Chapter 5b - Fight for Freedom

[ProfGremlin]

Bitsa's eyes go wide as the trolls burst through the barricade. A chill runs down his spine as Hrruuukkk Ptui and company charge through the breach, bloodcurdling howls heralding their advance. The halfpint housebreaker has a sudden and clear understanding that he is so far out of his element that he no longer knows which direction home is. A moment of hesitation is broken when the vanguard is brought down by the tripwires. If I'm gonna die I'm taking as many of them with me as I can...

Ozenda places a hand on Herman's shoulder, feeling the butcher's boy trembling. He glances over at her his eyes wide with barely restrained fear. Herman looks down at the control box, swallows and nods. Ozenda pats his shoulder and they both return their attention to the horde pouring through their meager defenses. They watch as the advance trips over the traps Bitsa had implemented and gasp as the largest one tucked, rolled and came up in front of Tenkar.

Bitsa loads his sling with a bullet and begins to swing slowly to set the projectile and then quickly with a snap to send it zinging down the passage at one of the ogres. With his projectile lost in the smoke he hears Ozenda's voice quietly incanting behind him, "Vos Factus Statua!"

Ozenda releases her spell moments after Bitsa's sling bullet snapped forward as if riding it's wake down the smoke hazed tunnel. While the spells path is generally the same the target certainly isn't.

---

Bitsa's sling bullet cast -
[501 & 502] 11-08-11 21:08:47 CDT
4+4+5+1+25=39+(Lev 2)=> 41
Damage
[503] 11-08-11 21:10:14 CDT
1+2+25=28

Ozenda casts Hold That Pose on Hrruuukkk Ptui
[504] 11-08-11 21:11:45 CDT
6+1+23=30+(Lev 2)=> 32

[monstermike]

While the remaining cave trolls, ogres, orcs, and goblins advance through the scrum between the tripwires, Owynn makes a flying kick at the head of the troll still clutching his groin in agony. His boot crashes hard into the troll's head, shattering teeth and breaking his nose. The troll reels backwards into his advancing companions and for a moment there is confusion among the trolls as they try to move their staggering cohort out of their way.

Owynn picks himself up off the ground after the kick and stands tall. His armor seems to emit a light of its own as he rises, and the trolls begin to scream as if in agony. The injured troll and two of the others climb over the last one in their panic and run out of the coal pits and up the decline shaft. The last troll facing Owynn seems both dazed by the trampling and frightened by Owynn's presence. However, he takes a renewed grip on his capstan bar and prepares to take a lusty swing at the warrior's head.

A buzzing whirr passes through the air between Owynn and the troll, and an ogre picking his way through the battle between the trip wires cries "Owie!" as a leaden sling bullet smacks into his forehead. At the same moment, as Tenkar and Hrruuukkk Ptui continue to circle and parry with one another, the Goblin Commander suddenly gets a confused look in his eyes. He drops his guard and stares around vacantly. Tenkar shouts at him, "We're fightin' here! Kin ye at least pay attention?" But the corpulent goblin king only gives him a puzzled stare.

[Bookkeeping: Owynn gets 16 AP DEX, Ozenda takes 7 AP WIZ and uses 1 WIZ, Bitsa gets 16 AP DEX.]

Game time 4/4 21:54

Please post your next move by noon Monday, Aug 15.

That pretty much wraps up this combat round. If folks don't object, I'll award AP for the monsters at the end of the battle. 21 Titans and all the extra bad guys at the entry to south hall just didn't manage to connect yet this round. The fog of war...

Would you prefer to have your characters act first and then have me roll all the NPC's afterward, or do you like seeing what's happening among the NPC's before your characters act?

[monstermike]

[North hall NPC's]

With two quick kicks to the throat and another stab and slash with his katana, Seagal quickly dispatches the four Titans surrounding him. A quick glance behind him confirms that the orc guards have climbed to their feet and that the ogre and remaining guards in the rear have joined the battle against the rebellious miners. He makes a quick battlefield calculation and comes to the conclusion that the dwarves fighting here are ultimately doomed.

Glancing to the west, he sees the cave trolls thundering down the meat-splattered hallway to flank the rebels in the south hall. Turning his attention to the south, he hears the sound of battle raging through the dump chute tunnel and the screams of trolls, and he sees the two miners standing guard over the dump chute with their shovels ready.

The intruders must all be in the south hall! he thinks. Turning to his guards embroiled in battle with the miners he shouts, "When you finish with them, pass through the dump chute tunnel to the south hall! I'll clear the way!"

Getting at least a few nods from his guards as they parry picks and shovels with their swords, he runs up the slight incline to the dump chute prepared to chop down the two miners with his katana.

(Seagal takes 2 spite but kills all four Titans he was fighting against.)

The guards between the tripwires battle to their feet. Father Grizzle manages to swing his pick right through the chest of one of the goblin guards, but the other Titans are pressed back by the ogre and the guards in the rear that jump into the fight. The ogre bowls through the Titans, knocking them into walls, and with the fresh guards in the fight, their numbers and strength begin to take a toll on the embattled miners.

(The 14 titans take 58 total damage. Guards took a measly 2 spite damage, which killed off one goblin guard.)

[monstermike]

[Tenkar in South Hall]

Getting no response from the dazed goblin king, Tenkar smiles. "Well, ye look like ye done lost yer head!" His quip is followed by a powerful swing from his axe that sends Hrruuukkk Ptui's head flying. The corpulent body of the giant goblin collapses in the hall.

Turning to the west and seeing a large group of Titans standing uncertainly with their weapons, Tenkar shouts, "Well, what's a matter with ye then? Can't ye see they're pourin' in like rain? Go get 'em!" He points with his bloody axe to the mob of guards fighting with and moving through the ten Titans battling near the collapsed tripwires.

(Tenkar easily dispatches the dazed Hrruuukkk Ptui. Tenkar takes no damage.)

GM comment: I thought I would take care of the obvious NPC parts up front - The north hall is all NPC's, and Tenkar had a free swing at Hrruuukkk Ptui, so he took it. I'll wait on the actions of the Titans, the south hall monsters, and Pan until after your moves. If anyone wants to determine actions for Pan or the Titans, please feel free to do so.

[monstermike]

Meanwhile...

Sorn and Egon, the two dwarfs who work in the winch house, listen to the sound of the battle raging overhead. Several minutes earlier their work had been interrupted by the goblin guard who had ordered the trolls to cease their toils at the winch to join the battle. Sorn dropped the heavy timber into place to lock the winch and keep the long line of loaded ore-carts from rolling down the decline shaft to the bottom, and the laboring trolls unshipped their capstan bars and ran up the decline shaft to join Seagal and his troops.

After a few minutes of tense listening as the battle began, Egon turns to Sorn and says, "Ye know, we should be helpin' them insteadda hidin' down here like a couple o' yellow chicken turds." Sorn looks around the winch house. Besides the giant winch, there are only a few spare axles and wheels, and some broken pieces from ore carts.

"Yeh. But we got nuttin' ta fight with. Just our bare fists aginst all them swords and big trolls an' such."

Egon tells Sorn, "I said help 'em, not join the fight. You heard Seagal order that little goblin to run and fetch th' off-shift trolls from quarters, right?"

"Yeh. So?"

"So," Egon continues, "In a minute or three, that means them big nasty suckers are gonna be runnin' down th' decline shaft ta join th' ruckus, right?"

"Yeh. So what's yer point? We can't beat up eight trolls with our bare hands." Sorn replies.

"Exactly. But reason with me here, Sorn. What did you just do a few minutes ago when th' trolls quit walkin' that big capstan around?"

Sorn replies, "Well, I locked the capstan, o' course. Just like always when we gots ta stop th' ore cart line."

Egon runs his fingers through his beard. "And why do we always do that?"

"Cause o' gravity. Th' loaded carts is heavier than th' empties. If we didna lock th' winch, all them loaded carts'd come rumblin' and crashin' down th' shaft faster an' faster on th' cable. An' all th' empties on th' other side would go flyin' willy-nilly up th' decline shaft like crazy chariots pulled by demon horses. It's just common sense ta lock th' winch. Udderwise, it'd be a big health risk ta anyone in th' shaft." Sorn replies, scratching his head still. Then the lights come on. "I getcha now! When them trolls is in sight, we unlock th' winch!"

"Yep. And then run like hell. 'Cause all them loaded ore carts is gonna start smashin' and pilin' up right here in th' winch house first." Egon says.

"You're a genius, Egon."

"So true, Sorn. So true." Egon smiles wickedly.

[monstermike]

Here's how things look right now. The four trolls are on their way around the western loop. They will arrive at Bitsa, Ozenda, and Herman's approximate location at the end of this coming turn.

[kwll]

After seeing his first troll opponent crash on the ground and some of his kin run in disarray, Owynn turns to the last remaining massive figure in front of him. Getting conscious of the light glow of his own armor brings more confidence to him. He hails his foe: "Is it the light that frightens you so much, brute? Don't worry too much, you will soon meet your ancestors in darkness, that you should never have left!"

Hoping these are not only bold words, he then wields Trollsbane high, and charges at his enemy.

[ProfGremlin]

Bitsa loads another bullet into the sling pouch and spins it quickly up over his head. With a snap he sends it down the tunnel on the same trajectory as his previous cast. There's a bit of lead poisoning for you... The little thief tucks the sling in his belt and pulls his sax. Creeping forward on sandal clad feet, any noise he may make is lost in the crash and cries of the battle. Bitsa hugs the wall and moves up to the last mine entrance in this tunnel. He slips into the tunnel mouth and surveys the milling confusion before him looking for a likely target to gobbotomize.

Ozenda and Herman watch as the half-pint housebreaker disappears into the shadow and smoke with practiced ease. Peering further down the tunnel Ozenda espies the hulking form of a troll. Mindful of her earlier mishap with the ogre and her subsequent success with Tenkar's opponent the wizard casts another spell into the melee.

Narrowing her eyes, the wizard peers through the gloom at the hulking figure. Shifting her focus she brings his energetic clockwork into her deepsight. As with Seagal earlier Ozenda reaches out a tendril of mana as if to probe the clockwork laid out before her. Unlike her earlier spell the mage wastes no time on subtlety and simply jams her probe into the clockwork bringing the whole matrix to a standstill, "Vos Factus Statua!"

---

Bitsa's second sling bullet cast -
[516 & 517] 11-08-20 15:54:51 CDT
1+1+1+5=33+(Lev 2)=>35
Damage -
[518] 11-08-20 15:58:33 CDT
4+1+25=>30

Ozenda casts Hold That Pose on the remaining troll -
[519] 11-08-20 16:36:33 CDT
5+4+23=32+(Lev 2)=>34

[monstermike]

Ozenda releases her spell, halting the crude clockwork of the foaming troll.

Owynn leaps at the troll, which suddenly lowers its great club and gets a vacant look in its eyes. Pan also attacks and the two warriors inflict horrible wounds on the hulking brute in spite of its horny hide.

(Ozenda's spell dazes the troll for this round. Owynn and Pan do a combined 127 damage to the troll, nearly killing it. It is panicked by Owynn's armor, but is too dazed to flee.)

Another sling bullet whizzes through the dim tunnel, striking the same ogre a second time. He lets out a yelp of pain and mumbles something about stinging bees as he swipes a great fist at the Titan in front of him.

The mass of Titans hear Tenkars command and begin to swarm around the battle with the troll into the cluster of fighting dwarves and mine guards. Ten more of the Titans are able to join the fight, preventing the slaughter of their ten cohorts. With their superior weapons and training, the guards still get the better of the miners, but the battle seems to be on more even footing.

(the 20 Titans fighting by the tripwires take 27 damage and 11 spite. The guards take a total of 11 spite.)

Bitsa slips into the shadows of tunnel 6 and waits for an unsuspecting enemy guard to stumble past him.

Frustrated by his lack of activity, Herman shouts at the remaining Titans, "Fire Lanterns! Neck Rings!" Setting an example, he grabs one of the slashed lanterns and hurls it toward the stunned troll. However, his throw is wide and the lantern shatters harmlessly against the wall, starting a short-lived oil fire.

As these events unfold, Bitsa, Ozenda, and Herman begin to feel the ground vibrating under their feet. They turn to see four more trolls running from the west towards them, licking blood and gore from their capstan bars and grinning wickedly.

[Bookkeeping: Bitsa gets 4 AP DEX, Ozenda gets 18 AP WIZ, uses 1 WIZ. Herman takes 12 AP DEX.]

Game time 4/4 21:56

Please post your next move by noon Wednesday, August 24.

[Edits: Forgot to double Owynn's damage with the sword and other math problems. Pan and Owynn do a total of 127 damage to the troll, but it is still up. It will flee once it comes out of its daze at the start of the next round.]

[monstermike]

That was the end of the round for everyone. Here's how things look at the end of the round.

I'll deal with Seagal's move and the battle in the north hall again, but wait on your suggestions and actions before I do anything in the south hall.

[monstermike]

Seagal quickly mows down the two guards at the dump chute tunnel with his katana. A final spiteful kick sends one of the Titans down through the hole. Seagal sees Tenkar standing over the headless body of Hrruuukkk Ptui and lets out a yell of battle fury as he runs at top speed toward the sturdy dwarf.

(Seagal easily kills the two Titans, taking no damage.)

Meanwhile, the battle in the north hall rages on. The two remaining goblin guards finally go down under an onslaught of shovel blows, but the remaining guards continue to get the better of the Titans.

(the 14 Titans take 48 damage. Guards take 5 spite damage which finishes the two goblins and slightly wounds an orc guard.)

[monstermike]

Disappointed by the result of his throw, Herman resolves to take his time and aim before he throws another lantern. (Herman spends some AP to raise his DEX from 9 to 10.)

[monstermike]

Tenkar smiles down at the headless body of the goblin overlord. He never much liked goblins. "Must be my lucky day!" he muses. (Tenkar raises his LUK from 10 to 14!)

[monstermike]

The troll facing Owynn and Pan recovers from his daze. Bleeding heavily from his wounds, his eyes go wide when he sees the light from Owynn's armor. Panic causes his heart to stop, and he keels over dead onto the floor.

[ProfGremlin]

Ozenda becomes aware of a vibration rising up through the soles of her boots. As the vibration strengthens she hears throaty growls from behind her back down the tunnel. Turning, she gasps and grabs Herman's arm. The butcher's boy looks at Ozenda and then follows her gaze back down the tunnel. Fear kicks adrenalin into action and his mind distills the tableau down to it's essential elements. Having seen Owynn's armor glow and the light terrify the trolls Herman remembers that Owynn was declared the Heir of Tallinoor, Scourge of Trolls. "Owynn!" the would-be-squire shouts, "Behind us!"

Meanwhile, Ozenda has been acting to slow the trolls down. Figuring the large creatures would have a little more difficulty in the confines of the tunnel if the lead troll suddenly became an obstacle she narrows her deepsight upon the unsuspecting creature. Drawing the trolls cumbersome clockwork into focus she once more jabs forth with a mana probe and locks the troll up mid-stride, "Vos Factus Statua!" she yells with an upraised hand. I could learn to like this spell...

Bitsa quietly slips forward trusting Ozenda's spell and Owynn's mystical bequest to handle the oncoming trolls. One hobb against four rushing trolls armed with tree trunks..? Not much I can do there... As Bitsa slips out of the tunnel mouth and hugs the tunnel wall Herman finally succeeds in dragging Ozenda to dubious safety, right past the creeping thief and into the tunnel Bitsa had just vacated.

Herman presses up against the wall nearest the oncoming trolls, behind Ozenda who insists on peeking around the corner at her handiwork. Herman discovers that he can still see some of the battle and he keeps a sharp ear out for someone shouting numbers in response to his called reminder of the neck rings.

Bitsa continues to sidle along the wall, as invisible as he can make himself. An inarticulate roar is voiced from the dump chute now across from him and he sees the glint of a blade in the fitful lantern light. Knowing that something momentous is about to happen, the thief crouches against the wall, poised to spring with his sax in hand blade tucked back out of sight.

---

Ozenda casts Hold That Pose on the lead troll
[530] 11-08-23 22:23:51 CDT
2+5+23=30+(Lev2)=> 32

Bitsa works on becoming invisible in the shadows
[531] 11-08-23 22:30:45 CDT
3+2+23=28+(Lev2)=> 30