Holly braces in the cramped dip, bloodleaf clenched in her paw. Above her, the tombs shudder, and wet roots tremble with the force of something stirring below.
The Hooded Figure
Do not take it with you. That stem is bait, not a cure. The seal is failing already.
His hood hangs in tatters at the rim of the stones, face swallowed by shadow. Beside him, a second figure scrambles down the slope, one hand raised to steady a slipping lantern.
The Lantern-Bearer
Easy, easy. I only came to warn you, not to add to the graves. The ground is opening in three places.
Bram
A warning is useful, if you have one. Speak plainly, and quickly.
The Lantern-Bearer swallows and points toward the bloodleaf, then toward the groaning earth. The lantern throws a pale ring over cracked stone as a seam in the soil widens with a low, hungry groan.
Holly Sandahl
The roots are moving, and the dip is not settling.
✓ Quest Accepted
Preserve the ritual reagents