Iron Kingdoms: War and Glory

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-01-30 11:56pm

"Arkady, torch that arm would you! We don't need another one!"

Auric once more found himself grabbing his sword off the ground. As he did he whispered words which should send a bout of hideous laughter echoing through the head of the troll staggering before him. Hopefully it would give them time to put down the female.

Having done what he could he turned, hoping for a chance to make a disabling, or better yet killing, strike on the female. It had to be feeling the effects. Or at least he told himself that.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-01-31 12:07am

Konrad had seen the blow coming for his face, so he had been able to roll with the blow. That saved him from having all his teeth knocked out and his jaw broken. It still hurt like hell though, and if he lived his face would be bruised and cut up for days.
At least Auric's finaly out of mortal danger.
Konrad unlimbered his rifle from his back while moving back to Arkady's side. He then quickly started to reload. He had a cut in his side, bruised or broken ribs, and a face that looked like a punching bag. Thankfully the adrenaline was keeping the pain away.
Better shoot as much as possible before my eyes fill with blood or swell shut.
When he was finished reloading, Konrad aimed and fired at the big troll lurching towards him and immediatly started reloading.
Just like the firing drill.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-31 12:39am

Auric managed to utter the spell and retrieve his sword, but his broken ribs prevented him from following up. The big troll did double up, laughing hysterically. Konrad managed to put a round into the big troll's chest, but it didn't down it. The female did not seem to oppose Auric's intentions. She advanced on him, the stump on her severed wrist expanding.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-31 01:02am

Guren had managed to reload his magelock, and had holstered Crossfire - it would take too long as he moved to summon up what little magic he had left. He saw the big troll chuckling slowly and stupidly. The magic in his legs was giving out, he could feel it. No choice, really. He charged forward and made a last almighty leap as the troll began to rear up.

He fought to keep his balance with one foot on either shoulder of the troll. He was an awful long way from the ground, and in final desperation, he drove The Person in the Forest, crackling with electricity, into the troll's eyesocket.

For good measure he pulled the trigger.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-01-31 01:20am

While he ran to incinerate the stump, Arkady saw the female and the big one, aligned. He would have to cast his spell now, or his friends would once againt be too close to the monsters and be fried.

He stopped briefly, lifted his hand, and with a snarl summoned forth a bolt of lightning.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-31 02:54am

Lightning arced between the pair of trolls and ran over their bodies. Soloman caught the edge of the effect and was thrown into the air and lightly singed and the two trolls were sent sprawling and twitching to the ground.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-01-31 05:12am

Cursing his awkwardness again, Arkady took the time to shout a warning while he incinerated the arm : "Get away from them!"

If the trolls got back to their feet before his friends were safely away, he would have to surround the trolls with a circle of fire to contain at least one of them. The magic would allow the heat to be concentrated inwards, meaning that with a careful calibration of the circle's geometry, his friends would be (for once) safe.

He turned his Staff anxiously, the command words for either function of his weapon clear in his mind, the images of the fire circle and the area of effect of a fireball in his eyes. He waited for his friends to be away.

"I'm sick of motherfucking trolls in a motherfucking forest!" he ranted.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-31 05:37am

Soloman Guren went arcing through the air, somewhat on fire. His magelock went spinning and implanted itself in the dirt further up the trail. He himself crashed through treebranches, snapping wood and shaking free leaves. He came to a halt on a thicker limb which knocked the wind out of him. Bruised, seared and gasping for breath, Guren didn't try to move.

His hat fluttered down after him, spinning through the hole in the trees foliage. It landed on the back of his head.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-01-31 07:46am

Holy shit.
Konrad was amazed that Soloman had still been able to jump around like that. Catching that lightening bolt couldn't have been good for him though. At least the Troll's had gone down for the moment.
"I'm checking on Soloman. Burn those bastards to a crisp!"
Konrad ran to Soloman's side to see why he wasn't getting up.
Hell of a medic I'll be.
"Soloman, can you move?"

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2007-01-31 05:03pm

The explosive blast of flame consumed both trolls, reducing them to blacked char. Neither rose again.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-01-31 05:16pm

Arkady lowered his Staff.

"Say Onara, suckers."

He turned to assist his companions.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-31 05:26pm

Guren looked down from his branch vantage point. "Nay." he said, quite firmly, "I'll be fine here for a mo', thankee. Ye might want to sit down yeself; ye look awful cut up."

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-01-31 05:40pm

Arkady picked up the magelock on his way.

"You sure you don't want it?" he said, looking over his shoulder before collapsing to the ground from adrenaline withdrawal and the residual pain from the casting of a Ray of Enfeeblement. Necromancy was a real bitch.

He looked with dazed eyes at Soloman. "You get here, I don't have the strength left to fling it up there to you," he breathed.

"And where is my goddamned bird?" he asked, before giggling to release his tension.

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-01-31 05:43pm

"I could live the rest of my life and be happy to never see another troll."
Alot of things started to hurt really bad as the adrenaline ebbed from Konrad's system. It even hurt to a little to breath.
Fuck. Broke a couple ribs.
Konrad examined the wound on his side. Luckily, it was fairly clean and not too jagged. Konrad didn't even want to look at his face right now, as it felt just like a time after he was jumped by 3 toughs in a bar. They had ended up with something worse than a reconfigured face though.
First things first though.
Konrad retrieved his handaxe and pistol and went about cutting the heads off all the trolls. That accomplished, he gingerly took off his overcoat, armor, and shirt and started dressing the wound in his side. He had some clean bandages in his kit, but any sort of complex care would have to wait until they got back to the city.
Turning to his companians, he helped them apply bandages to their wounded bodies and said,
"We should probably get moving as soon as possible. I don't want any more trolls or would be 'troll hunters' showing up. We should probably take their heads for that bounty we heard about."
Konrad was tired and hurt, but his legs still worked, and that was all he needed to get back into town.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-01-31 06:20pm

With an almighty heave, Guren managed to slip from his branch. He landed in a heavy crouch and stayed there for a few moments, before at last getting to his feet and limping over to Arkady. He held out his hand and took his magelock from the wizard, still giggling. "Nicely done, lad."

Despite feeling better tenderised than steak, Guren made an effort to walk, more or less, over to Auric. "Are ye alright kap?" he asked, rubbing his aching bruises.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-02-01 12:11pm

Arkady rummaged through his backpack.

I hope they are not broken...

He took a small jug of Ansleigh's Wound Seal, and he put his healer's kit at the top of the pack.

"If anyone has injuries that must be attended to immediatly, I can provide some assistance," he said. "If it can wait, then we may want to get out of this forest as soon as possible." He then heard a fluttering noise, and turned his gaze around.

Sycorax landed on a nearby tree. "I'm back!" it announced cheerfully.

"Why the pretty fireworks?" the raven asked, then its gaze swept across the various burns, cuts and bruises of the party.

"You all look like shit," it commented flatly.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-02-01 12:56pm

"I'm pretty sure they tried to rearrange my insides with their feet."

Auric gingerly felt some of his injuries.

"I think I've got a few broken ribs, if you can do anything about it. Thankfully that seems to be the worst of it."

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-02-01 01:59pm

Konrad took his small flask of spirits and passed it around the group.
"To victory gentlemen. Now just how are we going to carry those troll's heads back with us?"

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-02-01 02:37pm

"The traditional way. Decapitate them. Take your hand, put them around a convenient appendage, and carry them."

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-02-01 02:51pm

Arkady took a sip from the flask, handing it to Auric, whom he was about to try fixing up.

"You know, water makes up most of the flesh, and with their faces and brains incinerated to crisp, these big grotesque heads are likely much lighter than they look," he chuckled. Though he was a bit dismayed: he could have prepared a spell to magically carry their quarry, but had elected more combat-orientated ones. And even though he was not the strongest party member, he was the less injured, and he was likely to have to drag at least one.

"Still, we could make a sled or palanquin of some kind to drag or lift them, if they're real heavy," he proposed while trying to set Auric's ribs, after which he added : "I guess you can walk fine for now, but don't try anything more strenuous, and as soon as we can stay somewhere safe, you stay in the bed a few days". He applied some salve to his burns as well. "Sorry about that, by the way."

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2007-02-01 03:30pm

"It happens. I've suffered worse in my career."

Auric simply tried to hold still. It wasn't easy in his batter condition, every muscle in his body was protesting.

"At least we've got the heads. They're not that bad, just a few pounds. It really won't kill us to carry them to the lumberyards."

Raj Ahten · Post by **Raj Ahten** » 2007-02-01 05:08pm

Konrad fished a small grappling hook he had out of his pack and stuck one of the Troll heads on one of the prongs and then tied it to the pack. It dangled in a macabre fasion, with the tungue lolling about and the eyes bugging out. He winced as he put his pack on, the combination of a few fractured ribs and the cut in his side did not make carrying weight or moving his arms around fun or easy.
Hopefully I won't have to fight anything in my current condition. Or talk to anyone either; I must look like crap. Luckily my eyes aren't swelling shut and i still got my teeth though.
Konrad then made sure all his weapons were reloaded. It looked like everyone was now bandaged up, and frankly Konrad was amazed Soloman hadn't been more badly injured.
"We ready to move out? The sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can buy you all a round of drinks."
And the sooner we'll be able to get proper care for our wounds, too.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-02-01 05:58pm

Guren hefted one of the heads and held out his hand to Auric. "If you're ready, Kaptain."

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-02-02 05:01pm

Arkady packed his things, and shouldered his backpack.

"Let's get out of here before I start fireballing squirrels or whatever lives here. My serenity is once again disturbed."

He turned to see Sycorax's impatient and disappointed look. "I'm not sure you deserve it. And besides, you like them fresh, and the're a bit fried here."

The raven returned a blank stare.

"Can someone give him the eyes of these fuckers?" he sighed.

He patted his Staff.

"But if you start turning into some kind of greenish aberration after eating this shit, you'll meet the business end of this beauty."

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-02-02 07:08pm

"This one's eyes haven't popped." Guren said, and he hefted up the head in his hand. He winced; maybe he had broken something. Or maybe they were just serious bruises.