Tales of Adventure - The Troll Hunt

🏠**Home** 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦**Characters**  👩‍👩‍👧‍👦**NPCs** 💬**Rumours  🐲Monsters  🎲Roll Dice**

I wasn't long after my husband Oswoff, last came back from hunting in the glen with a cart full of animal pelts; did our lives begin to change for ever.

My name is Iriella and this strange tale will either convince you to train harder as an adventurer or give up all together.

The air had turned cold for the last few days, and I predicted that we might see some snow soon. This in itself would not have been out of the ordinary, in spring or summer for that matter... if it wasn't for the last few seasons being so clement, and warm.

The rise in numbers of adventurers in Wynnesford has meant that those of us who have chosen to settle in the town were now experiencing a collective change in our fortunes. Thrill seeking idiots scouring the glens around us had plundered so much gold and treasure that we all were benefitting. So far they have left the dangers which lurk in the forests outside the walls of our beautiful town... both my husband and I pray that it remains that way.

Anyway, where was I? Yes, on the evening, not two-day ago 3 strangers knocked at the door of our hunting lodge. Oswoff went to open it, but I asked him not too... the day had a dread feel to it and I wished not to push our luck anymore.

He ignored me. Us elves have a penchant for the chancing our luck sometimes, and that streak runs particularly wide in his family. Oswoff opened the door to 3 drunken, smelly, odd looking strangers.

The first, a human I think, had a high pitched voice. He introduced themselves as adventurers in town and were looking for information about the local area, and one monstrosity in particular. The second 'creature' was also invited in, red skinned with a twitching tail - blurting out comments about our home which made both me and Oswoff uncomfortable. The final human, said very little at first - he made us feel the most uncomfortable. A man mountain, eagerly eyeing up our possessions and rubbing sores around his hip, possibly from his heavy belt.

It wasn't long before the strangers managed to get the conversation around to what they really came for. However, all I wanted was to get them out of my home so I could wash the stench of the day off and retire to my warm bed.

They were searching for trolls, in particular - troll's lairs to plunder. Both Oswoff and I caught each others smiles. We told them that they were not a match for the trolls in this area and asked them to leave and sleep off their inebriated state. But they were persistent.

It just so happens that I had been chased by a group of creatures nearby to where a troll is know to lair in the woods, by a local stream. So to get them out, I agreed to meet them in the morn and guide them back to the spot. So long as I was able to search for some belongings of mine which I dropped in my haste to escape those creatures.

They agreed and left us to bed down. Oswoff was concerned, as he would not be able to join me. The skins and meat needed preservation before the flies would take them, and tomorrow was his last chance to do so.

We said a prayer to Sylvannus, and the Earth Mother and slept uneasily together.

At dawn, Oswoff was already preparing the hides and meat as the 3 adventurers strolled down our small street. They were in high spirits and glad to see me. We did not dally, all of us left by the loggers gate for the 3 hour journey to were I was last chased away.

They were very sweet to me. Asking me not to get involved if a fight broke

out and to run if we were ambushed... it appeared that treasure was their only motive - and the 'big one' didn't care how dangerous the task was to find it. When I first met them, I thought they were just drunk blowhards looking for a good time, unable to think straight because of their poisoned state. However, in the cold hard light of a chilled day, I was horrified to find out that they were all just as stupid as each other.

I tried my hardest to keep them from chatting to one another during the journey. Every damn creature in that woods must have heard their insane babble from a mile away as we progressed! Eventually we found the spot where I was ten-day ago. They helped me search for my belongings, a bag and missing cloak - but alas we found nought.

The brute suggested that we go further, and search for my belongings elsewhere, perhaps the troll has them? It was a childlike attempt to get me to take them further into danger, but I was tiring of them and seeing them chewed up by a troll might be exactly what they all deserve. I agreed, so long as my belongings were returned to me. Not long after that we stumbled across tracks from the giant monstrosity - the troll. Footprints 10ft, no 4ft long! The red one appeared excited and clapped furiously - scaring off a few birds in the branches above. This group truly were cretins and deserved to perish.

I tracked the markings back to a rocky outcrop and some caves. Out of one entrance I was able to determine that a troll had recently left the cave. I turned towards them and they all of a sudden went very quiet. It would appear that darkness, and not being able to see was their most feared enemy, I chuckled to myself and both I and the red one walked into the dark, damp, smelly cave.

   Luckily for us, rushing water around the cave mouth was loud enough to cover their unsuccessful attempts at creeping through the tunnels. I had a bad feeling about this and kept my path clear for a quick escape. Gradually though, we delved deeper into the cave and I realised that out escape route would be hampered if the troll suddenly decided to return back to its lair.

We stumbled upon some darklings, using the cave as protection against the morning sun. They left us alone… and the red one revealed his knowledge of sylvan - our most beautiful elven language. I must admit to being impressed. Maybe their apparent stupidity hid some usefulness about them.

No long after we discovered a rotten bed made from torn bushes and trees, 25ft long. We all caught our breath at this sight of this and decided to move faster to discover my belongings and the treasure they sought. In the darkness the red one found a rotting chest, and the barbarian let the darkness confuse him. He took out his axe and began to break the chest. Chopping sounds ringing through out the cavern! I screamed at him to stop, but the slim human dived in the way to open the chest with his quick fingers.

Inside was my bag of belongings, the large one handed it to me… and oh my… so much coin. A few other trinkets too. At that point we all heard the grumbles in the cave. Our eyes fully adjusted to the darkness we quickly grabbed up what we could and ran to a rocky cliff edge in the cave. The human waved his hand and before I knew it that stupid 'oaf barbarian' shoved me off the cliff! I shouted at him for a second before floating safely down to the bottom of a 20ft ravine… simply amazing.

The skills they have were very surprising to me. One by one they all descended the same way, under the influence of the rogues magic. Then they began to climb back up the opposite wall. We all hoped that the distance and ravine would be enough to seperate us from whatever was grumbling and thudding in the darkness.

   Just as the last of us climbed out from the ravine, the huge lumbering mass of a disgusting troll peered it’s way round a rocky outcrop to see us all dusting ourselves off. It was 20ft tall and carried a half eaten giant weasel in it’s grasp. The barbarian shouted for us all to RUN! So I did, and swiftly left them far behind me… I was about to reach safety when I looked back to see no one following. I was just able to make out the devilish looking red creature gathering ice in its hands and sending it towards the 20ft silhouette of the monster.

The magic! It lit up the immediate vicinity and I witnessed the 'big one' being pummelled into the hard cave floor by the most angriest of trolls I ever did witness. The barbarian was covered in blood and he didn’t stand a chance.

I quickly ran back, and the red one looked and smiled at me, explaining that this was the fun bit?! I took out my long bow and immediately set about picking my shots at the troll - it was difficult but I landed a few shots.

The red fellow continuously seemed to fire shards of ice at the troll whilst the diminutive human remained in the shadows firing his short bow with great precision at the monster too. I do no know how, or what gods look after that barbarian, but he seemed to be able to weather a storm from Umberlie herself. The troll clawed and bit at him… and he just laughed them off! Gory attack after gory attack raining down upon his muscular form. It was just then when I saw my chance - the trolls body opened up and its eyes looked straight at me as I released an arrow straight through it’s brain. A shot like that would kill anything that lived and breathed in our forest.

The troll moaned in pain and fell backwards, I shouted for the barbarian to jump free… but he did the most stupid thing I ever did see, he screamed back at us and then jumped straight off the cliff, slashing at the troll with his axes as they both fell into the ravine! It was then the shadowy human cast his parlour trick once more and the angry man lightly floated down to land on the chest and neck of the troll. He made short work of the trolls remains and decapitated it.

After congratulating each other and checking for wounds, they all appeared to be quite relived to have survived. It was the first time I’ve felt so alive in years! Their lives are so full of danger and peril! I stifled the urge to hug the red one… and motioned for us all to leave quickly.

But before I did, I emptied my bag of belongings… and took out what I wanted most, an elven cloak which was made by a friend of mine and handed the bag and my spare cloak to them. I don’t know what come over me… but something in my heart told me that these heroic fellows would need all the help they could get in the coming days and weeks.

We left the caves after successfully stabilising the half eaten giant weasel. It would appear that the creature had one of it’s legs chewed off and lost a lot of blood… but was alive. The barbarian fed it an expensive potion of healing and began to talk to it. I’ve never seen the like before in my time, and I have seen over 250 winters. They led the weasel named woody back to its burrow and we all headed back to our home in Wynnesford just as snow began to fall... winter in Winterglen no longer retreats.

When I returned to my beloved Oswoff, I felt different somehow. What I had seen that day, would forever change my opinion of these brave adventurers who are single handedly changing the fortunes of Wynnesford. Yes they are greedy. Yes… they are imbeciles of the most stupid and highest calibre. But they also show respect and mercy. I for one will watch out for their exploits with a greater deal of understanding and fondness…from now on.

*Dheth , Ekermon and Malcer.*

🏠**Home** 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦**Characters**  👩‍👩‍👧‍👦**NPCs** 💬**Rumours  🐲Monsters  🎲Roll Dice**