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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 3952795" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dungeon Crawl Classic #24 Legend of the Ripper Level 1-3 (Scaled to level 4)Turn 65: The Key.And so the night before the Goodman Gang are set to return to the Ten Bells Inn, and into the Undine’s Prison below, Cas makes his own special pilgrimage back to the site. He finds his way in and heads upstairs, back to Mari’s room- the place is still dirty, dilapidated and deserted, it has however lost its sense of dread.And yet there she is, hovering over the bed exactly where Cas expected her to be.“It was 125 years ago…” Cas explains, he looks forlorn.Mari looks away; even in ghost form Cas can see the tears in her eyes.“I don’t know where to begin, you have to help me, you have to…”Mari’s spirit shivers, she shakes her head.“I want to find your killer it was just so long ago, I don’t know where to start, I’m not… I’m not very good at this- you see we’ve only just started, the others, my friends, they’re much better at this than me… I mean, I pretend… I…”Mari straightens, her spirit form drifts over towards Cas, the Paladin bows his head.“I will try… I’ll do my best, I just… I just.”Mari lays her hand on Cas’ head, strokes his hair, tender.“I’ve waited 125 years… I’ll wait a little while longer.” She whispers.Cas looks up, into her eyes.“I have… I have hope, you gave me that, that’ll do… for now.”Mari Kell releases Cas from her embrace, she begins to fade, Cas reaches out to her.But she’s gone.The Paladin cries a little and then heads home to Ala’s warm, and forgiving, embrace.The next day the Goodman Gang are assembled back in the chamber with the red mist, it’s been cleaned, a little, at least the corpse of the Redcap has gone, it’s lair torched, purged by fire.“Find me, free me…”They all hear the voice this time, a coarse whisper, it sounds like waves lapping on a far off shore.They have a contingent of guards with them, for their own safety of course, twelve guardsmen, and all veterans by the look of them, led by a grouchy old Sergeant by the name of Casper.“Time fur yew folk to head on down, I reckon.” Casper spits and nods towards the spot, a couple of guardsmen shuffle their weapons to make the point.“In the tongue of the builders- Dwarves build, how about you try saying it in Dwarf?” Newt states.And sure enough, thirty seconds later the Gang are descending, the entire raised dais is some sort of mechanical elevator.It gets dark very quickly.Sunrods flare.They’re adventuring again.The Gang emerge in a hallway; it stretches some twenty or so feet ahead, it’s about three feet deep in water, filthy water, which for Newt is a problem.“Hey… Hey…” The Gnome doggie paddles trying to stay afloat, Bec scoops Newt up and settles him on his shoulders.“Now that’s better… Gee up horsey.” Newt points the way, then readies his Potion of Spider Climb- just in case.Bec stares up at the Gnome, grunts.Cas leads them off.There’s a door at the far end, a sealed stone door with runes etched across its surface. The centre of the seal is a 4-inch wide circular depression about an inch deep. On the southern wall, near the sealed portal, is another, more mundane looking doorway.“The key must be in there.” Anya states and points to the mundane door.“You hope.” Jim replies.“Newt can you…” Cas starts, but the Gnome has already scoped the lock.“Not a chance- we need the key.” The Gnome is carried over to take look at the mundane door, “no traps- over to you.”“Ok, ready?” Cas asks.The others nod And they’re in.All along the perimeter of this rectangular room stand elaborately engraved pillars, a total of ten in all, casting bars of shadow across the far walls. In the centre of the room and protruding a foot or so above the brackish water is a dais upon which rests a rune-encrusted golden amulet, its centre accentuated by a large red gem.“The key.” Newt whispers.Looming over the dais and its treasure is a 10-foot tall metal statue. Crafted in the shape of a lion-headed humanoid, its body streaked red and brown with rust.“That better not be…” Newt trails off.“You can say that again.” Anya finishes.“What?” Ala, Cas and Jim in chorus.“An Iron Golem.” Anya and Newt answer back.“What?” Ala, Cas and Jim back, still in chorus.“This is getting stupid.” Anya breaks the chain. “I was saying that that thing better not be an Iron Golem.”“Why- is that bad?” Jim asks.“Yes, one of those things could easily kill us all, and our friends upstairs should it get out, and probably much of The Nunny, if it felt like it.” Anya glares at Jim, hands on her hips- lecturing him almost.“Sorry for asking…”“It can’t be though… can it?” Ala asks.“We’re about to find out”, Cas swishes off through the water, towards the thing.The others watch on.“It’s probably just a statue.” Jim adds.He’s nearly there, Newt remembers.“Wait.” He kicks his heels into Bec’s chest, the Barbarian tramps forward. “Let me check it first- can’t do any harm.”“Yes, stupid of me, sorry Newt.” Cas backs away a little.The Rogue being manoeuvred, under instruction, by Bec, makes a tour of the dais, it takes a while.“The entire thing is a trap.”“Are you sure?” Cas counts his blessings.“Certain of it.”“What does it do… this trap?”“Now that’s the mystery- I’ve no idea, nor do I know how to disarm it.”Newt looks long and hard at the thing.“But I do have a solution, of sorts… I’ll explain, Bec’s going to put me down here, I’ll dash up the dais, grab the amulet, dive into the water- submerge, then swim underwater to the door- easy.”“Where are we going to be?” Anya asks.“Well if I were you I’d be either out the room altogether or behind the pillars, you see I’ve no idea what’s going to happen.”“You don’t have to do this Newt.” Cas offers.“Oh I do, because if that thing starts moving”, Newt points at the Lion-headed Statue, “you’re not going to see me for dust, and I’d rather have the key in my hand.”Cas thinks about it.“Alright but let’s get ready, we may as well presume the worst, say that thing is an Iron Golem…”A minute or so later and a number of spells have been cast, Anya’s Mage Armour shimmers and reflects the turgid water, likewise she feels a little healthier thanks to her Endurance spell. Ala meanwhile has acquired bulk in the form of muscle, courtesy of a Bull’s Strength spell. Newt has quaffed his Potion of Spider Climb and is set to go, floating in the water before the dais. Everyone except the Rogue has a magic weapon drawn, likewise everyone, except Newt, is hidden from sight- peeking out to spy on the brave, or maybe just foolhardy, Rogue.“Ready?” Newt calls over.“May Pelor…”“And Correllon…”“Bless you.” Cas and Ala finish.“Fingers bloody crossed”, for good measure Anya sticks her fingers in her ears.“Ready.” Jim finishes.Bec nods, but by then it’s too late.Next Turn: The Guardian.</blockquote>

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