Move 229: Talking Things Over
Tunnels--Early, Day 12The decision was made to move back toward the trolls as a group, with Renn leading and Echo trailing. Everyone made their final preparations and started down the tunnel. They made their way through the darkness as quietly as they could, which, of course, was not all that quietly. After some time spent walking, they made it back to the point in the tunnel where several piles of ash marked the area where the first fight had taken place.
"I'd like all of us who can't see in the dark to have a wrapped light stone," Jana said. "It ought to just show you where to put your feet. The instant we see them, me and Blacky and Daelen will toss ours into the trolls. We'll say "Light" as we do, so you guys will have time to shield your eyes. Olaf, Aloysius and Azrun, you guys hold on to yours or tuck them in your belts, in case we need to toss more, in front or behind. Okay?"
Aloysius looked cautiously around the area of the ash piles. "We are quite close," he said, nervously stating the obvious. "Rennirolas, if your spell of trap detection works, I see no reason to employ my spell for the detection of magics. I shall remain towards the rear and prepare to cast spells in support of our fighters."
Looking over at Jana, he added, "unless you think I should do something different."
"I trust your knowledge of magic," Jana replied. "Do as you think best."
Aloysius nodded. "Mine is wrapped and on the inside pocket of my robe. Should the need arise, I shall be ready to toss it in the appropriate direction."
"An we are close, let me cast my preparatory spells," Renn said. After two incantations, Rennirolas smiled. "I'm as prepared as I can be, I imagine," he said quietly. "If I sense anything amiss, I'll pause long enough to try to detect any traps. If it's somewhat more than a trap, I'm sure you'll learn of it soon enough," he added before he continued onward.
Daelen obliged the party by not using his sword's flames to light his way, instead grasping the enchanted stone with his shield hand. He knelt by one of the burned out spots on the floor and sifted through the greasy ashes with his heavy glove.
"Foul things... nothing natural burns like this." He spat on the cave floor, then looked up at Jana. "Should some of us perhaps be throwing lit torches instead of light stones? In the last fight, the one I set on fire seemed more interested in putting itself out than fighting untill I continued my attack."
Echo brought up the rear of the group, keeping an eye on their backs. "If we literally throw torches," she said quietly to Daelen suggestion, "they might go out. And all of you need to be able to see."
"Remind me never to get torches where you buy them." Daelen commented.
"Okay," Echo replied with a sigh.
"Echo's right. They'll go out. We need for Arachne to get a torch going soon's we see them. The others can light theres offa hers." Jana turned to Echo and asked, "Throwin' oil on downed trolls -- will that ruin your invisibility spell? Cuz if it will, you might wanna hold off on the oiling part unless things get rough. I like the idea of an invisible scout, y'know?"
Azrun breathed slowly trying to keep himself calm as they readied themselves. He remained quiet as the group discussed further strategy.
Blacky wrapped his stone in a scrap of cloth and gripped it tightly in one hand. The other hand gripped his great axe just as tightly as he prepared go into battle once more.
Renn cast a couple of spells and Echo made herself invisible again before everyone moved forward. They progressed as far as the spot both Echo and Renn knew to be a troll guard post. It was deserted.
Olaf grunted softly, "They might have gone deeper in their complex to hide, joined the other group, attacked the gnomes by an alternate route, or it is possible we have killed them all. Anyone recall how many trolls were in this tribe, according to the gnomes?"
"Let's keep going," Jana said softly.
Aloysius eyed the area in front of the party cautiously as the group slowly advanced. He glanced at Renn periodically to see if the elf's warning spells were detecting anything.
Azrun crept along quietly with the group, he looked down to Arachne to see how she was doing.
Blacky continued forward following Renn and ready act at any sign of trouble or on Jana's orders.
Once everyone was ready, Rennirolas paused just past the guard post, then continued forward unless he sensed any traps.
Immediately past the guard post, the tunnel widened slightly. About the time everyone entered the cave, the snarling and growling started. This was taken as the signal for the fighters to toss their light stones, allowing everyone to see that they had entered a cave with four openings besides the one they had come through. Whether the openings led into caves or more tunnels, it was impossible to tell. Two of the openings were being guarded by two trolls each. The four of them charged the group. Three of them looked very similar to the ones fought before, large and green and gangly. The fourth was somewhat larger than the others with mottled ash-gray skin. It yowled at an ear-splitting volume that echoed around the cave and certainly alerted anything that might not have already known they were there.
Having seen that the larger tunnel will affect the groups frontage, Olaf chanted, "Great Tyr, Grant me Thy Holy Fire of Justice!" and rushed to the far right, so that the front line would be four wide and prevent any gaps.
After tossing his light stone Blacky grips his axe in both hands and sets his feet in preparation for his first swing once a troll is in range.
Jana held her sword in one hand, sword in the other. "Only four, good," she murmured. "Let's take 'em out before reinforcements arrive." She held the line back where it was more defensible, the four of them blocking the others, waiting for the attackers to arrive.
Daelen's sword was bathed in flames as he brandished it menacingly at the grey troll in silent challenge.
The mage's brows furrowed in concern as he watched the trolls charge the party. Seeing that the front rank was well-fortified for the time being, he glanced behind the party to make sure nothing was approaching from that direction before carefully watching the far tunnels for signs of movement.
Seeing that the mage was watching their backs, Azrun watched the tunnels for reinforcements.
Renn slipped behind the front line and kept his hand on the pommel of his longsword, though he kept an eye on the big gray exceptionally-ugly troll.
The trolls moved to engage the fighters as they did their best to form another line. They were too far into the cave for the three of them to form the line all the way across this time, but Olaf moved up to help block as he cast his spell. Aloysius watched the tunnel behind them while Azrun kept his eyes on the other openings.
Jana deftly cut into the troll that met her while successfully avoiding its blows.Blacky chopped one of the trolls with his axe. The troll nearly lost its footing and was unable to attack.
The large gray troll did not seem intimidated by Daelen's flaming sword. It tore into the fighter with claws and teeth, nearly mortally wounding him. The shock from the fierce attacks seemed to throw off Daelen's own attack, leaving him unable to hit the troll. The gray monster continued its yowling; if anything, it got louder.
Just as the flame blade appeared in Olaf's hand, the fourth troll dug into him. It grabbed him with both arms and seemed about to try to move somewhere with him when Renn moved up. The elven priest's sword bit into troll flesh and the troll released Olaf. It growled loudly at Renn and seemed intent on going after him next.
Four more trolls appeared out of one of the two openings that the first four had been guarding, the one to the east. Running noises came from the southernmost tunnels.
Azrun looked down the tunnel to wher he heard the foot steps, "Aloysius, cast your web at the southern tunnel. We need to slow them down. I still have a web to cast if we need to fall back." With that, he began to chant and pointed his finger toward the gray troll.
Beseeching any god that would listen to let his blade strike true, Daelen thrust his blade at the grey troll's heart.
Seeing reinforcements on the way, Blacky chopped at the troll on him then reversed his grip for a second strike, hoping to take the troll down before the others made it to combat.
Olaf attacked the troll which grabbed him viciously with the flaming sword, yelling "BY TYR'S JUSTICE, YOU WILL BURN BRUTE! FOR TYR!"
"Aloy--" Jana started to say, then stopped when she realized Azrun was issuing orders. She took the moment to swing at the troll in front of her. "Do it now, Aloysius. The southern tunnel, block it!" She swung once more at the troll. "Renn, support Daelen!"
The mage's eyes widened with fear as he saw how far away the southern tunnel was. "Too far . . . ." he muttered as he made his way through the lines so as to get within range of the tunnel, trying not to attract any trollish attention to himself in the process.
He then cast his spell on the south tunnel.
"Use that floaty thing," Jana suggested at Aloysius' words.
"On my way," Renn said as he backed away from the troll he was fighting. He sheathed his sword with a quick motion as he moved to Daeen's side and began to cast a spell.
As she lit her torch in the expectation that there would soon be at least one downed troll, Arachne glanced around the cavern to see if there was anything else around that could do with a burning.
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