Fast As Fast Can Be, Youll Never Catch Me!

Stupid Trolls

I have time to write this quickly as we wait for what comes next.

Argus lead us to the waterfall entrance of the Mindflayer lair. The plan was for Groehl, Derrinar, and Gim to enchant Tenedos and I with the best spells at their disposal to better protect us while we sneak into the lair to scout out what we would be facing.

After the enchantments were cast, including a fun one that let me scale walls effortlessly, Tenedos and I headed up. Tenedos cast his own spells, two to make us both invisible and one to give him flight. He made sure to tell me how long they all would last. With that done we made our way up. Once inside I was forced to sheath my sword and that posed a problem since Tenedos was only able to see by its light. He placed his hand on my shoulder and I decided to move along the ceiling to better hide the two of us.

At first the caves were empty but that ended quickly. The first room we came to was full of thrulls so wandering aimlessly about. That didnt make them any less dangerous so we headed forward carefully. Then a noise broke the silence that set my nerves on end, Tenedos sneezed! Of all the rotten luck, one of the thrulls, a dwarf I believe, looked right at us. Good thing we were invisible. The thrull walked to right beneath us looking for the sorce of the sound.

I didnt want to move to quickly but Tenedos started to nudge me and I remembered our invisibility was quickly ending. I decided we should back up and try again after the thrull stopped looking. We returned to the cave entrance and decided to climb back down to the bottom. This posed a problem being the flight spell had ended and Tenedos would have to climb physically down. I tried to aid him but as he climbed over the edge the waterfall ripped him from the rope and my hands. I was amazed he didnt make a sound as he fell into the darkness.

I was struck by indecision for a few moments. Should I rush down to aid him or return to the lair. I remembered Groehl had used a spell to know our individual status. I trusted he would rush forward to aid Tenedos and I knew I had no talents to help him at all. I crept back into the lair.

Lacking invisibility I trusted in my skills of stealth and hiding to get me through. Using the stalagmites along the cave floor I managed to get pass the first room of Thrulls. Soon after I came to a fork in the caves and took the right path based on the plan Tenedos and I made earlier. This took me to room with sleeping thrulls in it. I assume this is where they must rest. I crept through taking care not to wake them. Once through I came to a fork again. I chose the right side and found a room that must be used for alchemical experiments. Work tables covered with canisters and vials of glowing liquids were the only furniture I saw. Off in one corner what I first took to be a malformed suit of armor turned out to be a strangely built iron golem. It looked nothing like the ones I had seen in Cobblepot and I knew that to awaken it was the last thing I wanted.

I backtracked to the last fork and searched the other tunnel only to find a grotesque garbage pit of rotting bones. I decided it was time to search out the last fork. I crept back through the chamber of the sleeping Thrulls and made my way to the other fork. This path led me to a simple chamber with a stream running through it. As I poked my head barely around the corner I realized too late it was a mistake. Two cave trolls sat on the other side of the stream gnawing what must have been a thrull. The fingers on the arm one of the trolls gnawed were still twitching. This troll seemed content to continue eating but the other sat straight up and turned to stare right at me. I cant believe it heard me! It began to growl and the other turned to look. I waisted no time in deciding my next move. I sprinted back the way I came not looking back. I ran through the thrulls knocking some aside as they were surprised by my appearance. I could hear the trolls right behind me. I knew I didnt have any time to slow and stat climbing. I knew I would have to risk it. I run headlong right to the edge of the waterfall and I jumped.

So close. I missed the other side by only a foot or two. Not bad for a twenty odd foot distance, but not good enough. I fell into air. There was nothing to stop my fall or so I thought. I expected to hit rock but fur greeted me. Gim had moved beneath me cushioning the impact for me. I still felt my shoulder crunched, ribs break, and the air was completely knocked from me. I could also tell not all the sounds of bones breaking belonged to me. Gim suffered as much as I did and for his selflessness I am forever grateful. Ill have to make it up the little guy.

Groehl rushed to us both and worked his magic. He had us both up in no time. Guess Im gonna have to thank him later too. Tenedos quickly came up with a plan and cast anouther flight spell on himself. He flew up to an even level with the ledge but out of reach of the trolls. I dont know what he cast but he magically pulled one of the trolls off the ledge, sending him crashing to the ground in front of us. I cant imagine how much injury that caused but the troll started to get up.

Before the troll got to his feet Sergent was on him. Swinging his sword he slashed twice deep into the troll, I was amazed the troll lived through such an attack. Hunter started firing his bow at the other troll while the rest of us followed Sergents lead and quickly finished the troll we had in front of us. I looked up waiting for Tenedos to repeat the same magic.

I guess the second troll wasnt going to wait for Tenedos to invite him down. He launched himself through the air at Tenedos, managing to grab hold of Tenedos leg. Tenedos had to be in pain and started to descend to us. As soon as the troll was in reach Gim attacked grabbing hold of the troll pulling him off of Tenedos. Gim and the troll struggled for control in a dangerous grapple. The rest of us waited for openings attacking the troll when we had a clear shot.

Gim pinned the troll to the ground leaving him open. The fight ended when Gim picked the troll up slamming his head back on the ground and at the same time Kodan slashed his claw across the trolls head splitting it open. We got a second to breathe. With Derrinars climbing magic still on me I climbed back up the wall to see what else had come for us and was rewarded with staring at band of thrulls lining the ledge.

I went back down telling everyone what was waiting for us. We decided to take a break and rest while we wait for them to make a move. I cant believe Im saying this but that run from the trolls was kind of fun, Im actually enjoying this.

Associated Regions: Underdark

From the journal of Rorrin

Contributor: Mark Hughes