Round 37

Varrika crouches at the edge of the pit, peering into the darkness below. The scraping sound echoes up from the depths... She glances back at Seraphine and Merrin, both looking equally uneasy. Jeane? Can you hear me? Her voice is steady enough, but the dwarf woman can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong with this place. The magic feels like oil on water—ancient stone trying to reject a foreign presence that has taken root inside it.

The response comes, faint but clear: Yes. Jeane's voice drifts up from the shadows, barely audible over the slow thudding of the runes. Varrika feels a wave of relief wash over her—at least the succubus is conscious and talking. But that doesn't solve the problem of getting her out without triggering whatever horror show lies below...

Seraphine steps forward, her elegant robes whispering against the stone floor. The runes are active. This isn't ancient decay—they're feeding something. She traces one with a delicate finger, frowning. Dark magic. Recent. Someone or something has reactivated these wards to... what? Trap intruders? Guard a treasure chamber? Her sharp eyes scan the perimeter. We need to move carefully. Whatever's down there with Jeane...

The wizard's words trail off as another pulse ripples through the stone, stronger this time. The runes flare brighter for an instant before subsiding back into their hungry glow.