[ We find Our Heroes gathered in the Throneroom of The Trollish Emperor. It's time for the next round of fighting to the not-quite-death! ] [ But... who will go first? Let's find out! ] [ Session Start! ] * HKenji nods slightly to Istvan. "Istvan, go. If you like, you can ask Will for any help he can give." * Max hovers about, seemingly having lost his fear of the trolls for now, as he watches them pick up their unconscious fighter. [ The Troll Emperor waits idly, drumming his wickedly clawed fingers on the arm of his throne. ] * Istvan shrugs, and looks back at Will. "Anything you recommend that won't drain magic you need for your fight?" * Will hrmms. "Let me think..." * Max drifts over to Kenji. "I've got a haste prepared," he whispers. "Should I use it on Istvan, or save it for your fight? Or someone else's?" Use it on Istvan, Max. Istvan. * Istvan waves it off. "Save it for Seylin or Will. I'm goodish." * Will gives a determined nod as he figures out what to cast. He goes through a series of hand motions as he casts a multitude of spells on Istvan. [ Istvan feels... mighty. ] * Max nods, and floats over to Istvan. He starts the invoking gestures, and then hesitates. "...you sure?" * Istvan is blessed! Not Blessed, mind. But blessed nonetheless. "Thanks Will." *looks up* "Thanks big guy." [ The sun sprouts a hand that gives a thumbs-up, but you can't see it from here. ] * Istvan eyes the trolls on the other side of the room, and nods. "Yeah. I got this. Save it for someone who needs it more." * Max hesitates. "If you say so..." He floats back a bit, giving Istvan room. Istvan. Don't flinch. * Istvan hefts his war pick onto his shoulder, and marches out into the ring. He manages not to flinch at Kenji's comment. * Tia cheers and jumps up and down excitedly. "Go, Isty!" She roars vigorously. * Max drifts a bit away from the party, almost as if he's just not concentrating on where he's going. Coincidentally, this takes him closer to some of the trolls watching the fights. [ Prince Torlak nods as a troll steps forward to do battle with Istvan. he asks in Undercommon. ] * Tia turns and pokes Kenji's shoulder. "What's he saying?" she whispers. He's asking if they're ready, Tia. Oh, okay. Thanks, Kenji! * Tia cheers louder. [ The troll just nods. The Prince nods, and then shouts ] Go, Isty! [ Istvan, go! ] Go get him, Istvan! * Istvan adjusts his grip on his war pick, narrows his eyes, and sets upon the troll with a flurry of strikes, using his strength to try and use each strike to set up the next. * Istvan digs deep into the troll's right shoulder with his first strike. Instinctively, it moves to cover up that side, which leaves it open when Istvan yanks out his pick and digs it deep into the troll's OTHER shoulder. The troll goes reeling back, and Istvan swings again, taking out a rib or two with a strike to the troll's right side. [ The troll takes two retaliatory swipes at Istvan, one of them connecting hard with his side! ] * Istvan is knocked a step to the side from the blow that hits, but uses that momentum to circle to the side of the troll, trying to use his body to keep the troll from bringing its sword up to a defensive position and laying into it again. * Tia watches the fight intently. * Istvan swings at the troll's head, and the troll is unable to get its sword up around Istvan's fairly large frame to defend. The pick digs right into the side of the troll's head, coming out the other side. Istvan pauses for a moment, then yanks out his pick, letting the troll crumple to the ground. * Tia roars gleefully and pumps her arm enthusiastically in the air. "Yay, Isty!" [ The troll does crumple, and his headwound begins to seal up as one of his compatriots drags him off. ] * Max, who has managed to rotate so he's almost upside-down, applauds with a grin. But not too loudly. * Istvan looks down at his armor where he got hit, adjusts a plate back into position, and walks back to the group. * Tia tackles Istvan with a hug. * Will grins. "Good job Isty!" * Istvan looses all the badassness he had just built up with the win and the cool exit as he flails in Tia's crushing grasp. * Max covers his mouth, chuckling at the sight of Istvan's flailing in Tia's hug. Excellent job, Istvan. Max, you go next. Thanks... *reaches up and ruffles Tia's hair with his not-getting- smushed arm* * Max blinks, and rotates to upright, before zipping back towards the group. "Yessir!" he says, grinning hugely. And maybe just a bit mischievously. Good job, Istvan! That looked like it really hurt, what you did to him. * Tia grins widely. Put a pick in his head. Damn well better've hurt. *winces* Tia? Appreciate the hug, but my ribs're about to pop out my eyes... * Max floats over to the outside of the ring, hovering about chest-height for a human. And waits, patiently, pushing his glasses up his nose before adjusting his staff to stand with it at ready. Oh! Oh, sorry, Isty! * Tia releases her hold on Istvan and backs off a little, still sheepishly grinning. * Will notices Istvan's wince and goes towards him. "Here Istvan, let me take a look at that." * HKenji steps back a bit, next to Alcinoe. "Is something troubling you?" [ Another troll steps forward, up to the line. ] m'okay for now, Will. Just gonna be a nice bruise. [ The Prince asks, ] [ The troll nods. ] * Will nods. "Okay then." * Alcinoe is frowning a little, and she has been the entire time. She is in battle gear, though, and she glances at Kenji. "Ah don't like this." * Max nods seriously. Then ruins it by pushing his glasses up his nose again. "I am, sir." He floats into the ring, but not up to the line, keeping his distance. * Tia goes around high-fiving her teammates. * HKenji blinks. "Why not?" And thanks for the spells. *looks up* You da man. * Istvan is high-fived. w00t * Tia turns to Max and hollers toward the ring, "Gooo, Max!" * Alcinoe shrugs. She looks back at the fight. "Tournaments ain't my thing." * Max grins and waves back at Tia, without actually looking that direction. * Tia waves back regardless. * Will grins. "Good luck Max!" [ Torlak shouts, "Fight!" ] [ Go, Max! ] * Max floats up, to about 20 feet overhead, and starts chanting a spell! He points at the ground beneath the troll's feet... * HKenji keeps his eyes on the fight and says quietly, "You need not fight, then." [ The ground turns to mud, and the troll slides murkily in, up to his waist. He seems surprised. ] * Max yelps, "Yes! It worked!" * Alcinoe shakes her head. "Ah should." * Tia giggles. It's up to you, Alcinoe. I will not force my right hand to fight for something she does not believe in. [ The troll tries to wade over to the side of the pit of mud, but doesn't quite make it out. Max, go again. ] * Alcinoe laughs. She sounds genuinely amused. "Who said yer forcin' me, Kenji?" * Max cackles, and shouts out a spell, ending with "[DISPELL!]" as he points triumphantly at the mud. * HKenji shrugs. "If I'm not, then I'm not. But I wouldn't force you even if I thought I could." * Alcinoe smiles a little. "Thanks. Ya think Ah should go next?" If you like. [ The mud turns back into rock, trapping the troll there. Now he looks angry. ] Surrender, please. I can get you out if you surrender, but if you don't, I'll have to make it harder. * HKenji blinks. ...remind me not to get Max angry, Alcinoe. * Max remains floating a good 10' out of the troll's reach, if it's hands are even free of the rock. I do not relish the thought of being entombed still living. It's not a good death. [ The troll bares nasty (but clean) teeth at Max, and looks about ready to throw his sword at him. ] [ Max, go. ] ... reason #735 why magic is scary. * Max drifts towards the ceiling. "...sorry... You asked for it, though." He chants the same spell as before. This time, on the ceiling above the troll, making sure to remain out from under the affected area. * Will smiles and shakes his head. "Looks like Max is having fun." * HKenji shakes his head. "Utterly dominated." * Tia cheers. [ The cieling turns to mud, and falls heavily upon the troll! ] * Alcinoe nods to the fight. "Ah'll go next if that's all right, Kenji. 'Scuse me." She backs away from the fighting to set her sword and shield down, kneel, and start to pray. Very well. [ The troll looks even angrier, now, and DOES throw his sword at Max. It sails through he air, and gouges him across his side before continuing on, hitting the cieling with a loud clatter, and falling back to the floor, well out of reach of the troll. ] * Tia is wearing the enraptured expression of a kid watching a magic show. ... ow. A coupla inches to one side, and that would've taken Max out. Max, stop playing around. * Will winces as he watches the sword fly through Max's side. * Alcinoe doesn't even notice. She's totally absorbed in prayer. * HKenji says that again in Undercommon, for the benefit of the trolls. [ Max, your turn. ] * Max falls on his bottom and clutches his side in pain. He'd have fallen off when his book tilted wildly backwards, but seems to be sitting on it upside- down. "Owowowowowow! That's it, you're not going ANYWHERE, jerk! THAT HURT! And I'm NOT toying with this little fool." His eyes gleam dangerously behind his glasses. "[[DISPELL!]]" [ The troll is encased in solid rock. Normally, this would spell certain doom, except two things happen. ] [ The first is that the Prince says, ] [ The second is that the Emperor mutters something in a cold voice and makes a quick gesture with his right hand; suddenly, the cieling and floor are back to normal, and the troll is standing there in the middle of the arena, trembling with rage and fear. ] * Alcinoe opens her eyes. She looks up from her sword and to the fight. * Max rights himself on his book after finishing that spell, and, wincing, begins preparing another one. This one sounds like a doozy. He stops suddenly at the Prince's statement, and looks at him incredulously. "---WHAT!? Lethal!? He's a bloody TROLL, all it'd take is digging him ou--" he goes silent, and wide eyed at the Emperor's magic. "Wow... how'd you do that?" ^^ Max. Leave the arena. Now. It is not seemly to argue with the judge. * Max zooms out of the arena, arms crossed and feet planted angrilly. The effect is slightly ruined because he's got his staff hugged to his chest by this arrangement. But he's fuming behind his glasses. Not lethal; if the little coward can't hold his breath long enough to be dug out, that's his own gods-damned fault. * Alcinoe gets to her feet. * Will goes wide-eyed as he recognizes the spell that the Emperor just cast. "Er Max. Don't say anything right now." Nonetheless, Max, you -did- violate the rules of engagement. Alcinoe, will you be needing the light of the sun? I -did not-. I DO NOT CHEAT. *stamps his foot* And if he'd just surrendered when I told him to, I'd have gotten him out myself. * Alcinoe shakes her head at Kenji. * HKenji nods. "Very well. * Max would probably look indignantly angry if he were a human, but as it is, he's really looking like a petulant child, grinding his teeth. * Will whispers softly to Max. "That was a quickened wish spell..." * Max looks sharply at Will, murder in his eyes for just a moment before he blinks. "...ooooh, WOW. I need to talk to that guy, then. Maybe he's got something neat I could trade him for!" ^_^ * Alcinoe twitches her ears before clanking into the arena. * Will blinks at Max's quick temper turn-around. "Huh?" * Max takes a deep breath. And another. Then seems to have regained control of himself. "Hm? 'huh', what?" * Istvan blinks at Max, Will, and the Emperor, and slides a step AWAY from the halfling before focusing on Alci. [ A troll steps forward and looks Alcinoe over, before nodding to itself in a "This one won't use dirty tricks" way. ] * Will stares at Max for a bit before getting himself together. "Umm, nothing Max... Hey! Alci's starting to fight now." * Max turns to watch, seemingly mostly in control, though not quite happy with the way things went. [ The Prince asks ] Alcinoe, nod if you're ready. * Alcinoe looks the troll over before drawing her sword and holding it ready. She raises her shield before her and nods. [ The troll nods. ] [ Torlak shouts, ] * Max tilts his head, then nods to himself and once more starts drifting away from the party, nearer the observing trolls. Doing slow cartwheels in the air, in the meantime. * Tia cheers for Alci. [ The troll swings at Alci, hammering her side with his sword! He swings again, but Alci casts the blow aside with her shield. ] [ Alci, go! ] * Alcinoe winces as she takes the first hit, but the second's deflected harmlessly. Her eyes fix on his sword for the briefest of instances before she brings her own up and towards the troll's chest, hopefully through. She follows this up by stepping in for two more slashes. [ Alci's first hit lands lightly on the troll's side, doing a slight amount of damage, but her next two tear open the troll's chest cavity, and it collapses. ] [ There's a bit of silence. ] * Istvan claps. * Alcinoe flicks some troll blood off her sword, nods to the Emperor, and turns to walk back to the crew. * Max applauds, cheering loudly. "Yay Alcinoe! WOO!" * Will cheers. "Wow. Go Alci!" [ Two trolls approach their fallen comrade. One of them pushes his chest back into the general shape it's supposed to be in, and then they drag him off, his metal armor screeching against the stone floor. ] * Max then winces, and doubles over his wound, before continuing his cheering slightly less enthusiastically. ^^; Very well done, Alcinoe. Thanks. Will. Go. * Will blinks. "My turn already?" Oh, Will! * Will nods and kneels down in prayer. * Istvan wanders over to Alci. "Nice job... that really is an awesome sword, by the way. I know I've said that a few hundred times, but it deserves repetition." * Max flies back over to Will. "Did you *wince* want that Haste spell?" he asks quietly, then notices Will's praying. "--oh, sorry." He waits. * Alcinoe cleans her sword off as Istvan talks. "Yeah, it's a nice sword. Took some gettin' used to, though." It's very unusual. * Max looks over there. "It is? Howso?" Made 'a ebony. ...and, um, could someone heal me? This kinda hurts. ^^; Oh. ...isn't that a wood? * Alcinoe finishes and sheathes it. She waves Max over. Or Max's book over. * Istvan EYES Max. With a deathglare. * Max drifts over to Alcinoe, and winces, whether from his wound or Istvan's glare is an open question. "Thanks, Alcinoe. Nice fight, by the way. --what's Istvan's problem?" Ya don't know why ebony's important, is all. Ebony makes adamantine look like jello. All I know is that someone offered me a block of platinum ten feet on a side for that sword. Nope! That's why I asked. ^_^ --oh, nifty. Where's it come from? * Alcinoe reaches over to place a hand on Max's side, muttering a few words in prayer. Her hand glows, and the glow spreads, mending his wound. * Max seems to have forgotten his wound again, for the moment. As he seems surprised when it heals. "Oh! Oooh... thanks, Alcinoe. Thank you very much. That was...unpleasent." * Alcinoe smiles a little. "Yer welcome." Mined like any other metal. Except it's insanely rare. * Max smiles back, and pushes his glasses back up his nose. "Oh. I'll ask you more about how it's found later, when I can take notes. It definitely is a nifty sword; but I think as much is in the wielder as the blade. Did you make it, Istvan? It looks really good, even if I'm no judge of swords." Me? I wish. s'every forger's dream to be able to work with Ebony. Oh. If I find some, I'll give it to you. ^_^ Hell, in all of Moradin's deep, there's only two pieces of equipment made of ebony around. * Max blinks, impressed. * Max then looks over at Will, to see if he's done praying yet. ...wow, he's praying a long time. I hope the gods are listening well; their servant places a great deal of faith in them. *spoken quietly, to himself* * Will finally finishes praying and stands up. He appears a heck of a lot more confident with bigger muscles and thicker armor! * Max floats over to him. "Do you want a Haste spell?" [ Actually, it's all in his mind. The muscles are the same size, and the armor is still just two inches thick. ] * Will nods. "That would be awesome, Max." Okay! *gestures, and incants, and tosses a shaving of licorice root into the air. And the whole party is Hasted, because there's no reason not to* Good luck, and fight hard! * Max slaps Will boistrously on the back. Well, it's boistrous for a 10 strength halfling. And then shakes his hand in pain, 'cause he hit the armor a bit too hard. * Istvan claps. Really fast. And stares at his hands, a bit confused. * Will grins. "Will do! Thanks Max." * Will turns and looks at Kenji for the signal to enter the ring. * Alcinoe watches. * HKenji nods to Will. * Max explains, talking real fast, but the hasted party at least can hear it normally, "It won't last too long, but thought I may as well include everyone on the off chance it might last into the next fight. Sorry." ^^; * Max then drifts back to where he's been watching all the fights, near some of the onlooking trolls. * Will clanks into the arena. Really fast, since he's hasted. [ The Prince asks, The troll who's been waiting for Will nods. ] * Will nods, hoping that was what he thinks was asked. [ The prince shouts, ] * Will shouts "For Bahamut!" and swings down at the troll. [ Will scores a series of hits across the troll's front, and the troll actually staggers backwards! But then it swings back, slamming its sword into Will's side. ] [ Will, go! ] * Will grimaces in pain but doesn't move at all. Go 2" armor! He swings his sword at the ugly troll again. [ The ugly troll (being seperate from the other, prettier trolls) takes two hits and sags gradually to the ground. ] [ One of this companions comes over, picks him up, and hauls him off. ] Go Will! WOO! *grins widely* * Will walks back to his companions. He's practically glowing from all the exitement. Well, that and all those spells that have been cast on him. ^^ Yay Will! *jumps, fist in the air, and then applauds* * Will raises his fist in response! "YAY!" * Alcinoe doesn't clap, but she does look vaguely pleased. [ Our heroes had fought bravely! Well, some of them. Some of them still had to fight later, but that's a story for another day. Or something. ] [ Session End! ]