// Text Library  - 

begintextlibrary;

1 = "Levy checks some records, carefully counts out a small pile of copper coins, and hands them to you. _You have been budgeted 25 coins per diem. Here is your allowance for today. Don't spend it all in one bar._";
2 = "Levy looks over his records and shakes his head. _Sorry, it seems you've already received your per diem. Come back tomorrow. And spend more carefully next time._";
3 = "Levy looks through a thick ledger, checks again, and looks back up apologetically. _Nope, you've done nothing yet to merit a reward. Perhaps you should do some adventuring and check back later._";
4 = "Levy looks through a large ledger, finds something of interest, and produces a silver ring from under the counter. _Well done! Here is the reward for dispatching the Alien Slime._";
5 = "Levy looks through a large ledger, finds something of interest, and smiles unctuously at you. _For squishing those roaches, you get something._ He hauls out a breastplate, dusts it off, and hands it to you.";
6 = "Levy looks through a large ledger, finds something of interest, and says, _Not bad! Those trogs and giants must have been tough. I'm sure this will make up for the trouble._ He pulls a necklace out from behind the counter and hands it to you.";
7 = "Levy looks through a large ledger, finds something of interest, and looks at you with surprise. _You beat the golems! We were betting you couldn't. Here's a reward ..._ He disappears under the counter for quite a while, and comes up with some leather greaves, with a metallic blue tint.";
8 = "Elisa purses her lips. _Now dear, don't be too greedy! A lot of people need food besides yourselves! Come back tomorrow._";
9 = "Elisa smiles maternally. _Oh, you poor dear. You need some lunches? Just a moment._ She sets to work, and soon comes back with a large, freshly baked loaf of mushroom meal bread. _Here you are! Now be careful out there!_";
10 = "You describe to Berra the rune you found in the Alien Slime's lair. He looks highly disturbed. _I know that symbol. That is the emblem of Erika the Archmage. Perhaps you should go speak to Anaximander. This is dire news._";
11 = "You show Berra the odd scales you found in the cockroach lair. _This is pathetically obvious. These are dragon scales. Where did you get them?_ You tell him, and he looks alarmed. _Signs of dragons there? In the middle of one of the monster infestations? You should tell Anaximander of this immediately._";
12 = "You give Berra the crystal shards from the caves below the giant fortress. He moves off to test them, then returns. _Well, it's not conclusive, but the vahnatai are the true masters of magic using crystals. This may have been made by them._";
13 = "Mazumdar thinks, and then slowly shakes her head. _I'm sorry, but it is too much of a risk to say more about what we have here. If certain things were known, it would cause us great trouble. I don't think we can trust you yet._";
14 = "Shahpur gives you all of her attention. She eagerly absorbs every detail of your meeting. She is truly worshipful of the Empire and its leaders. Finally, she says _I wish there was something I could do for you._";
15 = "_Actually, there is. I have heard many people say unkind things about Avernites. I will tell them that they are wrong. Avernites are not completely without honor, and not entirely deserving of death. I swear the word will be spread._";
16 = "Solberg nods. _Your struggle against the Alien Slime shows you'll need more powerful magic to complete your surface task._ He teaches you how to cast the spell Icy Rain with much greater efficiency.";
17 = "Solberg says, _Considering your efforts against the cockroaches, giving you more powerful magic is a wise investment._ Though mages are always reluctant to share secrets, he explains how to cast Lightning Spray more efficiently.";
18 = "";
19 = "_You have done well. You have earned the knowledge of more efficient magic. Listen carefully._ 'X' tells you, in a terse way, how to draw fire from nothingness. You can now cast the Fireblast spell more efficiently.";
20 = "_We heard of your fight with the golems. We will teach you magic now, from the highest circle. Use it wisely._ 'X' teaches you how to cast Arcane Blow more efficiently.";
21 = "_Not long ago, two men here went north to do some surveying. Not long after that, there was an earthquake. Not long after that, they were found in a cave up there, dead. I sure could use another brain to find out what happened._";
22 = "_I am investigating here to see what happened, but, so far, I have had no luck. I was hoping that you would go north and see what you can find in the cave there._";
23 = "_Keep exploring the cave to the north. Something is up there, I'm sure of it. Nothing like that happens without some trace of it._";
24 = "_I heard about the evidence you found. That odd key. That's probably it. I doubt you can help out more here. I don't think we'll find out much else about those earlier murders, but I'm waiting here, watching for a sign of whoever came here returning._";
25 = "";
26 = "He spends a few grudging minutes questioning you about things you have found, and then grunts in irritation. _As I thought. What evidence do you have? None! I thought as much. If you eliminate one of the monster plagues, look around for evidence. Quit wasting my time._";
27 = "He shakes his aged head in worry and confusion. _Go see Anaximander. Immediately._";
28 = "";
29 = "She checks her journal and shakes her head. _Sorry. You have no official business down below, so I can't let you use the portal. Maybe you could go back down if you show Anaximander you've done something impressive._";
30 = "She checks her journal. _It says here that you are authorized to go down below and receive magical instruction. Go ahead and use the portal when you want, but please don't overuse your privileges._";
31 = "She looks ill. _I'd give you permission, if there was something for the portal to connect to. It'll be months before the Tower of Magi gets restored to the point where the portal there can be activated. It's bad news. For all of us._";
32 = "She checks her journal. _Ah, yes! You're the one who is being sent to recover Thralni's Sphere. I know all about the Sphere situation, and the portal will take you to the area where I believe it's located. The approximate area, that is._";
33 = "";
34 = "_Have you seen my amulet?_ You give it to her. _Great!_ she says, and gives you a scroll in return. _That's a good scroll, but my amulet is worth infinitely more. Now I go on to my post!_ She puts it on, and her face resumes its former dour expression.";
35 = "_What? You gave the amulet to me already! What's your problem?_";
36 = "She looks grim. _I should hope that you want to go down. The Tower of Magi is sealed off. This teleporter is the only route in. Go down there and retake the Tower, or we're all doomed. Good luck to you!_";
37 = "";
38 = "He looks pleased. _Again, humans correct the wrongs of humans! And in reward ..._ He produces a beautiful, carved pink crystal. _It is a Spirit Prism, using for certain magical spells, and it is yours!_ He gives it to you.";
39 = "Koriba takes the statue. _Thank you for returning my statue. I am thinking, I mistrust humans less. That crystal will help you learn our magic. Now find Tekora-Tel to learn._";
40 = "_Gladly. That is our purpose now. But we are not ready to craft a weapon yet. We wait until someone finds who made the plagues of monsters on the surface, so that we can craft a weapon to use against them._";
41 = "_Should you ever know who created the monsters, come back and tell me their name so we can make a weapon. One warning, however. Make sure that you are absolutely certain. We will probably only have the strength to craft one such weapon._";
42 = "_Erika is responsible for the attacks on the surface? Sad and worrying, but understandable. If it is necessary to battle her to regain our homeland, however, it is necessary. Return later. We will create a weapon to use against her._";
43 = "_The vahnatai have caused the horrors on the surface? Disturbing news. Their magic is easily equal to our own. However, we may find a way to disrupt the crystals they use for their magic. Return later. We will create a weapon to use against them._";
44 = "_Dragons, eh? They are strong and wise, but not invulnerable. Humans have slain two of them so far. We will see what we can do to make the task a little easier. Return later. We will create a weapon to use against them._";
45 = "_We will focus all of our energies on finding a way to fight this foe. Return here in a few days, and we should have something for you._";
46 = "_Erika is known to us to often rely on magical firetraps to fend off her foes. They are her main defense. We have created a series of amulets which will provide all of you with protection from fire of all sorts, and especially hers._";
47 = "_The vahnatai create intelligent beings in crystal form. We've done the same. We've made a slightly sentient crystal which may be able to interfere with their crystals. We aren't sure if it will work, but it might._";
48 = "_We have made a magical sword. It can deliver devastating blows to all beings with reptilian blood, including, in fact especially, drakes and dragons. Be careful not to misplace it._";
49 = "_Look for this device in the chest in the next room. We hope you can justify the horrible price we have paid for it._";
50 = "Ostoth looks very grim. _We have made a magical device for you, but at great cost. Both Pathass and Enla put too much of their energy into it. Pathass is dead. Enla has left to try to recover._";
51 = "_Their sacrifice, however, was not in vain. We have crafted a tool for you to use. It is in the next room._ He points to the north.";
52 = "Ostoth shakes his head. _Be patient! Powerful magic is not made overnight, and we are working dangerously fast as it is! Come back tomorrow._";
53 = "Ostoth shakes his head. He looks very tired and ill. _You have received the fruits of our labors. There is no more we can do for you. The Bunker is closed until further notice._";
54 = "You tell Crisper how you slew the ice worm. _Well done! Thanks for taking care of that!_ He counts you out a generous stack of silver coins. _Now get out there and kill other bad things!_";
55 = "";
56 = "He grunts and spits. _Yeah? You'll buy my boat? With what money?_ You don't have 500 coins.";
57 = "He grunts and spits. Then he takes your money. It takes a while, but he counts it all out. _Thanks. The boat's around here somewhere. Help yourself._";
58 = "He grunts and spits. _Oh yeah? What boat? I don't got one left! Ya' think they grow on trees or somethin'?_";
59 = "";
60 = "";
61 = "_Well, I'm giving ten gold for every one of those pest's horns I'm brought. You have any?_ You show him your bunch, and collect your gold. _Thanks! Be sure to bring more. It brings meaning to my life, believe me._";
62 = "_We don't know who is creating the slimes or why, and we don't know where they come from. Perhaps a small, skilled band, such as yours, could have luck finding them._";
63 = "_Find out where the slimes are coming from, and remove the source, and you will be rewarded lavishly. Good luck to you._";
64 = "You don't have any unicorn horns to give him. _I don't see any horns. No horns, no bounty money._";
65 = "You tell Arbuckle of the slaying of the Alien Slime. _Excellent!_ He claps his hands and a huge sack of gold and a beautiful spear are brought to you. _I know not your opinion of the Empire, but know this..._";
66 = "_By slaying the beast, you saved many innocent lives. I will let news of your brave deed spread. If I have my way, you will be greeted with open arms everywhere in Valorim. Even though you are aliens among us, you deserve no less._";
67 = "He shakes his head. _Nothing is left for you to do here. The rebuilding is our task. I have sent word of your deed to the other cities of Valorim. Your greeting will not be unfriendly._";
68 = "";
69 = "He frowns. _The price is five hundred coins, and you don't have them. Come back to me when you get more money. The slimes have ate all the other horses in these parts._";
70 = "He counts the cash and grins. _The horses are yours. They're in the northwest corner of town. Pleasure doin' business with ya!_";
71 = "Starcap looks surprised, but only for a moment. _Well, at least someone cares about justice enough to, in a stumbling way, make a little more of it. Here is a reward for your trouble._";
72 = "_During my research and gathering of knowledge, I stumbled on a useful magical tome. It's buried in the bookshelves in the back of the city hall archives. You might spend some time looking for it._";
73 = "";
74 = "You present Paulo's herbs to him. _Did you have any trouble?_ You tell him what happened. _Oh, too bad. Well, your reward is well earned._ ";
75 = "He pulls out a fine silk tunic and hands it to you. _This is a lovely garment, but it's not useful to me. A fair trade for services rendered._";
76 = "_Ah, yes. The herbs were very useful._ As promised, he reteaches how to cast Summon Spirit and Charm Foe.";
77 = "The ghost quickly recites a holy ritual. It is difficult, but you memorize it. _There,_ it says. _If you have the strength, you can call allies to match the power of the demonkin._";
78 = "_The surface is in turmoil, and it falls to you to forge us a place in the confusion. I wish to aid you. I can track your progress, and provide you aid when need be._";
79 = "_For me to do so, you must wear one of my special amulets. Leave to the west, and enter the fourth room on the left. Get the amulet in the box and bring it to me. And stay out of the other rooms. They aren't safe._";
80 = "_Before I can help you, you need to bring the amulet to me. Leave to the west, fourth room on the left._";
81 = "She grins, an unnerving sight at best. _Excellent!_ She immediately begins to cast a long, involved spell. The amulet glows, and sparks fly. Her chanting increases in intensity to a fever pitch, and then ends suddenly.";
82 = "That seems to have been the spell, although you didn't feel anything. _I can now chart your progress wherever you go and can aid you when things are dire. The amulet can only be removed by extremely strong magic. Now go, and good luck to you._";
83 = "She waves a hand, and the amulet disintegrates. She looks at you with contempt. _Fine. You spurn my aid, my aid you shall not have. Off with you._";
84 = "_You still have my amulet. Do not worry. When you need my help, I will try to aid you. Bear in mind, however, that the distance is often great. I cannot guarantee my assistance._";
85 = "_You decided you didn't want my amulet. You spurned my help. I will not give you a chance to spurn it again. I wish you the best of luck in your efforts, but you must continue alone._";
86 = "";
87 = "";
88 = "You present the metal to him. He takes it eagerly. _Did you have any trouble?_ You tell him about the ambush. He seems troubled. _Oh dear. I will have to be very careful when I head south._";
89 = "_Now for your reward. Nowadays, little is more useful than spells, especially with the monsters about. I left a spell tome in my room. I will unlock the door for you. Feel free to read it._";
90 = "_I have all of the metal I need. Thank you again for your help. Are the spells working out for you?_ He explains the spells again for those of you who don't know them.";
91 = "Your response receives an approving nod. You have the feeling that what you said has been noted.";
92 = "You receive a disapproving and slightly disappointed look. You suspect that what you said has been taken note of.";
93 = "_Actually, I have already shared my thoughts on the Anama beliefs with you. Perhaps if you found an Anama priest or mother in another town, they could share with you too._";
94 = "He is pleased. _We might be convinced to allow you to join our church. There are more benefits to this than you might think for those such as yourselves._";
95 = "_First, you should learn of our beliefs. Travel the Isle of Bigail. Visit our towns. Speak to Anama priests. Learn how we think. Share your beliefs with them in return. When you think you've learned enough, return, and perhaps you may be able to join._";
96 = "Ahonar shakes his head sadly. _I have spoken with my priests, and your responses to their queries have made it clear that you do not agree with our faith._";
97 = "_The reliance on magic permeates you too deeply. I am sorry. I wish you luck, nonetheless. You may still have a glorious future._";
98 = "Ahonar looks at you darkly. _You left us. You may not rejoin. Once our trust is lost, it may never be regained._";
99 = "Ahonar looks down at your Anama rings and grows furious. _Those rings are the symbols of our faith! How dare you profane them?_";
100 = "He waves his hands, and the rings turn very hot and crumble into dust. _Our struggles are great enough, without the insult of impersonators. I am very disappointed in you._ He calms down a bit. _Leave me for a moment, while I regain my composure._";
101 = "";
102 = "";
103 = "";
104 = "You report your deeds to Bernathy, and she smiles. _We're safe at last. You've done us a great kindness._ She gives you a ring and a heavy pouch of gold coins. _I own few things now. This is the best. Wear it proudly._";
105 = "She coughs and shivers. _Much remains to be done. Perhaps we of the Empire can start to work with the Anama. So they do not need to be crushed. Thank you again, and good luck to you._";
106 = "_I have nothing further to ask of you. The remaining tasks are ours. We are also trying to find out who could have created such a horrible place and visited such death upon us. We have no clues yet, but the search has begun._";
107 = "_You already have one of our packages. Deliver that one to Kendra in Lorelei, and then we can discuss further packages._";
108 = "He grins. _Excellent! Another courier!_ He takes a pull from his beer, and continues. _One of the lesser known crops of this isle is a certain herb, which, when chewed, provides great release from the suffering of life._";
109 = "_There is a package of this herb in a chest in a room to the south. Get it and take it to Kendra, in the city of Lorelei, and you will be well rewarded._";
110 = "_As I said, the package is in a chest to the south. Take it to Kendra in Lorelei, and you will be rewarded._ He thinks. _Oh! I forgot! The stuff is illegal. You may not want to get too close to any troops. Just so you know._";
111 = "Ahonar looks disappointed. _I am sorry that you have declined. Still, the offer remains open to you, whenever you return._";
112 = "The ritual ends. Ahonar looks very pleased. _Be sure to go upstairs. Much awaits you up there. Safe travels and, again, welcome._";
113 = "_Before I tell you, you need to help us. Directly northwest of here, in the middle of a circle of four big stones, is a big roach lair. Go there and some spiders will meet you. Help them kill the bad roaches, and I'll tell you where the nice ones are!_";
114 = "Chief Spider bounces happily. _Well done! You helped us get lots of yummy, yummy food! You are brave and nice!_";
115 = "_The roach lair is directly straight north of here, hidden in the middle of a bunch of trees._ (You take note of this.) _Be nice to them, because they are really friendly and good._";
116 = "_Bad news. You've completely filled the demand. I can't take any more. Sorry about that. That's business for you._";
117 = "Purgatos ask you if you know where the Filth Factory is. You haven't the foggiest idea. He says, _When you find out, return, and the device is yours._";
118 = "Purgatos hands you a reddish, egg-shaped crystal. _It's called a Phoenix Egg, a very rare artifact. Take it to the lowest, most central level of the factory, break it, and run. Fast. And good luck to you._";
119 = "He shakes his head. _You have the only Phoenix Egg I was able to make. I wish I could help more, but, well, I can't._";
120 = "_Our primary mine is to the northeast, but it has been taken over by a band of strange lizard people. They are led by a chieftain, who wields a huge spear and commands many other such creatures._";
121 = "_Slay the lizard peoples' chief and drive the rest out of the mine. Manage this, and I will reward you well._";
122 = "_The main challenge facing us remains undone. Kill the chief of the lizard people in the mines to the east. A mighty sack of gold will be your reward._";
123 = "You report your deed. After grilling you on the details, Delenn has an assistant fetch you an impressive sack of pure gold nuggets. _Well done, travelers. Now, if you're interested, there's an even more lucrative mission for you._";
124 = "_If you go through the Golddale mines and emerge at the other end, you'll be in a rocky valley infested with the ursagi. At the east end of this valley is the largest nest of them. They live in caves that also happen to be filthy with gold deposits._";
125 = "She grins. _Clean this cavern of ursagi and bears, and a fine magical sword will be yours._";
126 = "She shakes her head. _I send scouts out there all the time. There are still ursagi in those caves, east from the east entrance of the Golddale mines. Kill a few more._";
127 = "She laughs in glee. _You did it! They've abandoned the cave!_ She pulls a beautiful broadsword, pommel wrapped in leather and with a ruby at the end, out from under her desk. _This is yours!_ She hands it to you.";
128 = "_I wish I had another job to give to one with your skills. Alas, all I have need of are people with strong backs to do my digging. I wish you the best of luck._";
129 = "She describes a book to you. _There is a mage named Ernest, Valorim's leading master of teleportation. He lives in a hut southwest of Farport. I can guarantee that book is somewhere inside._";
130 = "_The book describes magical barriers and their qualities and weaknesses. Get that book and bring it to me, and I will teach you something very useful. Beware, though. Ernest has quite a temper._";
131 = "You present the book to her. She flips through it, and makes sure it's genuine and intact. When she's satisfied, she pulls out another book. It describes the various sorts of magical attacks, and techniques for evading them.";
132 = "True to her word, she pays you for your help. She teaches you from the book, sharing with you many techniques for evading damage and danger. When her lessons are complete, you feel much wiser.";
133 = "She shakes her head. _I have no need of you anymore._";
134 = "He takes your packages of herbs and pays you 100 gold for each package. You turn a tidy profit. _Good job, kids,_ he says. _If I had a hundred like you, I'd have it made! Now get back up there!_";
135 = "Unfortunately, you don't have any herbs to sell him. He says, _Squiggus is along the east coast, a few hundred miles up. Get up there, kids! Lots of money to be made!_";
136 = "";
137 = "";
138 = "_Excellent!_ Vahkohs roars. He claps his hands and disappears. You hear the roaring of many undead, joyously released and allowed to attack you. You glance behind you, checking if the invaders have entered. When you turn back, Vahkohs is gone.";
139 = "Levy checks his records. _Ah! You expelled the demons from the Tower of Magi, possibly saving all of Avernum. For that, you get a shield._ He hands you a shield. _Acceptable quality work!_";
140 = "_Recently, a troglo envoy came to our walls, bearing a scroll. The envoy shouted that Vothkaro, the King of the Troglodytes, wished for us to send diplomats to him. It left the scroll and fled._";
141 = "_Since then, we have been unable to find anyone skilled and smart enough to deserve the mission, and, simultaneously, suicidal enough to take it. If you will be my envoy, I will reward you. Alas, there is a problem. Well, two problems: Corie and Levin._";
142 = "He shakes his head. _The problem remains. You have not received permission from Commander Corie. No required permission, no troglodyte scroll, and no reward._";
143 = "He shakes his head. _The problem remains. You have not received permission from Internal Affairs. Speak with Levin. No required permission, no troglodyte scroll, and no reward._";
144 = "He nods. _Permission has been attained. Well done._ He gives you a battered leather scroll. _Go to Castle Troglo, to the northeast. Speak with the King of the Troglos and bring me back proof you have spoken with him, and the reward will be yours._";
145 = "_Well, have you spoken with Vothkaro yet?_ You are unable to provide any proof that you have. _Well, go on over there, then! Castle Troglo is northeast of Aminro. I do not know what he wants, but I will reward you merely for parlaying with him._";
146 = "After telling the whole story of your visit, you present the message the Troglo King gave you. The mayor looks at it and frowns. _What trickery is this?_ He shows you the scroll. It simply says, _We will defeat you! - King Vothkaro._";
147 = "Mayor Knight crumples it up. _Troglos. I'll never understand them. Yet, they have stopped attacking us. It seems that you did help. Well done, I suppose._ After giving you a heavy sack of gold, he says, _There is a useful magical tome in the City Hall library, as promised. Help yourself._";
148 = "He shakes his head. _I as yet have no need for you. Be sure to consult the magical tome in our library. I suggest heading north to Lorelei now. You may be able to help them with their giant problem._";
149 = "";
150 = "She frowns. _I can't believe Mayor Knight wants to give you this mission. You want permission? Prove your worth. The troglos have an enormous altar in the hills east of Angel's Rest. It blesses them. Makes them much nastier in a fight._";
151 = "_Find and destroy it, and my permission is yours. The problem is that it's sure to be magical. You may need to perform the Ritual of Sanctification._";
152 = "You tell her the tale. She smiles. _I have to hand it to you. You've done us a service. Maybe Mayor Knight chose well after all, though I doubt it. I've already sent my permission to him. Good luck to you!_";
153 = "_I've given permission. There's nothing more I can do for you._";
154 = "He grins. _If you want the mission, you should speak to Mayor Knight. See you soon!_ You don't like his smile at all.";
155 = "";
156 = "";
157 = "Grumbling, you pay the bribe. He accepts it gladly, writes something on a piece of parchment, and gives it to a flunky to take to Mayor Knight. _My permission is yours. Good luck to you._";
158 = "He frowns. _Look, you have my permission, and I'm very busy. Good luck. Goodbye._";
159 = "_I'm afraid you don't have the proper filing fee. I really must insist._";
160 = "_I was really interested in Sloan, one of the archers in town. I gave him a ring for luck while fighting the troglos. It was a family heirloom. He lost it! Can you believe it! I really wish someone could recover my beautiful ring from that oaf._";
161 = "_I liked Sloan, but then he lost my ring. My family's beautiful ring! The oaf! I just wish I could get it back._";
162 = "You give her the ring and explain what happened. Her face brightens. _Oh, that man! I knew he was shy, but I had no idea! I hope he comes by again. I'll apologize for doubting him. Maybe we can try again._ She blushes.";
163 = "_Thank you so much! You deserve a reward ..._ She packs a big sack full of food and gives it to you, along with a kiss on the cheek.";
164 = "She thinks. _Now, I just need to wait for Sloan to build up the courage to come back. I'll be patient. He will in his time. It's his way. And thank you again!_";
165 = "He looks surprised. _I lost Ginny's ring while fighting some troglos. Was shooting down at from the walls. I was at ... the southwest corner of town._ (You take note of this.) _It might have fallen off. I couldn't find it again. If only I could, I might have hope with her._";
166 = "His face brightens. _You found the ring!_ He suddenly looks worried. _Could you take it to her yourself? I'm not ready to face her yet. Could you? Thank you!_";
167 = "_I heard you returned her ring. I'm still building up the courage to go see her. Thank you again for finding it! I can't put into words how much I appreciate it!_ He thinks. _But I still shouldn't be seen with you. Sorry._";
168 = "";
169 = "";
170 = "You show him the piece of unusual metal you found. _That would be perfect! For a thousand gold, I will make an awesome sword for you._ When you say that you don't have the money, he starts shouting obscenities. You back away.";
171 = "You show him the piece of unusual metal you found. _That would be perfect!_ You pay him 1000 coins. He takes the metal. _Now go away!_ he yells. _Come back much later! I will get to work._ He grins in anticipation, and turns to his anvil.";
172 = "He spits on your boots. _Fool! Do you think a work of art such as I am making for you can be rushed? Get out! Come back tomorrow! Or the day after!_ You see the unfinished sword nearby. It already looks very impressive.";
173 = "With a flourish and a grin of pride, Carmine presents the blade. It is truly as impressive as he promised. _The metal you gave me, pure mithral. Wonderful stuff._ He hands the blade over.";
174 = "_And, if you lose or damage it, I hope you rot and die. That's true art I'm entrusting you with. That's it. I'm done with you. You can go._";
175 = "She relieves you of your bulky bundles of clothing, paying you 75 coins for each bundle. _Well done! Before you go, be sure to purchase some herbs, so you don't have to waste the trip back._";
176 = "She looks over your goods and shakes her head. _I'm afraid you don't have anything we need. Which is mainly hardy clothing to wear when gathering the herbs. Go down to Libras. The merchants there have what we need._";
177 = "Slightly skeptical, but not wanting to miss out on the possibility of finding a valuable artifact, you pay Masok the hefty sum. He hands you a very old looking piece of parchment with odd writing on it.";
178 = "He says, _Also, I'm selling this because the thing is way far away. Hundreds of miles to the northwest, far north of the town of Calloc. Good luck finding it._";
179 = "You don't have enough money. He shakes his head. _Two thousand gold is a lot, but this is worth it. We're talking a legendary artifact here._";
180 = "_Sorry. The scroll was all I had, and you have it now. The quest is in your hands now._";
181 = "You pay her. _Well, then. Listen closely. He said he left the map in Aminro. It's a town to the north. He said he put it in a hole in a rock face. I'm not sure what he meant, but you might be able to find it._";
182 = "Your lack of money results in stony silence.";
183 = "_You've already paid, and I've already told you what I know. Aminro. Rock face. Cliff face. Something like that. That's it._";
184 = "You pay Bryk. He says, _The stable's around back. One of the groups of horses there is now yours. Take good care of my babies._";
185 = "_Sorry. You've cleaned me out of horses. And thank you very much!_";
186 = "He looks upset. _Not only are you trying to take my babies from me, but you want them for free! Forget it!_";
187 = "He sighs. _Those humanoids are pests. They bug my solitude. I'll teach you the ritual, but only if you leave._ He explains the Ritual of Sanctification. It's simple, but it requires great exertion. Then, when done, he turns away.";
188 = "Kendra look at you meaningfully. _Do you, perhaps, have something on you that I might be interested in?_ When she sees you don't know what she's talking about, she slouches back into her chair.";
189 = "Kendra looks you over. _Really? Well, from what I heard, you aren't an Empire agent. Let's see it._ You give her the package. She runs to the wall, opens a cabinet, puts the package in, and closes it. After a minute, she opens it again.";
190 = "The package is gone. The cabinet now contains a sack of gold, which she hands to you. _Thanks._ she says. _You know, the Thieves' Guild could use someone like you. If you are interested._";
191 = "_Do you have any more little packages for me?_ You say no. _Oh well. Want to go speak with the guild?_";
192 = "She reaches under the table and presses something. A section of the wall in the northwest corner of the room slides away. _Go through there._";
193 = "_The door's already unlocked. Go through._";
194 = "He suddenly gets very angry. _You don't have the coins! I've killed people who've tried to cheat me like this!_ Then he calms himself down, with difficulty. _I'll let you off for now. The rings are 2500 coins. Don't mess with me again._";
195 = "He shakes his head. _Anama rings are rare items. I'm clean out. Perhaps if you killed a few Anama?_ He laughs at his little joke.";
196 = "You pay him a lot of money. He gives you each an Anama ring. You try them on, only to find that they don't come off again. Geoffrey laughs. _No refunds!_";
197 = "He frowns, noting the Anama rings you already wear. Then he laughs. _I was just kidding! Sell the sacred symbols of your faith? I'd never dream of such a thing!_ He watches you carefully as he speaks, wondering if he'll have to kill you.";
198 = "_The giants live in an enormous network of caverns southeast of here. They've taken many of the personal possessions of those they've slain, items that by right belong to the families. Bring back the dead's possessions and I will pay you out of my own pocket._";
199 = "She asks to see anything you took from the giants that might have belonged to one of her soldiers. You don't have anything she recognizes.";
200 = "You give Bruskrud an item you found in the giant's caverns. She grins. _Excellent! Thank you!_ She pays you 300 coins.";
201 = "She adds, _You haven't freed anyone lately, I'm afraid. Remember - the giants live south of Dellston. They have some of my troops, I'm sure of it._";
202 = "_Also, a soldier you rescued got back to town. Bravely done. Seems like Avernum's doing more for us than the Empire these days._ She pays you 500 coins.";
203 = "_The Empire is ruled by Empress Prazac. We all know that. What I've found out is that she's near here! She's in Blackcrag Fortress, not far to the north. She came down to personally deal with the monsters._";
204 = "_I've been learning all about her I can. She's a tough leader, but she can be fair. If we can speak with her, we may be able to deal with her. Tell Anaximander about this as soon as you can!_ (You take note of this.)";
205 = "_I've already said, Empress Prazac is near here, in Blackcrag Fortress. We may be able to deal with her directly. Anaximander needs to know about this as soon as possible._";
206 = "_Does Anaximander know Empress Prazac is in Blackcrag Fortress?_ You nod. _Well done. Now get out there and kill something!_";
207 = "_The giant's caverns are southeast of here. They've captured several of our soldiers. Free the soldiers from the fort, and I will pay you out of my own pocket._";
208 = "You pay him the 600 gold. _Thank you, mightily thewed warriors. You can take some of the horses in the stables. And treat them well! They're great beasts!_";
209 = "He shakes his head. _Beasts as noble as these cannot be discounted. Six hundred coins is the absolute minimum!_";
210 = "He shakes his head. _You hast cleaned out my stock! Verily, none of the mighty beasts remain. I must raise more, and that will take much time. Good luck finding horses elsewhere. You will have to struggle to find beasts as mighty as mine!_";
211 = "";
212 = "You give her the silver ring you found in the shipwreck on Lake Tomor. She throws her arms around your neck in thanks. _At last! I have a memory of him!_ She sits back down, drinking and looking at the ring.";
213 = "_Thank you for bringing the ring back to me. I still grieve, but it helps me much to have it. Thank you!_ She takes another drink.";
214 = "";
215 = " ";
216 = "";
217 = "";
218 = "Yale looks at you somberly. _With the plagues of monsters, the Empire has neglected us out on the frontier. This policy is bearing bitter fruit. We are assaulted by monsters. Here, the problem is mainly undead and lizards._";
219 = "_They come from a cavern in the mountains forty or fifty miles to the north. Find the source of the assaults and destroy it, and I will reward you as best I can._";
220 = "_The undead creatures continue to descend on us from the cavern to the north. Anything bold adventurers such as yourselves could do to stop them from coming would be much appreciated._";
221 = "You tell Yale of your adventures in the Chasm of Screams and of your battle with the cave monsters. He is intensely grateful. _At last! The Empire has abandoned us, but we aren't without aid. I'll make sure word of your deeds spreads._";
222 = "_Also, here is a small token of our esteem._ He pulls a helmet out from under the table and gives it to you. _The Empire left me several such items to purchase valuable services. And,_ he says with a wink, _this is not the only item I have._";
223 = "";
224 = "_For months, our crops have been torn up, and our animals have been stolen. We know what's causing it now. One of our farmers was out at midnight, and he saw nephilim around his crops._";
225 = "_Those foul creatures must be dealt with! Their clan lives in the mountains to the northeast. Deal with them, and we will pay you a bounty._";
226 = "_The stealing of our crops and livestock has not ceased. The nephilim responsible are in the mountains to the northeast. Stop them, and you will be well rewarded!_";
227 = "You tell Rabellino of your meeting with the nephilim and your battle with the ursagi. _Wonderful! And indeed, the raids have stopped._ He pays you 500 coins. _Pity you couldn't have killed those stinking nephilim. Pests, the lot of them. Oh well. I'll take what I can get._";
228 = "You tell him that you slew the nephilim, and he grows angry. _How could you have? The raids have not stopped! It is clear that you failed to destroy their tribe. You trying to cheat us? Get out of my sight!_";
229 = "_Haven't had any more problems. Thank you again for your help._";
230 = "_This ruin may be invaluable, helping understanding ancestors and giving incredible new knowledge. Are supposed to report it back to our people, but alas, there are undead inside which are of no use to us._";
231 = "_Go in there, kill undead, and find if records of value to us in there. Are sure there much being records. If so, is rewarding you._";
232 = "You tell Bohen-Ihrno what you've found. She grows very excited. _Amazing! This is a true find! Rough Crystal Souls, which we may be able to speak with, and find out of our ancestors._";
233 = "_Yes. It is time for us to go and report. Soon, our learned can explore and learn our past._";
234 = "Bohen-Ihrno and Abra join hands, and Bohen casts a spell of recalling. In a moment, they are gone. You are alone in the cave.";
235 = "_Not yet._";
236 = "You tell Bohen-Ihrno what you've found. She says, _That is interesting, but not enough. I feel there may being knowledge here of value. Maybe even Crystal Souls. Place is too strange to not have anything interesting. We're especially interested in crystals or other records._";
237 = "";
238 = "_I have a habit of helping humans. It is unpleasant but sometimes necessary. We wish the alien beasts dead. I will make you a weapon to help slay them. To do this, I need two things: instructions for how to make it and a bar of special metal._";
239 = "_Go to my siblings, Khoth and Athron. They will give you these things. Then return to me._";
240 = "_I still wish to make you a weapon to slay Alien Beasts, but you do not yet have the things I need: instructions and metal._";
241 = "You tell Sulfras how to cast the spell to make the weapon. She looks annoyed. _But did I not tell you to also get the metal from Athron? Fetch it. Don't waste my time._";
242 = "You tell Sulfras you found the metal needed to make the weapon. She looks annoyed. _I also need the spell to cast on the finished weapon! See Khoth. His knowledge of such matters is great. Sometimes it is all he is good for._";
243 = "You give the metal to Sulfras. She plunges it deep in the lava, muttering the spell. When she withdraws her clawed hand from the magma, the metal is glowing and writhing. You watch, amazed, as it works itself into a new form. It's now a sword! She completes the spell.";
244 = "The spell was challenging enough to drain the dragon's energy. The sword glows, and drops of magma roll off of it. She whispers a new spell, and it cools. She silently hands the blade to you. _This weapon will drain the beasts when it pierces them. Please rid us of those pests._";
245 = "Sulfras shakes her head. _You have the blade. It will slay Alien Beasts. That is all I can do for you. They are mostly around the Keep of Tinraya. Good luck to you._";
246 = "Pasi thinks. Then he shakes his head. _No, the mayor is paranoid about Avernites. My letting people in is tolerated. If I let an Avernite in, though, I'll get my neck stretched._";
247 = "_But tell you what. Do something that'll make me think you have a chance fighting the golems, and I'd take the risk. There are a lot of weird monster plagues to the south. Maybe you could do something about them._";
248 = "Pasi thinks. _I hear a lot of what goes on. I heard what you accomplished to the south. I'll take the risk of letting you in, though if the mayor finds out I helped an Avernite, I'll be in mortal danger._";
249 = "He walks to the trapdoor for a moment, turns his back to you, and does something to it with his hands. You hear a click. _The passage in is through there. Be wary around City Hall. Good luck to you._";
250 = "He smiles. _I heard what you did about the golems. Everyone is thankful. The passage into Gale is through those trees. Feel free to go in._";
251 = "_I already told you, you can go into Gale whenever you want. Just watch out. The guards are dangerous, and have been told to watch out for Avernites._";
252 = "_Now that we know something here is valuable, it is time for us to report to our people. We must depart._";
253 = "_You have done us great good! As a reward, any other treasure in there is now yours. Also, I will trade know for know. Also giving thing we found. Not of vahnatai style. Is reward._ She leaves and returns after a few minutes, bearing a shining steel breastplate.";
254 = "";
255 = "She sighs. _Alas, I only have the strength now to teach one minor spell._ She teaches you the spell Light Heal All.";
256 = "You pay the considerable sum. Cerulain mumbles a brief spell. _You can now enter the library proper. Please make sure that your fingers are clean before handling the tomes._";
257 = "_I know it is a lot of coins, but we need the funding to maintain the books. If you won't pay, you can't enter._";
258 = "_You already can enter. I appreciate your trying to pay extra, but it isn't necessary._";
259 = "He shakes his head. _Before Prazac will take the risk of dealing with an Avernite, you must prove your skill. There are two ways you can do this._";
260 = "_One, find and destroy the source of the golems attacking Gale. Two, do something to blunt the force of the giants near Lorelei. Do one of these, and you will have earned the right to see Prazac. Return when you have._";
261 = "He shakes his head and sniffs. _Destroy the golems or reduce the power of the giants. Until you have done one of these things, you are not useful enough for us to risk dealing with you._";
262 = "He nods. _We have watched you progress, and you are indeed capable enough for us to risk dealing with you. You may enter._ He claps his hands, and there is a click from the door to the throne room.";
263 = "She pulls out a scroll and holds it in her hand, looking at it with a strange expression on her face. _This needless conflict between the Empire and Avernum, the nation we created, must end and end justly._ She hands you the scroll.";
264 = "_This is a vital diplomatic message for your master, Anaximander._ Odd that she knows about him. _Take it to him with all haste, and then return to me._";
265 = "She gives you an icy look. _You have not yet delivered my vital missive. Do so. Then we can discuss other issues._";
266 = "You give her Anaximander's message. She reads it and nods. _Excellent. It would seem, as they say, that we have a deal. We believe the key to the mystery of these monsters is in Footracer Province, where the alien beasts are imprisoned._";
267 = "_We built a wall around Footracer to retain the beasts inside. There are two massive gates in that wall. You will now find that they will open to you. I grant permission to enter there to investigate. Be careful, and good luck to you._";
268 = "_You have your permission to enter Footracer Province. Simply go to the gate, and you will be able to enter. That is all the help I can give you, for now. Good luck to you._";
269 = "Mazumdar thinks. _It seems you are now important enough that I should help you if I can. We have, hidden in a secret chamber nearby, spellbooks with several spells. They are guarded by a magic barrier._";
270 = "She teaches you a short series of hand motions. _These movements will help you pass the barrier. Please, don't tell anyone of the spells we have here. If you did, we'd lose them._";
271 = "";
272 = "The chief sounds disappointed in you. _You didn't help us much at all. Usually you humans are tougher and better and stuff. I'll tell you where to go, but only so you'll go away._";
273 = "_The roach lair is directly straight north of here, hidden in the middle of a bunch of trees._ (You take note of this.) _Be nice to them, because they are really friendly and good._";
274 = "He gives you a detailed map, written on fine vellum. It shows the city of Sharimik, and everything to the southeast. It should be very useful.";
275 = "He seems startled. _Oh. I didn't think you would do it. I don't think you should ... oh. Well. A promise is a promise._ He takes off his ring and hands it to you.";
276 = "_I suppose you have done good. I think my soldiers will rest easier knowing Vothkaro is dead. Thank you._";
277 = "You explain how the damage to their crops is being caused by a band of ursagi, not nephilim. The mayor is very skeptical, but he says, _Look, stop the raiding, I don't care who you have to kill. I'll reward you when the raids stop._";
278 = "";
279 = "You describe all that has happened to the mayor. He is impressed. _You must have affected them. Their attacks on us have ceased, for now._";
280 = "_Your deeds are truly worthy of a reward._ After giving you a heavy sack of gold, he says _There is a useful magical tome in the City Hall library, as promised. Help yourself._";
281 = "_Also, they've captured several of our soldiers. If you can get in and free the soldiers from the fort, I will pay you out of my own pocket._";
282 = "She checks her records. _That is all of the missing equipment I was told about. No need to risk your life for these heirlooms anymore. Thank you._ As a reward, she gives you a bow.";
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