Round 42 Transcript

As the city guard leader instructs his guard to light the lantern, the flickering shadows dance across the ash-choked road, casting eerie silhouettes on the ground. The guards move closer, their hands still resting on their sword hilts, and the air is charged with tension. Suddenly, a loud crack echoes from beneath the street, followed by the sound of scuttling claws scraping against stone. Gravedigger Renn's eyes widen in terror as he stammers, "It's coming out! The tunnels are opening up!" He points frantically at the grating in the ground, where fresh ash is spilling out in rhythmic bursts. The massive chitinous limb that burst forth earlier re-emerges from the darkness, its claws now visible as it scrabbles against stone mere inches from Jeane's face. The party exchanges panicked glances, and the city guard leader growls, "We need to get out of here, now!" He takes a step back, his hand tightening on his sword hilt. The guards move closer, trapping the party between them and the tunnel entrance.

I'm pulling back toward Gravedigger Renn despite being dragged—the party needs to understand: we can't just flee blindly when we have pieces of a puzzle. Whatever took them down there is specific and deliberate, not mindless violence. We need to know what happened at the old church that made the entire guard run. I'm shouting over my shoulder as I'm pulled back: We need to get Gravedigger Renn inside that church! He knows more than he's saying—I heard him mutter something about 'the awakening' when he thought we couldn't hear! Whatever's happening is tied to that old church, and he's got information locked in his head that might save us all.