Increased variety, training fighters.

These several days have allowed my to have have shifts of diggers-and they seem to be making better progress than I thought they would. It looks like my estimate may have been off by a few days. Ah well, the spare time while I wait for the charges to arrive can be used to both make sure when we storm the city, we have more mixed creatures among our ranks to make us less predictable, and to make sure there's a bit of actual soldiery among them. I don't know if I'll be going up against another army of people levied into it, like me, or hardened professional army, but it can't hurt to make sure they won't get in each other's ways when they fight.

Fortunately, one of these can help deal with the other as another generation of monsters comes forth. Dragon eggs are set aside for the payment happily-given the glacial growth of dragons, they probably wouldn't be anything more than skeet by the time we attacked. Of much more interest is a new set that requires me to hurrily rush the relevant broodmothers into the darkness of the underground. The reason for that being that creatures coming forth from them were shadowy creatures, technically forms of undead requiring rare scenarios or high level necromancy were it not for the horrific feracity of my loins, and would be outright destroyed in daylight.

The first of these were something called Aragami. Normally something you get using the vengeful souls of cold-hearted killers, they make natural soldiers. Unflinchingly heartless, loyal to their summoner, and skilled in about any form of combat. Their small suite of shadowy abilities, like that they used to form proper equipment for themselves seemingly out of nothing, was just a small bonus. Once all of them finish being born, they are given their first order to help in preparation-train the others. Get them to be able to fight side-by side without tearing into each other. They are utterly silent, but seem to nod in concurrence. Close enough.

The second was a more animalistic type, the Egregore. Looking like a random mishmash of body parts reaching out of an umbral void, their more primitive instincts are compensated by more potent mystic abilities. As practically unliving manifestations of things that go bump in the night, they can quickly transport themselves between otherwise fairly distant unobserved dark areas. Their mobility should let them serve as a good flankers as long as we attack under cloak of darkness. Might send them a few days ahead to time to do what they naturally do when not constrained-sow paranoia and fear among enemy ranks. Have them jumping at shadows instead of looking for the actual saboteur and plot.

Of course, to train many of my minions, they need weapons. While some may be blessed with natural arms and armor, the ones who are presently just support don't have that luxury-the myconid's soft flesh won't stop much of a blow, and kobold's claws won't do much against any real armor. Fortunately, those fungal folks took a surprising little bit of initiative that actually helped in this regard: in addition to the food they were directed to make, some have been growing an unusual, stout shroom one more akin to a tree in a far-off corner of their little lot. I decide to reward and encourage this-after all, it's saved me the trouble of having to go through more official channels with the army's smiths and quartermasters. Sure, wooden clubs and simple wood shields weren't something to write home about, but it sure beat the nothing they had otherwise.

Despite how much everything seemed to be coming together, I couldn't help shake off the distinct feeling that something was wrong. I check and double check, unsure where the feeling was coming from. I knew there were possible flaws, but there was nothing I could think of to do about them. I couldn't do anything about countermining but pray they didn't find me out, there wasn't much I could do to keep this much more hidden-since all the rubble had to go somewhere, and so an increasingly large pile of small stones formed outside the camp. And yet, I kept feeling restless, like I should be, or even could be, doing something more than just making sure the breeders are doing their duty, and that my presence is at least known enough to keep the rest in line.