Round 81 Transcript

The tension in The base of a crumbling stone tower tightens for a beat as the interruption refuses to go away. Everyone is forced to stay quiet and choose their next move carefully.

I sweep my gaze across the corridor's mouth, wings fluttering instinctively as the wrongness here prickles at my skin. The sigils aren't just warnings—they're holding something back, something large and hungry that hasn't fed in a very long time. We should scout ahead before committing to these stairs. Halie, your faith might be our shield against whatever lies beyond this threshold. Merrin's knee is scraped raw—that girl needs a healer more than she needs another scar. I won't risk the party on her stubborn pride alone.

I crouch beside Merrin, examining her scraped knee in the dim light of my holy symbol. The skin is raw, but not deep—she’ll recover quickly with proper care and rest. The air around us feels wrong though, thick with ancient magic that clings like oil to my skin.

I raise a hand, my fingers tracing the intricate patterns of the demonic runes etched into the stone wall, their edges glowing with an unsettling malevolent energy. The air here feels heavy, like breathing through a thick layer of oil-soaked cloth, and every pulse of that ambient magic sends a jolt straight up my spine. It’s ancient and hungry, waiting.
The sight of Merrin's scraped knee gives me pause. A simple fall on stone stairs is nothing compared to the dangers that await us deeper in this accursed tower. We need clear heads and steady feet, not another injured party member.
My gaze shifts to Halie, who is already tending to Merrin with her usual gentle efficiency. The cleric's presence offers some small comfort; her divine sight might be our best defense against the psychic assaults we can already feel pressing at the edges of our minds. I clear my throat softly.
"I must advise caution," I say, my voice a low murmur that barely disturbs the oppressive silence of the corridor.* "The runes are demonic in origin but dormant for now. This place feels alive with malice."