After that heated argument with Mr Elc, the Curator looked as if he would prefer to be somewhere else, but he stayed anyway, maybe for the sake of professionalism. However, when the next question came, it somehow perplexed him even more that he didn't even bother to be formal anymore. 

[i][b]"Maybe simply because he had all the cards needed? I don't know. If I have the scepter, already primed and powered, and I somehow have the control ring or am savvy enough to cast the spell without one, I think I can do that even if I were trapped inside a conch buried deep in the abyss."[/b][/i]

[b]"No, Sir. I think the question is how could he activate it without being near it?"[/b]  Interjected Stepan.

[b][i]"It was designed to be able to be activated remotely. I thought that was something we all already know." [/i][/b]

[b]"Well... I didn't know." [/b]

Arcan shook his head, uninterested in entertaining the remark. Instead, he turned to Fia again. 

[i][b]"Now, young miss, you said there were twelve individuals?" [/b][/i]The curator looked at her searchingly. A pause ensued. Clearly, he did not enjoy dissecting the result of his own oversight, but still, he pressed on after letting out a spectral sigh. 

[b][i]"I don't know where you get that number. The Necromancer ensnared many in the tunnels, and while the exact number is hard to pinpoint, it was certainly much more than just twelve. He escaped with power enough not only to resurrect himself, but also to shatter the outer wall. That would require a lot of souls to power. No, not twelve. Many were killed, and the beast of darkness must have picked most of the remains clean. I have nothing else to tell you, but I do not doubt that he is responsible for the disappearance of your townspeople, though I did not witness the process myself."[/i][/b]

The curator shrugged, and his presence faded out, signifying the end of his part in their soiree. For someone who maintained an aloof disposition on human affairs, he had spoken a lot more than he actually liked.