Round 19

The tower groans around them, ancient stone grinding against stone as the floor continues its inexorable tilt. The air grows thick with dust and magic, making it hard to breathe. From somewhere below comes a sound like a thousand voices crying out in agony, followed by a heavy thud that shakes the very foundations. "By the Goddess!" Halie gasps, pressing herself against the sloping wall as if she could cling to it.* "What is this place? What manner of sorcery—"

Merrin’s eyes are wide with terror, but her grip on Varikka remains firm. She hauls the woman closer, their combined weight just barely keeping them upright on the treacherous surface. “I don’t know, and I don’t care!” she snarls, voice tight with fear.* “But if we don’t find a way to stabilize this floor, we’re going to slide right down into whatever the hell is making that noise!”

Seraphine staggers forward, her robes swirling around her as she tries to maintain balance. Her keen eyes scan the pulsating runes lining the walls, face pale but determined. “The wards weren’t a barrier,” she says, voice trembling slightly. “They were… a stopper. Keeping something contained. And we just broke it.” She extends a hand towards the wall, fingers outstretched as if to touch the shifting symbols.* “This magic… it’s trying to expel us. Like a body rejecting a foreign object.”

The ground tilts further, sending a cascade of loose stones clattering downwards into the darkness below. The sound echoes ominously, mixing with the distant shrieks and groans that seem to be growing louder.