"Ah, taking the crown itself would not let you control all the undead my dear boy. It only ensures control over any which you create via the crystal embedded in the ground. And doing that draws from your life force to make the undead. So most are only able to make one before needing to rest for the day and regain their strength. If you tried to construct an army, you would be a lifeless husk before you got to half a dozen skeletons." Allahastor tells Dair in warning.
Turning to Peladus, Darque responds, "As for teaching another how to repair the portal, I'm not sure I could funnel the decades of research I've acquired into another without decades to do so. As for my 'plan' to exit through the monsters portal, that was cold logic I'm afraid. If I'm able to 'fix' the portal at all, then what is to stop anyone else from following me through as you said. So, do I wish to open a gateway from a monster infested area containing an undead making artifact into the basement of my house and the city which would be unprepared for such an invasion? Or do I make the snake swallow its tail and open the portal back to where the monsters have seemingly come from in some unknown land or plane?"
Suddenly, there is a commotion outside the cell as shouting is heard coming from the center of the village. From around a nearby building, Snoofles comes running at full gallop. And he's carrying a crown of bone in his mouth! Soldiers are chasing hot on his heels, but he weaves and changes directions so quick that they are left stumbling in his wake. You see the Captain running after the others and hefting a spear above his shoulder while shouting "Get out of the way! Give me a clear shot!" The few soldiers chasing the dog veer off at his warning and he lets fly with the spear just as Snoofles nears the gate. The spear flies true, but at the last moment, the dog leaps towards the last soldier between him and the gate. In mid leap, the dogs form shimmers and elongates until it is a full grown man clothed in dark robes that slams into the soldier instead of a small dog. Knocking the soldier over, the man springs again through the doorway and out of sight as the spear embeds itself in the ground beside the fallen soldier. For a moment, the only sound or movement is from the quivering of the spear in the ground. Then the place explodes in shouts again as the Captain yells for a party of soldiers to assemble and give chase after the man and the crown.