Sentenced to Troll 4 Read online

  Sentenced to Troll 4

  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

  Vestiges: Portal to the Apocalypse

  Collected Editions

  Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy

  Sentenced to Troll Compendium: Books 1-3

  Sentenced to Troll 4 Copyright © 2021 by S.L. Rowland

  SLRowland.com

  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 Robert Schaefer Jr, thanks for all of the support

  Sentenced to Troll 4

  Current Stats

  Prologue

  1. Ready to Run

  2. The Wilty Rose Inn

  3. The Rogue Emperor

  4. Pour Me Another

  5. The Price of Freedom

  6. Fight Club

  7. Outsmart, Outwit, Outlast

  8. Warforged

  9. Nothing Gold Can Stay

  10. Frostmoor

  11. The Five Peaks

  12. Let Sleeping Trolls Lie

  13. A Dash of Spice

  14. Work, Work, Work, Work

  15. A Wing and a Prayer

  16. Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition

  17. Contenders

  18. On Thin Ice

  19. Work Smarter, Not Harder

  20. The Ascent

  21. Leave the World Better Than You Found It

  22. Herbal T

  23. Pigs and a Blanket

  24. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

  25. Arctic Strolls

  26. Hornryx

  27. Knowledge is Power

  28. Choose Your Own Adventure

  29. Bird People

  30. Spirit Inquiry

  31. Dungeons and Druids

  32. That's the Spirit

  33. The Grind

  34. Greatest of All Time

  35. Mystery Loves Company

  36. On the Road Again

  37. Boneholde

  38. The Ultimate Sacrifice

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by S.L. Rowland

  Sign up for S.L. Rowland’s Newsletter and download Path to Villainy for free!

  Untitled

  Current Stats

  Chod, Level 24 Barbarian/Summoner Forest Troll

  HP: 5880/5880

  Mana: 5000/5000

  Rage: 0/100

  XP: 603,208/665,000

  Strength: 41

  Dexterity: 24

  Constitution: 42

  Intelligence: 10

  Wisdom: 15

  Charisma: 6

  +1 Strength and Constitution racial bonus per level.

  +1 Ability point per odd level.

  5 stat points available.

  1 ability point 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.

  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.

  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.

  Available Abilities (1 ability point to unlock):

  Massive Bite. Deals double damage. Cost: 20 rage.

  Claws. Swipe at opponent with both 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.

  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.

  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. 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. Mysterious Green Egg. ???

  Item. Halite Shield. A lightweight translucent shield capable of taking damage without reducing visibility.

  Prologue

  Valery sat alone staring into Chad Johnson’s pod. He looked peaceful laying there, despite the chaos happening on the monitor above. The technicians responsible for monitoring player health had e
ither gone home for the day or were asleep in the on-call bunks.

  For the past five years, she had devoted her life to the lab. This was her pet project, after all. And now it had morphed into something far beyond what she’d ever imagined.

  The lab was quiet except for the gentle whir of the machines. Machines keeping twenty-five men alive while their consciousnesses were fully immersed in a virtual world.

  That in itself was a miracle so far removed from the days where gaming was nothing more than hitting a ball between two lines. But this, Isle of Mythos, was far more than just gaming.

  She’d been sitting there so long that the automatic lights overhead had switched to low-power mode. The glow from the monitors and the electric blue nanites gave the pristine white lab an ethereal feel.

  It was fitting.

  Nearly two months had passed since Chad had first logged in. Getting a gamer into the trial had been the goal—an easy way to work out the bugs so they could move up the timeline—but he had changed everything.

  When they’d discovered that he was the reason the game was crashing, she couldn’t believe it. Somehow, the AI believed that he was a part of the system. An integral part.

  Looking at his body lying peacefully inside the pod, there was no doubt that this was only the beginning.

  The system was designed to rehabilitate. It wasn’t as simple as going in and rewiring someone’s brain to make better choices. That was impossible. The AI that ran Isle of Mythos was one of the most advanced of its kind. It presented the user with choices, evolving the world around them based on actions and reactions. While most programs struggled to accomplish this with any real results for a single user, this AI evolved the world seamlessly for dozens of users at the same time.

  Valery had known she would face obstacles in bringing her vision to life. She’d seen the writing on the wall. The only way she could have gotten the funding to pull this off was by appealing to a company with deep pockets. A company like Mythos Gaming.

  She believed that this technology could change the world.

  What she saw before her sent terror into the depths of her soul.

  Chad Johnson had climbed into that pod weighing one-hundred and twenty pounds, skinny as a rail with acne and a sunken chest.

  The clear skin and superficial changes had been expected. The nanites cleaned the body better than a hot shower and steel wool.

  When they’d first pulled Chad from the pod, he had looked leaner, more defined. That happened to most of the users. The nanites provided them with a perfectly balanced, nutrient rich diet.

  What had happened in the weeks since then was anything but normal. Thompson had pointed out the discrepancy when it first became noticeable, and Valery had checked the stats on everyone else to compare.

  Whatever was happening, it was only happening to Chad. She had combed over every move he’d made since logging in. She had theories. Theories she wanted to test, but that meant finding more volunteers.

  That was easier said than done—especially knowing what she knew now.

  Pretty soon, she was going to have to answer some very tough questions.

  Like how Chad Johnson’s body had managed to put on twenty pounds of muscle while in stasis.

  1

  Ready to Run

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” Taryn squints as he peers through the foliage, brushing several dreadlocks behind his ear. “It’s the middle of the day. This still seems kind of reckless.”

  I duck a little lower, concealing myself behind a leafy frond that drapes across one of the canals carrying water to the bathhouses.

  “It’s not like we have a choice. The only time this guy comes out is during the day.” My gaze shifts from Limery to the beastkin he’s tailing. “It’ll work. Limery is the best pickpocket I know. He’ll be in and out before we know it.”

  I focus back on Limery as he hovers along the crowded street several meters behind his target. Massive beastkin walk leisurely through the stone streets of the market, furry humanoids with the heads of lions, tigers, bears, and a myriad of other creatures that occupy the city of Goldspire.

  The center of the city is rife with activity, from shops to entertainment. Despite being closed off to lower-level NPCs and players, the city forum is thriving. Taryn, Limery, and I are some of the few foreigners currently on the continent, but my troll appearance doesn’t stick out as much here as in Vanaria or Seascape.

  Limery comes to a stop behind a beastkin with the head of a hippo.

  Cornix Coinbearer

  Hand of the Emperor

  Level: ???

  Monk

  Beastkin

  He wears a white canvas toga draped across his oily, slate-colored skin, and several amulets dangle from his neck. For his position, his clothing is surprisingly modest. Except for a golden key hidden among the amulets.

  A key that will grant us access to the emperor’s villa on the edge of town.

  For the past three days, the emperor has been absent from the royal palace. Rumor has it he’s indulging in his very own saturnalia of debauchery at his villa overlooking the Sapphire Channel. But time is of the essence, and we need to deliver King Orso’s message so that we can be on our way.

  The hippo leans forward, the necklaces dangling as he admires a selection of bright yellow fruit on a cart. In the shuffle, the golden key catches the light. Cornix lifts one of the melon-sized citruses to examine it, and Limery moves in.

  Limery’s hand burns a molten orange as he reaches for the chain holding the key. The golden chain melts against his long spindly finger and it slips off the hippo’s neck, slinking into Limery’s other hand.

  The imp flashes me a demonic smile and zips through the air. The chain catches against one of the other amulets, jerking Limery back and tearing the hippo from his focus on the fruit.

  There’s a moment of startling realization on both their faces as the wide-eyed hippo stares at the bulbous-eyed imp.

  Cornix shouts something, and I launch myself across the trickling channel, landing with a thud in the stone courtyard of the forum.

  “Some pickpocket he turned out to be.” Taryn grunts as he lands behind me. “He’s going to get us all killed.”

  Limery darts through Cornix’s legs. The hippo turns in a flash, extending a ki-powered punch at Limery. His impish speed saves him, but the force of the punch explodes the fruit cart, sending wood and pulp raining through the streets.

  Limery speeds down a flight of wide, shallow stairs toward Taryn and I.

  He hovers for a second, inches from my face. “We’s needs to goes, Chods.” He glances over his shoulder just as Cornix leaps through the air, nearly covering the distance in a single bound.

  We don’t waste any time putting our feet to the stone-covered streets of Goldspire. The fruit market empties into the main courtyard of the forum, where a beautiful mosaic depicts a colorful battle. Musicians and street performers cover the courtyard, playing for tips. Beastkin sit around fountains, and tall Corinthian columns rise into the air, their floral embellishments topped with statues of great warriors.

  Cornix runs with surprising speed for a being so large. His big round eyes are slits of anger as he chases us down the city streets. I summon a Horror of Vitality, hoping for its passive slow to give us some breathing room. Cornix’s fist moves in a blur, exploding the horror with a single strike without slowing even a fraction.