[color=6ecff6]"Mr. Arcan, we thank you for your hospitality. As the curator of this gallery, I assume you are well informed about the sinister powers that can be felt in some places... right?"[/color]

[i][b]"You mean the remains of that pesky necromancer in the detention chamber outside the vault? Yes, I know it well. Unless you are talking about the foul beast's nest surrounding this compound."[/b][/i]

Finally, the indifference in the Curator's face shifted into a slight disgust. 

[i][b]"Bah, where do I start? Like you, he and his lackeys came here ten years ago, posing as a novice wizard bearing the keycard. Naturally, I granted him the privileges. All went well, and no misgivings arose until he conducted his tour. It was when the time for them to leave, his lackeys felt disappointed with the treasure he selected. I didn't want to know how they resolved it, and I didn't want to hear their quarrel, so I showed him the door. It didn't go well for the Wizard, for his lackeys subdued him and locked him in the confinement room. Presumably, after taking everything worth taking. Typical of humans and their greed."[/b][/i]

[quote]“I for one would love to be one of those to see your true form. With a name such as the Warden, you must be a rather imposing individual, darling?”
[/quote]

The curator shook his head, unflattered by both the request and the supposed compliment. He gazed at Fia when the moman sauntered past the door and did not fail to recognize the artifact she brought.[i][b] "No, you don't want to,"[/b][/i] he said,  [b][i]"Back to my story, that scepter was one of the artifacts the Wizard chose." [/i][/b]

[b]"Really? We looted it from the corpses not far from your door, so... you want it back?"[/b] Stepan said anxiously.

[b][i]"Maybe,"[/i][/b] the curator replied. [b][i]"Considering what happened earlier, I should have asked you to hand it over, but I think you can keep it; I see that it has been rendered unusable by its previous owner. But I tell you that thousands of souls were lost as a result of that artifact's power."[/i][/b] 

[color=#C7C6C5]"How?"[/color] asked Mr. Elc. 

[i][b]"I will tell you now, let me continue my story about that wizard ten years ago. So they locked him there, with nary a provision to his name. Did he give up? Nay! Apparently, he planned a profane ritual in that chamber, using that artifact to trap several dozen innocent people in the tunnels, letting them die by the beast or exhaustion. After two full moons, he then revealed himself. A necromancer, apparently, and somehow capable of shackling the souls of those who died near him, and he absorbed those souls, using them to empower himself and then escape from his prison. A terrible visitor, really, and I am afraid he is now roaming free, spreading terror and needless death."  [/b][/i]

[color=#C7C6C5]"Why didn't you do anything about it? Maybe dealing with the necromancer? Or stopping the ritual before it finished?" [/color]

The curator shook his head, and this time, there was no pride in his vibrating, netherworldy voice. 

[i][b]"I humbly accept the blame for that oversight. While my main job is to protect the vault, the directive from Theriadore is also to deal with evil, should they come here. I should have been more judicious. If you want to investigate, please do, and I will assist you as best I can. The room is harmless to me, the collections, and to you, should you wish to explore it. [/b][/i]