Round 38

Merrin steps forward into the darkness, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her mace as the ground beneath her feet trembles violently. A section of the wall behind her bursts open with a deafening crack, revealing a dark, gaping maw that seems to stretch down into the depths of the earth. The air around them crackles with ancient power, and a wave of heat washes over the party as the Scuttling Sounds grow louder, echoing up from within the darkness.

Jeane feels a surge of cold dread wash over her. Before she can even process what's happening, her ethereal body is already moving—darting between her companions with inhuman speed, positioning herself to shield them from whatever might emerge from that dark maw. *The air around them crackles with ancient power, and Jeane can feel it like a physical force pressing against her skin—a cold, malevolent energy that makes even her own considerable magical abilities feel...

Seraphine staggers back, clutching her tome tightly to her chest as the ground shakes. Her sharp eyes widen in terror as she stares into the dark abyss that has just opened before them. "By the gods," she breathes, her voice barely audible over the rumble of the earth. "What manner of horror is this?" She turns to Merrin, her face pale but determined. "We cannot simply charge in there like fools. Whatever lies within... it's ancient. Powerful beyond measure."

Merrin's heart hammers in her chest as she stares into the dark maw, her mind racing with possibilities. "Damn it all," she mutters under her breath. Jeane's right—charging in blind like this is suicide, but what choice do they have? They came here for that sword, and they're not leaving without it. She turns to face the group, her expression serious. "Listen up," she says, her voice cutting through the rumble of the earth. "Jeane's got a point. We can't just rush in there like idiots. But we can't just stand here and wait for whatever's down there to come to us either. We need a plan."