Move 251: More Trolls, What a Surprise
Troll Caves--Midmorning-ish, Day 16Blacky searched around the rocks for some time, but he found nothing of interest. Arachne tasted the water flowing down the wall, presumably at least, and reported that it seemed okay.
After completing their search of the smelly cavern, the group left to continue their explorations. They moved down the unexplored larger tunnel, which split again after a short distance. One tunnel about forty feet wide led off to the south while another of about double that width continued in the direction they had been walking. It was possible that the tunnel ahead of them branched yet again, but it was just out of the range of their lights so they could not be sure.
At this time, more of the drooling trolls chose to make their appearance. Four of them ran out of the southern tunnel, and it sounded like there were more behind them. Each of the trolls held a spear-like weapon, made uniformly of a white material, which they prepared to throw as they ran in.
Olaf drew his sword and growled, "We take them out, now?"
Olaf chose a troll and slashed into it with his sword.
"Aloysius," Jana said, drawing her sword, "now's your chance. What magic looks good right now? Webbing the tunnel?" She moves forward to engage the trolls, shield in her off hand. "Blacky, Daelen, with me, if you please. Renn, mind getting a torch going?" She swings at the trolls, taking on more than one if need be to keep them from breaking into the second rank.
Aloysius seemed focused on the area behind the charging trolls. "Azrun, Stargazer has the south tunnel. You watch the other one in case more come from that direction."
He began casting a spell.
Daelen followed closely and moved to attack one of the free trolls, wielding his burning sword in one hand and his whip instead of a shield in the other.
The glow at the back of the group moved toward Renn.
Azrun nodded, "I'm on it. I've got 2 webs and 2 magic missiles, if needed." Azrun watched the south tunnel, glancing over his shoulder to see how things were going.
"Certainly, but before you all are involved in fighting, if you should have any free torches on you, drop them so I can light them as needed," Renn said quickly as he searched through a pouch on his belt.
With flint and steel in hand, Renn bent over a torch and tried to light it.
Blacky advanced on the trolls along with Jana. He eyed the funky white spears warily prepared to knock any aside that came his direction. Otherwise he hacks into the nearest troll until it falls to the ground.
The four trolls threw their spear-like weapons; one of them hit Azrun and another hit Olaf. Aloysius cast a web spell, blocking the southern tunnel just as four more trolls came out. Three of them ran free of the webs, but the fourth got caught in the thick sticky strands. The three free trolls also had spears, which they threw. Olaf got hit again, but the other weapons clattered harmlessly to the cavern floor.
Azrun kept watch on the unwebbed tunnel. Renn and invisible Arachne worked on lighting a torch. Blacky, Daelen, Jana, and Olaf all went after trolls. Blacky and Jana each ended up fighting two trolls while Daelen and Olaf faced one each. The seventh troll went around to look for someone unengaged, barreling in Aloysius' direction. Blacky chopped one of the trolls with his axe, while Jana and Olaf did the same with their swords. Daelen fought with both his long sword and a whip, a difficult task given the nature of the two weapons. He made contact with his sword, leaving a burning wound on the troll. The whip touched the troll's leg, but it hardly seemed to notice.
Aloysius cast a spell at the troll after him, pelting the monster with magic missiles. Echo appeared behind the troll, employing her now familiar tactic of burning the troll with a spell while it was looking the other way. The troll retaliated harshly, chomping into the woman with its sharp teeth, slobbering on her quite a bit as well.
Jana dropped one of the trolls she was facing, as did Blacky. Both of the fighters took claw and bite wounds from the remaining trolls they were facing. Daelen continued to fighting in the same style as before, again hitting with the sword and touching the troll with the whip. The troll ripped into him ferociously in return. Olaf cut into the troll with his longsword but like most of the others, was clawed and bitten in return. Between the troll's claws and teeth and the spears he had been hit by earlier, the priest was in terrible shape.
No trolls came out of the tunnel that Azrun was watching. Arachne and Renn got the torch lit. The troll in the webbing tore its way free and headed for the fight. It wasn't possible to tell if any other trolls were caught, but at the very least, no more were about to break free.
Azrun awaited Aloysius's command as he fought the urge to enter the fray.
Blacky switched targets and began to chop on the uninjured troll until it too hits the cavern floor.
Being too close to do much with his whip now, Daelen dropped it in favor of the dagger at his belt.
"Right," Arachne's voice whispered to Renn. "I'll go around and start fires and you -- well, there's something for you to deal with." The lit torch vanished and then the gnome's voice added, "I was pointing at the troll that just got loose. Sorry."
"Azrun!" called the mage, "use magic missiles to help Olaf!"
Aloysius then began casting a spell of his own.
Echo cast another spell.
"Let's see about keeping Olaf alive," Renn said as he approached the melee. He began to cast a spell.
"Dammit," Jana growled as the troll got by the front line. She swung at the troll still in front of her and tried to position herself to block the formerly-webbed troll from breaking through as well. She continued to swing at the troll attacking her.
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