Round 19 Transcript

As the silver holy symbol on Halie's hand continues to glow faintly, Merrin finally manages to free herself from the pit by using her crossbow bolt to pry loose a section of the stone slab. With a bit of effort, she pulls herself up and joins the others, who look at her with relief. The chamber falls silent once more, save for the sound of their labored breathing and the soft creaking of the ancient structure. Seraphine's eyes are fixed on the swirling pattern on the far wall, and she takes a cautious step forward, her hand extended as if to touch it. "I think I can decipher the runes," she says, her voice low and measured. "But we need to be careful. The more we interact with the chamber, the more unstable it seems to become."

Just then, a faint rumbling sound echoes through the room, followed by the faint scent of decay and rot. The air seems to thicken, and the party's eyes widen as they realize that the chamber is starting to fill with noxious, swirling mist. What do they do?

Jeane steps closer to the central rune, her dark wings folded tight against her leather-clad back. The air here is thick with death magic—old and strong enough to make my skin crawl. That rune? It's no mere decoration. Likely a failsafe to prevent exactly what we're attempting. She crouches low, examining the glowing sigils with narrowed crimson eyes. These markings... I've seen similar in forbidden texts back at the university. The Time-Splitting Sword wasn't just a weapon—it was a key. To what? I don't know, and I don't particularly care to find out. Jeane stands slowly, her expression cold despite the apprehension that gnaws at her insides. We came here for a purpose: retrieve the sword without keeping it. Touching it might trigger its curse—that much is clear even to an amateur like Halie down there. She gestures toward the pit with a flick of her wrist. So we need to be clever, not brave. Her gaze sweeps across the party—Merrin ready with her mace, Varrika steady despite the grim expression, Seraphine deep in thought, and poor Halie crouched at the edge of the pit like a frightened mouse. Anyone have ideas? Preferably involving no direct contact with ancient doom-cursed artifacts? The central rune pulses again, its light casting eerie shadows across Jeane's pale features. Because if we can't figure this out quickly, I'm starting to think we're all going to join those skeletons as permanent residents of this accursed tower.

Merrin takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she joins the others at the edge of the pit. The swirling mist and ancient runes make her skin crawl, and she can feel the weight of the Time-Splitting Sword's curse pressing down on them all. "Alright, listen up," Merrin says, her voice low and serious. "We're playing with forces beyond our understanding here. That sword is no joke, and I don't fancy any of us becoming its next victim."

She looks around at the others, her dark eyes sharp and assessing. "Halie, keep that holy symbol ready. We might need it to ward off whatever dark magic this place is steeped in. Varrika, try not to go charging in like a bull in a china shop, yeah? And Seraphine..." Merrin's gaze lingers on the wizard. "If anyone can figure out how to retrieve that sword without touching it, it's you. But be careful. We don't need any more of us falling into that pit."

Merrin turns to Jeane, a wry smile twisting her lips. "And our resident sorcerer... I suppose it falls to you to keep an eye on the magical currents. Let us know if you feel anything odd, yeah? Wouldn't want to be surprised by some nasty trap."

She straightens up, hands on her hips as she surveys the chamber. "Right then. We've got a job to do, and I don't fancy being stuck down here any longer than necessary. So let's put our heads together, come up with a plan, and get out of this accursed place with our lives and sanity intact. Any ideas?"

I take a step back from the swirling mist, my eyes narrowing as I try to make out the runes through the haze. The air is thick with an ancient power that makes my skin crawl. These aren't just sigils - they're a ward, and a potent one at that. My fingers twitch at my side, itching to trace their complex patterns in the air, but I know better than to risk it. "These markings," I say, my voice low and tense, "are similar to those found in the forbidden histories I've studied. They're not mere decoration. This is a warning." I glance around at the others, my expression grim. "We need to be far cleverer than we thought if we are to succeed here without... consequences." The thought of what such a ward could do sends a chill down my spine. "Halie, keep that holy symbol ready. Its light might be our only defense against whatever this place has in store for us."
My gaze falls on the central rune, where the Time-Splitting Sword is said to lie. It pulses with an eerie, greenish glow, like a beating heart of malevolence. I can feel its pull even from here, a dark gravity that promises power and ruin in equal measure. "As for retrieving the blade itself... I think we'd all be wise to avoid touching it directly if possible. The stories speak of curses, of timelines unraveling at the wielder's touch." I meet Merrin's eyes, seeing my own apprehension reflected there. "We need a plan. A non-contact retrieval method. Any ideas?"