Round 20 Transcript

The underground river's current carries Jeane, Varrika, and Seraphine closer to the rock formation, their makeshift raft creaking under the strain. As they pull themselves together, the pulsing stone slab on the wall begins to glow brighter, illuminating a narrow passageway behind the alcove. The air is stale and musty, filled with the scent of damp earth and mold. The passageway stretches out into darkness, its walls adorned with twisted, organic-looking formations that seem to writhe in the faint light. As they catch their breath, Varrika's eyes narrow, her gaze fixed on the passageway. "We need to be careful," she warns, her voice low and urgent. "This could be a trap."

Seraphine's fingers tighten around the crossbow, her eyes scanning the passageway for any signs of danger. "Agreed," she says, her voice steady. "But we have no other choice. We need to move forward if we're going to find Merrin and get out of here."

I cling to the rock formation, wings beating uselessly against the current. The magical interference is total—spells fizzle in my hands like wet fireworks. We're fighting a physical battle now, not an arcane one. Varrika's right—the passage could be a trap, but staying here is suicide. We need to move before the current washes us deeper into this hellhole or separates us completely. "Seraphine has the map—good thinking," I gasp between strokes. "But we can't afford to waste time debating. If Merrin's still alive, she's downstream somewhere. We regroup, then move fast."

I cling to the rock formation, my fingers aching from the strain of holding on against the relentless current. The magical interference is total—spells fizzle in my hands like wet fireworks. We're fighting a physical battle now, not an arcane one. Varrika's right—the passage could be a trap, but staying here is suicide. We need to move before the current washes us deeper into this hellhole or separates us completely.
I catch a glimpse of Merrin's dark hair bobbing in the distance, the bard's body limp and lifeless as she’s carried along by the current. My heart clenches at the sight—I can’t let them die, not like this. But as I battle against the raging river, a new fear takes hold. The walls of the underground cavern loom around us, their surfaces slick with moisture and covered in strange, glowing runes that seem to pulse with an otherworldly energy. It’s as if we’ve been swept into some nightmarish underworld, a realm of darkness and magic where the very laws of nature are twisted and warped.
Jeane's voice cuts through the chaos, a distant shout barely audible over the din of rushing water. She's found something—a rock formation, perhaps a temporary respite in this liquid hell we've fallen into. My eyes strain against the darkness, searching for any sign of my companions. Halie is nowhere to be seen, but I catch a glimpse of Varrika battling the current near the far bank.
"I see you!" I call out, my voice hoarse and strained as I fight to keep my head above water. The wizard in me wants to cast a spell, to conjure some kind of flotation device or protective barrier, but the magical interference here is suffocating, just like the cold water filling my mouth and nose every time I gasp for air. It's all I can do to stay afloat. As Varrika makes her way towards Jeane's rock formation, a new fear takes hold of me. We're being scattered, pulled apart by this relentless river. If we don't regroup soon, we could be lost in these underground tunnels forever. The thought chills me more than the frigid water swirling around my legs. I push myself towards them, my arms aching with exertion. Each stroke is a struggle against the current's overwhelming force. I can feel my strength waning, my limbs growing heavy and sluggish from the cold. But I have to reach them—we need to stick together if we’re going to survive this nightmare. Finally, after what feels like an eternity of fighting the river, I grab onto a piece of Jeane's gear—a fallen crossbow, half-submerged in the water. It's not much, but it gives me something solid to hold onto as I pull myself closer to the rock formation where Varrika and Jeane are clinging. "I have the map," I gasp, holding up the ancient stone carving I discovered earlier. Its surface is slick with moisture, but the runes still glow faintly in the darkness. "It might lead us out of this place."
The current continues to rage around us, a constant threat, but for now we've found a small pocket of stability. Our bodies pressed together, we form a makeshift raft against the rock, using our gear as flotation. It's a desperate measure, but it's all we have right now. "Merrin," I whisper, my voice choked with fear and guilt. "She was swept away—we need to find her."

I turn my attention back to the narrow passageway behind the alcove, the one Varrika mentioned could be a trap. The air is stale and musty, filled with the scent of damp earth and mold. The walls are adorned with twisted, organic-looking formations that seem to writhe in the faint light of the pulsing stone slab.
My eyes narrow as I study the entrance. It’s too dark to see what lies beyond, but the organic structures on the wall look disturbingly like the roots of some massive, hidden plant. Or perhaps they are something else entirely—the work of a powerful magic or a terrifying creature dwelling in this underground realm.
I reach out, my fingers trembling slightly as I trace one of the pulsating runes etched into the stone above the passage. A sudden jolt of energy surges through me, not painful, but startlingly intense. The rune flares with a blinding white light before settling back into its normal pulsing rhythm.
"It's active," I murmur, my voice a strained whisper. "The magic here... it's all around us."
A shiver runs down my spine, a mixture of fear and a strange, almost thrilling sensation. The air crackles with an undeniable power, unlike anything I've ever felt before in the tower above. This deep underground, cut off from the surface world, magic seems to have taken on a life of its own.
I glance back at Jeane and Varrika, who are still struggling to hold their position against the current. They haven’t noticed my discovery yet, too focused on simply staying alive in this watery prison.
"We need to check it out," I call out over the roar of the river. "This passage... it might be the key to finding Merrin and getting out of here."
I know the risk is immense—this could easily be a trap, or lead us into even greater dangers. But staying here is no longer an option. The current grows stronger by the minute, threatening to pull us apart and scatter us into this labyrinthine network of underground caverns.
"Varrika!" I shout, my voice cutting through the water's roar. "Get the others! We have to move before we're washed away!"