Mahalath Enacts a Forgotten Ritual

(The Evanescent): You say, "Evanescent, if you would please join be by the Necromentate?"

Afrit arrives from the up.
Afrit offers a short bow.

You have emoted: Mahalath breathes slowly, calming her nerves despite the blood she is spattered
with.

A dun coloured chimaera with a smooth, feathery pelt prowls in from the up, making his presence
known with a mighty roar.

You curtsey gracefully before Afrit.

You see the following people here:
Afrit, Niavene, Mahalath.

Niavene curtseys gracefully.

You flash Niavene a joyous smile.

The Pit of the Necromentate.
Organic slime covers everything in sight, liquid and slick in the heat caused by a large organism.
The walls have been carved with detailed pictures and undecipherable runes that weave around the
mountings for several torches that illuminate the room. A large platform rises in the middle of the
room, before which stands a small altar. Candles burn on the altar, illuminating a book that has
been fastened to a stone stand. The large staircase descends from above, landing at a corner of the
room where one snake head and one tail are the bottoms of the banisters. This pit is clearly a place
of power, guarded by stone statues of menacing creatures spread at frequent intervals along the
walls. The huge bulbous brain of the Necromentate pulsates within the pit below. There are 4811
spikes sticking out of the Necromentate. Warhammer in hand, Kunthin Shadowarm stands here rigidly.
His sinuous tail curling between four fearsome legs, a dun coloured chimaera with a smooth, feathery
pelt crouches quietly within his surroundings. A jet-black malevolent demon crouches here, red eyes
burning upon the canvas of the darkest night. Niavene D'Cente is here, shrouded. She wields a bloody
symbol of pain in her left hand and a cog-emblazoned shield of the Midnight Legion in her right
hand.
You see a single exit leading up.

The irregular thud of distant machinery reverberates through the ground.

You say, "Brother and sister within the Evanescent, the day has been long, so we will be brief."

Niavene tilts her head and listens intently to you.

At the darkest hour, the silence is deafening as no Bell-Tower rings in the distance to celebrate
midnight over Magnagora. The feeling of discomfort is tangible as you find yourself straining for
something that should be there, but is suddenly and desperately missing.

You say, "The deeds have been done, the ritual completed already. We have only but to test its
efficacy."

Afrit licks his lips.

With one glance up, you say, "Ah and the hour is nigh."

You are holding:
"box69202"                    a small wooden box

Afrit, Supplicant of the Dark Faith says, "Good! It seems your inquiries have paid off?"

Niavene leans forward slightly in anticipation.

The raucous music of gears and machinery reaches a crescendo, sending a shudder through the stone
walls and floors.

You have emoted: Mahalath pulls a small wooden box from her briefcase and holds it aloft. She runs
her fingers over the wood and takes a short breath.

You display a small wooden box for all in the room to see.

You think to yourself: Please work!

You open a small wooden box.
As you open a small wooden box a dark smoke invades the room and gets absorbed into the
Necromentate.

The Necromentate shoots a small puff of smoke out of its mouth which solidifies into a metal encased
creature.

"necromentate20756"           the Necromentate
"kunthin31869"                Kunthin Shadowarm
"chimaera32230"               a dun coloured chimaera with a smooth, feathery pelt
"creature41716"               a metal encased creature
Number of objects: 4

Niavene blinks.

Metal plates have been fused to the open flesh of this creature creating a subtle armor. Spikes jut
from its neck, embedded into the skin itself without need for a collar. Bared muscles tense and
relax with a rhythmic contraction, tendons becoming taut with short abrupt jerks as it pulls on the
exposed bone. Blackened blood pumps through its entire system while occasional acidic teardrops
splash to the ground, evidence of the so-called life coursing through the beast. Blood red eyes lie
exposed, nerve endings frayed but the orbs still trace its surroundings with fanatic attention.
Crusted claws provide the final culmination of this killing machine, their razor sharp edges tensed
in anticipation.
A metal encased creature looks to be crushingly strong.
He weighs about 157 pounds.
He is loyal to the Grand Dominion of Magnagora.
You cannot see what a metal encased creature is holding.
It has the following aliases: creature.

You flash a metal encased creature a joyous smile.

A metal encased creature's eyes glow a bright red as it searches for prey.

Afrit tilts his head curiously at a metal encased creature.

A metal encased creature's eyes glow a bright red as it searches for prey.

Discarding the box into the Pit, you say, "I am very glad that worked."

Niavene beams broadly at a metal encased creature.
A metal encased creature curls his nose up and grimaces awfully.

You greet a metal encased creature with a sincere smile.

A metal encased creature's eyes glow a bright red as it searches for prey.

Afrit, Supplicant of the Dark Faith says, "What happens now? It seems keen for something to hunt."

Niavene D'Cente says, "I have never seen anything the like."

You say, "I have no idea, my associate would not reveal anything at all."

Niavene D'Cente says, "Associate?"

order creature follow me
A metal encased creature will not follow your orders.

You tap your nose knowingly.

You say, "I wonder how I might be able to control it..."

You purse your lips pensively, gazing off into the distance as you carefully gather your thoughts.

You stroke a metal encased creature tenderly.
A metal encased creature gives you a respectful salute.

Niavene stares steadily at the Chanter, an eyebrow quirking upwards in question before she remarks,
"Can we take this beast to Nil perhaps as a surprise should our enemies come to visit?

Afrit plays a honey-gold simsimiyya lyre with fossilised tuning pegs and directs the disharmonic
notes towards a rat.
Blood trickles out of a rat's ears and from the corners of his eyes.
A rat screams and dies, as his eyes fly out of their sockets and blood splurts out of his ears.
A rat has been slain by Afrit.

Afrit picks up the corpse of a rat.

Afrit, Supplicant of the Dark Faith says, "Mahalath, would you care if I tried feeding this to it?"

Taking a long step backwards, you say, "Please, be my guest."

Afrit gives the corpse of a rat to a metal encased creature.

Using his tongue and the roof of his mouth, Afrit makes a quiet clicking noise.

You say to a metal encased creature, "Creature. Will you obey me?"

push creature u
A metal encased creature is unaffected by your efforts.

pull creature u
A metal encased creature is unaffected by your efforts.

Niavene whispers quietly almost in an aside to Mahalath, "A suitable name might incite a better
response perhaps?"

You look about yourself, rubbing your chin thoughtfully.

name creature Ouza
You cannot name that.

You say, "I don't think it will obey me at all. It is not mine to command."

Niavene ponders you thoughtfully, looking you up and down.

Afrit, Supplicant of the Dark Faith says, "But at least you've seen to its...being?"

Afrit nods his head sagely at you.

You say, "A pity the Warlady has gone to rest."

You scratch your head in confusion.

Slowly, Niavene D'Cente says, "But what will it do? I only hope no Serfs venture down later in the
month with spikes."

You say, "I'm almost certain it won't hunt our own."

You say, "Perhaps if an enemy enters the city, it will pursue?"

You say, "One goal achieved, and a new mystery is discovered."

Her dark green eyes gleaming at the thought, Niavene nods and casts a thoughtful look at the
creature.

You beckon to a metal encased creature.
Rubbing his hands together, a metal encased creature grins with evil satisfaction.

The following beings are in your entourage:
The following players are in your entourage:

You shake your head.

You say, "Hm..."

Gesturing to a metal encased creature, you point upwards.
Rubbing his hands together, a metal encased creature grins with evil satisfaction.

Afrit crosses his arms, eyeing a metal encased creature expectantly.

A metal encased creature's eyes glow a bright red as it searches for prey.

You say, "Creature. Move up."

You look about yourself, rubbing your chin thoughtfully.

You say to Kunthin Shadowarm, "Do you know anything about this?"

Niavene D'Cente says to you, "When we take on an archdemon thrall, we must dominate the beast,
torture it if we must until it submits. They are not our *pets*, but slaves to our will. Perhaps
would you like to borrow my whip?"

You look about yourself, rubbing your chin thoughtfully.

Casting a parting glance at the creature as he makes for the stairs, Afrit, Supplicant of the Dark
Faith says, "I'm off to the harbor. I want to see our shade attack Celest before I rest this weave."

You say, "I sense that it is loyal to Magnagora. It would not go well for me if I lashed it without
the rightful Pact you have."

Afrit leaves to the up.

Niavene nods her head at you.

You say, "I'll let the Lady Nightingale know what I've done here."

You purse your lips pensively, gazing off into the distance as you carefully gather your thoughts.

Niavene's mouth turns up as her face breaks into a smile.

You say, "And find out what I can do to make it worth the effort!"

Niavene D'Cente says to you, "I am certain the whole Engine will know of it soon enough."