The party forms up and goes back south the long passage from the dual mummy chambers. Elfstan and Mulligan in the lead scouting see Goblins heading west but none to the west. The party quickly races out and falls into a solid defensive formation.
Sir Thoroncir, reassured that Princess Gilraen is well to the rear, grins as he draws his longsword and points it at the goblin horde, shouting, "Come forward, foul cave-dwellers, thralls of Sauron’s lost realm, and meet your fate! Come forward and be slain! Elendil!"
As the Goblins approach, 8 arrows go flying over the heads of the Dwarves from the second rank. The front 8 Goblins die and they charge.
Shields ready the front four meet their charge. Bitur is calling out Dwarven commands “Hold the line! Take them down one at a time! Never let them swarm! Shields Tight and none shall pass! Hold Formation!”
The Goblins try to break the shield wall but instead they die. They die steadily and surely. Each round another 8 arrows fly and most rounds 6 to 8 die from arrows and 4-6 from the front four. In four rounds 45 Goblins are dead and 7 have fled.
Sten calls out. “We have a cave troll!”
Jari, “Also some Goblins with short bows and some with long spears.”
Mulligan and Elfstan move into the passage running north to possibly get some flank attacks. How does the party reform?
Hraedsig has never encountered a Cave Troll, so he is curious but not (yet) apprehensive. Knowing the shield wall is the best tactic against the swarming goblins, he will maintain it at all costs.
He calls: “Your sunless lives are forfeit, scum!” and keeps slashing…
The eastern goblins having been slain or fled, Thoroncir turns around and moves forward, catching Gilraen’s eye as he passes. He calls to Sten, Jari, Vili and Gellin, “If any of you wish to remain on the front line against these new foes, well and good. Otherwise, step back, please, and I will take your place; no one will think less of you.”
The knight-errant has never fought a cave troll but is determined to see it fall.
If possible: Casters and archers into the north passage. Front rank form up behind rearguard. Rearguard infiltrate back through front rank, move East to leave room for archers and casters to fall in behind the front rank.
As someone said in a recent CS thread, it’s like “They have a cave troll. Of course they have a cave troll. Why wouldn’t they have a cave troll? God I hate Mondays.”
Keep a look-out for that troll and I’ll hit it with as many of the best as Lindorn can loose off.
Ghân lights the Troll with Faerie Fire making him easier to hit and he also lights the two nearest Goblins with spears.
8 arrows fire at the Troll as the Shield Wall forms up and braces. Elfstan has Sting out and ready but willed unlit. He hides against the wall of the North passage with Mulligan just behind him.
Gil-Gandel is using his +3 Dwarven Arrows and has a 65% chance of hitting. Brin is using +2 Dwarven and has a 50%; Miron is using +2 Mithril and has only 35%. All three do +10 damage when they hit.
They each hit twice which is amazing, especially for Miron. That is 83 points of damage. The Faerie Fire helped at least twice.
The Troll is not happy and is roaring as he charges.
Just as he reaches the Shield Wall a small figure leaps forward and stabs Sting into his foot as he recalls Frodo doing. After he hits he lets loose a cry of, “For the Shire” and he retreats as fast as he struck. The Troll screams in pain and gives the shield wall a chance to engage him not on the charge.
Hraedsig hits with his Bastard Sword doing 21. His shield misses.
Bitur misses three times and nearly fumbled his Battle Axe.
Gwaelur hits with his Axe for 15 and his shield misses.
Thoroncir strikes with Cirist and does 17.
The Trolls heavy metal shod spiked mace hits Gwaelur for 22
One Goblin pursues Elfstan but his spear is turned by the Mithril chain and Mulligan is ready and hits him in the back with her Injector Dagger and kills the Goblin instantly.
Deor decides to Sleep the Goblins and gets all 8 of the remaining leading ones. The ones further back, (not shown on the map) blanch and run.
Rolling his eyes at the more extravagant battle cries from his compatriots, Deor grins, looks backward to make sure we’re not being surrounded, and continues to look for good casting opportunities.
Nothing but dwarves between me and this enormous creature, so I see no problem with loosing off again. Lindorn plunks a steady string-bass below the percussive clash of steel and troll-hide…
