Ximix said:
That thing passes nasty and enters a whole new category of no-win encounters, unless you could conjure a sufficiently sized Sphere of Force to encapsulate it... or just Plane Shift it . . . to the demi-plane of Acid? So yeah, there are ways to deal with it, but it does not seem that the DB's are of sufficient power to do so.
Well,
wall of force only allows flat planes now in 3.5e, and
plane shift allows SR, so that would not work on it either.
Forcecage might have held it in its original incarnation, but the new version is >10' tall, so no luck there either.
I have some notes about Dungie's revised stats/abilities in its new incarnation, but I think I'll save them until this scene plays itself out. No spoilers that way.
* * * * *
Chapter 306
A NARROW ESCAPE?
A roar of rushing water came crashing down on Zahera, knocking her off her feet. A wave some sixteen feet high surged past her and slammed into the dung monster, arresting its momentum and driving it back half a step. Filth splattered around it, spreading outward in a wide swath around the creature. But the wave, instead of coming apart, drew back and reformed, and they could see that it was an elemental, with twin points of azure light shining within its aqueous substance.
Zahera, soaked through, was splashed again as the dung monster smashed a huge fist through the elemental’s body, ripping free a considerable portion of the material that made up its form. She blinked away the spray and tried to get up, but her limbs felt leaden, her armor like a millstone holding her down.
Two forms materialized within the cascade of water. Dar and Alexion seized her, all but dragging her to her feet. The knight turned toward the creature, but Dar grabbed his shoulder and thrust him around. “Get back, now!” he yelled, following the two of them as they rushed once more toward the river.
Behind them the elemental came apart in a spray of water as the dung-Orcus blasted it with another powerful blow of its fists. Even as the summoned creature came apart the monster stomped through it, pounding toward its escaping foes. Allera, Tullus, Marcus, Nelan, and the shield guardian had already reached the river, while Alderis and Honoratius hovered above it. Xenos waited at the bank, looking back to see if the others needed further assistance.
“Get going!” Dar shouted at them. “Move, all of you!”
The arcanists flew through the narrow opening where the cavern wall hung low over the river entry. Alderis had already sent his guardian ahead. Marcus assisted Tullus through, but Allera waited, looking back at Dar.
“Go, jump!” Dar yelled, glancing back over his shoulder. The monster was about twenty feet back and getting closer with each step.
Zahera and Alexion sprang down onto the river, Nelan’s spell pressing their boots back atop the surface after a slight splash from their impact. The two ran toward the overhang, Dar close on their heels. Allera and Xenos ducked through ahead of them.
Glancing back again, Dar saw that the dung monster hadn’t followed them onto the river, but had turned and was now moving along the bank toward the overhang. “Damn it! Hurry up, hurry up!”
The armored knights had to bend almost double to fit through the gap, but Xenos and Allera helped them from the far side, all but dragging them through. Dar, hearing the pounding of the monster’s feet draw closer and closer, dove forward and slid through the opening, relying on the power of Nelan’s spell to keep him above the surface of the water. It worked, and he came up on the far side of the opening to see Allera waiting for him.
“It’s right behin—”
A loud crash cut off his words, and the overhang collapsed. Bits of stone battered Dar and Allera, one sharp stone cutting a shallow gash along the left side of the healer’s forehead. Water rushed over them as massive chunks of stone fell into the water.
“Are you all right—” Allera began.
“Yes... go, move, now!” Dar yelled, thrusting her before him as he dragged himself to his feet—not easy despite the
water walk—and started down the tunnel. He could see one of the knights heading back toward them, and gestured forward. “Keep moving!”
Behind them they could hear a loud splash, followed by a change in the noise of the river. Dar didn’t have to look back to know what it meant.
The monster was following them.