"Never say die!"

@Edwin Voskamp's AD&D Game: Freehold 2000-08-06

The party (Shannon, Kevin, Lisa and Edwin):

• Zooo, a Dwarven Fighter.
• Lothar, King of the Hill People, a Human Fighter.
• Angus, a Human Fighter.
• Banba, a Human Fighter.
• Claire, an Elven Cleric of Labelas Enoreth.
• Rynna, a Halfelven Mage.
• Thalen, a Halfelven Ranger-Cleric of Solonor Thalandira.
• Three Henchmen:
  • Edward
  • Menann
  • Finnegan
• The Circus:
  • Thaddeus, Rynna's wardog
  • Sinann, one of a pair of wardogs from the same litter, faithful protectors of Thalen
  • Sanenn, one of a pair of wardogs from the same litter, faithful protectors of Thalen
  • Rynna's Donkey
  • Banba's Donkey
  • Thalen's Donkey

Disaster Strikes!

We paused a while before deciding to explore the larger tunnel. It seemed like a major road to us, after the other tunnels: four people could walk it abreast.

After about 100 yards there are traces of severe fighting between Grimlocks and Trolls. Another 50 yards and the only tracks are those of the four trolls travelling in the direction we came from.

After about 800 yards a narrow tunnel splits off to the left, at about a 45 degrees. It is only large enough for one person at a time and we decide to pass it. Claire sets some snares so that we can track if someone came through.

After another 400 yards two more tunnels split off, both going back at a 45 degree. They are only one person wide, and Zooo decides to go into the one to the left, to see if it connects up with the one we passed earlier. He uses his Ring of Invisibility and walks off.

After about 280 yards down it connects with the other one, at a small pool, with the other tunnel connecting to it, and two more. At the pool are six Trolls!

Zooo tries to go back, quietly and invisibly. Unfortunately, Trolls hunt by smell more than anything and soon the brightest of the Trolls comes at Zooo. Zooo tries to run backwards, while shouting.

On the shouts of help Banba runs into the tunnel that Zooo disappeared into, followed by Claire and I Rynna and her wardog Thaddeus follow.

The Troll attacks Zooo, but, between Zooo's almost bred-in experience fighting the bigger Trolls and his Ring of Invisibility, the Troll misses. Zooo hits (for 13), misses, misses, hits (for 6). It is then that we come upon him and I notice there is only one Troll attacking Zooo. Fearing for the party, I send Rynna, Banba and Claire back up the tunnel, as I step behind Zooo and hit the Troll square in the chest. While it hurts it (3), it does not distract it, as the Troll claws Zooo fiercely (6). Zooo steps in and chops it down. I drop a bottle of oil on it grab its pouch and set the carcass on fire. Zooo and I look at each other and run back as fast as we can.

In the meantime, upstairs, six Trolls tear into the back of the party. Lothar, Angus, Finnegan and Menann are surprised. Edward is not and flees further into the large tunnel, deeper into the complex, never to be seen again. One Troll kills Finnegan outright as another claws Sinann twice, as its littermate takes two swipes from a Troll's claws and goes down. Another Troll claws Angus as yet another Troll hits Lothar claws him twice and bites his face. The Troll that attacks Menann misses him completely and the youth stand his ground, though he misses the Troll badly.

The Troll finishes off Sinann as the other Troll that killed Sanenn reaches out, snaps the neck of a donkey and sits down to eat it. Angus suffers another Troll bite, and the Troll that killed Finnegan comes joins that fray, but misses Angus. Lothar gets in a good hit (13), as the other Troll kills Menann with two claw attacks.

The other donkeys do not panic and move out of the way, as Lothar takes another good swing (10) into the one he's fighting, but takes a claw in return (8). The Troll that killed Menann comes over and claws him as well (5). Angus hits one Troll (9), but misses the other. He manages to duck both their attacks.

The desperate fight against odds continues, but the odds are catching up with Lothar and Angus, as Lothar takes another claw (7), and a bite (12), going down. and Angus trades hits, dealing out two mighty blows (11 and 10), but taking a bad blow back, going down.

At that point Rynna comes out of the side tunnel and surveys the carnage before her. Angus, Menann and Lothar are down, unconscious and bleeding heavily. The four Trolls that are upright are well within charging distance, though the one eating the donkey is surprised at hear appearance. Rynna whips out her Wand of Frost and blasts a Cone of Cold down the corridor, catching all the Trolls in the blast, and killing off Menann, Lothar and Angus.

Claire comes out the tunnel, steps to her left , to put some donkeys between her and the Trolls, and shoots, but misses. Banba follows her closely, charges the nearest Troll, but, in her enthusiasm, misses it. The Troll doesn't miss and bites Banba's shoulder (8). Rynna cuts it mightily fine, but manages to blast the Trolls with another Cone of Cold, narrowly missing Banba.

Banba hits the Troll she's fighting (15), but it claws her back (6). Claire takes down another Troll (12).

The Troll bites Banba again and she misses. Claire runs up and starts pouring oil on the two Trolls that are down.

Banba and the Troll both miss each other as Claire sets fire to the Trolls' bodies.

Banba and the Troll trade blows (Banba taking 5, the Troll 6). Claire steps up behind her and casts a Cure Medium Wounds on Banba (6).

I come running out of the tunnel and loosen the arrow I had drawn and nocked: it bounces off of Banba. I take a breath and plant my next arrow true and fair, taking down the Troll (7).

We strip the Trolls' belongings and burn their bodies. We tie the bodies of our dead friends on the donkeys, and Claire quickly builds a makeshift pyre for my dogs.

After we send Sinann and Sanenn's remains on their way we backtrack, quickly and carefully, Claire and I healing the party members back up, tracking and listening all along the way. From the tracks it becomes clear that the six Trolls at the pool ran back through the other tunnel and came upon the unaware party from behind.

We go back up to the base camp and take the wagon and horses back to Xanth.

Back in Xanth

Back in Xanth we take up our usual wing of the Prancing Pny and try and recover from the disaster that has befallen us. We arrange for a funeral for Lothar and Angus, buying them a wonderful plot on the top of the hill, under a large oak tree. Claire leads a beautiful service and we spend to have the stonecutter provide the best looking cenotaph in the cemetary.

Afterwards, Claire goes off to compose a song about the demise of our friends, and I write letters to the parents of Edward, Finnegan and Menann. I do not hide the truth from Edward's father, but find something good to say about the others, praising Menann for his last stand to protect the ones he served with. Their parents have the bodies picked up and Edward's father sends us a letter of apology.

Zooo, still regretfull about his attempt to sneak around in dwarven platemail, feels the Ring of Invisibility is not for him and gives it to me. I take a look at the belonging of Lothar and Angus and give a Potion of Healing and a Potion of Extra-Healing to Banba and Zooo each. I give Lothar's Ring of Free Action to Zooo to make up for the ring he gave me. Banba takes Lothar's Potion of Heroism.

I take stock of Angus' and Lothar's magical items and do some heavy trading. I trade Lothar's Long Sword +1, Plate + 3 and Shield + 1 and Angus' Bastard Sword + 1 and Splint + 1 for a set of Bracers of Defense AC8 for Rynna, a most gorgeous set of Full Plate Mail +1 for Claire, who also takes Angus' Shield + 1, and a beautifully crafted, most wonderful, set of Elven Chain Mail + 1 for me.

We spend the next month in town, resting up, recovering. We check back into our wing of the Prancing Pony, again protected by the private guards that the innkeeper provided. We find that, despite our mourning, that noblesse obliges, and once again Claire spends most of her day Healing and taking care of the locals. Claire spends time practising her lute, her singing and her song composing. The rest of us spend our time working with some of the locals, spending money with the local merchants and innkeepers, and buying drinks and food for the City Guard. I accompany them on some trips in the field, and help them out on a few occasions. Rynna and Claire go off on their separate studies of new fields of their respective magic that have opened up to them with their progress in their abilities.

Rebuilding Cork

One night we are approached by an elderly gentleman. He introduces himself as Deckerd Cain and tells us he is with a group of people that want to rebuild Cork, restore its former glory and repopulate it. He has heard of our exploits and wants us to clear the underground. He has info and maps on the labyrinths below the monastery. His group will take responsibility to close off the tunnels to the Drow and Trolls.

We ask him to prove it and brings us four maps, reputedly of the first four levels of basements below the monastery. There are stairs down from the monastery, and a passageway to the catacombs. We agree tentatively.

We spend the next month training to work in this, now smaller group, and, for Claire and I, to get used to our new armor. In the meantime, Caine's group works hard, plugging the big tunnel where we got attacked, and expanding the basecamp outside the blackened circle around Cork. They set up a protected tent camp, with a smithe, a tavern, a small, non-denominational, or to us unrecognizable, temple with a healer, and a wise woman who brews all sorts of potions.

Though the basecamp seems well set up, for our first trip we decide not to take more risk than we need to, so we once again retain Ben the Drover, per the usual arrangement: Ben will be happy to keep camp and take care of us for a gold piece per day, as long as its outside of the blasted zone and as long as it's understood that he'll be gone if any danger shows up. We stock the wagon with weeks of freshly prepared and well packed food from the Prancing Pony and kegs of its fine ale.

Six days travel brings us to near the blasted area and Ben sets up camp, ready for a good night's rest before going down below the Ruins of Cork once again. That night we see no more lights in Cork.

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