'cept me."
The oldest girl, the one who threw the marbles, jumps in to the conversation. "Bonepick sometimes threatens to feed us to the white dragon who lives up in the clock tower. Logrithm or something like that he called him. His Skald is atrocious." The girl's Skald is quite good, something that suggests she might have grown up with a proper education. Her dress looks much finer than the rags the others are mostly wearing.
The boy adds, "I also saw a ghost upstairs--looked like a little girl skulking among the boxes in the hall." He picks up the ogre hook and says, "I can fight, I can. I wanna gut the witch. Let me come with you." He can barely lift the big weapon, however.
The girl adds, "Sometimes, at night, we hear the most beautiful singing. We call her the princess, but we've never seen her. When it is quiet, we can hear her crying."
The children are scared and confused, but otherwise healthy.
If the group checks the room to the east of the armory, they find it appears to be Bonepick's quarters, based on the white hair found on the furniture.
Bonepick’s room contains little more than a bed and a footlocker. The bed, such as it is, is sized for a giant—soiled sheets and a flattened, lice-ridden pillow heaped atop a lumpy straw-filled sack. The footlocker contains a number of stolen children’s toys, mostly broken.
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Shock causes Anadrien to discard her illusory appearance, and she moves to crouch before the children, reaching out for those who seem most distraught, listening to the elders, nodding to show they're being listened to, and breaking out food for any who appear hungry.
"We're here to stop the witches," she says, smiling gently at their disbelief. "But we need the oldest of your group to take up the important job of making sure the younger ones get out of here all right. Can you do that for us?" And here she addresses the boy struggling with the ogre pick.
For a moment she hesitates - should they ask the kids to remain hiding and safe for their return? But what if the battle with the dragon goes poorly, or they're forced to flee in haste, or are pursued?
"Best if you make your way out of here. Do you have families to return to? A safe place you can go?"
"If you are injured, I have magic to help heal you. And Anadrien is correct. You should not stay here it will be too dangerous very soon. If you have family or friends nearby, that would be for the best I think."
Erland uses his healing hex on anyone injured, and helps to calm them down as best he can.
Nodding, Ingrit draws her dagger as she looks directly into the eyes of the brave young warrior. "That ogre weapon might be a little unweildy, but take this." she says reversing the blade and handing him her dagger, handle first. "I'm trusting you with this, to use only if you absolutely have to, to protect the little ones."
None of the children admits to having family or a place to go after leaving the tower, but they are willing to take their chances in the city rather than stay in the tower.
No one needs healing but they do eat some of the food.
"Inga's still up there," the boy says quietly, as a reminder.
"And the princess," the older girl adds.
Domitian takes a turn talking to the boy, "After we kill the dragon and all the trolls and witches in this tower, the city may be more dangerous than usual. See if you can find your way out of Whitethrone and toward the Fishcamps on the lake. Look for a woman named Nadya or her uncle, Ringeirr. They'll help you and keep you safe. Deal?" The boy seems to have some idea of where the fish camps are.
With that, the children make their escape. Just as they are hitting the snow-covered streets, the door to the west of the front hall opens and a sleeping looking male troll looks at the group in confusion.
Through the door is a large room with large beds, one of which has another troll sleeping in it. There is otherwise little furniture other than two large chests. A heavy, pervasive musky smell fills the entire room.
Anadrien:
Domitian:
Erland:
Ingrit:
Rurik:
Ice Troll:
Tie-Breaker: Anadrien:
Ice Troll:
Initiative Order:
Domitian
Erland
Rurik
Anadrien
Ice Troll
Ingrit/Wapiti
The ice troll is a bit taken aback by the odd collection of humanoids in the hall and giving Domitian, Erland, Rurik, and Anadrien a chance to attack him before he recovers from surprise.
"Go back to sleep!" commands Domitian upon seeing the troll. Seizing the initiative, he quickly moves forward and slashes, trying to make his words come true.
;
Erland draws a flask of oil and pitches it at the sleepy troll.
"I'll need a light for this, it wont light on its own."
to hit[/dice]
Domitian slashes a huge gash across the troll's stomach, which spills forth dark blood.
Erland's oil flask skips off the troll's shoulder and lands on the floor behind him. A little oil splashes on the troll, but most of it ends up on the floor.
Smooth, calm breaths. Another fight. Another chance to strike back at the witches of Irrisen.
Since the doorway is blocked, Rurik steps up behind Dom and gives him a touch of guidance.
Troll H:
Anadrien's arrows puncture the troll's chest, adding to the serious wound given by Domitian.
Some of the wounds delivered begin to regenerate and the troll bellows in rage, "Hartlegrath! We're under attack!" Then he swings his large battleaxe at Domitian, hitting him in the chest.
Ingrit
Wapiti
Round 2
Domitian (Touch of Guidance, 10 lethal)
Troll H
Erland
Rurik
Anadrien
Troll M (38 lethal)
Ingrit
Wapiti
As he exchanges blows with the troll, Dom continues to press the attack.
;
He stands ready to parry the next blow that might come his way.
;
Taking a single step back and to the side, Ingrit rapidly fires a cluster of shots into the troll, as Wapiti bellows a challenge at the creature. "If you can, after you attach step clear to give Wapiti room to charge through!" she shouts to her companions.
Ingrit's first arrow starts the troll collapsing, but her next arrow penetrates his heart and does so much damage, even with regeneration, the brute should be down for a while. (39 lethal)
Domitian Domitian find the entrance to the troll barracks open. Another troll is in the process of rousing from a bed.
Wapiti moves into the room, keeping his distance from the awakening troll but keeping an eye on the enemy.
Wapiti advances into the room.
Dom moves quickly toward the enemy troll before it can get up!
He stands ready to defend himself from attacks.
Hartlegrath, the ice troll on the bed, starts to stand up, giving Domitian a chance to demonstrate how much damage he can do with his falcata.
Once standing, the troll takes in the situation and her eyes widen in fear and anger, seeing her partner lying near the door with a arrow through his heart and the human at her bed and ... Blink ... Blink ... a large elk pointing its impressive rack of antlers her way. She does not hesitate, however to attack Domitian. But she loses her balance for a moment, a foot caught in a fold of the covers on the bed, and her axe swings harmlessly over the swashbuckler's head.
Round 2
Erland
Rurik
Anadrien
Troll M (77 lethal)
Ingrit
Wapiti
Round 3
Domitian (10 lethal)
Troll H (14 lethal)
Rurik advances to try to support Dom, though the distance and chaos of the battlefield makes that difficult.
Erland steps up and uses the power of his wand to try and trip the troll.
and , Reflex DC 14 for half and negate being knocked prone.
Anadrien slips in through the double doors, stopping just inside, to loose two arrows at the female troll.
Erland steps up and uses the power of his wand to try and trip the troll.
[Dice=piercing]2d6 and [dice=cold]2d6, Reflex DC 14 for half and negate being knocked prone.
Wapiti charges at the rising troll with a bellow, head lowered as he attacks.
Moving into the doorway, Ingrit puts one foot on the fallen troll as she fires at the female, adding her attack to the full-on assault.
Erland's wand sends out a blue point of magic that strikes the bed on which the troll stands. A spear of ice shoots up and drives through the trolls flesh and knocks her back down.
Rurik advances toward the troll, wary of the long reach of her weapon.
When the troll falls, it makes Anadrien's shots more difficult, but she manages to put two arrows in the prone troll.
Ingrit puts another arrow into the troll.
After the arrow hits the troll, she goes limp. Wapiti, not able to tell that the troll just went unconscious, charges, trying to gore the troll. Her prone form makes her an easy target and the sharp points of her antlers do more damage to the troll.
The battle is over, for now. The trolls' wounds are slowly regenerating. The trolls have pouches with gold coins in them . Other than their battleaxes, they have no other possessions worth taking. There are two chests in the room, awaiting investigation. They are not locked and don't appear to be trapped.
"Who's got the torch?" says Rurik.
Slinging her bow over her shoulder, Ingrit lights a torch, and after checking both bodies, pours oil on each, setting them ablaze before they can regenerate to consciousness.
Erland draws out a torch and lights it, touching the brand to the downed troll before helping illuminate the area for searching.
"Anyone hurt there? I think we downed this one before it got a chance to attack, didnt we?"
"Doing well thus far," says Anadrien, voice husky with tension and excitement both. "Shall we proceed?"
So saying, she strides to the southern set of double doors and listens intently.
"I hear the sounds of eating through here. More trolls?"
She nocks an arrow and prepares for the same approach as before, to allow someone to pass through before loosing.
"I could use just a bit of healing," replies Dom to Erland's question.
He moves by the southern set of double doors at Andarien's warning and stands guard while the party finishes off the defeated trolls.
healing
If so:
healing
Arrow fit to her bowstring, Ingrit focuses on the door, ready to fire on whatever lies beyond. Erland, want to try opening it quietly?
As his allies move into position, Dom opens the door south. He isn't exactly quiet about it though, as the doors slam open!
G:
K:
G:
K:
Anadrien:
Domitian:
Erland:
Ingrit:
Rurik:
A disturbingly small skull was on the floor near the door, causing a lot of noise as the door opens with a creak. Two trolls who were eating spring to their feet, grabbing their battleaxes.
Inside, the room, three giant chairs are arrayed around an enormous wooden table that is shoved into the southeast corner of this room. Piles of discarded bones and partially cooked meat heaped upon oversized platters cover the surface of the table. The sickly sweet smell of blood and death is everywhere.
Surprise round
Troll G: stands and steps into doorway.
Troll K: stands and steps into doorway.
Ingrit
Wapiti
Anadrien
Rurik
Domitian (10 lethal)
Erland