Round 16 Transcript

The ground shudders beneath their feet as the second giant skeleton takes another step closer, its empty eye sockets fixed menacingly on Merrin. The sound of scraping metal echoes through the chamber as the hidden mechanism triggered by Merrin's fall slowly closes the pit trap behind her, sealing off their only escape route. Seraphine's teleportation spell stabilizes, and a shimmering blue light envelops the party, pulling them toward the tower's main entrance. The ward holds strong against the giant skeletons, but the dark magic emanating from the undead creatures begins to seep around the edges, weakening the spell's hold.

I drop beside Merrin, checking her pulse—she's barely conscious but alive. The ground shakes again as the first skeleton takes another step closer, its movements jerky and wrong. I draw my silver holy symbol, pressing it against Merrin’s forehead in a prayer for divine protection. But even as I call on my goddess, I feel the wrongness of this magic—something ancient and dark that pre-dates my faith. The ground shakes again as the first skeleton takes another step closer, its movements jerky and wrong. The air crackles with an oppressive dark energy that makes my skin crawl. Seraphine is frantically weaving a spell between us and the approaching skeletons, her voice tight with urgency: "Halie, keep Merrin still!" The barrier shimmers blue but won't hold long against these creatures. Varrika and Jeane are ready, weapons drawn—but what can they do against undead bound by magic older than our faith? The ground shakes again as the first skeleton takes another step closer, its movements jerky and wrong. I hesitate for only a moment before making my choice. "Wait!" I call out to Seraphine just as she's about to trigger her teleportation spell. "We can't leave Merrin here." The ground shakes again as the first skeleton takes another step closer, its movements jerky and wrong. "Help me lower her carefully back into the pit—if we're quick, I might be able to stabilize the wards around her until we can come back with proper help."

The ground shakes again as the first skeleton takes another step closer, its movements jerky and wrong. It's a terrible gamble—leaving Merrin alone in this place could doom her, but taking her out risks the entire party. The air crackles with an oppressive dark energy that makes my skin crawl. I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "Help me," I say to Seraphine and Varrika. "We can't abandon her." The ground shakes again as the first skeleton takes another step closer, its movements jerky and wrong. I begin chanting a stabilization spell, hoping against hope that it's enough—hoping we're not too late. The ground shakes again as the first skeleton takes another step closer, its movements jerky and wrong. It's now or never.

I watch Halie's face as she makes her decision, seeing the grim resolve settle over her features. Leaving Merrin here is unthinkable, but the risk of taking her with us... it feels like we're caught between a hammer and anvil. "You're right," I say, my voice strained but firm. "We can't abandon her."
The giant skeletons are still pressing against the ward I cast, their dark energy seeping around its edges like ink spilled across parchment. My own magic is already draining away, a heavy price for such a hastily constructed defense. I turn to Varrika and Jeane, who look equally grim. "Get ready," I call out, my eyes flicking between them and the closing pit trap.
I begin to move, lowering myself towards the edge of the pit. The ground is unstable here, crumbling away beneath my fingers as I test the stability of the lip. It's now or never—if we don't do this quickly, we'll be trapped with Merrin, and none of us will get out alive.
My hands find purchase on the stone, and I begin to lower myself down into the darkness, praying that Halie's stabilization spell will hold true. "Halie!" I call up, my voice echoing in the confined space. "Do you have her?"
The air down here is colder, heavier with the scent of damp earth and something older, more ancient. The runes on the pit walls are clearer now, glowing faintly with a sickly green light that seems to pulse in time with my own heartbeat. "Varrika, Jeane," I call out again, my voice strained as I try to keep it quiet. "We need to buy time for Halie to work."
My eyes dart around the pit, looking for anything that might help. The walls are slick with moisture, covered in strange symbols and runes I can barely make out in the dim light. It feels like being inside the belly of some great beast, a place where all hope goes to die. "Halie?" I call again, my voice echoing off the stone. "Are you there?"

I watch Halie's decision unfold with barely contained frustration—I can see where this is going before she even speaks the words aloud. We all knew the risks when we entered this cursed tower, yet here we are, about to gamble everything on hope rather than cold logic. Jeane | Sorcerer
"Halie—wait!" My voice cuts through the tension like a razor, sharp and urgent as I stride toward her position beside Merrin's unconscious form. The giant skeletons press against Seraphine's ward with bone-chilling force, cracks spreading across its surface like spiderwebs of failing magic. The ground shifts beneath my feet as I move closer—I'm still tired from the journey here, my reserves low but not yet depleted completely. My eyes scan the scene instinctively: Merrin barely breathing, Halie praying over her with that damned silver holy symbol glinting in the dim light; Seraphine frantically weaving a teleportation spell between us and certain doom; Varrika positioned defensively near the statue, crossbow aimed at the approaching threats. "Think about this logically for once!" I snap, addressing Halie directly. "Taking her out with us risks destabilizing whatever magic holds this pit sealed—we could collapse the entire chamber! Leaving her here gives you time to stabilize what you have already." My wings beat once in agitation, barely lifting me off the ground before settling back down. I don't wait for her response—I turn my attention to Seraphine instead. "Hold that teleportation spell!" I command, voice leaving no room for argument. "We need options here—Halie's got skills with stabilization magic, but she needs time to work."

Before anyone can argue further, I'm already moving toward the edge of the pit, my sorcerer's senses extended outward like tendrils seeking information in the darkness below. The magical signature down there is... wrong. Ancient and twisted in ways that make even my demonic constitution recoil slightly. "I'm going down," I announce without preamble, drawing a small but potent fireball to my palm for illumination as I prepare to lower myself over the edge. "If Merrin's trapped in a magical death-trap, better one of us dies testing it than all four."

I watch Jeane confront Halie, my grip tightening on the crossbow as I scan the chamber for any sign of further threats. Her words make sense—leaving Merrin here is a risk, but so is trying to extract her now—but I can see the grim determination settling over Halie's features even before she speaks. I shift my weight, muscles coiling beneath my skin as I ready myself for whatever comes next. My eyes flick from Jeane to Halie to Seraphine, taking in each of their postures and expressions. Jeane is right, of course—taking Merrin out with us could destabilize the entire chamber—but leaving her here feels like abandoning our own. As Jeane moves to lower herself into the pit, I feel a surge of protectiveness rising in my chest. She's putting herself at risk, diving into an unknown magical trap without hesitation. Part of me wants to stop her, to insist that we find another way—but I know better than most how quickly a situation can turn deadly in this cursed place. "Be careful down there," I call out, my voice gruff but laced with genuine concern. "We'll hold them off as long as we can." I turn to face the approaching skeletons, my crossbow aimed squarely at the first one's skull. The air crackles with an oppressive dark energy that makes my skin crawl, but I don't let it distract me from my purpose. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come. "Seraphine," I call out, not taking my eyes off the skeletons. "Keep that teleportation spell ready—we may need to make a run for it if things get too hot." I don't wait for her response before continuing, "Halie, do whatever you can to stabilize that pit—Merrin's life may depend on it."

I feel the weight of responsibility settling over my shoulders like a familiar shroud. As the only fighter left standing, it falls to me to protect the party—and right now, that means holding the line while Jeane and Halie work to save Merrin. The skeletons loom ever closer, their empty eye sockets fixed on us with an unnatural hunger. I tighten my grip on the crossbow, my muscles tensing as I prepare for the inevitable clash. "Come on then, you bastards," I mutter under my breath, my voice a low growl of challenge. "Let's see what you've got."