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[Goonalan]

Dungeon Crawl Classic #24
Legend of the Ripper
Level 1-3 (Scaled to level 4)

Turn 71: In a spin.

“What’s going on… What’s…” The Wizard quickly wades towards the door. The water continues to boil, Cas looks around him, a ivory white skull begins to rise from the water, it’s attached to the rest of the Skeleton, the Paladin smashes it down in an instant.

“Get that door open.” Cas screams.
“There’s something holding it shut.” Anya screams, it’s getting noisy in here.

On the other side of the door Bec rips his fingernails out trying to pry the thing open, Jim on his knees, head just above the water- working on the bottom of the door, trying to get his dagger into the gap.

“Open it.” Ala shouts.
“We’re trying.” Jim states, frustrated.

Suddenly a crack appears, the doors opening, Bec wedges his fingers in the gap- heaves at it, Jim does the same, and yet the door only opens a few inches.

Anya’s at the gap, “get it open.”

“Cas.” Newt shouts and points.

The Paladin spins round as two forms rise up from the water, vaguely humanoid in shape, for water they look pretty solid, instinctively Cas slashes at the first, the water creature swirls and at the last moment dodges aside.

Anya turns back, takes it all in, presses her mouth to the gap, “open it Bec, open it Jim. Quickly. Please.”

Newt grabs for his crossbow, nearly spills the thing, juggles it into his hands.

A fist of water lurches upwards out of the turgid slop their standing in, looks about for a moment- or so it seems, then pounds down hard towards Cas, the Paladin shifts his weight and dodges the blow- the Elemental, in no hurry, disappears beneath the waves.

Anya mumbles arcane words, her Mage Armour takes affect.

Bec and Jim continue to strain at the door; it opens another inch, no more. “Open it.” Ala screams, which does nothing more than further frustrate the straining pair.

Cas lashes out at an Elemental, seems to hit, a gash appears in the watery humanoids side. The second Elememtal dissipates before it can attack, sinks beneath the waves.

Fwung.

Newt’s bolt passes through the water creature but leaves no mark in its passing.

The second Elemental suddenly appears, in wave form, rolls around the edge of the chamber, gathering momentum, then smashes hard into Anya, sending the Wizard crashing into the door, for a second she sees stars, then water streams in as she sinks, coughing and spluttering, seconds later, she heaves herself up, and before her stands a nine foot tall Water Elemental in all its glory.

“You BASTARD.” She smashes at the creature with her staff, punches a hole right through the thing, the creature makes a sound, possibly the Aquan version of laughter, that or someone farting in the bath.

Newt, desperate, fiddles another bolt into place.

FWUNG

This one seems to have an affect, slices into the side of the creature menacing Anya, drills a bore hole all the way through the Elemental. It doesn’t flinch, instead grows steadily taller, piling wave upon wave, then topples, crashes down on a screaming Anya smashing the Wizard, like flotsam against a rocky shore.

It dissipates.

On the surface of the water Anya’s unconscious, or dead, form floats.

The other Water Elemental instantly explodes to the surface; sending crashing waves in every direction, spraying stinging water everywhere within the chamber, Cas and Newt quickly reassess their footing as they’re buffeted and bashed.

The Elemental sinks again beneath the waves.

It seems their toying with the Goodman Gang.

The water continues to bubble and froth.

Then, finally, the door is wrenched open, and Ala rushes in, only to be suddenly blocked as one of the Elemental springs up to intercept her passage, she slices wildly with her longsword, taking a liquid gout out of the creature. The Elemental forms two liquid fists, wails on the Priestess, who dodges then defects both of its blows.

Cas scrambles for Anya, then notices that the water in the chamber is beginning to circle, the Wizard’s body drifts away from him as the water increases in speed, a vortex begins to form in the centre of the chamber.

“WHIRLPOOL” Cas screams, then “GET ANYA”, his words directed at anyone who will listen.

Jim’s listening, the Ranger rocks back and then barges into the chamber, bull-rushing through, almost, the Water Elemental blocking the doorway, he flings himself into the water, hands flailing trying to grab hold of Anya- he misses as the Wizard slips from his grasp and continues to spiral into the mix.

Bec and Ala are still stuck in the doorway, unable to pass the Elemental that pounds at them there, Cas has an idea, the Paladin fights the Whirlpools drag and wades over to the water creature blocking the door, swings his longsword low and cuts clean through the base of the Elemental, which cut off from its source, even for just a second, instantly dissipates- actually explodes like horizontal rain.

“Come in if you’re coming.” Cas screams.

Bec dashes straight in and throws himself into the spin, the Barbarian grabs at Anya, heaves the Wizard to him and holds her head above the water, however he’s floating free heading for the centre of the maelstrom. Cas grabs at Jim, Jim grabs at the door, braces himself somehow- the Paladin reaches out, and on the next turn snags the Barbarian.

Ala and Newt, suddenly scream and point but their words are lost in the noise of the storm, the human chain turns to see the second Water Elemental reforming.

The speed of the Whirlpool increases.

“Pull her in. Pull her in.” Jim screams.

Jim strains, Cas strains, Bec strains, and Anya is hauled back in, just in time as the second water Elemental slams into the side of the chain, and in particular Cas, who is dragged and buffeted, twisted by the force of the wave, and yet he grips tight through the surge.

Ala leans in as Anya is drawn towards her, she touches the Wizard and her healing energies course into her, Anya coughs, chokes and splutters and comes alive in an instant.

Jim continues to pull, Cas does likewise, and Bec is dragged steadily out of the Whirlpool, the chain breaks up as the warriors inch out of the storm.

“Clear out.” Cas calls, the entire Gang head out of the chamber and into the passageway beyond. The Whirlpool in the centre of the chamber seems to lose its intensity, begins to slow and swirl back on itself.

Anya staggers away, as far as she can get, pulls out and downs a healing potion as she stumbles up the stairs and out of the water.

WHOOOSH

A Water Elemental forms with lightning speed in the doorway, cranes out of the chamber, looks, or rather senses left and right and then strides out into the passageway.

Bec and Jim are one side of the creature, Cas, Newt and Ala the other- the Goodman Gang attack en masse, but their blows seem not to bother the creature, the Elemental forms a tight fist and pummels the Paladin, almost sending Cas sprawling.

However he’s far from done with the creature, he slices again, aiming low, trying to cut the thing off from its source again, his blade bites deep, clearly wounding the creature but not enough to cut all the way through.

The second Elemental takes shape in the chamber, spies the open door and surges, like a tidal wave out into the passageway. At the same instant the first Elemental steps back to dodge a blow from Jim.

The two Elementals collide, sending mini tidal waves crashing out from the epicentre, but staggering both of the creatures.

“O Correllon Bless us in our hour of need.” Ala whispers, her spell buoys her companions, even if only for a moment.

Jim steps into the wreck of the two Elementals and swings hard, smashing the first of the creatures to emerge from the chamber in twain, the two halves fall away- the creature is no more.

“Smidgin.” Almost an afterthought, two Magic Missiles thump into the one Elemental left standing, a moment later Bec finds his range, repeats Jim’s feat and cleaves the watery devil cleanly in two- it spills back into the sloping drench.

And that’s it- they’re gone.

The silence returns, just the drip of water, and the ragged breaths of the adventurers.

DMs Interlude- in the version of this scenario for 4th level characters the Water Elemental was supposed to Large in size, however I surmised that this would prove too greater threat for the PCs, instead I opted for two Medium Water Elementals, I wanted to give the Goodman Gang a sporting chance.

“Anya, rest- Jim, Bec come with me.” The Paladin ducks back into the chamber, a sunrod flares.
“Oh yes Mr. Paladin sir.” Anya tucks her legs under her, sodden, miserable and dirty- she sulks a little.

Bec wedges the door open, jams a dagger into the hinges- it can’t close.

The three examine the frescoes painted on the walls, they clearly depict the fate of any that would seek to free the Undine from her captivity- the rescuers depicted are forced to suffer the tortures of Hell.

Jim gulps.

“We’re not here to free her, we’re here to kill her.” Cas simply states.
Jim mulls the suggestion over- “What’s she done to deserve that?”
“That’s a good question.” Cas tells them the story he has been told by Major Khan, about a swathe of destruction should she escape her prison, it doesn’t take long.
“And you believe him?” Ala pokes her head into the chamber.
“Maybe we should ask her.” Jim states.

The Paladin looks around his companions, “I’m ok with that, should the opportunity arise.”

Agreed they head off, Newt moves forward to check the way is clear.

Next Turn: The Tomb.