As nice as it would be to hop out of the chair and run for the hills like a bat outta’ Hell, you’re smart enough to realize the gravity of the situation you’re in. If it weren’t for your ‘exotic’ nature, you’d probably never be able to speak to this guy!

Speaking of ‘exotic’...

He’s an Archmage, you begin as said Archmage drifts away from you to monitor whatever it is he’s got cooking in the chamber, what does he know about demons? His answer starts with a dull screech… like a car door scraping against the side of a building!

“VUlgAAaar… VIOlent!” Snarls the sorcerer with unusual venom in his peculiar voice, “POWERrrr INCarnaTE… RUIN INCarNATE! NO. SummONinG IN UMBerAL! NOnE! AnD YEt…”

You’re glad Rez isn’t here right now–you’d have to hold her back!

“RUineD KHoRRoZeh… NEARly RUined UmbERAL…” He hisses, spitting out each word like an undercooked piece of steak, “ALwAyS EScapING. ALWays SCHEmINg. TRoUbleSOOOome…”

Something flickers in Trier’s eyes. Something mischevious. “COUNtermeasuRes MaDE. MAny, MANy for UMBerAL. NO TEmplARs. IRREleVANT!” The sound of a crackling claw reverberates across the chamber. “MAGicAl ORdNANCe… ANCient MAgicS To DRaiN THEm To AShESsss…. hiDDen.. HIdDEn…”

His eyes sway in the darkness.

“NOt. WorTH. THE. TRouble. DEsTROY THem ALl…”

Your body’s hellish roommate stirs. “Well how’s THAT supposed to make me feel?”

“ADdENDum: REEk of DEVIlry…” Hisses the mage as he studies you with his lantern-like eyes, “anD MOre.. unKNown. WE wiLL UNcOVER youR SECRets IN DUe timE...”

Yea, can’t wait… part of you wants to ask more about that ‘Demon Draining’ magic, but not while RED’S tuned in… could there be a way to drain him from you? Like changing the oil at work?

And as for devil summoning, well… sounds like it’s frowned upon in Umberal and all that implies, but maybe the right mage has an idea or two?

One last thing, you segue as Trier takes a break to mumble a few things under his raspy breath, he’s the head honcho in Umberal-

“wE ArE UMBErAL.”

Yea, you heard–but all these Teksouls, deals with the Spicys… what’s his endgame anyways?

The sorcerer straightens, sending a symphony of cracks echoing across the atrium! “SUMMaRIzING: umBERal IS EtERNAl. WE Are ETernal. AlL WIll JOiN UMberAL… CHaoSS TO ORDErrr. EVerYTHinG IN ITs PLAcE…”

You can see where this is going, but you ask anywho. So Crossroads, The Skoglands–

“OBSoleTE. IrReleVANt LArVae plAYINg AT CIViliZATIooOOn…” Trier croaks. “PrOGNOsis: CRoSSrOAds–GloRIFIeD TRaDING POssST. DEAd RUlER. UnSUItABLE REplACEMEnTS… BArBariAN HORdeS: INoRDInANt IGNoRANCE. TriBEs COlLApSE WIThOUt FoE. STaGnANt CUlTuRE. COntRIbuTE NOTHing ANd WIll InEvITably FadE LIkE FlaME IN SToRM….”

>CONTD.