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[Goonalan]

I think you're all mad, but I thank you kindly for your comments. I'm going to try something a little different when I get to the end of the turns I've already written up- which coincides with the end of the next adventure (not this one).

Anyway, more of the same...

And thanks again.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #2
The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho
An Adventure for First Level Characters

Turn 25: Grand Finale, Part Two- Jim’s Surprise Party.

Newt dashes forward towards the horrendous beast, crossbow in hand, crouches and settles for a second, stares again at the poison bolt he has loaded.

FWUNG

A direct hit, the bolt buries itself in the creature’s chest.

“KWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…”

Tsathzar-Rho screams as the poison ravages him, staggers, and yet remains standing. The creature lashes out a taloned arm at Ala, she ducks the blow, and skitters out of the creatures reach.

She pumps healing energies into herself, she grimaces as her shoulder mends, then straightens- ready to rejoin the fight.

“Smidgin.”

Anya’s wand sings; the Magic Missile however barely leaves a mark on the creature.

Cas slashes at the creatures clawed foot, scores a direct hit, leaving a bloody trail of his swords passing, the creature hops backwards slightly.

“SAAAAAAND WICH.”

Bec shakes his head, swats invisible flies, then storms forward and delivers a devastating two-handed blow, with all his might.

Right to the back of Ala’s head.

The Cleric slumps to the ground, blood pouring from the rent in the back of her skull.

“What the…”

Jim sees this, rushes over, and launches himself at Bec. The giant man backs off and drops to a fighting stance.

“BEC. BEC. WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU’VE KILLED HER.”

But there’s no one home.

Bec swings again, Jim dodges aside at the last second.

“Akkat”, Anya points Swish at Bec, the broom hops over to attack- with its usual lack of effect. Anya coats herself in her Mage Armour, shimmers in the lone-starlight.

Thwung

Newt’s crossbow bolt sails well wide of the Abomination, although it only misses Cas by inches, he gulps and makes a mental note to aim better next time.

“Calm down Bec… Calm down.” Jim offers.
His words seem to have an immediate effect, Bec lowers his great club.
“Give me the club… Come on, you don’t want to hurt anyone else.”
Bec, as meek as a lamb now, hands the weapon over.

Tsathzar-Rho lashes out but Cas meets the creatures attacks with his shield and sword, deflects both blows aside.

Bec knocks Swish aside, the broom skitters a good fifteen feet away, then hops up and heads on back to the fray.

Anya bends down over the fallen Ala, pours two healing potions into the stricken Cleric, she coughs and splutters, then opens her eyes.

“What happened?”
“Later.” Anya states.

Cas slashes again, catches Tsathzar-Rho’s leg again, only a small cut this time but enough to make the creature back away further.

“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.”

Bec screams and forearm smashes Jim, who staggers backwards, but quickly recovers his senses, rushes back in, grapples Bec, as best he can, which turns out to be badly. Jim changes tack, releases his grip, and shuffles back, swings his right foot hard- up into Bec’s cobblers.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”

The big guy staggers backwards, clutching at the affected area.

“I want this all to stop, you’re frightening me. Stop it.” Jim splutters.

CLAAAAAAAW

“KWAR.”

Cas is sliced across his chest, Tsathzar-Rho chirrups and grins.

“Sooooooon be overrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.”

It’s voice in Cas’ brain.
Fwung.

“Damn.” Newt reloads, another miss.

Ala levers herself to her feet, Anya’s moved on, she mumbles a prayer and lo and behold- her sword glows and pulses, becomes, temporarily, a Magic Weapon. She shuffles forward, dragging her longsword behind her- it’s heavy and she’s weak still.

“FLAME ON.”

Anya has run around to the rear of the creature, she sends a gout of flame into the beasts back.

“KWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.”

It screams as its flesh chars and cinders.

“SANDwich.”

Bec forgets his hurt, turns tail, and staggers away from all the confusion- further into the massive chamber, punch-drunk, he trips on. Jim follows, cautious.

“Bec. BEC. What is it?”

Bec continues wandering.

One of Tsathzar-Rho’s clawed arms lashes out, smashes into Ala’s forehead, cuts it wide-open, blood cascades down her face, in her eyes, nose and mouth.

“You bastard.” She staggers back, catches herself and surges forward again.

Cas darts in, swings high, wide and handsome- spots Ala out of the corner of his eye.

“Ala?”

Fwung.

Another bolt sails wide.

“Feck.”

Newt drops his crossbow, useless bloody thing; quick draws his heavy mace and charges into the melee.

Tsathzar-Rho lashes again at Cas, the attack is deflected by his shield- which is starting to get very heavy in his hands; it’s second attack misses Ala, but Ala doesn’t miss it- slashes with all her might and takes the last six inches or so off one of the creatures incredibly flexible taloned arms.

“KWAAAAAAA.”

It hauls in the damaged limb.

Tsathzar-Rho realises then that the battle is lost, and so launches itself forward again, abandoning defence for all out fury.

“WHAT IS IT? WHAT’S GOING ON? WHAT DO YOU SEE?”

Jim screams at Bec, exasperated.

The giant man turns to face Jim, gibbers, looks away, then back again to the centre of the chamber where the hellish abomination makes its last stand.

Bec points.

Jim turns to look- and sees for the first time the real chamber.

“What…”

He manages, then.

“Come on.”

The Ranger grabs hold of Bec’s leather jerkin and drags him along.

“AAAAAAAAAAArrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”
“AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhh.

Bec imitates.

Newt stands before the creature as it flails and smashes- in frenzy, waves his mace ineffectively, swishes once, and then faced with nowhere else to go rolls straight through the creature’s legs, and emerges unscathed.

Tsathzar-Rho’s elongated neck snakes down to follow the Gnomes path, intent on taking a bite out of the unarmoured combatant.

SNICK.

Ala cuts clean through the Abominations neck, the creature’s head flops onto the ground, the body is wracked by a St. Vitus dance, then rushes head long forward, smashing past Ala and Cas, cannons into a wall, staggers left and continues to smash its way around the chamber, careening off walls.

Ala drops her sword. Cas rushes to her.

“You... I want a word with…”

She points at Bec, who looks suitably ashamed- cringes, scared, then Ala fades and falls… into Cas’ arms.
The Outer Realm, the home of Tsathzar-Rho, fades away, and thirty seconds later they’re back in an emptyish room, save the black unadorned Altar, and the store cupboard- not a sign of their passing, or the final battle with the Abomination, Tsathzar-Rho, the creature simply fades from sight.

There’s a ring, and several potion flasks in the storage cupboard- all of which detect as magical, and a small, but ultimately valuable, supply of silver, gold, diamond and mithril dust.

Two hours later the group emerges back into the light, it’s raining, and head back to Tetknee.

“I love the rain, don’t you?”
Cas nods, and kisses Ala.

Bec, rushes forward to the divine duo, he has something in his hand, he puts his head down- proffers his gift, a bunch of wild flowers, Ala takes them and smiles at the huge Barbarian.

“I know you didn’t mean it.”

She squeezes his hand, and then walks on with Cas, who smiles back at Bec.

Jim, Anya and Newt catch up with Bec.

“So what you gonna do with your share of the money?” Jim asks.
“Sandwich.”
Newt smiles, Anya giggles.
“For Anya.” Bec finishes.
Anya reddens.

The six head home.

Next Turn: Review.