Dungeon Crawl Classic #24
Legend of the Ripper
Level 1-3 (Scaled to level 4)
Legend of the Ripper
Level 1-3 (Scaled to level 4)
Turn 69: Oh Sandy.
Thirty minutes later Cas and Bec are a little more comfortable, the sun has almost disappeared over the horizon.
“It’s going to get cold tonight, I suggest we huddle together people.” Jim states.
Suddenly Shadrack starts to bray, the pony shuffles and stomps till Jim lays a calming hand on the beast. “What is it Shadrack?”
“There.” Newt points, Jim strains to see, as does Anya, Ala however spots it straight away.
“What is it?” Jim asks.
“Beetle?” Ala guesses.
“Missile weapons.” Jim orders, the four still upright and able get ready.
Zwooom
Bows and Crossbows sing out, but the big black Beetle, background the darkening desert, is difficult to spot, and particularly at range.
“Wait till it gets closer.” Jim shouts.
“Not too close.” Newt chides.
The ad hoc barrage continues- all to no affect.
It’s not until the Beetle is within fifty feet that Jim can actually pick it out against the black. The Ranger’s next shot smashes into the thing, puncturing its carapace and sending out a mini-eruption of yellow ichor.
The Beetle stops.
“Is it dead?” Newt wonders.
The Beetle gets going again, heading straight for them.
ZWOOMCRUNCH.
Jim’s on the mark again, barely breaking stride the creature turns hard right and heads off as fast as its little legs can carry it.
“Leave it, that’s the last we’ve seen of him. Double watches tonight.”
The Goodman Gang get some well earned rest.
Then, in a blink of an eye, the sun comes up…
However it seems Cas, and in particular Bec, are far from well- they’ve pushed themselves too hard, the pair are suffering from sun stroke still, with a touch of hypothermia, the nights are very cold, particularly when you don’t have tents.
“We rest today.” Jim decides, “keep watch, we’ll head off again when the sun goes down, travel at night, when it’s cooler.”
Cas nods, Bec lies on his side, ragged breaths, shivering uncontrollably.
“Look after them.” Jim looks at Ala, she nods.
Twelve hours later…
The suns on the way back down, it’s getting cooler, and Bec and Cas are in much better shape.
“Thanks Jim.” Cas looks up and sips the remains of his tea.
Bec nods in the Ranger’s direction.
“Perhaps it’s best if Jim takes charge for a while?” Anya asks.
The Ranger likes the sound of that, he smiles.
“I thought he was in charge.” Ala states.
Cas sees the funny side, smirks.
A little while later they’re on the move again.
Three hours later…
Bec’s head hangs low, the Paladin is back to shuffling along, it seems their new found energy has been spent already.
One hour later…
The Paladin collapses, slumps to the floor, his mouth, ears, eyes and nose clogged with sand.
“You go on…” He manages, “leave me here.”
“Shut up.” Jim hefts the Paladin over his shoulder; Cas finds enough energy to cling on.
They trudge on for another hour...
Then another rest break, more water, hot food, thirty minutes rest.
And then Cas’ is hoisted up again, the Ranger whistles a happy tune as he adjusts his load, and then heads of into the near-dark.
Bec drifts backwards, eventually settles for trudging beside Shadrack, his giant hand on the ponies saddle, he can’t see very much.
One hour later…
The sun peeks over the horizon.
They stumble on.
One hour later…
And in the glare of first light they can see it, or at least Newt and Ala can.
“It’s a door.” Newt points and grins.
“Where?” Jim squints.
“There”, Ala points too, she giggles a little, “by that dune, to the right.”
Jim can’t see anything, he can barely make out the sand dune Ala’s referring to, it all looks the same… hang on, perhaps there is just the smallest speck of black out there.
“One last push, we’re nearly there.” The Ranger leads them off again.
One hour later…
The door is a door, the same as the other, except closed, it’s about two hundred yards away, next to a sand dune, like Ala said, although most things are next to a sand dune out here.
“Wahey.” Newt frolics, pirouettes, jogs forward ahead of the pack, heading straight for the portal. Behind him the others grin.
“It’s the same as the other one.” Newt calls back and pulls up short, walks over to the portal, touches it to make sure that it’s real. At the same instant the sand dune to the left erupts and the Beetle, still bearing testimony to Jim’s arrows, leaps forward- it’s enormous up close.
A jet black shinning carapace, and huge clacking jaws, it’s probably eight feet long, it grabs at the Gnome, its pincers meet and crush the Rogue.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrggghhh Bastard.” Newt summons the last of his strength and leaps, nay bounds, out of the things grasp, lands a good fifteen feet away and topples over in a crumpled heap.
“Let me go.” Cas shouts in Jim’s ear. “I’ll save him…” Jim does as he’s told, the Paladin staggers three feet then collapses, struggles, but cannot make sense of his surroundings, he lies on the floor clawing at the baking sand, he’s going nowhere.
The Beetle shuffles towards the fallen Gnome, who manages to right himself, comes up, woozy and staggering but weapon in hand.
The others come charging over, Bec is really struggling, stumbling, it’s Jim once again who leads the way.
They’re not going to get to Newt in time.
The Beetle suddenly changes direction, turns about face in front of Newt, who sees his opportunity and slashes hard at the thing taking another slice out of its carapace.
The Beetle stops, shudders, its rear end is now pointing directly at Newt, the Gnome shrugs and looks generally confused.
FSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST.
A spray half-fog, half-liquid erupts from the Beetle’s backside, engulfs Newt, its acid, Newt thinks- its acid, and then, I can’t be bothered with this, and thumps to the ground, unconscious.
A glowing longsword appears in the air by the Beetle, slashes down and interrupts the acid’s flow; Ala’s Spiritual Weapon keeps the Beetle at bay, away from the fallen Gnome.
“Smidgin”, a pair of Magic Missiles streak in, smash into its carapace, leave gaping holes in their wake.
The creature, squats, sinks then shudders- no more.
Jim and Ala catch up with Newt, the Ranger grabs hold of the little feller as Ala brings her healing powers into play.
CRUNCH
The dead Beetle’s carapace, or rather what’s left of it, explodes- guck and splodge shoot out.
And from the wreck spill a million tiny little Beetles, a swarm- Newt’s too close, the black mass heads over to investigate the smell of fresh blood.
Jim quickly drags the Gnome back and away, Ala sends her Spiritual Weapon in to slow them down- it has no real effect, there are far too many of the tiny Beetles.
“Flame ON.” Anya steps into the swarm’s path.
And again, “FLAME ON”, this time through gritted teeth and they’re as good as gone, the few unscorched Beetles scuttle off to find something less capable to menace.
Ten minutes later, with Newt back up and fairly healthy, and having declared the portal free of traps, and unlocked no less, the sad and sorry four-some, dragging the sun-stroked and exhausted two-some, step into a corridor- much like the one they left, except without the noisome water, Shadrack follows them through.
A door ahead is eagerly ignored, they slump down to rest, even Shadrack is made to lie down in the cramped space, fed, watered, and pampered by Jim.
A sketchy watch rota is drawn up and soon enough they’re all asleep.
Yes, all of them.
Next Turn: Power Extreme.