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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 4443434" data-attributes="member: 3448">Session 11:21 VaenThe rest of our wait passed uneventfully.  I discussed a possible plan to build a loyal base of infernal abishai with Spring—if I implement the plan, it would be best to have the use of the additional components for summoning abishai that he took in our initial division of loot.  We did not reach a definitive agreement, but time is not pressing—I would not attempt my plan without access to the sorts of superior chambers for summoning that we have back at the manor we reclaimed from Bastion, and he cannot perform a summoning without a proper license, so the components will not be used until later regardless of whether we can reach an agreement.Having waited long enough to make it as likely as possible that Sergeantanis and his army would be beyond the area we intended to redeem from the Shadow for the Darkness, we were finally ready to attempt to install the matrix.  My companion Buzz took the principal role, assisted by Sergeant Cilorian Leafbougher.  We carefully moved the matrix into position in the heart of the specularum at the top of the Tower.  Fortunately for our long-term position, the windows of the specularum remained intact with crystal panes showing the surrounding area in all directions.  Buzz and the sergeant carefully hoisted the matrix up onto its pedestal, but it failed to balance correctly.  The matrix slid off, slamming into Sergeant Cilorian and smashing him to the ground. If he were living, I fear he would have been badly concussed or worse.  As it was, he still remained insensible for the better part of an hour.   Fortunately, the matrix itself appeared unharmed.When he recovered, they moved the matrix back into position atop the pedestal.  This time, it balanced, but Buzz informed us that the matrix had not seated itself correctly—while it would not fall, it was not positioned to integrate itself into the Tower’s structure.  After a pause to regain their composure, and in Buzz’s case to regain her breath, they attempted to position it a third time, twisting it around the other way but still not aligning things perfectly.At this point, I heard a whisper in my mind in the same voice as the succubus noble we had recently met.  “Try to hurry your companions along.  I cannot distract them from your actions for much longer.”  This was a most worrisome message, for a host of reasons, and yet I did not bring it to the Sergeant’s attention.  My magical studies have made me quite aware of the delicacy of certain operations, and I believed that an awareness of the time pressures would make them more likely to fail, rather than more likely to succeed quickly.Sergeant Cilorian and Buzz tried again, and the matrix finally settled into a groove on the pedestal, clicking into place.  My psionic companions nodded with satisfaction, confident that the matrix was ready to be powered.They appeared on the verge of relaxing—while the work had not appeared particularly onerous, it clearly took more attention than an untutored eye would notice—and I spoke urgently, “Can we activate it?  We have been warned that time is running out.”Buzz sighed, consulted the instructional crystal the Hastur entrusted us with, and then put her hands on two specific points on the great matrix.  Her body suddenly became rigid and her head swung back.  The matrix flared into life as her skin took on almost a grayish cast and sweat poured down her face.  [In game terms, the matrix absorbed all but one of her power points.]Through the observation windows, we saw a barrier flash up as the Shadowline shifted to beyond our point.  In less time than it would take to blink, two great flying figures appeared just on the other side of the barrier in what remained in Shadow.  But the Shadowline held, and for the first time in years, sunlight shone in this part of Caldefor.  I regret that the return of a portion of Caldefor to the Darkness was not accompanied by the actual darkness of night, but Lord Paranswarm’s dominion over the land could no longer be denied by any.A moment later, two Hasturs aported into the specularum and carefully eased Buzz out of position.  One of the Hasturs carried several large crystal capacitors and began emptying them into the Tower’s power reserve.  While they attended to the psionic defenses, most of us looked over the forces of Shadow that had appeared on the far side of the line, although Twang hid in either cowardice or an effort to avoid revealing his true loyalty.The closer figure, by a small margin, looked like a pegataur, with a human-like torso, head, and arms, an equine body and legs, and large feathered wings.  He carried a long bow of some odd black material with twisted, agonized faces on it.  The bow appeared to be strung with poison ivy.  He also wore at his belt a horribly deformed blade shaped like a druid’s sickle.  Faces on the blade screamed in pain or anger, although we could not hear their words, or even if they made a sound, from this distance.  As we examined him, a somewhat more distant version of the succubus’s voice whispered, “Lord Sarkany,” although neither I nor any of my companions recognized the name.The second figure was much larger, appearing to be an enormous giant man, carrying a gigantic sword slung over his back.  He shook his fist angrily at the Tower and the Shadowline, clearly regretting that his inattention had allowed us to redeem a portion of Caldefor.  Ice dripped from various places on his body.  The voice whispered again, “Lord Hisiii, a warlord in service to Malia.  Memorize them well, for they have memorized you, my sweet.”  In addition to the demoness’s overly familiar words, we all received a vague distant picture of her mincing out of a feast hall, surrounded by her entourage, and across the dimensions.  Two overturned chairs had fallen beside the one from which she had been reading aloud from a golden book-- the Book of Apples, also known as the Book of Temptation, a vile text of the most insidious demonic ideas and imagery.  That book is widely bandied about among those of Borsh’tro’s demons determined to conquer the Prime.  The implication that she had distracted Lords Sarkany and Hisiii to assist our efforts was clear, but I hope that as we had not requested her aid, no taint will have fallen on our souls.  I will of course make any penance that the Church deems appropriate once I have access to a confessor once more.</blockquote>

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