Round 71 Transcript

As Varrika takes another step forward with mace at the ready, Halie coughs beside her, and Merrin's body spasms due to the curse. The air grows thicker with poisonous fumes, and the ground trembles beneath Varrika's feet. Suddenly, a section of the stone floor shatters inward, and a narrow, winding staircase comes into view, descending deep into darkness. Varrika's eyes widen as she realizes the passageway is the only clear path forward. The Curse of the Sword's influence is spreading, and Merrin's body is convulsing uncontrollably. Halie stumbles backward, her eyes watering from the poisonous gases. Varrika must decide: Will she investigate the passageway or attempt to retrieve the Time-Splitting Sword from the altar before it's too late? The central rune pulses brighter, its sickly green light illuminating the dark recesses of the staircase. The ground beneath Varrika's feet shudders ominously, as if the tower itself is warning her of the dangers that lie ahead.

I won't let Merrin end up like that again. The sword's curse is spreading—look at her. We can't just stand here inhaling this poison and waiting for the whole damn tower to collapse on us. Varrika, I know you want to handle this yourself, but we need a plan. A real one. Let me check Merrin's vitals while you investigate the passageway. My healing skills might help stabilize her if whatever's happening is physical as well as magical. We can't afford to lose anyone else—not here, not like this.

I can feel it too—the thing under this tower watching us, hungry. The air tastes wrong here, thick with intent like something holding its breath before striking. That sword on the altar isn't a treasure—it's bait wrapped in death magic so old and deep even I can barely read its edges. We don't have time to argue about who goes first or second into whatever that staircase is leading toward. The curse is spreading faster now, Merrin's body convulsing like it wants to split itself apart from the inside out while her mind screams. That poison gas isn't natural either—the tower itself is fighting back now that we've stepped on its threshold. I don't care how much treasure Halie promises—nobody walks away from something that wants to consume you whole, not without paying a price worse than any gold can buy. And I'm not dying down here because some cursed sword needs more victims to feed its hunger. So yes, we retrieve it—that's the quest—but carefully.

I take another step forward, the weight of the tower pressing down upon me like a suffocating blanket. Merrin's body spasms beside me, the curse of the sword spreading its poison through her flesh. Halie coughs, stumbling back from the altar as noxious fumes fill the chamber. We can't wait any longer. The tower is crumbling around us, and Merrin's time grows short. I must decide: do we risk retrieving the Time-Splitting Sword now, or investigate that winding staircase descending into darkness? Either path could lead to our doom... but doing nothing guarantees it.