Round 20 Transcript

The Identify spell reveals the altar’s magical signature, but the sudden surge of arcane energy triggers a faint alarm in the nearby guard’s hearing range. The guard becomes alert and begins to approach the altar, though not yet hostile.

The spell of binding words and dark authority unfurls with practiced ease—my voice low and resonant despite the rain drumming on my hood. I draw the unholy symbol from inside my cloak, its blackened metal catching what little light remains as I begin to chant. 'This site is consecrated ground—sacred to forces older than your city's brief history.' The guard halts his approach mid-stride, caught between suspicion and something deeper—the instinctive wariness of a mortal confronting a power beyond their comprehension.

I drop into a low crouch beside the altar, my rogue's eyes scanning the ground with predatory focus—looking specifically for anything that might be connected to the tripwire Gravedigger mentioned earlier. What is this? The stone here looks newer than the rest of the ruin—repaired recently, maybe even tonight. My fingers trace a crack in the flagstones, and there it is: almost invisible wire running underneath, barely thicker than a spider's thread. I drop into a low crouch, my rogue's eyes scanning the ground around the altar for tripwires or pressure plates—looking specifically for anything that might be connected to the trap Gravedigger mentioned.

I step forward and raise my hands in a placating gesture, addressing the approaching guard in a calm and clear voice. 'We mean no disrespect to your city's traditions or its dead.' I try to sound genuinely curious rather than confrontational—a traveler who means no harm to local customs—but every second feels like borrowed time while something moves beneath our feet.