Round 782

The ground beneath them gave way with a loud crack—Merrin barely had time to scream before they were falling through darkness. Stone and dust filled her vision as they tumbled downwards, the impacts sickening against unseen walls. She curled into a ball, trying to shield herself from the worst of it.

When she finally hit the ground below, Merrin lay there gasping for breath amidst settling dust. Her entire body ached, but nothing seemed broken. Slowly sitting up, she took in their new surroundings—a small circular chamber with glowing carvings on the walls and an altar holding a strange sword at its center.

Varikka lay nearby clutching her ankle, clearly badly injured. Their situation had just gone from bad to catastrophically worse—they were trapped, injured, and now faced with some unknown magical threat lurking within these ancient walls.

Merrin forced herself to her feet despite the persistent ache in her own body and moved towards Varikka. "Can you stand?" she asked, offering a hand. "We need to move—now! We can't stay here."