Move 258:  Playing in the Pool

Troll Caverns--Early, Day 17

With everyone else in various parts of the cavern, Daelen walked over to the pool and tossed his light stone into it. The rock sank in the murky water. Unlike the pool in the cavern they usually rested in, this one was obviously contaminated now that the surface of it was magically lit and they could see it better. The water was too dirty for the light stone on the bottom to give them an idea of what was in it.

One tentacle, then another came out of the pool, splashing the fighter standing beside it with filthy water. Daelen slashed one of the appendages with his sword. The other wrapped around him and pulled him into the water.

"OH SHIT!" Blacky yelled as he ran over and tried to chop off the tentacle holding Daelen.

"Bear," Jana muttered darkly. "Echo, you and Arachne stay back. I'm guessing being invisible isn't going to help you here," Jana said as she drew her sword. "Dammit." She advanced cautiously, crouching down as low as possible.

"Bother, bother, bother," said the mage as he began to cast a spell.

"Don't worry, I've got it right where I want it!" Daelen shouted back as he hacked and stabbed at the thing's appendage.

Blacky and Jana rushed to Daelen's aid. Aloysius cast a spell, hitting the tentacle wrapped around Daelen with three magic missiles, leaving small burn marks on it. The second tentacle wrapped around Daelen as he tried to slice the one already ensnaring him. He lost his footing on the slick rock and lurched forward, barely keeping himself from toppling into the water entirely. Jana crouched down as she reached the water's edge. She tried to grab Daelen from behind to keep him from being pulled deeper into the pool, but she was not able to get a hold on him. Blacky moved in, chopping one of the tentacles.   The appendage was damaged, but it did not release its hold on Daelen.

"Funny fishy, funny fishy," chanted Aloysius just as he began another spell.

Azrun ran to the pool so he could see what was going on, "Geez! Didn't see this one coming......" He then began to cast a spell pointing at the tentacle that haadn't been touched.

"Dammit," Jana grumbled. She made another grab for Daelen, attempting to drag him back.

"I think she likes me!" Daelen yelled as he continued to attack the tentacles to the best of his ability.

Shaking his head, Olaf came forward and started hacking at the tentacles with his sword.

"Damn Daelen, I didn't know you had such animal magnetism! Can anyone get a shot on the body? Maybe that will convince it to let go!" Blacky yelled as he hacked at the tentacle again.

"Maybe this can help with finding the creature's body," Renn said as he began to chant a prayer.

Azrun cast a spell, hitting one of the tentacles with magic missiles. Olaf  waded into the pool, raising his sword to attack. Jana grabbed Daelen, keeping him from falling as the tentacles released him. The appendages
retracted back into the water with a big splash. The water rippled violently as whatever was attached to the tentacles moved away from the edge of the pool and the party, leaving no part of itself visible for further attack by
either sword or spell.

"Well, if I was to guess that thing is probably guarding whatever treasure the trolls had. The trolls probably fed it whatever was leftover from ther meals, Hence the fouled water." Blacky commented as he moved back from the pool warily.

Jana grabbed Daelen, spinning around to send him away from the pool. "Olaf, get out of there!" she yelped. She sheathed her sword and rushed back to help Olaf out of the pool. "Everyone get back, it case it decides it's more
hungry than hurt."

Azrun stepped back from the pool and looked at the water trying to discern where the critter might be hiding at in the water. "Can anyone tell where it's at?"

Aloysius pointed towards the pool. "In the water, I'm quite sure," he said with a deadpan expression.  Slowly his lips curled upwards and he began to giggle.  As the giggle rose to a snicker, he covered his mouth with his hands.

Olaf got out of the pool and retreated out of tentacle range.

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