Round 3

[Narrator | Narrator]
The candles gutter and the wind rattles broken shutters as the five sit, each with a clear stance in mind. The council’s contract is laid out: retrieve the Time‑Splitting Sword, return it to lift the tower’s curse, or let darkness spread. Jeane, Halie, Merrin, Seraphine, and Varrika have all voiced conditions—knowledge of defenses, escape plans, compensation, and a solid exit strategy. The final nod comes from Varrika, whose insistence on a guaranteed share and a viable retreat seals the group’s agreement. With the pact recorded in the council’s ledger, the heavy oak table settles into silence, the room exhaling as the last candle flickers out. The council’s seal is placed on the parchment, and the party’s next step is clear: they will gather supplies, chart a route, and prepare to enter the ruined chapel’s hidden passage toward the tower’s gate.