Chapter 1: The Righteous Go Free

[BillTheGalacticHero]

Tancred

Clough, Haar, drive it towards the cave opening! Push it into the river if you can, let the current sweep it away! Cu, get ready to help anyone who gets knocked down!

[Marullus]

Holding for Ganna/Rex to post the third action for round 1. Then for BilltheGalacticHero to finalize the turn order for Round 2.

[Rex]

Ganna

Ganna will hold her ground and try and keep the Troll back with her lit torch.

Defend

[Marullus]

So sorry! I was waiting for this, but you already posted it and I missed it with the page break.

Ganna

Ganna waves her now lit torch at the Troll, "Back this way stupid troll." Defend

Defend 4d [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 5

Defend +5d Help [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 3

Did I get this right?

Yes - because you're doing a Defend versus his Maneuver, your successes subtract from the Troll's success.
You got 3 Successes.

Troll Maneuver 1/2 [1d6] = 1[1d6] = 6[1d6] = 2[1d6] = 3
Troll Maneuver 2/2 [1d6] = 2[1d6] = 3[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 4
The troll got 2 Successes, +2s for its Order of Might.
Total is 1 Success for the Troll. His Maneuver can apply a -1D to his opponent (you) on your next action.

The troll roars as Grimm's crossbow bolt pierces it through the shoulder and Clough's dagger punctures it in the back. The troll rips the crossbow bolt out, a sludgy trail of blackish blood oozing from the wound for a moment before it begins to reseal itself before your eyes. A look of doubt comes into its eyes nevertheless, and it sees you're not as easy a prey.

Ganna waves her now lit torch at the Troll, "Back this way stupid troll." The troll seems intimidated by the waving torch and it feints sideways to create more distance as Ganna advances in it. It knows its terrain better than you, however, and it deftly maneuvers to put stalagmites between itself and Clough. (-1D next action)

Clough Maneuver, Haar Attack, Cu defend

Drive Off Conflict: Action 4 - Maneuver v Attack
Troll Disposition: 5 / 12
Party Disposition: 6 / 6

First up: Clough rolls his 4D Will +5D Help and then narrates how he maneuvers for advantage against the creature! It is lashing out for an attack, which again makes this a Versus test, so your Maneuver successes first reduce the success of its attack and then if you come out on top with extra successes, it will allow you to set an advantage for Haar's action next.

[Stirling]

Clough. 'Mouse no'2'.

Clough: Will Test [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 1
Clough: Help Test vs troll [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 3

Clough plays a deadly game of cat & mouse, feinting in and out of the stalacmites, dagger vs claw. He taps the rock with the dagger and kicks loose stones to try and disorientate the creature, all the while aware of the movements to strategically flank the beast by others.

[Marullus]

Do you want to spend a Fate to reroll that 6? A Fate or Persona to activate the rerolls in your Devil May Care wise? (A Fate let's you reroll 1 die, a Persona let's you reroll all failures. You can spend in that order - Fate, Fate, Persona)
I will let you decide before I roll. Your successes come directly off its successes. Since it is attacking, each success it has removes one from your disposition of 6 and narratively knocks one PC out of the fight.

[Stirling]

Clough

Clough Fate reroll [1d6] = 1

[BillTheGalacticHero]

I would spend a Persona if you have it to reroll all of your failures. Plus the way you increase your character level is by spending Fate and Persona.

[Stirling]

Clough

Not sure how many fails. Spent Persona point for the following :

Clough: Persona spent to reroll fails vs troll [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 6

[Marullus]

Drive Off Conflict: Action 4 - Maneuver v Attack
Troll Disposition: 5 / 12
Party Disposition: 6 / 6

Clough plays a deadly game of cat & mouse, feinting in and out of the stalacmites, dagger vs claw. He taps the rock with the dagger and kicks loose stones to try and disorientate the creature, all the while aware of the movements to strategically flank the beast by others.

Clough: Will Test [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 1
Clough: Help Test vs troll [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 3
Clough Fate reroll [1d6] = 1
Clough: Persona spent to reroll fails vs troll [1d6] = 4 [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 1 [1d6] = 6
One Fate spent, one Persona spent, 5 Successes!

Troll rolls with Claws as its Weapon, 8D +1s Claws +2s Order of Might:
Troll 1/2 [1d6] = 5[1d6] = 6[1d6] = 2[1d6] = 1
Troll 2/2 [1d6] = 4[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 1[1d6] = 6
Troll gets 5+3 = 8 Successes! Subtracting Clough's Maneuver, it has 3 Successes remaining. Clough's reroll saved the party from utter defeat. Three successes limits it to taking out half the party.

Now taking you all as a serious threat, the troll rages, its wicked claws slashing this way and that as it tries to rampage through the party and cut them to ribbons.

Of course! Clough's reckless bravado outwits the troll at each turn. He vaults over stalactites, harrying the beast, leading it away from the others and redirecting its rage in futile directions as much as he can. Dodge, weave, parry... until at last it catches him. The troll's claws catch his dagger arm, then with a powerful sweep with its other limb, the troll slashes open Clough's abdomen and he collapses to the ground. It then charges past him, tossing Haar and Ganna to the sides like rag dolls.
Three points of damage taken, applied to the current, last and next attackers.

Drive Off Conflict: Action 5 - Attack v Defend
Troll Disposition: 5 / 12
Party Disposition: 3 / 6
The Attack action for your group stands - someone needs to step in and take it in place of Haar. I'll NPC Grim as your best fighter to move it forward. Grimm rolls 4D Fighter +1D help from Tancred +1s from crossbow. Troll's Regeneration is negated by the torch-wielding members of the group so it is acting weaponless, so -1D for 7D+2s total.
Grimm [1d6] = 2[1d6] = 3[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 4[1d6] = 4
Grimm - Fate Reroll [1d6] = 4
Troll 1/2 [1d6] = 2[1d6] = 3[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 4
Troll 2/2 [1d6] = 4[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 1
5 successes for Grimm, 6 successes for the Troll

As three members of the party fall to the side, Grimm finishes reloading his crossbow and fires again! Aha! he thinks, recalling his fairy tales of bridge trolls and their weaknesses, aiming his shot accordingly. Cu Aislin, with his burning rushlights, interposes as well, the troll not healing readily from the burns. The troll falls back and snarls, recomposing himself, the dagger wound on its back from Clough sealing shut as it regenerates.
Troll gets +1 disposition from the 1 success.

Drive Off Conflict: Action 6 - Defend v Attack
Troll Disposition: 6 / 12
Party Disposition: 3 / 6

Cu Aislin next Defends against the Troll's Attack (which is another Versus test). If he's successful, it will get Haar, Clough, and/or Ganna back into the fight. Tancred then has to pick three new actions for Round 3 and assign them.

[Enoch]

Cu waves his flaming rushlights wildly, methodically blocking the troll's advance and guarding the forms of his wounded comrades.

Cu Aislin 1/2 [1d6] = 2[1d6] = 3[1d6] = 3[1d6] = 4
Cu Aislin 2/2 [1d6] = 2[1d6] = 3[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 4

[Marullus]

Drive Off Conflict: Action 6 - Defend v Attack
Troll Disposition: 6 / 12
Party Disposition: 3 / 6

Cu Aislin thrusts his rushlight torches at the troll, hindering it as it fears the flame. Troll counts as Disarmed.

Troll 1/2 [1d6] = 4[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 5[1d6] = 6
Troll 2/2 [1d6] = 3[1d6] = 4[1d6] = 6

Troll has 6 successes +2s = 8 successes.
Subtract Cu Aislin's 3 successes.
He does 5 damage to your 3 disposition. Conflict is lost.

It's powerful limbs and mastery of its lair, however, prove too much as it forces you to give ground and eventually rout. The troll, however, needs only to catch one of you for its dinner.

Wow. Now we negotiate the narrative compromise. It gets its intent; you get a moderate compromise for removing half its disposition.

The creature's intent is to devour you. Nom nom nom.
Your intention was to drive the creature from the caves and secure the Sacred Pool.

Compromise: Lost About Half
If the loser knocks off half of the winner’s disposition, there must be a solid compromise in this conflict. The loser doesn’t get his goal, but imagine he got halfway there. Or the loser could accept defeat, but introduce a new, unforeseen complication that has arisen due to the winner’s victory. This is how a player creates a twist.
Alternately, the loser could offer a compromise in which the winner only got halfway to the goal. Good luck convincing the winner to agree!

We can discuss in the OOC Discussion thread. Here are some options you have with various degrees of compromise.

• It has captured all of you for (later) devouring. You're now ALL trapped by the Troll and are all Afraid, but aren't dead yet.
• You failed to secure the pool and got run off. Only one of you got captured and eaten.* The rest of you are (potentially lost) in the caverns, Exhausted and Afraid.
• You got half your goal: You've secured the pool, but the Troll dragged one of you into the caverns to consume. The rest of you are Injured. It is also not out of the caves... it waits in the darkness to consume more of you when you try to escape.

* Fate and Persona awards will carry forward to a new PC who can be added to the soonest available scene.

I'm open to considering other proposals. Discuss OOC at this link.

[Marullus]

Session 1, Turn 8. Fifth turn of Adventure Phase.

Party: Clough (Hungry, Afraid), Tancred (Hungry, Afraid), Haar (Hungry, Afraid), Ganna (Hungry, Afraid), Cú Aislin (Hungry, Angry, Afraid), Grimm (Hungry, Afraid)

Your team is beaten, battered, and defeated; your attempt to Drive Off the Troll unsuccessful. When you awaken, you each find yourselves trussed and tied with ropes, lying in the pitch darkness, unable to see anything. Your gear is gone, the ropes chafing against thin fabric and bare skin. By the pungent smell of rot and offal, you know you are still in the troll's lair. You are Afraid, terror clouding your judgment as you know you must be moments from becoming the horrible monster's next meal. Your stomachs grumble and you are Hungry, time having passed and the grind of it reminding you how long it has been since you drunk water by the stream, outside in the sunlight. That sunlight is gone now, the shaft of light no longer illuminating the pool. By their groans, you know your companions are nearby and at least not all of you are dead or eaten. That much is hope.

You hear the wheezing of the troll and the flapping of its feet on the stone, the crunch and scrape of bone and trash as he trods on it or kicks it aside. You can hear that he moves with a significant limp, one foot delayed and dragging, and realize that the Troll is Injured from the fight. "Nasty boggits," it mutters to itself in the darkness, "Burns, they did. Roasts them. Sees if they like it," it grumbles. You hear it is dragging and clattering things together into piles. Its stomach growls audibly; it is Hungry. That doesn't bode well for you as his newly acquired snacks...

Fair warning: Anyone who remains tied up is subject to the Dead condition for a failure result (as it devours you).

Actions! Describe to live!

OOC discussion:

It has been five days; I'm curtailing conversation and moving forward. Nobody expressed a clear preference for the options with more narrative freedom but with a character death and all of the brainstorming appeared to be about the 'tied up by alive' option, so that's what we're going with. As a solid compromise the Troll has the Injured condition. Also, you're all captured instead of one person Dead.

When you can recover conditions, you must do so in order (relevant now: Hungry then Angry then Afraid). Either food or drink gets rid of the Hungry condition and that can be done outside of camp phase. The others you need to get free and camp before you recover from them. You currently have 1 Check, earned by Grimm in turn 4, to use for camp or recovery. Remember you can always check the Tracking Reference. Also, update your Advancement, Fate, and Persona on your character sheets.

Darkness Factors
There can be no light without darkness. When below ground or acting at night, characters must have a light source to be able to function. In darkness, characters cannot read or draw and thus make Cartography or Scholar tests—or map in any way. When in darkness, you may only fl ee, riddle or argue if engaged in a confl ict. Darkness is a factor in all tests except riddling.

Characters near a light source but not covered by it are in dim light. Dim light counts as a factor in all tests.

[Stirling]

Clough

Concentrates on what he can hear and smell as everything is visually pitch black. Bruised from a collision with the troll and cavern rock, his head throbs with numerous egg sized lumps.

Not too unfamiliar with being hog tied, he will try to slip the bonds by dislocating a thumb and then narrowing his hand bones to slide through knots. It is a slow and deliberate process. He will worm his way to others to check on them whispering escape options.

[Marullus]

Excellent! Escaping rope bonds in the pitch dark is Ob 2. You have Criminal 4D, no help (everyone afraid), and can use traits for or against yourself.

...whispering to the others should be done IC.

[Stirling]

Clough. 'Mouse no'2'.

"Cu, Cu, wake up. Shake the others."

Clough escape troll ropes [1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6[1d6] = 2 [1d6] = 1

"Ganna, can you get 'familiar' with Tabi? See with his eyes and other witchery? Send him.scouting and sniffing around. We need to locate stuff before making a move."

[Marullus]

Session 1, Turn 9. Sixth turn of Adventure Phase.

Party: Clough (Hungry, Afraid), Tancred (Hungry, Afraid), Haar (Hungry, Afraid), Ganna (Hungry, Afraid), Cú Aislin (Hungry, Angry, Afraid), Grimm (Hungry, Afraid)
Freed: Clough, Tabbi

Not the first time that Clough has been tied up, he deftly wriggles his way out the bindings, the experienced criminal quickly freed. His whispers try to rouse Cu Aislin and see if Ganna can lend special aid. Tabbi meows piteously in the darkness; she is free and not abducted by the Troll, hiding herself behind some detrius.

Continuing muttering to himself about his growling belly, the Troll dumps an armful of items on the far side of the cavern. "P'raps the little'un first... cruncy lil' snack..." he ponders. His feet slap the stone, his back foot dragging, now starting towards where you lie on the ground.

[Rex]

Ganna

Ganna tries to use her connection to Tabbi to get her to search about for anything useful. She also tries to rub the rope tying her hands on a sharp rock edge to cut through the rope.

Subterfuge is always the best approach, survivalist and Quick-witted.

[shroomofinsanity]

Haar wakes up and it takes a moment for the reality and irony to set in. He, the grand cook and finder of interesting ingredients managed to get tied up himself in preperation for what is most likely a meal.

Oh, oh, oh, I guess the hat is on the other head now. Haar silently chuckles. This is some spooky business right here. Who..who is all alive? And are you from my peoples, or is this a larger pantry than I thought? Haar tries to whisper but his voice begins to rise in pitch and volume as his fear and anxiety begin to escalate him.

I...I might have a plan if you guys need someone to distract our host?

[Marullus]

Ganna feels about on the floor but finds nothing sharp within reach - only the smooth, rounded nodules typical of water-worn stalagmites and limestone caverns. Her fingers wrap around a wooden stick - lying on the stone near where Ganna fell and of little interest to the troll. Her fingertips instinctively recognize her own wand.
She reaches out empathically and finds herself looking through Tabbi's eyes, using Tabbi's senses. The heightened senses of the cat offer much more detail than her own. You sense the outline of the cave - you are where the fight took place on the apron around the pool. The troll is in an alcove hidden along the sidewall; by the scent you can visualize the mound of your rations which he has dumped there out of sight. Adjacent to the alcove you discern the last glow of the Rushlights embers - no longer casting illumination but easily rekindled. The glint of metal is there against the alcove wall next to the Rushlights, all your armor, weapons, and metal gear mounded together amidst scattered emptied sacks, satchels, and backpacks. A quick count resolved that you're all accounted for, tied up with your own ropes.

Tabbi:

Having Tabbi act directly
Tabbi empathically understands Ganna's intent and can act. Tabbi's nature descriptors are stalking, climbing, pouncing. She has 2D for actions involving them. She has 1D for unrelated actions you want her to try. She has Order of Might 1... A small cat in a big people's world.

The troll approaches, exiting the alcove and passing by the pile of gear on its way to where you are trussed. Clough crouches by Cu Aislin, having chosen him first to be woken and untied, and loosens the ropes for him to slip out. He whispers in the dark to Ganna, hoping for some witchcraft to aid them.

Haar awakens, whispering in his fear to the others. The troll is only a few steps away as the halfling 'morsel' lies closest to the alcove. Haar can hear the footfalls of the limping troll, smell its odor... He needs to think quick before the troll picks him up.