For a tense, hard moment, the man stands in the ruined prison cell, glaring at the Delvers.  His muscles tighten in anger, fists forming and knuckles turning white.  "And who shall control or cage me now, little mageling?  Your overgrown thug?  Your flameborn?  That is an ancient thing to be sure."  His eyes turn to Nuria, heedless of the fact that Sydney is drawing sigils over her body, "The things I could tell you, firechild, the secrets I could bring to you.  There are naught in this world who could teach you what I can."  His eyes burn, not with the fire behind hers but with something ancient and powerful.<br/><br/>As he sees what Sydney is casting his brow furrows down and he murmers to himself, "Curious, the castings have changed.  But do not think you are gone from my eye."  A slick smiles comes to his face and he places a hand against the stone wall next to him.  "Tick, tock, little mageling... Best complete your castings 'ere the encroachers come..."  The vibrations in the stone continue to come, cracking, crunching, thumping, heavy footfalls and chittering noises moments behind.  Then the first beast bursts through.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://daarken.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Dark_Umber_Hulk.jpg)</div>The monster that bursts through, familiar to those who have been in the underground before, is an umber hulk; an 8 foot tall beast nearly as wide as it is tall.  The creature has a firm, weighty carapace over it's back, enormous clawed hands, and giant mandibles.  The thick, corded muscle under the beast's shell stands out firmly as it throws back it's head and lets out a chittering roar.  This brings it back fully onto it's hind legs, showing off a bizarre, almost armored cock rising up from it's soft underbelly, engorged and ready.  It stops, chittering and places it's clawed hands flat against the rock.  Behind it, another two of the beasts come forward, chittering softly as they clomp about in the space.<br/><br/>The prisoner seems to have gone perfectly still, watching the three Delvers with a delighted grin on his face.  "Come, Delvers, finish this, would you?"  The sound draws the ire of one of the umber hulks, who hurls itself at the cage, slashing claws hard against the invisible wall now apparently held by the prisoner inside.  "Free me and these will be taken care of quickly!"