New minions, new items, new roles

Two hours later you've assembled your champions around the planar gate.

"Let me guess: we're summoning some new unknown long-lost soul and hoping for the best?" Aethane steps through the portal, the last of your champions to arrive, and leans against the wall with her arms crossed.

"Let us know if you spot any of those, but for now we'll have to do with some liegelord upgrades." The fox woman gives you a questioning glance. "Part of my dungeon mechanics. Ranking up liegelord usually gives me some choices for new minions and items, and I figured you might want to pitch in." You wave your hand and delegate your first points, putting five into Daemonic Liegelord.

Otherworldly Attention
Your domain has caught the attention of outsiders both above and below. Archfiends and archangels use you as a pawn in their schemes while lesser beings seek to gain power in your service.
Choose Underlings: Ice Daemons (Daemonic), Aasimar (Angelic), Lightning Daemons (Daemonic), Retriever (Daemonic – Elite)
Choose Offering: Information, Bow (Erinyes), Staff (Caster – Arcane)

"Anyone looking for an item?" Mariel's eyes light up, and she sticks up her hand with a style. "Celestina?" The daemonologist shakes her head and taps her sheathed dagger. "Right. Sera, maybe?"

"Hello? Right here?" Mary hops up and down a few times for emphasis. "Pick me?"

"Yeah, wouldn't want to prevent Mary from having more gear than the rest of us put together." Sera gives her sister a flick. "I'll pass. Bows aren't my thing."

"Well, my current bow doesn't fit me super well. Ari, want it?" Mariel takes the bow from her back and offers it to her friend.

"Hm? Sure, I guess." The warlock takes Celestina's old bow, a flexible shaft of manasilver forged by Aethane long ago, and gives it an experimental pull before quivering it.

"Alright, Mary it is then. As for the underlings, I don't know if we've seen elites yet. Maybe we should take one? It seems like it's easy to get more minion types just by recruiting anyways."

Nobody objects, so you select the Retriever and confirm your choices. The runes ringing the planar gate fade, then glow a brighter red than before. The floor rumbles as the centre of the room crumbles away, filling the room with the stench of sulfur and the baking heat of a furnace. Heavy thuds echo from the hole and a moment later a huge, metal leg emerges, then another, then another, then another. A head with eight glowing red eyes rises from the hole, and you hear an "eep" as Celestina covers her eyes and clings to your side. A huge steely abdomen with another four legs follows and the floor reforms when the last foot leaves the hole, the stench and heat fading shortly thereafter.

The monster that stands in front of you is massive, an eight foot tall spider nearly fifteen feet from its head to the end of its abdomen. Its body is forged from some dark, silvery metal, and eight eyes regard you without emotion, glowing with harsh light in a rainbow of colours.

Retriever
Monster, Daemon, Construct, Elite
These massive machines are favoured by Arachne, most infamous as hunters for those who have slighted their mistress in some serious way. Each metal body houses a powerful daemon's soul, stripped of its personality and utterly devoted to its mission. When at home in the silken queen's realm they serve as singlemindedly loyal guards. Their eyes are enchanted with powerful magicks which they can turn against any foes foolish enough to cross them or unfortunate enough to be hunted by them.

"Not bad, not bad. Hopefully Elanie can put this thing to use." You assign the monstrosity to your spider lieutenant's level, and it vanishes in a screech of metal and a rush of smoke. "Okay, Tina, you can come out now."

"Euch," she still grips you tightly, but looks cautiously over her shoulder, shaking all the while. "Why does it always have to be spiders?"

"You might have picked the wrong dungeon boss to join on to," Mary laughs, but then walks up to the daemonologist and hugs her from behind. "One of the four daemon lords is the spider queen, so I imagine we'll run into more creepy crawlies before this is over."

"Ugh, I just hope next time we know first so that I can go curl up in a corner or something..." the ex-adventurer shudders again then lets go of you. "Okay, let's get on with it."

"Ooh, and look at that!" Mary releases the half-succubus and rushes to what looks like a curved icicle lying where the retriever stood a moment ago. She picks it up, revealing a longbow made entirely of ice and strung with mist.

Antaeus' Enforcer
This bow is said to have been carved from the ice of the frozen river Cocytus and strung with the mist from those doomed to suffer entombed in its icy grasp. Antaeus, the river's guard, once used it to hunt any who dared escape their fate, but when he abandoned his duty the bow was thought lost.
Effects
Cold Resistance
Track – The wielder of the bow can designate an opponent to hunt. Arrows aimed at that opponent have a supernaturally easy time finding their mark. The wielder can intuitively understand where they are if they are within 50km, with the effect's accuracy increasing as they near their target.

You place another five ranks in Daemonic Liegelord as Mariel gives her new mist-strung bow an experimental twang, and another popup appears shortly to replace the one that just vanished.

Otherworldly Attention
Your domain has caught the attention of outsiders both above and below. Archfiends and archangels use you as a pawn in their schemes while lesser beings seek to gain power in your service.
Choose Underlings: Earth Daemons (Daemonic), Angelic Enforcers (Angelic), Corrupted Lanterns (Angelic + Daemonic), Babau Assassin (Daemonic – Elite)
Choose Offering: Information, Scythe (Fighter — Erinyes), Morningstar (Caster — Divine)

"You looking to grab anything, gran?" Kay looks over the new equipment options.

"Nah, I'll pass on the evil weapon. Wouldn't want mister daemon lord here to get any ideas about corrupting me." Aethane grins and fingers the shaft of her mace. "Besides, I prefer to make my own gear."

"Well, Sera, all yours if you want it." You move to select the scythe.

"Sure Mary doesn't need another weapon?" Sera grins and you move your hand to change the selection. "Whoa, easy! Yeah, hit me."

"Okay, let's add the new elite, and... done." You select the two options and the ground crumbles once again as the room is consumed in a red glow. This time a plume of sulfurous smoke pours out of the screaming rift, your group coughing violently as the acrid fog fills your lungs. When it clears, a long, greyish, slimy hand with clawed fingers reaches out of the pit. The monster that follows has lanky, emaciated limbs, cruel claws on its hands and feet, and a smooth, hairless head with inset ears. Its chin is so pointed it might cut something, and its mouth is an angled mass of jagged teeth. Two cunning, round black eyes peer at you from behind half-closed lids, and two flat nostrils sit just below them. The daemon wears a barbed, rusted spear on its back, and carries a huge scythe in its other hand.

Babau Assassin
Monster, Daemon, Elite, Explicit
Babau are some of the deadliest assassins in the daemonic ranks. Some babau are renowned killers even by the standards of their murderous kin, seeming to fade into the shadows. When they strike, they do so with unerring precision and little warning. These daemons often serve as trusted lieutenants of powerful daemon princes and lords to defend their lairs and slay their enemies.

"I am honoured to kill for you, great one." A long, wormy purple tongue extends from the killer's jagged maw as it speaks. The daemon kneels, holding up Sera's new scythe in both hands. The evil weapon glows with a deep red power and thrums as you stare at it. Its shaft is a gnarled pole of dark ebony; the blade thrums with a purplish, metallic hue.

The Midnight Harvest
Tales speak of a nameless angel with foggy, purple wings and a cruel scythe who appears on moonless nights to the unwary. Nobody can agree on the rest of the angel's appearance, their purpose, or even their gender, but every tale agrees that the mysterious reaper bears a blasphemous scythe with the power to reap souls instead of grain.
Effects
Soul Harvest – Any time a victim is cut with this weapon they suffer an attack against END or CHA. Upon failure, a bit of the victim's soul is stolen away, stealing 1 or more levels until they can remove the curse. Victims whose level drops below 1 die instantly.
Ethereal – The Midnight Harvest's blade can pass through solid matter as easily as air. This effect can be toggled by the wielder at will and can only be blocked by sufficiently powerful magic.

"Oh ho, not bad." Sera walks up and takes the weapon from the assassins hands, giving it a twirl with her left hand and then gripping it in both hands and swinging twice. "I'll have to get used to swapping between this and my whip, but I like it!"

"Welcome to the dungeon. Serve well and no doubt we'll meet again." With that simple greeting out of the way, you dismiss the assassin to the dark tunnels of Rishukan's floor. "Any opinions on what's next?"

"What about some angels or fae?" Tina pitches in. "All these daemons seem like monsters from childhood stories. I know they're on our team, but I wouldn't mind something that my inner child wouldn't be dinner for."

"I wonder what childhood Tina would think of herself!" Kay laughs at the daemonologist's comment. "Tentacles, hellhounds, extra limbs... girl, you're the monster queen!"

"And we wouldn't have it any other way." You rub Tina's shoulder and squeeze her into your side, and she blushes, closing her eyes with a timid smile on her face. "Okay, let's grab some angels."

Otherworldly Attention
Your domain has caught the attention of outsiders both above and below. Archfiends and archangels use you as a pawn in their schemes while lesser beings seek to gain power in your service.
Choose Underlings: Fallen Solar (Angelic + Daemonic — Elite), Angelic Enforcers (Angelic), Corrupted Lanterns (Angelic + Daemonic), Seraph (Angelic — Elite)
Choose Offering: Information, Staff (Fighter), Tome (Caster — Summoner)

"Say, kiddo, you looking to pick anything up? Maybe by the time the rest of us are level 100 you'll get to knock around another adventurer!" Aethane claps her friend's daughter on the back. "Wouldn't want you to feel left out."

Kay just smiles. "Oh, please, as if I need some sort of super special artifact thingamajig to do that. Besides, I look forward to seeing what the grandmistress herself can make me."

"Suit yourself! The tome is mine." You select the artifact at Tina's request.

"Other than that, how about the underling? I want to stick with elites for now, but this time we have choices."

"The fallen solar, obviously. I can't imagine where we'd put a real angel in this place, even if you can technically command some." Sera speaks with surety.

"Besides, wouldn't want our great leader to get any ideas about corrupting the help." Aethane smiles from her place beside Ikaria. "Too many angels and his head will get so big it'll explode."

You groan. "Oh, please, as if I'd take the easy way. If I'm going to corrupt angels, I'll do it right." Seeing as nobody seems to disagree with the fallen solar, you select the already corrupted celestial and confirm your choices.

The runes on the planar gate flash a brilliant yellow-white and an angelic choir sings as the room fills with sunlight. As the light becomes more blinding a cruel laugh mixes with the choir and the light's hue shifts, a bloody tinge tainting the holy radiance. The fading light reveals the silhouette of a woman, two feathery wings at her back and a long glaive in her hand.

Finally the last of the blinding glow dissipates, revealing a being at once regal, terrible, and sensual. Her eyes, lips, and hair are the same emerald green. Her hair is pulled back into a bun and held together with a needle, her lips are twisted into an amused grin, and her eyes are two wells of hunger. Her generous curves are concealed by a loose, emerald dress which lacks shoulders and plunges deep into her cleavage. Two feathery wings on her back smoulder with green flame, and her glaive glistens with some unknown liquid.

Fallen Solar
Monster, Angel, Daemon, Elite, Explicit
Solars are more powerful than most of their angelic kin, and often serve as leaders of celestial hosts or as lieutenants charged with missions by their commanders or gods. Like all celestials, some solars fall prey to daemonic temptation, becoming powerful daemons whose divine grace is twisted into a mockery to their past selves.

"Mmm, greetings, great one. Do you have enemies that need slaying, or are you looking to partake of my... other talents?" She walks up to you with a sensual sway and brings her lips towards you, nibbling at the crook of your neck as her hands run across your chest.

"What is your name?"

"They call me Tamial, my lord. And what name will I be screaming in ecstasy?" You're tempted to take the daemon up on her offer, although you restrain your urges: there's still plenty you need to get done.

"I am Azazel. Unfortunately I'm busy at the moment, but no doubt you'll find some of my other subjects to your liking. Speaking of which," you designate her as a lieutenant. "Seek out Targuk, a Cambion on the angelic floor. Introduce yourself and inform him that I have promoted the two of you to lieutenants-at-large in my dungeon."

"As you wish, master." She steps back and gives you a deep bow and you assign your last two lieutenant slots, completing another requirement for your next boss rank. "I believe I was to give you this." She produces a simple, leather-bound tome with flowing white and gold runes across its cover, and you hand the book to Tina in turn.

The Codex of the Heavens
This book is the original copy of an ancient treatise on the beings that make up the hosts of most gods, goddesses, and archangels. Its long-lost writer imbued it with such knowledge and power that it allows summoners to call upon angelic forces for temporary service.
Effects
Angelic Host – The wielder can summon angels and angelic power in addition to their normal summons.
Heaven's Bulwark – Whenever the wielder uses a summoning spell, the codex releases heavenly energy which can be used to shield an ally against harm.

"So much for my childhood self's monster! Well, entirely, at least." Celestina lights up at the artifact and unclasps the seal. The moment the book is unbound, it hovers over her left hand and floats open, seeming to page back and forth at random. "Whoa, this is so cool!" The daemonologist has a childish look on her face. She suddenly scrunches her face up in concentration, then pages flip so rapidly that you can feel a buffet of air as if from a windy day. "Okay, let's get this over with so I can go check this thing out!"

"And now for some fae to round them out?" Nobody objects, so you allocate five ranks to Fae Liegelord, bringing your overall rank to the 50 needed for your next boss rank.

Seasonal Attention
The greatest fae take interest in your dungeon from their faraway courts, sending boons and blessings to win your favour or to aid some inscrutable scheme.
Choose Underlings: Satyrs, Gremlins, Sirine (Elite), Hamadryad (Elite)
Choose Offering: Information, Scimitar (Marilith), Mace (Caster – Divine)

"Any preferences between the elites?"

"Eugh, I'm not sure about the Sirine, and we already have a whole army of them one portal away if we want." Ari thinks back to your vassal's court.

Aethane laughs. "You may not love the dryad either. We fae may not be daemons, but we still haunt our fair share of bedtime stories."

"I'll take my chances." Ari shrugs. "What about that mace? You worried it'll corrupt you too?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I'll still stick with my own craftsmanship, thanks." The wolf woman waves off the potential item.

"I'll passs asss well." Tlax shrugs at the opportunity to get a new melee weapon and goes back to dozing off in a coiled pile.

"Suit yourselves. It's been a while since we picked up some new information this way." Seeing no other comments, you select the Hamadryad and information and confirm your choices. The runes ringing the planar gate fade, then glow a deep green. A thin breeze blows through the room and the area ringed by the gate glows white. A rich earthy smell fills the room and oak leaves swirl from the glow. After a moment the light fades, revealing a tall woman whose hair is filled with golden and orange autumn oak leaves. Her skin is rough and brown, with slight grooves running along it, and her pose has a slight stiffness to it.

Hamadryad
Monster, Fae, Elite, Explicit
Hamadryads are the second most powerful of their kin, below only the archdryads. Some rule entire forests filled with fae, while others stand guard over especially ancient oaks. Although they nurture the land, they also embody the wrath of nature and show no mercy to invaders who threaten their groves.

"Greetings, daemon. I am Phoebe. Is your entire domain as... inhospitable as this room?" The dryad's voice follows a sombre tune.

"We have a floor that you'll no doubt enjoy."

"Very well then. Send me there: my kind were not meant for these walls." You see no reason to refuse the dryad's demand, and designate her to Caspian's fae level. A whirl of leaves consumes the dryad, and when the orange foliage clears there's only a single scrap of paper floating on the breeze. You snatch it up and unfurl it to reveal a short verse.

In deep, dark forest,
'neath gnarled oak,
cunning and hatred,
rage 'gainst their yoke,
should moon's glow wax,
queen's power shall wane
should dark wood crack,
black embers shall reign.

You ponder it for a moment, staring at the words, then look up as Celestina gives you a tap. You shrug, then slip it away, letting it marinate in your subconscious for now.

"Well then. As for the workforce..." you designate a mix of lesser and greater abishai to fill the 75 open minion and 24 open greater minion slots, more than doubling your available workforce. The portal explodes open once more and a stream of the daemons crawl forth one by one, walking off to stations for engraving, mining, harvesting, enchanting, and other tasks you designate. Once they're done, you open your fame menu to see how things look.

Fame: 411,066
Promotion: Elite Boss -> Raid Boss (1,000,000 fame, missing requirements: 0/1 consorts)
Daemonic Liegelord: 25/50 (25,000 fame)
Angelic Liegelord: 15/50 (25,000 fame)
Fae Liegelord: 10/50 (25,000 fame)
Expand Dungeon Claim Radius: 2km -> 4km (20,000 fame)
Summon Minion: 150/150 (50 fame)
Summon Greater Minion: 25/25 (250 fame)
Additional Attendant Slot: (6 spent/0 available/7 max) (50 fame)
Additional Champion Slot: (7 spent/0 available/7 max) (64,000 fame)
Additional Consort Slot: (0 spent/0 available/7 max) (100,000 fame)
Additional Lieutenant Slot: (7 spent/0 available/7 max) (400 fame)
Additional Dungeon Level: (6/7) (7,000 fame)

"Well, that's just about everything. Ari?" The half-daemon gulps and looks up, her insectile wings flitting slightly behind her back. "Are you still interested in helping manage the place as a consort?"

"Ooh, I don't know," she fidgets with her hands and looks at her feet. "I mean, it seemed like such a big thing at the time, but I'm not sure I'm really cut out for it, and I don't know if I even want to, and you have this whole deal with Prometheia and Ikaria, not to mention I'm just some elf..."

The dragoness looks surprised at the mention of her name and opens her mouth, then closes it again for a moment before speaking. "It's just some stupid grand plan of mom's. Why should I work when I can just lie about? No, I'll enjoy my freedom at least a little longer."

"There you have it," you laugh and look at Ari. "I can **** the princess if you really insist, but I think you'll do great."

Her face brightens and she looks up. "Really?" You nod, and she jumps into your arms. You designate her as your first consort, fulfilling the last requirement for the next boss rank, and she gives you a quick kiss before jumping back and waving open a menu. "Oh my god, this is so cool!" Options flick by as she pages through the building options. "I'm going to go try it out."

The warlock turns to the portal and breaks into a sprint and you can't help but laugh as you see her go. "Don't change the whole place without telling us first!" She just giggles and practically dives through the portal. "Well, that's everything that needs doing until we hear back from Selena or her party. Anyone have any bright ideas?"

"I think I might take a crack at upgrading this mace. Want to see the forge?" Aethane walks over to you, and you take her proffered hand.

"Sure thing, lead the way. Oh, and Kay? Thanks."

The dragoness just gives you an elusive smile and turns away. "Whatsoever could you mean?"

You chuckle, then you and your fae champion step through the swirling purple vortex and the world fades out once more.