Round 8

As Jeane's fingers danced across the ward, the silver lines pulsed beneath her palms, illuminating a web of glyphs that unfurled across the stone floor. The pressure plate's trigger mechanism and hidden spike pit lay revealed, their intricate design a testament to the ancient magic that had crafted this deadly ward. Varrika's eyes narrowed as she examined the components, her breath misting in the chill air. Merrin worked the lock mechanism with quiet intensity, her hands moving with a precision that belied the danger that lurked beneath.

Jeane's gaze flickered between the glyphs, her eyes tracing the ancient warnings and mapping the trap's full extent. The pressure plate triggered a volley of skeletal arrows from hidden slots above, their bony bodies rattling against the stone as they flew. Beneath it, like an afterthought of cruelty, lay the secondary spike pit, its trigger mechanism weighted to spring only when the pressure plate was triggered separately. Jeane's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the implications of this elegant design – a trap that would spring both mechanisms together, impaling anyone who dared to bypass the gate.