Round 85 Transcript

As I step into the narrow passage, the water swirls around my ankles, cold and unforgiving. The rustling noise grows louder, and I can feel the presence moving closer, its hot breath wafting towards me like a palpable force. Suddenly, a massive tentacle emerges from the darkness, wrapped around my ankle like a vice. I'm pulled down into the water, and everything goes black.

My heart pounds in my chest as I cling to the precarious ledge above the raging floodwaters. The sound of Varikka's struggle has faded into the distance, but the memory of her cries still echoes in my ears. I know we're running out of time, that the tower could come down at any moment, but I can't bring myself to leave her behind.

I scan the churning waters below, searching for any sign of movement, any hint of where she might have been pulled under. But the darkness is impenetrable, the water too turbulent to see through. For a moment, I consider diving in after her, but the memory of Halie's fate stays my hand. I can't save her if I get pulled under too.

I turn my attention back to the narrow passage, the only other way out of this chamber. The sound of scraping stone and splashing water grows louder as I approach, and I can feel the ground trembling beneath my feet. Whatever is in there, it's not human, and it's not friendly.

The water swirls around my ankles, cold and unforgiving, as I take a hesitant step into the narrow passage. The air here is thick with dampness, heavy with the scent of stagnant water and something else, something ancient and unnatural. I can feel the presence moving closer, its hot breath wafting towards me like a palpable force.
The sound of scraping stone grows louder as I move deeper into the passage, and I can feel the ground trembling beneath my feet. My heart hammers against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat of fear and determination. This is what we came for, after all—the legendary Time-Splitting Sword, said to grant its wielder dominion over the very flow of time itself.
But now, faced with this unknown horror lurking in the depths, I find myself questioning the wisdom of our quest. We've already lost so much—Jeane drowned trying to escape the collapsing tower, and Halie pulled under by the rising waters in the pit trap. And now Varrika, my friend and fellow adventurer, is missing, likely trapped somewhere in this labyrinthine underworld.
I grip my staff tighter, the cool wood a small comfort against the cold water swirling around my legs. The blue glow emanating from its tip casts eerie shadows on the damp stone walls, illuminating the passage just enough to see by. It feels inadequate now, a toy against the vast, unknowable power we've unleashed.
As I round a bend in the corridor, the sound of Varikka's muffled cries reaches me, faint but distinct. She’s alive! The thought gives me a renewed burst of courage. I have to find her, and Seraphine too. They’re counting on me.
I take another step forward, the water now rising past my knees. The current is strong here, pulling at my robes, threatening to sweep me off my feet if I lose my balance. But I press on, my resolve hardening. We didn’t come this far to turn back now. Whatever lies waiting in the darkness ahead, whatever monstrosity has claimed our friend, I will face it.
I mutter a quick prayer under my breath, a desperate plea to whatever gods might be listening, and wade deeper into the passage. The scraping noise grows louder still, a low, ominous sound that seems to vibrate right through my bones. Something is coming.