The tops of the pedestals are completely dark.

The power crystal is pulsing and vibrating and putting off searing amounts of heat. You get the feeling that standing near it is an extremely dangerous thing to do.

You wave the rod at the black pit. You wave it some more. The rod's vibrations grow more intense, but nothing else happens. You have a very bad feeling about this.

This cavern is filled with blocks of quartz and bits of crystal of all shapes and sizes. Whether this is a storage bit or a refuse pit is not entirely clear.

The desk is empty. This office isn't in use yet.

The waves of energy searing you, you stand before the huge, mass of blackness. Slowly, horrifyingly, it dawns on you. You have absolutely no way of closing the hole you created. You're doomed.

...and the portal disappears. The hole has been closed up. But it's not over ... both of the northern power crystals explode, sending a wave of heat flying outwards! The air is starting to catch fire around the portal. Perhaps you should leave...

You quickly, precisely move the scepter in the motions you learned. Nothing happens! Force walls tearing at and burning you, you do it again, more carefully. The scepter turns from dull black to pure ivory white, and light pours out from it, and...

This spot, halfway between the two focusing crystals, must be where the portal appears when it is created. At this moment, however, there's nothing here.

The enormous blue crystal has a glowing, pulsing black spot in its center. The stone is putting off intense heat - you can't get too close.

It's an incredible stroke of luck - this crystal has not yet been magically strengthened. With several mighty blows, you put a hairline crack in this crystal. If a lot of energy was focused into it now, it would be destroyed.

This is a huge barracks, completely ready to house several hundred soldiers. However, it all looks like it's never been used. It's just been put here in preparation for the portal opening.

You attack the crystal with all your might, trying to damage it in some way. You have no luck - it must have been magically strengthened. You fail to even scratch it.

You hear a clattering noise from the portcullis outside the window.

A wind of magical energy buffets you, making your skin burn and your mind ache. It feels as if every muscle in your head is constricting around your skull. To the north is a tower of flame and energy, at the center of which is a shimmering black portal.

The energy in the air is a palpable presence here. You hairs seem to almost be trying to jump off your bodies. You are getting close to the Surface Portal.

This narrow stairway leads up into the tower.

The cabinet contains a variety of intricate tools for cutting, shaping, and buffing crystal. Most of them look like they were made by Vahnatai.

This heavy, steel door has a crystal lock. The glass key you found in the fortress fits it quite nicely.

This heavy, steel door has a crystal lock. None of your keys fit it.

"Finally, approach the Stability panel and intone 'Vrain.' The resulting portal will fade in a minute, if no philotes are extended to it." None of the rest of the scrolls makes any sense.

It says "To instruct the device to create the Demi-Portal, approach the Activation panel and intone 'Khali.' Then approach the Direction panel and intone 'Bestas.'"

As far as you can tell, it's a portal that doesn't go anywhere, but is waiting for a portal at the other end to connect with it. It takes an awful lot of energy to do it.

One set of scrolls is written in one of the Empire's magical scripts. Fortunately, you can understand it. It's about the Surface Portal! It's a set of directions for activating one of its functions - creating something called a Demi-Portal.

Water seepage has greatly weakened this wall, and it doesn't look like anyone's gotten around to repairing it yet.

The air around you is sparks angrily. The roar from the portal is becoming louder. If something isn't done about soon, you don't want to think about what would happen.

You climb down into the valley. This once proud fortress has been utterly devastated. Nothing is left but char, rubble, and ash. So much for the Empire's vaunted Surface Teleporter.

You descend into this valley, set in the middle of a huge, desolate wasteland. As you climb down, you feel strange energy in the air, and your hair starts to stand on end. You must be approaching a place of amazing magical power.

You enter the control room for the surface teleporter. Three large windows on the east wall give you a commanding view of the portal to the east. In from of each of the windows is a pedestal with glowing lights on the top of it.

The glowing spots on this panel suddenly flash a variety of shades of green. Then the spots return to their former, dim state.

The glowing spots on all three panels flash red briefly, then return to their former, very dim state.



The portculli open before you.

Walls of blades appear all throughout the room! Whirling and flashing blades rend your flesh.

You suddenly feel very light-headed.

An invisible barrier prevents you from going here.

You hear one of the portculli open.

The chamber suddenly becomes icy cold!

Your hair stands up on end! Electricity starts arcing between the pillars.

There is a flash of light and a loud booming noise. Monsters appear.

The portcullis opens.

The portcullis closes.

There is a flash of light and a bone-jarring thunderclap! You look around, and see that two suits of armor have appeared. The gauntlets of the armor are covered with long blades. Then, the armor starts moving towards you...

You pull the lever. You hear the distance clatter of a portcullis opening.

You pull the lever. Nothing immediate happens.

You try to pull the lever, but it doesn't budge.

You press the buttons, but the wall in front of you has already changed.

You press the buttons. The wall in front of you shimmers briefly.

You press the buttons busily. Nothing happens.

The wall in front of you shimmers briefly.