Round 10

As Jeane stepped forward, her dark energy crackled with an otherworldly power, sending a resonant thud echoing through the tower's cracked walls. The shattered barrier behind her emitted a faint, metallic clink, followed by the whirring of ancient machinery long dormant, now stirring to life. Varrika positioned herself between the skeletons and the party leadership, her left hand throbbing from frost magic exposure, yet she gripped the heavy mace's haft with determination. "Steady on, lasses!" she urged, her voice rough with urgency. "We've got a situation here, but we'll face it together."

Jeane's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the scene, her skin prickling with warning at the taste of ancient magic on her tongue. The whirring sound beneath them intensified, and she recognized it: gear teeth engaging after centuries of stillness. "Everyone freeze!" she commanded, focusing her sorcerous senses on the stone around them. "If that's an early warning system, we've just triggered it." Merrin and Varrika paused, their eyes locked on Jeane as she searched for the reset mechanism.

Halie fell to her knees beside the crackling magical residue, silver holy symbol raised, chanting a swift prayer for protection against profane energies. The cold wind whipped at her robes as she worked, yet she remained steadfast. "By the Light, grant us shielded minds and steady hands!" she implored, her voice calm and resolute. As she channeled healing energy, the arcane frost clinging to Varrika's hand vanished, but her own fingers felt numb from the residual backlash. The whirring sound beneath them grew louder, transforming into a mechanical hum that filled the tower's hollow halls.