Mythic Sagas: Chapter 1

[Nanshork]

Einar waits in hiding until at least one of the trolls passes by his hiding place.

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I'm delaying, my new initiative count is 2.

[ksbsnowowl]

Bjartr calls upon the rune etched into his spear's haft, and blesses the swing of each of your weapons.  He then closes his eyes briefly, calming himself and calling to mind how best to defeat these trolls.  Bram takes advantage of the trolls' clustered formation; a column of fire rains down behind the head of the whore, singeing the two rear trolls.  The half-alfar's large wolf steps out into the road, snarling.

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All of you are in range, so everyone gets a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls.

Map: http://beta.ditzie.com/63292/54b94db657609

Round 1
Initiative:
11a: Einar
11b: Bjartr
11c: Bram
11d: Hymir (phaedrus)
8: Thorgrim
5a: Agni
5b: Skulda
3: Trolls

Man, crappy rolls:

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Bjartr Kn (Nat) 1d20+13 : 2 + 13, total 15

Flamestrike DC 17 Ref half:
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Flamestrike Damage 8d6 : 2, 3, 4, 3, 6, 6, 1, 5, total 30
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Ref Save 2 1d20+4 : 20 + 4, total 24
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Ref Save 3 1d20+4 : 9 + 4, total 13

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Troll female: 8 points fire damage, 7 nonlethal divine damage
Rear Troll male: 15 points fire damage, 15 nonlethal divine damage

[phaedrusxy]

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Damn... hoped dna1 was back. Hymir's prebuffs: barkskin, ws into a bear.
Round just before contact: dragonfire inspiration +3d6 fire
then he will charge when trolls are in range)
posting from phone...

[skydragonknight]

Thorgrim takes one of his many hands off of his fang for a moment, pulling his knife from his belt as he moves onto the path. He feels the power of Hymir's song as he throws the knife at the closest troll.

Gripping his weapon again with all four hands, he yells in a fierce voice, "Scum of the earth, fear my fang." Hopefully they would understand his tone if nothing else.

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-4 range penalty included. Mostly just trying to bait them in. If it actually connects for damage, all the better:


New map:
http://beta.ditzie.com/63292/54b9945cb818e

Combat stats:

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Thorgrim
Human Wolf Totem Barbarian(UA/SRD) 5/Fighter 1 // Feat (Martial) Rogue 5/Berserk 1

Medium Humanoid
Hit Dice: 6d12+48 (108 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 35 ft (50 ft in no armor)
Armor Class: 14 Touch: 8 Flat-footed: 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+18
Attack: +1 Guisarme +15 (2d4+21) or Trip +15 (+20 on check)
Full Attack: +1 Guisarme +15/+10 (2d4+21) or Trip +15 (+20 on check)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft (10 ft with Guisarme)
Special Qualities: Fast Movement, Trapfinding, Evasion, Trap Sense+1, Uncanny Dodge, Movement Bonus
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 27 Dex 14 Con 26 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 10
Skills(*ACP = -4 included): Balance* +5, Intimidate +8, Jump* +19, Listen +11, Move Silently* +5, Search +6, Sense Motive +8, Spot +11, Survival +11(+13 while tracking), Tumble* +8
Feats: Feats: Feats: 1 - Jotunbrud(1), Wolf Berserker(H), Power Attack(FR1), Improved Trip(Totem), Knock-Down(FR2), Combat Reflexes(3), Improved Bull Rush (FR4), Track(Totem), Righteous Wrath (BoED),  Leap Attack (Fighter 1)

[Risada]

Agni takes his time until the trolls are closer.

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Delaying until after trolls.

In the chance the trolls see Agni and try to attack him, he will trigger his Divine Companion's protection as an immediate action, granting him +4 Deflection bonus to AC and +4 Resistance bonus to saves for 6 rounds.

New Initiative count: 2

Combat Stats

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Agni, Human Duskblade 5/Fighter 1||Sorcerer 6
Alignment: NG
Medium Humanoid (human)
Hit Dice: 1d10+5d8+12 (46 HP)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (+5 Armor, +4 Shield, +2 Dex, +1 Natural) Touch: 12 Flat-footed: 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: +1 guisarme +10 melee (2d4+4; 20/x3)
Full Attack: +1 guisarme +10 melee (2d4+4; 20/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./10 ft. (guisarme)
Special Attacks: Arcane Channeling, Quick Cast 1/day
Special Qualities: Arcane Attunement, Divine Companion, Spells, Quick Cast 1/day
Saves: Fort +8, Ref + 4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16 (includes +1 at 4th level)
Skills: Concentration +12 (+16 defensively), Spellcraft +10, Knowledge (Arcana) +7, Knowledge (Nature) +7, Knowledge (The Planes) +7, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +5, Jump +10, Tumble +10
Feats: Power Attack (1), Combat Expertise (H), Improved Trip (F1), Combat Casting (D2), Knowledge Devotion (3), Arcane Strike (6)

- Hit Points: 46/46 (13 Temporary)
- Available Attacks of Opportunity: 1
- Trip modifier: +6 (2 Str +4 Improved Trip)

- Shield: ~6 minutes (+4 shield bonus to AC, blocks magic missile)
- False Life: ~6 hours (Grants temporary hit points)
- Ancient Knowledge: ~6 hours (spend spell to gain +5 insight bonus to one Knowledge check, counts as trained)
- Bless (+1 morale bonus to attack rolls and saves against fear)
- Dragonfire Jotunfire Inspiration: +3d6 points of fire damage with each successful attack

Slots spent:
(Duskblade)
4 0 level

Arcane Attunement: 5/5 uses remaining

(Sorcerer)
4 0 level
2 1st level
1 2nd level

Divine Companion: 4/6 charges left

[phaedrusxy]

Skulda waits until the trolls are within short range, then lobs a ball of fire into the female one's face and at the same time sicks her pet cat onto them.

[ksbsnowowl]

The trolls take Thorgrim's bait, the front one charging the waiting warrior, to disastrous effect.  Thorgrim's guisarme meets his lumbering green flesh, cutting a deep wound as Thorgrim sweeps the blade around to the giant's feet, knocking the troll to the earth, and following through with a bloody strike to the troll's neck.

The whore cautiously walks around her fallen companion, positioning herself to strike Thorgrim when he shows an opening in his whirling blade of death.  She did not seem to notice Einar's hidden location as she moves to Thorgrim's side.  Her attention was then diverted away from Thorgrim as a small ball of fire streaked past the warrior's shoulder and splashed the troll whore in the face.  Her vision clears enough to see the snow leopard bounding in toward her, and she swipes at the feline, missing, and receiving a face of fiery teeth and claws, knocking her to the ground.

Having already noticed Agni's waiting form, and seeing the death descend upon his companions, the third troll turns and flees back in the direction of the fiend's prison, screaming as he runs.

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Einar, Agni, and Hymir were all delaying, so any of you can go at this point.

Map:  http://beta.ditzie.com/63292/54d117a0c8e20
I used two blown-up prone tanaruk icons to represent the prone and unconscious trolls.

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Troll Charge 1d20+11 : 3 + 11, total 14
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Claw Damage 1d6+6 : 6 + 6, total 12

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Thorgrim Steadfast 1d20+15 : 12 + 15, total 27
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Steadfast Double Damage 4d4+42 : 2, 1, 2, 1 + 42, total 48

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Readied Trip Touch 1d20+15 : 14 + 15, total 29
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Trip 1d20+20 : 18 + 20, total 38
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Trip resist 1d20+10 : 10 + 10, total 20

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Thorgrim Imp Trip 1d20+19 : 6 + 19, total 25
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Imp Trip Damage 2d4+21 : 2, 3 + 21, total 26

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Hymir Charge 1d20+10 : 15 + 10, total 25
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Claw 1d4+4 : 1 + 4, total 5
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Dragonfire Inspiration 3d6 : 5, 4, 5, total 14

Round 1
Initiative:
11b: Bjartr
11c: Bram
3: Thorgrim
3a: Trolls
3b: Skulda
2a: Einar
2b: Agni
2c: Hymir

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Front Troll male: 35 fire, 79 nonlethal damage
Troll female: 63 points fire damage, 19 nonlethal divine damage
Rear Troll male: 15 points fire damage, 10 nonlethal divine damage

[phaedrusxy]

Skulda says "Well... at least we got the female, and so can deny them their fiendish prize." as she walks over to the fallen whore and begins searing her flesh with her flaming hand.

As she does so, she has a momentary look of pity, saying "Not a good day for you girl..."

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I think we should just finish these off. Chasing that one back into the demonic hedge is suicide. The demon may wind up killing him, anyway... And if not, we can always track him down and kill him later.

[Risada]

"I don't think we would gain much running after that one... Maybe getting killed by the demon." Agni moves to attack the other troll so it doesn't rise again...

[skydragonknight]

Thorgrim eases his grip on his weapon as he waits for the battle lust to subside. It was stronger than normal, but he found he could control it. He nods.

He assists Agni with disposing of the trolls, using the flames from Hymir's song.

Afterwards, he inspects their bodies for anything of use.

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I am assuming combat is finished. If it is, then D&D Rule 1 in effect.
Taking 10 on Search for 16.

[phaedrusxy]

Skulda has her bird follow the fleeing troll, just to see what becomes of it, as she continues to finish off the two fallen ones.

[ksbsnowowl]

Skulda’s raven follows the troll as it retreats down the path, then skirts around the clearing, into the forest north of the hog-faced demon’s prison.

The bard’s singing continues to power the flaming blades of the warriors as they work the trolls’ bodies to minced piles of green skin, red-black blood, and hunks of seared meat.  After a time, Bram waves off the swinging blades.  ”That ought to be enough.”  The swinging subsides, and the druid watches the slashed and burned piles of fleshy pulp.  No movement, no growth.  After a few moments of focused study, Bram rises from a crouch, and takes in the lot of you.  ”We’ve done good work today.  Let’s get away from him…” he says as he nods toward the stone-filled clearing up ahead, ”and I will try to contact your friend.  What did you say his name was? Trodgor?”

The troll continues to scurry away from the site of his companions' demise, throwing a glare over its shoulder at the raven that continues to follow it.

[phaedrusxy]

Skulda says "I have an eye on the troll that fled. Should we track it down to finish the job here?"

[Nanshork]

Einar nods to Bram.  "Yes, Trogdor in Rasheman.  He can carry the message to the Hathran to alert them of the situation."

He then turns to Skulda.  "Would we be able to catch up to it?  We have other priorities than spending days tracking a lone troll."

[skydragonknight]

Thorgrim returns, having finished searching the bodies. "Indeed. We have gained much knowledge here, and must consider what to do. One task, however, still remains incomplete. We left Eyrrinberg to find King Northri's son, Eyvind. And while the chances of him being safe are fewer than there are warm days in midwinter, I would still want to see his fate with my own eyes and tell Northri that his son died a warrior's death."

[ksbsnowowl]

”Then let us make haste away from here.”  Bram sheaths his scimitar, calls his dire wolf, and starts striding down the path, back the direction you had come.  You leave the slain trolls behind, bitter that they carried nothing of value.  Bram leads you in a southerly direction through the forest, and after a half hour or so of walking, you come to patch of rocky ground with a water-filled depression.  The half-elven demon watcher sits down in front of the pool, crossing his legs.  He motions for you all to sit or take your ease, then begins concentrating on the small pool of water before him.  He draws out a sprig of mistletoe from a pouch, setting the plant on his knee.  Then a small plaque of wood with a rune carved upon it, which he balances on his other knee.  He then starts casting, drawing invisible runes in the air as he incants strange words.

At first it is a bit mesmerizing, but after a few minutes it loses the attention of the warriors.  Bram continues his casting for what seems like forever, and you grow bored long before he is finished.

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Feel free to practice chatting in character over the next day (real time).  Scrying has an hour-long casting time, so it’s likely what you would be doing anyway

Trogdor did fail his Will save, so that’s good.

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Trogdor's Will save 1d20+9 : 7 + 9, total 16

[Risada]

"So, Thorgrim, about the task of tracking Eyvind... Agni starts speaking after a while. "How many days are we going to invest in this search? Seeing as time is rather short for the many things we need to do, we need to decide it now so we can fit everything together without losing to the troll army. "

[phaedrusxy]

Skulda ponders what spell Bram is using, then says "Perhaps our friend Bram here might be able to help us discover what has become of Eyvind. Though given the portent of my divination, I suspect that he is beyond our help."

[skydragonknight]

Thorgrim speaks, drawing from teachings of the senior members of his lodge. "To win a war, you need allies and knowledge of your foe. To achieve knowledge of the foe, we can scout for trolls to see what we can learn of their movements. Gods willing, we may find some clue to Eyvind's fate as well. Or we could seek allies and make south for the port city and ask for their aid. But there is risk that they may choose not to help until the threat is at their own gate, if their courage is not strong."

[Nanshork]

Einar nods.  "The strategy is sound, and Trogdor will ensure that allies will come."