A/N: As always, the world of Exile (Avernum) remains the property of Jeff Vogel and Spiderweb Software. I promise to return unharmed to the game the following persons: Quinby, the Twelve, Julz Lithgow, Patrick, and Hathwisa; and places: Tower of Magi, Angierach, and Patrick's Tower.

Sitting about the table in their chambers in the Tower of Magi, Jenneke said, "All right, I think we've all recovered enough ... Is there anything we ought to do before tackling Angierach?"

"I think we're quite ready," said Michael. "I've got a pack full of potions."

"Good," said Jenneke. "Then, armor and arms, and let's move out."

They dressed, and made their way to the crackling portal of the Tower of Magi. Enunciating carefully, Jenneke replied to the mechanical voice: "Owa Tai Ful". When they came to the other side of the rather painful transportation, they were upon a peninsula of sorts, the fortress ahead of them across a chasm, with a lever set in the ground.

Seeing little alternative, Jenneke pulled the lever, and with a rather deafening sound, a bridge rose from the chasm between their position and the fortress of Angierach. They crossed the bridge into the fortress of Angierach. This was the most secret and ominous of the Empire outposts in Avernum yet. It was a massive edifice of black stone spires, hanging over an enormous cavern.

Not a place for soldiers—it was too remote, too quiet, too cold. The stillness of the fort made it seem more like a place for the dead. All they knew for certain was that a Crystal Soul had been brought here for study ... and that any living thing in this place deserved pity.

Moving inside, Jenneke led the way, and bumped, nose-first, into an invisible barrier.

"It's a trap!" he said, and turned around. Another barrier blocked their way from behind. "Guess we wait," he said.

Creatures inside the fort moved toward them, three humans so withered and ancient that their gender was uncertain, behind them rakshasi, efreeti, nagas—eleven creatures in all, led by a twelfth. The twelfth stepped out in front of the rest—a lich.

The lich looked at the trapped group with its glowing red eyes, and after a pause spoke in a voice heavy with the countless centuries it had existed. "I am Midori. I rule this fortress. You are our prisoners, and we will do with you what we will. I decree that you be thrown into the battle pit. Those of you strong enough to survive will have their knowledge ripped from their screaming minds until they beg for death. Now. Let your doom begin."

With that, the floor fell away, and they slid down a slick, spiraling chute—slowly at first, then faster. As they fell, the mocking laughter of the Twelve echoed around them, and they fell through the ceiling of a large, low room, landing on a pile of garbage.

Barely had Jenneke time to check with the others to ensure they were all right, but a roaring sound echoed across the chamber—startled, they looked around, and saw that several hydras had appeared from nowhere, surrounding the pit. They snarled gleefully, waiting to slay the group.

"If it's going to be a fight, let's do our best," said Jenneke. "We've dealt with these things before."

Defeating the hydras easily, they prepared—vigilant as they watched the walls of the room, and attention was rewarded as several gazers and eye beasts teleported in with arcane magic flying through the air. Barely had they defeated these, but a slavering horde of ghouls materialized from thin air, of the sort that moved with extraordinary speed.

These defeated, yet more monsters appeared—more powerful than those from before. This time, it was a band of mutant giants, boulders in hand, expressions of hunger and hatred clear on their twisted faces. And while they were still fighting the giants, a large band of golems appeared to add to the mix.

"I don't believe it!" said Jenneke. "How long can this go on?"

"Hope not too much more," said Michael. "Haven't even had time to ... ugh ... get a potion ..."

At last, the last giant and golem were felled, and a portcullis clattered open, revealing the sole exit from the place ... a magical portal.

"Do we dare?" said Jenneke.

"There's no other way," said Adrianna, who was looking quite battered.

"Dree, you ok?" said Jenneke.

"I've been better," said Adrianna, with a weak smile, looking faintly green.

"We'll have to go through," said Nigel, "I've been all over the walls, and there's definitely no other way out."

"OK," said Jenneke. "Be ready, I don't think I'm going to like what they've got cooked up next."

Stepping into the portal, they found themselves floating in darkness. The voices of the Twelve could be heard, forming a cacophony of surprise, anger, hatred, and contempt.

The voice of Midori cut through the mess, and the others fell silent as Midori said, "They are strong, these Avernites! They have powerful magic! We will put them in a cell, and leave them until they starve, and strip their skills from their souls. Agreed?"

The other voices, one after another—human, reptilian, feline—gave their assent ... and the group found themselves in a cell, abandoned to die. Looking out the window of the cell, they could see a couple golems guarding them.

"Let's see if we can't get rid of the golems from in here," said Jenneke. "Then we'll see about escape."

"Optimist," said Nigel.

"You'd rather just give up?" said Jenneke.

"No," said Nigel, "I just figure they've got that angle covered."

"Yeah, but killing golems is something to do to pass the time," said Jenneke, taking one of his razordisks, and flinging it through the window. "Score!"

"You're getting good at that," said Thissa.

"Practice," said Jenneke, laughing.

Adrianna, however, was quiet, quaffing the potions that Michael was feeding her, when she doubled over, moaning with pain.

"Fuck!" said Jenneke, forgetting about golem killing, "What's wrong?"

"Poison," said Michael. "I've gotten one curative ... I need ... here, Adrianna, drink this one, too."

"Hurts," said Adrianna.

"I know," said Michael. "Drink! It will make you feel better."

Adrianna struggled to drink the potion as Jenneke held her in his arms.

"We gotta kill!" said Nigel "One ... what happened?"

Adrianna screamed with pain, a pool of blood forming beneath her.

"Brother Michael, do something!" said Jenneke, panicked. "Dree, hold on, honey ..."

"I can't," said Michael. "She's losing it."

"Losing ..." said Jenneke. "NO!"

"I'm so cold," said Adrianna, clinging to Jenneke.

"Hold on," said Michael, re-arranging the meager pallets that they had been provided.

"What can we do?" said Feodoric.

Adrianna arched her back in Jenneke's arms, another keening scream of pain, as the blood continued to flow.

"Get her out of the armor," said Michael, "and the gown ... shit."

"What?" said Jenneke.

Michael held up a curled form—perhaps five or six inches, seemingly of perfect alabaster streaked with red with globs of what seemed like a red jam attached.

"Wash this," Michael said to Feodoric. "That's about all you can do now."

"What?" said Jenneke.

"Your son," said Michael. "I'm sorry."

"Son ..." said Jenneke. "And Dree?"

"She'll pull through," said Michael. "Enough poison near killed her, but too much for the babe. I'm sorry ... I ... I should have kept closer tabs ..."

Adrianna burst into a sob, as Jenneke held her close. "It's ok, Dree, it's ok," said Jenneke. "I got you."

"I didn't know," said Feodoric, recognizing what Michael had passed him.

"Just wash him," said Michael. "We'll wrap the body and take it with us until we get to somewhere where it's appropriate to bury a body."

"Yeah," said Jenneke. "Sure as hell aren't going to leave him here."

Adrianna made another sound like a moan of pain, and Michael turned back, concerned. Stripping her of armor and the outer gown, and covering her with one of the pallets, he worked to stabilize her condition, as Feodoric helped, and Jenneke held onto her, while Thissa and Nigel stood awkwardly looking out the window.

At last, the bleeding stopped, and Feodoric said, "Forgive me," as he cast a spell to put Adrianna to sleep. Michael instructed Jenneke to wash Adrianna, and then their bedrolls prepared, he took the bloody pallets and clothing, and piled it in a corner, and dressed in clean clothes, the rags in place in case bleeding resumed, Adrianna's sleeping form was put into the bedroll.

"God ... fucking ... damn ... you ..." said Jenneke, punctuating the words with another razordisk to the remaining golem outside the window, until the ambulatory statue collapsed into a pile of rubble. He slammed a gauntleted fist against the door, which echoed, but the door did not even tremble under the onslaught.

"Sarge?" said Nigel, a little cautiously.

"What?" snapped Jenneke.

"I found something here," said Nigel. "It's not big ... I figure maybe Feodoric here can get through, but check this out."

"You can get through there?" said Jenneke, looking to Feodoric.

"I'll try," he said. "It's not much of a space ... maybe I'll find a way to get us out of here."

"Do so," said Jenneke, shortly.

"Yes, sir," said Feodoric, and he slid through the small space, finding himself in another cell, where a ghost stood.

"Who are you?" said Feodoric, astonished.

The ghost of a male human said, "I was Quinby."

Feodoric said, "Why do you trouble us, spirit?"

"I was a mage of high renown. I served Avernum," said Quinby. "Then I was brought to Angierach."

"You say you were of great renown? I've never heard of you," said Feodoric. "What happened to you in Angierach?"

"Well, somewhat high renown then. I did all right. Not well enough, though," said Quinby. "This is the heart of darkness. The twelve questioned me, and then I received the standard fate for prisoners here. Escape is not an option."

"So, who are these twelve?" said Feodoric.

"This fort was created for twelve powerful creatures, so that they could, in quiet and safety, perform cruel and twisted acts, and create foul magic to aid the Empire," said Quinby. "That is why they take so many prisoners."

"So what is the final fate of prisoners?" asked Feodoric.

"Prisoners are brought here to be experimented on. If they're lucky. Some, like me, if they know about magic, have their minds drained. Then they are left in their cells to starve. In constant agony," said Quinby. "The twelve are evil beyond redemption."

"Even as a mage, you couldn't escape?" said Feodoric.

"I was a mage. I could have unlocked my door, but I didn't have the power to bring down the golems beyond it. If someone could defeat them, though, the doors could be opened," said Quinby.

"OK, if we take care of the golems, how can we open the doors?" said Feodoric. "Can you unlock the door for us?"

"A lever near here. Pull it, and all the doors will come open. I only found out about this after my death, but I hope to be avenged by telling you. No, I can't unlock the door. Not anymore. Not now that I am dead. I have lost a good part of my powers. I could barely even weaken that crumbling wall to the north," said Quinby.

"Crumbling wall? Weaken it? Could you do that?" said Feodoric. "By all that I hold sacred, you will be avenged."

The shade glowed red for a moment, "I want the twelve to die," he said. "They let me starve to death in this cell, as they have so many others. I want them dead. Though I doubt that it will help you," said Quinby, pointing at the northwest corner. He flickered as he muttered a spell, but it didn't work. He tried again, and there was a rumbling noise. The ground shook, bits of dust and chips of stone fell away. The shade, though was gone. The effort had caused it to fade away.

Feodoric squirmed through the newest passage, and finally defeating some spirits and an invisible guardian, he found the lever. Pulling that, there was a clatter as the doors sprang open, and he ran back to the others.

"Good work," said Jenneke, a grim expression on his face as he saw Feodoric again.

"How is she?" said Feodoric.

"I'm ..." said Adrianna, choking off as she couldn't finish.

"Ready to go kick ass?" said Feodoric. "Adrianna—I'm sorry. I ... The spirit in the other cell, before he wiped out helping me out, he ... he said this place was set up by Empire to allow these twelve twisted fiends do their thing ... I don't understand, I thought ... I thought Empire was more about keeping things uniform, but they've sure been ..."

"Anything to win," said Jenneke. "Dree? You sure you're ready?"

"Brother Michael assures me that I'm fine," said Adrianna, a silent tear running down her face.

"Yeah," said Jenneke. "Sure ..." He took a gauntlet off, and wiped the tear away, and then cradled her face in his hand before giving her a kiss. "Let's go ... give it to 'em for Patrick."

"Patrick?" said Feodoric.

"Our son," said Jenneke tersely. "Dree wanted to name him for her father."

"Oh." said Feodoric. "I'm sorry."

"It will not be easy," said Michael, "but I suspect they never had anyone escape on them before."

"Yeah, and we won't be taking prisoners," said Jenneke.

Leading the way out of the cell block, they found their way into the hallway, and to an observation chamber, locked by magic, requiring a key beyond what they had found so far—neither magic nor Nigel's skills could budge the door.

"Bet the Soul is in there, too," said Jenneke. "Never mind, we'll be back."

Returning to the hall, they heard the sound of chuckling in the air around them.

A reptilian voice of a naga said, "So, you have escaped. Good! We are watching you! We are waiting for you! Come to us, come and fight! Come, and let your futile struggling come to an end. We wait!" Then there was silence.

As Jenneke led the way up, proximity to the closed portcullis caused a large, translucent skull to appear in the air in front of them, a keyhole in the forehead.

"Yeah, we're not done kicking ass in here," said Jenneke, not bothered by the lack of a key. "Right or straight?"

"Let's go straight," said Michael. "Hopefully, we can get a perimeter of the place and have a better idea where we've got to go."

Jenneke nodded, and took a few more steps down the hall. A deep, rumbling inhuman voice echoed around them: "Keep coming! Come to us! And prepare to die in our fire!"

"Efreet?" said Jenneke. "I know I saw them ..."

"That, or spells," said Michael. "Prepare for either."

They entered, finding two efreet with their giant mutated lizard pets. In the battle that followed, Adrianna's spell brought down one of the twelve, and a moment later, Jenneke's razordisks felled the second efreet.

"Ten to go," said Jenneke.

Moving on, they fought their way through twisting tunnels which concealed the three nagas, and slew them, along with the snakes and drakes that had been the pets of the nagas. Finally emerging into the fortress proper again, they came to the lair of the human members of the twelve—ancient but strong Empire agents. The décor showed clear signs of vahnatai influence, suggesting even more strongly that there had been collusion between the Empire and factions of the alien humanoids called the vahnatai.

Felling wizard, then dervish, then the shriveled evil priest, along with the crack troops who had been stationed here, they searched through the rooms.

"Four to go," said Jenneke.

"Three rakshasi and a lich, I believe," said Michael.

They emerged from the human quarters to find themselves in a cross hall—to their right, they could see the exit from the place, another door straight ahead, and a broad hall leading to yet another door.

"Straight?" said Jenneke.

"Yes," said Adrianna, a grim determination on her face, grief echoing in her eyes that had not been assuaged by the final blows struck to an efreet, a naga, and the wizard.

Jenneke moved by the door, and said, "Ready?"

"Yeah," said Nigel. "Open it and away we go ..."

"Yes," said Adrianna, casting a spell of preparation upon the group.

A voice that was darkness itself, slow, icy and filled with endless hate said, "Yes. Come to me now. Come and die. Come and die, and serve under me in undeath. I am waiting."

They entered the chamber, finding within three rakshasi and their demons and more summoned demons as the fight wore on. One rakshasa fell under a flurry of blows from Jenneke, as another fell to Nigel's arrows, and Thissa's spear gouged the remaining one.

Michael passed around potions, and said, "There is but one left—Midori, who may well be the worst of all."

"I just found a secret passage," said Nigel. "Maybe we can get a jump on it."

"I wouldn't count on it," said Adrianna. "But at least, we might be in a better position than we could otherwise hope for."

They continued, finding upon a pedestal an iron key, cold, heavy, and ugly—one end a fanged skull.

"I bet that's the key we need," said Jenneke, "but first, we got a lich to bag."

Emerging through a second secret door, they found themselves on the raised dais of Midori—who clearly had not expected their entry this way, and in a short, fierce battle, Adrianna and Jenneke felled Midori, the ancient being of evil, and ruler of the fortress, an expression of surprise fleetingly crossing the lich's face before dissolving in flame and dust.

"Take that," he said, kicking the dust to which Midori dissolved.

"Sarge, we ain't outta this yet," said Nigel. "Still got all the golems."

"Golems are easy," said Jenneke, and he turned back to battle.

Defeating the golems, and the hordes of undead that they would have had to pass through to get to Midori the other way, they found their way back to the observation room, and there, defeated the invisible shades and the visible golems who were guarding the strange barrier.

"I guess we gotta use quickfire to bring this down," said Jenneke. "It's going to hurt, so ... why don't you all start for the way out, and Dree, if you'd cast it, I'll grab the Soul, and we'll get out."

The others moved as Jenneke directed, and Adrianna cast the spell. As the barrier started to melt, Jenneke told her to run.

"Not until you do," said Adrianna.

"Damn it," said Jenneke, and he moved to the box at the center of the dome, inside, there was a large beautiful blue crystal radiating strange mental energy—fear and pain. Jenneke grabbed it, and then put an arm around Adrianna's waist as he pulled her through the rapidly expanding flames.

"Thank you, rescuers, thank you for taking me from this place," they heard. "I am Vyvnas-Bok. I have withstood the assaults of Midori and her minions, but I am hurt. Return me to my home. Return me to the Shrine of Crystals. Now, I must recuperate."

Not too badly singed, they joined the others in the hallway beyond the flames.

"Dree, I ... You should have gone ahead," said Jenneke.

"I couldn't," said Adrianna. "I wasn't ... I didn't know ... I had to be sure you ..."

"Don't be so hard on her, Sarge," said Nigel. "Adrianna—I ... I'm really sorry. I mean, I ... I really am, not just because he'd kick my ass if I didn't treat you decent, but ... I'm sorry."

"I don't understand," said Jenneke.

"I said I was sorry about shit before because you made me," said Nigel. "I wasn't ... before ... and I'm really sorry for that now. I mean, not meaning it, and ... for the other shit I said."

Michael said, "I think we had best go. We're still nowhere near safe."

"Good point, Brother Michael," said Jenneke. "Let's see if this key works in skullface."

He moved to the portcullis, arm still around Adrianna, and the large translucent skull appeared in the air again. Jenneke took the key and inserted it into the hole in the forehead, and the barrier disappeared, and the portcullis clattered open.

"Now, let's just pull this lever and get outta here," said Jenneke.

Once across the bridge, Feodoric said, "We can't go through those statues."

"No, but there's some cracks here," said Nigel, pointing to the southern cave wall. "Let's give that a try."

"Looks like a one-way ride," said Jenneke, looking down the smooth, steep shaft covered with a moist, slippery slime. "And probably still behind enemy lines."

"No doubt," said Nigel. "Any better idea?"

"Nope," said Jenneke. "I'll lead the way. Then, Brother Michael, Dree, Nige, Feodoric, and Thissa. See you at the bottom."

After a short wait, they were re-united at the bottom of the shaft, and finally getting oriented, they found their way out of Empire-held lands and to Fort Remote, where they fell to an exhausted sleep in the guest quarters before continuing.

"We'll take the southern route and stop at the tower," said Jenneke. "A few jobs to do there before we go down to the vahnatai lands."

They began the trek across the wasteland of the southern Great Cave, and finally came to Patrick's Tower. Turning to the office where Julz had been, they passed through the garden.

As they entered the office, Julz happily gave them her full attention, her hair appearing blue in the fungal light.

Michael said, "We found a borgia toadstool for you."

As he handed it over, she accepted it gratefully, and said, "That is the first ingredient I need. Now I need another one. For this, you may read the western of my books."

"What else do you need?" said Michael.

"I need some graymold salve," she replied. "It's difficult to find, but if you could get the toadstool, you could get the salve. I think there's a recipe for it somewhere around the tower, if you don't know it already."

"As it happens," said Michael, "I've got a spare bit of graymold salve."

"Now I can create my potion! Thank you!" said Julz, getting a flask to give to Michael. "I will send word to the Castle, too, letting them know how helpful you were. I suspect that may come in handy. In addition, you may read from the eastern tome, too. It's powerful and private knowledge, but I'm glad to share it with the deserving."

"Thank you," said Michael, and they looked at the books before heading over to Patrick's room.

"Are we interrupting you?" Jenneke asked, seeing Patrick appearing to be lost in thought.

"No, you are most welcome here," said Patrick. "Sit down."

"We got that razordisk," said Jenneke, setting one on the table.

"Well done. Here is a reward. I probably should have given this to you earlier," said Patrick, taking the razordisk, and passing over a small loop of gold, about an inch across with a clear crystal in the middle. "It is a deciphering lens. If you find writing in a magical script developed here in this tower, this item will help you to read it."

"Anything else you're interested in?" said Jenneke.

"The vahnatai can work crystals of exceptional quality," replied Patrick. "Bring me one of them. Not the mundane, ordinary crystals. Bring me a fine crystal."

"We've got one of those around here," said Jenneke, rummaging, and producing an example of the fine crystals that many vahnatai seemed to carry.

"Thank you for your time and effort," said Patrick, offering a small pouch of gold. "I will study this item. The unusual weaponry of the vahnatai also intrigues me—I would love to see one of their wave blades—a non-magical one would do."

"We've got that," said Jenneke, "Thissa, didn't you bring that?"

"Yesssss, sssir," said Thissa, producing the weapon.

Patrick took the waveblade and said, "There, I think that that completes my collection. You are deserving of a real reward for all of your hard work. One of the books in my office appears to be blank. Read it and say the word "Elith" and its contents will be clear to you. I think that you will find it to be very useful. Thank you again for your help."

"Speaking of that," said Feodoric, "we happened across a journal ... thinking about killing Garzahd."

He looked annoyed at that, and said, "My private journal? I gave you no permission to poke around in that. And all of my thoughts about Garzahd are in there. I have no more."

"I'm sorry," said Jenneke. "It was in the open, and we didn't realize until too late."

"Very well," said Patrick. "Don't let it happen again."

"No, sir," said Jenneke, "it won't."

With that, Jenneke led his group out of the conference room. "Obviously," he said in a whisper, "don't mention it if it does. Now, let's go look at this book we are meant to read."

As they were leaving, they met Hathwisa, who was embroidering a stunning magical rune in gold. After some discussion, she suggested a burial at the base of a cavewood in the ornamental courtyard, and the tiny babe was interred there after a brief ceremony.

"Of course," said Hathwisa, "after the war, if you settle too far for convenient visits ... it will be possible to change the location of the burial. I'm so sorry that you have known this grief."

"Thank you," said Adrianna, clinging tightly to Jenneke.

"Gods be with you on your journey," said Hathwisa.

They left the tower, and Feodoric said, "I should've realized ... he would've mentioned Garzahd if he meant to talk about the man."

"Don't worry about it," said Jenneke. "Next time, we just keep that under our hats."