The creature overpowers her

Yes/No (Unlikely): Can Lux overcome this threat? | [1,2] No

Lux tenses as the creature draws back its tendrils – poised, viper-like. As it lashes out towards her, she sidesteps – strikes out with the fairy lance, hoping against hope –

The blade grazes harmlessly against the tendril. Nothing. Is a thing like this even able to sleep?

Ducking back, before it can try again, she beats a hasty retreat along the narrow passage. The monster looks slow, heavy – maybe she can just keep out of reach. If she can find her way out, get to open ground…

A cracking-creaking surge of noise tells her that’s not happening. Before, the monster was being quiet – trying sneak up on her. Now it emerges through the vine-wall in a rush, its ooze body spilling out to block her path – tendrils uncoiling.

It might be slow on the ground, but moving through the vine-structure of the maze, it’s fast. Fast enough to outpace Lux whichever way she goes – to block off every escape until she’s exhausted. Better to stand and face it, then – to have a chance. She steels herself for the inescapable fight.

She’s still holding the lance – there’s some sense of being armed. What are her options? Charms and illusions seem useless. Fire? Dry wood everywhere, she might set it all ablaze. Burn herself, Minn, the Hamadryad – it’s too risky. Acid? Lightning? Maybe.

Again it winds up, telegraphing its attack. This time she dodges forward, moving closer to the body – whispering her words of power. With her right hand, using the lance, she lunges, hits her mark, sending a shocking jolt through the weapon. The creature shudders – stunned, maybe, for a moment. With her left, the follow up, a corrosive touch – nothing, barely a sizzle at her fingertips. She keeps moving past, hoping to slip out of reach –

Something snags her ankle. She’s falling – catches herself badly. Off-balance, winded. Now something’s got her other leg. Fingernails drag in the dirt as she tries to stop herself being pulled back – back towards the monster that’s coiling its grip more and more around her…

One chance left. Her shocking grasp worked – sort of – didn’t it? She twists and reaches back to try again, screaming her invocation, sending the jolt through the tendrils. She feels the feedback hit her – a fraction of what the ooze got – but it’s not enough. Unfazed, another tendril grabs her outstretched arm. And then the other –

Both her arms are pulled back now. How many tendrils does this thing have...? As many as it needs. More and more snake up to secure her. She’s lifted up, arms and legs held outstretched. Suspended, helpless, in front of this monster, the fairy lance lost somewhere on the ground – for all the good it did.

“Minn! It’s…got me!” She grits her teeth as she pulls with all her strength, trying to get even one hand free – no good. “Do something!”

“Oh, I’m doing something.” Minn’s voice emerges from somewhere overhead, breathy, heavy with arousal.

“It’s going to kill me!” Lux hears her own voice crack with panic. There has to be way out, there has to –

“It won’t kill you yet,” Minn says, dreamily. “It wants to get to know you.”

Sure enough, with her limbs fully under their control, the tentacles are beginning to explore – twining their way along, sliding under her clothes, their smooth touch unsettlingly cold against her skin…

Doom increases to 2