Round 67 Transcript

As Jeane and Varrika descend further into the pit, the ground beneath them shudders violently, causing the torches to flicker wildly. The air is filled with an unearthly screeching noise, like the cacophony of a thousand banshees. Merrin's body tumbles down the tunnel, her eyes frozen in a permanent scream, as if pulled by some unseen force. The Time-Splitting Sword on the stone altar seems to be drawing energy from the surrounding air, its blade shimmering with an intense, malevolent light. The stone floor beneath them begins to crack and crumble, revealing a hidden pit of jagged rocks and twisted metal. A section of the wall slides open, revealing a narrow, winding tunnel that disappears into darkness.

Halie speaks up, her voice measured and serious. "Listen. We cannot afford to rush into this chamber blindly." She steps forward, silver holy symbol in hand, eyes scanning the trembling walls for signs of corruption. The air itself feels wrong—heavy with a malevolent intent that makes her skin crawl. "Whatever this place is, whatever force drew us here... it wants something from us." Her blue-grey eyes meet Varrika's steady gaze. "That sword isn't just cursed. It's bait. And now Merrin..." She trails off, unable to finish the thought. The light from Jeane's spell flickers ominously. Halie clutches her heavy mace tighter, heart pounding. "We need a plan. A real one. Before we take another step."

She reaches into her pack with shaking hands, pulling out a small vial of holy water and a handful of dried sage leaves. The scent of the sacred herbs barely cuts through the thick magic clinging to everything in this cursed place. Halie's mind races. They could try to seal the chamber from outside—brick up the entrance, contain whatever lies within. But that means abandoning Merrin to her fate... and the sword remains a threat, even buried under stone. Or they could attempt a ritual of banishment, but she's never faced magic this ancient, this hungry. The thought makes her stomach churn. Halie moves closer to Varrika, voice low. "I'm with you. But we need to think this through. Whatever happens next... I won't let any more of us fall to this place." She meets Jeane's eyes across the narrow space between them. "We've come too far to end up like Merrin—contorted and screaming because we were careless or arrogant." Halie's fingers trace the silver cross around her neck, a prayer unspoken. The weight of their decision presses down heavy as the collapsing stones above.

The air thickens with something ancient and foul, and my wings spasm against the oppressive magic. Each beat feels like swimming through honey—no, worse, like trying to flap in water. The central rune pulses brighter now, almost painfully so, and I can feel it pulling at me, not just physically but something deeper, older. Something that makes my teeth ache. Merrin's body slides past us down the tunnel, her eyes frozen in a permanent scream. The curse is spreading faster than expected—should've known better than to trust ancient weaponry—and now she's tumbling toward whatever waits below. Varrika's already moving, mace raised and ready, and Halie's trying to hold everyone back with talk of planning and caution, but we're past that now aren't we? The sword's called us here, and it won't let us leave empty-handed or alive. I raise my crossbow, scanning the shadows for movement. "Stay behind me," I tell them, voice barely heard over the pulsing rune. "Something's down there." Something hungry.

I raise a hand for silence as we reach the bottom of the winding stairs. The air here is thick, oppressive, reeking of ancient magic and something far more sinister. I can feel it pressing against my skin, tugging at my very essence. The chamber before us is vast, the stone walls slick with condensation. At the center, upon an altar of blackened rock, rests the Time-Splitting Sword. It pulses with a sickly green light, drawing the shadows to it like moths to a flame. Something about this feels wrong. Dead wrong. I've faced my share of curses and malevolent artifacts, but this... this is different. This is hungry. I meet Halie's gaze, see the same unease reflected in her eyes. She nods once, a silent acknowledgement of the danger we face. Merrin shifts behind us, her breathing labored. We need to move. But carefully. Whatever magic this place holds, I have a feeling it won't part with its prize easily. I take a step forward, mace gripped tight in my hands. The air seems to push back against me, as if trying to bar our entrance. I grit my teeth and press on, each footstep echoing ominously in the cavernous space. The game is afoot, and the stakes have never been higher. Let's see what tricks this accursed tower has up its sleeve. But we walk this path together, as one.