Iron Kingdoms: War and Glory

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-28 11:07pm

The travellers passed through the outer edges of the forest, where the peasants grazed their pigs, hunted, gathered kindling, and harvested lumber. Several game trails offered paths through the forest, which was mostly coniferious trees with little underbrush.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-01-29 01:58am

Auric kept marching along. He was beginning to think that they had made a big mistake in trying to be too secretive.

"I think we outsmarted ourselves. If we had gotten directions to one of those lumber camps, we might have gotten ourselves a nice shipment to escort or something. At least we could have avoided this miserable walking."

I hate marching. Woods, woods, and more woods! Ugh.

The Skirovite swordsman kept up a disgusted inner monologue as he marched. As things went he was soon almost looking forward to some action or even contact with a lumbering part, anything to break the boredom.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-29 03:12am

The adventurers stopped around mid day to eat and rest before continuing on. Around midafternoon they forded a stream and pressed on. Unfortunately, water attracts life and in this case it wasn't pleasant.

Coming down the trail (there was a slight slope) were three trolls. The one actually on the trail was a massive green skinned, black brisled brute nearly twelve feet tall. He wore a bearhide and had a massive axe resting on his shoulder.

Of to the left was a squat, blue skinned female maybe nine feet tall. She had a long, thin club stubbed with metal spikes and was wearing a bearskin as well. The third troll was well off the trail to the left. He a lean eleven feet tall, green skinnned with a troll sized spear in his hand and a quiver with more on the back.

Strung out between them were whelplings, three or four foot tall midget trolls, each with a grotesquely enlarged foot or hand. There were five of them, scuttering between their larger projenitors. The big one sniffed the air and growled.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-01-29 05:10am

Cursing Sycorax under his breath, Arkady incanted his Displacement spell, and his hand checked the presence of a flask of distilled spirits in his component pouch to strengthen his vitality with the power of False Life.

In his mind rushed the initiator of the Black Tentacles, but he realized that against the large and powerful creatures, its efficiency would be diminished. However, as soon as they would get into range, a good layer of Grease would send their large bodies tumbling to the ground, enabling the lightly armoured members of the party to pound them with spells and bullets from a distance. If they rushed to meet them, he could perhaps get most of them. However, if they charged in a loose formation, he would have to supplement his spell - which he would cast in priority on the large male with the axe - with a Wall of Fire from his Staff.

In the meantime, he would greet them with a ball of searing pain. Just try to regenerate this.

"If they get close, they're in for a surprise!" he told his companions while aiming his Fire Staff at the female, hoping to dispose of some of the whelplings with a single blast. "I can make sure they don't get too close, so don't rush to melee!"

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-29 05:30am

Arkady uttered the words to Displacement as the trolls closed. A spear went whistling by him, thrown by the lean troll who then started running parallel to the trail. Two whelplings, four feet tall distorted minitrolls, howled and scampered towards Arkay.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-01-29 06:48am

Damn, they're way faster than they look!

Arkady decided that he was less likely to survive a close encounter with the lean adult that had targeted him, and the two whelplings could be dealt with after that with a spray of fire from his staff if they got too close. He cursed his lack of foresight - a Fire Shield would have held them at bay.

He incanted his Grease spell at the lean adult, targeting the spot in its path that had the softest slope (to prevent the troll from sliding down out of the area of effect of his spell), tense at the sight of the two grotesque smaller silhouettes rushing at him.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-29 06:56am

Turning sideways, Soloman Guren kept Crossfire trained towards the big bastard with the axe, side-stepping away. He sweept his magelock towards Arkady's attackers. He pulled the trigger on his big, four-barrelled military pistol, then took aim with The Person in the Forest, the connection strong enough that he didn't need to look with it.

Flame spat and bullet flew.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-29 07:25am

The agile troll skid, but didn't fall. It was swift on its feet and clawed toes gave its feet good purchase on the moist, dark earth.

Soloman's efforts were more successful. He blew a large chunk out of one the whelp's chest, sending it spinning to the ground in a spray of blood and tissue. The wound began to close before the whelp hit the ground.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-01-29 07:40am

Arkady aimed his Staff at the nearest whelpling, ready to cast a spray of flame while keeping an eye on the adult.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-01-29 07:47am

Konrad quickly ran to near Arkady's side from the rear of the group.
That's a damn lot of trolls.
In a fight like this Konrad's main job would be keeping Arkady and Soloman alive and firing spells and bullets. He brought up his rifle and fired at the lean troll that was charging them. It looked like there was no time to reload, so Konrad drew a handaxe he kept for close encounters and prepared to engage a troll hand to hand. His fine knife would be of little help here. His plan was to wait until the troll was engaged with soeone else, then come up behind the bastard and hamstring him.
Just take them down one by one. Even they die eventually.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-01-29 12:36pm

Auric shrugged off his pack and drew his pistol. There was a faint smile on his lips as he entered the fray.

Guess I ought to be careful what I wish for.

He spoke a few word, made a gesture, and directed a curse at the nearest of the adult trolls which should blind the beast. After the last word of the spell were out he aimed his heavy pistol at the creatures head, hoping it's confusion would let him get a clean shot.

Auric saw what he thought was an opening and fired, the pistol bucking in his hand.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-29 06:30pm

Holstering Crossfire, Guren moved to reload his magelock, fishing out what was the last of his rune bullets. He cleared the breach and slipped the glittering slug into weapon. It clicked shut with the finality of a closing door.

He raised the barrel to his temple and summoned up that Cygnaran penchant for electricity. He lowered The Person in the Forest at the biggest troll, then fired with his soul.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-01-29 06:39pm

Even if I don't have time to reload, I certainly have time to fire.
Konrad drew his military pistol after shifting his handaxe to his left hand. He then carefully aimed and fired at the lean troll that was moving up on the mercenary's position.
Screw it.
Konrad then started to reload his pistol, with his handaxe tucked under his left arm.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-29 07:29pm

Konrad's first shot missed the spear armed troll as it loped towards their flank. Auric's curse struck the big troll, which stop and shook its head, shrugging of the magic. That did, however, make it an excellent target. Soloman's bullet smashed into its chest with a brilliant blue-white flash as Auric's shot struck it in the head. The big troll toppled.

Meanwhile Arkady let loose a blast of fire from his staff, incinerating the remaining whelpling charging him. The other three loped towards Auric, Soloman, and Konrad as fast as their little legs could carry them as the squat female lumbered forward.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-29 08:54pm

Reloading, Guren summoned up an inner, supernatural strength and strode forwards at the whelplings. He focussed on his gun, as he always did when casting a spell, then let loose with mighty kick, driving the tip of his armoured boot into the first of the little monsters.

At point blank range, he lowered The Person in the Forest, and twitched his finger.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-29 09:33pm

Guren kicked away one of the whelplings and then blew open the chest of a second one, dropping it. The kicked one rolls back up and leaps at Soloman while the remaining one springs at Auric.

The lean trolls flanks to the side, moving up on Konrad while the female continues to below and close, her great club held high.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-01-29 09:43pm

Konrad aimed and fired his newly reloaded pistol at the face of the lean troll as it moved in on him. Dropping the pistol, he then retrieved the handaxe from under his arm and faked throwing it at his foe's chest. Instead of a throw Konrad stepped forward and brought the weapon down on a knee in an effort to fell the beast to the ground.

EDIT: for clarity[/i]

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-01-29 10:08pm

Auric muttered a curse at the beast as he drew his greatsword. He hadn't expected the creature to shrug off the curse so lightly nor the agility.

This isn't good.

Steel whispered against leather as the wicked looking greatsword cleared the scabbard. Auric held his ground and attempted to strike at the creature as it engaged them.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-29 10:10pm

The whelp crashed against Guren and the gun mage went stumbling backwards. Teeth gnashed before his face and he heaved forward, throwing the deformed little beastie off him. He swung his magelock around, using the hardened gun like an expensive club.

An expensive club charged with electricity, as Guren pushed soul-heat into the gun.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-29 10:43pm

Konrad's bullet shattered the troll's jawbone, but didn't dissuade the creature. Axe strikes against the troll would half to wait, the more pressing issue of the troll's long arm driving a spear at Konrad took precidence.

The whelp rolled away from Guren shacking and convulsing. The female troll charged straight at Auric, its huge axe raised and saliva dripping from its jaws.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-01-29 10:58pm

Oh, shit
Konrad's feinted throw having been completely inefective, he attempted to knock the spear away with his left hand while stepping forward. He wanted to use the troll's momentum against it in order to duck under its reach and get behind it. Konrad was mostly successfull in pushing aside the troll's spear. Mostly. The troll was too strong for such tactics to be truly successful, so the spear scraped along his ribs on his right side, cutiing through overcoat, the leather armor beneath it, and finnally into flesh. Koonrad, then under the reach of the spear, finnally struck at the troll's knee from behind with his handaxe.
Drop you nimble son of a bitch!
Konrad hoped his maneuver would be worth the wound in his side. Meanwhile, his plan to protect Arkady and Guren had failed, as he was having trouble enough helping himself.

Note: I got Arkady and Auric confused again

Edited to be what I actually wanted

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-01-29 11:11pm

Auric muttered the words of yet another curse, this one to induce the creature to react to a threat that was not there. Anything to break the stride of the creatures charge.

Even as he muttered the words, he side stepped and brought his weapon around in a horizontal arc to strike at the brute.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-29 11:40pm

Guren stomped down on the shivering whelpling's head, just to be sure, and went about reloading his magelock. His comrades had the two real trolls on them and Konrad was bleeding from his side. Aurich was deft with his sword, but he needed support. Support Soloman Guren would give in just a moment ...

He had half turned when the third whelpling hit him with some sort of crude club. It was a strong blow, and though softened by thick armoured trenchcoat, it stung, like a hot spike through his shoulder. he went sprawling, and The Person in the Forest went out of his reach. He tried to roll to his feet, but without magical help, he did not have cat-like grace. Soloman bit dust.

He got to his feet as quickly as possible and dived into the little monster with the last few minutes of his enhanced strength, hoping crush the life out of the midget. Guren's normally smiling face was replaced with barred teeth and flying spittle.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-29 11:41pm

Konrad's blade bit through tough hide and wood-tough muscles. Blood spewed. The troll did not fall though. Instead it grabbed the him and threw Konrad at the trunk of a nearby tree.

Auric enjoyed more success. The female troll spun to the side, searching for a foe that was not there. As she did so, the big troll began to rise, as did the whelp that Soloman shot.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-01-29 11:50pm

Auric brought his blade around. The troll had fallen for the move and exposed itself. He aimed a blow at the creatures spine, hoping to make a crippling shot on the beast.