[center][h1][color=a36209][b]Morningstar[/b][/color][/h1][/center] The Tower of Knowledge was always active, in some way. Even bereft of a single living or undead soul, there was always the subtle sounds of bubbling and boiling. And even if that were to be muted, you could often hear the sounds of the organ playing within the walls...or whatever instruments they had back there. It was how the Professor liked it. However, he wasn't here right now. The timer had hit zero, and he was not here. The cauldrons and [i]tables[/i] quietly bubbled, an piece of organ music played, but otherwise...all was still in this corner of Dead Moon Cathedral. Oh, you may be wondering 'Wait, hold on! Wasn't there suppose to be some sort of guardian here?!'. Indeed... Opposite the door that led into the Alchemist's haven was his many guarded shelves of components for mixing and matching...everything, a huge supply of things to use in potions and explosive compounds - all of it protected behind metal slats that were part of the shelves...but shuttered closed whenever someone pulled the lever on the right side of the room. That lever was locked in place, though, and normally kept by the Alchemist himself, the Master of Change, Professor Daryl Von Madness. But as we said, he is not here, so the key to that lever - and the key to his potion safe - must be elsewhere. Now, where is it? Where would he keep it if he wasn't here? Well, that semi-circular shelving area held the answer. No, not behind the shutters. [i]Before[/i][ them. Right in the middle, sitting upon its pedestal, was a stone gargoyle. It was in a crouched position, hands upon knees and tail lying coiled behind the feet. When inactive, or when using it offensively, the guardian of this laboratory sat in stone sleep, or rather Stone Dream. When the message from Baron was received... [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNjojHvzrBw[/youtube][/center] Stone tore away as the gargoyle tore open her personal encasement and stretched all of her limbs, followed by the scratch of all itchiness. This was Morningstar, willing servant of the Guild and guardian of the Tower of Knowledge for the Professor. Right now, however, she was nothing if not a little confused. She'd heard the call, but found it peculiar that the word came from Baron and not the Supreme Lords of the Cathedral. Looking around, she expected to find the plague doctor masked man at work, but she didn't. [color=a36209]"Daryl? Daaarrryl! Hello? No? Hmmm...that's strange."[/color] In her mind, he was so often there that she expected to find him at the Cathedral, always. True, he obviously had to [i]go out and GET[/i] his components, but that was usually when she was asleep or killing intruders. This time felt different, though, and she knew [i]why[/i] it felt different. Reaching into her item pouch, she pulled out the dark green key with the symbol of the eye on it, the Alchemist Key. He gave it to her, for safe keeping. At least, that's what she assumed. He wouldn't give it over to anyone, normally. Well, perhaps the other Surpreme Lords, but she didn't know such things. This was the key to everything he worked for, everything he personally made... [color=a36209]"Well...I guess I'm looking after this now, too."[/color] So saying, she stepped over to the center of the room and looked down to find another keyhole there. That was where the potion safe lived, but both that and the shelf lever...had a little trick to them. If you twisted the Alchemist Key in the wrong direction...like Star did now...several secret passages to the area behind the walls opened, and a bunch of Homunculi, Flesh Golems, and even big Chimeras began to come out! They lurched and snarled into the room and...looked around. No enemies. No one but Morningstar, their de facto leader when the Supremes were not around, especially their creator. Immediately, they all began speaking in very weird tongues that took someone like her to even understand. Morningstar held up her hands. [color=a36209]"I don't know [i]either[/i], so calm down! Baron said to step up security, so we're doing it, okay? Spread out and start roaming the Cathedral. You see anyone that doesn't belong, I don't need to tell you how to handle 'em. I have to go to the Scrying Sanctum, which is pretty far down and I don't have a teleport power, so I need to get moving."[/color] She didn't have a teleport power because she had speed and flight on her side. So saying, she get a running start to get down those floors, her initial task having been completed. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [center][h1][color=9e0b0f][b]Garlock[/b][/color][/h1][/center] Meanwhile...down in the Arena... [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwxz-0ty00U[/youtube][/center] The room was empty, bereft of any sort of being...save for one. In the very center of the room, lying asleep on the ground, was a cat. It was a Bombay Cat, a sleek-haired feline that - in this case - had red eyes. He was had started in a curled-up position, but...as the timer hit zero, things began to change. Here and there, he had begun to twitch and fidget. His position became less ball-like and more lying on his side, as - and we understand that this is unusual to describe with a cat - his sleep seemed somewhat disturbed. He made no noises akin to a cat at this time. This was because he was a Bakeneko, a demon/ghost cat, a supernatural entity with greater intelligence. He dreamt of destruction. [i][color=9e0b0f]Garlock...[/color][/i] As he relived the death of his owner, the man who raised and cared for him straight from kittenhood, the cat became more agitated, and the [i]room[/i] began to change. It grew darker, and more hellishly menacing. Some of the stands began to fill with figures, silent watches that were shadows of people, except they were all cats. They were black cats with cat masks on who stood like people, all of them. All of them there, all of them staring directly at the center, all of them staring...at him. [color=9e0b0f][i][b]GARLOCK...[/b][/i][/color] The cat bore his teeth and extended claws in his sleep, thinking only of the mass destruction and murder of a village and its people, of many such places burnt to the ground and the growing darkness that emerged from within them. A growl like a lion the size of Kansas echoed through out the room, as a swirling swarm of shadows formed above it all, red eyes cast downward upon him, as well. The eyes were both accusing and demanding, full of anger and contempt, but for who? For all who stood in his path? Or was it for... [h3][i][b][color=9e0b0f]GARLOCK THE DESTROYER!!![/color][/b][/i][/h3] The eyes of the cat finally snapped open, as a voice penetrated the aether, reaching his mind. No, not the voice of his nightmares, but rather the voice that came from outside, the voice of Baron. The cat rose to his feet and looked around. [color=9e0b0f]"Still here, am I? Alright..."[/color] All of the shadows - every single figure in the now-crowded stadium, as well as the swirling mass above all their heads - now flowed towards tha cat, rejoining with the whole that was the Bakeneko, and Garlock assumed his humanoid form. He was a standing Bombay Cat creature whose features were hidden within a midnight-blue cloak, his ears pressing against the hood...but obscured by the appearance of a black helmet of evil. He wore black metal gauntlets and similar boots, with a belt that was also black and had a skull for a buckle. None of these were real items. They were part of the appearance of his form, and could change around at any time. It was just a disguise. He was always a cat, and he was always going to BE a cat. A cat that destroyed all in his path. Looking the arena over once more, he enacted his teleport spell and vanished, no doubt to find his way to the scrying area, as asked. He reappeared a moment later with a grumble, gestured towards whatever controlled the cages of the arena beasts, and left once more once they were all free to roam the Arena.