Dungeon Crawl Classic #24
Legend of the Ripper
Level 1-3 (Scaled to level 4)
Turn 74: A Watery Grave.
The wall of water is still firmly in place, beyond it Bec surfaces again, tendons pinging, Rage engulfs him…
“BUFFET.”
And with a dagger in his hand, he stabs down and slices into the snake, saws through the Constrictors skin, flesh and bone, cuts away the last three feet of the serpent.
Instantly a wound appears upon the Barbarian’s scalp, it bleeds profusely.
And then there’s the snake which is crushing him still.
Anya’s hawk fades to smoke and dust, the Wizard presses herself against the wall of water, stares in, she wants this spell to go just right.
The Wizard mutters arcane words, suddenly there’s an explosion of light right in front of the Undine’s eyes, the Flare is just enough, the Aquatic Elf stumbles and at the same moment the wall of water comes crashing down.
“Kill her.” Cas screams as he and Ala rush straight for the Undine, Jim diverts his charge, buries his battleaxe in the Giant Constrictor and rips it free from the Barbarian, slashes again, and again, and again… until finally the thing is dead.
“Noooooo.” The Undine screams, but too late, she expertly dodges Ala’s sword thrust but is impaled, momentarily, on Cas’ sword. The Aquatic Elf slips free of the blade and dives into the water, and swims like an eel, she’s gone- down the passageway and out of the chamber, before any of the Goodman Gang can react.
Bec continues to thrust his dagger into the now dead Constrictor, still raging.
“There, down the passage.” Newt, who so far has stayed well out of the trouble, points the way.
“Charge.” Cas cries, Bec leads the way back out of the chamber, he needs no urging.
Suddenly the water in the passage drains away, which leaves the Gang, for a fraction of a second, high and dry, then flows back in, with a vengeance, a tidal wave, a tsunami.
And yet all of the adventurers, miraculously, stand after the tide has passed.
“Damn you dry-skins.” The Undine spits as she disappears around the far corner back the way they came.
The Gang charges on after her.
The Undine is much too quick, she dives back into the water, and by the time the Gang reach the False Tomb she’s climbing out of the water at the far end of the passageway, on her way out of the tomb.
“Enjoy your stay dry-skins; I’m going to destroy your City.”
Instantly another wall of water seals off the passage behind her.
Princess Iasmini waves demurely and is gone.
Next Turn: The Element of Surprise.
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