Round 14 Transcript

The tension in The base of a crumbling stone tower (with a hidden shaft leading downwards) tightens for a beat as the interruption refuses to go away. Everyone is forced to stay quiet and choose their next move carefully.

The dark magic pulsing from the pit trap sends a chill through my wings. Merrin's screams echo up from below—she’s running out of time. "Stop arguing and DO SOMETHING!" I snap at Elric, who’s still just standing there watching us flail. This ward is too complex for brute force. I need to find its center point—the anchor that’s holding the whole thing in place. My succubus magic can sense the flow of power, but this dark sorcery keeps twisting it into knots. One wrong step and we’ll all be down there with her.

Varrika throws the blessed chain down—I catch a glimpse of it disappearing into the darkness below. "Smart," I mutter, though whether that’ll actually save Merrin or just give the thing something to grab onto remains to be seen. This whole tower is a damn deathtrap disguised as an archaeological site. I spread my wings slightly, ready to take flight if needed. The air above the pit seems clearer—less tainted by whatever’s down there. Maybe I can get a better view from up high and spot the ward's anchor point before it’s too late. "Everyone stand back," I warn, drawing power into my wings. "I’m going to try something risky."

The magic surges through me as I launch myself upward with explosive force—my wings beating hard against the oppressive air of this cursed place.

From above, I can see the full pattern of the ward stretching across the floor like a spider’s web. There—the central point where all those dark threads come together: an obsidian stone set into the wall just to the right of the pit.

But getting there without setting off half a dozen pressure plates is going to take some serious finesse. And I’d rather not test how much life force this thing can actually harvest in one go. I hover there for a moment, weighing options—none of them good. The longer we dither, the less likely Merrin survives.

Fine. "Halie," I call down, my voice cutting through the tension below, "get ready to blast that obsidian stone as soon as I land next to it. Seraphine, keep working on your disruption spell but be prepared to abort if things go sideways." To Varrika and Elric, "You two find cover—this is about to get messy."

I begin my descent, wings beating slowly to control my fall. The air around the pit feels wrong—sticky with dark intent. Something down there wants us all dead or worse. But Merrin needs those extra seconds we can buy by destroying that anchor point.

My boots touch down mere inches from the obsidian stone. For a moment, nothing happens. Then I feel it—the ward’s energy surging toward me like a tidal wave. "NOW!" I shout to Halie, throwing up my own magical barrier just as she unleashes her holy fire upon the stone.*

The explosion of clashing energies sends me stumbling backward. The obsidian shatters—but not before the ward pulses one last time, drawing in a massive surge of energy from below. Merrin’s scream echoes upward, mixed with the sound of something massive shifting beneath us.

Shit. The tools are down again—probably the local network or something on the server side. This keeps happening. I'm going to try and manually recall what Seraphine said about her wards breaking, but I might get details wrong without confirmation.

I watch as Jeane takes to the air, her wings beating hard against the oppressive atmosphere of this cursed place. Smart, I think, noting how she's trying to get a better vantage point above the pit. Maybe from up there she can spot the ward's weak point before it's too late for Merrin. When she calls out orders, I don't hesitate. "You heard her," I bark at Elric. "Get back and stay down." To Halie and Seraphine, I add, "Be ready to move on my signal."

I take up a defensive position near the pit's edge, mace at the ready. The blessed chain I threw down is taut now—Merrin must be clinging to it for dear life. Hold on, I think, my eyes fixed on the links straining against her weight. We're coming.

Jeane's descent is a blur of motion and magic. I see her land beside that obsidian stone just as the ward surges toward her like a tidal wave. "NOW!" she shouts to Halie—and then the explosion of clashing energies sends me staggering back. The obsidian shatters, but not before the ward pulses one last time. Merrin's scream rises up from below, mingled with the sound of something massive shifting beneath us. Shit, I think, bracing myself as the tower seems to shudder around us. Whatever was down there is loose now.

"Seraphine!" I call out, my voice cutting through the chaos. "We need that lift spell for Merrin—NOW!"

I keep my mace raised, ready to defend against whatever horrors may emerge from the pit. We've got one chance to save her—and we can't waste it.

I feel the massive surge of dark energy as Jeane and Halie destroy the obsidian anchor stone. The ward shatters, but its death throes send a shockwave through the entire tower. Dust rains down from the ceiling, and I hear the ominous groaning of ancient stones shifting overhead. Merrin's scream cuts off abruptly, chilling me to the bone.
"My spell!" I shout back at Varrika, my hands already weaving the intricate patterns for a levitation charm. "It will lift her out! Just give me a moment!"
I pour my focus into the spell, feeling it build inside me like a whirlwind of magic. This is a complex working, one that requires absolute precision to pull off at this range. One wrong thread and Merrin could be crushed by her own weight as she rises.
The air around the pit begins to shimmer with my power, the runes I trace glowing faintly in the gloom. Sweat beads on my brow as I push harder, trying to hold the spell together despite the chaos erupting around us. "Merrin!" I call out, my voice strained. "Can you hear me? Try to stay still!"
Suddenly, an ear-splitting crack splits the air—a huge section of the wall near the pit is crumbling inward. Through the dust and debris, I catch a glimpse of something massive moving beneath the rubble. It's covered in thick, obsidian plates and has glowing runes etched into its flesh.
"A giant skeleton," I gasp, my eyes wide with horror. "And it's not alone. There’s another one emerging from the pit!"
My heart hammers against my ribs as I realize the true nature of the trap. These weren't just simple guardians—they were part of a much larger, more complex magical system designed to harvest life energy and create undead abominations on a massive scale. "Everyone, get clear!" I yell, finally completing the levitation spell with a burst of light.
The blessed chain snaps taut as Merrin is pulled upward by my magic. She clears the edge of the pit just as the second giant skeleton climbs out, its empty eye sockets fixed on her. "Halie, blast them!" I call out, my own hands already moving to prepare a counter-spell against the dark energies these creatures radiate.
This is far worse than any of us imagined. We've just awoken something that should have stayed buried deep within this accursed tower—and now, we have no choice but to fight our way out before it consumes us all.