The creature lets out a guttural snarl as you lunge forward, your short sword aimed at what you hope is a vital point. However, your previous injury flares with a sharp pain, throwing off your balance just as you strike. The creature twists with surprising agility, and your blade glances off its tough, leathery hide, embedding itself harmlessly in the stone floor beside it.

The creature seizes this moment of vulnerability. Its jagged appendages lash out with blinding speed. One strikes your wounded side again, its sharp edges tearing through your loosened armour. Another blow slams into your shoulder, sending a white-hot jolt through your arm and causing you to drop your dagger. You stagger back, breath catching in your throat, the stench of ozone and decay suddenly overwhelming.