The Troll Box

Years ago, I started keeping a journal of ideas for the adventures I run. These ideas are the source of wild adventures. One line in my journal of ideas read, "Puzzle box that may or may not summon 'things'". Clive Barker created a fictional puzzle box called Lemarchand's box. I added the line to my journal of ideas after seeing the first Hellraiser movie.

I based the puzzle box in my campaign on thoughts about the Mirror of Life Trapping. The Mirror of Life Trapping captures anything looking into the mirror. The only way to get out of a Mirror of Life Trapping is to fill it with creatures or to break the mirror. The puzzle box in my campaign is more like Lemarchand's box. If you interact with the box, it will release one of the creatures it contains instead of summoning the Cenobites. The party has not yet found out how creatures get into the box.

A group of toy soldiers introduced the party to the Troll Box. The party accidentally activated a group of toy soldiers. The party then retreated out of the room, closing the door. The toy soldiers were too small to open the door. The sorceress got down on the floor and threw burning spray spells into the room with the toy soldiers through the gap between the door and the floor. The toy soldiers responded by carefully taking the Troll Box out of its container and sitting it on the floor. The next time the sorceress cast a spell it activated the box releasing a troll. The troll had no difficulty opening the door.

During the melee with the troll, someone kicked the box down the hallway. This released yet another troll. When I created the troll box, I did not realize I created the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. In the most recent adventure, a character in the party grabbed a Troll Box and tried to make a three rail kick shot. He almost succeeded. The box only released two trolls. After that, the party bravely ran away.