Round 20 Transcript

Varikka's grip on Merrin's arm tightens as she teeters on the uneven floor, her eyes fixed on the corridor ahead. The runes lining the walls continue to pulse with an otherworldly light, casting eerie shadows that seem to writhe and twist in the flickering torchlight. Suddenly, a section of the wall slides open, revealing a narrow staircase leading down into darkness.

I watch in horror as Varikka prepares to charge through the gate, her mace raised high and ready to strike. But I can't let her take all the risks again. Not while I still draw breath. The runes on the gate pulse with dark hunger, their power feeding off my fear and desperation. We can't go through that gate—whatever's on the other side, it wants us. I can feel it.

The air in here is thick with magic so old it feels wrong, like we’re walking into a tomb instead of climbing down a cursed staircase. My cleric’s senses are screaming at me to stop, but Merrin’s already pulling Varikka forward, and Seraphine looks like she’s about to piss herself trying to figure out the wall runes. Typical rogue bravado meets sorceress overthinking.

I grab Merrin’s shoulder as she tries to drag us all down into whatever hell awaited us. “Wait.” My voice comes out hoarse, barely heard over the shifting stone and creaking walls. “We can’t just—”

The words die in my throat as another scream echoes through the tower. Closer this time. And something tells me it’s not one of ours.

Merrin: Varikka prepares to charge through the gate, her mace raised high, ready to strike. But I can't let her take all the risks again - not while I still draw breath. The runes on the gate pulse with a dark hunger, their power feeding off my fear and desperation. I grab Varikka's arm, digging my fingers in hard. "Wait!" I hiss, keeping my voice low. "We can't go through that gate - whatever's on the other side, it wants us. I can feel it."

I glance at Jeane, my eyes wide with warning. "Jeane's right about this. We need to find another way."

My gaze darts to Seraphine, watching as she frantically tries to decipher the runes lining the walls. "And we can't afford to waste time on those runes. They're not going to save us now."

I turn back to Varikka, my expression grim. "We need to be smart about this. We need a plan."

I watch Varikka preparing to charge through the gate, her mace raised high, ready to strike, and I feel a chill run down my spine. The runes on the gate pulse with a dark hunger, their power feeding off my fear and desperation. But Jeane's right about this. We can't go through that gate—whatever's on the other side, it wants us. I can feel it.

I turn to Merrin, her eyes wide with warning, and shake my head. "No. We need to find another way."
My gaze darts to Seraphine, watching as she frantically tries to decipher the runes lining the walls. They’re not going to save us now. We need a plan. A real one.
"I need to see those runes up close," I say, my tone urgent as I push past Varikka, my eyes fixed on the nearest wall. "If we can understand what this spell is doing, maybe we can reverse it."
The ground shifts again, more violently this time, sending me crashing into Varikka’s back. We both go sprawling across the slick stone floor, struggling to find purchase as the world tilts around us.
I scramble back to my feet, grabbing Varikka’s hand and hauling her up beside me. My heart hammers against my ribs as I try to make sense of what's happening. This isn’t just a random collapse—it’s a trap. A magical one.
"I think I know what’s happening," I gasp out, my voice tight with fear as I try to steady myself against the sloped floor. "This isn't just a random collapse—it's a trap. A magical one."
I point a trembling finger at the runes, their strange patterns seeming to swirl and dance before my eyes. "Those symbols... they're not just decoration. They’re part of the spell holding this place together. And if we’re right about the wards being some kind of exchange, then maybe breaking them has thrown everything off balance."
My mind races as I try to piece together what I'm seeing, my academic training clashing with the sheer terror of our situation. "The tower itself... it might be a sentient construct, and now that we've forced our way inside without the proper 'key', it's trying to get rid of us. To expel us like a foreign body."
The ground shifts again, more violently this time, sending me crashing into Varikka’s back. We both go sprawling across the slick stone floor, struggling to find purchase as the world tilts around us.
"Everyone!" I cry out, my voice echoing in the narrow space, "We need to work together to find a way to counter this! If we can’t stop the spell, it will keep dumping us deeper and deeper into this place until—"
I don't finish the thought, unable to bear the image of what lies at the bottom of this magical maw. I scramble back to my feet, grabbing Varikka’s hand and hauling her up beside me.
"I need to see those runes up close," I say, my tone urgent as I push past her, my eyes fixed on the nearest wall. "If we can understand what this spell is doing, maybe we can reverse it."
But before I can take more than a few steps, another scream echoes through the air, closer now and filled with a bone-chilling rage. The sound seems to come from everywhere at once, vibrating in my teeth and setting every nerve ending on fire.
"Something... something is coming for us," I whisper, my voice dropping to a terrified murmur.* "And it sounds like it wants us alive."

Varikka whirled around at Seraphine's warning, her mace still raised and ready to strike. The scream echoing through the tower sent a chill down her spine, and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. "We can't afford to wait around for whatever that is to find us," Varikka growled, her voice rough with adrenaline. "We need to move now, before it's too late."

She turned to Merrin, her eyes hard and unyielding. "I know you're worried about taking risks, but sometimes the riskiest thing we can do is stand still. We need to push through this gate and hope for the best."

Varikka's gaze swept over the rest of the party, her expression grim. "Halie, keep your healing spells ready. Jeane, see if you can't figure out what's going on with those runes. Seraphine, keep your eyes open for any traps or hidden dangers."

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "And Merrin," she added, her tone softer now, "I know you're scared. We all are. But we've faced worse than this before, and we'll face worse still if we don't keep moving forward."

Varikka tightened her grip on her mace, her knuckles white with tension. "So let's do this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Let's see what lies beyond that gate, and pray to the gods that whatever it is, we're ready for it."