A midnight retreat into Kyger with our tails between our legs: not what I had envisioned a few days ago. ‘Course, Trolls have a way of changing everything. Didn’t know they were Trolls when they first showed up last night on Danin’s watch. All I knew: they were big, ugly, and mean.
They were tough buggers, but by Kols we held our own, and eventually ran ‘em off. There were three of the creatures on the ground when the rest of ‘em decided they’d had enough. But before we had time to make chase, the dead rose up and ran off with their brethren. That left nooooo doubt: Trolls!!!
We resumed camp and I took next watch. Nobody thought the “Beasties” would come back, what with the ass-whooping we just laid on ‘em. But not even two hours into my watch we were assaulted by spells from the perimeter of camp.
It went bad for us from the outset. There was fire exploding in the center of camp, tossed there by who knew what. Several of us were burned pretty badly. Danin did his best as we roused to face the new threat, but we learned too late, it was the Trolls. In force and fully healed of their earlier wounds, and with some big ugly Bitch-Troll, flapping her dugs at us, slinging around the fire spells.
Again the group fought valiantly: Floki’s arrows were finding their mark while Tenner hit and run. Tag and Kai were punishing the buggers and Danin was ever-vigilant in keeping us all alive. But it was too much too soon……………
We almost lost Kai and Floki, and Tenner eventually succumbed and fell in the fight. Floki was mad with anguish, wanting to go to his fallen wolf but held firm. Tag and I were beat up bad: bloody and burned. Danin had also taken his share of the beating, but he didn’t show any signs of slowing until later, when we were clear of the walking Horrors.
We left Tenner behind, a fact that didn’t sit well with anyone. Floki finally admitted that he could resummon him in a day or so…..though it still didn’t sit well.
We all had abandoned pieces of equipment in our hasty retreat, but we gained our lives in the balance. We escaped, but our work out in the marshes is not done. We never got close to finding the “Goblin” let alone dealing with his threat to the merchant who hired us. And now with the Trolls, there is increased danger to anyone traveling the road.
With a prayer to Kols on my lips, and vengeance in my heart, I trudge toward Kyger, vowing to Kreig that we will return for a reckoning.
Beaten……for now……..