Round 17 Transcript

Elric's eyes narrow, his gaze lingering on each party member before he speaks in a low, measured tone, "The price for knowledge is not gold or treasure, but silence. You may ask one question of me, and I shall answer truthfully. But be warned, the cost of that silence will be paid in full at a later time."

As Elric finishes speaking, the pulsating black star symbol on the gate begins to flash more rapidly, casting an ominous glow over the group. The air around them seems to thicken, heavy with anticipation, and the skeletons standing guard at the gate take a step closer, their bony fingers grasping for any sign of weakness.

The tool's response is garbled and nonfunctional, displaying only an error message about a failed connection attempt. Jeane scowls at the floating text but doesn't acknowledge it. She's focused on the gate and Elric. She addresses her companions in a low voice: "Listen carefully—this magic feels like something ancient and hungry. It responds to touch and proximity." Her eyes never leave the runes as she continues, "We need to approach this systematically. First, we map what we can sense from here without contact. Then we test one rune very carefully for reaction type."

Jeane glances at Merrin and Varrika's weapons—too crude for delicate magical work. She pulls out a slender silver dagger from within her cloak, its edge unmarred and pristine. "This will be our testing tool." To Halie: "Stand ready to counter any corruption that bleeds through." To Seraphine: "Prepare a suppression spell in case of unexpected activation."

She moves closer to the gate again, extending the dagger's tip toward one of the less active runes—careful not to touch it yet. The air around the metal shimmers faintly as she hovers it just above the stone surface. "I feel... something pulling at the blade," Jeane murmurs, more to herself than anyone else. "It wants contact but isn't strong enough to drag us in yet." She withdraws the dagger slowly, noting how the shimmering follows it slightly before fading as she pulls back further. "Whatever this magic is, it's not merely defensive—it's predatory," Jeane concludes grimly. "We need more information before we attempt entry." She turns to Elric again, voice carrying a dangerous edge: "Your turn to talk, hermit. What exactly did you mean by 'price for knowledge'?"

The air crackles with a dark energy as Merrin’s crowbar scrapes against the ancient stone of the tower gate. I watch in growing apprehension, my eyes fixed on the pulsating runes that cover its surface like a second skin. The black star symbol at its center flashes more rapidly now, responding to our proximity with an unsettling rhythm.
"I must admit, I am not entirely convinced by the merits of brute force here," I say, my voice a low murmur intended only for Merrin’s ears, though everyone else can surely hear it in the sudden silence that follows his scraping. "These runes feel alive, and touching them will trigger something we are most certainly not prepared for."
I take a step closer to Halie, who has moved in front of the group. Her head is tilted slightly, her expression one of deep concentration as she listens to whatever arcane whisperings the gate is sending out. A shiver runs down my spine at the sight.
"Halie," I call out, my tone urgent yet hushed. "What do you sense? Can you tell what kind of magic this is before we attempt entry?"
My gaze flickers back to Elric, the hermit who sold us this partial map. He stands apart from our group, his expression unreadable behind a curtain of greasy hair. A chill creeps into my bones at the memory of his words - 'there is a price for knowledge.' What did he mean by that?
I turn back to the gate, my hand hovering just inches from one of the smaller runes etched into the stone. It feels warm to the touch, almost feverish. I pull my hand back quickly, a fresh wave of unease washing over me.
"Varrika," I call out to the warrior, keeping my voice steady despite the tremor in my fingers. "Be ready with that mace of yours. If something comes through these runes, we need to be prepared to face it head-on."
The skeletons on either side of the gate shift slightly, their bony hands tightening on their rusted weapons. They haven't moved in any significant way since we arrived, but I can feel their gaze on us, watching, waiting.
"Jeane," I say, addressing the sorcerer who is already crouched near the base of the gate, examining it with a critical eye. "Any chance you can decipher those runes before we get too close? We need to know what we're dealing with."

Varrika: Merrin, hold up. Don't go touching those runes without knowing what they do first. Elric, you said this map came at a price. What exactly are we walking into here?