Round 22 Transcript

As Varrika pushes off from the rock formation, she stumbles, her foot catching on a loose rock in the water. She almost falls, but manages to grab onto Jeane's arm, nearly pulling her down with her. The two women cling to each other, their bodies straining against the current. Seraphine, meanwhile, has managed to grab onto the rock formation and is now signaling for the others to follow her into the narrow passageway. The ground beneath them shifts violently, sending a loud rumbling noise echoing through the caverns. The current surges, threatening to sweep them apart once more. Suddenly, a massive section of the tunnel wall collapses, sending a shower of rocks and debris cascading down on the trio. Varrika screams as she's forced to release Jeane's arm, her body tumbling through the air before she lands hard on the rocky floor, dazed and disoriented. The passageway behind them is now blocked, making it impossible for Seraphine to signal for the others to follow. The trio must decide how to proceed: try to navigate around the collapse, search for an alternative route, or attempt to dig through the rubble to create a new path.

I grab onto a stone outcropping, hauling myself up just enough to get my head above water. The magical interference is total—I can feel it like static in my bones—but right now physical survival trumps spellcasting. The current's too strong for us to swim against, and Halie's weighted armor means she's probably already—no, don't think about that yet. Focus on what I can control. The passage Varrika spotted might be our best chance: a new route or a shortcut past this section of the river before it washes us deeper into the cave system. But the ground gave way when they tried to approach it—I saw them fall—and now we're separated, stuck in this channel while Seraphine and Varrika are somewhere downstream. We need to regroup before the current splits us completely. I spot a submerged rock formation ahead—if I can grab onto it and get above water, maybe I can signal for the others or find a vantage point to see where they landed after their fall. It's not much of a plan, but it's better than treading water hoping they'll find me. Time to move before this river makes that choice for us. I push off with my wings and start stroking hard toward that rock formation, fighting against the current that wants to drag me downstream like Merrin. My arms burn, but I'm making progress—I can see the rocks clearly now, just a few more meters—

I struggle against the current, my arms aching as I fight to keep my head above water. The magical interference 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. Varrika's fall down the hidden chute was horrifying—and now she's gone, swept away by the same relentless current that pulled Merrin under.
I look around frantically, searching for any sign of my companions. The underground river swirls and eddies, its dark waters hiding a myriad of dangers. Suddenly, I see something—a flash of metal in the dim light of the rune stones. It's Jeane! She must have found a way to get above the water line on some kind of submerged rock formation.
"I'm here!" I call out, my voice hoarse and strained as I battle against the current to get closer to her. The water is relentless, pulling me back every time I make any progress. "Varrika! Where is she?"
I can feel my strength waning, my limbs growing heavy and sluggish from the cold. But I have to reach Jeane—we need to stick together if we’re going to survive this nightmare. With a final burst of effort, I push myself forward, using every ounce of my remaining energy to propel myself towards the rock formation where Jeane is clinging.
As I get closer, I see the strain on her face, the way she's gripping the stone with white knuckles. She looks exhausted and terrified, but at least we're together now.
"We need to find Varrika," I gasp, my lungs burning from holding my breath underwater. "And Merrin... if she's still out there, we have to try to reach her."
I look back at the collapsed tunnel, where the passageway Varrika spotted was. It's completely blocked now, a wall of rock and debris where our only way forward used to be.
"The passage... it must lead somewhere," I say, my voice a strained whisper as I fight to keep my head above water. "Maybe it was meant to be a trap, but maybe it was also a shortcut out of this hellhole."
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.
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, who is still struggling to hold her position against the current. She hasn’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 Varrika 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.
A sudden, loud rumbling sound fills the cavern, like the earth itself groaning in pain. I watch in horror as a massive section of the tunnel wall collapses, sending a shower of rocks and debris cascading down on the area where Varrika was last seen. The passageway behind us is now blocked, making it impossible for me to signal for the others to follow.
The passage... it must lead somewhere," I say, my voice a strained whisper as I fight to keep my head above water. "Maybe it was meant to be a trap, but maybe it was also a shortcut out of this hellhole."
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.
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, who is still struggling to hold her position against the current. She hasn’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 Varrika 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.*