Round 713 Transcript

As Merrin bursts through the door, a faint cry for help echoes from the depths of the chamber. The air is thick with dust, and the noxious gas has cleared, revealing a pit trap that seems to have swallowed Varikka whole. The ground beneath the pit is slick with moisture, and the walls are slick with the residue of some long-forgotten substance. Merrin's eyes scan the area, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her crossbow. The Guardian's roar grows louder, echoing off the stone walls as it closes in on the party's location. The structural collapse continues to progress, the sound of crumbling stone growing louder with each passing second. A section of the wall nearby gives way, sending a shower of rocks and debris cascading down onto the floor.

"Varikka!" I cry out, my voice echoing through the chamber as I scan the area for any sign of my fallen comrade. The noxious gas has cleared, leaving behind a thick layer of dust that coats every surface in the room. And there, just a few feet away from where I stand, I see it: a pit trap, its jagged edges barely visible beneath the debris.

I stagger forward, my heart pounding in my chest as I peer down into the darkness below. "Varikka!" I call out again, my voice hoarse with exhaustion and fear. "Are you there? Can you hear me?" *

For a long moment, there is nothing but silence. The sound of crumbling stone grows louder, a reminder that the structural collapse is closing in fast. But just as I'm about to turn away, despairing of ever finding my comrade alive, I hear it: a faint cry for help, echoing up from the depths of the pit.

"I'm here!" Varikka's voice is weak, but unmistakable. "Merrin, I need your help! I'm trapped down here!" *

I don't hesitate. Dropping to my knees at the edge of the pit, I peer down into the darkness below, my eyes straining to make out any sign of movement. "Hold on, Varikka!" I call out, my voice hoarse with effort as I reach for my crossbow. "I'm coming!"

But even as I say the words, I know that it's not going to be that simple. The Guardian is still out there somewhere, its sword slicing through the air mere feet away from where I stand. And the structural collapse is closing in fast, the sound of crumbling stone growing louder with each passing second.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. "Varikka," I call out, my voice hoarse and strained as I struggle to catch my breath. "I'm going to get you out of there. Just hold on, alright?" *

And with that, I throw myself forward, my hands reaching for the edges of the pit as I lower myself down into the darkness below.