Round 99 Transcript

As Halie approaches Varrika's slumped form, she examines the spreading poison and urges Jeane to move forward, her voice laced with concern. The air is thick with the stench of death and magic gone wrong. The central rune's pulsing grows slightly less intense, but the low rumble echoing through the tower continues to cause the ground to shudder. Suddenly, a faint hissing sound fills the air, and a noxious cloud begins to seep from the cracks in the floor, wafting toward Jeane. The cloud is tainted with a sickly green glow, and it seems to be drawn to her. A small, cryptic message scrawled on the wall near Varrika's body catches Halie's eye: "Beware the hunger within."

I can feel it too—the tower is alive with hunger. Every stone seems to watch us, pulsing with malice. That central rune is no mere decoration; it's a heart beating poison into this place. We shouldn't be here. The magic feels wrong, ancient and corrupt in ways even I can barely comprehend. Each moment we linger increases the risk. Merrin is already lost to that curse, twisting her body into something unrecognizable. Her sacrifice means nothing if we follow her down into whatever waits below. Varrika needs help—poison spreading through her system like ink through paper—and Halie's right: we need to move now before this entire cursed tower collapses on us all. I mark the trap edges with a flick of my finger, tracing the safe path down those stairs. The stone groans underfoot as if pained by our presence. Every instinct screams to turn back, but that sword might be the only thing that can undo what's happening to Merrin. Or it might curse us all even worse. We go down, but we do not step on the runes. Let whatever hungers here remain sleeping if we can manage it. My wings ache with the effort of resisting this place's pull—like trying to fly through molasses thick with death and despair.

I need to bless the water before we drink. The magic here feels wrong—something unclean even in the stillness between breaths. Varrika's right about Merrin. We have to try something, anything, before the curse spreads further. But this place... it wants us. Every stone has teeth. I'll keep the light going.

I keep my senses sharp as we descend deeper into this accursed tower. My axe is at the ready, prepared to hew through any skeletal warriors or other foul creatures that may lurk in wait. The central rune pulses with an ominous energy, and I can feel it seeping into my bones. This place feels alive, hungry, as if it wants to consume us whole. Every step is fraught with danger, and I know we must be cautious. Jeane's keen eye marks a safe path, but even the stones beneath our feet seem to shift and change. The tower groans around us, ancient magic straining against decay. It's a miracle this place still stands. Merrin's curse weighs heavy on my heart. We must find that blasted sword quickly, before it spreads further. But I fear what other horrors this dungeon may hold. Still, we press on, driven by grim purpose and the slender hope of survival. With each step, the air grows thicker, laden with the stench of death and corruption. The tower's hunger is all around us, and I pray to the gods that we may escape its clutches with our lives and souls intact. But I will not waver. I am Varrika Thornwake, and I will stand between my companions and this tower's evil to my last breath. Come what may, we shall face it together.