Round 20

Amidst the tempest's relentless drumming, Jeane's crimson eyes shone with unyielding determination as she wove intricate patterns in the air, casting Detect Magic once more. The spell's subtle tendrils danced around them, revealing a hidden pattern beneath their feet – multiple movements working together in perfect harmony, like the rhythmic pounding of a dormant heartbeat. Silra crouched low, her teal eyes fixed intently on the ground as she signaled Sister Hale back with two fingers, a silent signal they had agreed upon. The worn leather of Sister Hale's mace creaked softly as she turned slowly to scan their surroundings.

The storm's fury intensified as Jeane's vision plunged downward through layers of stone and packed earth, the arcane field beneath pulsing like a dormant heartbeat. She tasted its residue on her tongue: incense and blood and something older, more primal than any human rite. Her hand settled over the altar's surface as she focused the Identify spell, seeking to unravel the mystery of the hidden pattern. The magic unfurled with deliberate care, illuminating the intricate web of stone and earth.

As the Identify spell revealed the altar's magical signature, a faint alarm in the nearby guard's hearing range triggered a sudden surge of arcane energy. The guard became alert and began to approach the altar, though not yet hostile, his wariness palpable despite the rain-soaked air. Jeane drew the unholy symbol from inside her cloak, its blackened metal catching what little light remained as she began to chant, 'This site is consecrated ground—sacred to forces older than your city's brief history.' The guard halted his approach mid-stride, caught between suspicion and something deeper—the instinctive wariness of a mortal confronting a powerful sorceress.