Tunnels & Trolls The campaign begins...

Alonria smiled in welcome as Cammon aproched. She wasnt sure how Tol'Chuck would react to a newmember added to the group or even if he cared. He was her friend and she had asked him but had received no reply save that he was ready to go. She wasnt sure but he still seemed bent on his own demise. Sobering up Dwarves tended to get very testy.

Staying where she was Alonria begain searching for Detton, but didnt see him. He had been observing the Gnomes the last time she saw him. Everyone else it seem'd was ready to move out.

Welcome Cammon. This is Tol' Chuck, and my name is Alonria and I welcome thee She said by way of introducion, and let the others introduce themselves.
 
With all geared up and ready to go the party of brave adventurers leaves the safe confines of the wallled camp and head out towards the mountains and certain danger. The Trolls in the mountains and are almost numberlous thanks to their ablity to regenerate from serious wounds.

A chopped off arm does not only grow back the severed arm grows back a whole new Troll. In some rituals in the trollish religion that the strongest and wickest Troll warriors are dismembered to fill the ranks with only the most fierce warriors. Another sick ritual involves the raping of Human and sometimes Elven women to make half-trolls. These stronger and smarter warriors are often the metal smiths and assassins of their tribes. The ones of Elven decent are what become dark elves that breed and create their own vile race. They enjoy hunting and bow making.

These thoughs and others fill your mind as you march foward. A small party of Gnomes follow you and two miles out begin to scout out a site for a redoubt for their camp. They mention that there will be three others in all campus directions around the main camp. Now once on your own the going gets tough over the rocky ground heading into the mountains and the trails begin to twist. Soon a glance to the side shows your on a cliff. You do have your objective in site though and the trail though rough is in the right direction.

Moving down the trail you notice many dead trees on either side of the trail. Nothing uncommon about that other then the fact that they begin to move and screach?!!

The surge foward and all round you with five on each side circling you as wooden "swords" and "spears" are drawn. A skilled adventurer has time enough to drop a pack and pull a weapon but little else. Defensive moves is all that you are capable of for the first moments as spears drive into the ground around you and swords pound gets your weapons or shields.........your move (marching order??).

The trees all look like dead trees of a dull lifeless color with faces carved into them where holes may have been if these were ordinary trees. They are roughly 6ft tall and though their branch hands look sharp at the end of their fingers they are armed with wooden weapons in the shaped like their metal counterparts.

Your move.......???????
 
Detton

Detton had been walking behind the others, humming softly to himself and using his pitchforl as a walking stick. He was busy scanning the countryside, looking at the vegetation for edibles when the attack came.

It was the fact he had been looking at the trees that allowed him to take a defensive stance, putting the sharp tines of the pitchfork between hima nd the nearest monster. Had he not, with his inexperience he would probably be dead.

"By the Goddess of Fertility, what is this!?"
 
New Time Religion

"BY HERA! They live! Look out!"

Having been curious as to the strange trees too, the parties new addition had been eyeing them warily from behind the face concealing basket mesh of his razor brimmed helm. Quite pleasant and useful, really, to have one's weapon always drawn... ie, chained to a wrist or simply /being/ one's arm. Cammon has plenty of time to unhook the catch on his pack, letting it fall with a thud to the ground by sliding directly off his shoulders, and to stalk purposefully between Alonria and these mobile monstrosities, simply prepared to intercept and counterattack, relying on the spiked and bladed armguard and his gladitorial stylings...
 
Tol'Chuk glanced over to the side of the cliff, wondering just how far down it went. He would say he was scared of heights, but long ago that edge of fear had left him. Rather, it was more of an interesting side-note of discovery. In either case, it was a long way down.

A huge shoot fell down at his feet, plunging into the ground, causing him to look at the ambush ahead of them. Trees? He laughed tremendously, tightening the grip on his hammer.

"I was wondering where we'd get some kindling," He said with a sneering menace, and stomped his foot down on the sharp spear-like shoot. It broke off in several places under his foot, sticking in the ground.

This wouldn't be his fight, not for the most part. He had a hammer, nothing else. A bludgeoning weapon, something that couldn't do all that much with trees. He would need an axe, something sharp, something to cut, slash, destroy the trees... or a few fire spells, that would do the trick.

Nontheless, with a warcry already on his lips, Tol'Chuk dove into the thick of them, swinging like a madman.
 
Dropping her pack Alonria quickly drew her sword but only had enough time to clear her sacbard and block as the trees begain their attack. Seeing Tol'Chuck head into the thick of them with his Hammer Alonria did her best to follow so she could help him, but had her hands full defending herself.

Looking to see how the others were doing she noticed they were just as ocupied, and cursed whom ever had set this trap.
 
Detton

Years on the fire had never prepared you for what you have encountered. For the most part you never saw plants as a danger. Pretty or a source of food never a head on assault which your contending with at the moment. Your pitchfork seems to be a good weapon to weild as you keep the creatures a good distance away with their slashing weapons. Just have to keep them at bay with steady strong thursts.

Unfortunately one of the tree beasts comes after you with a sharpened wooden pike of his own and easily reaches you stabbing you in the shoulder painful with a hard wooden head. It is such a hard thurst that even comes out the other side...the only good news is that the wood does not splinter and pulls out cleanly though that is little confort at the moment as blood gushes down your side.....

Cammon

With your pack dropped and weapons in the ready position your able to deflected the the first blow easily and unlike a gladiator match the battle is not fought one on one. While your dealing with one tree creature in from of you two others come on either side flanking you and pounding you with powderful limps forcing you to the ground partly kneeling. The blows sting but your heavy armor prevents any reall damage for the time being......

Tol'Chuk

You wonder if it would kill a troll.....the fall from the cliff that is anyway. Maybe if the damage was bad enough. Those creatures do heal fast. Soon though your confronted be a new group of creatures. It wouldn't be unlike that the trolls set you all up for this trap.

You wade into the creatures and soon find an ax truly would be the better choice. With each swing into one of these monsters you make a dent and another and another. It forces them bad but they don't waver in their attack either. Your quickly surrounded and are being pounded by their wooden blades. They don't draw blood but it is very painful and does damage to any nonarmored areas.....


Alonria

Perhaps it is the trolls who set you up.....it would not be unheard of a trap going off after detecting something foreign and unknown. The why and the who are less important at the moment as the blade comes out ready to defend yourself. With Cammon guarding your one side you have time to turn around and block the blow from the advancing tree on that side. Others move your way but your out of range except for the one armed with a pike pushes foward and jams you painfully in the side bad enough to make you wince in pain bending to that side though you still retain your blade.
 
Keeping hold of her blade Alonria contiued to fight off the tree's. Doing her best to ignore the pain. She was dizzy, and it hurt like hell, but she prayed that they would get out of this alive.

Maybe if we stood back to back we may have a better chance at defending from all sides! She shouted so that the others could hear her.
 
Alonria

You swing in back to back with Cammon which cuts of at least one route of attack...but your still open to others. The blood slowly comes from the wound now just a dull pain. Your ready to fight though and fight you must as a pair of the wooden attackers advance on you as you hold the line on the cliff path....
 
Detton

Detton howled in pain as the wood went through his shoulder. His arm went limp, and Detton pulled back, weakly stabbing around with his pitchfork. It was useless, now, he knew. Without both arms he couldn't use it effectively enough.

He glanced around for an exit while calling out to his gods for salvation.
 
Detton

You play around abit with the pitch fork but as you thought you find it is useless to you with one arm. Your chance of escape does not look promising though as you watch your companions fight on against these creatures. Down the cliff is only possible if you have wings or the very least ropes....you do recall something of what a Gnome said in passing. He said what you found growing sounded similar to what was used in a strength potion though he did know a species of the plant grew in the mountains......He wasn't sure but your short on options at the moment.
 
Her back agains Cammons Alornia contiues to fight as best she can. The Pain in her side more bearable as she blocks it from her mind while fighting.
 
The Big M

Gladiator matches against a Tiger might be one on one... but the big group fights where a pile of hardly armed slaves against Cammon and his 'centurions' is much the same as this, these creatures don't exactly seem super spry or skilled. His armor takes blow after blow, a thrash or twitch of his armored arm meant to snare or snap any branch that comes his way, and even a toss of his blade-rimmed head a danger to nearby wood. Worse still for the enemy, if Cammon can do just that little bit more than shrug off the blow, he can try to redirect it, shoving and pointing weapons coming at him and his ally back at the other crowded enemies with their herky-jerky limbs.

So we play another familiar game, with Cammon rooting in, driven down to one knee, but constantly driving, tearing, slashing, aiming spike and blade to snare or break limb or weapon coming his way. Trying to disarm his opponents or sunder their weapons to useless splinters, or point them at his other foes.

Lord of the Hill.

"BATTLE!" he cries out thunderously, drawing in ragged breath and setting his voice as a weapon, hoping for that split second of hesitation to drag one down or find his warrior's ground again...
 
The fight amused Tol'Chuk, for a few moments at least. A struggle happened upon him that just boiled his blood to no end. He could feel the true challenge in this fight, the abhoring rush that connected with immense odds and doubting foes. All that escaped him was that shallowing kiss of death to follow.

The fight soon turned into a more tedious abandonment, however. Tol'Chuk felt surrounded by trees now. His vision blurred with branches, trunks, leaves, and twigs. Each doing their own part to slow him down. What couldn't hit him scratched, what couldn't scratch tried to trip him up, and what couldn't do that fell at his side, making each swing of his hammer that much harder.

It was an endless fight, true, but also it was the first time the dwarf felt like this might just be a battle he could not win. Not on his own. He searched back through the endless attacking forest and could not see his companions. they had already shrunk away from the fight like cowards, or were too far away to notice, either way, their contribusion was minial at best.

Could he defeat this on his own? A dwarf could find no retribution in death by shrubbery. That would be an ultimate insult, as if some evil elf were behind all of this. For pride, or prejudice, it could not stand.

The dwarf, trying to ignore the ever present pounding, scratching, slashing and hitting of the other trees, concentrated on just one, hitting at the very base, trying with all his might to do something, shatter it, knock it down, something that could render it useless.

After that, he was running out of options.
 
Alonria felt Comman drop to his knees behinde her, and did her best not to panic, her back was wide open, and for a split second she thought mayhap he hand been slan, until she heard his call to battle.

Doubling her efforts she continued fighting.
 
Alonria

Yoru efforts as you commrade falls is not without merit. You slash and thurst and a limb comes off of one tree with its sword dropping as well. Another tree takes a serious bash as well and falls back.......hold fast young warrior. Your graceful and swift blows land doing destructive damage. They are just of wood?? Just like flesh and bone no armor.....no strong magic. Perhaps they are jsut sentries. Following orders and nothing more.....


Cammon

Your might swings bash the treemen with great effect with your relentless effort. Your armor protects you as your brutal blows hit against their weapons breaking and bashing them hard. Three trees retreat from you blows leaving large gashes an scares in the creatures. Seems they wish for the easy victory but there are not done....just falling back behind their polearm carrying brothers. They can be taken you just need to do enough damage...they don't bleed but they go down!


Tol'Chuk

It was not something you would think the great ax weilder wood look well apon......death by trees. That only spurs you on though as your hammer swings. To the benifit of the rest of the party you draw way five of the treemen and bash them sense less. They seem of old dead wood despite being life like....first one goes down hard......then another breaks into pieces. Sure you take many cuts and slashes, but you are doing more damage. The back of your hammer even jams through the eye socket of one of the creatues and it screams out in pain as you swing around you hit another and as the one you hit in the eye bends in pain your hammer slams down on it. There are two left and you realize something. They are keeping you from the real kill!?!! They are in your way of killing trolls.......this future firewood has an attitude problem is all.
 
Of Mice and Polearms

Polearms... lovely...

Glaive and Spear, Hook and Trident, Halberd and Long Hammer, weapons that deal death from a distance.. weapons that can be closed on.

He waits, patiently, fully defensive for a long few moments as the others retreat and he finds his footing, lifting with him a a severed limb to use as a parrying object. "Lady Fair... be careful, they bring spears! Long arms to pluck us off... I have to leave your back when they get here." They have the advantage now, but he trusts in his ability to dodge and parry, too take the blow on the heavily armored pauldron or snatch the weapon away or push it into the path of another at the last instant. It's saved him before countless times against lesser warriors in melee, now he can only count on it again, to save him now.
 
Detton

Weakened by the blow, barely able to fend off the continuing attacks, Detton's mind races with the need for survival. He thinks about the plants, but immediately dismisses the idea. If it was used in a potion, that meant it was probably prepared, and he knew enough about plants to know that sometimes preparing plants in certain ways can make them good healing herbs by taking out normally deadly poisons.

Trying to think of some weakness to plants, Detton runs wildly through the number of things present in his farmer's knowledgebase. And runs into nothing to deal with evil attacking trees. Detton continues to jab at the things, trying to find some way to get them away from him.
 
Detton

You notice that all the tree beasts have backed off from your party.....the jab at you with their polearms but you can easily parry them....despite your wound. The Old farmer's hand book never said much about trees attacking. Most advice involved using an ax or burning for fuel. The only thing clear is that these things are not smarter then you all......they can't seem to use their numbers to their advantage. You have to cut them down some......numbers that is.


Cammon

You take the advantage when you move foward as they retreat. You move around the few long spears and the slow moving trees make easy prey. One with its back to you goes down after a flurry of blows from your weapon. They do go down just not easily. The number of attackers is reduced by one now. Chunks of wood and broken limbs lay on the ground. They don't seem willing to let you pass, but don't know how to defeat you either.
 
Tol'Chuk began to retreat from the fight, moving with a curious but determined look in his eye. He dropped his hammer, it followed him by the chain still attached to his wrist, but now his hands were free.

In a quick action, Tol'Chuk removed his shirt, the faded green tunic had seen
better days, wonderful food and beer stains were all down the front. Well, it wold have to do.

Grabbing his hammer once more, he wrapped the shirt around the base. It held tight, covering up the hammerhead perfectly. He shifted to his pack, grabing the small jug of hard cider the gnomes had given him. Along with a special dwarven ingrediant, this was going to be one special drink.

He broke off the top, pouring it onto the shirt covered hammer, and then threw the rest of the jug into the thick of the trees, letting it crash where it may.

"Now my forests friends," Tol'Chuk gave a heartfelt grin, as he gripped a piece of flint, and raked it across a few pieces of chain from his belt. The pieces of ember light sparked once they reached his improvised fire weapon. It blew up into life, fire dancing all around. Tol'Chuk held it with great pride.

"... we dance."

He gave a horrible war cry, and flew into the lot of them once more, hitting with fevered power.
 
Open Season?

When an opening presents itself, he begins wading forward, slashing limbs and trunks until only kindling stands in his way. Step by step he rakes and smashes with elbow or hooked claws or severed treelimb, hewing and plowing as he goes through the slower opponents. "Lady close in!" he calls, seeing the dwarf start a tactic that might save them all "We'll take back the ground for your wounded friend!"
 
Hearing her companion behind her Alonria did as he said. Tho the trees had backed off some she didnt wish to take any chances. Keeping up her guard she moved forward with Cammon doing what she can to help.
 
Tol'Chuk....nonconventianal

For most the site of a shirtless tattooed dirty Dwarf would drive off many creatures but your next move is nothing less then brillant in its simplicity. The fire bomb you toss is a well known dwarven cocktail that at the very least causes its drinker a fire in the belly. It is often good to drink on watch because it gives you a buzz....and keeps you up at night. The cocktail is often added to beverages that dwarves consider weak in nature, but do not want them to go to waste and insult a guest.

The treebeasts catch fire and only make it worse by running about...they are still of wood after all and soon the group you were dealing with are afire and the might swings from your hammer set afire drives the others away. Even sending one over the cliff.....You have driven them back.....

Cammon & Alonria

If they aren't burning you two hack into them with a brutal vengeful passion. It really doesn't take much to take them weakened creatures down. In fact you spend more time avoiding getting burnt by the monsters. Soon they are burning and nothing more then piles of smoldering ash. You have won the day....and have only positive feelings after seeing a flaming tree beast go over the cliff.


After the skirmish is one you all collect yourselves. You tend to your wounds as best you can and put away weapons. You notice this is the only trail over the mountains and seem to think that the treebeasts are trail guardians. A simple spell used by evil magic users to guard roads, paths, and other entry ways. So what is on this trail worth guarding??? You soon have your answer further down the trail in between this small mountain and the next. Since the great fall many strange things have effected the lands and the creatures that dwell in them....A prime example is on the small grassy area. You see 4 scarred grizzly looking trolls wrapped in disgusting hides that reak so bad then even in your position behind bolders mountain top. They are armed with clubs and have a different kind of booty. You spot no less then 4 rabbits the size of ponies. For those who have travelled about you have seen many including humans ride these beasts. This group of rabbits all seem to be of a brown and white with large floppy ears. The trolls though are roasting one of the creatures over a spit....the rest are held in have chains that are held down with large wooden spikes. In the distance you see your goal....you are but a few hours away from where the trolls are holding the book. You have a good position above the trolls who seem secure perhaps because of the trees or that they are deep within their territory.
 
Truning to her companions Alonria quietly asks them. Tho i would like to help those poor creatures. We should probly try and make it by them quietly, but then that would leave enamys at our back as well. What say you? Waiting on her companions to reply Alonria held her hand up to cover her nose, and contiued to watch what was happining below. So they wouldnt be caught by suprise.
 
"Believe me, miss," the dwarf said, holding up his hammer as he did so, "We've had enemies at our back the moment we stepped into their territory. We move from one ambush to another, carefully. I think we should take them out though, and move on as fast as we can."
 
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