Alisandra, seeing the Trolls gamging up o
Three Elks, shouted, "You Trolls are ignorant of real tactics."

Reaction, Cutting Words to try and stop one of the blows from landing on Three Elks -
18:42, Today: Alisandra rolled 4 using 1d6.  Cutting words

She fired her crossbow again, but was distracted by Three Elk's going down and missed.13:10, Today: Alisandra rolled 6 using 1d20+4.  CB attack
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

Three Elks stood his ground, bleeding profusely. He roared his defiance to the two trolls in front of him. His swang his flail and smacked the troll across its face. "Come and take what I've got for you!"

---

Bonus: Rage (This would be his final rage until a Long rest)
Three Elks rolled 2 using 1d8.  Wild Surge (as a Bonus Action, may teleport 30' to an unoccupied space)
Action: Attack Troll #4
Three Elks rolled 22,18 using 1d20+6,1d20+6.  ATK w/Advantage
rolled 14 using 1d8+6.  Damage w/Rage
Movement: None

Lathan, backing away from the melee, fires another arrow but misses. The troll that Three Elks hit with his flail snarls and sinks his teeth into the half-elf, ripping a chunk of flesh from his neck and taking him down, but Rissa revives Three Elks with her healing light as soon as he hits the ground. Snagger fights defensively, shielding himself from the trolls' claws as he continues to back up. Lucien hits his target with another arrow, and Jinx hits it with a fire bolt, but it keeps fighting. Alisandra's crossbow bolt misses its intended target. The largest troll, now completely healed, continues to emit a deafening yell as it moves to attack Three Elks.

Pause round for Three Elks to act.

Troll 1: dead
Troll 2: dead
Troll 3: dead
Troll 4: injured (-39 hp?)
Troll 5: injured (-38 hp?; snare)
Troll 6: uninjured
Troll 7: injured (-80 hp?)
Troll 8: injured (-55 hp?; faerie fire; hex)

Things were getting very seriois. There were too many trolls, not enough fire, the plan was failing. She summoned her most potent offensive spell and picked a point where she could catch the most trolls wothout hitting her commarades.

13:06, Today: Alisandra rolled 18 using 3d8.  Shatter Damage. Con save for 1/2 damage
No move or B/A
End of Turn

Three Elks died under the combined onslaught of the Trolls. Suddenly a flash of divine energy returned him back to the fight. He was on the ground surrounded by blood, his blood. The half-elf rolled to his feet, clutching his flail.

Three Elks roared in anger, but there was no rage that fueled his strength. He was spent. "Jinx, you got this." Three Elks said encouragingly. He turned to the Troll that was moving directly at him and struck with his flail.

---

Move: half to stand from prone
Action: Attack troll directly in front of him #6
rolled 16,9 using 1d20+6,1d8+4.  ATK/DAM

Bonus: give Inspiration to Jinx

Three Elks shouts a word of inspiration to Jinx, then strikes the largest troll with his flail.

Next round.

Troll 1: dead
Troll 2: dead
Troll 3: dead
Troll 4: injured (-39 hp?)
Troll 5: injured (-38 hp?; snare)
Troll 6: injured (-9 hp)
Troll 7: injured (-80 hp?)
Troll 8: injured (-55 hp?; faerie fire; hex)

"I fear the battle's lost," Snagger shouts to his companions. "Fall back and live to see another day!"

Taking a half-step towards the half elf, "Three Elks!" Jinx blasted the large troll engaged with him. At Snagger's call, she realized she had put herself closer to danger and moved back to stay out of range of the advancing trolls.

---

OOC:
15:27, Today: Jinx rolled 5 using 1d6.  inspiration damage.
15:26, Today: Jinx rolled 22,3 using 1d20+6,1d10.  fire bolt troll #6, ranged touch (Can't believe I did it again!).
15:25, Today: Jinx rolled 7,8 using 1d2+6,1d10.  fire bolt troll #6, ranged touch.

_{Edit: Cleaning up my ugly.}
This message was last edited by the player at 20:51, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

Lucien managed to hit his target yet again. The troll in question was beginning to look like a pin cushion with all the arrows sticking out of it. This time he was certain that the arrow would be enough to bring the troll down. "We've got to focus on taking them down one at a time and then hitting them with fire! Focus on the one that Alisandra has lit with magic next." Since he is already at distance from the trolls, Lucien stands his ground as Snagger calls the retreat. If the group decides to fall back, he will join them, but he intends to take every opportunity to bring down more trolls before he has to run.

Lucien Nailo rolled 17 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 11,11.  Longbow attack w/ advantage.
Lucien Nailo rolled 10,2 using 1d8+4,2d6.  Longbow damage.

Familiar Action: Help against troll #7.
Action: Longbow attack against troll #7 hits AC 17 for 12 damage.

Lathan fires another arrow at the "pin-cushion" troll, then continues to back away from the creatures.

Attack Troll 7. Hits AC 16 for 12 damage. Move back 35 feet.

19:36, Today: Lathan Swiftstrider rolled 2 using 1d6.  Hunter's Mark.
19:36, Today: Lathan Swiftstrider rolled 2 using 1d8.  Colossus Slayer.
19:36, Today: Lathan Swiftstrider rolled 8 using 1d8+3.  Damage.
19:35, Today: Lathan Swiftstrider rolled 16 using 1d20+7.  Attack.

Rissa watched in horror as the trolls descended upon Three Elks, surrounding their companion and beginning to savage him with their claws. She still felt light within her, but it was only enough to keep him breathing, not enough to get him free. She had so much magic within her, even after the Art that she had worked, and none of it useful. There were just too many of them, and even with Jinx's fire magic they were not able to bring them all down fast enough. She looked to Jinx and the others, seeing if there was anything they could do to stop what was occurring, but none of them were pulling any new tricks out of their sleeves. She shuddered, hearing her heart pounding within her chest, as she realized what she was about to do. She could scarcely countenance the act, and yet she saw no other choice. Already they were mangling him, and if they tore him to pieces they would immediately turn upon the rest of them. There were just too many, and they were too strong. She knew without knowing what was to come.

The staff hummed in her hands as she stepped forward, her own Art mixing with the frozen magic of the artifact. The two danced and sung with each other, pushing back the light within until it was just the barest trickle. The Shadow within her twisted and spun, mingling with the frigid power until the two were one. The air grew thick with condensation around her as she drew upon the power within it, the cold rushing in. She focused on Three Elks, her teeth chattering within her skull, and began to shape the magic that would be his doom.

With a rush of ice that sounded more akin to an avalanche, she conjured forth a second massive Wall of Ice directly on top of Three Elks and his monstrous assailants.

DC 13 Dex save for half

17:45, Today: Rissa Twiceborn rolled 28 using 10d6.  Wall of Ice.

Three Elks turned to see Rissa. He saw her with the staff raised. His lips moved but was quickly swallowed by the sheets of ice that quickly surrounded him.

---

rolled 16 using 1d20+1.  DEX Save DC 13
Three Elks is at zero HP.

Lathan sinks another arrow into the troll but it keeps coming. It bites Snagger, nearly taking the dwarf out of the fight. Snagger continues to fight defensively and back away. An arrow from Lucien's bow takes down the troll. One of the trolls pursuing Three Elks bites him, bringing the barbarian down again. Rissa calls down another wall of ice on the trolls, sealing them, and the fallen Three Elks, off from the rest of the party...

Next round.

Troll 1: dead
Troll 2: dead
Troll 3: dead
Troll 4: injured (-73 hp?)
Troll 5: uninjured (snare)
Troll 6: injured (-49 hp)
Troll 7: dying
Troll 8: injured (-70 hp?; faerie fire; hex)

Lucien stares at the freshly formed wall of ice for a moment. He has an arrow knocked and ready, but suddenly no target at which to shoot it. As he releases the tension on the bow string and lowers the weapon, he turns to look at Rissa. "Thank the gods for that staff. There's... nothing we could have done for Three Elks." The elf's voice is hoarse from all the shouting during the battle and his demeanor is once again reserved.

The owl familiar, which was itself barely able to escape the blast of ice that formed the barrier, landed on Lucien's shoulder. "It will take some time for the ice to melt. We should fall back and rest. We need to discuss a new strategy." With that said, he slings his bow over his shoulder and begins to make his way back down the passage away from the trapped trolls.

"Aye. What's done is done," Lathan says with a sigh. "Let's get far away from here and rest." Then he turns and begins to lead the way through the slippery tunnel, back toward the last fork.

Rissa refused to raise her head, both to Lucien's assurance that she had done the right thing, or to Lathan's words that it was behind them now. She shuddered, her fingers gripped so tightly upon the staff of power that she felt surely it must shatter in her grip. She had made the choice, and the weight of it would way on her forever.

When Lathan passed her, she turned to trudge somberly behind him, her gaze forever locked on the floor at her feet.

Alisandra was last to turn from Three Elk's ice tomb. She made an oath to return for his remains before leaving them. She saw Rissa's downtrodden demeanor and went to her. "You are not to blame, Rissa. The blame is mine. The plan was mine, it's failure is mine. What you did saved the rest of us. He understood that and accepted it, I saw that in his eyes."

Snagger shakes his head as he backs away from the newly-formed wall of ice. "'Tis a shame. He was a brave one. He'll be missed."

He walks alongside Rissa as they make their way down the tunnel to find a place to rest. "You did what had to be done, Rissa. If you hadn't acted as you did, I suspect we'd be mourning more than Three Elks right now."

Rissa had not looked up once, and continued in silence for many minutes before she at last answered Snagger and Alisandra.

"Twelve Trolls."

She said at last.

"There were twelve of them. I'd sealed four off, behind that first wall. None of you would have seen them."

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I didn't realize.... I thought they were vulnerable to fire? Yet even bringing down three was so hard. He died in a fight we could not have won. I should... I should have sealed them away from us when first I had the chance."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:09, Sun 30 Jan 2022.

"Our mistake was not having fire be part of the trap. Still, we managed to finish off at least three of them and that's no small achievement. Next time we'll be more prepared." He makes no comment on the four trolls that they never saw, but silently gives thanks again for Rissa and her staff.

He also shoots a brief glance at Alissandra. "I don't know that you can accept all the responsibility for the plan. The failure is mine as well."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:12, Sun 30 Jan 2022.

"Twelve? Bloody hell!" Snagger snorts. "We're gonna need some help..."

"There aren't twelve anymore," Lathan shrugs. "At least now we have a better idea what we're up against."

Jinx was quiet after watching Three Elks fall to the trolls and then being sealed off from the group. _{...was that resignation on his eyes... acknowledgment...}

Trailing behind the rest she periodically looked back over her shoulder. Even after the wall was out of view.

"I don't know how long the wall will stop them."

She said, her voice drained of emotion.

"And I do not think I can summon more. She would walk as long as we can, and set up the cottage when we can tread no further. We will have to go and find more who can weild fire, and hope that Carmeneren does not take issue with us only being able to fell three of the things."

She shuddered at that.

Lucien just nods silently; keeping his thoughts to himself Whatever else, he doesn't feel that the deep gnomes can object overmuch to their efforts. Some dead trolls are better than none after all.He will walk as far as the others want before resting.