Editing Tomb Raiders

| carry          = (none)

| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | {{h|Frederick|0=}}: Kastore decided to continue the conversation we had begun about Enroth's long past:<p>{{h|Kastore|0=}}: “The masters of the Time of Wonders did not answer their subjects in their hour of need... and you and I are exploring this ancient tomb today. There seems to be no connection—but in fact, the reason for these events is the same. The Kreegans, or as they're known here, demons. Though these creatures have no affinity with those who inhabit the subterranean depths and ethereal planes, and only slightly resemble them in appearance," Kastore continued. I couldn't imagine interrupting him, though I wanted to ask and ask and ask.<p>Funny, isn’t it: I had once been an all-knowing mentor like that myself, sharing what I considered to be unrivaled knowledge, while the little wiggly girl interrupted me every now and then with her silly comments and clarifications. What a wonderful time it was in our lives… and what a doubly, triply wonderful time it is now. If I only can find Henrietta in these labyrinths—I want her to walk this path with me.<p>{{h|Frederick|0=}}: The elf seemed to understand what was going on in my head, and went silent at times, letting my mind digest the revelations.<p>“But the [[Silence]] came more than a millennium ago... Had those Kreegans already invaded Enroth?”<p>{{h|Kastore|0=}}: “They didn’t manage to that time round. But before I tell you that part of the story, let me enlighten you about space and planets. Listening to your hypotheses about the origin of demons, I noticed: you stick to the geocentric system of the world, but astrologers and stargazers have long argued about whether the Sun revolves around Enroth, or it is the opposite.”<p>{{h|Frederick|0=}}: “I, too, am a keen observer of the heavenly bodies, and I know a few thing about it..." I got indignant, realizing where this conversation was going, but I shut my trap when I saw Kastore’s face twist in the torchlight.<p>{{h|Kastore|0=}}: “The planet revolves around the sun. That’s the only truth. As is the fact that up there in the sky, every star to the last is also a sun. Many of those suns also have planets that revolve around those luminaries. I could prove it to you now, were we not underground... though the entangling charms of these places are so insidious, even I would find it difficult to tell when the next night would come. How long have we been here—days? Weeks?”<p>{{h|Frederick|0=}}: “And it feels like months," I finished his thought. Kastore frowned and wrote something down in his book.</p>

| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | {{h|Kastore|0=}}: “Imagine these distant worlds as islands separated by a vast ocean of stars. And long ago, even I don't know when and where from, ships of a powerful, ancient civilization appeared in this ocean. Different sources have different names for them: Gods, Makers, Ancients... The interstellar empire expanded, swallowing worlds like a sea dominion absorbs uninhabited islands, building its settlements and fortresses on them. Enroth is just one of those islands, and this tomb is their ship... no, just a small fragment of it. The Ancients have other tools that allow them to cross the abyss of the void. In some ways they are even more efficient than ships. You've no doubt encountered portals.”<p>{{h|Frederick|0=}}: “Of course I have! The art of portal placement is one of the disciplines taught at the Bracadian Academy of Magic. These portals give Bracada a link to hard-to-reach towers and palaces beyond the clouds, nearly impossible to reach by normal means. But the farther two points are from each other, the harder it is to create a stable portal between them.”<p>{{h|Kastore|0=}}: “That's right: the principle is the same, but these gates cover unimaginable cosmic distances. The Ancients covered their island worlds with a network of portals that became part of the great connecting Web of Worlds. As long as the colonies were connected, they thrived. And then came the Kreegans. They were strong, had high technology at their disposal, and were characterized by remarkable cohesion: a hivemind akin to that of ants.<p>They were also breeding incessantly and incredibly fast. More and more resources were needed to supply their ominous colonies and hives. So the Kreegans went to war against the Ancients, even though the Ancients tried to negotiate with them first. Like pirates, the devils ravaged worlds, and once they had looted and killed their fill, they went on to do the same elsewhere. The machines the Kreegan use to go from world to world look like celestial bodies,” I remembered the insides of the meteorites I'd seen on that unfortunate day! “But of course, like any ship, they are slow compared to traveling through a portal. The Kreegans are familiar with the principle of teleportation, they can summon beings, they have access to other planes of existence… But they have not mastered the art of traveling between worlds as perfectly as the Ancients.”<p>{{h|Frederick|0=}}: Kastore was silent. I looked at him and realized that he expected to hear my conclusion. I cautiously began fishing a complete thought out of the ocean of assumptions and hypotheses:<p>“The thing that happened was that the Kreegans attacked not only the various worlds, but also the very portal system created by the Ancients... That's how contact between the planets broke down.”<p>{{h|Kastore|0=}}: “That is correct. The Kreegans infiltrated the gateway system between worlds. The Ancients were able to counter this threat, but eventually the unity of the portal network was broken. That damaged the invisible threads that held it together and carried the voice and guidance of the Ancients to countless colonies. The Web of Worlds was torn. And so began what many planets call the [[Silence]], or other similar words.”<p>{{h|Frederick|0=}}: “Orphaned, the colonies found they no longer had a higher power, and the viceroys got into bloody internecine wars," I finished.<p>My whole world turned upside down and expanded overnight to the size of the sky, maybe even further. I needed time to think about it.</p>

{{SorQrow|seer=1|loc=16, 172, 0|rpt=y|quest=Return with:<br>{{An|Amulet of the Undertaker}}|rew=+1 {{Ps|Attack}} or +1 {{Ps|Defense}} or<br>+1 {{Ps|Power}} or +1 {{Ps|Knowledge}}|prop=Long ago, powerful wizards were able to create magical artifacts, but time has caused us to forget how to make new items.  I would like to learn these techniques myself, but I need one of these artifacts first to see how it was done.  If you could bring me, the Amulet of the Undertaker, you would be well rewarded.|comp=Ah, exactly what I needed!  Here is the reward I promised.  You still wish to trade the Amulet of the Undertaker, yes?}}

{{SorQrow|seer=1|loc=35, 82, 0|quest=Be:<br>{{teal}} player|rew=24 {{Cn|Efreet Sultan|name=Efreet Sultan}}|prop=In the far corner of the cave you meet a group of Efreeti. Their leader calls out to you:<p>“Freedom! We have waited too long for this moment. When the [[Silence]] came to our world, we refused to guard this tomb. For that, we were imprisoned in the caves, and Phlegeth stayed behind to guard us. Please, allow us to go with you and finally leave this place!”|comp=Do you want to take the Efreeti into your army?}}

| style="padding-left:7px; padding-right:5px;" | <center> '''Contents:''' -200 [[Spell Points]]</center></p>