More unruly servants need to be brought back in line.

The dark lord reaches up towards the map and, with a gesture, the image pushes in until you are staring at an overhead view of the southern kingdom your master's forces occupy. The citadel sits on the shores of the sea that had once been full of gnomish ships and foreign travelers but that were now only filled with your master's warships and aquatic servants. To the north of the citadel is the Umbral Wood, a large forest shrouded in darkness that is home to many dark creatures, some feral and some loyal and subservient to the overlord. The wood stretches north and then to the east in the direction of the forests of the elves before coming to a clean stop at the magical barrier your master erected between the lands. To the west, forest gives way to dank swamps where many a twisted human or elven witch or wizard hide among the mutated wildlife, seeking to siphon off residual magic from the overlord's citadel.

And beyond the swamps sits the southern land's one mountain, Mount Karagoth, and it is there that your master pushes the image forward more. You see the mountain trail that winds up from the swamps and high into the craggy mountain before dark mists swirl around and obscure things from sight. Every so often, though, you think you can see a few winged creatures flying through the mists and swirling them around before disappearing into it. You cannot make out details of them, but you are sure you see something and it is one of these somethings that your master points out.

"Mount Karagoth is home to many of my servants that enjoy either digging deep into caverns or flying high to the peaks and among them are the harpies.", he explains to you as he points to a vaguely humanoid shadow flitting through the mists, "The harpies are strong and swift and are skilled at diving upon their enemies in near silence. They are a great asset to my army and, until now, they had been completely loyal."

He then waves the image away and turns to you, his smoldering red eyes meeting yours. "The harpies require males of other species in order to mate as their species is completely female. They used to make do with **** human males and keeping them as breeding stock. Since I raised the barrier, however, they have had to make do with whatever stragglers came through the barrier.", he says and then shakes his head, "Their queen, Melodia, seems to have gotten it into her head that this is not enough anymore. Perhaps she has gone into her breeding cycle, I do not know, but she has started to rally her daughters into more raids through the barrier to find more males to mate with...and they do so without my permission."

You think on this for a moment and then look up at your master with a questioning gaze. "In respect, Master, but is not good attack humans? Why harpies raiding wrong?", you ask, hoping you are not out of line with the question.

"A fair question, my minion. There are the minor reasons of their going off on their own being bad for our army's cohesion and having Melodias testing the limits of my control being dangerous, but, in truth, it is simply that the barrier is weakened by a great number of creatures with magic in them forcing their way through so quickly. If they continue to do as they please, they will tear a hole in the barrier and leave a **** spot for the armies of the northern alliance to come through.", he explains and you nod, understanding the issue now, "I have tried to explain this to Melodias, but she is...flighty. She has a bird's brain in addition to wings and legs, I sometimes think."

He moves back towards his throne and you follow after him, stopping at the front of the raised dais the throne sits upon while your master moves to seat himself in the throne. "I could use **** to bring them to heel, but I believe that I would need to cull some of their number if I were to do so and they are more valuable to me as a legion of airborne warriors in my army instead of simply a small troop.", he says and then fixes you with his gaze again, "So I send you, my minion, to bring them in line as you did your brethren. It will be a more challenging task as they will not see you as their kind and will be hostile towards you, but I am sure you will find a way to bring them back under control."

He sits straight and tall on his throne then as he nods to you and extends a hand out towards you. "I put my faith in you, Minion. Do not fail me.", he commands and you bow to your master deeply.

"Master commands, Minion does. Minion not fail, Master.", you declare and, with that, you turn on your heel and head out of the throne room, your mission in mind and your thoughts on what you should do to prepare for it.