Endgame, Part 6: Tactical Espionage Action

Behind the Scenes, Some Time Ago

Skye Kimura sits on her throne of skulls. She oversees her realm from atop the Spider’s Nest (formerly called the Space Needle). Her conquest of the old regime continues unabated. She will bring Lloth’s glory to this realm of… men. The word sickens her, even in her thoughts.

Her trusted servants, the women of her harem, are detailing reports from the latest forays on the battlefield. The breathing dildos of her other, less magically granted harem are chained in their corner, shaven and scented to soften their foul maleness. Chicago will fall to her forces soon, as will San Diego and Provo. She wonders which city she shall grace with her presence first. Where shall I sort through survivors to find those worthy to remain free under my service from those worthy only for enslavement?

So, when an oblex in the form of a mermaid appears in her throne room, Skye is quite annoyed. “I will not deal with you in a false form, shapechanger. Not again.”

And the mermaid appears to melt into a glob of viscous black pitch. Its form enlarges. Its voice becomes a squishy slurp, “Good morning, Skye. I presume you remember me?”

“You shall address me as High Priestess Kimura. Yes, I do remember you. The embarrassment of an ooze that threw me out of a party for the crime of threatening a false me. It was very irritating needing to punish my steed after that. Give me one good reason to not destroy you where you stand?”

The ooze quivers. Good. It should fear me. It then speaks, “I am here to offer you a chance to take your vengeance on the one you truly wanted to punish: the false one, the naked slut. I am preparing a final challenge for all of them. The slut’s brat of a mistress granted her some power from that fool of your goddess’s daughter. Your forces against a single girl should be easy enough for you to conquer. And, when you are done, you get to keep her and **** her forevermore as you wish.”

High Priestess Kimura, Now

“REPORT!”

Skye is angry. The false one should have been found and captured by now. Her harem members are busy trying to find a positive bit to report. The one that speaks first at least explains the situation, “From scanning through the season, it appears the false one is quite skilled in skulking, especially in the dark. Perhaps if we turned on the floodlights?”

“But that will limit the efficiency of our drow troops?”

“Do you not control those drow troops, High Priestess? They are not real. Just turn off their light sensitivity.”

“You would deny the divinity of the drow by stripping them of Lloth’s blessing?”

The harem girl shivers then squeaks, “To stop a bigger blasphemer? Yes, Mistress.”

As the harem girl is dragged away to be punished, Skye considers her words. She turns on the battlefield’s spotlights and turn off the NPCs light sensitivity. Fine. Nowhere to hide now.

Skye O’Connor

The sky suddenly lights up from above. The beams are blinding. Skye’s Invisi-Shades darken dramatically quickly. Once she adjusts, she looks up. The ceiling is cavernous, with regularly placed stadium lamps (if Skye knew what those were) dotting the cave roof like pockmarks. No more shadows for her to hide in.

Skye hears a couple of troops marching towards her. She starts to sing a whispered prayer to Eilistraee as she casts Invisibility. She needs to figure out how to win this challenge. She can’t hurt her fellows, not matter how evil their leader is.

The troops don’t notice her. She sneaks away.

High Priestess Kimura

Skye watches the scenes of the false her increasing her level with her ****-owner (which becomes closer to an acceptable slaver with every scene). The false one has magic to allow her to hide beyond being able to take advantage of the shadows. She does not want to wait until the false one has burned through all of her resources until she can no longer hide. It’s time to take advantage of the false one’s devotion to the bimbo.

Skye activates the P.A. system in the battlefield she has assembled, “False one, surrender to my troops now or I start to execute innocents! Their blood will be on your hands if you continue to cower.”

Skye has set up the scene for the false her to find. Dozens of NPCs, watching a stage with several elite NPCs, preparing to execute some war criminals from her conquests in the real world. One of her enforcer harem slaves is there as an executor. The first victim has placed its head on the chopping block. It’s foul maleness will plague the world for not much longer.

Back on the P.A. system, Skye bellows, “Surrender, False One! The first innocent shall be slain shortly!”

Harper

Harper returns to the hub, where Glitter, Nyadia, and Honey still await. Missing her girls with Identify being available, Harper starts to ritually cast the spell to see how Tercanonehtar leveled. The other Frances was a host of a Harem Hotel spin-off, after all:

Tercanonehtar (Level 4): Finesse. Versatile (3 slashing, [4] radiant). 2 slashing damage, [4] radiant damage. This longsword can be used as an arcane focus. Leveled spells cast through this weapon gains [+4] damage per level of the spell. When an evil aligned creature is struck by radiant damage through this blade, that creature cannot have their HP or max HP increase in any fashion for the next 1 minute. Such creatures also suffer [triple] disadvantage when casting magic on their next turn. If the creature critically fails to cast a spell due to being struck by Tercanonehtar, they will suffer [4] radiant damage per level of the spell, in addition to other effects. Leveled items can be increased by meeting set conditions. To Level: Do what the sword’s name tells you to. Again.

Harper is tempted to just open the battlefield map. She does want to remember her trio here; they are important to Harper too. Maybe they have been watching? She asks, “So, between Tina, Skye, and Scarlet, who should I go help next?”

Glitterdust is not exactly engaged with what the others are doing. Nyadia and Honey are helpful, thankfully. Honey drones, “Tina is still manipulating contraptions. And Scarlet continues to converse with her special guest.”

Nyadia points out, “Skye looks to be in trouble. Do you need my assistance?”

Harper watches the screen. She hears that other Skye taunt her wife out of the shadows. There is my next target. “I’ll let you know, Nyadia. Let’s see what just I can do first.”

Harper enters Skye’s room and sees the crowd of drow from an alleyway; she can’t make out the stage, but can guess from the cheering what just happened. A quick prayer to Eilistraee in Aquan, “<Are these people real or fake? I don’t want to hurt those who might repent.>”

A quick vision of the evil Skye’s harem washes over her, with a lingering sense that all the other drow are fair game. Interesting. So, mostly NPCs. Interesting how evil Skye wasn’t on the list of people to try to spare. Okay. Time to get to work.

Skye O’Connor

Skye sees the crowd and sneaks around it. The actual target is in the tower behind it, in all likelihood. The outer guard are standing around, guarding the entrance. They did not expect Skye to just walk between them while invisible. She slowly creeps her way up the tower, looking for her doppelganger.

High Priestess Kimura

The first war criminal is executed, with the false one still hiding. Obviously, I need a different tactic. Skye summons a retriever, a demonic construct of drow design created to ruthlessly track and capture prey.

“Find the false one and bring her to me.”

Glancing back at the town square, Skye sees the slaver suddenly appear behind the crowd. I drew someone out of the shadows, at least.

Harper

Coming out of the shadows, Harper sees a human man, scared out of his wits, about to be executed by one of the people on the list. Harper begins the bladesong and summons another dragon spirit (through a counterspell from the harem girl), this time a green one to resist the drow poison better. “<Stop the executions, but don’t kill the executioner. Go!>” Harper orders in Aquan, not particularly caring if the evil spirit appreciates being ordered around while **** to obey.

The dragon soars, does an aileron roll and attacks one of the elites from the back end of the stage. Even after a 4-hit combo and a blast of the (frustratingly weak) breath weapon. Harper hears the chanting in Elvish, instantly recognizing Resilient Sphere. A slightly upcast Counterspell ends that. The consort’s hand crossbow bolt bounces off of the dragon’s reinforced hide. So do the bolts from the elite drow soldier NPCs; the one in melee range got a couple of good hits in, slicing into the nose pretty well.

The crowd looks like it considers bolting for a moment, but surges towards Harper. She is surrounded by the closest half, then jukes and dodges through the relatively telegraphed swings of basically civilian NPC short swords. The consort fails to counter her next spell, and so Harper expertly places a Sunburst, wiping out the parts of the crowd still before her and the injured elite; the other elite are mostly blinded and all heavily injured. The dragon puts an end to them.

The harem girl had the sense to stop trying to out-magic Harper and tries for her crossbow bolt. She fumbles with the bolt reload and snaps her bowstring.

“Surrender. I don’t wish to hurt you.” Harper says to the girl, then turns to the dragon to bark in Aquan, “<Halt your attack until commanded, wyrm.>”

“I’m sorry, but my Mistress is quite merciless. If I surrender or displease her in any way, I shall be tortured.”

Harper can’t believe she’s about to try this, but it might work. “Have you heard the good news of Eilistraee?”

High Priestess Kimura

The other slaver put a stop to the executions, but it doesn’t matter. The retriever found the invisible false one, and is poised to strike. Soon, she’ll renounce the bimbo and I’ll win.

Skye O’Connor

Skye sees a giant mechanical spider coming at her, not being particularly sneaky. She casts Hunters Mark on it and charges. Three thrusts into the mechanical beast, the best work she’s ever done, and it’s not nearly enough. The grazing blow the thing delivered barely hurt and then...

The next thing Skye knows, she’s in the spider’s forelegs, being squeezed so tightly. The spider has her and it’s so strong. Skye struggles mightily, but can’t escape. “Let me go, you brute!”

The voice she hears before her chills her to her core. It’s herself, only darkened by The Spider’s influence. “Oh, renounce your devotion to the dumb bimbo and worship your true Mistress instead. Then I will order it to let you go.”

Skye burns with righteous indignation. Her hair catches alight with moonfire, as she sings, “The Lady of the Dance is no bimbo! And I am no shrinking violet anymore!”

High Priestess Kimura

This bimbo worshiping shank dares to defy me? Her better? This will not stand.

“You will renounce her or the beatings will commence.”

The voice behind her surprises her, “Let go of my wife. Surrender.”

“I’ll let go of her when she’s dead.” Just to show the lesser slaver that Skye means business, she launches a Harm spell at the false one, then blesses the retriever with Lloth’s fickle favor. The lesser slaver has the audacity to cast a spell to coat herself in the bimbo’s shimmering light. As she dances, she shouts in song, “Skye, Misty Step out of the spider-thing’s grasp.” Skye shouts, “Hit the false one with your **** ray!”

“Oh, yeah,” the false one exclaims as she uses magic to escape the grasp of the blasting retriever (hopefully, she was too slow to avoid the hit), just to deal massive damage to it. The Retriever hit the false one back just as hard and hits it with the paralysis ray again. The lesser slaver stops Skye’s casting of guiding bolt.

Then Buttercup, the traitorous steed, does not sally forth to help it’s Mistress. It will be punished once the false one surrenders. No food for a week again. Another Harm blast for the false one and blessing for the retriever. Then, the lesser slaver summons forth wind and blasts her way, swinging, into Skye. Three hits, each feeling strong enough to slay a handful of drow civilians, rock through Skye. She coughs up some ichor. This is not good. Skye attempts to cast Hold Person on the slaver, just to have the spell fade on it’s own. What, what is happening?

The false one recovers as the retriever moves to protect it’s Mistress. It looks surprisingly ineffective against the lesser slaver. Am I going to die? And Buttercup attempts to bite it’s Mistress. No food for it for a month now. Need to escape, before it’s too late. Skye’s attempt to cast Planeshift is cancelled with a Counterspell. Skye blesses the retriever again, just to be nearly struck down by the lesser slaver before she destroys the construct in two blows. Need to cast Cure Wounds. Give myself a chance. The spell cast, why isn’t it doing anything? Why can’t I feel my wounds knitting together? Why?

Skye O’Connor

Evil Skye explodes in yellow goo. Skye is shaking. Her lady love wraps her in a hug as the room fades to white. “It’s okay, my lovely little wife. You’re safe.”

“I just killed me. It’s unforgivable. It’s...”

“Your hair is still on fire, by the way, Ms. Kimura.” the producer cat notes.

“I checked with Eilistraee before I started. The other you I am guessing was a yochlol, right, Ms. E?”

“What’s a...”

“You are correct, Ms. O’Connor,” the cat interrupts, “and a yochlol is a demon that swore allegiance to The Spider. High priestesses of The Spider often volunteer to be turned into such a thing. For now, I will contact Arabella. It seems we have more for the Garden. I suppose you’ll want to let Ms. Kimura know how her weapon has improved and then level, Ms. O’Connor?”

Harper: +39 XP (Killed 15 Level 1 Monsters, x0.042 penalty [overleveled], Killed 5 Level 5 Monsters, x 0.208 penalty [overleveled], Killed 1 Level 14 Monster, x0.583 penalty [overleveled], Killed 1 Level 25 Monster)

Skye: +35 XP (Killed 1 Level 14 Monster, x0.737 penalty [overleveled], Killed 1 Level 25 Monster, all rounded down at the end)

Skye’s lady love nods and holds her hand out for the estoc. Harper starts to ritually cast Identify. Skye turns to the harem girls whose Mistress Skye just killed. Most of them look... relieved? “I am sorry for...”

“Do not apologize, girl. The Skye worthy of our love died at the end of the first round of our game. We’ve been merely trying to survive ever since. You’ve helped us. All of us. Even Buttercup.”

The poor drider nuzzles into Skye. She tries her best not to shiver. Then, the harem-girls (plus Buttercup) all disappear.

“Your sword milady.” Harper jokes, then describes the improvement:

Estoc of the Sword Dancer (Max Level): Finesse. 2 piercing damage, [3] radiant damage. May be used as a spellcasting focus for followers of Eilistraee. When wielded by a follower of Eilistraee, the blade will shed moonfire and sing hymns to Eilistraee in the presence of an evil creature. Evil creatures will suffer the same effect to moonfire exposure as they would to bright sunlight and experience the effects of a Fear spell cast at base level. The sword comes with 3 charges. The wielder may spend a charge to grant an attuned magic weapon the dancing trait for 1 minute.

Skye gets her final rogue level, gaining an ability to double damage on a surprise attack. Harper blushes, and admits, “I totally messed up by not checking the sneak attack dice for upgrades. I’m fixing that now too.” Between the improvement to sneak attack damage at Level 9 and Harper fixing her error, Skye’s sneak attack damage went from 3 damage to 15 damage. The extra HP is also good. Harper picks up a rogue level too, getting expertise in acrobatics and performance, a little sneak attack, and thieves’ cant. She gives Skye a final kiss, and is gone.

“Well, Ms. Kimura, are you ready to work through your exit?”

Skye knows exactly what she wants. Something to help spread the word of The Lady better. The results were not exactly what she wants, but she’s satisfied with the compromise. The show has to have it’s perversions:

Have You Heard the Good Word About The Lady? – Skye was planning on starting the rite of The Run before being kidnapped, so let’s make her really good at preaching the teachings of the goddess. When Skye proselytizes about The Lady of the Dance to adults, the more persuasive she is, the more aroused the listeners will become (and vice versa). Skye can bring a crowd to salvation and orgasm with powerful enough apologetics (Drow – Exit Transformation).

“Are the others doing well, Ms. E?”

“There are only a couple of your sisters left to go. Shall we watch?”

Skye takes a seat and snuggles with the weird producer cat. C’mon, Family. We need to succeed.