Round 13

The abomination lurches forward again, its flesh knitting back together even as Jeane’s shadow tendrils bind it. The creature’s eyes glow with an otherworldly energy as it begins to move towards the party, its massive form filling the entrance hall. The skeletal horde closes in, their bony feet clattering against the stone floor. Halie’s divine magic holds, but it’s straining against the dark energies seeping out from the tower’s depths.

“This thing shouldn’t exist,” Jeane mutters, her voice strained with concentration and fear. “I can barely hold it, and it just... keeps regenerating.” Her crimson eyes dart around the room, searching for any other options while her tendrils continue their desperate struggle against the abomination’s immense power.

Merrin looses another crossbow bolt into its chest, the bolt punching through decayed flesh only to be absorbed by the creature’s unnatural healing process. Her dark eyes narrow as she reloads with practiced efficiency. “We need a new plan,” she hisses, glancing at Varrika and Halie. “This isn’t working—we’re just pissing it off more.”

Varrika shifts her grip on her heavy mace, muscles tensed for immediate action. “Then we change tactics,” she growls, her scarred face etched with worry. “If magic won’t stop it, maybe sheer force will.” She takes a step forward, towards the abomination, but Halie’s hand shoots out to grip her arm.

“Wait!” The cleric’s voice cuts through the ambient groaning of the tower stones. “Something’s wrong with the gate—look at those runes. They’re cracking, and whatever’s behind them is getting closer.” She gestures towards the partially-open gateway with her free hand, drawing everyone’s attention to the ominous dark rectangle beyond.

Indeed, the rune-covered gate now shows extensive cracks spreading across its surface like a spiderweb of darkness. The air around it shimmers with malevolent energy, and a low groaning sound emanates from the gap between closing doors—a sound that definitely wasn’t there before.

Jeane’s concentration falters for a moment as she glances at the gate, her tendrils loosening slightly around the abomination. The creature seizes the opportunity, lurching forward with renewed vigor and tearing free several of those inky bonds. It takes another shambling step towards them, now barely ten feet away.

“Fuck!” Merrin yelps, stumbling back as the abomination gains ground. “Halie, what’s happening with that gate? Is it about to explode or something?”

“I don’t know,” Halie admits, her blue-grey eyes wide with concern as she maintains the shimmering barrier around them. “But whatever’s behind it... it’s not good. I can feel the unholy energy intensifying.” She releases Varrika’s arm and raises both hands, preparing another spell.

Varrika immediately moves to fill the space Merrin just vacated, planting herself between the abomination and her smaller companion. “Stay back,” she rumbles, hefting her mace in a two-handed grip. “Let me handle this.”

But even as Varrika assumes a defensive stance, the ground beneath them shudders again—a more violent tremor than before. The tower groans ominously around them, dust raining down from the ceiling. One of the ancient stone pillars supporting the entrance hall cracks audibly, and several skeletons near it collapse in a clattering heap.

“Everyone, spread out!” Halie shouts over the growing chaos. “If this place is about to come down, we need to—” Her words are cut off as another, even more powerful tremor rocks the foundation. The partially-open gate slams shut with a sound like thunder, and the resulting shockwave sends everyone staggering.

When they regain their footing, the situation has deteriorated further. The abomination stands mere yards away now, having used the distraction of the earthquake to close the distance. Its eyes burn with an unholy light, and its massive hands reach out towards them with grasping fingers.

Behind it, the gate’s surface continues to crack and warp, dark energies bleeding through the fissures like oily smoke. The air around it shimmers with malevolent intent, and something inside begins to move—something large, something powerful, something that’s just broken free of its ancient prison.

“Run!” Halie screams, her voice barely audible over the groaning of the tower stones and the abomination’s guttural roar. “Now!”

But it might already be too late. The ground beneath them shifts again, and a section of the stone floor near the gate suddenly collapses inward with a deafening crash. The abomination stumbles forward into the newly created pit, its massive form disappearing from view as it falls.

For a moment, there’s stunned silence—then Merrin yells, “The gate! It’s opening wider!”