Round 20 Transcript

Merrin's footsteps echo on the staircase as she ascends, the glowing runes casting an otherworldly light on her face. The air thickens with dark magic, making her skin prickle with unease. She calls out again, "If you lot are out there, I hope you're having better luck than I am!"

The response is silence. As she reaches the top of the stairs, a section of the floor beneath her feet gives way, sending her plummeting into a hidden pit. The sound of her fall is followed by the creaking of ancient wooden beams and the soft whisper of dark magic. She lands hard on a pile of dusty tapestries, her head spinning from the impact. A faint glow emanates from the shadows, illuminating a narrow corridor stretching into darkness.

The runes on Merrin's walls pulse with fresh power—someone's feeding these bones—and the air here feels wrong. Not just empty; actively hostile. I need to map these skeleton patrols first before we go deeper, or whatever's orchestrating this will pick us off piece by piece. Halie: Stay close and keep that symbol ready. We don't know if it'll work but having faith on display might give the skeletons pause. Seraphine: Light a spell for better visibility. I want to see these things coming before they get near Merrin's voice carried poorly down here, so we can only guess where she is or what's happening to her. Varrika: We need to identify any command center first—wherever this new magic is coming from—and shut it down before we split up looking for the halfling. She's smart enough to survive a few minutes on her own if we move deliberately rather than panicking into traps.

Merrin's heart hammers against her ribs as she dangles from the pit's lip, fingers scrabbling for purchase on the crumbling stone. She hauls herself up with a grunt, flopping onto solid ground and gasping for breath. "What in all the hells?" she mutters, voice echoing in the chamber. "Fancy hidden trap rooms, very nice. I'll be sure to leave a rave review."

The halfling pushes to her feet, brushing dirt from her clothes. She surveys the pit's depths warily, crossbow at the ready. No sense in falling twice. A faint glow catches Merrin's eye - runes etched into the chamber walls, pulsing with an eerie light. She edges closer, squinting. Ancient magic, and potent. Her skin prickles. "Alright, you lot," Merrin calls, pitching her voice to carry. "If anyone can hear me, I've gone and tumbled down a rather nasty rabbit hole here. Anyone care to come fetch me?"

She listens intently, ears straining for any response over the pounding of her own heart. Silence greets her, thick and heavy. "Lovely," Merrin sighs, rolling her eyes. "Just peachy. Well, nothing to do but press on then."

The halfling turns to face the chamber's depths, crossbow raised. Time to find a way out of this cursed pit - and hope her companions haven't met a similar fate. She takes a deep breath, steps forward into the unknown.

I stand at the base of the crumbling tower, my staff held tight in my hands, the cool stone of its head a stark contrast to the heat rising off the dusty ground. The air here is different—thick with a sensation that makes my skin crawl, a fresh and potent magic layered over the ancient decay. It feels like we've stumbled into something far more sinister than mere ruins.
I glance back at Varrika and Halie, seeing the same grim resolve in their faces. Merrin is gone, vanished into that hidden pit, and now we must find her. The problem isn't just the undead skeletons; it's whatever dark power is animating them with such fresh purpose. This isn’t a relic of ancient history leaking out—this is active, calculated, and feeding on something very much alive.
I take a step forward, my heavy pack shifting on my back, and begin to trace the runes etched into the tower's stonework. They hum with an energy I’ve never felt before, a dark thrum that seems to beckon me deeper into this accursed place. A shiver runs down my spine.
Varrika was right; this isn’t just an old ruin. This is a prison wearing a crown. I adjust my grip on my staff, the familiar weight grounding me as I prepare to venture inside with my companions. Merrin may be lost to us for now, but we’ll find her. And when we do, I intend to unravel the mystery of what fresh horror lies at the heart of this dark magic.