Hadean Lands: Chancel - Walkthrough by metzomagic.com

Q. How can I get into the Chancel?
A. So you've made it to the Antechamber via the obsidian door in Burning Hall East, but you can't get past the security stricture on the gate that leads to the Chancel. Well, there's one aura-related ritual we haven't tried yet:

> recall aura imitation with quartz (found in Medical Wing Hallway, gunk-encrusted cabinet)
"OEHLKE'S INSCRIPTION, to MIMIC THE AURA OF ANOTHER: Invoke an
environment of spiritual peace. Begin with a quartz token in the bound; this
represents the ka soul. Invoke the Ka Sealing. Sprinkle copper percalcinate over the
token, representing the ba soul. Invoke an isomorphic structure. Pour elemental
water over the token; this represents the mutability of the soul's name. Close with
an elementary word of binding. Touch the token to the donor, then to the recipient.
NOTE: Imitating the aura of a superior officer is malfeasance under Naval law."

It makes sense that we'd have to pose as an officer to gain access to the Chancel. And now that we have performed The Great Marriage, we can touch our superiors (I know. There's no way I could think of to write that that doesn't sound creepy). Here's everything (except the FINDs) that you need to do to perform the aura imitation ritual: Click here to show/hide ritual steps

OK, now we just have to find a superior officer. This isn't difficult, as Anderes, Powes, and Hart all fit the bill. But might as well use Hart, as she's a dead cert being the most senior:

> find hart (she should be either in the Scaphe Arcade or Lab Hall Northeast)
> touch hart with prism
> go to antechamber
> touch self with prism

> n
(first opening the circular gate)
The bars are solid in your fingers now, although your hand feels like part of someone else's
body.

Chancel
The Nave may be the heart of the Retort, but the Chancel is its soul. The Master Rector performs
the marcher's most crucial rituals here. The ritual bound is a low pedestal of chased rutilum,
with a shelf beside it.

The rest of the room is rather emptier than it looked from outside. To the north is the writ
screen, and the Nave beyond it. To the south, the circular gate stands open.

A crisp sheet of paper is pinned next to the screen.

So you've made it to the center of the universe. Good job - if you know what you need to do here.

The sense of estrangement fades away. The reality of the world reasserts itself.

> take sheet of paper
(the crisp sheet)
The paper is headed "GRENDEL'S SEALING", and a phrase is spelled out in phonetic symbols.

You memorize the information, including Grendel's Sealing.

I don't think it's giving much away that it's likely we'll be performing our final ritual here, whatever it may be. Remember the note we found earlier in the Nave:

> recall dragon reanimation attempt
"It is now clear that the ritual must be performed in the Chancel. I had hoped - foolishly - that
the Nave bound was sufficient; but my attempts there have provoked no reaction from the Retort
at all. I suppose that, in attempting to reanimate the dragons, I am in a sense re-enacting the
marcher's original investment. I must therefore maximize the sympathy with the Chancel rituals.

"I am not sure whether I can break through the security strictures, but I will have to try. If I fail,
then - whoever finds this - you will have to try harder..."

Ooh. Sounds ominous.