Starting Classes

Hwa was the first of the party to leave the courtyard when Lily dismissed them, and she was the last to return when the hour was up.

“Cutting it pretty close, aren’t you?” Penny spoke up as the Korean fox spirit slipped out of a doorway without fanfare. Hwa’s dark eyes sought out the siren for a moment, but the question went unanswered and unchallenged.

The four party members who had gone to the tavern together had also been the first to return, though Lily walked out of a door to greet them the moment that they arrived. Blue dropped out of the sky a moment later, and while the harpy’s landing wasn’t exactly graceful, it startled Kevin to see how readily she switched from flight to walking when her feet touched the ground.

Hazel wandered in a few minutes later, followed by Stheno, and the kumiho managed to avoid Lily counting her as late by a matter of seconds. If the succubus was disappointed by that turn of events, though, she didn’t show it. Instead, her expression was delighted as she looked at the assembled faces in front of her and announced, “I’m glad to see everyone getting out and exploring the grounds. While I want to do everything that I can to promote party cohesion, we’ve also put quite a lot of work into creating and populating a town of living adventures. The dungeon isn’t the only place with secrets to uncover, and you might find it worth your while to get into every nook and cranny of Adventuria while you’re here.”

Kevin groaned quietly as the hostess mentioned the name of the world, but only Elsie gave him a sideways glance at the reveal of the setting’s name. Before either could speak, though, Lily continued, “The results are in, and I’ll be revealing them in a few moments as I hand out your class abilities. You’ll also be receiving a starter packet of equipment, as well as an amount of GP varying from class to class so that you have some spending money while you’re out and about. Adventurers are highly regarded here, so you shouldn’t need to sweat the little stuff, but I don’t want you to feel like you need to be hoarding all of your money. GP is meant to be spent, and it won’t do you any good to be sitting on a pile of shiny coins like a dragon.”

For the moment, no one seemed willing to challenge Lily’s power. The succubus gestured around at the assembled women, then looked directly at Kevin, and stated, “Your role as Dungeon Master is to be the party leader. It will be your responsibility to take whatever actions you feel are necessary for you to complete the dungeon. To do this, we intend to bestow upon you powers and abilities that are appropriate to help assist and direct your party members, as is appropriate to guide them to victory.”

The succubus turned towards the seven assembled other women. “Naturally, should you choose to focus on your natural persuasive abilities rather than whatever powers your class bestows, you are welcome to do so. You are welcome to take any actions that you believe will foster party cooperation and understanding.”

The succubus slowed down as she spoke to Kevin, her tone becoming sultry and throaty. Despite his best efforts, Kevin was unable to prevent his body from reacting from the lushly curved succubus’ words, particularly when she leaned forward towards him to make sure he got a fantastic look at the cleavage revealed by the sharp plunge of her neckline.

As the camera pulled back to show the entire courtyard, it revealed that the reactions to Lily’s words were widely varied. Elsie looked nervous, though the three shots she’d shared in the tavern had also caused her cheeks to flush a rosy red. Blue did her best to hop around behind Hazel and interpose the nymphs body between her own and the hostess, and the nymph seemed amused by the harpy’s antics. Hwa’s expression was surprisingly calm, considering the fury she’d displayed earlier, and as a result, Penny was spending as much time watching the kumiho as she was their succubus host.

“But before we start to reveal the results of the audience vote, I have a few more things I’d like to cover. The first is simple: sleeping arrangements. While most adventuring parties have to rough it in the wilderness, as long as you’re in Adventuria your lodgings will be provided for you. The Dungeon Master has been given a set of quarters befitting his station, at the heart of this castle. His rooms are enchanted so they cannot be entered without his permission, with one exception. Starting tomorrow night, one member of the party will be expected to spend the time between dusk and dawn with their party leader, to foster a better sense of cooperation and unity. That party member will be allowed access to the Master’s quarters automatically.”

She then gestured back towards the nearby town through the castle gates. “For everyone else, you’ve been provided rooms in Adventuria’s finest inn, just off of the city square. Once you’ve earned some GP, you are welcome to seek other accommodations in town, and we have provided many options to outfit and customize them, but that’s a little outside of your price range to start. The staff at the inn delight in helping adventurers, and will show you to your quarters and can provide directions through the town.”

The revelation that one woman a night would be expected to share a bedroom with Kevin caused some consternation in the group, with reactions varying from Penny eying him speculatively to Elsie’s cheeks lighting up with a sudden flush. Only Hwa, Stheno and Hazel showed no particular reaction, though the reasons for their apparent ambivalence varied widely.

“Finally, the details of your future class abilities and bargains will be up to each party member to share. They’re always visible by pulling up your character sheet if you want to strategize with another party member or your DM, but this is the only time we’ll be revealing not only the audience’s selections, but also the full details of the options not taken. Part of that is because we want to make sure that you and the audience understand how the class system works, and part of it is because the options not selected will be available if you choose to multiclass.”

“Multiclass?”

“Of course! If you feel that you aren’t reaching your full potential, you can always try for more. You know all about that, right Tess?” Lily winked at the white-haired woman, who was still clad in the shining metal outfit the succubus had crafted for her when she’d been summoned. The selkie’s brow furrowed at the question, but she didn’t get the chance to respond before their hostess was talking again.

“There are trainers scattered throughout the land who can help grant you new abilities, and that includes taking a second class path and the powers that it offers, if you can find them and convince them to help. That includes the classes that weren’t originally offered to you, if you feel like you’d benefit from the abilities they grant you more than the others. For most of them, you’ll just need to pay some GP, but some trainers might require you to complete a quest to prove your worth.”

Lily looked around the courtyard full of women, then fixed her gaze on Kevin. She beckoned the Dungeon Master, and he reluctantly stepped forward. Once he reached her side, she pointed across the courtyard and stated, “That’s probably enough delay—I don’t want to prevent you all from getting to your adventures. Let’s get right down to revealing the audience’s decisions and handing out your classes. We’ll do our Dungeon Master last, but first up–”

The large wall at the rear of the courtyard, directly over the doors which led up to the royal chambers suddenly lit up with golden text as it had before. This time, though, it was divided into three columns, each with a large label at the top—in this case, showing three classes and their first level abilities.

“Blue, the audience seemed to feel that leaning into your impulses wasn’t the right direction for you—barbarian trailed by quite a bit behind the other two.”

Barbarian - Poor Impulse Control

(Passive) Your reflexes are sped up and your senses are heightened.

(Active) When you choose to follow your instincts your strength and dexterity are improved at the cost of decreased intelligence and wisdom.

“On the other hand, while you claimed not to be a thief, every party needs someone who make the bold and daring play. A large part of the audience agreed, but in the end your thrill seeking tendencies took second place.”

Thief - Thrillseeker

(Passive) Gain a supernatural sense of danger that warns you of traps and ambushes and tells you when you are being observed.

(Active) Burst into action, gaining incredible speed and dexterity for a time.

“I’m not sure whether it was because they wanted to see what peak performance from you looked like or thought you would benefit from a little discipline, but monk was a clear winner for you from day one of the poll.”

Monk - Enhanced Body

(Passive) Your body is sculpted into a form suited to serve your party. Your physical stats are increased and your physical needs diminished.

(Active) You can speed or slow your perception of time.

As Lily spoke, she turned her hand until it was palm up. Her fingers curled in until they were in a fist, and shadowy black energy enveloped it.

As she did, across the courtyard Blue was subjected to magic which looked nothing like the energy the succubus had wielded earlier. In contrast to the golden sparkling energy she’d used to impart the rules and give the party access to their character sheets, the energy which oozed up out of the harpy’s shadow was as black as crude oil. It flowed like a viscous liquid as it roiled over the feathered woman from her own shadow, enveloping her legs, torso, and finally head in its inky depths.

As the rest of the party stared on in shocked horror, the shadows bulged and shifted as the harpy squirmed in an attempt to escape. Each time her body lunged to break free, however, the shadows shifted with her and dragged her slowly back into place. The movements grew slower, and weaker, until they finally stopped.

When the magic peeled back, it revealed that the harpy had been changed.

“With 42 percent of the vote, monk dominated your results. Its level one ability will enhance your body and make sure you’re up to the acrobatics ”

Gone was Blue’s slender physique. In its place was a body that had been sculpted and toned into a flawless balance of curves and muscle. The harpy’s golden eyes were unchanged, though their wide appearance told the rest of the party that the experience of being changed had been as unsettling as it looked, but the rest of her face was now a delicate oval shape that could have graced fashion magazines. Where wings had sprouted from her shoulders she now possessed muscular arms that sported a ridge of what looked like ornamental feathers. They were the same brilliant azure as they had been, but far neater and more ordered.

She stared at them in horror for a moment, then asked in a horrified tone, “What have you done to my wings?”

The fact that her legs, which had once ended in talons, now possessed perfectly shaped bare human feet seemed barely to register on the harpy, and if she had noticed that her outfit had changed she gave no sign.

The shirt that had covered her was missing. In its place her torso was wrapped in light blue cloth that bound a perky set of nicely rounded breasts like a sports bra. It left her shoulders and midsection bare so that her toned physique was on full display, while a set of tight brown leather shorts performed a similar job of showcasing a taut bubble butt that looked as though it were the result of hours spent in the gym. The muscular thighs that led to it certainly seemed to support that conjecture, as did the well toned calves beneath them.

Lily’s smile suggested that she was quite pleased with the outcome. If she was concerned about Blue’s accusation, it didn’t show on her face, as she instead encouraged, “Don’t worry, Blue—I’m not going to do anything to clip your wings—not unless the audience specifically demands it, of course. Your aerial mobility is going to be key to your success, and that shouldn’t be diminished. If anything, you should be even more nimble in the air now. Go on—give it a try.”

Blue’s eyes narrowed for a moment. Then she squatted down, her once stick-thin legs flexing powerfully as her transformed muscles prepared to launch her into the air. When she leapt skyward she launched up like a rocket. Her arms shot out to either side a moment later, and while the feathers that lined them did snap out to catch the wind, they looked far too small to arrest her momentum. That was no hindrance, however, and Blue found herself able to pivot, flap once, and change direction ninety degrees in rapid succession.

She nearly crashed into the courtyard wall in her mad mid-air dash, only for her arms to snap out again. Her body flipped so that she hit the stones feet first, flexed her legs again, and turned the motion into a spring-board to launch herself into the open air of the courtyard again. This time, she spread her arms and seemed to catch the breeze as she slowly glided down towards the flagstones. Her feet barely made a sound as she landed, and her eyes sought out Lily’s.

“It will take some getting used to, but it–” She seemed to notice something about her words for the first time, but rather than drawing further attention to the change in her speech, Blue finished simply, “–it will do.”

The harpy’s skin had been covered in grime from her time living in the mountains, where clean bathing opportunities were few and far between, but after Lily’s magic was done with her she was left with clear bronze skin. Since most of it was on display, the fact that she all but glistened with a faint sheen of sweat after her acrobatic display was obvious, but she showed no other signs of exertion as the class’ reduced physical requirements translated into a greater athletic capability.

“Kevin, I know you’re not the biggest fan of monks as a Dungeon Master, but let’s see how well they work as teammates—I bet knocking the bad guys senseless won’t seem as annoying when you aren’t the one trying to balance an encounter, eh?”

The DM in question snapped out of the trance that had overtaken him at Blue’s transformation. The shock of having been immersed in his own fantasy setting hadn’t had time to wear off before he was introduced to a series of women whose presence meant that everything he thought he knew about his world was wrong.

Then, while he was still reeling from those revelations, it turned out that Lily was able to basically snap her fingers, and change what had been a rather birdlike woman into someone who looked like she stepped out of a wuxia soft-porn film.

Kevin’s attention snapped back to the hostess and he stammered, “I—uh… yeah.”

He was saved from the need to provide a more intelligent commentary by Lily already turning towards her next victim.

“Some of our votes were much, much closer. For example–”

Elsie froze as she found herself in Lily’s sights. The succubus hadn’t stopped smiling, but when she stared into the brownie’s eyes, the English woman felt a chill run down her spine that threatened to steal the strength from her limbs while she collapsed in a heap. She swayed, but managed to stay upright as the hostess approached her with her hand still held out in a fist.

“Early on, the audience pushed for you to break out of your hum-drum boring human existence and focus on diving into the new experiences I have to offer. You always liked roleplaying, after all, and this is your chance to really immerse yourself in a role.”

Erudite - Sensate

(Passive) Your ability to retain experiences, adapt to them, and learn from them is greatly increased.

(Active) By focusing on a magical effect that you can see or experience, you can store a version of it to use later.

“That lead was short-lived, though. The audience couldn’t decide if they wanted you to focus on working with your hands and making sure the rest of the party got what they needed, or take advantage of the fact that other than Kevin you’re the only one who might actually know what’s going on here.”

Diviner - Portent

(Passive) At the beginning of the day, you are granted visions of two possible future moments from the next twenty-four hours.

(Active) You can lean on fate to take control of random chance. Twice per day you can steer any random outcome towards the best possible outcome.

“In fact, for about a day, all three options were tied, and I thought you might be able to live all of your dreams. Then the tie was broken–”

Artificer - Useful Little Tool

(Passive) You gain a sense of needs of the party. Stronger needs are sensed more urgently.

(Active) Spend a few minutes working with whatever materials you have at hand to create a small magical tool that will last for the next hour. Once per day, you can either create a larger magical tool, or make a small tool permanent.

“Artificer won by just two votes, with Erudite and Diviner both nipping at its heels.”

“That’s not so bad. I like building…”

In contrast to the harpy, Elsie didn’t struggle against the change. When the thick cloud of shadow magic rolled up her body, she squeezed her eyes shut and did her best to stay perfectly still.

When the shadows evaporated a moment later, they filled the courtyard with the scent of clean oil and polished metal as they revealed Elsie’s changed state.

Physically, little was different about the brownie herself. She was still a short and slender woman with shoulder-length brown hair, and when her eyes opened they were the same light brown as before. When she looked down, though, Elsie discovered that her work shirt had become a thin leather smock. It left her shoulders and much of her back bare, but still covered far more of her body than Blue’s skin-tight outfit, and the brownie felt herself relaxing a little in relief at what felt like softer treatment.

The pants she wore below were well crafted—what had been office khakis were now much closer to cargo pants, with several pockets and loops of fabric already holding a selection of small tools that clinked quietly as she took an experimental step back.

“–but in the end, Artificer won out.”

“That’s—that’s not so bad, I think.”

Lily’s smile suddenly sharpened. “But I think the three way tie sounds more fun, so I’m going to exercise my veto power here.”

“Wait, what?” Elsie’s eyes turned back towards the hostess just in time to watch as Lily closed her hand again, and once more the brownie found herself seized by shadows. Her second transformation was faster than the first, and again she was physically unchanged. Her outfit had changed again, though the alteration was less drastic than before. She still wore a smock and pants, but leather bracers had been added to her forearms, and a headband now held her hair back. The latter featured a small clear crystal that rested just below her hairline.

“Veto power?”

Penny’s voice cut across the courtyard, and the succubus turned towards her to explain, “As hostess, I’m allowed two vetos that I can exercise if I think it will keep things more interesting. I’m using one of them here to nudge the results a little. This was pretty close to how the audience voted anyway, I’m just–“ Lily’s smile brightened as she held up a hand with one thumb out and mimed using it to press something down. “–putting a little weight on the scale.”

“Wait, what?”

For the second time, shadows enveloped Elsie. As they roiled over her, the succubus answered, “Your end results were only a few votes apart. I’m just nudging them back together. Think of it as me giving you a head start since your native abilities aren’t as well developed as the others.”

For all that the second round of changes took longer, when the brownie was again free of the enveloping shadows her new appearance was less drastically changed than she had feared. Her outfit held a few more pockets and some of the tools were more obviously mystical in nature, but the overall effect was much the same.

What differed more was the effect of the energy that Elsie now felt buzzing inside her head. Her synapses sparked with inspiration and curiosity, as the possibilities of the world into which she’d been thrust began to suggest themselves to her.

As the slender brunette blinked and tried to come to grips with her mind’s new functions, Lily’s eyes began to scan the crowd.

“Um, Hazel, what are you doing?”

Tess’ question called all eyes on the courtyard towards the curvaceous blonde in time to watch her sundress pop over her head. She had already removed her belt and dropped it on the flagstones to her side, and the flowing garment was carefully folded and placed atop it a moment later.

Since the voluptuous woman hadn’t been wearing a bra, it left her prodigious breasts on display, which in turn left Nick staring in shock. As everyone else in the courtyard watched, the nymph wiggled her hips from side to side as she worked the plain cotton panties she had worn over them, then stepped free of her sandals a moment later.

Appeared naked in front of the DM: +20 HP

Only when she was naked in front of the group did Hazel respond to Tess’ question. “I like that dress. I’m not sure what order Lily is going in this time, so I thought I’d save myself some heartache and put it aside so it didn’t get lost like their’s did.” She gestured to Elsie and Blue, neither of whom were in their original clothes.

The smile that lit up the hostess’ face was surprisingly genuine, and Lily practically cooed, “Thank you, Hazel! It’s good to see someone getting into the spirit of things so quickly. I wasn’t planning on sticking with alphabetical order, but I do like to reward initiative, so let’s get started.”

This time, Lily’s fingers remained open as shadows roiled over them, and she began to wiggle her fingers in the direction of the nymph.

“The audience had confidence that your persuasive abilities would be up to the task already, because enchantress lagged behind the entire time. Pity, I was looking forward to seeing you put your tongue to use, but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities.”

Enchantress - Convincing

(Passive) Your ability to sway others to your perspective is improved.

(Active) Charm one individual to assist you in a single task. Unless the target resists, they will rationalize their actions to themselves. Partial resistance will result in the target being aware that they were charmed.

“On the other hand, your good cheer and positive energy made an excellent showing—good enough that I’ll make sure to keep it in mind as an option to further enhance down the road.”

Sorceress - Bounteous Energy

(Passive) You absorb solar energy through your skin and convert it to magic that you can store for use later.

(Active) Unleash your magic in the form of primal flames which soothe allies and harm enemies.

“But in the end, while your vote was close, druid took 44 percent of the vote to win.”

As with Elsie and Blue, Hazel’s shadows were the source of the magic which transformed her. Unlike the others, though, it did not envelop her body completely. Instead, lines of shadow twisted up her legs and wrapped around her naked body. They grew and thickened, and finally the black energy puffed away into smoke that revealed that the nymph’s almost overripe body was now wrapped in vines.

Druid - Au Naturel

(Passive) Nature provides you with a better outfit than any mortal garb. Your body is wreathed in plant life that comforts and protects you in all conditions, allowing you to endure even extremes of temperature without discomfort.

(Active) Take control of nearby plants and command them to bind and restrain someone.

The plants were bright green and vibrant, with broad leaves and tiny spiraling shoots that laid themselves flush against the nymph’s soft pink skin. They started at her left ankle and spiraled around that leg several times until they reached her thigh. A single leaf was all that lay between the world and her sex as the vine crossed in front of her waist like a belt.

From there, the vines branched out into something like a corset. It wrapped around her midsection several times and branched out, then spread as it rose higher and attempted the titanic endeavor of lifting and presenting her breasts to the world.

“Hazel, your connection to nature was obvious, and the audience wanted to give you the chance to wield that connection on the party’s behalf. You’re one step closer to nature now, and–”

This time it was Lily who was cut off as the nymph laughed in delight. “Oh, I can feel it. That tickles, but–” The nymph squeezed her eyes shut. A moment later, tiny white flowers began to blossom along the vines she now wore, ornamenting and accenting her Rubenesque figure with their beauty.

Kevin did his best not to stare, but the nymph’s tits were easily the largest he had laid eyes on and the new ‘outfit’ she wore not only did nothing to conceal them, it was as though it was designed to offer them up for his approval. Her already enormous breasts were lifted up and squeezed together to create a massive valley of cleavage that was impossible to ignore. It also meant that the thick nubs of her surprisingly bright pink nipples were pointed straight at him since the outfit didn’t allow Hazel’s chest to succumb to gravity as it normally would.

It was as though nature itself had been called upon to form lingerie for an already beautiful woman, and the fact that the expression on her face was delighted rather than horrified caused dark and unsettling urges to stir within the Dungeon Master’s heart.

Lily recovered swiftly. “You look lovely, Hazel. Right Kevin?”

Not having expected to be put on the spot, Kevin was staring directly at the nymph’s exposed breasts when the rest of the courtyard suddenly turned to face him. He did his best to control the flush of heat that ran through him at being caught, and instead **** his eyes up to meet Hazel’s.

To his surprise, she met his gaze evenly with that same guileless smile. “I—yeah, she’s lovely, obviously, but I don’t–” He paused to gather himself, which in this case meant tearing his eyes away from Hazel and looking back towards Lily. The succubus’ proportions weren’t any more reasonable, but compared to the nymph her outfit was practically modest. “–I don’t like forcing anyone into anything. But- I’m glad it looks like she’s enjoying herself.”

He glanced nervously over at Hwa, who was standing near the far wall of the courtyard. If Lily had decided to go in alphabetical order–

“Next up, our own foxy momma, Hwa!”

“I am no mother.” Hwa spat the words as the serene mask she’d been attempting to wear cracked.

Lily didn’t press the issue, though, and instead gestured at the words now adorning the courtyard wall.

“Hwa, the contents of your bubbling little cauldron didn’t seem to interest the audience as much.”

Alchemist - Magical Enhancements

(Passive) Gain a sense of the magic present in any potential ingredients and an instinctive knowledge of how they can be combined. Combine ingredients in an alchemy lab to unlock and improve their effects.

(Active) Improvise a potion with the materials on-hand to create a powerful but short lived effect. Ingredients used may influence the method by which the potion functions.

“Instead, the other two options were neck and neck for the entire duration of the poll.”

“No! No, I will not–” Hwa did her best to fight off Lily’s changes, but to no avail. The kumiho attempted to call on whatever magic she held from before she was called to this place, but Lily directed a cruel smile in her direction, raised both hands, and slowly clenched them into fists. The shadows beneath the fox spirit opened up like a pit, and golden chains rose out of them to drag her down into the ground. A moment later she vanished without a trace, leaving only the pool of roiling shadows to indicate where she had stood a moment before.

Warlock - Binding Bargains

(Passive) When you are telling the truth, everyone who hears you will believe you.

(Active) Make an agreement with another individual binding. As long as both parties consent, neither party will be able to renege without the other’s agreement.

Witch - Dark Rewards

(Passive) Gain a sense of nearby sources of magic. Stronger magic can be sensed more strongly and from farther away.

(Active) Open a connection to a nearby source of magic to modify, lessen, or heighten its effects. If the source of that magic is conscious, it can exert its own will to either heighten or counteract your efforts.

“While the other two ended in a perfect tie. It means I don’t even have to use my discretion here, and Hwa is going to get both classes.” The pool of shadows that had engulfed the Korean woman began to ooze across the flagstones. Penny and Kevin—who had been standing near each other at the front of the group—quickly scrambled out of its path as it headed towards them.

It didn’t stop there, though, but instead began to crawl up the wall between the final two class descriptions until it settled in place between the massive columns of glowing letters that lit up the castle courtyard.

“Not only is our hot Asian milf going to get rewarded for getting all up close and intimate with everyone’s magic–” Hwa emerged from the shadows once more. The ankle length red skirt and white blouse she had worn were gone. In their place was a black silk dress. The gossamer fabric hung from thin straps over each shoulder and revealed a deep ‘v’ of cleavage that extended all the way to her belly button. While it was long enough that if she were standing it would brush the flagstones, it was also slit from ankle to waist. If she were standing, it might have left her a scrap of dignity.

She was not. The fox-spirit was spreadeagled when she emerged from the shadows. Thick black cuffs wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Her body was suspended against the wall by chains, like a prisoner in a dungeon, except she was a full fifteen feet off the ground.

“–she’s also going to get the chance to bargain, beg, and plead her way to power.” Lily’s eyes narrowed, and a band of golden light shimmered into view around Hwa’s neck. It solidified into a simple golden collar without a visible buckle or clasp. Instead, a large ring at the front of her throat stuck out, ready to take a leash. No further chains emerged from the shadow or the hostess, but the implication was clear.

“Enough. Let her down.” Lily’s perfectly plucked eyebrows raised in an arch at Kevin’s commanding tone. She turned to face the Dungeon Master slowly, then nodded once.

Where before, the season’s master had been willing to go along with Lily’s plans, it seemed that this was a step too far. The expression on his face showed some signs of trepidation, but he refused to back down even when he found himself at the center of attention again.

To his relief, Lily didn’t seem angry about his outburst. Instead, she practically purred, “Mmm, keep talking like that, Dungeon Master, and you’ll get everything you want.”

Without so much as looking in her direction, Lily made a quick gesture with one hand and Hwa began to sink down the wall. When the kumiho’s feet touched the ground, the chains that had bound her arms and legs to the shadows snapped abruptly free of the wall. There was a quiet clinking sound as the few remaining links of chain which still dangled from the cuffs settled against her body, but they no longer impeded her movement.

Hwa glared at Lily, but it was clear she was shaken. The fox spirit seemed determined not to surrender, however, and a moment later she had drawn herself up to her full height and stalked back towards her place at the edge of the courtyard.

Penny saw the chance to pull attention away from the woman and tried to take the opportunity to build a bridge. She stepped forward and called out, “Hey—that means I’m next, right?”

By the time Lily’s attention turned towards the siren, the smile the succubus wore was as bright as ever. “It sure would, wouldn’t it? Penny, you had a clear favorite the whole time, and it wasn’t even close.”

“I was looking forward to seeing you put those caring tendencies of yours to use, too—maybe that’s a path you’ll choose to seek out yourself–”

Paladin - Lay on Hands

(Passive) Your touch is pleasantly warm at all times. You can soothe away pain and injuries through sustained touch and massage.

(Active) Absorb an ongoing magical effect from another into yourself. If the effect has a duration longer than an hour, it will return to the original target after that time.

“–or maybe you’ll lean into your connection to magic and the rest of your party some day–

Mystic - Overcharged

(Passive) Any magic you touch is amplified. As long as your hands are pressed against the skin of another party member, you can amplify any of their abilities.

(Active) Move a magical effect from one person onto another. If the effect has a duration of longer than one hour, it will return to the original target after that time.

“–but for right now, your inner performer won everyone over, and they decided to give you your chance to shine!”

Bard - Performer

(Passive) Anyone who watches you perform in an artistic fashion will find themselves motivated by the message your performance conveys.

(Active) Once per hour you can assume a role. You will portray whatever character you choose believably, including through the use of minor magical abilities where appropriate.

Penny gritted her teeth as she felt Lily’s magic wash over her. What it revealed when it peeled back was a knee-length dress that seemed modest when compared to Blue’s skimpy athletic wraps or Hwa’s Halloween-costume witch’s robe. While it did hug her figure far closer than Elsie’s robes, it was no worse or more provocative than most of the dresses she wore when performing.

“It’s not exactly what I’d think of to wear into a dungeon, but–” She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess it’s not bad? I mean, from what you were saying earlier, I thought–”

Lily’s smile never faltered. “I’m here to help you, Penny—to make sure you can work together as a party. There’s no reason I can’t try to keep your best interests at heart while I’m at it.”

The implication that she would only do so when the party was cooperating was left unsaid, but there was little doubt in Penny’s mind what their hostess actually meant. “Of course. I’m–” She inhaled and closed her eyes—a ritual she’d long ago adopted to help deal with stage fright—then finished, “–I’m looking forward to putting my voice to use on behalf of the party!”

Lily beamed a smile, but rather than responding to the bard directly, she turned towards her next victim.

“Stheno,” Lily turned towards the gorgon, who flinched away instinctively for a moment, before deliberately steadying herself and staring the succubus down. The fact that the overly curvaceous other woman didn’t so much as blink as she stared her in the eyes shook the gorgon to the core.

“I’ll be honest, I had a favorite of your three classes myself. I try to keep my own opinions out of things and let the audience decide, but I have to admit I’m happy with the way things turned out. Your class options each focused on finding a way to break you out of old habits. For example–”

Fighter — Alert

(Passive) Your body is always ready for appropriate action regardless of level of surprise. Your ability to resist fatigue and/or injury is increased.

(Active) For fifteen minutes per hour you may enter a state of hyper-awareness. Your reflexes and perception of time will be greatly increased.

“–we could have amped you up a little and given you back some of that excitement you’ve been missing. The audience didn’t seem as interested in that, though. I thought perhaps instead I could have helped provide you with a purpose farther removed from your history–”

Samurai — Loyal Retainer

(Passive) Your dedication to your lord increases your ability to focus on tasks that he commands. While you are doing so, your resolve and ability to endure hostile magic is increased.

(Active) Intercept any attack or spell that would otherwise strike a party member who is within five feet of you.

“–but the audience, just like me, has a soft spot for someone willing to defy the gods.”

Antipaladin - Curse Bearer

(Passive) Performing an act in desecration of a god grants you a boon of magic for the next 24-hours.

(Active) Consume a magical effect to absorb it’s energy. Energy absorbed can be used to fuel and empower a boon.

All at once, the gorgon realized what was happening.

Lily was a goddess. It was the only explanation that made sense. No one else could have the kind of power the succubus had already displayed. That she had never met—or even heard of this goddess meant that she wasn’t one of her gods, but a being from another pantheon. Another order of power. If she could tap that power–

Shadows enveloped the serpent-woman at Lily’s gesture. When they roiled off of her a minute later they left the serpentine woman changed. Of the others, only Blue’s transformation was as complete as Stheno’s, and even the harpy was more easily recognized for what she had been.

Not only was the legendary gorgon’s outfit substantially different, her entire body was changed: in place of the monster that had been more snake than woman was a human of Mediterranean descent.

Stheno’s body had not been perfectly restored to the one she’d possessed before she was cursed, but it was closer than she had been in millennia. The serpents that had once replaced her hair were gone, and while her curly tresses were now sea-green rather than the lustrous black she’d been born with, that was practically mundane by comparison.

The threadbare tunic which had covered her torso had been replaced by flexible armor covered in hundreds of green metal scales. While it was probably more skin-tight than necessary, the construction of the outfit was more practical than the dresses that Penny and Hwa had been gifted. She hesitantly shifted from foot to foot as she got used to both the new outfit and the new body, but it was only when Kevin muttered a ‘wow’ that she realized the biggest difference.

Her veil was gone. Stheno’s hands flew to her face to hide it, only for Lily to suddenly step in front of her. The succubus grabbed the gorgon’s chin and held it in a grasp that seemed to extend beyond the physical. The two locked eyes, and the hostess’ voice was quiet but intense as she explained, “I’ve given you a boost of power to get you started. This is what your Curse Bearer ability can do if you fuel it. I’ve put the ability to push back the gods in your own hands, Stheno, but it will be up to you to make it your own.”

“Yes!” This time, when Stheno turned her head and spat on the flagstones, what emerged was simply saliva. “Fuck the gods. I will do as you ask.”

“Don’t do it for me, Stheno.” Lily’s fingers gently turned the gorgon’s head a few degrees until her gaze landed on Kevin. “Do it for the Dungeon Master. Without him, you wouldn’t be here.”

“Yes…” The way Stheno looked at Kevin caused a shiver to run down his spine—there was a fervor there which reminded him of some of his more distant relatives from Tennessee when they had tried to get him to go to church when he was young.

Still, she seemed far more excited about what was happening than some of the women Lily had brought to act as his party. Given the state she’d been in when she first arrived, it was hard to blame her. Eventually her eyes slid off to the side as Stheno’s mind wandered, and Kevin looked around. Everyone had gotten their class except for him, and–

Tess didn’t step up when Lily turned to face her, but she didn’t have to.

Hwa had slunk off to hang out by the wall so she could stay as far from the group as possible. Elsie was anxiously looking around at everyone else as they all started reacting to their costumes and the attendant transformations that came with the class, while Stheno stared off into the distance.

Only Blue, Hazel, and Penny really seemed to be paying attention to what Lily was doing, but they all knew what was coming and turned to face her as their hostess closed in on the selkie, leaving her in a feeling suddenly very much as though she were in the spotlight.

“Tess, as an athlete, scholar, and maintaining that—active social life, you’re already on your way to showcasing your ability to handle anything life can throw at you. Perhaps that’s why the audience didn’t think you needed the boosts that becoming a factotum would bring.”

Factotum - Every Situation

(Passive) Your knack for improvisation is improved until it becomes supernatural. You can combine other abilities in ways that might not seem immediately obvious, including taking advantage of the abilities of others or ongoing effects in your environment.

(Active) Gain a specialization for the next hour. You will be granted temporary bonuses and abilities to enable you to fill the role required.

“Instead, there was a massive rush of early votes that suggested to me that you were going to get in touch with your familiar side.”

Ranger - Familiar Spirit

(Passive) You gain heightened senses through your bond to a familiar spirit. You can rapidly assess the nature of a creature or area.

(Active) Once per day, you can call upon your familiar spirit to assist you with a task. While assisting you, you can communicate telepathically and share your senses.

“That only held for a couple of days, though. Slowly but surely, the tide changed. Eventually the waters of your selkie heritage broke containment as the audience made its will known.”

“Which means—what?” Tess tried her best to keep the anxiety out of her voice as the succubus stared her down. She’d seen what had happened to Hwa, which had felt relatively vindictive in its treatment of the fox, but as far as she knew she hadn’t done anything to piss the hostess off.

Despite that, the way Lily stared at her stared at her sent a chill running down her spine that was colder than any water she’d ever braved.

A moment later it was gone, as Lily’s smile was back to its usual cheery self. “Which means you’re going to be a psychic warrior! Not just limited to two forms, but a variety of shapes depending on what kinds of situations you encounter.”

Psychic Warrior — Flexible Shape

(Passive) You gain perfect control of your body’s movements and muscles.

(Active) For the next hour, you can reshape your body into a physically powerful form appropriate for combat or other heavy physical activity.

The succubus raised a hand as though to work her magic on the selkie, then paused. “Except—I think that pleasing both crowds might be the right call here. I’m going to use my second veto, not to cancel the audience’s will, but to recognize that early lead you had. I think that someone with your talents would be wasted going down a single path, so you’ll go down two.”

Clawed fingers were again wrapped in shadows as Lily made a fist. Tess was still staring in shock as she tried to figure out what the succubus had in mind, so she barely reacted when her shadow roiled up over her.

When it peeled back, the golden costume armor she had worn was still present, though it was somewhat changed. Metal pauldrons covered her shoulders, and her waist and thighs were protected by a mail skirt, but the rest of her was wrapped in skin tight light gray leather which she couldn’t help but notice was the color of the skin she wore when changing to her aquatic form.

More than that, though, her senses felt as though they were on fire. Information flooded her, not just about the world around her, but also about her own body. The instinct to gasp rose up, but she found herself able to effortlessly control it thanks to her sudden mastery over her own body. That required some continued effort, though, as her new senses continued to bombard her.

“I think that as a multiclass Psychic Warrior and Ranger, you’ll be able to contribute twice as much to the party, Tess, and I can’t wait to see you get started.”

Kevin stared. Tess was the youngest woman who had been pulled here—she was young enough that she could plausibly be his daughter, if he’d gotten luckier in high school. He’d done his best not to stare at her or make her feel uncomfortable when the succubus had summoned her, naked and dripping wet in front of him.

The expression she wore now—lips parted, eyes wide, chest rising and falling with the steady breaths needed to fuel a body now tuned for peak performance—was hypnotic, and he found that he had a harder time looking away than he had when she was naked.

Eventually, though, he managed to collect himself. The Dungeon Master drew in a breath and asked, “That just leaves me, right? To get my class?”

Lily turned her smile on him. “It does, and let me tell you, I’m very excited for this one. You showed your commanding side a little earlier, and the audience didn’t seem to feel as though you needed any help in that direction.”

Warlord — Commanding Presence

(Passive) You inspire confidence in those nearby, granting them immunity to fear and bolstering their willingness to act.

(Active) Your commands empower the party. When you issue a command, the party member it is issued to is able to execute that task more easily—commanded attacks are more powerful, while commanded spells have additional effects.

Some hidden commands are available if discovered.

“The other two options stayed neck and neck for the duration of the poll, but in the end, the psychic option fell behind.”

Psion — Link Senses

(Passive) You gain the ability to sense the minds of those nearby. Minds broadcasting stronger sensations can be sensed more strongly.

(Active) Link any two minds nearby to allow telepathic communication and shared senses.

“Instead, the audience wanted to see you flex your might as a real Dungeon Master. You’ll be granted a measure of power over this world to help you along the way.”

Favored Soul — House Rule

(Passive) Your senses extend into the realm of magic and divinity, allowing you to directly perceive the forces acting upon your environment.

(Active) Make one modification or change to the rules of an effect, as long as that change has been performed before at least once in Harem Hotel history.

“As a favored soul, you’ll become the heart of the party as you help them navigate the challenges and trials the dungeon has in store for you.”

Kevin braced himself for the oncoming shadows, only for Lily to flick her fingers at him. The same sparkling golden energy that she’d used when introducing the members of the party flooded around his body like a halo. He felt his mind expand and stretch as his feet left the ground. He only lifted up a foot or so, but the glow he emitted was bright enough for most of the party to avert their eyes. Hazel closed hers, but seemed to bask in his presence, but only Stheno and Lily watched until the effect faded and he touched down once more.

He swayed, but managed to keep from stumbling as his sense of reality tried to reassert itself. That seemed a little harder now, and it meant that when Lily turned to address the party he was still trying to figure out what was going on.

“Ahem.” Lily cleared her throat once. When that failed to get the attention of every member of the party, she did it again. The second time seemed to reverberate off the walls of the castle courtyard until even Stheno was paying attention.

“If I can have your attention for a moment. I’d like to direct you to look at your character sheets. You’ll notice that some of the these abilities came with access to a few additional class-spells. Feel free to look through those at your leisure as you get used to your class. Over the coming week, You’ll be receiving a handful of quests which will be designed to help shape you into a team. It is up to you to determine how best to handle them, and your participation will be judged. That said, I’ll try to leave it to you to determine how to best go about your duties throughout the day. You will be required to make your way to your rooms by evening, though. You’ll—you’ll know, when it’s time to head back, but you may want to keep an eye on the time just in case.”

“Wait, you’re just—sending them out into the world? Without telling us how our abilities work, or anything?” Kevin pushed aside the strange sensations flooding his head in an attempt to demand answers, only for the succubus to smile sweetly at him.

“You’ll need to do some experimentation to understand how all of them work. The city is your playground, though, and it’s full of adventure. Plenty of chances for you to get out there and experiment. Now—for your rooming assignments, we’ve paired the most fervent–” She gestured towards where Hazel and Stheno had wandered side by side as if by coincidence. The dryad and the transformed gorgon’s eyes met as the succubus indicated them. After a moment, an understanding appeared to pass between them. They nodded once, then looked back to the hostess.

“–the beguiling and mature–” Penny and Hwa were already looking at each other before the succubus could point them out. While the two had displayed very different outlooks from each other from the very beginning, they were also both aware that on a purely physical level they were relatively similar. Both had full figures that ran lush and full, but without the exaggerated proportions of the nymph.

“–and the curious–” By the time Blue’s eyes found Elsie, the brownie was already staring straight at her. The harpy cocked her head to the side curiously as she regarded the English woman. “I am curious. I have not really gotten to speak with many humans. The Dungeon Master is one, and she seems to know a lot about them.”

“Oh, um, I’d be happy to–”

Lily cut the pair off as she pointed to the final member of the party and finished, “–and all to herself, Tess gets her own room without anyone else.”

All eyes turned towards the selkie once more, who blinked in surprise. “Uhh, cool? I guess?”

“But, as you all should know if you’re paying attention to the rules I put in your heads, one of you will be required to spend the evening with your party leader each night. Naturally that person is welcome to invite others to do so as well, as is the Dungeon Master. Your goal should be to do whatever it takes to foster a party spirit—that’s how you’ll all succeed in the dungeon, after all!”

Once more, she lit up with a brilliant smile. “The Long Rest is just outside the castle gates. Your rooms are waiting for you there, but feel free to explore the city until bedtime.”

The succubus swung her arm around Kevin’s shoulder. Despite her absurdly curved proportions, the succubus was still taller than he was by a couple of inches, and shockingly strong. “Now, I’m going to take Kevin here up to the Dungeon Master’s suite. If you need help finding something, try asking around in the tavern—I’ve heard it’s a great source of rumors.”

Lily winked. Kevin had looked uncomfortable with the succubus cuddling up to him, but that expression turned to one of surprise when she turned with her arm still around his shoulders. He found himself all but shoved along the ground as she hustled him into the castle.

The doors shut behind them a moment later, and finally the rest of the party was alone.