Expedition - Blackjack/Facing the Final Troll - 02 June 2021

[Marullus]

Blackjack Amistad . June 2nd: 9.00am.

Together with Alcide and Achaedany waits outside the Golden Tooth tavern for Earc to come down from his morning studies. They are tooled up with a variety of weapons and camping supplies and when ready depart Eastwards through the gate heading towards the Frogmorton Ford. Amistad checks in on his fireman and labourers, a surprise visit to make sure they are hard a work laying the foundations for his new Lion Logging yard.

PCs:

• Blackjack Amistad
• Earc Orctongue

NPCs:

• Acide
• Achedany

[Spearmint]

Blackjack Amistad

Reinforced with new health and further supplies, Amistad I'd eager to make good ground and show off to Earc his foundational work.

He brings Pingu the draft horse along, at least until the ford. The trusty old steed will have an updated inventory including block and tackle, ropes, oil and feed in the saddle trunks.

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

"It will be good to have Pigu along, I think. I went ahead and picked up four more large sacks before we left. There was a significant amount of coin scattered about the cave floor, so we may have need of it."

He stows the four additional sacks on Pigu for safe keeping.

"Let us be off! I want to see how the new logging camp is doing. And I want to see what awaits us within the cave... aside from the cancerous troll, that is."

OOC: Deducted 9sp6cp for cost of 4 sacks (with 20% markup)

Also, how long has it been since the last trip out? Or since the troll was fed? Is time going to have any involvement at all on the fighting capacity of an already-enfeebled troll?

[Marullus]

It has been 13 days since you last set out. You don't know much about the dietary habits of trolls, except that they try to eat you. Personally, I like the "breed like gremlins" idea...

You set off on a pleasant day, the events of the festival pushed aside in your minds for a moment as you focus on the dangerous deeds at hand - entering a submerged lair and slaying a gargantuan troll. The weather is cool when you set out in the morning but the sun quickly dispels the chill. The moon hangs overhead from sunrise until past sunset, such that it is, being the full and ominous new moon preferred by evil gods and shedding no light of its own.

You arrive at the river ford with warm, temperate weather, just after lunch. You find pleasant greetings from the Frogmortons and guards who are pleased to have you as new official neighbors. The ground for the lumberyard has been cleared and the first upright posts are appearing for the coming structures. (Need some details on Spearmint's private threads as to which buildings.) After an inspection, you continue up the riverbank to the place you marked as the entrance to the Troll's Den.

Day: 2 June 2021
Time: 3:00 pm
Light source: Sun (Sunset at 9:48pm. Next sunrise 4:34am)
Temp: 65 F
Wind: 9 to 12 mph WSW
Injuries: None
Distance traveled: ~7 miles today

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

When they arrive at the ford, Earc inquires with the Frogmortons if they might be able to spare their children for a half day.

"We only need someone reliable to watch the pack horse for an hour or two while we are away from it. We would pay them 1gp each for the task..."

When they arrive on-site, Earc looks for a place where they can secure the draft horse, preferably out of immediate site of anyone that might be passing by.

"We all going down this time," he asks Amistad, preparing for the underwater sojourn with minimal clothes and his dry bag and supplies. He also unpacks his potion of water breathing. "If we take one sip from this one and three from the one you have, Amistad, then we'll have two sips left total for emergencies. And remember, the thing is likely to be starved and possibly weakened because of it. But we should still treat it with respect. It can likely still recover from wounds."

Once Earc is ready to dive, he indicates so, bringing to mind a spell he might use to harm the troll, should it still be active and fully functional.

[Marullus]

Earc asks the Frogmortons if the children can come to tend the horse. Fastred, the youngest, seems elated but the clamp of a hand from his mother, Menegilda, quickly quashes that enthusiasm.

"We're grateful about the trolls, to be sure," she says politely, "but that's not a place I wish my boys standing out in the open tied to a horse."

[2d6] = 10 recruiting

You proceed onward, having no choice but to content yourselves with hobbling the horse normally while below.

[Spearmint]

Blackjack Amistad

Takes the lead, diving into the water with a continual light stick tied to his belt. He follows the rope left previously and heads towards the cave, wary of those big eels and frogmen who may be hiding in the weeds.

He would recommend Achaedany or Alcide coming next, their fighting skills might be needed straight away. They both have long bullywug spears and several flasks of oil.

[Marullus]

Accounting: You have one potion with two doses left in it. There are no posts in Town Business showing Amistad bought the other potion; please confirm and show it there if he did. I DID mark it off on the initial thread post as purchased, but I can't find where someone actually paid for it.

I'm not sure that Amistad could've paid for it. He traded his new 75gp gem for armor/axes and his 1000gp drinking horn to begin construction on his lumber yard. (Both are still listed on his sheet, btw, and need to be removed.) That leaves him with the Sextant, Malachite, and Tiger Eye (total of 75gp value) from this last expedition. His sheet shows a 20gp golden torc and 17gp left after the previous expedition (assuming that math is accurate; I don't see any posts saying Amistad sold his torc). I need to know how he afforded the potion and some confirmation on the math involved above.

You have three challenges - getting in, killing the troll, and getting out. If he didn't get the second potion, I need to know who gets the two doses and who tries to make it based on CON rolls. The roll is Con -4 (or potion) for the first person who ties the rope, then straight CON for anyone without a potion using the rope. You get 4 rolls per person to get in before those with the potion(s) expire. Remember (from past precedent) that anyone who doesn't have a potion for the way out and fails their CON check will drop their goods and take 1d6 damage to get to the surface sputtering.

[Spearmint]

Blackjack Amistad

Will take a potion sip and dive in to tie off the rope and grapnel to aid the others. Amistad didn't buy the second potion, I assume Earc did. If not at least Alcide or Achaedany should chip in, we are making them wealthy after all.

Is the cave entrance clear of obstructions and any kind of attempt to reinforce or barricade it?

Amistad will stab at any creatures prompted to attack from the undergrowth.

[Marullus]

The cave mouth appears unchanged and nothing assails you while you tie the rope.

Fair enough. Alcide and Achaedany are willing to split four ways on the potion if Earc and Amistad can do their portion.

[Alethan]

OOC: Sorry, Earc was under the impression Blackjack was going to buy it. At this point, Earc has 2 pp to spend, which leaves him 30gp short. If Blackjack can float the difference, then Earc will pay him back out of his share from the next haul. Otherwise, we will have to go it with CON checks.

[Alethan]

OOC: Earc used his 200gp to pay for scribing costs and materials for the Magic Missile and Protection From Evil spells. That left him with just the wand and a few coins he already had. Sorry.

[Spearmint]

Amistad

Will trade in value of remaining gp and gems to cover his and Earc potion portion.

[Marullus]

Amistad turns over the Sextant, Malachite, and Tiger Eye (total of 75gp value) and five gp while Earc pays two pp, and the potion was bought and brought along. Lease note here that you changed your sheets.

Each of the four companions takes a sip of the potion, leaving one sip in each flask as Earc suggested. Amistad and Earc hold the two remaining doses, one each.

Amistad swims down first, tying the rope. The rest follow the rope downward, each breathing easily with their magical solution. All four pop up in the cavern together, spears at the ready.

The cavern remains lit by the phosphorescent lichen. You are surprised, shocked at first, to find that hanging sheets of algae film obscure the area over the pool. You take a moment to get your bearings and push through the algae to the beach. Meanwhile the troll wakes, roaring at the back of the cave. It rises and lumbers to its feet, spotting you. It is almost twice as big as when you last saw it, a massive, misshapen horror.

Surprise: group [1d6] = 1 troll [1d6] = 1

[Spearmint]

Blackjack Amistad

inventory adjusted for potion

"Looks like the beast feasted not famished, let's get stuck in and hope for the best..."

Amistad takes the lead, hoping to spin the troll around and have the others clobber it with some rear advantage. He moves around the rim of the pool opening trying to make use of the room.

In the gloomy cave his aim is very poor, couldn't chop a barn door with that roll!

Axe melee [1d20+2] = 1+2 = 3 Axe damage [1d8+2] = 2+2 = 4

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

Once Earc surfaces, he rushes to get to a spot that is away from the action, dumps out the contents of the dry bag, and gets several torches lit and prepares the oil.

[Marullus]

Lucky for Amistad, the troll IS the size of a barn door. Achaedany and Alcide leap from the water as well, letting their bamboo javelins fly. Achaedany's javelin opens a gash in the thick meat of the troll's side but it hardly seems to notice.

Or, not so lucky. Amistad leaps forward to draw the troll's attention as it roars, lumbering towards him, twelve feet tall and eight feet wide, mouth gaping. The troll is uncannily fast for its mishappen bulk and is on Amistad before he has a chance to raise his axe. The troll's teeth sink into the flesh of his arm (-5hp), his fingers go lax and the axe flies out of his reach. (Amistad critical fumble) Amistad is tossed back like a toy, now disarmed.

Earc hurridly unpacks, readying oil and torches.

(Next round!)

Rolls:

Initiative: Us [1d6] = 1 Them [1d6] = 5
Alcide [1d20] = 7 [1d6] = 5 Achaedany [1d20] = 11 [1d6] = 2
Attacks [1d20] = 6 [1d20] = 6 [1d20] = 14 [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 1 [1d10] = 5

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

Trying to assist the others, Earc casts a spell at the troll, taking a ball of clay, holding it out in the palm of his hand, and blowing forcefully, propelling the ball straight at the eyes of the troll...

OOC: Earc casts Continual Light at the troll, hoping to blind it.

[Marullus]

Spearmint?

[Alethan]

Spearmint?

I know, right? *sigh*

THE MIDDLE OF A TROLL BATTLE IS NOT THE TIME TO GO AFK!!!

Kidding. I'm sure there's some legit reason. Zombie apocalypse or country invaded by a new world order or some sort of mass DOS across England or waiting for the kettle to boil...