Round 83 Transcript

Merrin's fingers, still burning from the trap she triggered, twitched with the urge to find an alternative entrance. The runes on the gate seemed to writhe and twist, their mouths agape in a silent scream of hunger. Jeane and Seraphine's magic danced around the party, searching for weaknesses in the ward's defenses. Halie, meanwhile, scribbled furiously in her journal, documenting every detail of the runes and the trap that had been sprung. As Merrin scanned the tower walls, she spotted a faint crack in the stone, just wide enough for a slender figure to squeeze through. She whispered to the party, "I think I've found a way in."

The runes' hunger pulses against my skin like a fevered heartbeat. Whatever lies beyond that gate is ancient and ravenous, and I'll be damned if I let any of my companions feed it. I step forward, positioning myself between Halie and the dark corridor. "Merrin," I call out gruffly, "if you're set on finding another way in, make it quick. I don't like the feel of this place."

My heavy mace rests on my shoulder, ready to swing at a moment's notice. The weight of it is comforting, a reminder of my purpose. I'm here to keep these women safe, no matter what lurks in the shadows. Halie meets my gaze, her eyes filled with determination and fear. She nods, understanding the unspoken agreement between us. We'll face whatever comes together. Jeane and Seraphine work their magic from a distance, their spells dancing around the entrance like fireflies. I watch them warily, my trust in sorcery as thin as a thread. But if their tricks can find us a way inside without waking whatever slumbers beyond, I won't argue. I turn back to Merrin, who's already slipping away to scout the tower walls. "Be careful out there," I call after her. "And if you find anything, shout loud enough for the dead to hear."

The seconds tick by like hours as we wait, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife. But I stand firm, my eyes scanning the shadows and my muscles coiled tight. I'll hold this line until hell freezes over or Merrin finds us a path through. Either way, we won't be leaving here empty-handed. Varrika's dialogue:

The runes on the gate aren't symbols—they're mouths, and they haven't swallowed anything in centuries. I can feel their hunger like teeth against my skin. Merrin, sheathe those picks immediately unless you want to feed yourself to whatever's waiting piece by agonizing piece inside. We need to understand this ward's mechanics before attempting entry. Halie, document what we can from here—those runes might be the key to its defenses or weaknesses. Seraphine and I will try to identify weak points using magic, but stay back twenty feet minimum. That thing is sentient somehow, and it doesn't want us entering. Merrin, if you're set on finding another way in, scout the walls with your eyes first, not your tools. Whatever's inside has gone quiet now, and that's far more dangerous than hearing it move. Patience, we've come too far to become someone's evening snack because of rushed curiosity. Varrika, keep everyone back. I don't trust this magic, and I certainly don't trust whatever entity is lurking beyond the gate. If Merrin finds a way in through the wall, fine—but only if it doesn't trigger more traps. We proceed cautiously or not at all.

I step back from the gate, my hand throbbing where I touched those cursed runes. "Alright, alright, you don't have to shout," I mutter to Jeane, sheathing my picks with a grimace. "I've got an idea for Plan B that might just work."

Eyes still on the writhing mouths of the gate, I scan the tower walls for any cracks or hidden latches. "Hey Varrika, darling," I call over my shoulder, "how about you keep an eye on those runes while I do a bit of wall-crawling?"

I move along the base of the tower, fingers tracing the rough stonework, searching for any hint of a secret entrance. The whisper of wind through the Whispering Woods sets my nerves on edge, and I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched from beyond those hungry gate mouths. "Seraphine, Jeane," I murmur as I work, "any chance you can cast some light spells from back there? I don't want to be stumbling around in the dark if there's something nasty waiting to ambush us."

My heart pounds as I press on, senses on high alert. If there isn't a way in through these walls, that's a problem for another day. But right now, I'll take any entrance that doesn't involve feeding myself to those ravenous runes.