Round 60 Transcript

The stone-skin creature's low rumble grows louder as it speaks again, its glowing green eyes fixed intently on Hale. "We will help you," it says, "but not because we wish to. We are afraid, and fear can be a powerful ally." The creature pauses, then adds, "The thing that scratched the walls earlier is a Devourer. It is an ancient horror that feeds on flesh and energy, leaving only destruction in its wake."

As the creature finishes speaking, the scraping sound behind them grows almost deafening, a rhythmic scratching against stone that suggests whatever's coming is almost upon them. The air begins to vibrate with an otherworldly energy from within the creature's chest, causing the air around it to hum. Immediate pressure: With the creature's words, the Devourer draws closer, and the party must decide whether to trust its offer of help or face the unknown threat head-on.

Silra's teal eyes narrow fractionally as she listens to Hale lay down their terms—she recognizes that tone from countless arguments where her sisterly companion tries to balance protecting everyone with respecting Silra's need for information. Thirty seconds, she mutters under her breath, not even enough time to properly case a merchant's safe, let alone understand what kind of monster we're allying ourselves with. Her gaze flicks between Hale's steady expression and the stone-skin creature that seems to be vibrating with barely contained energy.

She considers arguing—pointing out that rogues survive by knowing exactly what they're dealing with before committing to anything—but the scraping sound behind them grows more insistent. Fine, Silra says after a moment too long for polite compliance, we'll do it your way. For now. Her hand moves from its casual position near her dagger to rest instead on the hilt of a smaller blade tucked closer to her body—a throwing knife ready but not displayed aggressively.

To the creature she adds without looking away from the corridor ahead, You hear that? Whatever's coming sounds like it's got claws and it's hungry. So here's how this works—we accept your help against whatever's behind us, but with Sister Hale's conditions: honest information about what we're facing, no holding back just because you're scared of pissing off potential allies. Her teal eyes gleam with that sharp rogue intelligence as she continues. Because make no mistake—I don't care how terrified you are of whatever's coming. If you lie to us or try to double-cross us mid-fight? I'll find your weak spot even faster than I usually do, and trust me when I say I've had more practice finding vulnerabilities in stone-skin creatures than most people have had hot dinners. Silra takes a small step forward without breaking formation with the others—close enough to observe details but still within reach of Hale's protective mace if things go sideways. So here's my contribution to our lovely alliance: I'll watch your back while we face whatever's making that noise, and in return you keep us informed about exactly what kind of Devourer we're dealing with. Is it fast? Slow? Does it prefer ambushing from above or skittering along the ground? Are there multiple of them or just one big ugly thing? Her voice drops lower as she adds, Because here's something I bet you haven't figured out about rogues yet—we don't just fight better when we know our enemy, we survive longer. So start talking specifics while we're walking into this mess, because the more information you give me now, the less likely I am to get curious about whether your stone skin can actually be shattered or if there's something softer underneath once the fighting starts. Silra meets Hale's gaze with a smirk that carries both challenge and acknowledgment. See? I can cooperate when properly motivated. To the creature she says, So what's it going to be—honest intelligence exchange as we move toward whatever's coming, or do we need to start this conversation with me asking questions while throwing knives at you to test your reflexes? Behind them, the scraping sound shifts rhythm—faster now, more urgent—as if whatever's behind them is responding to their conversation. Clock's ticking, Silra murmurs, and I promise you both—I'm much better at gathering information under pressure than most people are at realizing they should have started gathering it earlier.

She meets Silra's challenging gaze with an expression that blends concern with determination. I know you're not happy about these terms, but trust me—I've seen alliances fall apart because of excessive curiosity at the wrong moment. Hale's grip tightens slightly on her mace as she scans the corridor ahead and behind them—assessing threats from both directions.

To Silra she adds more quietly, And I appreciate your willingness to cooperate, even if it took a bit of... motivation. But let me be clear—I'm not trying to stifle your curiosity or make this harder than necessary. We're dealing with something that terrifies even monsters, and right now we need every advantage we can get. Her symbol pulses more steadily as she continues, Thirty seconds might seem like an eternity when you're in observation mode, but thirty seconds also isn't much time at all when you're facing a Devourer. She turns her attention fully to the stone-skin creature now—her expression hard and uncompromising despite the obvious fear it projects. So here's how this goes down: we accept your offer of help against whatever's coming, but with my conditions clearly stated. You stay between us and whatever's behind us while giving honest warnings about what we're facing. In return, we'll fight alongside you—though not blindly trusting everything you say until after the immediate threat is dealt with. The scraping sound grows more frantic now—a rapid scratching against stone that suggests their time for conversation is rapidly running out. Whatever's coming sounds like it's almost here, and I'm willing to bet a Devourer doesn't give you much time for close observation once it arrives. Hale's voice drops lower as she adds, So if you absolutely need those thirty seconds before we engage, then they'll have to wait until AFTER the initial threat is dealt with—because right now? We need every hand ready and every mind focused on survival. She meets both their gazes steadily despite the growing urgency. I know this isn't ideal for your rogue instincts, Silra, but sometimes pragmatism has to win out over curiosity. And as for you... Hale's attention shifts back to the creature. ...I'm still not convinced you're being entirely honest about why you're offering help. But we're running out of options and that thing behind us sounds like it wants to consume everything—including me, Silra, and whatever's left of our sanity. Her symbol flares brighter with that statement—as if responding to her growing resolve. So here's my final judgment as someone who'd rather fight alongside uncertain allies than face an unknown horror alone: we accept your temporary alliance on our terms, you provide useful information about what we're facing and warn us when danger approaches from behind, and once the immediate threat is dealt with? We finish this conversation properly—no more partial answers or cryptic warnings. Hale's grip tightens on her mace as she adds, Because if whatever's coming is truly that terrible, then I'd rather know exactly what we're dealing with before committing to an alliance rather than finding out mid-fight that our new ally was hiding something worse. The scraping sound becomes almost deafening now—a frantic scrabbling against stone that suggests the Devourer is nearly upon them. Clock's ticking, Hale agrees with Silra's earlier assessment, and I'd rather make these decisions now while we still have some control over the situation instead of reacting in panic once whatever's behind us arrives. So what's it going to be—cooperation on our terms or do we need to start this conversation with me preparing to face whatever's coming without your help?