The architectural style the party finds surrounding themselves is a hard one to categorize, being a mix of metal plate and hard, shell-like organic growths. Who would even build a structure out of metal? Even without the organic portions, it certainly doesn't seem like any vault Thaddeus can remember seeing. Nor does it have the appearance of some sort of castle, if anyone aside from a dungeon could even consider building a castle out of solid metal rather than stone and earth.

Those idle thoughts are quickly swept aside as Tizzy starts pointing out possible ambush points, with a bit of urgency in her voice thanks to the echoing noises coming from all around them. "There's two grates on the ceiling there! Also there's a hole hidden behind that pillar! How should we handle them?"

The prince needs only a moment to consider his options. "Linda, block the two above with barriers - they don't need to be strong, they just need to last long enough to let us know something is coming through. As for the hole, have the decoys guard it for anything that comes through."

Nalain scoffs a little at the second command. "You know, calling the other two 'the decoys' over and over kind of gives away the whole decoy thing. Not that I mind having some extra bodies around."

Thaddeus, or at least something appearing to be him, gives Nalain a smirk. "Ah, but perhaps I am a decoy, and I'm only referring to them as such to throw the dungeon off our trail."

Whatever answer the warrior is about to give to that is quickly interrupted by the arrival of their new guests. The odd crystal panels generating a bit of light for the chamber begin to flicker, but Tizzy quickly generates a light spell of her own and the party gets a decent view of a monstrosity scratching away at one of the barriers guarding the ceiling. Linda keeps her focus on it, ready to blast it if or when it breaks through, but the rest of the group soon has their attention drawn to a trio of horrors that burst through the hole in the wall.

The decoys - or one decoy and Prince Thaddeus - do fairly well at blunting the initial charge with their magical shields, but the third monster to appear gets around their improvised defense by scrabbling its way up and along the wall at a surprising speed. It's Reed that meets it first, thanks to a speed enhancement from Hylii, but the first thrust of his blade into the monster's shoulder rewards him only with an unholy screech. It's at about that point that the high agility and flexibility of the creatures displays itself, and the defenses of the party begin to fall apart.

The horror at the ceiling entrance eventually succeeds at breaking through Linda's barrier, and the shattered grate is followed soon after by the monster as it falls to the ground. Linda was ready for this, and a force blast slams the monster into a nearby wall before it even gets halfway down. Despite the energy of the blow however there's no sign of the broken limbs the mage was expecting, and instead it only seems to be disoriented as it attempts to find its feet.

The two monsters attacking the Thaddeuses aren't held back for long either, as they apparently decide to move on to squishier prey. Rather than attempting to get through the prince's shield and armor they instead scramble right onto the two and then leap off, aiming for the center of the group. One lands right on Tizzy - or thinks it does, passing right through a magical image of the woman and landing on the floor face-first so hard that it actually loses teeth. A blast of pink energy from thin air off to the side hits it hard before it has time to recover, and the ghostly sound of Tizzy's laughter echoes through the room. "Guess they don't have magical senses, at least!"

The other leaper aims for Hylii but finds itself greeted by Nalain instead, with the warrior slamming it so hard with her shield that it's likely to need the same dental checkup as its friend. Its tail lashes out in a follow-up, attempting to get over her defenses in order to sting her in the face, but the warrior manages to drop her sword in time to grab the appendage with her gauntleted hand. The monster attempts to pull back but in a game of tug-of-war the orcish woman seems to come out on top, and she displays her sportsmanlike behavior in the contest by repeatedly kicking the monster in the head every time she pulls it closer. It seems to annoy it more than truly wound it, but it does leave it rather distracted when Hylii comes in to finish it off with his blade.

Of all the party, it's perhaps Reed who finds himself having the most difficulty with his foe. The man doesn't use a shield or heavy armor, depending instead on agility and speed as his primary defense. That strategy proves to be a weak one when facing a monster also apparently based around the idea of agility, and the fencer struggles to dodge every clawed swing or stinger lash that comes his way. He scores more hits of his own than he takes, but one strike of the monster's tail does manage to puncture his left thigh, slowing him down even further.

Fortunately, just as the monster is about to capitalize on the blow all three Thaddeuses swarm onto it, pinning it in place and almost literally crushing it with their shields. The tail gets lopped off with the swing of a sword, and two more stabs work well to slow it down. The rescue gives Reed all the opening he needs and with practiced precision his blade plunges directly into the monster's skull, putting it down.

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That leaves the two being blasted around by Tizzy and Linda, and the mages are frustrated to find that while they're capable of keeping the monsters off their feet, their blasts don't seem to be particularly effective at actually killing the things. An illusion of Tizzy reforms and growls a moment later. "How thick is that armor of theirs? Some of my blasts should've gone right through a monster their size!"

"Just keep them down for a moment, we'll finish them off." Nalain recovers her sword and proceeds to lead the party in doing exactly that, before turning towards Tizzy with a grin. "Their exoskeletons aren't that thick, they're just flexible. Squishy almost, honestly. So it's more like they, uh, bounce with the impacts rather than absorb it. Swords do better, but..." She trails off as she examines her blade, and realizes the blood left splattered on it is steaming. "Shit, this shit is etching into my blade!"

"Oh yeah, they've got acid blood or something, but - crap!" Tizzy looks around at the others in the group. "Tannis was carrying most of the neutralizer we packed! Linda, you have some?"

The Force Mage frowns. "I did take a vial or two, yes, but...if our supplies are limited, perhaps we should spare it for wounds rather than equipment?"

The prince nods. "We can always get new swords and armor after today. These pools don't seem to be acidic, perhaps we can wash our gear in those to at least prevent the worst of it." The party does so, with Reed pausing to check his father's sword among his things in the meanwhile. Originally he'd taken it to have something of his father with him, but if more fights go on like this one the man may be needing the backup weapon.

Eventually they move on and find more portal rings waiting for them at the end of a short hall, this time with three of the runic circles painted onto the floor. Tizzy steps up to them first, but doesn't pick one right away. "Okay, so obviously we're not splitting up. Which way do we go?"

Thaddeus gestures to the right. "No point in getting caught up in considering a random choice. Same formation, Tizzy, Nalain, lead us through." The group repeats the previous process, and this time finds themselves in a very small, circular chamber, where the walls are completely covered in organic material and the water reaches up to their knees. Worse...there doesn't seem to be a way out.

Linda sighs as her robes grow soaked. "So it just brought us in here to get us wet? Should we just go backwards, or is there another portal hidden under the scum?"

A few members of the party begin peering at the floor, but Tizzy is the first to look up. "Wait, the ceiling! It's dark up there, but I think it leads into another room - like we're stuck at the bottom of a well!" She turns towards the wall and tentatively grabs on to one of the ridged growths. "I guess we're supposed to climb? It's only like...twenty feet."

"Twenty feet of - this!?" Linda seems even more displeased by the idea than she was about getting her boots soaked. "Some of it is...egh, sticky."

Thaddeus doesn't look much happier, although his concerns are more practical. "I highly doubt we're getting up there without setting off some traps or an ambush. And either we all climb at once and we're all vulnerable, or we take turns and whoever goes first is isolated." He thinks about it for a moment longer before shaking his head. "There's other routes, we don't need to take this one. Head back through, and once we're re-gathered we'll take the middle portal instead."

The mages are slightly annoyed at having to rework their illusions yet again, but that's counteracted by the relief of not needing to climb their way out of a monstrous well. Again the party goes back through the portal - Nalain, Tizzy, Linda, Thaddeus. Just as the prince activates it for his turn however, he looks up in time to spot a giant shadow suddenly leap down the well towards Hylii and Reed. He doesn't have time to do more than blink before the portal finishes transporting him, and when he shouts his warning it's only the first half of the group that hears him. "Watch out!"

Everyone immediately raises their weapons, but are more confused than alarmed. Nalain keeps her shield held high as she glances around the chamber. "What!? What is it, my lord?"

"Not - not you! Something was ambushing the others! Everyone back through, after me!" It takes the prince less than ten seconds to make the round trip, but when he returns to the well he worries that he may have already come back too late. Reed is slumped against the wall, looking dazed, while Hylii is nowhere to be found. Glancing upwards, it doesn't take Thaddeus long to solve that mystery at least - a tall drider-like figure is climbing its way back up the well. The light is too dim to make much out but he can see as the monster's bulk and long legs allow it to easily walk up both sides of the vertical tunnel at once, as easily as if it were a ladder. He can also make out the sight of Hylii dangling over the monster's shoulder - although whether he's dead or unconscious, Thaddeus can only guess.

He quickly draws and flings a throwing blade just to feel as if he's doing something, but the weapon pings off of the monster's exoskeleton as if it were a toy. Nalain is next through the portal but she's not much more help when it comes to ranged combat, and by time Linda and Tizzy come back through the creature has already vanished over the edge, taking Hylii with it. Seeing their Body Mage disappear, Thaddeus curses. "Foul creature! That - that must have been the Wandering Boss of the floor, it was far too large to be a normal monster!"

Tizzy does her best to peer upwards, but finds nothing. "I think I missed it. It...grabbed Hylii and left? Do we chase after him?"

Thaddeus doesn't answer at first, needing a moment instead to breathe deep and collect his thoughts. "...No, that's probably what it wants. Climbing is an even worse idea now than it was two minutes ago. But this is my fault, I didn't properly prepare a rearguard. Linda, is Reed okay?"

The blonde looks up from where she's feeding the fencer a healing potion. "He will be - it must have just knocked him aside in its haste rather than finish him off."

"Good, that's...good, at least. From now on, you're our rearguard - keep a barrier up until everyone's through so that no one else can be picked off. Understood?"

The mage swallows nervously, but nods. "Yes, my lord."

"Very good. Perhaps we'll find Hylii further on. But for now...we continue."

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