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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 3946302" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dungeon Crawl Classic #24 Legend of the Ripper Level 1-3 (Scaled to level 4)Turn 62: A fight to the death.Bec is locked in battle with the Redcap, he cannot tear his eyes away from the creature, yet another dark wave engulfs him, and yet again he shakes it off, comes up swinging. The distraction is enough though, the Redcap buries its sickle into the Barbarian’s arm, Bec fights back, his longsword bites deep into the Redcap’s other shoulder, and yet it fights on, ducks and dodges a low blow from Jim.Cas sees his opportunity, leaps in and delivers a terrible blow, opening up a three inch deep gash on the Redcap’s forehead, blood fills the creature’s eyes.The creature slashes back with all its might, over-extends itself, misses as the Paladin dodges back in the nick of time.Ala quickly moves to Cas’ side, darts in with her magic dagger, anything to mark the creature, it’s too quick however, it twists and turns and dodges aside.Anya props herself against the wall, swigs a Potion of Healing, it makes little difference, her wounds still pour with blood.Newt, still on the ceiling, tries again with his crossbow- but with the same effect, the creature seems able to dodge the missiles, even when they’re coming from above and behind him.The Redcap steps forward again, straight at Bec, ducks the Barbarian’s longsword, then leaps pirouettes and slices opening up a pair of foot long gashes in the Barbarian’s neck and upper chest. The Barbarian stumbles once, then folds like a deck of cards.Jim mouths words between gasps, the Redcap turns to stare at the Ranger, holds his gaze, and smiles- a dark wave washes over the Ranger, Jim feels himself melting inside, fading away.Then for some reason he thinks about his father.“Bastaaaaaard.”And the black wave is gone.Jim crashes his axe into the Redcap’s side.Cas and Ala dodge forward, double team the creature, it blocks both their blows easily, and yet staggers from the Ranger’s blow. Cas and Ala dodge back away again before the creature can recover.The Redcap hobbles.Anya however does not- she leaps up.“DIIIIIIeeeeeee.”Rushes at the fiend, and lances her staff into the creature’s knee, it hardly seems to mind, returns the compliment and slashes at the air before her, forcing Anya to hot foot it, stumbling and flailing, back out of the fight.“Enough.” Newt whispers.He leaps down from the ceiling and buries all twelve inches of his short sword in the Redcap’s back, a blue lightning engulfs the creature, as the Shocking Grasp stored in the sword takes effect.The Redcap stiffens.Sways.And then stumbles forward, causing Cas and Ala to adopt defensive poses.It collapses.Dead.The Ripper is dead.Not content Newt stands over the creature’s body, plunges his short sword a dozen more times into the Redcap’s back, till the Gnome’s exhausted.Done, Newt drops the blade and wanders off.Ala is quickly to Bec, her healing jolts him awake, it makes her gasp; she feels how close Bec was to death, on the very precipice.DMs Interlude, after Bec’s rage wore off he dropped to -9 hit points- close.Bec blinks his eyes, smiles up at Ala.“He dead?”Ala nods. The giant man grins and levers himself up.“Good, I mean ‘buffet.’” The Barbarian grins and carries on the rest of the conversation with Ala with his eyes, clearly grateful- full of life, he twinkles.They wait a moment, no one saying anything.Eventually Newt sparks another sunrod and heads into the darkened alcove from which the Redcap came, Cas follows after.The little chamber chills the heart, there’s an overwhelming sense of pure evil coming from it, hatred so deep, like a bottomless well.The walls are decorated with crude fetishes crafted from bits of flesh, hair, bone and organs. Stinking viscera is smeared across almost every surface. Simple furnishings fill the room- a chest, a ramshackle table, and a pile of humanoid and animal pelts that seems to act as a bed. In a disorganised array across the tabletop and floor are jars containing preserved organs and a gruesome collection of body parts wrapped in bloody rags. Mixed in with the remains are instruments of terror, all the items one would expect in a well-stocked torture chamber.“Search everything.” Cas commands.“Happy to oblige, Captain.”Although he’s not, Newt gulps, tries to swallow, his lips are dry, his throat too. He gets to work.Ala moves back to where she heard the whisper, the second circular area.“Find me, free me…”It comes again, and this time Anya hears it too.The Wizard, still clutching at her wounds, moves to the area, she studies the spot- reads the runes, in Draconic, that circle the area.“To enter or exit the realm of the Undine, speak ‘Descend’ or ‘Ascend’ in the tongue of the builders.”“What?” Jim asks.“I fear our adventure is not over yet.”“What?” Jim tries again.“It seems we have found an entrance, ‘to the realm of the Undine’, here.” Anya points.“An Un-what?” Cas wanders over.“Undine, an Aquatic Elf.”“What in the hell are you talking about?” Newt joins the circle, back from filling his pockets.“There’s more to this place than meets the eye, first we need to go back and tell them we’ve got the Ripper. Let’s get out of here, I’m not keen on going any further right now, we need to get those men back to the Church of Pelor, and arrange burials for the body in the attic, and for Mari, I only hope somehow this will let her spirit rest.”The Paladin takes a last look at the bloodied chamber and then leads the rest of the Goodman Gang quickly back the way they came.Next Turn: A secret meeting.</blockquote>

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