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

[Alethan]

either as it stands or if Amistad wants to do something that involves him, then he should take that action and I'm good with it.

[Alethan]

Also, Earc has several vials of oil in addition to the ones purchased for this venture.

[Spearmint]

Amistad

For the sake of narrative and what we wrote earlier, I am happy to substitute Amistad for Achaedany. Just use the same rolls vs Amistad AC 3, he can take the damage if it hits.

[Marullus]

* Achaedany is off helping Earc and Amistad is watching the water with the torch, in which case I'll re-roll the attack and damage and apply it to him instead. He an use the torch this round and, if he lives, roar in round 2.

Troll [1d20] = 12 [1d20] = 16 [1d20] = 6 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 5 [1d10] = 7

After a brief turn, the water erupts once more, the troll leaping abruptly from the depths, propelled off the stone wall by its powerful tree-trunk legs and landing on the oil-slicked stone of the pool's edge. The troll slips but keeps its footing, its blinded eyes not expecting the trap laid for it. Achaedany torches the oil, the flames flaring up around the troll and cutting it off from the water. It howls in rage, confused, blinded, and burning. It lunges at Achaedany Amistad, trying to pull herhim into the flames. The troll rakes him with a vicious claw but fails to grab him. Amistad falls back, knowing he can't take much more beating from this beast. (-5hp)

Day: 2 June 2021
Time: 3:50 pm
Light source: Cave Lichen, Continual Light driftwood (Amistad), Continual Light driftwood (Earc), Continual Light Eyeballs
Spells in Effect: Water breathing potions (until 4:30pm)
Injuries: Amistad (severely wounded), Alcide (near death), Achaedany (severely wounded)

Actions and Initiative!

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

Loath to use one of the last three darts, but seeing no other way about it if they are going to make it out of there alive, Earc pulls out the hollow spear-tube and shoots off one of his precious Morlock darts at the gargantuan troll...

Crawler Dart [1d20+1] = 20+1 = 21 Damage [1d4+1] = 2+1 = 3 plus paralysis

Oh boy. Please work please work please work please work

Spearmint, your name is in the thread title, so if you would go ahead and roll initiative. If it is not good, then I can try and better it with a roll. Or... does it work the other way around?

[Marullus]

other way around. Leader gets the reroll.

[Alethan]

other way around. Leader gets the reroll.

Then Init [1d6] = 4

And duh. That obviously makes sense. Sorry. I blame it on DST.

[Spearmint]

Initiative Roll [1d6] = 6

Blackjack Amistad

I said I would invoke Totem power 'Lion roar' on the creature so Amistad will step backwards to a more acoustic resounding part of the cave and let rip.

[Marullus]

The massive troll continues to roar deafeningly in the oval cave, but now Amistad roars back, summoning the lion-sound of his ancestors. The troll, his skin continuing to crackle and melt amidst the fires of the large oil patch, lunges forward towards Amistad's sound, locking in on his noise despite the blindness. Earc shoots a dart, so short a projectile would seem ineffective against so much blubber and flesh, but Earc's aim is true, the dart curving almost as if by magic and popping one of the troll's glowing eyeballs (Critical hit). Achaedany grabs up another oil flask and hurls it, adding to the flame on the creature's hide as it steps away from the pool-edge.

The troll swings its extra-long arms. Amistad dodges back from the first as his primal yell ends, but the second claw catches him in the side, dashing him sideways against the wall, unconscious (-3hp). The troll stumbles forward, one, two more steps, then lands facedown on the ground.

Its mouth hangs open, ragged breathing as paralysis sets in. Earc and Achaedany stand a moment, the oil from her flask continuing to burn into the now-immobile creature. Its rubbery hide finally fishers open, exposing the noxious, blackened organs within. They quickly catch fire as well and reduce to ash... the final wounds from which even this creature cannot regenerate.

The pair stand over the remains of the creature, the unconscious Alcide, and Amistad bleeding out on the floor. The massive wall of flame burns behind the creature, cutting them off from the pool along the entire edge of the water.

Day: 2 June 2021
Time: 3:51 pm
Light source: Cave Lichen, Continual Light driftwood (Amistad), Continual Light driftwood (Earc), Continual Light Eyeballs
Spells in Effect: Water breathing potions (until 4:30pm)
Injuries: Amistad (dying), Alcide (near death), Achaedany (severely wounded)

Rolls:

Troll initiative [1d6] = 3
Fire damage [3d8] = 8
Achaedany [1d20] = 15 [1d8] = 1
Troll save (yell) [1d20] = 15
Troll save (dart) [1d20] = 4
troll [1d20] = 15 [1d20] = 6 [1d20] = 12 [1d6] = 3 [1d6] = 3 [1d10] = 10

[Spearmint]

he can take the damage if it hits.

I take that back...

[Marullus]

I was surprised you survived last round. Amistad is always braver than wise.

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

Earc runs over and attempts to stabilize Amistad as best he can. Knowing Amistad's life might be at stake, he chances searching through his pack for the other herb pack to use on him.

Then he turns to Achaedeny and asks her if she is ok. Before the potion wears off, I'm going to head up to the surface with the oil pack and grab some rations off the horse. We might be here a bit before the others can be safely moved. And... this is about as safe a place as we are going to find.

Once Amistad is stabilized, that is what Earc does.

[Spearmint]

Amistad has a herb poultice left.

You could always ride back to town or the ford and get a few potions from the priests trading in a bag of coins?

[Alethan]

Amistad has a herb poultice left.

You could always ride back to town or the ford and get a few potions from the priests trading in a bag of coins?

OOC: Maybe not a bad idea. Would want to leave Ach there to watch the others. We'd be leaving a merc as the lone awake person in a room full of unexamined treasure, though, for at least a full day.

I'd prefer to get Amistad awake before doing that. I'd be perfectly fine with holing up in the cave for several days. My only concern then is the horse. But maybe Earc could make a shorter trip to the Frogmortons and purchase several days worth of normal rations and then hike back up to the cave, leaving the horse there until the three are all heard up.

I'd rather see Amistad awake if Earc takes the horse and 200 gold coins to purchase healing potions. Let's wait and see if Amistad wakes from the herbs. If not, he might get to try the yellow liquid from the stone basin. Don't worry! Earc is pretty sure it's like a healing potion!

[Marullus]

Earc finds the tormentil flowers in Amistad's pouch and uses them to dress his wounds. He waits for the flames to die down, then gets to the surface for rations and back down the tied-rope, keeping them dry in the oilsack. When he returns, he finds Amistad unconscious but stable.
[1d3] = 1 healing

The burned troll reeks so bad it makes your eyes water.

(Amistad will wake in eight hours. Earc has 15 minutes of potion left, so he or Achaedany can make it to the surface but not back without another sip.)

Day: 2 June 2021
Time: 4:15 pm
Light source: Cave Lichen, Continual Light driftwood (Amistad), Continual Light driftwood (Earc), Continual Light Eyeballs
Spells in Effect: Water breathing potions (until 4:30pm)
Injuries: Amistad (near death), Alcide (near death), Achaedany (severely wounded)

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue
Day: 2 June 2021
Time: 4:15 pm

"Achaedany, if you still have your herbs left, you might consider using them on yourself. We have sufficient food now to wait for these two to recover a bit. That will give us time to sort through this mess and figure out what is valuable and what isn't. Once Amistad wakes, maybe I can try and make a run to town for healing supplies with some of this coin. Then we can properly pack it all up and finally be done with this mess."

Now that the two fighters are stabilized, Earc goes about a more methodical search of the debris.

First he sets the known magical items - the sword, the shield, the potions - to one side, taking only the potion of water breathing and stowing it on his person. Then he takes the time to gather silver coins into bags and lay out items that are intact in some sort of organization - piles of arms (weapons, not remains of people), armour, miscellaneous bits such as rings or bags or equipment not falling under the first two categories, and then the silver coins. Anything obviously broken or not of any value gets its own pile. He asks Achaedany to assist him with this tedious task.

[Alethan]

OOC: Once everything is sorted out better, I figure Earc can rest and re-memorize Detect Magic (multiple times if necessary) and do a better job of making sure they find anything magical among the items.

He also has some empty vials on him, so he can start collecting the yellow liquid that is catching in the stone basin for further examination.

[Marullus]

You make a small fire to warm the patients and keep them comfortable. The unconscious remain unconscious, while Earc and Achaedany triage the room. You find 1,700 gold pieces, 10,000 silver pieces, and 8,000 copper pieces, meticulously sorting and counting them. They will take 33 large sacks to bag up. You can each carry three sacks at a time on land or downward through the water. (From cave to river bottom and back to cave is one turn). You then need to tie them to a rope and haul them to the surface (two batches of three is a turn).

The magical items already identified are the only ones found. Their nature allowed them to survive in this dank cave in credible shape - the other fabric, leather, and metal items have largely succumbed to rot and rust. Certainly none of the torn, bloodied, rotted remains from past troll victims are saleable.

Amistad wakes after about 12 hours, Alcide awakes after about 36. After 48 hours in the cave they are moving around but still not particularly sound in their health.

Amistad [1d3] = 1 [1d3] = 3 Alcide [1d3] = 3 [1d3] = 2
Achaedany [1d3] = 1 [1d3] = 2

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

Earc collects the yellow liquid gathering in the stone basin. He tries to assess the rate at which it collects, based on how much was in there initially and how much is in there after two days.

[Alethan]

Earc Orctongue

After some quick calculations, Earc determines it will take about 20 large sacks for all of the gold and silver. "I've brought five large sacks with me. How many does everyone else have? If we can at least make it out of here with the gold and silver and the items and potions, then we can figure out the rest later."