The morning of the planned fight with the Troll King was probably the first time Leandros had been nervous in a long time. Fighting dragons was easy, cults just a walk in the park, but this felt different. Perhaps it was the fact that there were so many other people involved this time. It was easy enough to protect himself and maybe a few others, but whole squads of people? He couldn't get to them all.

"Are you ok, Leandros?" His wife slips her arms around her knight, resting her cheek on his head as he puts on parts of his armor.

He smiles softly as he feels her weight while he tightens the straps of his gauntlets, "I am...just concerned about everyone."

"They agreed to do this too...you do not need to protect them all."

"No...but I have to protect as many as I can."

Apogee gently encircles Leandros in a hug, "Your shield is only so big....just remember to protect yourself and come home to me OK?"

Leandros pauses his routine and turns in her arms to cup her face in his hands, leaning down for a kiss, "Of course Apogee, I promise I will come back to you."

She can't help but smile and melt under the genuine and boyish smile of her husband, the firmness of his promise. She knows he will be safe, but it is hard not to worry. Apogee just pats his chest and gently breaks away to help him finish putting on the rest of the armor.

Two healing potions are tucked into his pouch as he exits the tent, halberd sheathed along his back and tower shield at his side. He unhooks Byrr's reins from the stable post and starts to saddle up. Leandros has yet to meet who he is going with on this hunt, but he best make haste while they still have time.

There's a loud whooshing noise overhead as a silver storm drake dives out of the clouds and swoops down low next to Leandros and Byrr as they ride toward where the ambush is set for the Troll King. A familiar bunch of folks are riding on the back of the large silver drake. A thick-furred catfolk clings to the back of the saddle while a tall half-elf just focuses on staying on. The last rider seems a lot more comfortable being on a mount, even an airborne one, and she stands up and gives Leandros a big wave. 

"Heya! Knight guy! How's it going?" She calls to him. 

Shael seems in rather high spirits considering they were heading off towards a deadly encounter with a fearsome creature. The months of preparation leading up to the encounter should have been a clear sign at just how risky this whole operation would be, but that seems to be lost on the teenaged dark elf. 

Snow releases one clawed hand just enough to wave at Leandros before returning to the saddle to avoid being blown off. Eirynor doesn't wave but does give Leandros a nod in acknowledgment. Doesn't seem like the pair are too thrilled with their rather precarious perches. 

While the sight of the three familiar faces might be of some comfort, it's odd that they appear to be unaccompanied by their employer. 

Zarius is nowhere to be seen. 

Though the fellblood does have a habit of appearing out of thin air, so perhaps he is nearby or will be meeting them up ahead. Anything is possible. 

"Sir Leandros! Do you know if anyone else is headed this way?" Snow calls over the wingbeats of the drake. While the catfolk are relieved to see someone as competent as Leandros in the area, they are a little nervous that there does not appear to be many other adventurers around to assist.

The trio barely managed to survive their encounter in the Marsh Flats with an elder hydra not that long ago, and this Troll King is supposedly even more fearsome. They'd feel a lot better about the hunt if there was an army helping out. Makes them wonder just what good the Expeditionary Force actually does if they have to rely so heavily on newly recruited adventurers to face such threats. 

---

Minions
Shael (Animal Handling Master; Blade Novice; bladed whip, fightning knives)
Indra (Adult drake, lightning)
Eirynor (Blade Novice; longsword, fire and unholy rune; Stealth Master)
Snow (Marksmen Novice; longbow, fire and unholy rune; Stealth Master)

"Oh hey, knight guy!" Blue called out happily, waving as they walked up in their own full knightly suit of armor. They remembered this knight guy from going and getting some mages together to help with the fight they were about to go have. Blue was excited for this. They heard the troll they were going to go face was a real big one. They'd fought some smaller trolls with Zarius before, and that had been a little tough since their blood was so spicy, but that didn't stop the ooze from looking forward to the battle.

Looking up at the big drake that had also approached the knight guy, they were surprised to see another familiar face on its back. The fluffy white Catfolk that had been with Zarius that one time and who they'd now forever associate with the grey Fellblood, whether they appreciated it or not. However, Blue didn't recognize the other people on the drake's back, or the drake for that matter.

"Hey! Uhhhh..." Blue waved up at the Catfolk and struggled to try and remember the Catfolk's name. They were so bad with remembering stuff like names, especially when it was someone they hardly ever ran into or that Astrid didn't talk about much. She told them a lot about Zarius, but the Fellblood's companions not so much. Ah, they should've asked for their name when they saw them at Zarius's house.

"Are you guys here to fight the troll thing too?" Blue asked, giving up on remembering the names of either of the two.

SPOILER: Click to show

Quest Name: The Troll King's Horde
Participants: Exactly three, one of which must belong to another guild (Fighter's, Mage's or Golden Consortium)
Location: Indicated by Hunt Dossier
Post Requirements: 10 post per person, 200 words per post
Reward: Quest Completion
Additional Requirement: One participant must be knocked unconscious at some point during the Hunt
Description: After having tracked the attackers back to their abode, and with aide from the other great guilds you and your group have launched your counter attack. Your goal is simple, find and end the source of the threat that has plagued the Winged Expeditionary Force. Now is the time to fight and hunt, as is the way. Inside the massively winding caverns that your scouts had tracked the trolls back to, is a labyrinth of bones and strange bright red mushrooms that are large and seemingly glowing, pulsating even. The smell of iron or fresh blood is evident throughout the space. Although the horde of the Troll King is weakened, many of its members still dot the area. At some point while fighting through the labyrinthian cave, you will come face to face with the massive Troll King himself.

Mayhaps he has been too lenient with how people refer to him. Leandros may eschew his title most of the time, but knight guy? He just sighs through a smile and lets it go, at least it was fairly neutral as far as nicknames go.

"Good to see the three of you again. Is your boss with you or are you all playing hookey?" He smiles as he waves them down. "I believe we are the strike force...Oh!"

He pauses as Blue emerges and makes his way over to the group, "This would be it then....We have the blessing of being the ones to take on the king and his kin directly. The Winged Expeditionary Force has set up seige equipment in strategic locations."

The knight steps into the middle of the group and unfurls a map, motioning them to come closer and look as he talks. The map is marked with hand written notes about locations and tactics.

"Our mission will be to try and draw the creatures from their caves and into the open where we will have the support of seige engines....Shael, it's good you are here, having air support and something with the strength of your drake could significantly turn things in our favor."

He slowly rolls the map up, careful not to add any wrinkles.

"We have a few moments to plan how we draw the king out and how we can best assist each other in the fight. As usual, I seem to have a knack for drawing the attention of angry beasts and the armor to take the hits...though with Byrr's help I have a bit more speed at my disposal."

Seeing Leandros here isn't too surprising, but Snow is surprised to see Wolfe without Astrid for once. They're also immeidately feeling awkward while in the man's presence which Shael quickly picks up on. Before the catfolk and fumble out an answer to Leandros' question, she cuts in. 

"He's busy," Shael answers Leandros bluntly, and it's clear she has no intentions of elaborating.

The catfolk's ears droop a bit and they look away, avoiding eye contact with everyone, especially Wolfe. Shael answers Wolfe's question in their place. 

"Yeah, we're here to clean things up since this damn guild can't do shit on its own."

The teenager continues to be as tactless as ever at least. Snow doesn't even have the energy to scold her for her tone and language in front of the two knights. Even Eirynor barely reacts, silent as ever, but with a distant look on his face like his focus is elsewhere. 

It's not until Leandros starts laying out their battle plan that the three minions shift to paying close attention. Their job is simple, support the two knights the same way they would support their boss on a mission. It's easy. It's familiar. It's just...different. 

Shael nods along as Leandros talks about having air support. "These things are stealthy and use ambush tactics, right? Well, if we can make them scatter it'll be harder for them to jump us and we can drive them toward the guild grunts. Snow can keep them off your horse's tail from the air too."

Eirynor nudges Snow to get them to pay attention to him for a moment while he signs something. 

"Oh, uh, Eirynor says that Master Zarius' notes mention that invisibility doesn't really work against them, so he might not be of much use even on the ground. But he also says that fire works against them, so he might be able to at least stop them from regenerating long enough for either of you to land killing blows."

"Still busy?" Blue shrugged. Zarius had been busy a while. He'd been busy when Blue and Astrid had gone looking for him to ask for some help with a crazy lady and some mob. At least his dad had been there to help them instead. Whatever he's doing must be taking a long time if he's still not done. Maybe they should see if they could help him out some time once this troll hunt was over.

The ooze was as oblivious as ever to the odd behavior from the group. Not making eye contact with them wasn't unusual with their helmet on, and Blue didn't suspect anything odd from the blunt answers or lack of tact from the fancy Fellblood's apparent friends.

"Clean up? I thought we were here to fight trolls..." Blue muttered, confused and disappointed. Were they here to clean? Well, Blue was pretty good at cleaning, but they'd been much more excited to help fight trolls. The knight was suddenly a lot less energetic than before as talk of tactics kept up. 

"Oh yeah, fire. We got some fire mages to help out." Blue mumbled, motioning to themself and Leandros halfheartedly. The two of them had recruited a few fire mages from the nearest Mage's Guild tower in the Arid Mesa just for this fight. When Blue and Zarius had fought some of the Nightcaller Trolls together, fire had been just about the only thing to get the trolls to stop healing, other than consuming them, but Blue wasn't about to go and tell anyone here that was an option. Also, the poison made that option a pretty painful one that they'd rather not have to resort to, especially in the middle of a battle.

That didn't matter much though if they were just here to clean, but they were still talking and discussing tactics like they were here to fight. Wait, was Blue the only one here on cleanup duty?

"I can fly and use lightning magic, and fight. I'd help a lot in the fight, I think!" Blue announced, pleading their case for being part of the battle with everyone else.

"Busy or just not wanting to dirty his hands with fighting?" Never having actually seen Zarius fight, Leandros didn't actually know how capable a fighter the fellblood was. The man did give off an air of danger though, one of those who prefers not to fight and when he does he likes to end it quickly. The ones who don't carry open weapons are always someone the most troublesome.

"You are right, they are stealthy and have means of tracking people that negate sneaking up on them.....though." The knight pauses a moment to look over his notes. "Hitting it from the sky might be the best option, at least for an opening volley...it can apparently use echolocation and sense things through the earth, but should we keep its attention on the ground it wouldn't know anyone else is there until it hits the ground.

Leandros nods looking between the group as their different abilities and such are discussed. They have a fair few options in front of them, more than Leandros had been expecting. People who could fight from the air was going to be key with this fight he thought. He rolls his papers back up and puts them into a leather case.

"Snow and Shael, friends if you two can harry it from the skies that should keep you a safe distance from the fighting that your risk should be minimal. A drake will also be helpful in crowd control should the numbers become too great."

The attention then turns to Blue, "With your abilities, I think you could land a devastating blow from the start! If I can lure it out and cause them to give chase, then once I am clear enough away, do you think you could drop in and hit it hard? I would then be able to quickly rejoin you and keep the assault on the troll king going. Does this work for everyone?"

As simple and easy going as the knight appeared, military tactics were the one place he seemed to shine brighter than others. At least he hoped seeing as this was his first time planning any kind of assault.

Shael scoffs. "That guy doesn't know how NOT to fight dirty."

Eirynor shoots the young dark elf a glare, but otherwise doesn't interrupt as Leandros starts talking strategy.

To the side, Snow gives Wolfe a gentle pat on the shoulder. 

"No, no, you're right," Snow reassures Wolfe. "We are here to fight. Cleaning up is just another way to say helping out."

Luckily the trio had a chance to review Zarius' dossiers on all his contacts and allies. While there were some...interesting notes in Wolfe's entry, the fellblood had done their best to describe the knight's versatile skillset. Snow hasn't gotten to work with Wolfe often, but given that the knight often teamed up with Astrid they had to be pretty reliable.

"We're really lucky you're here. Your skills will make a huge difference."

The trio listens closely as Leandros gives them their roles. Snow and Eirynor nod in response, doing their best to just keep focused on what needs to be done.  

Shael rolls her eyes at her companions. Gods, would be nice if they stopped acting like wounded puppies. They were supposed to be acting like nothing happened, but it's only a matter of time before one of them spills what happened. Well, it'd be Snow if it was either of them, Eirynor can't not keep his mouth shut, but the catfolk is basically a walking time bomb and it's clear they're taking the loss a lot harder. 

She doesn't get it. At all. But she doesn't have the greatest opinion of Zarius. She is only keeping up this dumb charade for the sake of everyone else who had the unfortunate luck to be entangled in the fellblood's schemes.

"We can keep the pressure on from above, no problem."

Snow reaches into their pouch and hands Leandros a sphere on a rope. "We can use these to communicate from the ground to the air." ^[1]

"We've also got something we can turn into a fire bomb if we need it. Drop it right on their heads."^[2]

"We'll probably need it, but we have to be careful no one else is too close when we set it off." 

"Yeah, yeah."

Eirynor stands by listening. There wasn't much the half-elf could do to contribute to this fight without becoming a liability. He's not a monster fighter, and the last big creature he faced got the better of him. While he will do his best to support Leandros and Wolfe, he starts to have doubts about if it was a good idea for him to tag along on this venture in the first place. 

---

[1] Talking Heads
[2] Sulphuric Smoke Bomb

Blue was relieved and overjoyed to hear they'd actually get to help in the fight, though they were a little embarrassed to hear they'd just misunderstood another metal four. They needed to work on those. Maybe Cantio would teach them some more once they got home. Cantio's good at words.

"Thanks. You'll all help out too, right? It's nice to have you here." Blue replied to Snow reassuringly. They gave the Catfolk a pat on the shoulder. They knew Snow could use a bow. They hadn't seen them use it that much. Actually, they hadn't seen them use it at all. The two different times they'd seen each other, Snow had been knocked out before getting a chance to fight anything or there was nothing to fight. Well, they were sure they could use a bow anyways! Why else would they be carrying one around, right?

"Ooh, a fire bomb! That sounds great!" Blue replied enthusiastically, giving a thumbs up. They'd never seen or heard of a fire bomb before, but with a name like that, even the ooze could piece together what such a thing might be. A bomb made of fire, obviously. That's be real helpful against the trolls!

A call came from the guild officials who were organizing the mission. It was time to head out to where they'd identified the troll king's lair. The group would be small, mostly comprised of the few adventurers with some healers and fire mages standing by to assist. Leandros, Wolfe, Snow, Eirynor, and Shael with Indra would be the primary fighting force. It was deemed better to have a small but elite unit rather than a large army that would easily be incapacitated by the abilities of the trolls and their poisonous blood.

"I wish there was more time to plan, but there is also a danger in overthinking." He nods as Snow hands over the orb, quickly tying it to his weapons belt. "Just remember to trust in each other. We have enough skill here to cover everyone's back. Trust in your companions and yourself and I promise you all we will make it back after this."

He was sure Shael might not appreciate the feel good speech and everyone here was capable enough not to need one, but old habits die hard. The knight takes Byrr's reins and hoists himself up in a swift move. With one small click of the tongue, the horse was trotting forward.

The camp was quickly moved into action, messengers and scouts running around to relay orders. Seige equipment groaning as it is pushed into motion and nervous chatter from less seasoned recruits filled the air. The group passed through camp and onto the road that would lead towards the caves.

"Once everyone is in position, give the signal and I will begin luring them out." He isn't quite sure how the sphere works so he just sort of talks into it, hoping Shael and the others in the air hear him. Trust in your companions, right?

The knight kept his head level and eyes to the front. He had to remind himself these were not his charges, they were his friends out here. They were all warriors in their own rights, they didn't need the constant protection and safety of the knight like Theo and Apogee did.

Snow nods to Wolfe with a smile. "We'll try our best to support you both in any way we can."

If they were being fully honest with the armored warrior, they would admit to being very nervous about the fight they were about to partake in. Fighting monsters wasn't their group's strong suit. Snow is more of a tracker and survivalist, adept at hunting much smaller prey that can be taken out with a single hit. Eirynor excels in stealth and ambush tactics, all of which are rendered useless against their current quarry thanks to their special senses. And Shael is just some teenage drake racer. As far as the catfolk is aware, she's not that experienced. Compared to seasoned adventurers like Leandros and Wolfe, and even Zarius, the three are just chumps.

There is some anxiety about if they'll be able to properly support the two knights, and the worst possible outcomes should they fail to do so. They can't help but think about what would happen if one or both of the valiant men did not survive this encounter, or how they would likely have to deliver the news back to their loved ones. Imagining their expressions is too easy when a similar loss only recently occurred. 

Eirynor picks up on the tension in the catfolk's body pretty quickly and gives a gentle elbow in the ribs. The catfolk startles a little as they're snapped out of their thoughts. They give an apologetic smile to the silent half-elf before stepping over to Shael and her drake to get into position. 

Shael rolls her eyes a bit at Leandros' speechifying but refrains from saying anything disrespectful, which is pretty impressive for her. Once Shael and Snow get up onto the storm drake's back, it takes off into the sky and heads off to its assigned position.

Eirynor watches them gain altitude and circle overhead before walking alongside Leandros and Wolfe to where they would engage with the trolls.

As the adventurers get into position, there's a mounting feeling of anticipation for the fight to come. They've done all they can to prepare for this moment, and soon it would be time to put all their plans into action for better or worse. 

"We're ready when you are," Snow replies to Leandros through the sphere from the back of the airborne drake.

They circle over the entrance to the troll king's lair just high enough to be out of range of any thrown rocks, but not so high as to make it impossible to snipe arrows down from above. 

Eirynor gives Wolfe and Leandros one last nod of acknowledgment before turning invisible and silently moving to a position behind some boulders for cover. If Leandros or Wolfe can stagger or down any of the trolls, the half-elf would be quick to run in and stop their regeneration using the fire rune emblazoned on their rapier.

Before the group is the gaping maw of a pitch-black cave entrance. Jagged edges around the cave's mouth make it resemble the jaws of a monster more than anything else. Somewhere deep in those shadows lies their prey, likely waiting for sunset to launch its raid of terror against all those gathered in the Arid Mesa. They couldn't allow such a thing to happen. With the sun marking their time limit, the adventurers need to put an end to the troll king now, or never. 

With no possibility of launching a sneak attack on the trolls, especially while they were still in their cave, luring them out and bringing them into a more open battlefield where the drake could attack from above and the fighters would have more room to maneuver was their best option. They might have been able to do a lot of damage to the trolls by blasting some fire magic into the cave opening, but it would be a waste if the trolls were too far back to be affected and the mages they'd recruited weren't willing to travel deeper into the cave until they were able to see the trolls, inevitably putting themselves in danger. They agreed to provide some support from a distance outside, not place their lives in imminent danger.

Blue readied themself for the fight that would begin once Leandros lured the trolls out. The plates on the palm of their gauntlet separated and a stream of blue, viscous ooze flowed out and formed itself into a long sword, the ooze hardening into what looked like blue glass. If one took an even closer look, they might think the sword was made of hard candy. Blue was often seen as a knight, but they actually didn't use weapons often. They preferred shifting their hands into claws or fighting with their acidic ooze. However, they'd learned from their previous encounter with the trolls that that was a bad idea. The toxic blood of the trolls would effect them if they used their claws. So, even with less skill with it, a weapon was a much better option.

The knight started to crackle with electricity as arcs of blue lightning danced between the plates of their armor. Blue waited near the cave entrance, out of sight from the inside, and waited for the first troll to come into view.

---

Crimson Armaments
Lightning Armor

SPOILER: Click to show

Nightcaller Troll

Arid Mesa

Power Level	Alignment
High - Extreme	Evil

Description

Massive beings descending from the giants who can stand as tall as 12' on average; although once Primordial Trolls, the Nightcaller have strayed from their origins in light of their leader's exile from the material plane. They are almost always found together in hunting groups or pairs and are masters of awareness and tracking. They make prey of and hunt adventurers and wildlife alike in the darkest hours of the night with weapons conjured from their very blood. Blind and sensitive to sunlight after eons of being trapped beneath the earth, the Nightcaller are never found during the day; but they have been growing closer and closer to civilization, seeking their next hunts in a violent bid to decimate the Arid Mesa.

Abilities	Crafting Material
- Enhanced Senses - Large Size - Claws - Blood Weapon(s) - Ambush Tactics - Tremor Sense - Echolocation	- Nightcaller's Blood

Blindness	Echolocation	Tremor Sense
Having lived within the dark existence of the abyss for what we can only presume has been eons without light, the Nightcaller are completely blind. They are immune to any kind of "flash" or "blinding" effects.	As a result of the darkness of their abyss, the Nightcaller are presumed to have been forced to learn another way of location: the Nightcaller uses echolocation, which can sound eerily like a banshee or humanoid scream, to map stationary objects and terrain; or to find flying creatures. This sound has also been used to lure adventurers and caravans into ambushes, and can be produced from their vocals with enough force to cause individuals to be knocked back five feet.	Echolocation does not seem to be the only way that the Nightcaller distinguishes its desired prey from stationary objects: they appear to have some kind of tremor sense with which to locate, specifically, moving creatures. The Nightcaller seems to use its palms or feet to feel the vibration of movement on the earth.
Thin Skin	Regeneration	Blood Sense
Presumably as a result of their lack of sunlight, the Nightcaller have grown incredibly pale; so much so that their skin is nearly transparent. Highly oxygenated blood flowing through their veins causes their skin to appear bright red as it flows through them. Their skin is easily cut as a result of this thin skin, but heals just as quickly; the Nightcaller has a distaste for daylight, and are incredibly sensitive to heat.	As long as one of their two hearts are beating, the Nightcaller are able to regenerate any lost limbs; close open wounds; or regrow organs. This seems to happen over a period of time, but can be halted if the affected limb, or area of body, is cauterized by fire. This will stop the flow of blood from the hearts to those areas, and cease regeneration: fire is notably the only way to destroy a Nightcaller heart thus far. (Nightcaller Trolls will regenerate over a period of two posts unless halted by fire.)	With enough silence, the Nightcaller is able to focus and pinpoint the flow of blood from any living creature(s) within a 20 x 20 area around them. This ability seems to bypass even those who are not visible. As this ability relies on their keen hearing, it is believed that with enough noise, this can be negated... but then one risks alerting them to their location in a different kind of way. (This ability can detect invisibility.)

Weapons of Blood

Nightcaller Blood-Poisoning

When their thin skin is broken, the Nightcaller are able to call forth solidified weapons of blood from their very own person. These weapons were, reportedly, primarily clubs to begin with: but as we lose more to the ambushes, the Nightcaller seem to be able to summon different weaponry. The Winged Expeditionary Force believes they are using touch to replicate weapons seized from victims of their ambush, although they are less proficient with these types of weapons. Somehow, they are able to make these weapons as sharp and sturdy as any steel; damage caused by these weapons seems to cause a secondary effect, which is a sort of blood poisoning.

Something within the Nightcaller has been noted to cause paralysis upon contact with their reinforced claws; weapons; or saliva. Any damage caused by these means will cause the following symptoms: searing pain from the impact point to the heart; heat flashes; confusion; rapid heartbeat; disorientation, and an inability to function within proper means for a time. (Symptoms will last one post before beginning to fade.)

As Leandros gets closer and closer to the cave entrance he makes a small click with his tongue. Byrr slows into more of a canter, the movement shaking the armored plates of the horse and rider. Clinking and rattling it hoped to serve as call out for the trolls, alert them that someone is coming and make them on edge.

He stops in front of the cave, the deep and black maw of the entrance looking more foreboding than usual. When he heard the ready from Shael he regripped the reins and took out his halberd. He tapped the butt into the ground before taking in a deep breath.

"TROLL KING, YOUR TYRANNY ENDS HERE. THE LION OF THE LANDING HAS COME TO END YOUR BLOOD THIRST AND MAKE YOU PAY FOR THE PAIN YOU'VE INFLICTED." Once more the proud lion makes a declaration of war, but this time feels odd as it seems to just be absorbed by the cave.

For a moment there is no response except abject silence. He is reluctant to head into the cave to draw them out, the tight quarters would be a severe hindrance with his polearm. Before that can happen though, the ground begins to tremble slightly....then more.....and more.

The howling of the trolls starts to echo from the cave. Like stars in the night, eyes begin to pop into view in the blackness of the cave. Leandros starts to turn Byrr around and lead the trolls forward, hopeful that the king is trailing with them.

Leandros' bait act does the trick as the sound of many heavy footfalls echoes out of the mouth of the cave. The tense quiet of the Arid Mesa is immediately broken as the horde of trolls erupt from the hole and pursue Leandros with frenzied vigor. It's a nightmare scene as the night trolls pursue the lone knight and horse, luckily throwing caution to the wind and allowing Wolfe the chance to get the drop on them. 

Indra lets out a thunderous roar as she circles behind the entrance of the cave before unleashing a crack of lightning. The electrical charge rains down on the trolls. Surprised by the attack from above, the trolls are still smart enough to know diving for cover is the best option for them. Some give up the chase in favor of finding cover from the drake, but more stubborn individuals race after Leandros. 

Snow does their best to aim for the trolls' feet and ankles as Indra swoops down low over the battlefield. The tips of the catfolk's arrows burn with unholy fire and make their mark 80% of the time. 

After the first few regular-sized trolls react to the ambush, there's a different roar from the inside of the cave. Any of the panic that the adventurers might have struck to the first batch of trolls seems to disappear. It's as if the roar was some sort of rally, a war cry to refocus them amongst the chaos and steel their resolve. The big guy certainly was in there, and it wouldn't be long before he made his debut. 

Shael glances down at the battlefield, keeping an eye out for if Leandros, Eirynor, or Wolfe need an emergency pick-up as the rest of the W.E.F. reinforcements on the edge of the battlefield prepare to take out any trolls that get too close. 

Eirynor remains hidden, patiently waiting for the two knights to make their move so he can sneak in and burn the trolls one by one. 

With the hoard of trolls racing out of the tunnel in such a large group, it was a perfect opportunity for Blue Raspberry to use some of their ooze abilities to help control the massive crowd.

Just before the trolls exited the cave just after Leandros passed by, a plate in the boots of Blue's armor shifted to make an opening and blue slime streamed out, moving across the ground and forming a large puddle just in front of the cave entrance. As the trolls ran out, some of them looked confused for a moment. Their sense of smell was impeccable and they could smell the blood of Leandros who they were chasing, but there was suddenly a new smell entering their nostrils. A fruity smell that tingled their nose as if it was statically charging their nose hairs.

The first troll to exit the cave planted their foot firmly in the slime they couldn't see. The foot stuck to the ground like they'd stepped in a giant glue trap and the troll faceplanted, getting even more stuck in the slime. The hoard behind them didn't stop, some trampling over the first troll and using it as a bridge across to continue on their charge, a couple more who were unlucky enough to be closer to the sides also got stuck, one of them stumbling to one knee while the other fell, but managed to catch themself with their hands. Unfortunately, that meant their hands were now stuck in the fruit-smelling goo.

The hoard had been thinned slightly, but there were still plenty of trolls chasing after Leandros. It seemed three would be the limit on how many trolls Blue could catch in their trap. The first troll who had faceplanted looked like they were in terrible shape after being used as a bridge by almost all the trolls behind them, but they were already regenerating even as they were stuck.

Blue held their sword and charged at the nearest non-trapped troll who had dived for cover from the drake attacking from above. The troll took notice of the new threat. Even though they smelled odd, they could still sense the movements of a humanoid headed toward them, weapon in hand. Blue slashed at the troll with their sword, lightning crackling across the crystalline blade.

---

Goo Puddle