Sentenced to Troll 5
SENTENCED TO TROLL 5
S.L. ROWLAND
ALSO BY S.L. ROWLAND
Pangea Online
Pangea Online: Death and Axes
Pangea Online 2: Magic and Mayhem
Pangea Online 3: Vials and Tribulations
Sentenced to Troll
Sentenced to Troll
Sentenced to Troll 2
Sentenced to Troll 3
Sentenced to Troll 4
Sentenced to Troll 5
Path to Villainy: An NPC Kobold’s Tale
Collected Editions
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy
Sentenced to Troll Compendium: Books 1-3
Sentenced to Troll 5 Copyright © 2022 by S.L. Rowland
SLRowland.com
Cover design by Lucian Acatrinei
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Support S.L. Rowland on Patreon
Created with Vellum
To Davey, you were the best player-two a brother could ask for.
SENTENCED TO TROLL 5
Current Stats
Prologue
1. Wandermere
2. Dark Tidings
3. The Hidden Village
4. What Dreams Are Made Of
5. The Scars of Life
6. Bittersweet Good-bye
7. Hug It Out
8. What Lies Beneath
9. Whispers
10. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
11. Forgotten Quests
12. Money Can't Buy Happiness, But it Can Buy Items
13. Tick Tick Boom
14. The Waiting Game
15. How to Train Your Dragon
16. On the Road Again
17. Name Dropping
18. Pruxford
19. No One Said There Would Be A Test
20. A Dash of Chaos
21. Family Matters
22. Changes
23. The Crystal Palace
24. A Lack of Council
25. The Whole World a Circus
26. The Adventurers' Guild
27. Luck of the Dragon
28. Lightning in a Bottle
29. Stats on Stats
30. Roll Call
31. Peculiar Items
32. Challenger's Ball
33. The Calm Before the Storm
34. Change of Plans
35. Make the Cut
36. Group of Death
37. Ram, Bam, Thank You, Ma'am
38. Fighting, Friends, and Foes
39. Challenger or Champion
40. The Storm
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by S.L. Rowland
Untitled
CURRENT STATS
Chod, Level 25 Barbarian/Summoner Forest Troll
HP: 6235/6235
Mana: 5000/5000
Rage: 0/100
XP: 673,291/735,000
Strength: 42
Dexterity: 24
Constitution: 43
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 6
+1 Strength and Constitution racial bonus per level.
+1 Ability point per odd level.
6 stat points available.
0 ability points available.
Abilities:
Bite. Using your massive tusks and powerful jaw, you take a bite out of an opponent, dealing immense damage. Cost: 10 rage. Level 2.
Claw. You attack with sharp claws, swiping at an opponent and dealing extra damage. Cost: 5 rage. Level 2.
Intimidation. You stare down your opponent, confusing them so that they are unable to attack for two seconds. Cost: 10 rage.
Berserker Rage. (Ultimate) Attacks and physical damage build your rage meter. 5 rage per attack. Rage meter deteriorates over time when out of combat at a rate of 5 rage per second. Activating Berserker Rage fills rage meter. For 30 seconds, rage meter does not decrease, deal increased damage, health regenerates at 5x the normal rate, cannot be stunned, slowed or otherwise affected. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Increased Regeneration. (Passive) Regenerate health at a faster rate. Level 2.
Rapid Regeneration. (Passive) When below 10% health, regeneration is doubled.
Nightvision. (Passive) Increased vision in darkness and low light.
Thick Skin. (Passive) Take 10% less damage from physical attacks.
Savage. (Passive) Ability to eat uncooked meat without consequences.
Camouflage. (Passive) When out of combat and not moving for 20 seconds, trolls blend in with their surroundings.
Sweeping Slash. Form a sweeping arc in front of you, dealing damage and knocking your opponent off balance. Cost: 5 rage.
Conceal (Passive). Hides level from anyone who is not a guard on city grounds.
Summon Horror (Passive). Ability to summon a horror. Each horror grants a unique ability. For every horror active, gain 1% increased damage and health points. Horrors decay 10% for every minute outside of combat.
Horror of Power. Summon a horror with 20% of your strength. Cost: 100 mana. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Bonus: Your next attack deals double damage.
Horror of Vitality. Summon a horror with 20% of your health points. Cost: 100 mana. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Bonus: Opponents near Horror of Vitality are slowed by 20%.
Horror of Finesse. Summon a horror with 20% of your attack speed. Cost: 100 mana. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Bonus: Your next attack heals you for damage dealt.
Sacrifice. Sacrifice X amount of horrors to receive a temporary buff. Horror of Power: +1 Strength. Horror of Vitality: +1 Constitution. Horror of Finesse: +1 Dexterity
Kamikaze. Sacrifice a horror to deal a burst of damage.
Champion. Summon a copy of the most recent enemy you have defeated. Decays 10% every minute out of combat. Cost: 50% of mana pool. Cooldown: 6 hours.
Spirit of the Beast. The Spirit of the Beast path is composed of five phases.
Phase 1: Spirit Inquiry. A spirit animal is a guide from the spirit world, possessing traits similar to those of the individual. Unlocking one’s spirit animal leads to a better understanding of the self and one’s place within the world.
Spirit Animal: Frost Goat
Phase 2: Spirit Embodiment. Bonding with a spirit beast is only the beginning of the Spirit of the Beast path. By finding an amulet that connects you to your beast, the bond between the two will grow stronger, unlocking further advancements.
Spirit Embodiment: Ram Horns
Phase 3: Spirit Enhancement. Just as your body has undergone a change reflective of your spirit beast, your spirit may be enhanced in the same manner. Gain a new passive ability based on your spirit beast.
Spirit Enhancement: Ram Rage: Barbarian rage now lasts twice as long. Physical attacks deal splash damage.
Phase 4: Spirit Guide. Your body and spirit have undergone great changes, but your bond with the spirit world is only beginning. Summon a spirit guide of your spirit beast.
Spirit Guide: Summon a frost goat spirit guide. The spirit guides may lead you through darkness and guide you to locations you have previously visited, even if you do not know the way. Spirit guides may be consumed for a 50% increase to Wisdom for 10 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Available Abilities (1 ability point to unlock):
Massive Bite. Deals double damage. Cost: 20 rage.
Claws. Swipe at opponent with bo
th hands, dealing extra damage. Cost: 10 rage.
Multi Attack. Bite and Claw at the same time. Cost: 20 rage.
Iron Will. Immune to slows and stuns for 30 seconds. Cost: 50 rage. 180 second cooldown.
I’m Always Angry (Passive. Available at level 10). Once rage meter is at 50%, it will not deteriorate below 50% when out of combat.
Perception. For 10 minutes, gain increased awareness of your surroundings. Spot hidden objects, as well as unusual sounds, odors, and tastes. Cooldown: 6 hours.
Cleave. Your next attack causes bleed damage, dealing 1% of opponent’s health per second for 5 seconds. Cost: 10 rage.
Battle Cry. You let out a ferocious roar, increasing rage by 20. No cost. 60 second cooldown.
Class Advancements. Upon reaching level twenty-five, you have unlocked a class advancement. You may only advance one class at a time. A second class may not be advanced until completion of primary advancement.
Barbarian Advancement.
Spirit of the Beast. Unlock for further details.
Summoner Advancement.
Dreadbeasts. Unlock for further details.
Dual Subclass. Unlock for further details.
Current Items:
Item. Phoenix Feather. 10% resistance to fire-based attacks. A very rare item, phoenix feathers can only be gathered if they are willingly given by the host. Feathers plucked from unwilling birds turn to ash.
Item. Tiger’s Eye Pendant. Removes one debuff. Cooldown: 10 minutes. A rare stone believed to ward off evil and bring balance to life.
Item. Aquatic Boots. Allows user to walk on water.
Item. Petrified Staff. An enchanted staff capable of taking on the properties of up to 3 attached stones. +3 Intelligence. +3 Wisdom. Bonus: While holding Petrified Staff, the user can cast ranged physical attacks once every 10 seconds.
Item. Forlorn Scepter. +5 Intelligence. Increases the range of summoned creatures by 50%.
Item. Glouwseeker Venom. When injected into the bloodstream, glouwseeker venom immobilizes target. Length of stun dependent on size of target, resistances, and amount injected.
Item. Sea Scorpion. +3 Strength. An enchanted trident capable of taking on the property of 1 enchanted stone. Bonus: deals splash damage.
Legendary Item. Angel of Death Brandy. When drinker falls below 1HP, a metaphysical event will occur, rewinding time for the user to two seconds prior to death.
Item. Brimming Tankard. A magical tankard that, once filled, will never go empty. Warning: Once filled, contents cannot be changed. Only works on beverages.
Item. Expandable Satchel. A bag capable of holding enormous content and only burdening the wearer with ten percent of its weight. Simply focus on the item inside and it will appear in your hand.
Item. Destroyer. An enchanted warhammer capable of taking on the properties of up to three stones. +2 Strength, +3 Constitution. This ancient warhammer was forged in the heart of a volcano. Bonus Ability: Inferno. With each consecutive hit, Destroyer grows hotter, allowing it to warp or pierce through even the hardest metals. Multiplier works when hits are less than five seconds apart. Cost: 10 mana per attack. Cooldown: 10 sec.
Item. Spaulder of Swiftness. +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. Lightweight, durable leather mail designed to protect the off-hand shoulder during battle.
Item. Green Dragon Egg. Green dragons rule with impunity over the forests they inhabit. They are the most territorial of all dragon species, and capable of spewing toxic gas in lieu of flames. Wherever a green dragon calls home, a dense fog is said to follow. Green dragon eggs may only be hatched in the heart of an ancient forest.
Item. Halite Shield. A lightweight translucent shield capable of taking damage without reducing visibility.
Item. Frosted Buckler. +2 Constitution. A lightweight and small shield capable of deflecting blows as well as being used offensively. Bonus Ability: Physical attacks blocked with Frosted Buckler cut attacker’s Dexterity in half for ten seconds.
PROLOGUE
The elevator opened with a gentle swish, and every head in the laboratory turned in that direction. Valery scowled at the disturbance. Nobody was scheduled to visit today, and she wanted her team focused. The last thing they needed were distractions.
Polished leather shoes clacked with each step as a broad-shouldered man wearing a custom-tailored suit exited the elevator and stepped into the lab. Valery’s lips curled down at the edges as she noticed the thin twenty-something blonde falling in step beside him.
“Back to work, everyone,” she ordered.
There was stilted movement as eyes darted between Valery and the head of Mythos Games.
“Daughter.” The man came to a stop in front of Valery, unnaturally white teeth flaring with his smile. His purple eyes gazed into her own.
“Father.”
He winked at Valery. “If you keep frowning like that, you’ll end up with wrinkles like your mother.”
Bastard. Valery gave him the fakest smile possible, doing little to conceal its disingenuousness. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
His smile widened. “I’ve been following along with your little project.”
Valery felt her chest tighten. This was her project, and the last thing she needed was her father meddling.
“And?” She tried to sound as calm as possible, but she knew her father could read her like a book. That was one of his strengths—the ability to figure people out with ease and use that information to play them like a fiddle.
“Don’t worry.” He winked again. “Your little secret is safe with me. I love what you’ve done with the game—creating your own lore and integrating it into the real-time evolution of the game-world. It’s beautiful. Especially the trolls, they might play a bigger part in this story than anyone imagined.”
Her father might be a dick and a shrewd businessman, but he still had a childlike fascination with lore and world-building. But there was no way in hell he was here with his new side-piece just to tell her this.
She gave him a knowing look. “Should she be here?”
The young woman pursed her lips but said nothing. This entire lab was highly classified among the company. Aside from the general details of the program, none of this was public knowledge, and she doubted her father had made the woman sign an NDA. Bringing an outsider into the lab was asking for trouble, but as the head of Mythos Games, no one could stop her father from doing as he pleased. Not even Valery.
He laughed. “Oh, it’s not like that. Let me introduce you to Miss Dorothy Jordan. I expect you’ll get to know each other very well in the coming months.”
1. WANDERMERE
A heavy fog spreads across the forest floor of Wandermere. The name is fitting because we’ve been wandering aimlessly for almost two days. There’s been evidence of centaurs—well-trodden paths and empty outposts—but it’s like they’ve abandoned the forest.
The entire vibe of this place sits uneasy with me. All around us, birds chirp and bugs rattle, but it’s hard to see clearly for more than ten feet in this fog. In every direction, massive trees tower over us in perpetuity. Each tree trunk is wide enough to carve a car-sized tunnel through it.
But aside from wolves and warthogs, every animal we’ve come upon has bolted, even from Taryn.
“I get that it’s ancient, but I thought there would be a little more action,” I say to no one in particular. Living in New York City, I know what it’s like to feel small among buildings that touch the sky, but this is different, somehow peaceful and terrifying at the same time.
“It’s beautiful.” Taryn tilts his head back, staring into the canopy overhead.
Taryn hasn’t been very talkative as of late, especially toward me. Since losing Stompy, most of our communication consists of things we see or which direction we should take rather than actual conversation. I don’t press the issue, though, hoping that giving him space will heal things between us.
There’s a sparkle as two small, brightly-colored fairies peek out fro
m behind a tree and point slender fingers in our direction. When they speak, it sounds like wind chimes, their language clearly not translated by my communication stone. Before I have a chance to point them out to the others, they bolt away into the forest.
We come across a small stream, and Berry walks down to the edge for a drink. He grunts before returning to Taryn’s side. Ruby has her eyes focused in the direction the fairies disappeared, while Jordy stands stoically on Taryn’s other side.
Even though it’s midday, the forest feels like twilight. The massive leaves are easily the size of my head, and their branches tangle and intertwine, forming a canopy that nearly blocks out the sky, only allowing light to penetrate in small doses.
There’s a loud caw as a massive golden bird takes flight. Limery grows warm against my shoulder before bolting into the foliage overhead.
“Be careful!” I shout behind him, but he’s already out of range.
As I gaze at the towering trees of this ancient forest, I imagine this is what it feels like to be an ant walking among giant blades of grass. How do they navigate being stuck in a towering world without a map?