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Post by Mozenrath on Oct 16, 2019 6:19:08 GMT
"I'm being honest?" Mozenrath replied, gathering up the materials he sought. "At first, I had no idea why you were even here. But now? I think you and I could actually make a decent team. You can't be any worse than Xerxes, at any rate."
"HEY!" Xerxes cried; he went ignored.
Mozenrath's hand hovered over the shelf space for his last ingredient: not a magical compound, but ordinary saltpeter. His hand shook. In all of his magical rage, he'd managed to destroy that bottle completely, and the contents had been spoiled.
"...You wouldn't happen to know where we could get saltpeter around here, would you?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even. "Or gunpowder, in a pinch. Maybe if this castle has an ammunition repository or storage of some sort..."
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Post by Varian on Oct 16, 2019 6:26:52 GMT
"I'm being honest?" Mozenrath replied, gathering up the materials he sought. "At first, I had no idea why you were even here. But now? I think you and I could actually make a decent team. You can't be any worse than Xerxes, at any rate." "HEY!" Xerxes cried; he went ignored. Mozenrath's hand hovered over the shelf space for his last ingredient: not a magical compound, but ordinary saltpeter. His hand shook. In all of his magical rage, he'd managed to destroy that bottle completely, and the contents had been spoiled. "...You wouldn't happen to know where we could get saltpeter around here, would you?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even. "Or gunpowder, in a pinch. Maybe if this castle has an ammunition repository or storage of some sort..." "This lab barely has much as it is. I'm going to need to venture out and get proper lab supplies later. Though I think I might have passed a store room on the way here to the lab. Follow me." Varian said as he left the lab, letting Ruddiger rest while he and Mozenrath made their way towards the storage room.
(OOC: Off to the Storage to play with Negs. XD )
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Post by The Horned King on Oct 22, 2019 21:23:22 GMT
The Horned King had taken some time to get acquainted with his new surroundings, having skulked around the castle-grounds some after his prolonged stay in the musky and claustrophobic prison within the depths of the castle. He was not surprised with the size of the fortress - if there was to be an army of villains staying here, the space was going to have to be large enough to contain their collective might and... eccentricities. The lich would give Maleficent the credit of foresight, that much she deserved.
The king had made his rounds around the estate, finding a wealth of locations and smaller rooms. The archive housed a decent selection of literature, though only some would suit his purposes, even few actually holding the king's interest. He had seen the strange tracks in the hallways of the castle that he deduced were made from the metal carriage the heavier-set man had used. The king was unsure whether or not a man of such... girth would prove usable as a pawn for his mission to reclaim the Black Cauldron, and decided to move on. The king even made a pointless stop at the kitchen, thinking that maybe his fellow monarch would be present, and that he could rope him into service. However, not even a single treat was found.
How bothersome, these new allies are... The king hissed to himself. Do they expect conquest to roll up to them on a silver platter? Should I find they're off making merry and gallivanting about, perhaps a reconsideration will have to be made on my time spent here.
Though, the king thought to himself, should Maleficent find their allies running amuck, that could potentially strengthen her trust in the Horned King as taking their future exploits seriously. Or, at the very least, would punish the others accordingly. That was enough to make the undead sorcerer crack a wicked smile.
Snapping out of his thoughts, the Horned King found himself at the door of a room he hadn't yet stumbled upon. Taking a gnarled hand to its doorknob, the lich entered, finding a spacious area that had the makings of a potential arcane foundry. It seemed to house a mix of standard magical tomes and ingredients as well as some strange other contraptions and items the king did not recognize. Glass tubes on multiple wooden stands, strange smaller objects of metal and iron - none of these were present in his own world. Were these the tools of trade for modern sorcerers and wizards?
"How... fascinating," the Horned King breathed coolly, his eyes wandering the assorted items and tools before observing the room in full. He could see this area being useful to some of the others, so it was unlikely that this room would be used as the resting place for the cauldron.
Unless... the king willed it so.
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Post by Varian on Oct 23, 2019 3:45:55 GMT
(OOC: I'm happy to have the Horned King give Varian a visit. Now I'm just wondering if it'd be more interesting to have Varian already busy with something in the lab, or arriving just shortly after the Horned King.)
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Post by The Horned King on Oct 23, 2019 3:50:58 GMT
(OOC: I'm happy to have the Horned King give Varian a visit. Now I'm just wondering if it'd be more interesting to have Varian already busy with something in the lab, or arriving just shortly after the Horned King.) (OOC: Thought it would be in-character to have him just waltz in as he pleases, sorry if it was TOO surprising. Whichever way you want Varian to react to Mister Undead Monster Man coming into his lab is all good with me!)
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Post by Varian on Oct 24, 2019 0:14:50 GMT
Ruddiger was hiding in the lab, staying as far away from the cloaked figure as he could.
Varian marched towards the lab, followed by a few of Maleficent's goons to help him carry the metal since they others seemed too busy. Their loss though, for they wouldn't get to see his genius at work. Though once he opened the door, his eye met the sinister and mysterious figure from the courtyard with horns. "AHHHHHHH!" Varian screamed the sudden appearance of this hideous man startled him. He was so frightened, he dropped the scrap metal on his foot, then he started jumping around as he felt the pain even through his thick boots. "Ow!Ow!Ow!Ow!Ow!Ow!!! That's it! First thing tomorrow I'm booby trapping this room so I don't get anymore surprise visitors."
After a few moments of powering through the pain, Varian greeted his guest. "I remember you from the courtyard. You wandered off on your own before introducing yourself." Varian also remembered referring to them all as a 'merry band' as if he were above them all. But for now he wouldn't bring that up. This was still the person he knew the least about and need to find more information. Still, he figured how little he seemed to respect anyone, Varian might need to impress him in order to get him to open up enough to share information. "I don't suppose you wandered in here to see me start building my ultimate weapon did you?"
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Post by The Horned King on Oct 24, 2019 1:52:09 GMT
The Horned King studied the boy that had entered the laboratory so loudly. The king would never admit to finding some mild amusement in the child's cries upon seeing his undead form. He, too, remembered him from the courtyard, playing around with the larger man's metal contraption and his meager little pet (whom the king had not noticed cowering in fear of him despite looking throughout the entirety of the laboratory). It was clear he did not trust very easily - the Horned King could see it in the boys' eyes. Factor in his insinuation that the king had come to this room to work under him, as well as the unfavorable memories the boy's clothes and tone reminded the king of the brat who had defeated him in the first place...
Well. The cauldron would require a sacrifice to bring the rest of his soldiers to un-life. Perhaps this Varian boy could... unwillingly volunteer should he prove untrustworthy.
Though... that mindset wasn't exactly going to get him the allies he needed to re-obtain the cauldron. The Horned King decided it best to test the waters first and actually converse before getting ahead of himself.
"A sharp mind and a sharper tongue for someone so young, I see," the lich faced the boy, the shards of metal he had been carrying while walking in still scattered at the boy's feet. "Acting in such a way could attract the attention of many an enemy, boy. And here, in this castle, well... Maleficent may have called us all here, but who's to say who is friend and who is foe?"
He let out a raspy chuckle. "I believe you called yourself... Varian at the courtyard. The magical tomes and items within this room are quite advanced - are you perhaps a sorcerer's apprentice from your land? Or... maybe a squire?"
Perhaps prodding the boy would get the king somewhere. It had always worked with the Creeper... even if the results were mostly quite unsatisfactory.
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Post by Varian on Oct 25, 2019 0:52:25 GMT
The Horned King studied the boy that had entered the laboratory so loudly. The king would never admit to finding some mild amusement in the child's cries upon seeing his undead form. He, too, remembered him from the courtyard, playing around with the larger man's metal contraption and his meager little pet (whom the king had not noticed cowering in fear of him despite looking throughout the entirety of the laboratory). It was clear he did not trust very easily - the Horned King could see it in the boys' eyes. Factor in his insinuation that the king had come to this room to work under him, as well as the unfavorable memories the boy's clothes and tone reminded the king of the brat who had defeated him in the first place... Well. The cauldron would require a sacrifice to bring the rest of his soldiers to un-life. Perhaps this Varian boy could... unwillingly volunteer should he prove untrustworthy. Though... that mindset wasn't exactly going to get him the allies he needed to re-obtain the cauldron. The Horned King decided it best to test the waters first and actually converse before getting ahead of himself. "A sharp mind and a sharper tongue for someone so young, I see," the lich faced the boy, the shards of metal he had been carrying while walking in still scattered at the boy's feet. "Acting in such a way could attract the attention of many an enemy, boy. And here, in this castle, well... Maleficent may have called us all here, but who's to say who is friend and who is foe?" He let out a raspy chuckle. "I believe you called yourself... Varian at the courtyard. The magical tomes and items within this room are quite advanced - are you perhaps a sorcerer's apprentice from your land? Or... maybe a squire?" Perhaps prodding the boy would get the king somewhere. It had always worked with the Creeper... even if the results were mostly quite unsatisfactory. Varian did have to agree with this...man(?) that it was difficult to tall who was friend or foe. "An alchemist actually. I'm a man of science, though I have experimented with and studied magical phenomenon. I mostly craft various potions and machines that suit my needs. In fact, I'm trying to gather up as much metal as I can to build something I think will benefit us all nicely. I could show you if you're interested, but first I'd like to know a bit more about you. I don't even know your name since you didn't introduce yourself back at the courtyard." At long last, Varian might get some information on the most mysterious and frightening person in the castle.
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Post by The Horned King on Oct 25, 2019 1:53:22 GMT
The Horned King, while appearing emotionless on the surface, had grown almost impressed with the boy. After his little comedy routine with the metal, the alchemist had picked himself up with such rigor and confidence, even in the face of one such as the king. Where there was once fear and distrust in his eyes, Varian's gaze showed ambition. If he was truly as talented as he built himself up to be, then perhaps he had the potential as a stalwart ally. Indeed, the king was started to recall the gaze he had given Maleficent and the others initially in the courtyard. Perhaps, if allied, their standing in the castle can rise.
At the very least, the lich was intrigued with seeing these weapons and... Machines of iron and steel that Varian kept alluding to. That was worth divulging his identity and some of his background to the young alchemist, surely.
"You are wise to be so cautious, young Varian," the Horned King breathed pacing about the lab with slow steps. "The path to achieving one's goals can go many ways, but one wrong move, one misplaced trust... And, well, I'm sure you've experienced a loss or two."
The lich remembered the boy arriving in chains, hoping his words would influence the boy's thoughts as he continued. "Forgive a dead man's prattle, if you can. I have only spoken to one other aside from our dear mistress. Most flee in fear of the sight of me. But you, Varian, still remain. Quite admirable."
He placed a hand upon his chest, his eyes narrowing into Varian's. "I have gone by many monikers and names, but you may address me as the Horned King. In my conquest to control the realm of man in my world, I sought after an ancient crucible - the Black Cauldron. An artifact of unspeakable dark power, able to resurrect the dead in droves."
He waved a hand towards Varian, a small, almost-mocking sneer forming. "Surely, one of such talent as yours has developed an elixir with such similar properties? Or do I overestimate the great Varian?"
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Post by Varian on Oct 25, 2019 2:40:31 GMT
The Horned King, while appearing emotionless on the surface, had grown almost impressed with the boy. After his little comedy routine with the metal, the alchemist had picked himself up with such rigor and confidence, even in the face of one such as the king. Where there was once fear and distrust in his eyes, Varian's gaze showed ambition. If he was truly as talented as he built himself up to be, then perhaps he had the potential as a stalwart ally. Indeed, the king was started to recall the gaze he had given Maleficent and the others initially in the courtyard. Perhaps, if allied, their standing in the castle can rise. At the very least, the lich was intrigued with seeing these weapons and... Machines of iron and steel that Varian kept alluding to. That was worth divulging his identity and some of his background to the young alchemist, surely. "You are wise to be so cautious, young Varian," the Horned King breathed pacing about the lab with slow steps. "The path to achieving one's goals can go many ways, but one wrong move, one misplaced trust... And, well, I'm sure you've experienced a loss or two." The lich remembered the boy arriving in chains, hoping his words would influence the boy's thoughts as he continued. "Forgive a dead man's prattle, if you can. I have only spoken to one other aside from our dear mistress. Most flee in fear of the sight of me. But you, Varian, still remain. Quite admirable." He placed a hand upon his chest, his eyes narrowing into Varian's. "I have gone by many monikers and names, but you may address me as the Horned King. In my conquest to control the realm of man in my world, I sought after an ancient crucible - the Black Cauldron. An artifact of unspeakable dark power, able to resurrect the dead in droves." He waved a hand towards Varian, a small, almost-mocking sneer forming. "Surely, one of such talent as yours has developed an elixir with such similar properties? Or do I overestimate the great Varian?" "You mean it can bring people back to life like Hades can?" Varian was now curious about this Black Cauldron and would have to ask the Horned King more about it. "An elixir to raise the dead. No! But, I do have something that can take on entire armies." Varian said as he pulled out a set of blueprints. He rolled the blueprints out on a table to show an unusual diagram. It depicted a clockwork warrior three times as tall as an ordinary man, and looked to be much stronger. "Behold, the automaton. A once lost marvel of ancient science that I've recreated and improved. I built a few dozens of these before and had the king of Corona's entire army at my mercy." Varian said proudly as he recalled his finest hour. But then, he started to remember his defeat and his tone became angry and bitter. "If it weren't for Princess Rapunzel and her magical powers, I would have decimated Corona and avenged my father. But no, Rapunzel had come in and take everything away from me again! But next time my Automatons will be bigger and I won't be alone." Varian said as he started day dreaming about his revenge.
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Post by The Horned King on Oct 28, 2019 4:02:28 GMT
"You mean it can bring people back to life like Hades can?" Varian was now curious about this Black Cauldron and would have to ask the Horned King more about it. "An elixir to raise the dead. No! But, I do have something that can take on entire armies." Varian said as he pulled out a set of blueprints. He rolled the blueprints out on a table to show an unusual diagram. It depicted a clockwork warrior three times as tall as an ordinary man, and looked to be much stronger. "Behold, the automaton. A once lost marvel of ancient science that I've recreated and improved. I built a few dozens of these before and had the king of Corona's entire army at my mercy." Varian said proudly as he recalled his finest hour. But then, he started to remember his defeat and his tone became angry and bitter. "If it weren't for Princess Rapunzel and her magical powers, I would have decimated Corona and avenged my father. But no, Rapunzel had come in and take everything away from me again! But next time my Automatons will be bigger and I won't be alone." Varian said as he started day dreaming about his revenge. (OOC: Apologies for the delay - I was away for a while. Back now, and hoping to resume this with the king's response!) The Horned King scratched his chin. While his gaze lay upon the drawings and schematics of the metal golem Varian spoke about, he could not help but focus upon the boy's change in mood. Within but just moments, at the mere mention of this... Princess Rapunzel, his anger took control. Revenge was such a simple motivator, but the king was quite aware that both he and many of his compatriots shared the same disposition. Though, it seemed Varian had much more to it than just getting back at this princess, as he had mentioned his presumably deceased father. The king could very much use this. However, the lich was not about to dismiss the iron warrior's potential either. Men and beasts were so seldom useful - he learned that time and time again the hard way of the incompetency of the living with no ambition in their hearts, only fear. The king had believed only the undying Cauldron-Born would be worthy of his foot soldiers towards his dream of conquest across all of Prydain, yet with what Varian claimed, these "automatons" seemed to be at least as strong and deadly as the cauldron's warriors. A combined army of the dead and of metal... now there's something that could strike at the hearts of mortal men. "Woes of princesses, my boy? I, unfortunately, can relate," the king breathed, a hand carefully moving along the blueprints in front of him, taking care not to drag his sharp fingers to rip the paper. "I, too, had a princess among the party that had bested me. I captured the girl - Eilonwy was her name - in hopes that the power she possessed could lead me to the Black Cauldron. She, of course, refused, and would have remained a permanent guest at my own castle had it not been for the fool farm hand that came to rescue her." The Horned King despised going over his failures over and over again, but lest he gain allies, he needed to relinquish some of his pride. Besides, power and prestige can always be regained - and it not just by one's own hand, either. "It would seem that you are quite dead-set on your goals, my dear alchemist," the undead sorcerer mused. "And these warriors of metal and iron... these 'automatons' interest me. Perhaps, if you are not so opposed... working together may get us both what we truly desire."
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Post by Varian on Oct 29, 2019 0:49:58 GMT
"You mean it can bring people back to life like Hades can?" Varian was now curious about this Black Cauldron and would have to ask the Horned King more about it. "An elixir to raise the dead. No! But, I do have something that can take on entire armies." Varian said as he pulled out a set of blueprints. He rolled the blueprints out on a table to show an unusual diagram. It depicted a clockwork warrior three times as tall as an ordinary man, and looked to be much stronger. "Behold, the automaton. A once lost marvel of ancient science that I've recreated and improved. I built a few dozens of these before and had the king of Corona's entire army at my mercy." Varian said proudly as he recalled his finest hour. But then, he started to remember his defeat and his tone became angry and bitter. "If it weren't for Princess Rapunzel and her magical powers, I would have decimated Corona and avenged my father. But no, Rapunzel had come in and take everything away from me again! But next time my Automatons will be bigger and I won't be alone." Varian said as he started day dreaming about his revenge. (OOC: Apologies for the delay - I was away for a while. Back now, and hoping to resume this with the king's response!) The Horned King scratched his chin. While his gaze lay upon the drawings and schematics of the metal golem Varian spoke about, he could not help but focus upon the boy's change in mood. Within but just moments, at the mere mention of this... Princess Rapunzel, his anger took control. Revenge was such a simple motivator, but the king was quite aware that both he and many of his compatriots shared the same disposition. Though, it seemed Varian had much more to it than just getting back at this princess, as he had mentioned his presumably deceased father. The king could very much use this. However, the lich was not about to dismiss the iron warrior's potential either. Men and beasts were so seldom useful - he learned that time and time again the hard way of the incompetency of the living with no ambition in their hearts, only fear. The king had believed only the undying Cauldron-Born would be worthy of his foot soldiers towards his dream of conquest across all of Prydain, yet with what Varian claimed, these "automatons" seemed to be at least as strong and deadly as the cauldron's warriors. A combined army of the dead and of metal... now there's something that could strike at the hearts of mortal men. "Woes of princesses, my boy? I, unfortunately, can relate," the king breathed, a hand carefully moving along the blueprints in front of him, taking care not to drag his sharp fingers to rip the paper. "I, too, had a princess among the party that had bested me. I captured the girl - Eilonwy was her name - in hopes that the power she possessed could lead me to the Black Cauldron. She, of course, refused, and would have remained a permanent guest at my own castle had it not been for the fool farm hand that came to rescue her." The Horned King despised going over his failures over and over again, but lest he gain allies, he needed to relinquish some of his pride. Besides, power and prestige can always be regained - and it not just by one's own hand, either. "It would seem that you are quite dead-set on your goals, my dear alchemist," the undead sorcerer mused. "And these warriors of metal and iron... these 'automatons' interest me. Perhaps, if you are not so opposed... working together may get us both what we truly desire." [OOC: It's no problem.] "Not at all. I can certainly use all the help and metal I can get to start remaking the automatons." Varian was starting to think letting the most unnatural and scariest of his allies know about his automatons might have been a bad idea. But still, it was better having him on his side than against him. He could be useful if the five are scheming behind their backs.
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Post by The Horned King on Oct 29, 2019 1:51:43 GMT
[OOC: It's no problem.] "Not at all. I can certainly use all the help and metal I can get to start remaking the automatons." Varian was starting to think letting the most unnatural and scariest of his allies know about his automatons might have been a bad idea. But still, it was better having him on his side than against him. He could be useful if the five are scheming behind their backs. The Horned King made the slightest of nods. The first of those on his side. Once more, not exactly what the king had first envisioned, but with his anger fueling his brilliant mind and the promise of more unstoppable warriors to control, Varian was certainly more than the king would have expected from the jester king from Sugar Rush or the absent members of the prophesied five. "Very well, then, young Varian. I have the makings of a plan forming as we speak, one that can surely benefit us both greatly. However, to see it come to fruition, we will be needing some more... associates from the castle." He began to slink off towards the exit of the laboratory, still talking all the while. "I shall leave you to your work to see if there are any others among us here willing to join us. When the time is right, I shall divulge to your what I have in mind." Opening the door to the laboratory, the lich turned around one final time. "Perhaps you have a recommendation of whom I may wish to enlist?"
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Post by Varian on Oct 29, 2019 2:31:37 GMT
[OOC: It's no problem.] "Not at all. I can certainly use all the help and metal I can get to start remaking the automatons." Varian was starting to think letting the most unnatural and scariest of his allies know about his automatons might have been a bad idea. But still, it was better having him on his side than against him. He could be useful if the five are scheming behind their backs. The Horned King made the slightest of nods. The first of those on his side. Once more, not exactly what the king had first envisioned, but with his anger fueling his brilliant mind and the promise of more unstoppable warriors to control, Varian was certainly more than the king would have expected from the jester king from Sugar Rush or the absent members of the prophesied five. "Very well, then, young Varian. I have the makings of a plan forming as we speak, one that can surely benefit us both greatly. However, to see it come to fruition, we will be needing some more... associates from the castle." He began to slink off towards the exit of the laboratory, still talking all the while. "I shall leave you to your work to see if there are any others among us here willing to join us. When the time is right, I shall divulge to your what I have in mind." Opening the door to the laboratory, the lich turned around one final time. "Perhaps you have a recommendation of whom I may wish to enlist?" "Hmmmm...Well, I think you might want to start with Mozzenrath. He seems knowledgeable about magic, so he might be able to help find this Black Cauldron of yours. Though it might be a bit before you can talk to him since last I saw him, he was helping Hades find some guys named Pain and Panic. Then there's Ratigan and Skyes. Ratigan is a self proclaimed criminal mastermind, and he does seem to have a keen intellect. Sykes on the other hand seems to be good at intimidation. So far those guys seem the most reliable of the ones who've arrived so far. Negaduck seems a bit too greedy and got an explosive personality. hehehe...And don't get me started on that King Candy."
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Post by The Horned King on Oct 30, 2019 2:49:58 GMT
"Hmmmm...Well, I think you might want to start with Mozzenrath. He seems knowledgeable about magic, so he might be able to help find this Black Cauldron of yours. Though it might be a bit before you can talk to him since last I saw him, he was helping Hades find some guys named Pain and Panic. Then there's Ratigan and Skyes. Ratigan is a self proclaimed criminal mastermind, and he does seem to have a keen intellect. Sykes on the other hand seems to be good at intimidation. So far those guys seem the most reliable of the ones who've arrived so far. Negaduck seems a bit too greedy and got an explosive personality. hehehe...And don't get me started on that King Candy." The Horned King thought back to the courtyard, trying to put names to faces. The boy in the blue robes... the king assumed that must have been Mozenrath. He had bowed so easily and so quickly to Maleficent and Hades, but if what Varian said was true, than perhaps his magical prowess could be of some use to the king. If nothing else, at least a kinship as practitioners of dark magics could make cooperation tolerable. The others were but an afterthought: Sykes was most likely the brute with the metal carriage, and Negaduck was clearly the unstable bird. There was no predicting if mortals such as them could comprehend the power of the cauldron, let alone find compromise in working under the king in his quest to reclaim it. Ratigan... the lich caught only a glimpse back at the courtyard... was that the name of the talking rodent? At that size, he wouldn't even be worth a sacrifice to the cauldron. It seemed, however, that Varian regarded him with some esteem, so who's to say? Of course... the only one amongst that list that the sorcerer actually knew was... King Candy. "Rest assured, young Varian. The king of Sugar Rush is not high on the list of candidates. I... thank you, for the information. I shall leave you to your creations and search around the castle for able-bodies for our mission. When the time is right, and our allies have gathered, then I shall call for you to discuss our next move." The Horned King cast one more glance over to his newest ally. "I look forward to seeing your work, young alchemist." With that, the king slunk out of the laboratory. [OOC: Going on a recruitment drive!]
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