Jabir's Army Retreats

The group of adventurers continue to fight the trolls.

Smallfang's Near Death Experience

30,000 XP

Smallfang leaps across onto the back of one of the trolls, who is climbing up the wall towards the soldiers on top. He plunges the sword into the troll as he lands. He attempts to stab the troll again but as the troll climbs several thorny vines shoot out from its skin and wrap around the dragonborn. He is quickly entangled and unable to move. The troll uses its advantage to repeatedly pummel Smallfang to the point where he is dropped unconscious.

Catya runs and leaps and runs across the wall from one tower down to the wall where another of the mutated trolls has made it to the top of one of the towers. The troll uses one of its massive hands to sweep several of the soldiers off of the tower to their deaths. Catya runs up the leg of the troll and begins to claw her way through its thick hide trying to kill it. Unfortunately, the trolls regeneration makes the attacks less effective than Catya would have hoped for.

Rook meanwhile casts phantasmal killer upon the troll who is attacking Smallfang. The troll sees within its mind it most horrible nightmare and drops Smallfang, jumps down to the ground and begins running away at a furious pace. 

With the aid of Catya, Smallfang regains his feet and is able to heal from some of his injuries.He looks for his sword and finds it still stuck into the back of the troll who is fleeing towards the forest. It has a great lead on the group. Smallfang yells out, "My sword! Hazirawn !". Smallfang and Rook give chase.

Catya stays and is able to finish off the remaining troll. She then follows where the others gave chase to the other troll. Rook uses his mirage arcane spell that was cast to erect ice walls in front of and around the escaping troll. Once caught up the group hacks and slashes the beast until it lies dead. They set fire to the trolls remains in hopes that it does not regenerate and rise again.

Making their way back to the city they come across Hope who is now just rising to her feet, recovering from Rook's magic. She quickly looks around, ready to cast spells against the attacking trolls, only to be told that they have all been defeated...for the moment.

An Airship Belongs In The Air
2,500 XP

Meanwhile, Lirath, who had almost died fighting the trolls attacking the east gate, saved only by Tithe Tuen, the cleric, makes his way back to the others. He tells of the attack on the opposite side of the city. They discuss the oddity of trolls making a coordinated attack and the absence of aid from the airship, the Flying Dragon. Realizing that the airship had given no warnings and made no attacks, they all look up only to see the airship listing awkwardly towards one side as a large swirling mass of wind rise up out of the hold, fling sailors overboard and rise up into the clouds high above the city.

As the airship begins its uncontrolled descent into the highly populated city, Lirath sees a figure jump over the ships railings and jump to the ground. Lirath recognizes the distant figure to be the former Captain MacKenzie, the one that they presumed dead back near IceThorn Castle. From that height, any unaided creature would certainly be dead. But Lirath and Smallfang makes no assumption. After all, the fall down into the depths of the chasm had obviously not killed him. Smallfang and Lirath run to where MacKenzie should have landed.

Meanwhile, Catya turns to Hope and tells her to get her up to the ship. Hope casts flying upon the tabaxi and Catya makes her way upon the airship. Its deck tilted horribly as they stare down into the wide eyes of hundreds of horrified citizens watching their certain death. Catya, from her ceaseless observations and note-taking of the operations of the airship, is able to right the ship just in time and land it onto the waters of the nearby Sea of Swords at the mouth of the Chionthar River. It no longer flies as the air elemental and the arcane mechanisms, that utilized the elemental's powers, are now gone or destroyed.

The Capture Of The Former Captain MacKenzie
1,000 XP

Smallfang and Lirath have pursued and finally captured MacKenzie in the crowded streets of Baldur's Gate. They strip him and walk him all the way to the Order Of The Obsidian Dagger's stronghold. All the way they encourage the gathering crowd to throw insults and rot at the humiliated figure of MacKenzie. Finally, they arrive at the keep and put MacKenzie in it's prison.

As the group moves about within the keep, they hear of the loss of one of the Order's clerics. When Hope asks who it was, they find it was Tithe Tuen, the cleric who had saved Lirath from certain death. When some of the others from the Order find out Lirath is there, they accost the elf and blame him for the abduction of Tithe. When tempers begin to flare, Lirath begins to cast spells upon some of the Order's clerics and stealthily makes his way to safety. But something is wrong with the magic here within the keep. 

Hope meanwhile, talks to the other clerics and finds that one of the trolls retreated from the battle but not before grabbing Tithe and taking her with it. The troll was last seen running for the mountains east of the city. Towards what is now known to be the location of IceThorn castle. Hope begins to sing and play a tribute to the bravery and courage of Tithe. Soon most of the keep is spellbound in awe and sorry listening to the song that Hope weaves. As tears are wiped away most of the keep disperses as everyone continues about their work. 

Some of the Order's members approach Smallfang and tell of the magic within the keep becoming more and more erratic. In fact no clerics or scholars dare to enter the library beneath the keep. Arcane lamps refuse to stay lit and strange sounds and creatures have been experienced. Something is seriously wrong and its influence is growing.

Smallfang reassures them and notes this as a priority. But for now, they all feel that time is of the essence if they are to be able to save and retrieve Tithe from the trolls.  They gather supplies and cold weather gear and prepare to head out. Smallfang goes out into the courtyard of the keep to begin his ritual of find steed. Soon a great griffon lands on the ground beside Smallfang, who unfortunately begins to laugh uncontrollably for the next hour. 

As the group moves out, Smallfang upon his griffon and the rest within a horse drawn wagon, Smallfang continues to laugh uncontrollably. 

They really have to look into what's wrong with the magic weave in and around the Order's keep.

A Poor Ambush
4,000 XP

As they travel closer to the mountains the ground turns into rolling foothills. They keep to the path while Smallfang and Rook's raven providing scouting ahead. Soon though a large boulder crashes into the wagon and the group springs into action. Rook yells that his raven has spotted a large troll on the far side of a hill who is throwing boulders. 

It is over in the blink of an eye, as each within the party descends upon the creature. Hope casts hold monster upon the creature and while it is unable to move each of the rest of the group hacks, slashes and claws the beast until it lies dead at their feet.

They look at each other proudly, dust their hands and continue on their way.

That was easy. Too easy? Nah. They are just that good.