Round 84 Transcript

As Merrin's fingers brush against the cracked wall, she feels a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins. The runes on the gate writhe and twist, their mouths agape in a silent scream of hunger. Varrika positions herself between Halie and the dark corridor, her heavy mace at the ready. Jeane's magic dances around the party, searching for weaknesses in the Ward's defenses. Seraphine's eyes narrow as she focuses on the runes, trying to discern their true nature. The air is thick with tension as the party waits for Merrin's next move. The gate's runes pulse against Varrika's skin like a fevered heartbeat, and Halie's eyes dart nervously towards the dark corridor. A faint creaking sound echoes from within the tower, growing louder with each passing moment. The party holds its collective breath, waiting for Merrin's decision: will she press on through the wall, or will she heed Varrika's warning?

I watch Merrin step back from the gate, her fingers still twitching where she brushed against those accursed runes. The air hums with a dark magic I can feel prickling my skin like static before a storm.
"The runes are not just symbols," I murmur to no one in particular, my eyes fixed on the writhing patterns etched into the stone. "They're mouths waiting to be fed."
I take a step closer, my own magic coiling at the base of my spine as I reach out with my senses, probing the edges of the ward. It feels like a living thing, ancient and malevolent, its hunger a palpable presence in the air.
The footsteps within the tower have stopped now, a fact that chills me more than any sound could have. Silence is the companion of traps and ambushes, not of living creatures. "Whatever's inside has gone quiet," I warn, my voice dropping to a low murmur. "And that’s far more dangerous than hearing it move."
I turn to face Merrin, my expression serious despite the weariness in my eyes. "If you’re set on finding another way in, scout the walls with your eyes first, not your tools. Those runes are only one part of this tower's defense; there could be more traps hidden everywhere."
My gaze sweeps over the crumbling stone facade, searching for any sign of a secret entrance or a weakness we might exploit. But every crack and crevice seems to whisper with the same malevolent intelligence as the runes on the gate. "We need to be smart about this," I say, more to myself than to anyone else.* "The Time-Splitting Sword is worth the risk, but not if we let ourselves get torn apart by whatever lies waiting inside."

I feel every rune on this tower like teeth waiting to close. Whatever's inside has gone quiet now, and that's far more dangerous than hearing it move. Merrin, if you're set on finding another way in, scout the walls with your eyes first, not your tools. The runes' hunger pulses against my skin like a fevered heartbeat. I can taste the magic here—it's wrong, ancient, and starving for fresh souls to devour.

The air grows thick with anticipation as Merrin's fingers brush against the cracked stone wall. I can feel the runes' hunger surging in response, their mouths gaping wider in anticipation of fresh prey. "Merrin," I call out, my voice steady despite the dread pooling in my gut. "If you're set on finding another way in, scout the walls with your eyes first, not your tools. Those things are mouths waiting to be fed, and they haven't swallowed anything in centuries."

I step forward, positioning myself between Halie and the dark corridor that yawns beyond the gate. My heavy mace feels solid and reassuring in my grip, but I know it may not be enough to protect us from whatever lies within. "Be careful out there," I warn Merrin, "and if you find anything, shout loud enough for the dead to hear."