Move 224: A No Troll Night
Tunnels--Midmorning, Day 10The group broke camp and moved out toward the troll caves. Everyone had put away their lights, so those who could see in the dark led those who couldn't.
After walking through the darkness for about an hour, the slippery fungal growths on the tunnel floor became more sparse, making it much easier to walk without the danger of falling. After walking another couple of miles, they reached a spot where they were informed that Jana and Renn had waited for Echo to come back from scouting, a short distance away from the caves.
Aloysius picked up his light stone from the cavern floor where he had left it hours earlier. He wrapped it inside his bandana and then put the bandana inside a pocket in his robe.
Once the group walked for a while and stopped, apparently arriving at a spot near to the troll caves (for all he knew), he spoke in a very low whisper. "We need to be sure Azrun and Arachne have the oil, as well as the means to ignite it. Once Rennirolas has lured the trolls foreward, we need to remove our light stones so we can see."
After that, he shut up, much to the joy of his companions.
"We need the rest of the group to be closer than this. Maybe we can go about halfway to that bend before two of us split off and lure them back. Otherwise backup will be too far away to help if the lures get into trouble." Blacky suggested in a whisper.
Jana handed five flasks of oil to Echo, four to Arachne and two to Aloysius. "That's all I have," she said quietly.
Olaf handed two flasks to each of them, "This is what I have. I've fought trolls before, they burn somewhat easily. You shouldn't need more then a flask for each troll."
Azrun smiled as he looked over to Aloysius, "Aloysius....The great fire Mage. It rolls off the tongue quite fluidly, I think. We'll need to light a torch or two as soon as the fighting starts. Two of us can do that and the third can watch for back-up and alert the others as they will be knee deep in troll."
Aloysius clutched the flasks Jana had handed him, unsure as to what to do with them. "Dost thou have some means, other than flint and steel, to light a torch?" he replied quietly in the darkness.
"Although I suppose that we should get enough cover from the fighters that there would be time 'enow to use such a method." He sighed, barely audible in the darkness. "Stargazer shall watch our flank and await the need of a web, I suppose, unless Janathell wishes otherwise."
Aloysius whispered in the dark, "Does anyone have a torch? I have my tinderbox ready and will start to light it as soon as I hear Rennirolas coming back."
"What other spells do you have besides a web, Aloysius?" Echo asked. "We'll need you to be the spell support for the fighters. I've got a couple of fire spells, but they'll be gone pretty fast. Did anyone else want an invisibility spell?" she asked again.
She intercepted the various flasks of oil that Jana and Olaf gave her, being careful that they didn't misjudge her position and drop them since she was still invisible. "I'm going to put the oil in an extra waterskin so I can handle it easier," she said. "Do we need to keep the flasks for anything?"
"Oh my," fretted the mage. "Which should I do, Janathell? Am I to provide spell support or assist with the burning? I have a number of magic missile spells, an acid spell, and a spell that disrupts magical fields. I also have the web spell, or at least, I hope I do. If you think it best, I could use the acid spell as the trolls approach. I'll do whatever you think is best, since you are our designated field leader."
Finding herself with 7 flasks of oil, Arachne quickly put some down lest she drop them all.
"I'll need a torch," she sighed. "And I haven't been paying attention
-- as usual. Who's got one I can take?" She turned to Aloysius. "You need your hands free to cast the spells, right? So, when hell breaks loose and we no longer care about keeping dark, you watch for an emergency that requires a spell and I'll light the torch --""-- and make myself a glorious target... But way in the back, because we're not trying to burn the trolls until they're mostly dead already..." She looked around at the rest. "That _is_ how it works, right? Hold the fire until the trolls are rendered a lot less frisky?"
Blacky handed Arachne the torch stuck in his belt.
The group moved up to a closer position to the troll caves at Blacky's urging. Once everyone had arranged themselves as they saw fit, Renn headed down the tunnel to act as troll bait.
A few minutes later, they heard the loud clammering of multiple footfalls in a dead run coming down the tunnel from the direction of the troll caves.
Blacky uncovered his light stone just enough so he can see his immediate area, readies his great axe and begins to advance prepared to meet the charging trolls.
Jana drew her sword and waited next to Blacky, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. She positioned herself so that she left room for Renn to slip between her and the wall. "Daelen, close the gap 'tween me and the wall after Renn comes through."
Aloysius dug something out of his pouch while muttering something beneath his breath.
"Three!!!" Renn called breathlessly as he came into view of the group. "And a fourth...was...sent back...to...report," he gasped. Renn passed through the front line and withdrew a few feet before he turned and drew his long sword.
Olaf drew his sword and his holy symbol and stood ready.
Arachne moved up with oil flasks, torch, and flint and steel.
Blacky lit up the area with his light stone, allowing everyone to see Renn and his pursuers charging down the tunnel. Close on the elven priest's heels were three awkward-looking creatures, running with their clawed arms dragging the ground. They looked as though they would be about 9' tall, if they had stood up straight. Their skin was greenish and their heads were topped with tufts of green fur that almost looked like a pony tail. In spite of their gangly appearance, they moved easily and with equal speed to Renn.
Blacky and Jana moved to the front of the group to intercept the trolls. Two of them stopped to engage them, but the third followed Renn through the "hole", around their sides where the tunnel was too wide for the two of them to easily block. Renn drew his sword to face the troll in battle and Olaf moved to his aid.
Aloysius spoke quietly to himself and floated a few feet up off the floor.
Blacky chopped into the troll with his great axe. The troll countered by flailing at the fighter wildly with his arms and biting down on his shoulder, armor and all.
Jana likewise caused some damage to the troll she was engaged with, striking its green flesh soundly with her bastard sword. This troll flailed at her just as wildly as the other had done with Blacky, but by some stroke of luck, found a chink in her armor and embedded a claw under her ribcage.
Renn turned on the third troll and struck him with his longsword. He got raked with both of the troll's claws, but Olaf's attack, which failed to penetrate the creature's tough hide to cause any significant damage, seemed to distract it from biting down.
As the fighting commenced, Arachne lit her torch, getting prepared for the upcoming troll burning. Echo remained somewhere unseen.
Aloysius cursed when he saw how close behind Renn the trolls were. After rising perhaps two fet off the ground, he cast a spell.
Olaf pulled something from a pouch and chanted, "Great Tyr, Grant me thy
Pure Flame of Justice!"Blacky grunted as the troll bit down on him. "I didn't realize these things were so big and hungry." Blacky commented as swung a couple more times at the troll.
"Dammit, Daelen! Fill the gods-be-damned hole. There might be more coming," Jana growled. She continued to fight the troll in front of her, swinging twice with her sword.
Daelen didn't respond, instead moving to attack the nearest troll with his sword ablaze.
Aloysius cast a magic missile spell, hitting the troll on Jana with his three missiles. Echo appeared behind the same troll, shoving her dagger into its lower back. Jana hacked into it with her sword and the monster collapsed to the tunnel floor, but it clawed Jana again before it did so.
Daelen moved to the troll on Blacky, which happened to be the closest to where he was standing. He hit it with his blazing sword, causing significant damage to it and actually catching it on fire just a bit. The troll bellowed and tried to put out the flames, giving Blacky the opportunity to cut him down with his axe. That troll, too, collapsed to the floor.
Renn managed to defend himself from the troll he was facing while Olaf cast a spell. A blade-like projection of pure fire appeared from the priest of Tyr's palm as he turned to face the troll once more.
Seeing two trolls down and ready for burning, Arachne started to move slowly towards the front with the torch, carefully avoiding the remaining troll facing Renn and Olaf.
The sound of more creatures approaching at a rapid pace came from down the tunnel in the direction of the troll lair.
Aloysius cast a magic missile spell, hitting the troll on Jana with his three missiles. Echo appeared behind the same troll, shoving her dagger into its lower back. Jana hacked into it with her sword and the monster collapsed to the tunnel floor, but it clawed Jana again before it did so.
Daelen moved to the troll on Blacky, which happened to be the closest to
where he was standing. He hit it with his blazing sword, causing significant damage to it and actually catching it on fire just a bit. The troll bellowed
and tried to put out the flames, giving Blacky the opportunity to cut him
down with his axe. That troll, too, collapsed to the floor.Renn managed to defend himself from the troll he was facing while Olaf cast a
spell. A blade-like projection of pure fire appeared from the priest of
Tyr's palm as he turned to face the troll once more.Seeing two trolls down and ready for burning, Arachne started to move slowly
towards the front with the torch, carefully avoiding the remaining troll
facing Renn and Olaf.The sound of more creatures approaching at a rapid pace came from down the
tunnel in the direction of the troll lair."Blacky, Daelen, move forward so they can torch that troll. Renn and Olaf can handle the other one back there. We've gotta hold the line against the ones coming," She looked pointedly at Daelen. "Don't let any through this time. If you can't handle the responsibility, then switch out with Olaf." She gripped her shield a bit tighter and prepared for the next wave.
Azrun carried oil and sprinkled it on one troll as Arachne doused the other. He glanced behind them to make sure onthing was coming up from behind them.
Saying firmly, "For Tyr!" Olaf swung his blade of fire at the troll.
Blacky moved forward enough so that he was out of the way of burning troll and had room to fight. He positioned himself dead center in the pasageway. "Bring it on!" He said as he took a firm grip on his axe and dug his heals in.
"I already oiled the one Jana took down," Echo told Arachne and Azrun. She made sure she was behind the fighters' position and started casting a spell.
"You gonna bitch or you gonna fight?" Daelen growled as he took his place in line and got ready to take the head off the next troll who came in range.
With his longsword in hand, Renn moved to flank the troll and use any advantage the flaming blade of Olaf presented. He chanted softly under his breath as he made a strong overhand swing with his blade.
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