Out of the Shadows, Part 36
You consider everything you know about the various heroines, weighing the positives and negatives of each option. In the end, however, there's one choice in particular that rises above the others in your estimation. "We'll go after Ceriss next," you say. "This is probably our last attempt with the element of surprise... so let's claim someone who can give us an edge against one of the remaining heroines. In preparation for when this starts to get harder."
The others nod in agreement. "I don't think Ceriss will be too hard to bring around," says Khaytala. "Like Verika said, she's already really, um... open... to things like this. You shouldn't have much trouble talking your way into her bed. And, well, once you do that..."
"Let's hope so," you agree. Though some part of you doubts it will be as simple as Khaytala thinks.
"Now that that's settled, what do you want us to do while you're off having fun with the little tiefling?" asks Rysanial. "I am worried about Varthurg, and the trouble he might try to stir up while you're gone. Especially since he has the prisoner to focus his troops' ire."
"Don't worry," says Lily resolutely. "I won't let any harm come to her."
"Even so, your majesty, if you end up publicly fighting and killing your own troops, it won't exactly be good for morale," Verika points out. "It could push things even closer to the breaking point than they already are. Which is just what Varthurg wants."
The former Matriarch of the drow has been keeping to the background of your group until now, following behind Verika... but for the first time, Velaria steps forward and speaks. "The old warchief will have a difficult time stirring up trouble if we end his life first," she says. "And my sister is matchless at that task."
Verika's lip twists... but she doesn't deny it. "Putting an arrow through his skull might harm morale too," she warns. "Even if it gets him out of our way, I can't imagine his followers taking it well if he dies under suspicious circumstances."
"I can assist with that, if you desire," Velaria offers. "I know several poisons that can induce death that will seem to be of natural causes, effective against all but the strongest of constitutions, or the most potent of mystical protections. If my sister uses those, there will be no evidence we were involved. Though admittedly... any respite it grants us will only be temporary, until Varthurg is replaced."
"Probably by his son," says Kelissa. "He's widely considered the strongest fighter in the army, and he's killed the last few orcs who were positioning themselves to challenge his father for the position of warchief."
"Well... instead of all this assassination talk, I could just challenge the bastard myself," says Khaytala. "I'd like to see them try that on me." There is a note of reluctant unease in her voice, though. She most likely realizes that taking the position of warchief herself means that she will have less freedom to accompany you, like she did on the last mission. It will force her to worry while you're gone, instead of protecting you herself. Still, she's more than willing to do it if you judge that installing a loyal warchief will help your chances overall.
"Don't forget about the situation in the Underworld, either," Verika reminds you. "It's probably in utter chaos right now, with Lady Eshosi being the closest thing they have left to a viable candidate for the next Matriarch, despite her power base being shredded. Not to mention that Lady Mykra is probably plotting who-knows-what from the shadows. If you want to keep influencing that situation... I still have the shadowgate."
Left unsaid is what you discussed while in the shrine in the elf village. How striking against the worship of Melca in one of the two main centers of her devotion could work to weaken her. Granted, you're not anywhere near a position where you could accomplish that at the moment... but it's something to keep in mind. Potentially something to work toward, if you decide it's worth the investment.
Of course, if you did want to send missions into the Underworld, whether their goals are subtle or overt, Verika would need to be one of the participants either way. Seeing as she is the only one who can use the magical portal between the two realms that you stole.
"And we can't forget about the other heroines either..." you muse, weighing the relative urgency of gaining more information about the ones you haven't investigated yet against the other tasks that have sprung up. Certainly it could only help to learn about potential dangers or weaknesses ahead of time. But is it important enough to outweigh the other tasks?
And finally, there is the question of whether you want to go after Ceriss on your own, or whether you want to bring along assistance like you did with Verika. Having Khaytala close at hand certainly allowed you to accomplish significantly more in the Underworld than you would have been able to without her... though you'll also have to weigh the situation you're heading into this time, considering it against anything your various allies might be able to accomplish independently.
Your small group continues to toss ideas back and forth. Until finally, you exhale. "We don't need to make a choice right away," you say. "Let's sleep on this. We can come back to it tomorrow. There are still a few things I'd like to look into myself before we make our final decision."
The others agree. Soon the conversation shifts to other topics, as you give Lily a more detailed retelling of just exactly what went into Verika's seduction. She listens with rapt attention as you take turns relating the full scope of the wild adventure, all the way to the final, desperate escape, with the forces of the Underworld right on your heels. By the end she's even more amazed, as she realizes the full scale of what you accomplished for her.
Eventually, though, you do excuse yourself. Before you settle on a course of action, you want to know all the resources you have at your disposal. Which includes the eager recruits that Ghazar mentioned. At your command he assembles them before you, around thirty newcomers in all. This will effectively add two more squads to the original single squad of orcs, to say nothing of the drow or the young assassin.
You give much the same speech that you gave to the initial group, using all your charisma to impress on them the possibilities that your way offers. You warn them of the obligation involved in accepting your Boon, the magical requirement imposed on them... but also of the incalculable benefits. How much better it can be if they take even the pleasure of their enemies and victims into account.
In the end, you stir up a fervor that swings them wildly to your side. They accept the boon—and the oath of loyalty that goes with it—binding themselves to your service in exchange for the impossible sexual enhancements you can provide. The corruption toward lust seeps into them one by one, as they kneel before you. And though you have to pause partway through the process to fuck one of the captured drow and regain your strength, you simply use that as an object lesson before finishing off the rest.
It's progress. The number of loyal troops is increasing overall, which will allow for increasingly ambitious possibilities the more orcs you sway to your way of thinking. Already your mind is racing, considering your options both short and long-term.
As the afternoon stretches into evening, however, there is another question to be considered. Who are you going to take into your bed tonight?
For once, you have no secrecy to be maintained, nor any urgent tactical concerns that need addressing. You could choose almost any woman—or combination of women—here in Kovora. Save mainly for Lily, since neither have you tempted her yet, nor is her position weak enough that you could likely manage it in a single night.
Perhaps a good fuck will be just thing to help you work out the last few details of your plan, helping you decide exactly who will be best sent where...
