Nostrils flaring, Verzeg freezes.

"Uz!"

He immediately hefts his spear and brings the spell 'Bladesharp 4' to mind.

He peers about in the painfully bright light, trying to see where the trolls are.

(As Verzeg is in the open I assume he's demoralised)

In reply to Verzeg Black Beetle (msg # 5):

(It is not full daylight yet so demoralise isn't in effect).

The humans draw their weapons and heft put shields on their arms. Spells are readied.

As Verzeg leads closer to the stash a sudden yell erupts and 5 trollkin burst from hiding and charge at you. A sudden blinding wall of light goes up between you and them, illuminating them nicely from the humans with missile weapons. Madzeg and Hurzeg begin slinging stones at the onrushing trollkin.

The last thing Verzeg wants to do is kill trollkin, but he knows that the Uz are 'sending in the kin' to soften the opponents, absorb arrows and spells and to fix their enemy in place. Angrily he spits the spell, follows it up with 'fanaticism' to offset the effect of Yelm's angry glare and prepares to fight for his life.

Madzeg's flung stone misses all the attacking trollkin but Hurzeg's smashes one in face, he drops like a sack of potatoes.

A human archer send an arrow into another trollkin's neck. It too drops instantly.

A second archer sends his arrow wide of its intended target but a third one hits a trollkin in the thigh and he falls to the ground.

The other humans stand their ground swords prepared to meet the charge. The other begin to get ready for melee.

Verzeg goes into a defensive stance in front of the trollkin, ready to engage any trolls that might attack.

The humans face the two remaining trolkins. The first dodges the blades of 2 humans buthis luck runs out as a spear skewers his left leg and he falls clutching his useless thigh.

The second trollkin is stabbed in the face but doesn't fall but the next blow from a sword slices through his right arm, severing it at the elbow.

As the last trollkin is subdued loud roar is heard. A massive shape emerges from the broken buildings ahead. More large shapes follow behind it.

Madzeg gives out a whimpering squeak, "Maz!" is all he says but it is enough.

Fortunately you are still hidden behind the lightwall.

(Maz is the name of the enormous great troll the clan use as an enforcer and executioner. Everyone knows him and his name is a terror to all but the stoutest trollkin.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:04, Sat 30 Nov 2019.

Verzeg's knees weaken and he glances over his shoulder, wondering if there's a place he can run to, but he doesn't want to leave Danzar and his friends behind. He looks back at Maz and the trolls and his guts roll over. Maz is quite capable of literally ripping him apart.

He clenches his shuddering jaw. If Maz has been staking out his old hideout then it's obvious that their flight has been a serious issue for the clan. Verzeg doesn't know enough about the clan politics to know why but he remembers past times when the clan matriarch set her mind on doing something and the enormous lengths she went to to achieve her aims. They might chase them to the ends of The Rubble.

He looks up at the bulky figures of the trolls. He's quite sure the kin behind him have probably and understandably fled so he expects that it's just him and Danzar's humans. He takes a little bit of solace in knowing that Danzar has fell magics at his disposal, and it suddenly occur to him that he does too. The mighty truestone only has rituals so is no use here but over the years he has accumulated considerable Gorakkiki magics.

(What's the distance to the trolls, how many of them are there and how are they armed and armoured?)

In reply to Verzeg Black Beetle (msg # 11):

Verzeg notices that his assumption was correct, his kin have fled at the appearance of Maz. The humans curse but are now in a position where they must remain united or die. Two swords shimmer and become enveloped in flame. One of the men gestures and a wind whips up. The next second a form takes shape in front of you. It comes with a strong, blowing wind. The man speaks briefly in stormtongue and points at Maz. The sylph flies across towards the great troll.

Maz slashes at the sylph with his halberd but misses, the sylph responds by grabbing the troll and lifting him high in the air before dropping him. His left arm takes the impact and the great troll screams in pain as the bone shatters and rips through the flesh of his bicep.

The other trolls turn their attention from the humans and trollkin to fight off the sylph.

"Run! Run as if Kyger Litor is coming for you." Dazar says.

This message was deleted by the player at 12:59, Thu 05 Dec 2019.

Verzeg beats feet back to the other trollkin and tells them to lay low, hiding in the ruins and waiting for the trolls to leave. He instructs the pack beetle to dig itself into the ground.

In reply to Verzeg Black Beetle (msg # 14):

The trolls manage to beat off the attacking sylph which flies off out of their range before they turn their attention to the fleeing trollkin and humans. They give chase not heeding the badly hidden trollkin and carry on pursuing Danzar and his men.

Maz is not in the fleeing group and sits disconsonantly on a fallen stone his arm hanging limp and useless. Madzeg is grinning when he taps Verzeg on the arm points at the stricken troll and draws his thumb slowly across his throat.

Verzeg looks about furtively. He's very afraid of Maz, even wounded as he is, but the great troll is right where his stash is and Verzeg wants to see if it's been disturbed. Added to the many crimes Maz has committed it doesn't take too long for Verzeg to overcome any qualms on stalking him and maybe killing him. However, even if he does kill him the other trolls will be back soon and Verzeg will have to deal with those that have survived Danzar's crew.

He whispers to the other "get out your slings, I'll get closer to him."

In reply to Verzeg Black Beetle (msg # 16):

The trollkin all prepare their slings and crouch waiting for Verzeg's attack.

Hefting his spear, Verzeg starts to work his way through the ruins to get behind Maz

In reply to Verzeg Black Beetle (msg # 18):

Verzeg manages to get round behind the great troll undetected and is now within striking range.

(You have got +40% onto this attack)

Feeling more than a bit dirty but knowing full well that Maz will likely kill him if he messes up his strike, Verzeg firms his will and slashes at Maz with his wickedly barbed spear.

In reply to Verzeg Black Beetle (msg # 20):

At the last moment the great troll seems to become aware that something is behind him. He begins to stand but has only risen halfway when the spear slices through the amour protecting his leg. It bites deep severing the artery there before coming to rest against the tough femur. Blood gushes from the wound and Maz falls to the ground, gasping his last breath. The other trollkin dash from cover and start smashing at the corpse with rocks and stones and anything else they can find to use as a weapon.

While the kin vent their fury on the dying troll Verzeg steps back and looks around, checking the area for other threats.

In reply to Verzeg Black Beetle (msg # 22):

While he doesn't find any living threats, such as other trolls or trollkin, he does find a rope with a noose at one end and a large rock at the other. It looks like it could easily kill a trollkin snared in it.

Verzeg, thrifty as always, disables the trap and retrieves the rope.

"Okay, enough of that" he says with some disapproval, although in reality he can hardly blame them. "We have to set a trap for the other uzko. I'm going to ask you to drag away what's left of Maz and hide his body, I'll clean up here to cover up the signs of his death. Then we're going to have to set our trap. If we can kill at least one uzko the moment they turn up we might drive them off to the point that they retreat. After that they'll probably leave a scout here and go back to the clan to ask what to do. We'll then kill that scout as well. If we keep this up it will be too costly for the clan to pursue us any more." He doesn't add that a loss of that level to a bunch of fugitive enlo might damage the clan's reputation so badly that they have to avenge the insult, he just hopes that the time it takes to organise it is enough that they can slip away to over the river and the clan lets it go as too onerous for the rewards.

"Let's get to it. Madzeg, you're the lookout. You know what to do. Do not take any risks. None at all."

Verzeg moves the the boulder and rope trap and tries to fashion it in a similar way as it was set up but can't get it to look quite right. There are none of the clan anywhere to be seen neither enlo nor uz. Verzeg's belongings are unmolested and can be quickly loaded onto the beetle. As the last item is being secured a familiar, and unwelcome, scent drifts across on the wind.
Goatkin! It is faint at the moment and fortunately not coming from the direction of the river.

Giving up on the rope trap Verzeg simply salvages the rope, rope always being a good investment in his mind. He digs open the collapsed basement entrance beyond which his goodies are stashed and organises the enlo into getting the beetle's pack saddle stacked high and lashed down securely while he watches the environs for broo. Maz's body is stripped of goods as an afterthought and then he sets a blistering pace (for enlo) towards the riverbank knowing full well the sun will be up soon and nearly everything in The Rubble can see better than the weak enlo daytime eyesight.

As Verzeg hurries towards the river Madzeg gives a whimpering cry "Broo are following, not sure how many but I've seen 3."

Verzeg grimaces. He knows from grim experience that broo move twice as fast as enlo and if the broo sprint ahead they've probably a already been cut off.

He wonders if he could pile all the enlo onto the beetle and augment its running speed with his magic. At that speed the beetle's normal movement would be about equal to a broo's sprint speed he calculates. His only worry is that the accumulated loot, which would take too long to discard, would make it impossible to carry the enlo as well.

Deciding to risk it Verzeg starts to bodily toss the smaller enlo up onto Beetle.

"Madzeg, make sure Herzeg doesn't fall off. Naazeg, don't worry, we'll make it. Make sure your litter-mate is secure." He really must ask the other enlo's name soon he thinks to himself. "Come on Hunol, Ordol and Medol, up you go too! All right, I'll just cast the go-fast magic and then I'll come up too and we'll be away before the goat-kin have time to think."

He quickly casts the spell and then clambers up himself on the poor, overloaded beetle. Gorakiki is undoubtedly unimpressed he thinks. With that he points the beetle's head to the river and uses the beetle-goad with vigour.