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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 1496133" data-attributes="member: 6783">The 100th DayThe Topknot trolls were so named by the gnomes for the thick shock of black hair that grew straight up from the troll’s heads – a sign of favor from their demon-god, Vaprak.  This particular clan of trolls was led by their tribal shaman, Greezelet, a rarity in that the shaman was a female, and a double rarity for Greezelet sported a second head which granted her a cunning that matched her visciousness.  These two traits were much admired by the members of the Topknot clan, for though their numbers were fewer than the Slaverer’s, they had always managed to fight the Slaverer’s to a standstill.  However, now the Topknots were nervous.Trolls of both clans had died by the touch of the demon called fire; that which caused wounds that did not heal and pain that did not abate.  In a short period of time the Topknots had been reduced by half, so weakened that if the Slaverer’s were to attack the Topknots would be forced to flee.Greezelet was forced to bring her tribe into her cave here they could meet the fire head on.  The scent of warm, meat creatures, like those the tentacled things used as slaves, was heavy in the air about the dead trolls.  The shaman knew that these creatures were the ones to bring the fire.  She also knew they would come back.  Twice now the creatures had killed the guards and then fled. This time the creatures would find no guards.  The creatures would most likely come in further and she and the remaining trolls would overwhelm the creatures and eat them.  They would then take the fire the creatures bore and use it against the Slaverers.  Greezelet was looking forward to the confrontation. ----It was their third foray into the troll caves and the small group of friends was playing it cautious.  The first two forays had been very successful and had set the tone of their attack.  Ashimar would scout ahead and figure out where the trolls were. He would then start the attack.  Kestral would follow up by throwing their enchanted light pendants into the general area, illuminating everything around.  Jallarzi would then follow up with a magical induced haste and let off fireball that would target the trolls who had always been reasonably bunched together.  Kellron who had been stationed to protect the women while Ashimar scouted would then rush forward as fast as he could.It had worked perfectly twice before.  Jallarzi would continue to lay out spells, including two or three flaming spheres to lay upon the casualties and Kestral would pepper any standing trolls with arrow fire to distract them.  So far nine trolls had fallen in this manner and it had been reasonably easy, though their healing potions were starting to get low.  Still, it was a good start.By Ashimar’s reckoning it was late in the day, perhaps almost nightfall in the world above them.  They had deliberately started late on this foray so as not to appear at the same time as they had before – though telling time in these lightless depths was difficult.  Quietly and invisibly the new-made priest scouted forward into the dark caverns.  Yesterday they had gone in almost a hundred feet into the main cave and still hadn’t seen the far end with the enchanted vision granted by Jallarzi’s magic.  Fortunately the ceiling was visible some forty feet overhead which was a reassuring comfort of boundaries.  Unlike last time though there were no trolls just waiting around in the main cave.  Ashimar frowned at that and went forward a little further just to be sure.  Unsurprisingly, the light amulets they had left behind in the last foray were now gone.Satisfied that there were no trolls in the immediate area, Ashimar made his way back to the tunnel entrance where his friens were waiting.  “There’s no one out there.”  He whispered to his three companions.*  None of them jumped, having been warned by Kestral that something was coming.The group quickly discussed what to do and eventually decided to explore the area quickly and see if they could find any trolls left behind.  Agreeing on a direction, Ashimar started out again, to his right, keeping the wall within arm’s length.  It wasn’t long before he found the first cave – though he could have found it by stench alone.  A fungus grew in the cave that smelled like rotting blood and meat.  No one liked the looks of that ill-favored cavern and quickly left.  Kestral contemplated trying the fungus briefly but decided not to.  There was no way the experiment could be worth it.  It was in the next cave that they found the trolls.  It was a small group – only four of them, standing guard-like at the mouth of the cave.  Ashimar couldn’t see the back of this cave from where he stood but knew there could be more beyond, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.  Reaching into his vest he pulled out a small cloth bundle.  He unraveled it and let the light amulet fall out.  With a quick expert hand, Ashimar whirled the chain about and let the amulet fly.  The lighted jewelry flew true and landed about fifteen feet away from the trolls.Jallarzi was quick and let off her first fireball.  The blast of fire knocked down one of the trolls (unknown to the party, a survivor from the last foray who wasn’t quite as dead as they thought – but it only had 10 hit points or so) but the other three remainined standing and immediately began to snarl and yalp.The noise didn’t last long.  Ashimar activated his boots of speed and darted forward, drawing his keen rapier as he moved so he could lay into the closest troll.  Kellron muttered something about heavy armor and lumbered forward at a dead run, hoping that Ashimar would be able to take care of himself.  Meanwhile Kestral moved closer, pulling her bow out and took aim on one of the trolls that hadn’t moved yet.  The shaft sunk deep and Kestral grinned in satisfaction.  The trolls still standing batted at Ashimar once and then fell back.  Ashimar smelled the blood and the fear and pursued.  For her part, Jallarzi called forth a haste enchantment and summoned a flaming sphere on top of one of the trolls.  It howled in pain and tried to get away.Kellron finally got close enough and charged the remaining distance to the trolls, daring the closest one to claw at him.  The creature did so and hit hard, but Kellron followed up with hit of his own just as hard.Blows were traded back and forth between the retreating trolls and the adventurers, but the trolls were on the losing end.  Jallarzi managed to keep one of the flaming spheres moving onto the same troll and conjured a second one.  It didn’t take long for the first group of trolls to drop.  Before Kellron could lay the final blow on the last standing troll though, Ashimar heard a growl towards the back of the cave.More trolls.  Not sixty feet away.  The young man shook his head in disgust.  The trolls were too close and the group wouldn’t be able to get away in time.  Taking the teachings of Sarath to heart, Ashimar decided to press the attack.  He re-activated his boots and surged forward into the heart of the new troll pack.  The ensuing fight was brutal.  Jallarzi didn’t have any fireballs left and little time remained on her haste.  She summoned another sphere and began using her magic missiles where she could.For their part the trolls fought with more cunning and it soon became apparent why.  A monstrous, two-headed troll appeared at the edge of Ashimar’s sight.  The beast was obviously female and it was bedecked in furs and skulls.  The beast was also bearing a shifting enchantment that seemed to make it look like there were three of them.  Ashimar swore and moved to engage it.The trolls were many – more then they had faced before.  Ashimar was by himself at the forefront, trying to defend the wide expanse of the open cave and Kellron found himself running trying to catch up before he was intercepted by two of the trolls.  Kestral levitated upwards to escape the beasts and use her bow from a safe distance.  Jallarzi maneuvered her spheres to where they could do the most good and fired off as many magic missiles as they could.The heroes stood their ground; but they stood it separately.  In desperation Jallarzi used one of her precious charges from her Staff of Frost and summoned an Ice Storm to deal with a group of the creatures.  And though the trolls fell one by one, it wasn’t enough.  Ashimar’s keen sword bit deep many times, but the creatures kept healing a little bit at a time and he couldn’t hold a line with just himself.  Fortunately his agility and his magic saved him from taking many hitsKellron wasn’t so lucky.  He invoked Sarath’s wrath and his divine might as he needed to and every hit with his sword bit deep and hard.  The armor that slowed him down so much even prevented him from taking hits that would have shattered bones on an unarmoured man, but it didn’t prevent all the hits.  Kellron was locked in a fight where he was trading an equal number of blows with a troll and he didn’t heal nearly as fast.  Worse, while he was otherwise occupied, one of the trolls slipped past him and charged straight towards Jallarzi.Ashimar found himself too far from Jallarzi and Kestral as the last of his trolls (the two-headed, magic wielding one) finally fell and the magic of his boots expended itself.  Kestral was levitating high in the air so as to stay out of reach, but her bow wasn’t nearly as devastating as Kellrons’ sword.  Kellron was the first to fall as Ashimar finally caught up to him.  Ashimar took a moment to bring the beast down and a lucky blow dropped it – though Ashimar knew it wouldn’t stay down to long.  Before he could move further Jallarzi was dropped by a powerful blow from the troll.Kestral descended, drawing her blade, and between her and Ashimar they dropped the final troll.  They then took their remaining flasks of acid and alchemist fire and applied it to the trolls that were still healing.The fight was over, though neither Kestral nor Ashimar would have said they won.*** - I found my combat sheets from this time period.  Apparently I was wrong about Panther’s player being gone at this time – or at least his character being gone.  We must have been running Panther in the background at the time.  Rather than confuse the issue, I’m going to continue to write as if Panther wasn’t there.  He never decisevly turned any battle, but given that he could cast cure light wounds and Cat’s Grace and could use bard song, he certainly helped to sway the fights into the party’s favor.  ** - Another error on my part at the time.  There was a lot of paperwork involved here and I somehow messed up and was applying Rend damage with each troll hit.  Kellron was only getting hit once a round, but it was like getting hit twice.  No wonder he dropped.  Everyone learned a valuable lesson from this fight by the end of it.  But I still had two dead party members to deal with.</blockquote>

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