Priestess Gut

The wooden gate shut behind us with a hollow clunk. The air shifted. No more open revelry—only the dry, stagnant breath of stone walls and torch smoke. We stood in the nave of a long-ruined Selûnite temple, its domed ceiling blackened with soot, the goddess's iconography long since defaced or buried beneath goblin graffiti.

Shadowheart stiffened beside me.

"This place reeks of hypocrisy," she muttered, more to herself than anyone. "Selûne. And goblins. Wonderful."

I didn’t need to guess—this temple, once sacred to Shar’s ancient rival, was an insult to her faith and her sensibilities.

Lae'zel glanced at the solid building. "Crude, but enduring. There's strength in these walls of stone."

Karlach, on the other hand, looked around with amused curiosity. "Place has... character."

We didn’t get far before a group of goblin guards blocked our path. The worst kind, armed and bored.

"Oy! You lot ain't got the look of recruits. What're you here for, then?"

I stepped forward, tone easy. "We’ve got business. Word for the commanders."

One squinted at me. "You one of them True Souls?"

I didn’t blink. "Of course."

A beat passed. Then the goblin nodded quickly, as if realizing something he should've picked up on sooner. "Right. Right. Didn’t mean nothin’. Didn’t see the mark. You here to see Ragzlin, Gut, or the drow?"

The question was casual, but I caught the twitch at his eye when he said the last name. The kind of flinch that came from deep-baked fear.

My mind ran through possibilities. Minthara. She would be a real challenge. I couldn’t recruit yet, not normally. But if I could capture her early... twist her early...

"The drow," I said.

The goblin paled slightly and stepped aside. "Your funeral, boss. She’s through the north hall. Don’t make her wait."

We passed into the main chamber, witenessing something more sinister. An open ritual was underway.

An old goblin, Priestess Gut, stood before a line of kneeling brethren, chanting guttural phrases in a mockery of ceremony. Her skin was green-tinged leather, her eyes too bright to be sane. Around her, incense burned in cracked skulls, the aromatic smoke clinging to the ceiling.

Guards lounged along the walls, some half asleep, some fully. From the side corridors, muffled screams echoed—**** rooms. A trader had laid out wares in the corner, mostly junk and knives, but a few items caught my eye as real. Illicit goods for someone with a meaner purpose.

The priestess turned as we approached. Her mouth stretched in what might’ve been a grin.

"More True Souls. Praise the Absolute. You feel it, don’t you? In your minds. In your blood. The call?"

Shadowheart shifted uncomfortably. Not a fan of cults either. Well ...other cults.

"You are lucky," Priestess Gut continued. "The Absolute chose you. She watches. She waits. She gives you power in exchange for loyalty. Join us fully, and be branded as hers."

She gestured toward a glowing brazier near the altar. A faint, crackling sigil shimmered within the coals.

"The brand marks you in spirit and flesh. Come."

I raised a hand. "Another time. We were told the drow expects us."

Her head tilted. A moment passed. Then she laughed.

"Oh? Why didn’t you say so? Don’t let me keep you! She’s north, through that hall there. Dror’s in the one just behind me if you wanna pay greetings, and little old me, I'm right here should you change your mind."

I gave a small nod.

Two paths. North to the drow. Forward to Ragzlin.

We turned toward the northern corridor.

Time to meet Minthara.

Hi again everyone, thank you for all the likes, favorites and especially the comments! I hope you are enjoying the story so far, I know I am.

For info, sometimes I'm split on which way the story should go. If you really want a voice in the chorus, you can do so on the Patreon through plot-line polls. This first one is live now and is regarding Astarions role in the story, the paths are:

• Bromance with MC.
• Minor character, doing his own thing.
• Genderbend harem interest.
• Entirely gone from the story.

The main 3 girls and overall story is pretty much set in stone, but many characters and events are still up in the air, a certain amount of them will also have polls. To quell any doubts, I won't do any changes that detracts from the story or go against their character.

https://www.patreon.com/c/Daddy_vampy