Our two parties traveled into the forest, eyeing the trees for any signs of danger. The smaller party of humans traveled at the vanguard, while our varied company followed behind. Our group hadn't seen many hostile monsters on the short walk, perhaps due to the creature we now hunted. The human party had taken a quest to kill a large Troll, that had wondered close to the starter town. The same Troll stood between our party and advancing through the forest, into the Glowing Plains. So our two parties made a deal for working together to eliminate the creature. The two female mages of Scotty's party were far from stealthy, even I was less noisy with my heavy armor and low stealth. Hardly a moment went by without the two exchanging complaints or laughter. Other times they simply chose to forfeit any quiet, just to sing praises to their 'golden god' Scotty. The leader of their party was a Pugilist or a "Punch shit specialist" as Randy so eloquently put it, meaning Scotty relies more on his strength and fists for melee. This strategy was definitely a double edged sword, with wonderful perks, such as no fear of disarming or weapon costs. But there was a downside as well, such as higher armor maintenance and no range. I also chose to specialize in close combat, by becoming a tank. I will likely make some changes later thanks to the open build nature of the game, but haven't given it much thought this early. It took a little over two hours to reach the outer tree line of the small Goblin village, and we approached with caution. Casey scouted the village using her superior stealth, while the 6 of us remained hidden.

"The village is empty. No Troll, and the Goblin corpses are gone." Casey reported, when she returned.

"Uh. Yeah. I was here for part of the... Goblin disposal." I recalled.

"Goblin disposal?" Ned inquired.

"You don't wanna know." I chuckled.

I whistled for the human trio.

"Any luck?" Scotty asked.

"Casey said the village is empty, I imagine we have different opinion's on what kind of luck that is." I replied, "But Casey's able to track it."

"OK, we'll follow you then." Scotty smiled.

"Sure, just give me a sec before we head out." I requested.

I then took a moment to pick up all the crude spears from where the Goblin corpses were, before the Troll... ate them. I then placed them in my inventory, individually. We then set out with Casey tracking the creature, while the 6 of us followed behind her. Scotty warned his party mates to be silent as we slowly made our way through the forest. We did everything short of tiptoe, trying to match the stealth of our Nightkin tracker. Randy and Ned seemed to have no problem being quiet and keeping a swift pace. I on the other hand had some difficulty trying to do both, even with my Coyadae leather boots making less noise than heavier boots would. I continued to struggle with simultaneous speed and silence, right up until Casey found traces of fresh green Goblin blood. The blood of Goblins spills green while fresh, then dries yellow. We were very close to the Trolls lair, unfortunately it had taken much longer to find than expected. We only had a few hours until the sun would be setting, and all except Casey would prefer to avoid a fight in the dark. Our two parties regrouped next to a cluster of trees, with bright yellow flowers scattered on the ground around their thickly rooted trunks. Randy went to work inspecting and plucking flowers, uninterested in the groups dialogue of whispers currently taking place.

"Based on the trail signs, we are close and will be at the Trolls lair soon." Casey reported.

"Ok, remember the plan. Y'all know what to do, Scotty your with me." I directed.

"Stick and move." Ned chanted.

"Yup." Randy chimed, while examining flowers.

"Got it." Casey acknowledged.

"I want to fight with Scotty!" Barbara harrumphed.

"Me too!" Dorothy cried.

"We all agreed, this has the best chance of working. Lets all do our best." Scotty whispered through a smile.

After the swooning of the Scotty fan club, Casey took the lead as we returned to the hunt. Scotty and I followed closely, and the four ranged fighters took a two by two formation behind us. About twenty minutes later the trail we followed arrived at a small clearing. An excavated rock face emerged from a large hill and was reinforced by several rows of shabby wooden pillars. Judging by the rusted tools and skeleton found in the opening, this appeared to be a long abandoned mine shaft. After several minutes of observing the mine I signaled Casey, and she began to cautiously approach the crevice. In a moment she slipped into the darkness and scouted the beginning of the tunnel. Around 5 minutes later, though it felt like hours, Casey emerged from the shaft and teleported to Scotty's shadow. She startled the handsome Idol, as she informed us of her findings.

"It's definitely in there, I can smell it." Casey announced.

"Well this is going to be much more difficult." Scotty remarked.

"We have to draw it out of the mine... somehow." I replied. "Fighting out here is our only chance."

"How can we do that? Its too fast to kite, and Caseys teleport only works on shadows... not complete darkness!" Ned exclaimed quietly, but still hopelessly.

We all spent a few moments in silence, focusing on the task at hand. The next moment I broke the silence.

"Casey was there one of those cart things in there? The heavy ones that haul the metal out.." I asked.

"Yeah.. It was a little rusty, but it looked like it still worked." She responded in a puzzled tone.

"Randy, I need you on the hill somewhere you can be 100% accurate. Every shot must count. Scotty please help Dorothy climb the tree on the right side, Ned you take the tree on the left. Barbara, please choose the safest tree to heal from and do your best to be unnoticed. Casey you already know what to do, nothings changed there." I directed.

Everyone nodded then looked at Scotty then at me.

"What about me?" Scotty asked.

"I'm sorry to have to give you the most dangerous part. I think you're the only one who can do it." I tragically admitted. "Here's what I need you to do..."

-----

Scotty slowly walked into the mine all by himself. The rest of us watched anxiously as his slim figure disappeared into the darkness. I could feel the hateful stares from the Scotty fan club, and shuddered as I imagined the curses that were being placed on me, at this moment. A few minutes after we lost sight of him, there was a loud grinding noise accompanied by crunching sounds. I was sure I knew what these sounds were. Another few minutes later we all heard the soul freezing shriek of the Troll, followed immediately by a feeling of immense weight we all recognized as Combat Mode. The Combat Mode was the result of us sensing the Trolls hostile 'Mana' or 'Soul.'

"Yo momma's so ugly, her birth certificate is an apology letter from the condom factory!" I screamed into the tunnel. My Taunt echoed into the darkness.

I was aware the beast wouldn't understand me, I just liked shout insults when I used my Taunt skill. In immediate response, the shrieking and stomping sounds began to crescendo while echoing through the mine. Moments after I had shouted my taunt, the Troll shot out of the shaft and was stunned by the semi bright sun while emerging from darkness. It skidded to a stop and clutched its three eyes with it's four digit paws. Its short blood orange fur was mangy and filthy. In a moment the Nightkin Assassin appeared in it's shadow and plunged her dagger in the back of the Troll's knee joint, then twisted. The Troll shrieked in pain, but only grasped air as it spun to confront nothing but its shadow. I then slashed my fine steel sword across its other depression, behind it's other knee. We temporarily neutralized the Trolls superior mobility. I backed away, but I wasn't as fast as the Nightkin. I barely had time to activate my Guard skill before the beast's back hand crashed against my shield. My planted feet slid back about 6 inches, in the dirt. My hands were numb as I jumped backwards and out of reach. Ned and Dorothy began to cast spells at the monster. The immobile creature had no way to avoid the blasts, and took both Windshot and advanced Firebolt directly. Its flesh singed and bled were the spells had made contact, but it wasn't nearly enough to kill the creature. Following the spells an arrow sank into the back of the beasts head. Randy's arrow was immediately pulled out by the monsters ape-like paw as the beast shrieked and thrashed about. Its regeneration was faster than I anticipated, because I hadn't noticed the creatures legs had stopped bleeding before it found the stability to lunge for me. I was lifted off the ground and slammed back down fast. Casey had used Backstab and gotten her dagger deep into the back of the monsters thigh, luckily taking some of the force out of the slam I received. Even when not at full power I was still sprawled out by the slam. Unable to stand back up, I laid on the ground in agony. The Troll turned to grab Casey but she was already gone. While the beast was turned in the direction of the hill, Randy used Marksman to bury an arrow in the Trolls topmost eye. The Trolls body slumped forward and clutched its forehead where the effected eye was located. The painful shriek was a new intensity than the few before. I began to glow as I felt a hot sensation fill my body and the pain subsided. I was able to stand again now, because Barbara had cast a Major heal on me. The excruciating pain was completely gone and only left mild soreness.

"Thank you, nice lady!" I shouted out to where ever she was hiding, and smiled.

I didn't get an answer, nor did I really expect one. I was back in the fight. I thrust my sword in the downed Trolls back, and it arched upwards then flailed into a standing position. With blood gushing from it's third eye, It managed to get a grip on Casey while she teleported in to deliver another stealthy blow to its legs. My eyes widened and I charged it right way screaming another Taunt:

"There is only one problem with your face..." I shouted as I charged, " That I can see it!"

The Troll threw Casey aside and she landed on the ground with a hard thudd, then rolled away. I jumped at the beast and sunk my sword into its shoulder. Its hands now free from throwing the Assassin, it reached up and grabbed me tightly by my shoulders. My bones creaked from the pressure, and I heard a loud voice yell as the creature released me and I tumbled downwards. I looked up to see Scotty gripping the Trolls neck in a sleeper hold-like grapple. I was glad to see Scotty was alright and had followed instructions. I had asked him to push the mine cart into the tunnel, and when the Troll aggro'd from the loud rusty cart... I instructed Scotty to flip the incredibly heavy cart over himself so the Troll would pass by when I used my skill. Scotty was the only one with the Strength to flip the cart, because of his Pugilist build. I rolled aside and rose to my feet, just as the Troll took a well aimed arrow in the side of the head. The beast slammed at Scotty's back and I pulled a throwing knife out and jammed it in the beasts lower left eye. Scotty had fallen down, from the swift and powerful slams. Dorothy blasted it with another Firebolt, followed by a Windshot from Ned. This time the wind and fire magic collided into the creatures back at the same time and created a strong spinning flame, that ripped and charred the monsters back. It thrashed its arm at me and I rolled underneath of it, and slid my Fine steel sword across it's Achilles tendon. The beast toppled backwards and saw Scotty still laying on the ground, with its one remaining eye. An arrow landed in its thigh, as I assume Randy was saving his skill for the critical eye shot. The creature clenched Scotty's neck and with a strong flail I heard a dull k'nuck sound, then Scotty's eyes rolled back in his head. I gawked in horror.. As an off white blur shot past me and rushed to cradle Scotty's body in her arms. Before I could get to Barbara and save her, the Troll tore the fragile healers body apart in less than a second. In just a moment the Troll had killed our strongest fighter and our best healer. I dove to the side and landed another strike on the beasts thigh. The only chance We had of winning this fight now, was keeping it immobile. Dorothy had climbed down the tree and was intercepted by Casey, now back on her feet. The red robed human screamed hysterically and struggled against the grip of the Nightkin. An arrow whipped by the trolls head and stuck in the dirt, just missing it's target. I bashed my shield into the monster and slid my sword across it's other tendon. The weakened Troll still had the power to knock me backward and I toppled over myself. Ned landed another Windshot, but by my estimate he only had enough MP left to cast one more. Dorothy finally wriggled free from Caseys grip and ran to her fallen party members. I pulled my self to my knee's and spawned a healing potion, I saw Casey drinking one too. Dorothy screamed towards the heavens, with a face as red as her robe. She then fired three consecutive Firebolt's into the creature. Exhausting her MP so suddenly, she turned pale and collapsed on the ground. I spawned a crude Goblin spear and attempted to pin the beast down, but the charred monster made a fast lunge forward. While blood spurted from its still bleeding ankles it snapped its primate-like jaws, and bit the girls face clean off.

The vertically bisected human head gushed blood, and her corpse shook violently. I could hear Ned dry heave from the direction of his tree. I heard nothing from Randy, but Casey's horrified eyes betrayed her pained expression. Spawning another crude spear I drove it down on the monsters leg until the spear bored through and sank in the dirt. I quickly pulled out another and repeated with the other leg. I hoped that in its weak and slow state I could keep it pinned down. Casey appeared in my shadow and ripped her dagger along the beasts back and then disappeared from reach. An arrow sunk in the beasts neck and the Troll released a high pitched and pathetic whimper. I took a deep breath and spawned another spear, I intended to sink in it's last eye and assure our victory. I stepped over to the side of the monster, and lifted the spear up high. With one last burst of speed the Troll heaved its body forward, breaking the two crude spears and flying at me like a missile. It came crashing down on top of me like some kind of dramatically timed truck. The creatures foul breath made my eyes water and I nearly puked. The monster was about to sink its teeth in me when Ned's concentrated wind blast ruptured its lower back, and the Trolls head jerked back in reaction. Ned had climbed down the tree so he could use his skill at full potential, saving my life. I reached out into the dirt and grabbed the object closest to me. I then shoved the arrow that had missed its mark into the Trolls final useable eye. Ned and Casey both shoved the beast off of me, and I rolled away during it's screaming and flailing. I found my sword and mounted the blinded creature, pinning its shoulders. Casey and Ned each dove on a leg and the beast was too weak to fight us off now. I stabbed my Fine steel sword through its neck and heart over and over. When I was sure it was dead I stabbed it again, just in case. I had seen to many movies were the monster gets back up, and I twisted the blade. I hadn't even noticed the notification on my PAC that confirmed I was indeed stabbing a dead monster. I stood up off the beast and signalled Randy to come over. I then helped up Ned and Casey. Thanks to our deceased NPC friends and our hard work, the Level 12 Mountain Troll was dead.