Move 256:  Where are the Drooly Trolls?

Troll Caves--Early, Day 17

With their newly found stash of coins back in the old packs, the group moved back into the main tunnel. After a very short distance, the tunnel widened to the extent that it would more appropriately be called a cavern.  From their present position, the group could see two tunnels branching off to the south and the cavern continuing on beyond the range of their lights.

"All in favor of examining that nearer tunnel first...?" Arachne's voice murmured.

"Which way?" Olaf asked in a low murmuer, while straining to see into the dark.

"That's as good as anything else," Echo's voice said from in front.

"I'm still ahead of you.  Give me fair warning to get out of the way if you web something," she told Azrun and Aloysius.

Azrun nodded, "I'll yell if it's needed."

"Sounds good to me," Jana added, following Echo's voice.

The group moved into the closer of the two tunnels.  The tunnel continued for about two hundred feet before it widened into another cavern with a pool in the back.  Four more trolls were in the room.  One of the trolls had a mace and another had a normal sized shield, which seemed too small to do the big monster much good.  These trolls seemed a little slower than the other Slaverers the party had fought.  That did not stop them from moving in to fight, however.  One of them started coughing violently as it ran in.

Olaf chanted and moved to a front line fighting position.

"This is nice," Jana muttered darkly.  She pulled her shield and sword.
"Black, if you and Dealen will help, we can take care of these ourselves.  We needn't waste any or our magic here.  Renn and Azrun, if you wouldn't mind keeping your swords ready in case one of us needs help.  Arachne, would you mind getting a torch going?"

"I'm on it, Jana." Blacky said as he moved in line with her and Olaf, ax ready. "Bring on the drool!"

"Certainly," Renn nodded as he drew his blade and turned so he could watch both the combat and the tunnel entrance behind the group.

Azrun turned and watched with Renn. As the troll coughed, Azrun looked back, "Ummmm...do trolls get sick?"

Blacky, Daelen, Jana, and Olaf moved to intercept the trolls.  Olaf cast a spell, once again producing a blade of flame from his palm.  The rest of the group watched either the fight or the tunnel behind them as things progressed.

Blacky's great axe bit into the troll he was facing.  The troll caught the big fighter with a claw to the left shoulder.  The troll with the mace met up with Daelen and his flaming sword and dagger.  The troll smashed into the warrior with the mace, doing significant damage through his armor.  Its nasty wet cough produced an impressive wad of phlegm that it spit at Daelen.  He dodged quickly enough to let the wad fall on the cave floor rather than on him with a disgusting plop.

Jana gave the shield-bearing troll a minor wound with her bastard sword.  The troll swung the shield at her with both of its hands, apparently deciding it was better as offense than defense.  Not surprisingly, it missed wildly.  Olaf sliced the troll on him with his flame blade.  The troll started coughing like the one of Daelen and spit a similar wad of phlegm at the old priest.  He was unable to avoid the troll  and ended with a thick layer of mucus coating his head and face.

"Oh, drooling isn't gross enough," Jana muttered, holding her shield a little higher.  She swung twice at the shield-breaing troll in front of her.

Olaf cursed, "By Tyr's Stump! This bastard just slimed me and now I can't see a damnable thing!" He swung his flaming blade before him to ward off the troll and tried to wipe the snot off with his own stump.

Azrun looked back over his shoulder, "Do you guys need help!"

"How nasty," Renn grimaced as he moved forward to attack the coughing troll Olaf was engaged with, his longsword and shield at the ready.

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