Round 83 Transcript

As Seraphine stumbles on the crumbling bridge, the stones beneath her feet shift, and she nearly loses her balance. The groaning of the ledge intensifies, and Jeane's hand hovers near the hilt of her heavy mace. The air grows colder, and a fetid scent wafts up from below—a combination of decay, ancient magic, and something else... something almost organic and alive. Suddenly, the bridge gives way, and Seraphine finds herself plummeting into the abyss below. She tumbles through the air, her heavy metal bar flying from her grasp, until she lands hard on a pile of rubble. Dazed and disoriented, she struggles to sit up, her eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of her companions. Jeane's voice echoes from above, "Merrin! Seraphine! Are you down there?" The Ancient Voice responds, its tone dripping with malevolence, "The forgotten shall remain forgotten. You dare disturb the rest?"

I hear Jeane's voice echoing from above, a mix of concern and urgency in her tone. "Merrin! Seraphine! Are you down there?"

The groaning of the ledge intensifies, the stones shifting beneath my feet as I struggle to keep my balance. My heart pounds in my chest, a cold sweat beading on my forehead. This is it—the moment we've been dreading since we first set foot in this accursed place. I glance around frantically, searching for any sign of Seraphine or Halie in the darkness below. The air grows colder, and a fetid scent wafts up from the depths—a combination of decay, ancient magic, and something else... something almost organic and alive. The voice from before echoes again, its tone dripping with malevolence: "The forgotten shall remain forgotten. You dare disturb the rest?"

A chill runs down my spine at the words, and I know with a bone-deep certainty that whatever is down there, it doesn't want us here. It sees us as intruders, threats to be eliminated. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come. We have no choice but to descend into that terrifying unknown. Halie and Varrika are potentially trapped below, and the thought of leaving them to whatever fate awaits in this place is unthinkable. But as I take a step forward, ready to follow Jeane onto the crumbling bridge, a wave of nausea washes over me. It's not just fear; it's something else entirely. A deep-seated dread, a feeling of being watched by an ancient, malevolent presence that seems to permeate every stone and shadow. It's watching us, I whisper, my voice so low it’s almost lost in the wind. We need to hurry. Whatever it is... it doesn't want us here. With renewed determination, I push forward, following Jeane across the crumbling bridge and into the abyss below. The descent has begun, and there will be no turning back now, not until we have found our missing companions or until some far more terrible fate claims us all. I keep my eyes open for any sign of movement or threat, my hand hovering near the hilt of my mace. Whatever happens next, I know one thing for certain: we face whatever comes together... or not at all.

The groaning of the ledge intensifies, and a cold wind sweeps up from the chasm's depths as I hover at its edge. Something down there is not happy we've come. That voice... it wasn't just echoes. I can feel it now—a malevolent presence, ancient and powerful, watching us with hunger. We're trespassing where we shouldn't be. The stones shift beneath my feet, and I steady myself in midair. Seraphine! Merrin! Are you down there? The bridge... it's not stable. I call out, my voice barely carrying over the groaning of the stone. If this thing is what trapped Halie, we need to know before we all fall into whatever awaits below. The air grows colder still as I hover above the chasm, scanning its depths for any sign of movement or threat. My crimson eyes narrow, and my wings beat more insistently against the sudden gust. We can't afford hesitation now. Whatever lies at the bottom of this pit, we face it together... or not at all. I draw my heavy mace from its sheath, gripping it tightly as I prepare to descend into the abyss below. Stay close if you follow! And pray to whatever gods might be listening—because I suspect even they may struggle to hear us down there. With a deep breath, I begin to lower myself slowly, hovering just above the crumbling bridge that leads into the chasm's darkness.

As I move forward cautiously, each beat of my wings seems to echo ominously off the stone walls surrounding us. The air is thick with ancient magic... and something else. Something alive. I mutter to no one in particular as I scan the shadows for any sign of movement.

The groaning intensifies again—a low, mournful sound that seems to emanate from deep within the earth itself. Whatever we're dealing with here... it's not just some forgotten guardian. This place is alive with dark energy. I pause midair, my eyes fixed on a particularly dark shadow below. Did you hear that? I whisper, more to myself than anyone else as I hover there, suspended between the world above and whatever lies beneath.

Suddenly, the stones shift violently underfoot. A section of the bridge collapses with a thunderous roar, sending cascades of rubble tumbling into the abyss below. Seraphine! Merrin! The wind whips past me as I struggle to maintain my hover position against the sudden rush of air. If you're down there... answer me! I call out, my voice tight with concern and growing apprehension.

There's a moment of terrifying silence before a weak reply echoes back up from below: J-Jeane? We fell! The sound of their voices is barely audible over the groaning of the collapsing stone around us. Are you hurt? Their response is even fainter this time, barely more than a whisper carried on the wind: I don't think so... but it's dark down here. And cold. I hover there for another moment, weighing my options—risk descending into an unstable, dangerous chasm with unknown threats lurking below, or try to find another way around. This is madness, I mutter to myself as the groaning of the stone seems to intensify once more, as if urging me onward. But we can't leave them. With a deep breath and a silent prayer to... well, not my patron exactly, but whatever dark power might grant mercy in this place, I begin to descend slowly, my wings beating steadily as I hover just above the crumbling remains of the bridge.

The darkness below seems to swallow me up as I lower myself into the chasm. The air grows colder still, and that fetid scent becomes almost overwhelming—decay mixed with something ancient and malevolent. Stay alert, I mutter, more to myself than anyone else as I scan the shadows for any sign of movement or threat.

As I hover there in the abyss, the groaning of the stone around me seems to fade away, replaced by a low, constant hum—a sound like distant chanting or whispered secrets that makes my skin crawl. What is this place? I murmur, my breath visible in the frigid air.

The darkness below stretches out before me, seemingly endless. But I can hear voices—Seraphine and Merrin, calling out weakly from somewhere in the depths. This way... I think. With a deep breath to steady myself, I begin to descend further, following the sound of their voices as they echo up through the darkness.

I'm coming down! I call back towards the world above, not really expecting an answer—if anyone's even listening anymore in this cursed place.