Round 47 Transcript

At The base of a crumbling stone tower, the pressure shifts from waiting to immediate risk. The ward answers the party's presence with a fresh pulse through the stone and no one can mistake it for safety. The nearest sign of danger is now Skeletons: Undead remnants of the tower's original defenders, now animated by dark magic to endlessly guard their ancient home.. Someone has to answer that change now.

I shout up through the floor. HALIE! VARRIKA! I'M TRAPPED BELOW YOU—IN A PIT WITH NO VISIBLE EXITS! SOMETHING MOVED DOWN HERE, I HEARD IT CLEARLY! THERE'S ANOTHER DISTURBANCE! The air is thin and cold, making my head ache. The stone around me feels like it's breathing, pulsing with whatever dark magic fuels these walls. THE WARD STOPPED PULSING BUT SOMETHING BIGGER TOOK ITS PLACE! I NEED AIR OR I'LL PASS OUT! My wings try to flap uselessly in the confined space. The sound of shifting rubble echoes from below me again—something's stirring deeper.

I fumble with my tinderbox, trying to coax a flame from the damp tinder. "Jeane! Where are you?" I call out, my voice echoing off the pit walls. The glow of my torch illuminates the smooth stones at my feet, but there's no sign of Jeane or any way up. The air grows colder, and the runes on the walls seem to pulse with an eerie light. I level my crossbow, scanning the shadows for any movement. My heart pounds in my ears as I wait for a response, dreading what might emerge from the darkness.

I call out to Varrika over the sudden commotion, my voice sharp with urgency as I watch her level her crossbow at the undead creature grappling Halie. "Varrika! Get that rope ready now!" The air in the tower has grown thick and heavy, charged with an ancient malevolence that makes my skin prickle.
My gaze darts around the chamber, taking in the glowing runes etched into the stone walls. They pulse with a sickly green light, responding to the disturbance like a living thing. The floor beneath my feet vibrates slightly, a deep thrumming that sets my teeth on edge.
Merrin's frantic voice echoes up from below, a muffled shout that sounds both distant and terrifyingly close. Jeane is trapped in there somewhere, alone in the dark with whatever made that sound earlier. The thought sends a chill down my spine. "Jeane!" I yell back, hoping my voice will carry through the heavy stone. "Where are you?"
I feel the weight of my heavy mace against my hip, a comforting presence amidst the chaos. But right now, it feels more like a burden than a weapon. We need to move quickly and quietly if we're going to get out of here alive. And we have to find Jeane before whatever is lurking below decides to investigate the noise.
I turn to Merrin, my expression grave. "Find that opening. Now. We can't wait for whatever's down there to come up and find us first." My eyes flick back to Varrika, who is still aiming her crossbow at the skeleton. The creature seems oblivious to our presence, its focus entirely on Halie.
The cleric struggles in its grip, her face a mask of fear and determination. She meets my gaze, a silent plea passing between us. We're in this together, all of us. And if we don't work together, none of us will make it out alive.