Round 7 Transcript

Jeane’s secondary ward crackles as her sorcerous energy latches onto the stone beneath the floorboards, revealing a faint, pulsing glow where pressure plates may lie. The ward’s spell fizzles partially, leaving a lingering shimmer that marks the potential trap locations but does not fully expose them. The ash‑choked road outside Gravehill grows colder as the hidden mechanism hums, hinting that something is still moving beneath the streets.

I quickly examine Jeane’s shimmering ward spell, then trace the tripwire to its source—a bell hanging from the ceiling. I pull out my dagger and carefully cut the wire a few inches away from the pressure plate, tension easing as the connection severs without sound or sudden movement. The bell remains still, the trap disarmed for now. "Good work," Sister Hale murmurs quietly. "Though we've only bought time—Renn says something's moving beneath us."

I raise my hands, arcane syllables hissing through gritted teeth as I cast Detect Magic across the floorboards. The spell spreads like oil on water, revealing faint residual energies—traces of old ward spells, long since failed, and something else. A dark sigil pulses beneath the center altar, barely visible unless you know what to look for. It's not recent work; it feels... dormant. Like a sleeping curse that might wake if we step too close.

Sister Hale steps forward, her mace held ready but not threateningly aimed at the guardsmen. Her voice is firm despite the fear coiling in her stomach: \"Stay behind me. You've done nothing wrong here—as far as we know—and you won't face their judgment alone.\" The defensive stance feels right—this is what she's trained for, what her faith demands: protecting the innocent, even if it means facing down armed men who clearly want them gone.