Thane had not responded to the General beyond a small nod. He was looking around and taking in the excess and decadence of the room.<br/>Silks and leathers, purples, golds and silvers. Gems and intricate designs. The room was beyond baroque in its design and gave a sensory overload to the crude ascetic sensibilities of the Khonish Warlord. As Black Baron and Lord of the North he had seen it as indulging in excess when he sipped wine or collected some exotic or ancient weapons. This devillish place stank of sin and unbridled self-indulgence.<br/>The General had left as he revealed a wide wolfish grin.<br/><em><strong>'So much power. So much might. And yet... so many flaws and weaknesses to exploit' </strong></em>he thought.<br/>The Elite Guard had proven to be formidable but an eternity of superiority over all had made them arrogant and haughty.<br/>All of the devilkin wallowed in some kind of decadence. Though he was certain all of them had varied tastes and varying degrees of self control.<br/>The General for instance seemed to have somewhat of a restraint on herself. Yet her very martial nature seemed to possess the seeds he required to 'use' her. In many ways the fact she was much like Khonish women... just meant that to a degree she was familiar territory. Except she could easily snap his neck.<br/>The others might prove more challenging. He did not feel comfortable in this room. It was the South multiplied by a million and he had always scorned the decadent southern city states or those pathetic elves.<br/>As he strolled through the room he took in all he saw and looked for weapons or tools to use.<br/>He found nothing bar... tooms.<br/>A series of books on display.<br/>Opening one, he found the book beautiful and heavy. Oddly enough the strange runic glyphs that was beyond his understanding seemed to project its meaning into his very mind.<br/>The Queen would soon finish with her freaky plaything, he pressed on with a sense of urgency...<br/>Taking another book, he skimmed through it.<br/>And another one.<br/>And another one.<br/>And...<br/>Thane bit his lower lip.<br/><strong>"Well... that's interesting"</strong>he whispered to himself.<br/>The large picture showed a strange vat and in it a humanoid shape.<br/>He began to read with great speed. His dark blue gaze wandering over the page.<br/>And then he closed the book, placing it on the pedestal once more.<br/>The moment of respit had not ended just yet. He still had some time to work with.<br/>And Thane used it well, scouring the room further, trying the door but it did not move. In fact it seemed arcane in nature and lacked keyhole or locking mechanism.<br/>Her chests were similarly 'secure'.<br/>He looked around and by the time he had turned 360 degrees a table with food had appeared out of nowhere.<br/><strong>"I hate this place"</strong>he grumbled and wondered whether he spoke to himself to find some irrational comfort. He reprimanded himself for the weakness and studied the meal.<br/>Meat, cheese, bread. And wine.<br/>He took a cup and sniffed it. Khonish.<br/>It was effective, nourishing, a little bit oversized in quantity. It was Khonish indeed.<br/>And hence made solely for his needs.<br/><strong>"How... 'kind'"</strong>he said with an icy venomous tone.<br/>But he needed to eat and hence, dug in.<br/>Destiny would wait, it had for a long time. His stomach could not.