“I think they know we left…” Magma hears one of her companions say. A quick glance at the three rock-walled tunnels behind shows that to be one fabulous understatement. Coming down each tunnel are elite guards with weapons drawn and torches in hand. And ahead of them, backlit by the flickering flames? Spiders! Thousands of them! Maybe tens of thousands all spilling forward down each tunnel like three dark waves.
“Just how are we supposed to fight that?” One of her companion asks.
“Well, what else can we do? I can just see the exit, but no way we’re makin’ it…” another says.
“Yeah… but… but, uh…” a third trails off fearfully.
“No worries. This is why I never let the rest of you make me take a night watch. Being well rested has its advantages!” Magma says cheerfully to the others.
“Mag… what could you possibly…”
“No… she’s got this… but we may want to all step back. And cover our ears.”
“Yes. Thank you,” Magma says with a hint of sarcasm. “I know I’m talented and you all think the world of me, but I’ve got one shot at this, so no distractions or we’re all spider food…”
Having said her warning, Magma slowly walks towards the approaching threats. The distance, where the three tunnels merge into her group’s one, is just about right. And she is well rested, despite her companions goads and complaints about her needing a “beauty sleep.” And… she’s tried this before. Several times. Was even successful a few of them…
With a few seconds to go, Magma works to control her breathing. On each inhale, her dark Genasi skin glows a brighter, more fiery red, and on each exhale it dims again down to its usual darker brown. Then, when the time is right, when the spiders and their few handlers are the correct distance, she springs forward, yelling an incantation as she goes. Twin bright orange pinpoints of light form in her hands. After two or maybe three steps, Magma plants her front foot and let’s her momentum carry her into a fast, artful twirl. As she spins she releases one pinpoint of light towards the first tunnel and another towards the second. Halfway through her 360 degree turn she yells out with effort and no small amount of pain as she manifests a third point of fiery light which she releases towards the remaining tunnel as she spins back around.
The massive expenditure of energy and magic sees her collapse forward onto her hands and knees with not even enough strength to look up to the results. But then, she doesn’t need to. The three bright points streak to their destinations at the mouths of the three tunnels before exploding into searing fireballs that light walls and shake the ground. Spiders and men are consumed in the triple blasts, and any who aren’t are soon crushed or trapped as the three narrower tunnels cave in on themselves.
It takes almost a minute for Magma to open her eyes and notice a friendly hand being offered to her. The fingers that wrap around her’s as she’s pulled to her feat are warm to the touch. That’s something she hasn’t felt in… well… ever. There’s never been a case where she hasn’t been the more warm-blooded one out of her companions.
“I think maybe… I overdid it…” she says weakly as a chilled shiver passes through her body. But she still manages to crack a smile. “I feel like I’ll need another beauty sleep ‘fore trying that again.”
That earns her laughter and smiles all around as she and her companions make their way out of the secret tunnel and head back towards their rewards of wealth and glory.
Magma is a 5th level Fire Genasi for D&D 5th edition. She is brash, charming, quick to anger, loyal, and dangerous. There is little that can stand in her way when she sets out to do something, though she does, on occasion, overextend herself, which is why it’s good that she travels the world adventuring with an diverse oddball collection of friends. Here character sheet can be found here, and her triple lutz fireball attack is legal… once per day. (Except for that pesky Cantrip rule.)