// TOWN TEXT DATA
//    Town 9: Pyrog's Cave


begintextlibrary;

20 = "Once, the evil dragon Pyrog lived in this complex. Tales are still told of the bold group of adventurers who came here and slew her and her giant allies. Now, only Pyrog's massive bones remain. They are arranged here in front of you.";
21 = "Not all of the bones and teeth are here. Some have been taken for experimentation. However, what remains is enough to give you chills. When she lived, she must have been a fearsome beast indeed.";
22 = "";
23 = "You stand before the massive steel gates that block entry into Pyrog's Cave. The Empire has put its full resources and effort into making this fortress impregnable to a small assault. You have no chance of getting them open from this side.";
24 = "Your spirit falls. If you want to enter this keep, you will need to find another way in.";
25 = "";
26 = "There is a large, leather cloak in the box. The inner lining is wool. The outer lining is dragon scales. It's a very heavy and bulky garment.";
27 = "";
28 = "You begin the Ritual of Sanctification. The runes must contain evil magic. Your chanting immediately disrupts their energy.";
29 = "When you complete the chant, a long crack appears in the block of stone. It can no longer absorb the magical energy being directed toward it.";
30 = "";
31 = "";
32 = "There is a leather shield in the box, cunningly and carefully crafted from dragon scales.";
33 = "";
34 = "";
35 = "";
36 = "";
37 = "";
38 = "This grave is very recent. Someone named _Clarke_ is buried here. He died just a few days ago. When you get close, you see the glint of metal under the gravel. You look closer and find a large, steel sword.";
39 = "";
40 = "Among the notes on this table, you find one interesting scroll. It is headed, _Crystal Soul Sensory Deprivation Experiment._";
41 = "Whatever the experiment was, the records indicate that it went on for two weeks. At the end, a note indicates that the test _Destabilized, but did not break subject._";
42 = "";
43 = "";
44 = "The room is dominated by a huge marble slab. A nightmarish creature has been strapped to it. It is a giant, held down with massive leather bands. Someone has been magically altering it.";
45 = "The creature is covered with globs of goop and alchemical slime and small, tattooed runes. They are mutating the creature. Its flesh is moving, writhing painfully as its muscles and organs rearrange themselves. Odd lumps are forming on its body.";
46 = "The creature doesn't seem to see you. It is trapped in a hazy, agonized, mental prison from which it cannot escape. Not without your help...";
47 = "";
48 = "You take the phoenix egg. It is hot to the touch. To carry it, you have to wrap it in several layers of cloth. (When you reach a point when the phoenix egg can be used, a special encounter will make the option available.)";
49 = "";
50 = "At the far end of the machinery, you find a small box. Inside it is a red orb, about five inches in diameter, resting in an indentation on the pedestal.";
51 = "You carefully wrap the massive stone in cloth and sling it over your back. It is surprisingly light for a stone of its size.";
52 = "You hear its voice in your mind. _Must rest. Quiet. No power. Can't help. Tormented. Fear. Must rest. Return me ... to shrine._";
53 = "And then it is silent.";
54 = "";
55 = "";
56 = "This room is dominated by a huge, immobile suit of armor, topped by a massive helmet. It bears no weapon. Instead, blades stick out of its gauntlets.";
57 = "As you enter, however, the armor begins to move, slowly at first, then faster. Its speed and nimbleness make you realize that, in fact, there is no person inside. ";
58 = "It's a magically animated suit of armor. It lurches towards you, gauntlet blades at the ready.";
59 = "";
60 = "";
61 = "";
62 = "You approach the large blue crystal. It is intensely beautiful and shines with an inner light. At last, this must be one of the vahnatai people's lost Crystal Souls.";
63 = "As you approach, you begin to sense a presence in your minds. It is quiet, but harsh. It says, simply, _Save me. Save me._";
64 = "The crystal is bulky, but not so large that you couldn't take it with you.";
65 = "";
66 = "The tome is a laboratory notebook, describing the development of the machinery in this room. Apparently, its purpose is to create phoenix eggs.";
67 = "A phoenix egg is a container which contains quickfire. It's a potentially devastating weapon, but the eggs they've created have been unstable. Even the slightest vibration would shatter them, killing everyone nearby.";
68 = "They've only succeeded in making one properly. You're glad that they are having trouble making more of them. Such things would be devastating weapons against Avernum.";
69 = "There is a note inside the front cover. It says, 'For access, Unending Flame.'";
70 = "";
71 = "The book is some sort of laboratory notebook. You can't understand any of the notation or diagrams. They're just too complicated.";
72 = "";
73 = "The passage into the depths of the machinery is blocked by this gate. There is no visible control mechanism. You can't see any way to get it open.";
74 = "Then you remember what you read in the journal. You say _Unending Flame._ The gate slowly opens.";
75 = "";
76 = "The door is locked. There is no handle, and no keyhole. You can't see any way to open it. You do notice that, where the handle should be, there's a small gray rectangle.";
77 = "You say _Unending Flame,_ but nothing happens. You'll have to find another way to get the door open.";
78 = "";
79 = "The door is locked. There is no handle, and no keyhole. You can't see any way to open it. You do notice that, where the handle should be, there's a small gray rectangle.";
80 = "You try getting out your gray pass and waving it around. Nothing happens. You touch the rectangle with the pass. There is a clicking noise where the door's handle would be.";
81 = "";
82 = "You step out of the giants' lair and into the central courtyard of Pyrog's Fort. Once, a mighty dragon lived here. Now, it is one of the Empire's largest strongholds in Avernum.";
83 = "To the south, you can see the main barracks. It's a very long row of large buildings, easily big enough to hold a horde of highly trained, dangerous Empire soldiers.";
84 = "You are more interested in the building looming above you to the west. From out here, it's a plain structure, stone and simple. However, when you look up at it, you think that you can hear whispering. Inside your head.";
85 = "You can't tell what is being said, though. It may just be your imagination. Or perhaps some powerful magic is being worked in there.";
86 = "";
87 = "The book describes the experiments performed on the Crystal Soul Jekknol-Bok by the wizards here. They have been exploring its beliefs, its magical properties, and its ability to feel pain.";
88 = "They have also been trying to break the creature and bend it to their will, through a combination of magic and subterfuge. The journal entries grow progressively more nervous. The Crystal Soul seems to be going mad.";
89 = "When they learn of this, the vahnatai will be furious.";
90 = "";
91 = "There is a pedestal here with several slabs on it, each covered in vahnatai writing. Someone has spent some time sitting here, taking notes and trying to decipher the language.";
92 = "You examine the tablets. Unfortunately, while you can speak the vahnatai tongue, you haven't studied their people enough to learn how they write. The contents of the writing remain a mystery to you.";
93 = "";
94 = "There is a pedestal here with several slabs on it, each covered in vahnatai writing. Someone has spent some time sitting here, taking notes and trying to decipher the language.";
95 = "Fortunately, your studies in vahnatai lands have been adequate to gain some grasp of their writing. They are a complicated people, but they have a simple, phonetic written language.";
96 = "You can plainly see that the writing is magical instructions of some sort.";
97 = "";
98 = "This wheel controls the main gates of the fortress. You open them up and then smash the mechanism. It's satisfying work.";
99 = "";
100 = "";
101 = "";
102 = "";
103 = "";
104 = "";
105 = "";
106 = "";
107 = "";
108 = "";
109 = "";
110 = "";
111 = "";
112 = "";
113 = "";
114 = "";
115 = "";
116 = "";
117 = "";
118 = "";
119 = "";
