Lost Trails 3: The Hollow Way

[Adam]

Bennedict twitches his crossbow around towards every noise, only just managing to avoid loosing a crossbow bolt at the eagle cry. As he sees Klokulf return, he hisses "What did you see?"

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

As Klokulf closes in, he reports, "A living woman and child are in the house, with nine dog-men surrounding them. Six were on the wall away from the road, fiddling with bones. More than the three I could see lurk in the foliage, and something large with green feet was resting in the shade---probably not one of them. They may have seen me."

[alhoon]

"I could turn all of us invisible like I did against the madmen opening the portal that brought us here" Raen whispers "However, they may be already aware of us and they may smell us anyway. I think it would be better to perhaps use the spell to turn the civilians invisible... if we find a way to tell them that. But it is risky to attack when so many of them surround two defenseless prisoners. We need a plan."

[ewancummins]

"I could turn all of us invisible like I did against the madmen opening the portal that brought us here" Raen whispers "However, they may be already aware of us and they may smell us anyway. I think it would be better to perhaps use the spell to turn the civilians invisible... if we find a way to tell them that. But it is risky to attack when so many of them surround two defenseless prisoners. We need a plan."

Samus says,
''We do indeed, wizard. Here are my thoughts. If the captives were to suddenly vanish, the gnolls will be alarmed and will look for them. I know gnolls. They're not smart, but they've got a predator's cunning. They'll suspect magic and go on high alert. And the prisoners may still be unable to escape, being surrounded... So I'd rather you used your spell to conceal us, if you can manage such a feat. If we're invisible, we've got a good chance of creeping up from downwind-"
She holds a finger up in the air,
"From the south of the house. Unless the wind shifts. If Sir Clive sees any gnolls coming out from the house or the brush, sniffing around, he can play his trick, revealing himself and walking into the open as he wanted to do, and so serve as a distraction for us. It might buy us a little more time. A traveler alone and unarmed would be a tempting target for these vile creatures."
She glances toward the oaks above the lane.
"I've got a bad feeling about those big green feet. Let's hope I'm wrong...a few gnoll tribes have got trollish allies from the deep swamps."

[kintire]

"Sounds good!"

Kat nods, and begins mental preparation for moving while invisible...

[Adam]

Bennedict blinks. "A troll? I can call some flame, and I assume Raen can as well. If that's what's hiding there, we'll do what we can to keep it at bay."

He nods to Samus' plan. "It seems sound. When the time comes to attack, I will be ready."

[alhoon]

Bennedict blinks. "A troll? I can call some flame, and I assume Raen can as well. If that's what's hiding there, we'll do what we can to keep it at bay."

"You would unfortunately assume wrong. I have not prepared fire spells today. I have, however, prepared a web spell. Perhaps if we get the gnolls away from the prisoners, I can catch them in the spell and the prisoners can escape. Or, we could set the web on fire if the troll is in it.
But your honor," he turned to Samus, "is it safe for you to take part in such a mission? Perhaps it would be better to direct the soldiers. Is front line fighting your forte?
Regardless, yes, I can turn people within 10 ft of me invisible and I have a few spells I could use. I can use a hypnotism spell but it is unlikely to affect the troll. It could capture a few gnolls though."

[ewancummins]

Bennedict blinks. "A troll? I can call some flame, and I assume Raen can as well. If that's what's hiding there, we'll do what we can to keep it at bay."

"You would unfortunately assume wrong. I have not prepared fire spells today. I have, however, prepared a web spell. Perhaps if we get the gnolls away from the prisoners, I can catch them in the spell and the prisoners can escape. Or, we could set the web on fire if the troll is in it.
But your honor," he turned to Samus, "is it safe for you to take part in such a mission? Perhaps it would be better to direct the soldiers. Is front line fighting your forte?
Regardless, yes, I can turn people within 10 ft of me invisible and I have a few spells I could use. I can use a hypnotism spell but it is unlikely to affect the troll. It could capture a few gnolls though."

''Front line? I prefer to sneak up and shoot my enemies in the back. My men and I will come in behind your party, within your circle of invisibility, to provide covering fire as you need it, and shoot at any reinforcements that come toward the house. I'll have to leave two of the three militiamen with the horses and hounds. Get the hostages free and we can put them on a horse, move them to a safer spot. ''

[ewancummins]

SNEAKING TO THE RUINED HOUSE

RAEN casts his spell of invisibility.
Cloaked by the wizard's magic, the heroes and the Governor's three huntsmen, along with one pale-faced militiaman, creep down the dirt trail and up onto the higher ground near the ruined house.

Two hulking beastmen emerge from the house as the party draws near. They sniff the air, drool falling from their long snouts full of yellow teeth.

But the wind is blowing toward the party. The gnolls smell bad: mange, dried blood, stale sweat.

Then, one of the monsters snarls. Its ears perk up, rising high on its head and quivering in air.
The other whines and turns toward the group.
Both quiet now.
They seem to be listening.

Sir Clive steps behind a scrub oak and then into plain sight, out of the range of Raen's spell. The knight plants his foot right on a dry branch. Crunch! He glances about at his surroundings, shoulders slumped, like a man lost and weary.

The gnolls begin laughing— a high-pitched noise full of evil mirth. They lope toward the seemingly defenseless lone traveler, racing past the party and not so much as glancing that way.

A little further and the front ranks of the group reach the sagging south wall of the ruin, near the open doorway.

The two eager gnolls close on Sir Clive. But just before they reach him, their bloody axes lifted high, the warrior stands up straight and twists a ring on one finger. Armor plates flash over Sir Clive’s garments like quicksilver poured from an unseen glass and a titan blade appears in his right hand.
The two gnolls yelp in surprise but do not break off their attack…

[Adam]

Bennedict waits until the way is clear and then continues with the plan to get the hostages clear, keeping a wary eye on the troll.

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain goes along with the group as well to stay invisible, ready to blast the troll with Scroching Rays if he approaches the group on there mission to secure the hostages .

[ewancummins]

Four more beastmen lurch out of the ruined house, sniffing the air and growling.

They stare at Sir Clive standing over two dead gnolls with his dripping sword.

The creatures heft their axes and approach the armored intruder in a semicircle, whining, with their ears flat and their lips retracted to show all their long teeth.

[ewancummins]

KAT

VIEW CONTENT:

autopilot, using Kintire's detailed instructions, which she left before her vacation began)

Kat slips just a little way inside for a closer look.

Three gnolls stalk growling in a circle about their two prisoners: a woman and a boy seated back to back in the middle of the big room.

With plenty of sunlight through the open roof and busted rafters, Kat gets a good look at the pair of captives: dried blood, torn rustic clothes, trail dust, ropes that bind wrists and ankles. The woman shudders now and again, as if weeping. The boy's head slumps down, chin to chest, but he seems still to be breathing.

Then the sounds of combat erupt outside.
The gnolls scream. One swings its axe into the nearest wall, striking sparks from the masonry.
Another kicks the prisoners flat, laughing hysterically.

And the third gnoll leaps by Kat, landing in the open doorway!

By reflex, she lifts her blade…




---------

Outside

Raen and Alain spot it first-- a big green figure leaving the cover of the trees and brush to the north, slouching toward Sir Clive's position on the dirt trail.
It looks as if it could be the cousin of the river troll their party slew in the Vast Swamp.

In a gurgling voice, the green giant cries after the four gnolls that advance on Clive,
"Bones mine now-time, doggies!"

[ewancummins]

THE ACTION WITHIN THE RUIN, CONTINUED

Klokulf spies Kat in trouble as he peers through a chink in the wall.
He grabs a loose stone and lobs it over the low, partly tumbled wall and into a bush growing near the house, incanting one of his weakest spells as he lets fly…


Whoosh--clatter--rattle-thump!

The stone seems to make a lot more noise than one would have thought likely, bouncing over a gap in the the masonry and shaking a bush near the tumbled wall.

The two gnolls nearer the prisoners turn away and whip their shaggy heads back and forth as they try to locate the source of the clattering and rustling sounds.
They begin to move outside on the north (away from the party), slowly clambering over spilled building stones.


When Kat slides her sword through the neck of the third gnoll, the others do not even look back, and seem not to heed the dying creature’s strangled groans.

The captive boy, eyes wide open now, stares at Kat from his prone position on the dirt floor. He opens his mouth, then closes it. He begins crawling her way. The woman awkwardly kicks along the floor, helping.

[ewancummins]

OUTSIDE

The troll runs by the invisible party, its back presenting a fine target.

Alain blasts the monster with beams of blazing light.

Samus and her hunters let loose a volley.

And Benn, shooting from the hip, plants a bolt right in the back of its head.

The monster falls face down in the dirt, smoke rising from its scorched and bloodied back.