Round 6

As the flickering runes cast an eerie glow across Jeane's face, Merrin's fingers twitched with the urge to start tinkering, but she forced herself to remain patient, knowing Jeane's keen eye for traps would be crucial in navigating the ancient magic binding the gate. Halie's right - they didn't come all this way just to turn back now; their quest for the Time-Splitting Sword hung in the balance. Varrika stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the pulsing runes, her hand instinctively moving to the grip of her mace, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead. The whispers in the wind seemed to grow louder, the trees surrounding the tower leaning in as if drawn by an unseen force, their branches creaking softly in response.

As Jeane knelt closer to the runes, her touch seemed to ignite a malevolent energy that pulsed against her palms, but she ignored it, tracing the interlocking patterns with a sharp nail, careful to avoid triggering the wards. "This isn't simple lock-picking work," she said, her voice steady despite the nausea rising in her throat, "these wards are keyed to trigger together if even one is disrupted." The runes shifted under her touch like living things trying to bite her, but she remained focused, driven by a determination to unravel the secrets of the ancient magic.