A popular legend tells of Benedict Stross, a Gold Wizard who lost his hand due to the carelessness of a rival wizard. The rival was reprimanded, but Benedict became obsessed with his missing hand. He became convinced that he could construct a perfect replacement of the purest gold, but all his efforts met with failure.[1a] Finally, Stross concluded that he was missing a vital ingredient for his creation: the blood of his rival. He invited the wizard to his laboratory to consult on an exciting new project, then locked all the doors and windows to commence his work.[1a]