View source for It's Part of the Blargain pt4

When last we left our brave and noble hereoes, they had been carrying the bodies of the preserved deceased, alongside their folded up keeper in a mask, to an emergency shelter. 
 
En route, a rather giant troll smashed through a building and attacked, having apparently been on quite the rampage that you staggered into. Most of the buildings have been emptied thus far, so it's not like it ha an abundance of living targets beyond, you know, /you/. 
 
The fight against it has really only just begun getting rolling.


GAME: Vandred casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 4 DC: 16

GAME: Vandred rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13

GAME: Vandred rolls 4d6: (12): 12

"Oh by all the.." Vandred looks like he's about to backpedal, but stops. Mayhaps its bravery, mayhaps it's the fact trolls might chase down something running that looks and smells tasty. Or at least smells like a cinnamon roll. A few sharp arcane gestures and the man thrusts his fingertips out - a beam comes firing out and scores a line across the Trolls' thigh. "That's all I have for this."


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Three - Init 20.

It is now Burai's turn! Gregor is next!


GAME: Burai casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13

GAME: Burai rolls 1d8+3: (3)+3: 6

GAME: Burai rolls 3d6: (10): 10

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+5: (12)+5: 17

Burai tries to sit up after being punched into a wall. He blinks and shakes his head, eyes slightly glazed. He blinks again at a bright spot in his field of vision before realizing it is actually his flaming sphere. Fixing his mouth in a frown, he wills it to roll into the troll's legs once more, although this time it avoids it. The ball of flame puffs one last time and dissolves into smoke. Burai chants a few words in the secret Druidic tongue and then places a hand on his own shoulder to heal himself.



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Three - Init 13.

It is now Gregor's turn! Giant Troll is next!


GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+8: (15)+8: 23

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+6: (4)+6: 10

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (1)+1: 2 (EPIC FAIL)

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (17)+1: 18

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d8+4+6: (1)+4+6: 11

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7

Gregor thrusts forward with his adamantine lance, scoring a gouge in the troll's flesh. His horse rears and champs, biting at it, pounding with hooves. One of them clips it on the shoulder. But he's no heavy cavalryman, and the damage he does ... well, this troll seems very tough to him.


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Three - Init 12.

It is now Giant Troll's turn! Gareth is next!


GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (9)+10: 19

The troll lumbers forward, trying to get out of the flanking positionm and besides Saiorse. It raises it's massive, clawed foot and aims to smash it into her. She's able to get out of the way, of course, but had he landed she surely would've gone flying.


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Three - Init 9.

It is now Gareth's turn! Saiorse is next!


GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Three - Init 5.

It is now Saiorse's turn! Vandred is next!


GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+10: (3)+10: 13

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d8+11: (6)+11: 17

As that massive foot comes speeding toward Saiorse, there's shockingly little in the way of reactions to be had. There is no expedience in avoidance, no commando roll that's going to deliver her to safety, no. There is only the mind-numbing hum of her shielding apparatus, that electro-magical barrier that's been erected around her steady form that snaps viciously as the creature's foot skims off it.

Hsshh. Hhk.

She stands there for a couple of silent seconds, the grim grin that graces pale lips unseen beneath the cover of her macabre mask a quiet mockery as her head tilts to one side by fractions in her examination. Hff. Scoff. Once more the pistons that operate the joints of her armour can be heard winding up to what transpires next: Combo Strike 2, the fistening. Her first fist makes savage contact with the beast, those slender yet deceptively hardy needle-claws piercing the flesh until the bulk of that mitt thuds against its abdomen with all the grace of a brick through glass. Her second hand moves to join the first, but the pummel that was delivered struck harder than she had anticipated, and with her balance slightly off, it mercifully misses its mark.

"So much pain," Hsshk, hhk, "For so little gain. Limited by below averag--HHKH--e intelligence, target displays a lack of care for preserva--hhhation of self," Her hand tears back, the gears whirring and grinding as it prepares for the next strike to come. "Most detramental to continued life..." And, again, this continues on as she talks to herself.



GAME: NEW ROUND!

Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Four - Init 25.

It is now Vandred's turn! Burai is next!


GAME: Vandred casts Ray of Enfeeblement. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15

GAME: Vandred rolls 1d20+6: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)


It's a bird. It's a plane. Nope, it's Vandred in a bit of a panic to make sure that the Troll doesn't swipe him in half with a rampant angry backhand. Backpedalling as he is, Vandred points a finger and utters a word at the Troll, but the beam goes wide. When I say wide. I mean it misses. When I say misses, I mean the beam went off in the Trolls' general direction, but decided that the Troll was not a viable target - the wall was. The beam strikes the wall, and it seems to sag just a little beneath its own weight. "Ah. Sorry." He states, looking rather put out. He recovers, if only by patting over his belt for a moment. "Where'd I stick that bloody crossbow of mine.." He's about to ask Saiorse - but she seems to be in her element. He's just going to leave that one alone. Yeah. That's a good idea.



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Four - Init 20.

It is now Burai's turn! Gregor is next!


GAME: Burai rolls ranged: (16)+4: 20

GAME: Burai rolls 1d6+1: (5)+1: 6

Burai presses one hand against the wall behind him to help him rise to his feet. Still hunched over slightly, his other hand raises and points at the troll. From his palm emits a scorching bolt of fire which burns into the Troll's hide to add to all the other injuries the party has inflicted on it. Burai lowers his hand, still trailing a bit of smoke, and then with an effort stops using the wall for support and straightens up.



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Four - Init 13.

It is now Gregor's turn! Giant Troll is next!


GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+8: (9)+8: 17

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (3)+1: 4

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (13)+1: 14

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d8+10: (1)+10: 11

Gregor keeps up a steady pressure on the troll. No great warrior, he's no shrinking violet, he thrusts forward, using stirrups to brace as he fights with horse and lance, leaving another shallow gouge in the troll's flesh.



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Four - Init 12.

It is now Giant Troll's turn! Gareth is next!


GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (6)+10: 16

A large hand reaches down, aiming to grasp at Gregor so that it can get a hold of him, but alas, it's not to be. It had a plan, but the adventurers are proving too slippery to be used as weapons for the time being. "bork durr fur durr fur fur durr fur fur" <unknown>



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Four - Init 9.

It is now Gareth's turn! Saiorse is next!


GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Four - Init 5.

It is now Saiorse's turn! Vandred is next!


GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d8+11: (8)+11: 19

The beatings will continue.

Saiorse seems to have a rather single-minded focus. That focus is fisting, if that hasn't become painfully -- emphasis on pain -- obvious by this juncture. When the troll reaches for Gregor, she takes this opportunity to once again muscle wizard her way to victory. It looks like an uppercut at first, the way she drills upward toward its face with knife-finger action, making its way toward the troll's jaw with great gusto. She doesn't punch it in the jaw, however. Rather, she jabs those needles into the thing's neck, drawing a bit of a gurgled 'gacked' noise before she withdraws. Everything she does is calculated. Clinical. It's like the art of needling something in the throat is simply another study. ... and to her, it probably is.

Her second hand makes like it would bury itself into the creature's gut, but when she spears it in the neck, it jerks back with such a flurry of activity that this, once more, goes wide of its mark.

... hhss...

"Subject refuses to maintain appropriate le--hhhhk--vels of inaction to allow for indepth examination of impliment's efficiency." She goes on. "Wounds suffered on first, hhhk, examination appear to be healing." A beat, "This vexes us." She admits, withdrawing and resetting the gears once more. "Note: Must find methods of injection of acidic compounds for ffhhhkk--... future analasys."



GAME: NEW ROUND!

Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Five - Init 25.

It is now Vandred's turn! Burai is next!



GAME: Vandred casts Ray of Enfeeblement. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15

GAME: Vandred rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8

You know when you're having a bad day, and it just keeps on going? Vandred thrusts out his palm and shouts. Again. This time, the beam almost strikes a nearby building, instead shooting off and dissipating as it reaches the maximum range possible for it. His shoulders slump a bit, and he lets out a sigh that almost goes over the sound of combat. "I should just grab my sword and start stabbing this bloody thing.."



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Five - Init 20.

It is now Burai's turn! Gregor is next!


Burai scoops up his sword. He hadn't even realized he'd dropped it after being struck earlier. He considers charging in but sees an opportunity - another bolt of fire sears out and scorches the troll's side. Aren't trolls supposed to be vulnerable to fire? No matter he can always try the sword next.

GAME: Burai rolls ranged: (15)+4: 19

GAME: Burai rolls 1d6+1: (5)+1: 6



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Five - Init 13.

It is now Gregor's turn! Giant Troll is next!



GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+8: (3)+8: 11

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+6: (4)+6: 10

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (15)+1: 16

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+1: (17)+1: 18

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d6+2: (4)+2: 6

Gregor fights on furiously, weaving aside from the troll's attacks when he can, warding them off with his shield when he is able. Traveller rears back and stomps with his hooves as well, and the hooves both land solid clouts on the troll.



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Five - Init 12.

It is now Giant Troll's turn! Gareth is next!


GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (19)+14: 33

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+7+1d6: (2)+7+(5): 14

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+8: (13)+8: 21

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+10: (3)+10: 13

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d8+10: (6)+10: 16

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+5: (3)+5: 8

GAME: Saiorse rolls reflex: (11)+8: 19

"bork fur durr fur durr fur durr fee bork fur bork bork fee durr bork fur durr fur fee fee fee fur bork durr bork fee bork durr durr bork fee bork fee bork fee durr fur bork durr bork durr fur bork durr fee" The troll then darts, after speaking, towards Burai and circles aorund behind him. He slashes across his back and then *punts* the druid directly at the armored Saiorse, who is able to get out of the way. Burai crashes into a nearby building, painfully, left prone. <unknown>


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Five - Init 9.

It is now Gareth's turn! Saiorse is next!


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Five - Init 5.

It is now Saiorse's turn! Vandred is next!


GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+8: (20)+8: 28

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+8: (13)+8: 21

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20

GAME: Saiorse rolls 2d8+22: (10)+22: 32

It tries to escape.

There is no escape... from the fist.

When Burai comes flying toward her, Saiorse makes a quick dip and slide to the side to avoid him, allowing him rather callously to go sprawling wheresoever he might go. She looks down at him for a brief moment, considering the tactical benefit of helping him up versus resuming her experimentation of blunt force vs tender troll body.

She decides on the fisting. ... there's a pattern forming.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP THUMP THUMP. Yep. Here she comes. To the, er... rescue? Her footfalls speak well of the dedication to her study as she makes her way toward the troll with some urgency, powering onward as her fist raises in menacing promise of what is to come. The troll swings at her, certainly, she was expecting that. It's only logical. Due to her obviously superior understanding of tactical theory, she manages to evade that strike and use the opening it creates in its over-reaching to ram her needle-spined fist directly under and into the ribcage.



GAME: NEW ROUND!

Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Six - Init 25.

It is now Vandred's turn! Burai is next!

GAME: Vandred casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Six - Init 20.

It is now Burai's turn! Gregor is next!


GAME: Burai rolls ranged: (4)+4: 8

Burai is sent flying once again. This time he keeps a grip on his sword. He climbs to one knee. Raising his palm once more. A fire bolt streaks out but burns into the ground at the troll's feet. It draws a grimace. But then he climbs to his feet and readies his sword. "My power is nearly expended," he grunts.



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Six - Init 13.

It is now Gregor's turn! Giant Troll is next!

GAME: Gregor rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25

GAME: Gregor rolls 2d8+20: (15)+20: 35

Gregor tags the troll as he runs off to try and mix things up, but he nudges Traveller in the rubs abd the horse sprints off, quickly reaching a gallop as Gegor's lance reaches out, and he strikes home with a keen thrust backed by the strength of the horse's charge. The tip of his lance sinks deep before he pulls it out, bracing himself for the trolls response. He's pretty sure he got its attention.



GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Six - Init 12.

It is now Giant Troll's turn! Gareth is next!


GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (16)+10: 26

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (20)+10: 30

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (20)+10: 30

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (9)+10: 19

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (16)+10: 26

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d8+5: (6)+5: 11

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+10: (6)+10: 16

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+5: (4)+5: 9

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+7: (4)+7: 11


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Six - Init 9.

It is now Gareth's turn! Saiorse is next!


GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.

Round Six - Init 5.

It is now Saiorse's turn! Vandred is next!


GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+10: (11)+10: 21

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d8+11: (4)+11: 15

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d8+11: (6)+11: 17

It's been a long road, but if she's getting tired, she's not showing it.

She continues with her assault, but for the first time since the combat began, she actually tags the creature with both fists. The even ebb and flow of her breath has not changed, showing clearly that the armour is doing most of the work, not the woman that lurks within like some dirty little secret. She pounds her fist in, curling her fingers as those needles pierce flesh, digging and tearing in opposing directions as she makes her best attempts at prying open the creature's ribcage. Sickening, slick sounds of it giving way rise above the din of combat, every crunch, each pop causing her head to tilt a little further to one side as she struggles with her less than surgical attempts to get a look at the insides of the troll.

"Subject has experienced difficulties with--hhk--respiratory normalcy after repeated strikes to the chest and abdomen, and shows diminishing--hshhhh--capacity for life upon separation of ..." She pauses a moment as the troll begins to... well, die, in order to give its death the attention due to such a gruesome and unusual thing. That one lens peers down into the gaping wound, her claws still holding it open. The armour hisses, venting sharply. Hss. Hhhk. Kss... "... Subject has surrendered to wounds as result of unknown origin. Could hhhk--hhsshh--... have been anything. Most puzzling."



It's really unhappy. With Gregor's lance piercing its side, the Troll howls in pain. No more time for words. It launches a furious assault on the fellow aboard his mount, rending and rending into him and biting at last in a way that leaves hgim slumped over and a bloody mess in his saddle. 
 
It's then that Saiorse delivers those last telling blows as it slumps to the ground, for the moment unable to regenerate from the fire disabling it. It might even be dead. 
 
One can never be sure with trolls. 
 
Your gas mask wearing companion, however, is hovering over the fallen corpses you were bringing with you when the fight broke out, assuring them that its going to be okay. 
 
"There, there," she stroke back the taxidermied corpse's hair, "See? They killed it. You're going to be fine." 
 
You at least hqave this part of the mission to handle, and a taxidermist on hand if Gregor doesn't make it!



GAME: Burai casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13

GAME: Burai rolls 1d8+3: (6)+3: 9

GAME: Saiorse rolls 1d8+4: (3)+4: 7

GAME: Saiorse casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13


Burai limps over to Gregor and raises a hand, murmuring reassuringly to the horse. Once he is near enough he places a hand on the rider's boot and casts a healing spell on him. "We'd better make sure the giant troll is finished," he says, turning in the direction of the fallen monster.

It doesn't appear to be regenerating /yet/, anyway.


Gregor gasps and coughs as he regains consciousness, spitting blood off to the side and straightening up with a wince. "Thank you," he says through clenched teeth. I knew he would strike back, but it was harder than I was expecting." He looks over his shield, which has a few dents, and he says, "I've got my last flask of fire, let's burn it fast before anything else happens." He'll fish out the last flask he'd been issued.


Saiorse turns to look at Gregor, and the horse. She's clearly thinking about it. Whether she should help him, or keep her magics to herself -- the worthiness of his contributions versus the expenditure of her efforts. Apparently she has decided that he has earned at least a -vague- amount of assistance. Her arm raises, and with a whirring buzz, the vials that rest against her knuckles change; the viscous green liquid is drained, and a vibrant, icy blue takes its place. There's a snap shot sound that rings out as a dart is then launched in his direction, burying into his mangled skin and injecting that chilly liquid directly into him. With that, she turns and begins to pace toward the Arvek that's petting a corpse.

It's time to get hoisted.


Vandred is just staying, in general, out of the way of things. Sure, he DID have a wand of curing light wounds - but there were people who were better. More capable. More willing than him. His will is instead directed towards his wineskin, which he quaffs from with a renewed vigour. He lowers the skin from his mouth with a sigh, and a small burp. He screws the cap back on again. "These events always bring a mighty thirst."



Refolding the corpses and their caretaker back up, you begin to escort them back down the street once again. Nobody, not the patrols and not the citizens, bat an eyelash. Just a a bunch of bodies and a woman in a gasmask and anotehr woman in a mask and... anyway... 
 
You reach the SHelter from earlier after felling the troll and walking for a time and you're let inside swiftly enough. 
 
"Well, these things happen sometimes," explains one of the Sergeants as the corpses are placed into their care. "Why don't you sit down and have some chow?" 
 
No problem.


Burai seems extremely grateful to be rid of the body he was carrying. He gives a flat stare at how the Sergeant responds. But then he shrugs - perhaps the place is rubbing off on him. Be does take a bit of food, then finds a quiet spot to collapse and promptly falls asleep.


Gregor is sore as hell, but he'll pass along the ... whatever he was carrying. He'd assumed it was, like, a zombie or something, but normally people react differently to undead. So maybe it's something else? He's not quite sure. He -is- sure he got mangled by a troll, and he's gonna be sore for a while, so he hitches his horse and goes inside and winces as he settles into a seat in the shelter.

[[Category:Logs|It's Part of the Blargain pt4]]