His toll was a pig. The first time we met him we didn't have one, but by a strange coincidence we had the bodies of three bandits salted down in barrels (long story). We offered him long-pork instead and went our merry way. It became a regular thing for us to buy a pig to give to Ralph as we went back and forth along this road.
Recently we decided to help the nearby town rid its apple orchard of the giant spiders who were preventing the locals from harvesting their crop which they use to make a potent cider that is their main export. As it turns out Ralph has a taste for cider.
We tell our new friend our plan. He tells us how he really isn't a troll, but an ogre, but his dream has always been to become a bridge troll with a real bridge. "Why aren't you living under the nearby stone bridge," we ask? He tells us he is just starting in the toll bridge business and didn't think he was ready for a real bridge yet. We promise Ralph a supply of cider from the townspeople and see if we can help him move to the stone bridge if he will help us with the spiders. Ralph agrees.
Our party consists of a fighter, a rogue with bow, a halfling throwing daggers, our elf mage, and Ralph carrying a two-handed club. We enter the orchard and engage three large spiders, one giant spider, and their leader who remains hidden in the darkness of the trees.
Ralph fights the giant spider, but he is outmatched. He keeps swinging his huge club and missing. The spiders engage us in hand-to-hand combat. We manage to kill them, and then pile on the giant spider and kill him. Ralph falls unconscious in the battle, but a healing potion and a bit of healing brings him around and we exit before the spiders regroup.
We don't have the cider to pay him yet, but we help our wounded friend move in under the stone bridge. Ralph could use more healing and we feel obligated to help, otherwise it's going to take a long time for him to get back to full strength. For now we'll get him some fat pigs.
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