Round 20 Transcript

The darkness seems to writhe around the party, tendrils of shadow curling like grasping fingers. The air is heavy with the stench of decay and the flickering torches' failure has left a chasm of blackness that stretches into the depths of the tower. In the entrance hall, Merrin readies her crossbow, the bolt chamber clicking as she takes aim at the darkness ahead. As Varrika moves up front, her mace at the ready, the floor creaks beneath her feet. Halie's eyes light up with an otherworldly glow, illuminating a faint symbol etched into the wall nearby - a ward trigger point that seems to pulse with malevolent energy. Suddenly, the air shudders and a new skeletal form rises from the darkness, its bony fingers grasping for a mouthful of dust and debris. The sound of scuttling grows louder, closer.

The air inside the tower feels wrong—like trying to breathe underwater. Those wards are screaming at me, calling something awful down on our heads. Varrika wants to charge in, but I can feel it: every smashed rune makes whatever's sleeping here angrier. We need to purify them, or at least find a way around. Merrin, if you touch those symbols without knowing what they do... we might as well invite the whole damn thing down ourselves. And Varrika—mace alone won't help us against summoned horrors. We need a plan that doesn't involve throwing ourselves at whatever's waiting in the dark. Jeane's right, this place is too dangerous for blind violence. Merrin, keep your distance from those walls. Let Jeane and Seraphine figure out which ones are active. Varrika, I know you're itching for a fight, but patience here could save all our lives.

Merrin's heart pounds as she grips her crossbow, straining to hear the scuttling sounds echoing through the darkness. She mutters under her breath, "By the gods, what is that thing?" Turning to face her companions, she warns in a hushed voice, "Whatever's coming...it ain't gonna be pretty. Keep your wits about you, everyone."

Taking a deep breath, Merrin readies herself for combat, unsure what horrors may emerge from the inky blackness. Her keen halfling eyes dart to Halie as the cleric examines the wards, a frown creasing her brow. "Halie, be careful with those wards," she cautions. "For all we know, purifying them could make whatever's coming even worse."

The dwarf woman's grip tightens on her mace, knuckles going white. Her eyes strain in the darkness, ears pricked for any sound of movement or threat. Varrika shifts her stance, positioning herself between the party and whatever horrors may emerge from the shadows.

I step closer to the wall where Halie is examining the ward symbols. The air here feels heavy, wrong—like trying to breathe underwater. My skin prickles with awareness of dark energy pulsing through the stonework. These aren't ordinary protective wards, I mutter, tracing glowing sigils with a fingertip. They're recruitment charms, designed to summon and empower undead guardians. Smashing them blindly could be worse than leaving them be—they might accelerate whatever's already awakened deeper within. The chuckling sound echoes again, closer this time. I whirl toward the darkness where Merrin stands with her crossbow ready. Easy now, I say, my voice low and controlled. Whatever's making that noise... it's not alone. I can hear multiple movements—scuttling sounds, like something with too many legs moving across stone. We need to map this floor carefully, identify which wards are active and where they lead. If we trigger the wrong one, we might summon an army of these skeletal horrors before we even reach the central chamber. Merrin, keep your distance from those symbols—let Halie and I examine them first. Varrika, hold formation at the entrance with Seraphine. My wings shift restlessly beneath my cloak as I concentrate on the ward energy. This tower... it feels like a trap designed by someone who knew exactly what they were doing when they built it. The 'Devourer' that voice mentioned—the ward activation might be summoning it, or preparing the way for its arrival. We need to proceed with extreme caution.