Brann was a little bit out of his element, jammed into a box and carted into the very heart of the empire and all. By the time that he was let out, he was very grumpy. Looking around, he seemed to be in a basement of some sort, surrounded by what looked like imperial cultists. The small statue of the Infernal Lord in the center of the room let him know that he was in the right place.
"We hope that the journey to our little clubhouse was not too harrowing, my most marvelous master!"
"Five hours! I was locked up in that box for five hours!"
"W-We had to smuggle you past the sentinels somehow. But do not be to cross, sire. For we have the perfect way for you to sneak into the arena through the slums. Have we done well, master?"
"Were you one of the ones that I dominated back in Everlight, or are you just this much of a sycophant by yourself?"
"No, he's one of our converts." Brann looked up to see who the voice that just addressed him belonged to, getting a good look at two succubi fluttering down from the ceiling. They landed before him in a bowing position, looking up at him with gleeful eyes.
"Infernia and Demona, at your serves, my master."
"I have heard of you from Jill. How grows the cult in empire territory?"
"Very well, master. The empire elite are an easy bunch for our usual tactics of mental domination. Even with us having to be more careful than usual, what with the sentinels scrying all over the place."
"I'm surprised that the cult was able to summon you two at all. I could sense the anti-magic shield surrounding the city the moment I was carried in."
"It is a very well-made spell indeed. But even the grandest of fortresses have cracks in the walls, and we are very good at slipping into tight places, sire~." Brann simply rolled his eyes at the giggling demoness's as a Netherworld gate suddenly opened up in the basement. He gathered a full horde and walked out the servents entrance, his nose regretting it the moment he was outside. The slums seemed to be built into the sewers, the wastewater of the upper class being all that sustains the unfortunate people of that forgotten dump. Brann did not much care about the poor conditions the poor people suffered, only how he could use them as he made a note of dominating every slum rat he came across. Soon enough, he came across some squatters with makeshift weapons fighting off giant frogs.
"Hmmm, an odd thing to find down here in the slums, aside from the locals, that is." Gnarl said as Brann took out his frustrations on the giant frogs, killing them until there was nothing left. One of the slum dwellers came up to Brann looking rather happy to see him, an odd thing for him.
"Thank you, stranger. I was sure that I would spend my last moments in a frog's guts! I take it from your armor that you are no legionnaire, am I right?"
"Indeed, I'm not. I am Overlord Brann, and who are you?"
"My name is Squataclis, and these fine men and women are my gange, the Peoples Front. I suppose you've noticed how the empire has abandoned us down here, right? Well, my crew and I are working to improve the lives of our people, be that by stealing food from the markets, fighting man-eating frogs, or doing our best for the sick."
"A real champion of the people type I see... Say, hows about I make you an offer?"
"The least I could do after you saved us."
"I am an enemy of the empire, and I can give you the power to keep fighting the good fight. Not only that, but I could also supply and arm you. What do you say?"
"I say this sounds too good to be true. I will test this power of yours, but they're better not be any tricks." Brann nodded before using his evil presence spell on the man. In only a few moments, he was just another mind slave.
"Yes... I see what you mean... This power, is the power of unity! Come, friends! Embrace this new power with me!" Soon Brann had the entire people's front under his control, and he was pleased.
"Good, now go talk to the mystery cult located at the house over there. Tell them I sent you, and that you are the one in charge of preparing the uprising. You will be given all you need to form a potent fighting force!" The now dominated people's front then rushed off as Brann went about his merry way. While killing frogs and subjugating the poor, he at last found the entrance to the arena dungeon. And from what it looked like to Brann, some poor fools were being tricked into being part of the games.
"Who wants free passes to the arena games? Witness the splendor of the games from very close up! Just come inside, and we will escort you to your own VIP quarters!" The guard in golden armor bearly held back a snicker as he led the helpless idiots to their doom. Brann was soon able to find his way into that very spot, dominating slum rats and slaying the crossbow-wielding bafoons. Spotting his prize as he entered the dungeon proper.
"There's the blue hive! You can use that raft to reach it. But you will have to find some blues to push it. Only they can swim! Although the other minions are terribly good at drowning!" Brann looked on in both aw and discussed at the empires dungeon. He smashed open some barrels and found magical creatures trapped inside. But they were so weak from having most of their magic taken from them that killing them would have been a waste of time. Brann had to leave his minions behind when he was forced to find another entrance into the arena dungeon. What he had to go through next both confused and angered him to no end. The entire fucking jail pit seemed to be operated by presser pad puzzles, puzzles that the garrisoned guards would not be able to solve. Brann was angry because he had to do every last one of the stupid puzzles. And he had to think about the thought process the architects had to use to make a jail that the guards could not navigate. Soon enough, he gathered all the blue minions he could find and boarded a raft to get the blue hive, only to find the empire fucking off with it on a raft of their own.
"Get back here and die like men, you fucking wastes of flesh!" Brann soon chased the enemy raft but lost it in the labyrinthine maze of waterways. Finding himself in a much more fancy part of the compound, Brann soon discovered something rather odd. Not only a massive vat of magical energy, no doubt the magic that was stolen from the captured creatures. But also, Marius was just standing over it, breathing in the glowing mist coming out of the top.
"O, yes! That's the stuff! Ah, I see my special guest has arrived, I knew you would fallow the hive! Guards, activate the shields and surround him! You will make a superb opening act for the arena games!" Before Brann could even flip the nerd the bird, he felt an intense pain that forced him to blackout.
...
Fay was passing back and forth in her throne room, trying to think of her next course of action. Her forces were cut in half when Luna deserted her. Any action that she would have taken against the empire was now impossible.
"Like, maybe we should attack the man at his tower in the Netherworld? He would like, totally never see it coming!" Said a member of Fay's advisory council. High speaker Sylacar Seadancer was an Everlight elve elected by the people to speak on their behave.
"That would be an ill-advised tactic at this time, my friend. Our scrying has revealed that the Overlords tower is well defended, despite clearly thinking themselves untouchable. The lord general Glittle Puff said dismissively. The unicorn had many lifetimes of experience with war. If he said it was a suicide mission, then it was one.
"We do not have the strength to stand against the forces of evil at this time. We are safe in this Last Sanctuary. Let us rest, train, and lick our wounds. Our time will come to bring the next golden age, but the sun cannot shine until the night has ended." The archmage Lilly Bloom said in as comforting, yet authoritative a way she could. The ancient dryad was massive compared to the other members of the council. Her body made of enchanted elvish wood was the perfect conduit for her spells, a living staff, carved head to root in magic runes.
"We totally can't just, like, hide like children under our blankest until the monsters go away, Lilly. We have to show the man that we will not be oppressed!"
"I have weathered many a dark age, speaker. You would be wise to heed my wisdom." Fay was hardly paying attention to the argument erupting in her council. The Overlord's forces were harvesting magic from the Wasteland, for wicked purposes no dought. But what disturbed her most was that Luna was helping him to gather the remnants of the last Overlords artifacts. She could understand, to an extent, that Luna was aiming one enemy at another. But to actively help him become even more powerful? Was the notion of keeping your friends close and your enemy's closer just an excuse Luna used to justify her choices? Was her friend so lost to the darkness of her own soul that she did not see the monster she was becoming? A queen of wicked, vile, and horrific things that before the empire crises would never have even been allowed in the presence of an elf, let alone cohabitate with them.
"My queen, what do you think of this?" Fay was snapped out of her thoughtful ponderings by the stern voice of Glitter Puff. Her advisors looking to her for wisdom and guidance.
"Forgive me, friends. My mind was far from here as you spoke. Please tell me again."
"The archmage seeks to use unholy powers!" Glitter huffed as he stomped the ground with his front hooves, making the ground spark slightly.
"You exaggerate to bolster your claim. I simply said that our troop shortage could be fixed by uplifting a lesser form of life."
"I REFUSE TO COMMAND AN ARMY OF SLAVES!" The unicorn screamed as his horn lit up. It took Fay commanding him to stand down for him to not openly attack his co-councilor.
"I have to agree with Glitter Puff. We can not resort to the tactics of the enemy."
"You both misunderstand. They would not be slaves. Simply new members of the magical creature community. Ones that breed in large numbers, and that would have the choice whether or not to join the army."
"From what... Stalk would this new lifeform be derived from."