The Ice Worm thrashed and flailed. Every wound inflicted was amplified by that enchanted knife: the glass shards gashing its hide, Ivory's horns briefly slashing it a glancing blow. Even the strike of Shida's hooves sank deep, blood welling up from the impacts.

The knife drove deeper.

It was, perhaps, the ice that killed it; the irony was lost on the mindless creature. All it knew was pain. Wynter's spikes swelled, puncturing it, throwing sprays of silver-blue blood as it flailed, rising so high in its death throes that its head cleared the top of the ravines. And then, as if it knew its fate, as if it railed against it even in its final moments--as the ice spread, from knife and spikes, across its slowing body--it threw itself down upon them.

The hundred-ton body lifted--lifted--and came crashing down, the Ice Worm in its final act attempting to take the injured Gembound down with it. And when it came to rest, it at last lay still. All around it, the canyon roared protest at its fall: rocks falling, crumbling, snow crashing down...

_______________

Gembound who failed the previous round must roll to avoid the Ice Worm's fall, or the shattering rock caused by its death throes. Those who failed last round will die in this round if they fail to save themselves, or if they are not saved by another. Those who failed in attacking can only be aided by those who were attacking; those in hiding can only be helped by those also in hiding.

Virgil, Fisher, Agate Two-Three-Six, and Imp take critical damage in the form of disfiguring or crippling wounds from the last round. Null, Palefur, and Desert Rose take non-critical injury.

Imp must additionally save himself, and cannot be aided by any other Gembound.