Richard new he had to leave Colwyn make his own choices... he understood why most people would be conflicted but Colwyn was far more disconcerted by the supernatural. If the fey woman ensorcelled him... they'd deal with it. "Don't forget to mention the possibility of making fangberry wine if reasonable terms are possible..."
Colwyn shyly offers up the feather tokens to Melianse. Any facade of the proud ruler or boisterous rake drops away, and he is suddenly an awkward lad again. He remains tongue-tied as the fey woman scouts out planting sites. When she looks back at him, he feels stricken as though by an lance.
However, when he sees Zelera shepherd the rest of their companions away, he swallows the lump in his throat to make room for a spot of courage.
"I'm right sorry about your trees, Miss Melianse. I'll make sure that Corax and his boys keep well away from your home. And when they do cut trees, they'll plant saplings in their place.
"In the future, I'd really lov...er, like it if we could get along. You know, I've heard a lot of bad stories about the fey, but I think I'm seeing how false they really are. You're a right decent, lovely lady."
The baron offers an awkward yet genuine smile.
Reknar moves off with the others - "Bah, and what about us?! I wouldn't mind some singing, dancing and drinking with all you my most fine friends - will we double back to town?!"
Melianse gives Colwyn a genuine smile. "Thank you for your kind words. I really know little of humans myself. It's been many years since any came to these woods.
Giving you a thoughtful look. [/b]"You bring change to the Stolen lands, but you are willing to admit you are wrong about something and learn from it. If you wish I would be happy for you to return when you can and we can learn new things together."[/b]
Where to now?
Where to now?
"Bah... Guess I'm talking to myself again" - Reknar shrugs as no one replies to him.
"Bah... Guess I'm talking to myself again" - Reknar shrugs as no one replies to him.
"Just a little more exploring Reknar, we've done well but I think it would be a good rule for us to always try to push on a little more. Set an example for people. The first round will be on me when we get back!"
You travel west again and find nothing but forest and game in Hex32, moving south you enter Hex39.
From close ahead you hear the familiar noise of Trolls crashing through the woods, they will be on you in two rounds!
What are you doing?
Richard draws his sword "Alright, we're getting used to this. Everyone knows their own abilities best but the tactics I'd suggest. Colwyn you're covering fire would be appreciated from a suitable position. Niadroub I'm sure you've got another rolling ball of fire ready."
"No time for bear traps this time. Isaac up front with me? Reknar supporting us with your magic and polearm. Zelera if you've got that weapon enchantment we used on the tree monster handy it could be useful, aside from that whatever seems most appropriate as combat transpires."
Richard gets his sword arm ready. "Focus our attacks and fire to put them down for good. We've handled trolls before, just keep a level head and call out if you need support. Use the terrain and our smaller size to our advantage."
"Aw bugger, here we go again," Colwyn hisses quietly.
He pulls on Sandy's reins to quickly steer her off the trail, away from the approaching trolls. The horse whinnies, and Colwyn struggles to keep the horse calm in the face of the predators' vile stench. He leaps down and quickly loops her bridle around a thin tree trunk.
Colwyn wordlessly acknowledges Richard's battle plan with a nod of assent. With a springing leap, he vaults to the lowest branch of a nearby tree that can support his weight. He swings himself up among the boughs and lies in wait, heart pounding in his chest again. Pressed for time, he doubts whether he's concealed himself properly among the foliage. Nevertheless, he draws his bow and touches the first arrow against the haft.
"Niadroub I'm sure you've got another rolling ball of fire ready."
Niadroub Kliip shrugs like it's no big deal, but the gleam in his eye belies his anticipation.
As they heard the approaching trolls Zelera quickly cast a spell to keep track of everyone and their health to better keep them alive then reached out to touch Richard's sword and cause it to glow with heat before drawing her own blade and getting behind the front lines.
Isaac nods his assent to Richard's plan. "Seems suitable to me and you're the ones who have taken on trolls before."
He pushes through the foliage to join Richard at the front, trying to keep an eye where the sounds of crashing branches makes the trolls approach apparent.
"Maybe we should have gone back for that beer, there is always something trying to kill you out here, you never know when it might succeed".
Richard stayed a little ahead of the others and readied himself for the trolls to close, keeping his buckler up.
In the rounds prior to the battle commencing, Niadroub Kliip digs out a clay jar of alchemist's fire and tosses it to Isaac, oblivious to any looks he gets for not being more careful.
Turning his attention to the approaching trolls, he waits for them to reach the outer range of his flaming sphere spell before casting it right on top of the (probably) blood-thirsty, savage creature.
"Ef eet ent brooke, don't feex eet," he mumbles.
Colwyn hears the trolls crashing through the brush on the far side of the intervening copse of trees. Through the branches, across the distance, he can only see imagined flashes of warty, scaly green troll flesh.
For now, he continues to climb higher, to better vanish among the foliage, seize a superior vantage point, and of course keep out of reach of their claws.
The Trolls hurrying around the path towards the smell of warm, fresh meat they detected, the leader jumping out of the way of Niadroub's spell.
The party may act.
"Here they come, Zelera if you have any more fire magic to spare it would be much appreciated."
He waits a moment for Zeleras response then proceeds to advance forward to where the trees seem to narrow slightly, taking a braced pose ready to avoid the first blows.
Zelera shook her head and said, "Not that I can use without touching one of them." She smiled viciously then, "But I can do this!" She moved for a better view and invoked a prayer to her god and from the center of the holy symbol she wore where a lantern's flame was represented, and golden beam of light shot out at the lead troll.
Niadroub Kliip makes an unintelligible sound that conveys annoyance and then sends his flaming sphere at the second troll before he casts haste on the party.
Richard keeps pace with Isaac and keeps his buckler and blade up banging them against each other to attract the trolls.
Colwyn's patience is a limited resource, so he shepherds it carefully. He focuses his eyes and ire upon the lead troll, comparing its gangly movements and ugly form to the other trolls the party has slaughtered. Thus, studying his target, he prepares to loose a particularly deadly arrow.
Yellow also avoids Niadroub's favorite spell.
Zelera & Colwyn hammer Red with spell and arrow.
Red in his turn howls with pain and fury, rushing forward to swing at.
His claw just brushing by an inch away from skin.
The Trolls have moved, the party may act.
Richard starts sliding around the troll his flaming blade striking repeatedly at it's lumbering form.
Now that battle is joined, Colwyn eschews stealth in favor of simply festooning the trolls' warty hides with as many arrows as possible. Confident that his fellows will slay the nearest beast, the baron aims his volley for the one behind.
Isaac steps under the trolls arm, sparking with electricity and starts to lay into it.
Grumbling about agile trolls, Niadroub Kliip has his flaming sphere chase after them...
...before attempting to unload his crossbow into the troll the others are attacking.
*********
Flaming sphere duration: 4/6
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"Let's get this sorted, shall we lads?"
Reknar steps forward and swings hard.
Not wanting to take any chances when she approached to hit one with the spell she had saved in reserve for the beasties Zelera cast one and as she stepped forward she began to multiply.
Within three steps there were now five of her weaving in and out of each other obscuring which one was actually the real one.
Richard cuts down the bellowing Red with one cut, then a quick step and he flays Yellow.
Joined by Colwyn's arrows and Issac's fists, ending the beast before it can get an action off.
Green yelps as he steps on a ball of fire, hustling forward with Niadroub's bolt just penetrating his skin to add insult.
He lashes out at Richard.
The party can now act.
Accepting that taking a hit would be beneficial now Zelera casts a prayer to her god and her hand is covered in green and red energies. She moved forward through the trees, accepting a swing from the beast, and reached out to touch it with the power she wields.
Richard focuses his attention on the remaining troll. "You know I think we're getting quite good at dealing with trolls!"
Impressed with his own crossbow shot, Niadroub Kliip barely remembers to keep the flaming sphere on the final troll.
When they kill this final troll, the arcanist will rake his fireball across the other two to make sure they don't regenerate.
Within his perch among the boughs of the tree, Colwyn grins with mephitic delight as the trolls fall before his companions, yet again. Just to ensure that the battle is handily won, he utters a quick prayer to Erastil to guide his arrow.
"Atta boys and girl!" - Reknar moves forward with a snarl, and swings.
The party shows their familiarity with dealing to Trolls and kill the last before he can cause any more harm.
Among their hide bags you find mostly trash but a few things stand out.
Loot:
+1 armored coat.
Gems worth 307gp.
Potion of spider climb (CL 3), Potion of guidance (CL 1), Potion of cure light wounds (CL 1), Potion of arcane mark (CL 1).
Divine scroll of ice storm (CL 7), Arcane scroll of invisibility (CL 3).
What are you doing now?
With only Richard having been hurt by the trolls Zelera said a prayer and then reached out to touch him with glowing golden light.
She watched with a clinical eye, and through the spell she'd cast on them all, and nodded as the wound healed over and said, "There, that should do it." She looked back at the troll corpses, "One of these days they are going to catch us by surprise and we aren't going to get out of it so easily. We're just thinning the numbers of stupid trolls."
"Thank you. That's true but there'll be no more sheep or shepherds filling their stomachs again. At least at this stage we'll know what to do if they ever catch us off guard." Richard clears off his blade. "Now we'll have to head back to civilization to get Reknar that drink I think!"
"Thank you. That's true but there'll be no more sheep or shepherds filling their stomachs again. At least at this stage we'll know what to do if they ever catch us off guard." Richard clears off his blade. "Now we'll have to head back to civilization to get Reknar that drink I think!"
"Agreed!" - Reknar nods, dislodging his weapon from the slain trolls.