It was night, but still, under the cool light of the full moon [Character] had decided to press on. The path was smooth, easy beneath the feet, but as he continued it began to rise, climbing a gradual incline. A turn of the track, and there, ahead of him, the moonlight illuminated a wooden bridge crossing a deep gulley. And, sitting by the bridge at its far side, was a massive troll. Its jaws worked ceaselessly as it chewed on a bone, finally cracking it open to suck out the marrow within. “Bert eat bone,” it rumbled to itself, “but Bert eat alone.” Watching from the shadows, he was unsure how to proceed. It was possible, he reflected, that the creature had now eaten its fill, and could simply be bribed into letting him pass. But if it were not full, such might well prove a foolish choice. On the other hand, rather than parting with any coin, it might be possible to simply sneak by. Yet, if spotted, things would go ill. So perhaps then to simply wait until morning, and hope to remain unseen, until it was forced to flee the sun’s light? No option, in truth, seemed without risk.
NPC Encounter
?
| Options | Loyalists | Neutral | Usurpers |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAST a spell | ? | ? | ? |
| WAIT for dawn | survive / get away unharmed | survive / get away unharmed | survive / get away unharmed |
| ATTACK the troll | ? | ? | ? |
| SEARCH for another way past the troll | ? | ? | ? |
| OFFER 5000 gold | away unharmed | away unharmed | away unharmed |
| FLEE | escape, often +gold | escape, often +gold | escape, often +gold |
| HIDE and try to sneak past | survive (low-rank ok) | survive (low-rank ok) | survive (low-rank ok) |
| Seek to RECRUIT Bert to his cause | ? | ? | Recruited* |
*Recruiting an NPC is not guaranteed — success depends on the recruiting character's emissary rank, the number of NPCs you already hold, the game turn (easier earlier), and your allies' relations toward your nation.
Troll — Challenge 35 — Champion: No
Command: 30, Agent: 20, Emissary: 10, Mage: 0, Stealth: 10
None recorded
fearful hearts
Hex 1608
Player-reported data mined from the MEPBM Discord #encounters channel (2020–2026). Confidence: 🟢 confirmed · 🟡 probable · 🔵 open.