Azathur listened to blackvein's vassal alchemist with interest, and a growing concern too. A philosopher's stone that drew power from everything? Who would ever make such a thing if not as a weapon of last resort from an extremely spiteful entity. Azathur could hardly believe the story to be true at all, it was rather improbably that such an artifact of ultimate power really existed.<br/><br/>The mention of the mad monk rasputin did not ring a bell. Azathur had always been somewhat closed off from zendarilian society after his becoming a necromancer proper, only returning to the city itself to undertake qualification tests to become an officially recognized plaguedoctor, and an artificer after that. At other times, he simply wandered the land, practicing his experiments in secrecy, far away from prying eyes.<br/><br/>And then blackvein presented a bundle of hard evidence to everyone. Azathur collected a stack of the documents at random and began reading through. All of it backed up blackvein's case. Intercepted letters from important names in Zendaril's political high society. documentation for vast resources to be secretly shifted as to assist the mad monk's task. Even orders, given weight by the official seal of the bloodfountain itself.<br/><br/>Azathur sat back to recover from these revalations. It made sense in hindsight. The bloodfountain was anathema to all life after all, and so it likely wouldn't hesitate for even the shortest moment at wiping out all life, no matter how much favor its living follower held. he turned agian to doctor blackvein. "so, if we are to coöperate, I would like to hear what sort of plan you have to stop the bloodfountain's plot. of course, that is assuming you will be taking leadership of this alliance you intend on forging today."