Chapter 7: To Gravenhollow

Hunter looks at everyone, then at the crystal. She walks over and picks it up, and sighs. "Great. We get one friend out of an object, only to lose another. Well, I'm not going to wear this and have him in my head this time."

Mai'ngor isn't sure what Lathander expects of him. The tikbalang nods his assent to whatever it is the god wishes to do.

Hunter blinks at Mai'ngor's appearance, then looks at Elayna with an arched eyebrow. She taps the copper wire wrapped around her ear, with a quizzical quirk at the corner of her lips.

She then asks the room in general, "What have we learned?"

"I have learned for certain that the gods are not permitted to intervene directly and banish these demon lords from the world." Mai'ngor says, but doesn't elaborate.

"That much can already be inferred, as we're the ones running around trying to figure this all out," Hunter says, a bit of venom in her words. She stops herself and holds a hand up. "I'm sorry. I am glad you've discovered that as a certainty, believe me.

"So we know a drow wizard unleashed this maddening horde," continues Hunter, looking down at the crystal. "And we know that a number of demon lords now walk this plane. The question becomes, why?"

She paces, absently touching the crystal to her forehead in thought. "Drow do not worship the demon lords, save for the Spider Queen. Why bring the Faceless Lord, the Dark Prince, or the Master of the Spiraling Depths into his chamber? A spell of that power, to rend the gate big enough for such beings to enter our realm, at the same time?"

As though struck by inspiration, Hunter stares at the crystal once more. She focuses her attention upon it, attuning herself to the crystal's energy.

Hunter mumbles incoherently as she slowly opens her eyes.

"I saw her," giggles Hunter, cross-legged on the floor. She clutches at her face, as if to remove her eyes. "In her webs, her children. Thousands! Millions! Every single eye upon eye unblinking, waiting! Writhing in their little sacs, ready to vomit forth, like tiny squeaking mites of chaos and hate!"

In a fit of desperation, Hunter throws the crystal as far from herself as possible.

As the crystal sails across the room Mai'ngor blinks from view once again, only to reappear in the perfect spot to catch it. The tikbalang stands there, clutching the crystal, eyes narrowed at Hunter.

"Wherever she is, she has made herself at home," Hunter says, voice tight. Her eyes squint as if she can shut out the memory. "Fat and bloated in all her horrible beauty, surrounded by her spawn." Forcing herself to relive the vision, Hunter considers the possible meaning.

Xeliss watches Hunter closely, concerned that whatever madness from the crystal has already gotten hold of her and is starting to spread, despite the freed prisoner.

Hunter sighs, rubbing her eyes. "We know the drow released the demon lords. If they could not control the gate to the Abyss, is it reasonable to assume this gate remains open? We would need to figure out a way to close it, and to banish the demon lords back to their hellish plane."

She pushes herself off the ground, setting her legs under her before standing. "Perhaps we need to leave these archives of the past and visit present events. Some research there might offer insight as to how we combat the threat."

"Agreed. I find it curious that you were given a glimpse of Lolth's present. My own vision was of Lathander creating Sinag, presumably deep in the past. But then he spoke to me of the world's present troubles. Perhaps the boundaries between past and present and even future are blurred here."