"Could the mythal open new portals to places in its boundaries if it had sufficient power? And, how can we power the mythal? Does it need souls, or can it feed on other energies?"

Mel muses to himself on how to power up the mythal, then open a portal to Tam's palace, grab Gelon, and get out again.

Asked whether he could teach someone what he's learned, the voice answers coldly, "I have no intention of teaching another. Tam has shown clearly that the old secrets have no place in this world any longer."

"The mythal is a power source," it answers Mel. "It could provide energy to a portal leading anywhere, so long as one end was anchored within its boundaries. It cannot, however, create a portal."

There is a smugness in its tone when it adds, "But I could."

Box and Emfrid appear dumbfounded.

"How would you like to cause trouble for Tam?" Mel asks. "He is holding a relative of his, who is an associate of ours, hostage for his own devious ends. I don't fully understand what he wants, but I do know that he's causing trouble on the Abyss and with the blood of his ancestors trying to re-create powerful long forgotten magics, such as elven high magic. If you could create a portal into Tam's estate, we could step through, grab our friend, and be gone before Tam knows what's happening... and you would thereby thwart his plan and cause him great aggravation." Mel waits for a response before asking what would be necessary for such a portal to be opened (assuming he was willing).

"A tempting offer," the voice responds thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, I have not seen Tam's estate. Indeed, I have not left my grave since well before he was born."

There is a long silence before it speaks again. A light breeze swirls through the room, blowing bone dust from the alter to reveal a few small bone shards that have not yet deteriorated.

"Take a piece of me," the voice says. "If you reach your friend, squeeze the shard tight and I will have the Mythal open a portal to your location. It is the best I can do."

Interesting, Joshua thinks, he longs for someone to unravel the enchantment, but refuses to teach what they'd need to know. And he says his own researches are complete...

It would see Tam has cast some sort of binding on him
And if he cannot cross Tam's interests then it was a mistake to tell him

Aloud he says, "it sounds like we have a plan, but I'll regret not properly exploring the city... we should at least uncover what all these Tanar'ri are doing here."

"They seek the Mythal," the voice says. "It powers the spells that summoned them. It will not release them."

"Then it seems we have two problems that are each other's solutions," Joshua says, "this Mitthil has too many draws on its power which leaves it unable to power the many gates in the city and we have it drawing on its strength to power spells neither needed nor wanted."


"Can you show us how to redirect its power away from the summoning spells freeing the Tanar'ri to return to their war?"

Mel thanks the skull for the bone fragment. "What is your name, sir?"

"Controlling the Mythal is an art that would take decades to teach. The tanar'ri seek only to power the gates so that they can return to their plane of existence. It appears that I was in error by keeping them here to guard us from outsiders. I will open the gates at your request."

"My epitaph says it was Antos Amaunedar," he responds when asked his name. He seems to take some pride in that. "I had forgotten. It was a good name."

"Yes, yes... open the gates. Let them go back to whatever hole they crawled out of."



To his friends, he says:

"If the demons leave we can continue to explore. Go on upstairs to see where it leads. This weird shaft looks like it will take us somewhere completely different, and we might not be able to return as easily. I say leave it... for now at least."