Djedkare's scowl twisted even further, becoming something of a rictus grin. His golden teeth ground together as he clenched his fists until it seemed like the sinews of his decrepit hands seemed ready to split under such tension. A nightmarish rustling sound emitted from deep within Djedkare's bowels, as the colony of scarabs storied away in his guts reacted to stores of ancient magics lost to mortal ken long ago percolated and writhed like a snake trapped in a trap. A dull glow shone from within Djedkare, spilling out of his orifices as a curling, rank fog.

"You... I have given you the benefit of a doubt. I had thought you were merely a poor leader, but now... you have clearly demonstrated your impotence as a ruler. Instead of supplicating and gaining the adoration of your citizens, you [i]control[/i] them, like a [i]child[/i] toying with their parent's work! You have grown [i]proud[/i], but have not striven to [i]earn[/i] your nation. No... you [i]forced[/i] these servants to follow you. You have violated the very [i]essence[/i] of being a ruler! Such hubris will [i]not[/i] stand!"

Djedkare's voice appeared to come from every direction at once, booming throughout the stairway. The glow from within Djedkare's hollow shell of a form increased in magnitude, bathing the area in light as hot and intense as the desert sun. Djedkare began to speak, emitting a foul curse that would plague Avalai until such time as it was broken.

"As you have [color=red][b]stolen[/b][/color] the minds of your charges, so shall they be [color=red][b]regained[/b][/color]! I [color=red][b]curse[/b][/color] you to return to that which you deserve! May all you own and all whom you control [color=red][b]return[/b][/color] to the dust from which it was torn! Tread lightly, young one; the [color=red][b]Plague of Job[/b][/color] is upon you."

With one final strobe of burning light, Djedkare returned to his normal self. Still scowling, he forced his way past the bemused crowd of thralls between him and headed back to the bar in search of something to soothe his stomach. As he left, his curse proved to have little effect, merely making Avalai's collar feel a bit tighter and giving the thrall closest to her a somewhat-dry throat. Poor Djedkare's cursing skills weren't quite up to snuff, it seems.