Spending the majority of the morning hours studying though seemingly endless amounts of text, Sergei own drive towards his goal has pushed him through his body's draining limitations. He was dreadfully tired as his eyes burned in feeble attempts remain open and focused and his mind drifted in and out, conflicted with mixed desires. The Monastery archive attendants had supplied him with sting caffeine induced tea on his orders so he would actively override the temptations of rest, despite their caring protests given a man of his age. Then again it was hard enough talking down a determined Inquisitor due to their zealous-lie devotion and duty.

The Zaphere monastery library was not overly impressive unlike other monasteries located in much massive and wealthier cities, it did provide enough information for Sergei to utilize. However each book and tome had often referred to another volume of the series that contained further information just before labeling another reference. An annoying procedure by far but Sergei had to push through the literature nonsense as he tip of his investigation was drawing near. The evidence pertaining to the lich's phylactery and the paralleling facts needed to connect, at lest just enough so he would have the means of officially questioning the Mage's Guild.

Awhile longer after studying enough text, Sergei was soon lead into what he was looking for. The next volume itself was a detailed record of cursed items and the accounts of their practical uses in the art of magic, regardless of the purpose whether it be for common good or the selfish evil. The Inquisitor's frown curved, feeling somewhat naive that his objective was this very volume all a long. But the previous source material tied in with the contents that backed up the origins of such relics and the beings that maintained them, even born from them. Sergei gave the volume the benefit of the doubt and allowed it to humor him. 

One chapter was exclusively dedicated to the lich's phylactery, detailing its purposes and uses. As the book described and cross referencing it with Sergei's own knowledge, a lich's phylactery is created usually with the sole purpose of guaranteeing a lich's existence, even when slain. The lich's phylactery itself stores the fiend's soul, creating a return point to where the physical body of the lich is reformed, utilizing almost any nearby organic resource if claimable through the reconstruction process. A list of text confirmed though rather thorough report on verified lich resurrections, some awfully gruesome in their descriptions. 

Eventually the chapter covered what he was looking for with the section illustrating the phylactery as more of a feasible power source. Given a lich's rather massive well of magical power, it was theorized and apparently confirmed that its use to fueling an array of powerful spells, incantations, and even summoning rituals. The wretch's soul would literally become the battery of a near limitless dark potential, utilizing the negative energy and aura of the lich to influence the intensity of spell casting to a high degree, giving rise to a much more formidable variation of the spell. The early observation of it initial use had detailed an attempted demon summoning ritual using a captures lich's phylactery to magnified negative harmonics of the ritual, leading into the summoning of a Greater Balor that soon killed the cultists too foolish to contain its power. A detachment of Paladins and Clerics dealt with the demon only after losing three quarters of their original man power.

Sergei was taken back, astonished and horrified of such heinous applications; and the Mages Guild wanted this thing? For what unholy purpose? He then remembered the poor guard's dying voice, mentioning a Hellhound as his attacker, a monster of notable power and ferocity as well that was no simple task for a minor experienced summoner. The dots then began to connect with this new piece of information now present and made aware to him. The Mages Guild in Zaphere has had troublesome knowledge and experiences with the dark artes in the past that the Order on numerous occasions demanded the guild to cease all activities pertaining to the heretical field to the boiling point where the Order would no longer suffer further mishaps anymore from the guild. 

Now that the Mages Guild was planning something with a lich's phylactery that likely involved demon summoning and demonic possessions, it was clear that the Guild had drawn the final straw that made up the Order's now depleted tolerance. With the accounts of heretical activities and the murder of town guardsman currently weighing heavily against the Guild, it was now time to expel such foul corruption from this city before it spreads and harms the local populace. A purge was now in order, and the Inquisitor was going see it through, ignited by his hands and the righteous follows of the Order at his beaconed call.

==========

Convincing the Bishop about the coming interrogation raid was simple enough; most of the Order personnel were understandably shocked about the evidence Sergei had laid on the table before them. With recent events and the Guild's intentions ever present, action had to be taken and the Inquisitor received the full support he required. With the local guardsman still affected by the loss of their own, a large squad had joined in on orders from the city officials once the reports of the slayings reached them; they had their personal reason now to get involved.

Exiting the monastery's main gates came the Inquisitor with a small legion of holy warriors, devoted to fighting and exterminating evil coming up on the rear. Surrounding the holy force was a boxed formation of Paladins, their shields facing the outside of the formation to dissuade others from getting close and their swords drawn to punish those who get the picture. Within the armored wall was a collection of Clerics and Witch Hunters whose specialties where to the support of their brethren and the cleaving of anyone foolish enough to face them. The sudden show of force gave surprise to the populace as they hurried themselves out of the way as the Inquisitor pushed through, leading his assembled force toward their goal.

The city streets near the Mages Guild had since been cleared out by the Zaphere guardsman, leaving some civilians and even few magicians outside of the confused and worried, even for the mages that were barricade didn't know what to make of the of the town soldiers surrounding them. Some took to cautious arms, observing and ready to defend if necessary. That was before Sergei stepped into the scene with Paladins and few Witch Hunters moving in past him, enforcing the perimeter and containing the mages outside. Some that struggled against them were quickly subdued, raising further concern to the observing crowd. A number of the Order Clerics positioned themselves near their allies, readying to provide magic based support should any of the outside mages got out of hand.

So far the mages have been caught completely by surprise by the unison of the town guard and the Order working against them. Sergei could see some of the mages and staff inside looking out the through the guild's windows and portholes, faces of distress and anger being the more common to peer out at him. Intuition spoke to the Inquisitor that some of the mages may not part of or even aware with the guild's hierarchy and briefly pitied them for being involved with something that may turn violent. While his gaze was set on the guild's mansion-sized structure, something possibly caught the corner of his eye, causing him to naturally tilt his head to investigate. The Inquisitor found himself staring at the rooftop of a nearby tower over looking scene. Nothing about it seemed odd or suspicious; he though he saw someone up staring at him but then again, some of the other building contained residences eyeing over the developing situation. Sergei gave it little thought and approached the guild's entrance.

"Its locked on the inside." said a female Witch Hunter who had been investigating the doors with a team of large shielded Clerics beside her and a compliment of Paladins and official guardsman on either side as a breach force.

"Open it." the Inquisitor simply ordered. 

[i]So much for the easy way...[/i]

Upon his command, the two Clerics began to cast their spells, channeling the magical energies through to the base of their shields, the build-up of power expanded and blew down the doors, scattering dust inwards. The Paladins quickly rushed in and restrained the mages whom were nearly knocked out or dazed. It was then someone in the room casted a cold-based spell, frosting over the wooden floor in a thick layer of ice before mutating, shooting sharp stalagmites of frozen water particles into the air. The two Clerics from before intervened with their own fire magic. 

A battle had erupted inside the guild between the Order and the mages, causing the outside guards to scatter the civilian populace now that things had heated up. Sergei on the other hand pushed through the exploding havoc by himself, neutralizing any magic user that got in his way with relative ease. He had a mandate to follow through with; having a little chit-chat with whoever organised the quest for a lich's phylactery. If that meant burning half the Guild down, so be it.