Round 16 Transcript

As Varikka charges through the gate, her mace raised high, she's met with a burst of blinding light and a deafening screech. The ancient runes on the gate shudder violently, releasing a blast of magical energy that sends Varikka stumbling backward, her vision momentarily obscured. When her eyes clear, she finds herself in a dimly lit chamber, the air thick with the stench of decay. The skeletal horde presses closer, their bony feet clicking on the stone floor like a deathly metronome, as they close in on Varikka. The abomination, now fully exposed, lunges at Merrin with a swipe of its massive, rotting arm. The rogue's crossbow bolt, still lodged in the abomination's shoulder, glows with a faint, holy light, but it seems to have little effect on the creature's regenerative power. Halie struggles to maintain her footing on the slick stone floor, her eyes fixed on Varikka, as Jeane's barrier spell falters, threatening to collapse. The party is now surrounded, with the skeletal horde closing in from all sides.

Oh gods oh fuck oh SHIT. I barely manage to sidestep the abomination's lunging swipe, my heart leaping into my throat as I feel the rush of fetid wind against my face. The crossbow bolt is still lodged in its shoulder, and I can see it glowing with that same faint, holy light... but it doesn't seem to be slowing the creature down one bit.

Varikka's stumble through the gate has left her vulnerable, and I can see the skeletal horde pressing closer, their bony feet clicking on the stone floor like a deathly metronome. Halie's struggling to maintain her footing, her eyes fixed on the fighter as Jeane's barrier spell falters, threatening to collapse.

I raise my crossbow, my hands shaking as I take aim at the abomination's head. "Cover your ears!" I shout, my voice barely audible over the creature's screeching. "And pray to whatever gods you hold dear that this works!"

I squeeze the trigger, my eyes slamming shut as the bolt flies true, striking the abomination square between its milky-white eyes. There's a sickening crunch of bone and a gout of viscous fluid, but still the creature doesn't fall.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I whirl around to see Halie, her face pale with exhaustion. "Merrin," she pants, her voice barely above a whisper, "we need to get out of here. Now."

I nod, my mind racing as I try to formulate a plan. "Alright," I say, my voice trembling slightly, "Varikka—can you hold the line? Keep those skeletons at bay while we figure out our next move?"

The fighter nods, her mace raised high as she turns to face the horde. "You heard the rogue," she growls, "come and get me, you fucking pile of bones."

I turn to Jeane next, my eyes fixed on the sorcerer's face. "Jeane—can you do anything about those wards? We might need to pick that lock if we want to have any hope of getting through in one piece."

The demon's eyes flick to the gate, and I can see a spark of recognition in their depths. "I... I think I might be able to," she says, her voice hesitant, "but it'll take time. And power. A lot of power."

I feel a chill run down my spine at those words, but I push it aside for now. "Do it," I say, my voice grim, "and hurry. We don't have much time."

I turn to Halie last, my eyes meeting hers in a silent plea. "Halie—can you keep us alive? Just for a little while longer?"

The cleric nods, her hand tightening on my shoulder as she closes her eyes in prayer. "I'll try," she whispers, "but... I don't know how much longer I can last. My power... it's fading."

I feel a lump rise in my throat at those words, but I push it down, my mind racing as I try to formulate a plan. "Alright," I say, my voice steady now, "here's what we're going to do. Jeane—you work on that lock. Halie—keep us alive. Varikka—hold the line."

And with that, I turn back to the abomination, my crossbow at the ready as I prepare to face whatever fresh hell this accursed tower has in store for us next.

I take a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest as I feel the weight of the horde pressing in from behind. This is it—the moment of truth. We're about to step into the unknown, and god only knows what fresh madness awaits us on the other side of that gate.

But we've come too far to turn back now. And with luck, skill, and a whole lot of prayer... maybe, just maybe, we'll make it out alive.

I turn to my companions, my eyes meeting each of theirs in turn. "Alright, people—this is it. We move on three. Stay sharp, stay together, and for the love of all that's holy—don't get separated."

I take a deep breath, my muscles tensing as I ready myself for whatever comes next. "One... two... three..."

I stumble back from the gate, my eyes watering from the blinding light and ears ringing from the screech. The skeletal horde presses closer, their bony feet clicking on the stone floor like a deathly metronome, as they close in on me.

The abomination lunges at Merrin with a swipe of its massive, rotting arm, and I can see the rogue barely manage to sidestep the attack. The crossbow bolt is still lodged in the creature's shoulder, glowing with a faint, holy light... but it doesn't seem to be slowing the abomination down one bit.

I raise my mace, my muscles tensing as I ready myself for whatever comes next. "Merrin!" I shout, my voice barely audible over the creature's screeching, "Get back! I'll hold them off!"

I turn to face the horde, my eyes narrowed in determination as I prepare to meet them head-on. "Come and get me, you fucking pile of bones," I growl, my voice low and menacing.

The skeletons advance, their bony hands outstretched and their eyes gleaming with a sickening hunger. I can see Halie struggling to maintain her footing on the slick stone floor, her eyes fixed on me as Jeane's barrier spell falters, threatening to collapse.

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I ready myself for the onslaught. "For the love of all that's holy," I mutter under my breath, "don't let us down now..."

And with that, I charge forward, my mace raised high and my battle cry echoing off the chamber walls as I meet the skeletal horde head-on, determined to buy my companions the time they need to find a way out of this accursed tower.

I feel the barrier spell slip from my fingers, my concentration shattered by Varikka's scream and Merrin's panicked yells. The magical energy dissipates in a rush, leaving us exposed in this hellish chamber.

I struggle to stay upright, my legs shaking as I watch the skeletons advance on Varikka. Her mace rises and falls with grim efficiency, but for every bone she crushes, two more seem to take its place.