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Norton revivs Samantha; Duncan joins her in Norton's head. Hamster Dworkin takes Hubert to the Bards' Guild.
Third invasion reaches the shadow of Amber itself. Humanoid/Chandra-oid form troops, firearms that would work in Cagliostro's shadow but probably not in Amber, and some sparklings of magic. A big guy -- two and a half times larger than normal -- leading the group, that doesn't seem to get along with the Logrus very much.
Jean notices the army marching towards Amber, and that their formation occasionally goes blue. He tells Ilk, who looks at the viewscreen and notices that they occasionally form words of power.
Jean talks with Zack, and at Rainbow's behest, has Zack fail to mobilize his rangers against the incoming army. Zack sends an emissary via gryphon-back to the tent.
The army reaches the pavillion, prepares to fire, and realizes that their guns don't work here. They dry-fire their cannon a few times, then start affixing their bayonnettes to their rifles. Cagliostro conjures knockout gas over the army.
The army falls down.
One of them with a magical thing waves it around his head and seems to be protected againt the gas. Ilk pulls him into the tent; the guy places the magical stick at his feet and raises his hands. "I surrender."
People chat with the prisoner. He seems fairly reasonable, and points out a number of people worth rescuing. Ilk pulls all of the explosive organs out of the troops and piles them near the pavillion.
Roland goes off to beat on the big guy a bit, leaving his sword behind. They fight. The big guy is good, but Roland is better.
Cagliostro sends a note to Absolom, notifying him that a third team will be coming in for training. Ilk transports the fifteen or so worthwhile troops to the staging ground.
The prisoner states that their families were held hostage. After some back and forth, the prisoner describes his brother's magical stick. Ilk finds the stick in a mass grave. The prisoner is distraught when Ilk tells him that his planet was razed.
Ilk moves the prisoner to the mass grave with his brother, where he starts praying to a variety of gods, not including Verra. Ilk updates Jean in the tree, and pulls a saucer into that shadow.
Ilk asks Beldan to trace back the gates. Beldan contacts Cailin and asks for permission to trace the magic. Cailin tells Beldan to have "the bodiless voice" contact him if necessary.
Beldan traces the gates, subtly.
Beldan tells Ilk that he found the destination of the gates, and that more people went through the exit gate than the entrance gate. There is something wrong about the place, and something wrong about the graves -- don't unearth them.
Ilk returns Beldan to the pavillion; Beldan discusses the situation with Cailin.
Roland finishes pinning the giant, but isn't sure how to knock him out. Cagliostro goes out and pokes at the guy. No brain in his forehead. No brain anywhere... nothing inside him. Cagliostro pulls out his lens, and it sparkles. Some of the troops strip the giant, and the lens still sparkles.
Cagliostro reports that he can't probe the giant. Beldan tries, but magic slides off of him as well. Beldin trumps Cailin and reports.
Chains and padlocks are wrapped around the giant. He bursts them. Cagliostro tries a mystical cord, which is burst. The demons try a flaming rope, and it bursts. Ilk wraps the guy in star-core, and it holds. Roland gasps a lot, until Ilk flips them around so he's on top.
Roland stands up, asks to be relieved of duty, and falls over.
Ilk wraps the giant in star-core duct tape.
Ilk takes one last look at the giant -- variable Pattern and Serpent Power slide off as well; Ilk can't tell if it even has a soul.
Ilk leaves a note for Princess Chandra.
Ilk asks the archivist about someone who can't be touched with powers and a possible bibliomantic connection. The archivist examines the guy, and eventually they cut the skin. Much bibliomancy inside of the skin, and the guy starts to fume and explode. The star-core is recovered for re-use.
The report from the demons returns: "Subject lost in testing. Do not breach skin"
Absolom reports in. A number of the soldiers committed suicide after finding out about the deaths of their families, and some of the others didn't care about their families, decided to remain loyal, and tried to attack Absolom's men.
Geryon reaches his progenitors' rooms. They've been trashed. Organic bits spread throughout the room, and some beast-shaped dents in the wall as well.
Geryon goes to the domicile of one of his parents' friends. She eagerly claims the rights to the investigation and vengeance.
Geryon goes to the doorkeeper, and finds out that nobody else entered along with the (former) childhood friend and the beast.
He returns to his room, and finds that he has acquired a door guard from the Assassins' Guild until their investigations are complete.
Geryon chats with his his advisor for a bit, then heads towards the Assassins' Guild.
Geryon's "bodyguard" hesitates outside the bridge to the Guild. "I... did not realize that you were so familiar with this Guild." Geryon grabs him with a tendril and drags him into the Guild hall.
The receptionist in the Assassins Guild greets Geryon and indicates that that person in his tendrils is a member of his House, not a member of their Guild.
Geryon determines that his "bodyguard" was just trying to gather information and releases him.
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