Round 78 Transcript

As Halie continues to hold up the Silver Holy Symbol, its light illuminates a series of ancient carvings on the wall, depicting a great calamity and the downfall of civilizations. The Curse of the Sword's influence grows stronger, causing Merrin's skin to writhe in agony, her eyes rolling back in her head. The central rune on the Time-Splitting Sword pulses brighter, its sickly green light casting an eerie glow over the chamber. Suddenly, the ground beneath Halie's feet shudders violently, throwing her off balance. A loud rumbling noise echoes through the tunnel, growing louder by the second. The air thickens with an unholy hunger, and the Devourer's presence is felt by all. A section of the wall behind Jeane gives way, revealing a hidden chamber filled with a noxious gas that threatens to consume them all. The party must act swiftly to escape the collapsing tunnel and find a way to counter the Curse of the Sword's influence before it's too late.

I step onto the central rune, feeling its cold energy seep into my bones. The air itself feels wrong—thick with malevolent intent. Every instinct screams at me to retreat, but I know Merrin doesn't have much time left. "Stop," I command, voice sharp and final. "The runes on the walls are reacting to the sword—look closely, you can see them pulse in rhythm." My wings ache from the oppressive magic pressing down on us. "Merrin is possessed by something old and hungry. We need a real plan, not just blind optimism."

I turn to Halie, her fear evident but grounding nonetheless. "Halie, work with Merrin for an hour or two—see if your light magic can slow the curse's spread." Then to Varrika: "The tunnel ahead is likely booby-trapped. Let me scout using shadow magic before we all stumble into a death-trap." My crimson eyes lock onto Merrin, her condition worsening by the moment. "If we don't move smartly, she dies down there regardless of our intentions."

This tower is trying to devour us piece by piece—first with poison gas, now with magical backlash and collapsing tunnels. I refuse to let it claim another life so carelessly.

I step forward, my heavy mace gripped firmly in my scarred hands. The pulsing rune on the sword feels like a physical weight pressing against my bones, but I force myself to focus. "Listen up, all of you," I growl, my gravelly voice cutting through the tension. "We're in a bad spot here, but we ain't dead yet. Merrin, Halie - you two work on that curse, see if you can slow it down. Jeane, keep those shadows of yours ready, we're likely to need them."

I turn my gaze to the winding staircase ahead, my eyes narrowing. "As for me, I'm going to take point. If there's skeletons or traps waiting for us at the bottom of this hole, they'll be dealing with me first."

I start down the stairs, my boots echoing heavily on the worn stone. The air grows thicker with each step, heavy with the weight of ancient magic and malevolent intent. I can feel it in my bones, a gnawing hunger that makes my skin crawl. But I don't let it stop me. I've faced worse than this in my years as a warrior, and I'll be damned if I let some cursed tower get the better of me now. My mace is ready, my senses on high alert. Whatever lies ahead, I'll meet it head-on. The others follow behind me, their footsteps hesitant but determined. We're a long way from home, and the path back is littered with danger. But we came here for a reason, and by the gods, we won't leave until we've seen this through to the end.

I kneel beside Merrin, pressing my silver holy symbol against her forehead, praying to every deity I can think of. Her skin is hot and clammy under my fingers—pulsing with a sickening rhythm. The curse has already rooted itself deep within her, twisting her cells from the inside out. This isn't a simple affliction; it's ancient and powerful and hungry. Jeane's suggestion makes sense—I can monitor Merrin's condition while Varrika scouts ahead—but every second that passes feels like a countdown. I look up at my companions, voice tight with urgency. "We have maybe an hour before this spreads beyond my ability to contain it." I hold out the holy symbol toward Jeane and Varrika. "Take this. It might offer some protection against whatever lies ahead." I turn back to Merrin, whispering a prayer of stasis while searching my mind for more complex blessings that might slow the corruption's spread.