Round 22

Seraphine moves forward with her wand raised, its soft blue glow barely piercing the oppressive gloom. "Stay close," she warns, her sharp eyes scanning the glowing symbols on the walls. "These aren't protective wards—they're recruitment charms. They're not designed to keep things out; they're designed to pull things in from... elsewhere." Her voice drops to a whisper. "That skeleton? It didn't rise on its own." She shakes her head, pale skin gleaming with a sheen of nervous sweat. "The chuckling I heard wasn't just auditory—it was the sound of magic laughing at us. At what we've stumbled into."

Jeane traces the symbols with a fingertip, her expression grim. "These are binding circles," she says, voice low. "Summoning arrays. The entire tower is a giant trap—a meat grinder designed to feed whatever's at the center." She meets Seraphine's gaze. "We need to map these wards carefully. Find the trigger points and work around them. But first..." Her eyes shift to Varrika, standing guard at the entrance. "We need to know what's coming down that hallway."

Varrika shifts her weight, mace held ready. "I can hear it," she rumbles. "Something heavy. Multiple somethings, by the sound." She glances back at Merrin and Halie. "Stay close. If anything comes through, I'll hold the line. You two focus on supporting fire."

Merrin nods grimly, crossbow raised and aimed down the corridor. Her fingers tighten on the trigger mechanism. "Understood," she hisses. "But if it's more of those... things... we might need to fall back."

Halie clutches her holy symbol, eyes wide with apprehension. "We should pray for guidance," she suggests, voice trembling slightly. "Inventor, lend us your light in this darkness..."

The air grows colder as the group stands poised at the threshold of the tower's depths. The scuttling sound intensifies, accompanied now by a dry rustling like... like bones dragging across stone.