Round 18 Transcript

At Penthouse suite in a New York high rise, the pressure shifts from waiting to immediate risk. The ward answers the party's presence with a fresh pulse through the stone and no one can mistake it for safety. The nearest sign of danger is now structural instability from wardstone interaction. Someone has to answer that change now.

I step closer to Silra, my voice low and curious despite the wardstone's ominous throbbing. "Seismic sensor for lust—how wonderfully precise." The building groans around us like an old ship in storm waters. I glance at Hera, our unexpected guest standing near the threshold, her expression a mix of apprehension and confusion. "What exactly are you proposing, Silra?" I ask, my eyes returning to the elf woman who's always managed to surprise me with her solutions—even if they leave me breathless in more ways than I'd prefer. "And how does our charming guest here factor into your calculations?"

The wardstone pulses again, its rhythm accelerating. We don't have much time before this structure becomes far less hospitable.

Hera approaches the wardstone cautiously, looking around at the others with a blend of apprehension and curiosity. "What exactly is going on here? I can feel the energy in the air, it's almost... electric."

She steps closer to Silra, who seems to be examining the stone intently. "Silra? What are you thinking about this thing?" Hera asks, gesturing towards the wardstone.

The wardstone's pulse is getting faster—it wants friction, it wants force, and it doesn't care how we give it what it needs. I don't plan on humping rock just to keep this place from caving in. Hera's already looking at the thing like it might start breathing fire any second. Smart girl, that one. The building is groaning around us now—not good. We're past talking about pressure and onto feeling the structure shift under our feet.