"Our expertise tends more towards taking mortals apart than putting them back together, I am afraid." Hexor comments. "Still, I am fairly sure having a stalagmite protruding through your chest is a bad sign."

Vexor reaches up and taps the Eye, looking intrigued. The small chamber fills with a building hum, and the gem starts to glow as the daemon backs away, looking somewhat apprehensive. Then, words begin echo around the chamber, as though spoken by an invisible figure who had been waiting for just this moment.

"We have failed, my brothers. Our forces have been destroyed, our sanctum desecrated. And worst of all, our immortal lord, Vetra-Kali Eats-the-Eyes, has been banished back to Abaddon, never to return, because we were too weak to assist him."

You hear, in the distance, the echos of fighting and bloodshed, evidently captured in the recording decades ago. "But all is not lost! I have seen the road to repetance, my brothers, a way to undo the triumph of the Mitrans. It is blood, blood and piety. Six hundred and sixty six prayers will break the seal, and the blood of three will bring back our lord. I commit this secret to the Eye, in hopes that our descendants may some day do what we could not."

"At the stroke of midnight, one of our own must die upon the altar, fitting payment for our crimes. Bathe the seal in unholy water, and call forth the Supplication to Darkness, on that first night and every other to come.

"At dawn, intone the Cursing of the Light, to revoke the magic the Shining One uses to bind our lord in his realm. Upon the one hundred and eleventh curse, bleed one of Mitra's faithful on the alter, so that he might know we fear him not.

And as darkness returns to the world each day, roar out the Call Across the Void, so that our master can find his way back to us, his chosen servants. On the final call, make the final sacrifice, a descent of the one who first sealed him away. If the Victor's heir dies at dusk, then the Seal will break and at midnight, our lord shall return to us.

Rejoice then, brothers, but be wary, for his wrath shall be great. He shall surely destroy us all, less you stay his fury with a bargain. His Eyes were lost to him, and must be returned, and as is the way of daemon-kind a service shall be offered for each.

For the Eye of Vigilance, beseech him to stay his wrath from you and yours, less he slay you in fury. For the Eye of Withering, ask him for his masterpiece, the Tears of Achlys, so that all might know he has returned as they choke on their own blood. And for the Eye of Hatred, ask what you will, for our patron can be a generous one.

I go now to my death, to roar defiance once last time in the face of these Mitran dogs. To you, my distant and unknown cousins, I wish only good fortune. Ia, Vetra-Kali."

The recorded message ends, and for a long moment the chamber is silent. Hexor turns to regard his brother daemon.

"Now what have I told you about touching strange artifacts?"