Round 17 Transcript

The tension in The base of a crumbling stone tower, its entrance sealed by an ancient rune-covered gate, deep within the haunted Whispering Woods tightens for a beat as the interruption refuses to go away. Everyone is forced to stay quiet and choose their next move carefully.

I approach the runes carefully, maintaining distance from the gate itself. The air grows heavy and wrong here—I can feel ancient magic pulsing beneath the stone like a sleeping beast. Merrin's cries of pain echo in the silence, each scream punctuated by that damned barrier field's insistent pull. Stay back! I call over my shoulder to Elric and Seraphine, who are already hovering too close for comfort. Don't come closer to the gate while we assess this. The runes pulse with dark energy, and Merrin's leg is clearly infected—this isn't just a barrier. It's alive in some twisted way that makes my skin crawl. Whatever this tower once was, it's certainly not holy ground now, I mutter, pulling out my spellbook. Time to consult the forbidden texts for something that might counter whatever hellish magic is at work here. But first, we need information about what we're dealing with before charging blindly into a trap. Elric! Start talking—what's the real story behind this place? And Seraphine, can you confirm if that field is actively drawing energy from Merrin or just reacting to her wound? We need answers fast before she's pulled inside like some kind of cursed magnet.

I grab Merrin by her shoulders, yank her back from the gate. "Elric: Explain this field NOW! And you—Seraphine—barrier mechanism meant to keep us out or...eat us? Tell me what you know about breaking through before she's pulled inside."

Merrin's eyes dart frantically between the ominous gate and Elric, her voice quivering with fear and desperation. "By the gods, Elric, what in the seven hells is this thing?!" She tries to take a step back but winces as the searing pain in her leg radiates through her body. "It's like it's... pulling at me. At the darkness in my wound."

She grips her crossbow tighter, the metal cold and slick against her palm. Her mind races, trying to recall any lore about barrier fields or shadow demons from her years on the streets. But all she can think of is the growing pressure in her leg, the dark energy pulsing like a malevolent heartbeat. "Elric, you said this place was ancient," Merrin spits out, her tone sharp with accusation. "You must know something about these runes, this gate. Is it... is it alive?" She takes a shuddering breath, trying to calm the panic rising in her chest. "Tell us what you know before it's too late. Before whatever's in there pulls me in and finishes me off."