// TOWN TEXT DATA
//    Town 15: Portal Fortress


begintextlibrary;

20 = "This tome is written in one of the Empire's magical scripts. Fortunately, you manage to decipher it. It describes the portal in this fortress. It's a set of directions for activating one of its functions: Creating something called a Demi-Portal.";
21 = "As far as you can tell, it's a portal that doesn't go anywhere yet. Instead, it is waiting for a portal at the other end to connect with it. It takes an awful lot of energy to do it.";
22 = "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.'_";
23 = "_Finally, approach the Stability panel and intone 'Vrain.' The resulting portal will fade in a minute, if no philotes are extended to it._ You flip through the rest of the book, but you can't understand any of the other directions.";
24 = "Most of the things in the commander's desk are pretty uninteresting. Just inventories of materials, work schedules, and so on. One note mentions that instructions for operation of the portal are being kept in the concealed library in the west wing.";
25 = "You're about to close the drawer and resume your exploration, but you decide to give the desk one more search. Your effort is rewarded. Inserted in the middle of a thick stack of forms, you find a slender key made of clear glass.";
26 = "";
27 = "You enter the fortress. It is a massive structure, full of skilled Empire soldiers and well-equipped magical laboratories. The fort looks like it was built very quickly. Some of the walls have cracks, and the mortar is still damp in places.";
28 = "Though this place is clumsily built, you feel compelled to take it very seriously. A existential threat to Avernum lurks within these walls, and only you are able to eliminate it.";
29 = "";
30 = "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.";
31 = "Ahead, you see a tower of flame and energy, at the center of which is a shimmering black portal. The energy here is spiraling out of control. If nothing is done soon, it will be a total disaster.";
32 = "";
33 = "This is a large, blue quartz crystal. It's eight feet tall, on a stone pedestal. The air around it is hot, and wisps of light drift from it to the portal in the center. You doubt that a crystal this large and flawless could develop naturally. It must be a magical creation.";
34 = "It looks like a larger version of a Crystal Soul, but made by humans. It leans slightly inward towards the depression in the center where the portal would appear and hums with energy. It must be a power source for the device.";
35 = "";
36 = "The energy in the air is a palpable presence here. Your hairs seem to be trying to jump off of your bodies. You are getting close to the portal. It isn't completed yet, but it's getting close.";
37 = "There are four crystal pylons ringing the portal. Wisps of energy flow from them to the magical doorway in the center. The portal must depend on them to function correctly.";
38 = "";
39 = "You find an amazingly large blue quartz crystal. It's seven feet wide and twenty feet high! ";
40 = "It has a twin a short distance away, and they lean in slightly towards each other. When activated, the portal between them will be fully charged. The crystals are probably here to focus the energies which create it.";
41 = "You notice the crystal has a hairline crack in it. If the Empire wizards saw it, they'd probably be able to repair it fairly easily. However, if a lot of energy is sent into this crystal, the results would be dramatic and fiery.";
42 = "";
43 = "You quickly, precisely move the Scepter, using the motions you learned in the barrier tower. Nothing happens. As the void freezes you, you try again, more carefully. The Scepter turns from dull black to pure ivory white, light pours out from it ...";
44 = "... And the portal disappears. The hole has been closed up. Then both of the northern power crystals explode, sending a wave of heat flying outwards! The ice in the air starts to fade, replaced by searing flames.";
45 = "The ground shakes underneath you. To the south, the fortress walls start to crumble. You hear the screams of terrified Empire soldiers. They see their doom in the approaching flames.";
46 = "";
47 = "The force of the explosion has collapsed the roof of the stairway. A pile of rubble blocks the way upwards. It's probably for the best. If you were trapped in the tower, the quickfire would get you for sure.";
48 = "";
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51 = "As you stand before the black portal, you feel it start to tear you apart. It sucks all of the heat and life out of the air. An invisible force constantly pulls at you, trying to pull you into eternal oblivion.";
52 = "Suddenly, you hear a piercing keen, audible even over the roar of the portal. It's coming from your pack! You look inside and see that the Onyx Scepter, normally quiet and inert, is vibrating and shrieking!";
53 = "Is it possible that this object could be used to close the portal? Or might it only be capable of making the problem worse? There's only one way to find out ...";
54 = "";
55 = "As the waves of cold freeze 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. If there is some tool in Avernum that can control this raw, wild energy, you don't have it.";
56 = "The grim feeling sinks in. You are doomed.";
57 = "";
58 = "As you flee, the magical conflagration behind you continues to spiral out of control. If nobody goes to the portal and plugs the hole torn in reality, it will be an enormous disaster. One that might burn up all of Avernum.";
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