Karsus stroked his beard thoughtfully at Kass's explanation, and his face seemed simultaneously shocked and relieved. "Mercy of Isis, that is quite an event! And quite a relief to hear it's been dealt with already - and that our mission, though   costly, has not been in vain after all. I shall relay your story, and expect his divinity shall consider the investigation settled most satisfactorily. Having seen your own actions just now," he glanced toward the streaks of ichor where bodies had struck and slid down the slopes of the pyramid, "I can well believe you could take down even a wizard capable of such a magic! Most often have I held knowledge sacred, but am relieved that you have erased the recipe for such a spell from Faerun."<br/><br/>Aria squeezed Kass back, and nodded vigorously in assent as to venturing back inside the pyramid. As her flesh regenerated slowly from the wand spells, her spirits also seemed to be lifting and her boiled-over adrenaline subsiding.<br/><br/>At that, Karsus mused, "We were caught after leaving our boat landed by the river, and it may still be of use getting back," he glanced at Anya, seeming to suspect she would want to leave this place, and Kass and Aria would want her to as well - and the thought of traveling with the much younger blonde female hardly seemed to sour the man's face. "Even if 'tis smashes or gone, I feel well enough for the few hours' hike along the riverbank to Siwa, whence I expect no problems finding proper boat passage to Skuld."<br/><br/>He continued, "I ought relate what little I gleaned while inside that unholy thing, which may or may not be new information to you. The largest and lowest level, I believe, was six chambers around a seventh, though I was only in one of the large corner chambers myself - where I was 'detained' before judgment by several of those chain-lashers and a great ram which seemed made of pure flame. Through doors in its ceiling was I taken to a level above, which resembled nothing so much as an audience chamber or court. I like the others was 'judged' in turn by the floating silvery thing, which shifted between a spherical shale and that of a set of scales, flanked by four beings who seemed like angels, yet I cannot think harbored angelic demeanor! The other men went down through other doors in its floor to other chambers, but one of these, 'illithid' was it, took me to a small room above, which I think might've been at the apex. It chained me to a chair - thus was I up to the moment we felt the pyramid go into freefall, whence it telepathically told me to teleport with it if I wished to survive."<br/><br/>"Directly into my mind did it interrogate me about the geography and capabilities of Mulhorand! And its religious aspects - it seemed to wish to know how best one might insert new cults or religions into the society, and gather worshippers. And I saw it working at several magics in the room - it caused images to appear across one wall, as if seeing right through the stone of the pyramid and outside in any direction it wished. I do not know whether the wall was magical, or it simply projected its own abilities onto a convenient flat surface, or both. I also saw it create a three-dimensional image hovering within the room - which I recognized as a globe of our own Aber-Toril. Even the black pyramid was just visible upon its surface, and the creature seemed intent on that point and on two others across the globe. I saw it compare them both to papyrus maps, and seem to project onto the wall images of faraway places which I think might've been the same. One was at the far southeastern end of the megacontinent we lie in the middle of; a region, if I recall from myself, ought might know as Malatra or Kara-Tur. In the image of the wall I saw a far-sprawling temple complex surrounded by vine-choked palm jungle and lillypad-choked moats. I saw other creatures like it in the image; in fact I believe they were conversing across the distance with the one which held me. Behind them I saw humans, I'm sure they were, though a bit smaller and narrower of eye than ourselves, worshipping or listening to what I believe was a woman centaur."<br/><br/>"The other place was amidst a continent across the globe from us by oceans, which I believe we know as Maztica. It seemed also a tropical clime. I saw yet more creatures like it, and humans being led up a step pyramid. The creatures seemed to be instructing them, or engaging them religiously, focused on the apex of that pyramid where two skeletal men sat enthroned."<br/><br/>"My captor did not seem to care what I saw, and seemed to be able to engage me telepathically while simultaneously doing these other things, to no detriment of focus on either. I might suppose it did not intend I should ever live to reveal anything to another."