Round 1 Transcript

The road outside Gravehill is a ragged ribbon of ash and broken stone, slick with recent rain. A low, gray sky hangs over the ruined city, casting long shadows from crumbling towers. The abandoned church looms on the far edge of the town, its spire half‑collapsed and walls scarred by fire. A faint glow flickers inside, the lanterns of a few wandering souls. Gravedigger Renn stands near the cracked threshold, clutching a rusted key, his eyes darting toward the distant city guard patrol. The air smells of damp earth and distant smoke, and a chill wind whispers through the skeletal remains of the once‑proud nave.

Jeane approaches the church door with predatory grace, unholy symbol held low against her palm. 'Open for me,' she hums to the rusted iron, and arcane power coils through the metal like a serpent waking from slumber. The lock groans once—softly—as the tumblers align by sheer force of will. She slides inside without looking back at Gravedigger Renn's trembling form. The church interior is a cathedral of shadows; dust motes catch what little light remains outside, and something skitters in the far corners. Jeane's sorcery leaves her breathing slightly faster, a familiar heat pooling behind her sternum. The door remains closed behind her.

Sister Hale steps forward, her voice soft but firm. 'Gravedigger, please—what is the situation within? We mean no harm, only to restore this place as a sanctuary.' She offers him a gentle smile, trying to put him at ease despite his obvious fear. The church looms behind him like a dark sentinel, its few remaining windows empty eyes watching the road.