Round 3

Jeane steps forward carefully, her eyes scanning the corridor ahead for any sign of movement or threat. The air crackles with residual magical energy from Varrika's near-miss with the trap, making it difficult to breathe properly. "We need to move forward carefully," she says, her voice measured and controlled despite the tension in her shoulders. "If we back out now, whatever this is might follow us. Better to face it head-on where we have some control over the environment." Her crimson eyes flicker briefly to Halie's raised holy symbol, a small nod of approval before returning to the shadows ahead.

Halie moves to the front of the group, her silver cross necklace gleaming in the dim torchlight. The metal of her makeshift mace feels warm in her grip as its light intensifies. "We need to be prepared for whatever comes next," she says, her voice steady but laced with warning. "This tower is not just ancient—it's saturated with dark magic." Her blue-grey eyes scan the corridor ahead, searching for any sign of movement or threat. "Jeane, lead the way, but let me walk point. The divine might offer us protection that steel cannot." She steps forward, her heavy mace held ready in one hand while the other clutches her holy symbol tightly.

Merrin darts to the side just in time as a skeleton lunges at her, its bony fingers grasping empty air. She brings her crossbow up, firing point-blank into the creature's skull with a loud crack of splintering bone. "Shit!" she curses under her breath, fumbling for another bolt as more skeletons emerge from the shadows. "Varrika, Halie, keep them off us!" she yells, her dark eyes scanning frantically for more threats. The malevolent energy in the air around them presses down like a physical weight, making it hard to breathe properly.*

Seraphine feels the dark energy building with each passing moment, pressing down on her mind like a physical weight. Her staff grows hot in her grip as she tries to maintain the protective ward, its magic responding to the chaos around them. "I have to try something," she mutters to herself, her voice almost lost in the cacophony of clashing weapons and cracking bones. She takes a deep breath, centering herself amidst the chaos as best she can. The air crackles with dark energy as more skeletons shamble towards them, their bony hands outstretched.

Varrika steps forward, her mace raised and ready to crush any skeleton foolish enough to get too close. "On your left!" she shouts to Halie as a pair of skeletons try to flank her. The air around them crackles with dark energy, and she can feel it pressing against her skin like a physical weight. But there's no time to ponder that now—the skeletons are upon them, their bony hands grasping and tearing at their clothes and weapons. She swings her mace in a wide arc, the heavy weapon connecting with multiple skeletons simultaneously with sickening crunches of splintering bone.

The corridor echoes with the sounds of combat—clashing metal, cracking bone, and the desperate cries of the party as they fight to hold their ground against the relentless tide of undead attackers. The air itself seems to pulse with dark energy, pressing down on them from all sides.