Round 9

As the city guard stepped onto the third stone, a faint hiss erupted from the plate beneath him, and a thin plume of black ash curled upward before dissipating into the storm-dark sky. The guard's eyes widened as the mechanism clicked, but Silra's invisible sigils kept the main trap dormant, allowing him to pass unscathed.

Silra's casual posture and warning call about old city traps seemed to assuage the guard, who stopped, hand on his sword hilt but not drawing it yet. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the three women in worn travel clothes - Jeane with her commanding presence, Sister Hale with her calming gesture, and Silra with an air of quiet confidence.

Jeane's Detect Magic spell illuminated the pressure plates' intricate layout beneath the surface, revealing a web of trap runes etched into the cobblestones. The arcane energy washed over the ash-choked stones in visible waves, each connected to mechanisms buried deeper - some primed with old city explosives, others merely alarms designed to summon patrols. As she moved forward with deliberate steps, holding the rusted key prominently, Sister Hale placed herself between the guard and Silra, raising her hands in a calming gesture.