Round 3 Transcript

Jeane’s Abyssal chant ripples through the stone, and a low, metallic hiss answers from the skeletal warriors. The spell reveals that each bone is etched with a faint, pulsing sigil of necromancy, binding them to an unseen necromancer beyond the gate. The skeletons’ eyes flare brighter as the revelation reaches them, tightening their grasp on the threshold.

The revelation from my spell settles like cold dread over the tower threshold. Those sigils—someone's puppeteering these bones, and they're watching us right now through their eyes. I glance at Varrika, her stance solid but questioning. "Not a mindless undead horde then," I say coolly to the group, my wings shifting behind me like dark thoughts made manifest. "Someone with enough skill in necromancy to mark his troops like that—he's not hiding far."

The skeletons press closer, their movements suddenly more coordinated than random aggression should allow. I raise both hands, purple sparks dancing between my fingers as I channel the Abyssal energies always simmering beneath my skin. "I can break those sigils," I offer, voice a low purr that doesn't quite hide its edge. "But it takes focus—someone needs to keep them from reaching me while I work." My eyes flick toward Merrin and Halie on the flank. "Unless you'd prefer we try negotiating with bones?"

I step closer to Merrin, my heavy mace ready but held back. This changes everything—someone's pulling these strings from inside. We can't just hack our way through; we're fighting someone's entire undead army. My eyes move over her face, seeing the familiar spark of 'let's be clever' shining there. Stay close, yes? Your skills matter more than ever against unseen enemies.

I nod sharply at Halie's words, my eyes darting back to the skeletons. "Alright, so we've got a necro puppeteer in there somewhere, pulling these strings." I keep my voice low, but everyone's listening now. "Jeane, can you get a bead on where that magic's coming from? Maybe we can cut the strings before we tango with a dozen undead."

My fingers twitch towards my crossbow, but I hold off. Too many unknowns here. I sidle closer to Varrika, keeping an eye on the skeletons' flanks. "These guys seem like frontline meat shields. What do you think, dwarf? Can we send them back to the bone heap without alerting their master?"

I glance at Seraphine, the wizard. "Got any tricks up your sleeve for messing with necromancy? We might need something fancy to cut through those runes." My words are flippant, but there's an edge of real worry there. Magic always complicates things, and I don't like complications when I'm outnumbered. All the while, my eyes keep roving over the gate, the skeletons, the shadows beyond. There's something more going on here, some other threat lurking in the darkness. And in a place like this, that usually means trouble.

I listen intently to Jeane’s revelation, my fingers tracing the edge of my grimoire where it peeks out from under my robe. A necromancer controlling them all... that complicates matters considerably. My eyes narrow as I study the skeletons, their movements now seeming more purposeful, less mindless. We need more information before we can act effectively against this. I turn to Merrin and Halie, my expression serious.
"Merrin, if you could get a closer look at those sigils without drawing immediate attention, perhaps I could analyze one. It might give us some insight into the nature of this necromancer's power." I pull out a small glass tube filled with a swirling, opalescent liquid. "And Halie, your holy symbol... if we knew more about what kind of dark forces are at work here, it could be invaluable in countering them."
I step closer to the threshold, my heart beating a little faster as I gaze at the undead guardians. There’s a thrill in this kind of knowledge, but also a deep-seated fear of what it means to meddle with such ancient, malevolent magics. "This is going to be dangerous work," I murmur, more to myself than anyone else.

I narrow my eyes at the revelation from Jeane's spell, my grip tightening on my heavy mace. "A necromancer puppetmaster, eh? That's a new wrinkle." I glance around at the others, meeting each gaze firmly. "Alright, listen up. We've got undead coming at us from all sides now, and some cowardly necro hiding in the shadows pulling the strings. We stick together, we stay mobile, and we watch each other's backs."

My eyes find Halie, the cleric's holy symbol a beacon of light against the gathering darkness. "Halie, I need you on point with that holy symbol of yours. Keep those bones at bay if they get too close."

I nod to Merrin, already scanning the edges of our forming circle with those sharp eyes. "Merrin, you're our early warning system. Any sign of flanking maneuvers from these skeletons, you call it out."

My voice rumbles out, low and steady as I turn to Jeane and Seraphine. "You two, I want that necromancer found, and I want a way to cut those strings. If we can't sever the connection, this is going to be a long night."

I shift my weight forward, ready to meet the first wave of undead. "Questions?"