Karuz Thrak stared at the cloud of gas as it dissipated into the cavern above. Despite his less than stellar intellect, the plague lord was not without caution. “Could it be true?”, he pondered. As he sat on his throne his mind began to spin. His past attempts at spreading disease and pestilence to the mortal realm had almost always ended with failure. Either some medicinal cure or wizard saved the day. But if the Conflux had returned, then this changed everything. A legion of his Kul Rak could decimate the world of men. His host would feed off of the life force of the mortal world and his numbers would grow with each human felled. 

He stood once more and strode to the center of his throne room. He flexed his superior muscles as if showing off to his subjects. They did not take notice. He pointed to a plague valkyrie, Tyz Mok, a trusted servant, who had been by his side during the encounter with the jester.

“Mok, I don’t know if this is true, and I don’t pretend to comprehend all that this could mean, but I refuse to let indecision be my downfall once again.” He lowered his hand and began to pace throughout the open throne room. “Take a small band of Kul Rak and go through the portal. If you make through and find yourself in the human realm. Send a messenger back to me, then continue on, no doubt my counterparts from the other planes will have the same information, and for once I don’t want to be last. While you’re at it I’ll put those foolish humans who call themselves my servants to use.”

As he left the room his servants scattered off in different directions at varying levels of speed. Thrak made his way down the steps to the city, he brushed spores off his cloak as he was reminded of how much he hated living in such a “dreadful place”. The mortal world would definitely be a much more fitting place to rule from, with its open skies and absence of mucus lined cavern walls. He smiled as he made his way towards his workshop through the city’s streets. For the first time in over a century things seemed like to be looking up. 

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“COME ONE, COME ALL! TO THE FANTASTIC AND MAGNIFICENT EXTRAVAGANZA!”

The showman was standing on a stage outside his pitched tent within the town square. He had been attempting to lure anyone who would listen. “I have an incredible story for you! I come from the far east with tales of the bizarre and spectacular!” His words were hollow, and his crooked and yellow smile was repulsing, but none the less a crowd gathered. 

“It’s right inside this tent I tell you! We have a woman with three legs, and a baby who can breath fire! Just like a dragon! MANY other spectacles awaite! JUST INSIDE!” he danced about in a peculiar manner, and motioned to the tent just behind the stage. “All you need do is enter and you shall be AMAZED!”

As the curious onlookers gathered around they became enthralled, some would say even spellbound. Soon enought the intrigued townspeople began to file into the tent, and were met with nothing but blackness.Out of the blackness shined a single green light, it swayed and sparkeled. The stench came next. An odour so foul that many of the townspeople began to cough and vomit. The green light flashed and began to move round them, disorienting and confusing them. They tripped over each other, and those getting sick were unable even to call for help. Fear gripped the group and they began to rush for the exits of the tent, as they made their way out they found themselves alone. The stage and showman were gone. When the last of them had finally exited the tent collapsed behind them. WIping the mucus from their faces and still terrified at what had just occurred, they spoke amongst themselves about what had occured. The majority of the group finally came to the conclusion that they must have been swindled by the showman. Feeling this to be a reasonable and likely conclusion they began to disperse off towards the rest of their daily lives. As they left, a few coughed and hacked their throats… it must just be a slight cold.