The Party Reaches 2nd Level

In a flash of light, the party arrived in the central courtyard of the castle which served as the master’s quarters for the season. Lily was already there. The hostess’s lush curves were showcased by a perfectly fitted gray satin dress, but neither the deep ‘v’ of her cleavage nor the expanse of pale leg which was visible through the hip-length slit in the skirts caught their attention.

Instead, all eight members of the party gawked at the other new addition to the courtyard. Located atop a plinth stood a fifteen-foot-tall white marble statue of a nude woman. Her arms were folded beneath her massive breasts as though to lift them and better display them to the world, while her thighs were visibly clenched around an invisible hand. The expression she wore was one of agonized bliss, eyes clenched tight and lips parted in a scream as though she’d been captured at the very moment of orgasm.

Which, Penny realized, she had. “That’s me.” While she wasn’t the first to make the realization, the siren was the first to speak it aloud. “That’s—the clay thing—”

The words prompted a smile from Lily, who glanced over her shoulder at the new monument as the blonde singer trailed off. “Transported here to act as a sign of your party’s triumph over the first floor of the dungeon! Transmuted to marble, of course, mimic clay would have clashed with the decor, but I hardly thought you’d mind.”

As much as Penny wanted to protest, the sight of the entire party staring at a perfect likeness of her own face and body twisted in orgasm sent a rush of arousal through her,making her limbs weak. The exhibitionist transformation—this is enough to trigger it?

Before she could dwell overmuch on that newfound revelation, Lily stepped forward and swept an arm out to indicate the cast as a whole. “You succeeded, but not without cost. The first floor of the dungeon offered multiple opportunities to escape without setback, and yet several of you lost quite a bit of HP. In fact, it’s been quite some time since I’ve reviewed everyone’s progress, and now seems as good a time as any to fix that.”

Behind the winged woman, seven columns of glowing golden text shimmered into view—the names of each contestant at the top followed by an accounting of points which laid bare the progress and failings of each.

Blue

Starting HP: 10

Showed Boobs: +5

Bottomless: +5

Naked: +10

Cowgirl: +10

Creampie: +10

On All Fours: +5

Slime Girl Energy Drain (Path of Conviction): -1 (x5)

Total: 50 HP

Elsie

Starting HP: 10

Showed Off Underwear: +10

Showed Boobs: +5

Bottomless: +5

Naked: +10

Blowjob: +10 (x2 - First!)

Swallowed: +10 (x2 - First!)

Missionary: +10

Creampie: +10

On Your Knees: +5

Received Cunnilingus: +10 (x2 - First!)

Total: 125 HP

Hazel

Starting HP: 10

Showed Boobs: +5

Bottomless: +5

Naked: +10

Missionary: +10 (x2 - First!)

Cowgirl: +10

Creampie: +10

Total: 70 HP

Hwa

Starting HP: 10

Showed Off Underwear: +10

Showed Boobs: +5

Bottomless: +5

Naked: +10

Handjob: +10 (x2 - First!)

On Your Knees: +5

Fingered By The Master: +5 (x2 - First!)

Humble Poison: -1 (x4)

Backed Down From Sacrifice (Self-Induced Orgasm, Floor 1): -2d8 (x2) = -18

Accepted A New Transformation (1): +30

Total: 83 HP

Penny

Starting HP: 10

Showed Off Underwear: +10 (x2 - First!)

Bottomless: +5

Total: 35 HP

Stheno

Starting HP: 10

Showed Boobs: +5

Bottomless: +5

Naked: +10

Doggy Style: +10 (x2 - First!)

Creampie: +10 (x2 - First!)

On All Fours: +5 (x2 - First!)

Total: 110 HP

Tess

Starting HP: 10

Showed Off Underwear: +10

Showed Boobs: +5

Bottomless: +5

Naked: +10 (x2 - First!)

Slime Girl Energy Drain (Path of Conviction): -1 (x9)

Total: 51 HP

The hostess left the words on display behind her, but didn’t give anyone the opportunity to speak before proceeding. “As I’m sure you can see, several of you have made excellent strides towards your advancement with the dungeon master, but the more time goes on, the fewer easy bonuses will be available. If you’re noticing that your HP total looks low compared to others, you might want to think about what you can offer up before someone else has the chance to do the same.” The hostess’ eyes drifted across the party but somehow each contestant felt as though they were singled out in the process.

“But first, we have the results of some audience polls to reveal. Unlike some seasons, I’m not just running a simple popularity poll—that would run counter to the spirit of cooperation we want to foster. Instead, while I’m allowing the audience to vote on their favorites, that will result only in a paltry swing of HP which ranges from +6 for first to -6 for last, with the middle 4th place seeing no change. Showing off and sucking up to the audience will help, of course, but far more significant will be how well you are able to contribute to the party. This is still being rated by the audience, of course, but you’re being weighed on different metrics, and the results are twice as impactful, ranging from +12 to -12.”

“Wait—but that’s still completely arbitrary!” While Penny managed to muster up a protest despite the shock of seeing her own body on display, the siren’s previous indignation was somewhat diminished. After the displays of Lily’s power they’d seen in the past week, it was difficult for even Hwa to muster any real anger, and the expressions on most of the cast spoke more to fatigue than outrage.

Only Stheno and Elsie seemed satisfied with the announcement, the latter asking simply, “Did you expect anything else?”

While Lily paused to allow the cast their commentary, she didn’t deign to acknowledge it before she continued, “The two polls were not wholly dissimilar in their results, but they weren’t identical.” Behind the hostess, the charts displaying the HP gained and lost over the first week faded into sparks of gold which then swirled and reformed to show the results of both polls, side by side.

Party Contribution - Week 1:

1st: Hazel - 20.62% +12 HP

2nd: Elsie - 20.29% +8 HP

3rd: Penny - 17.37% +4 HP

3rd: Stheno - 17.37% +4 HP

5th: Tess - 12.34% -4 HP

6th: Blue - 7.95% -8 HP

7th: Hwa - 4.06% -12 HP

Popularity - Week 1:

1st: Stheno - 18.18% +6 HP

2nd: Hazel - 16.23% +4 HP

3rd: Elsie - 15.75% +2 HP

3rd: Tess - 14.77% +0 HP

5th: Penny - 13.31% -2 HP

6th: Hwa - 12.01% -4 HP

7th: Blue - 9.74% -6 HP

These were immediately joined by a third chart, showing the contestants updated new HP totals. While some—such as Penny and Tess—barely moved, Hwa’s total dropped precipitously and Hazel’s shot up.

Blue - 36 HP

Elsie - 135 HP

Hazel - 86 HP

Hwa - 67 HP

Penny - 37 HP

Stheno - 120 HP

Tess - 47 HP

“I’m sure many of you have noticed that, compared to other contestants, you’re falling behind. Granted, even if you’d placed last in both polls, you’d only have lost 18 HP, but before you let that make you feel overly comfortable, keep in mind that the dungeon will only grow more challenging. I advise you to do what you can to give yourself the padding of some extra HP over this coming week.” The feathered wings behind Lily seemed to quiver for a moment. The motion drew the eyes of the entire cast, but it was impossible to miss the look of sadistic glee which passed over the hostess’ face for a moment as she continued, “If you are unable to continue, or if circumstances threaten to drop you to zero, I’ll need to intervene, and I’d so love for you to succeed on your own merit instead.”

The woman’s expression was at such complete odds with her stated words that Kevin nearly spoke up to challenge her claims. The touch of a hand on his elbow just as he was about to step forward stayed him, though, and he glanced over to see that Elsie had positioned herself at his right side. The brownie’s eyes remained fixed on Lily’s face when the DM glanced at her, and without looking at him she gave a brief shake of her head.

Kevin acquiesced and remained quiet as Lily continued, “But, in the meantime, to help prepare you for your next dive into the dungeon, we have a new set of transformations and abilities ready for the audience to pick from. Unlike last time, this round will focus on your background—on the events which shaped you and brought you here. Naturally, some of them will still be tied to your classes, but now that the initial week has passed, we’ll be including some options which will fill out or enhance the abilities tied to your origins and backstories.”

“Backstories?” This time it was Tess who spoke up. During the last leg of the dungeon, her outfit had transformed itself into a shimmering silver bikini which bared most of her pale skin, and it hadn’t reverted when Lily brought the party to the courtyard. With the magical lubricant still clinging to her toned body, the white-haired athlete might as well have been posing for the cover of a fitness magazine’s swimsuit edition.

It was a look at odds with her expression—drained and weary—but the camera still took the time to pan around her as she spoke as though to showcase the youngest contestant’s appeal.

“Of course! What adventurer is complete without a thrilling tale of orphaned royalty and lost kingdoms and loves for the DM to weave into their story?” Lily’s white teeth glittered as her plump crimson lips drew back in a broad grin. She continued, “The audience will have the option to select from backstory or racial-ability options in addition to class features, to help make sure the party is tied together as a seamless whole. Everyone will have at least one of these new options available in the votes. If you would already have three options available—” She gestured at Elsie, who had received three full class transformations in the first vote, “—that means you’ll have four options available in total.”

“Enough. Can we not simply see what fates you’ve arranged for us and move on?” Hwa’s voice emerged from the back of the pack of huddled women. Compared to the kumiho’s fiery first appearance, she sounded weary—but the quivering tone of anger which simmered beneath the surface in her words spoke to the fox’s spirit not yet having broken.

Lily took no offense at the question. Instead, she lifted a hand and the three columns of text behind her shimmered away. “Of course. I’m sure you’re eager to retire to your various quarters. I’ll go through this in order of your party contributions, however, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait for last.”

Hwa’s muttered curse was quiet enough that only those closest heard the invectives she leveled at the hostess as Hazel’s name appeared in the air above Lily’s head. The words which shimmered into place below were initially formed of the same golden energy as the scores and transformations which had been revealed thus far—but as the final words slotted into place, a second column of text appeared to the right. Shadowy and black, the text was immediately recognizable as the same descriptors which had been hidden from the first round of voting—Lily’s touch on the original transformations laid bare.

Druid (Class Ability) Flower Child - Bondage Path

(Passive) Enhances the plants Hazel controls to make them tougher, stronger, and harder to escape. Lowers inhibitions about bondage and restraint around Hazel.

(Active) Hazel can cause any plants nearby to bloom. Blossoming plants emit relaxing pheromones which reduce aggressive impulses by 1d100% and increase sensitivity to pleasure by 1d100%.

Hippie (Background) Grove Mother - Free Love Path

(Passive) Hazel never met the Dungeon Master before they were brought into Adventuria together, but what if that weren’t true? Kevin and Hazel have their backstories modified to include a summer Kevin spent working at Hazel’s commune where he had the chance to be exposed to her uninhibited approach to relationships.

(Active) Hazel may bring up to 4 disciples with her into the dungeon to assist the party or into the master’s quarters on any night she attends the DM. Inhibitions regarding sex are further reduced by 10% per disciple present (multiplicative), stacking with any other abilities. Commands and requests made by the dungeon master are 10% per disciple present (multiplicative) more likely to be obeyed in Hazel’s presence.

Nymph (Racial Ability) Fertile Soil - Cumslut Path

(Passive) Hazel has a recharging effect on those around her. Refractory periods and stamina recovery of those in her presence are improved by (10*Level)%.

(Active) Hazel can take in Kevin’s seed to turn it into a potent restorative. Any cum deposited on or in Hazel can be consumed by another party member to restore them by up to 1d100% of their ideal condition. Hazel will find the idea of cumplay increasingly erotic, and will seek out partners with whom she can share the DM’s cum.

As the words appeared behind Lily, the hostess gestured towards the front of the group, where Hazel still stood beside Tess and Blue. All were still slick with translucent liquid, and for a change the nymph was the most dressed of the three. While Tess’ outfit had remained intact, the bikini shape it had taken would have been legal only on beaches with forgiving dress codes, while Blue’s outfit had been reduced to little more than a handful of scraps of cloth by the slimes. The ropes which wrapped around the curvaceous blonde’s form had been joined by her vines at some point on the trip down the winding tunnel, and the resulting ensemble looked like Poison Ivy had decided to pose for a bondage pinup set.

“Hazel, the audience seemed to recognize that you took clear action to drive the party forward, particularly in the dungeon itself. As one of the party members with a single class, you have one of each option—one based on your druid class, one as a nature spirit, and one of our new backgrounds!” The tone Lily took as she made the introduction of Hazel’s transformations was not entirely dissimilar to the one she’d taken on the first day. There was still a distinct layer of showmanship to it, but the tease was gone, replaced by a sultry purr. “Is there one you’d prefer to have the audience vote in for you?”

While Hazel had come out of the dungeon nearly unmolested—having escaped without more than brushing against the slime girls—she was also the party member who had done the most actual running. Her prodigious bosom was no longer heaving as it had done when they’d first arrived, but it was clear she was still working on catching her breath. Nevertheless, she retained her generally unflappable manner as she read through the three sets of text carefully before answering. “I don’t think that I necessarily need to work with plants more than I have. I’m not sure what the rest of the dungeon will be like, but my current skills seemed like they were more than enough so far. Both the others revolve around Kevin. I’m not sure how I feel about having my memories re-written—”

“Reality,” Lily interrupted smoothly. “We don’t just change your memories, we change what happened.”

“…right. Anyway, it might be nice to have known Kevin before. I bet he was a cute kid.”

Lily let out a throaty chuckle, “I’ll bet. Kevin, do you have any preferences?”

Now that they were out of the dungeon and the immediate danger it presented, Kevin looked more than a little shell-shocked. He blinked rapidly before focusing on Lily, then managed to give a response after only a few more seconds. “I think—I think I disagree with Hazel. I think the first option is the strongest and the most likely to be useful long term, even if it doesn’t—”

His eyes flickered over towards the glistening nymph, and Lily cut in, “Even if the thought of Hazel rubbing your cum into those massive tits so Elsie can lick them clean excites you?”

[Hazel's 2nd Level Poll](https://strawpoll.com/PbZqb4okAyN)

While Kevin struggled to stammer through a denial, the words behind Lily faded and reformed. “Speaking of Elsie—”

Artificer (Class Ability) Infuse Item - Free Use Path

(Passive) Elsie gains access to an extra-dimensional space in which she can store the party’s tools, weapons, crafting components, etc. The party will become more comfortable making demands of Elsie. Fulfilling those demands will provide Elsie with sexual gratification.

(Active) When Elsie crafts a magical tool with Useful Little Tool, roll 1d6.

1. Cooldown of Useful Little Tool resets instantly.
2. Adds a secondary minor magical effect to the result.
3. Craft a bonus second item from leftover crafting materials.
4. Tool is created instantly, with zero crafting time required.
5. Item crafted is upgraded in power or effect.
6. Roll twice, disregarding further 6s.

Diviner (Class Ability) D6th Sense - Voyeur Path

(Passive) Elsie gains a passive sense of the arousal level of the entire party. Her own arousal increases passively with that of the rest of the party.

(Active) By focusing on an individual member of the party as she stimulates herself, Elsie can perform a lesser scrying and receive a vision of what that party member is experiencing.

Erudite (Class Ability) Open Mind - Slut Path

(Passive) Elsie gains telepathy, and can communicate psychically with anyone within 100 ft of her, as long as both parties can understand language.

(Active) Connect any party members Elsie can see via the astral plane for 1d6 hours, giving them a vague sense of the others’ relative locations and statuses. While connected, Elsie can distribute up to 100% of the sensation experienced by one linked person to any or all connected party members.

Protege (Background) Fellow Tech - Right Hand Path

(Passive) Elsie shares a history of both technology and gaming with Kevin, but their paths never crossed. What if, instead, the two had encountered each other in a professional context before being brought together on Harem Hotel? Kevin and Elsie are given a joint backstory which includes an internship where Elsie learned the ropes under Kevin, increasing their trust and ability to rely on one another’s capabilities.

(Active) Elsie gets to keep a lesser version of Kevin’s House Rule ability.

“The first one.” Lily didn’t even have the chance to ask before Elsie stepped forward out of the pack to declare her preferred selection. “Useful Little Tool. The things I can craft, they’re—well—useful. I want to make more of them, and the others are just—they’re just focused around sex.” The flush which crept into the English girl’s cheeks betrayed her embarrassment, but just before Lily responded, the brownie managed to add, “I can—I can make my own connection with Kevin. And—and have my own sex with him.”

The winged hostess might not have presented herself as a succubus since the reveal of her true identity, but the throaty purr with which she responded didn’t seem to care. The sound reached right past Kevin’s fatigue and serve as a reminder that some limitations were only in his mind. “I’m sure you can. You’ve done very well, my dear. Perhaps the audience will agree with you—I’ve certainly enjoyed watching you step up to be the dungeon master’s little tool.”

Kevin took a half step forward, placing himself at Elsie’s side. “She’s—you put her here, she’s just—she’s doing what she can to survive. To make the best of things!”

Lily’s head canted slightly to the side as she studied both the master and the woman he was defending. Her eyes flicked over to Hwa, then returned a heartbeat later as she responded. “Of course. You trust her, then? You believe the choice she made to have been the right one?”

“I—” Kevin sensed that something deeper was at play, but Lily’s expression gave little away, and the stress he felt weighed in on him. In the weight of silence that followed, he glanced to his side and was surprised when Elsie didn’t meet his gaze. The brownie’s expression seemed somehow ashamed, but nothing he’d seen gave him a clue as to why. Eventually, he simply stated, “I trust Elsie.”

“How lovely to see the bonds of trust form within the party. I can’t help but notice that she is also the party member with the most HP to her name thanks to her bold actions. Perhaps it’s fitting now that we turn to one of the party members with the least HP to spare.”

Elsie's 2nd Level Poll

The words behind the hostess shimmered and changed once more.

Siren (Racial Ability) Vocal - Exhibitionist Path

(Passive) The sound of Penny’s voice brings others in line with her present emotional state. When calm, it will calm others, when excited, it will excite others, etc.

(Active) Anyone who hears the cries of Penny’s orgasm is brought to the same crashing orgasm themselves. She can designate up to 1d10 people each day to be immune to the effect. Number is rolled in secret.

Bard (Class Ability) Jack Of(f) All Trades - Harem Mommy Path

(Passive) Penny can tell at a glance what act or scenario would most turn on an individual at that time. When in the presence of multiple party members, the intuition instead informs her of the act or scenario which best suits the aggregate needs and desires of all present.

(Active) Acting on her granted intuition grants Penny a +1d10 Bonus to all relevant skill checks.

The Fling (Background) Experienced - Mature / MILF Path

(Passive) Penny’s had a string of relationships throughout her life, and she’s of a similar age to Kevin. What if they’d already shared a fling before coming on the show? Kevin and Penny are given a joint backstory built around a weekend in Miami where they got hot and heavy together.

(Active) Penny knows how to please her partners. Each day she receives a bonus pool of 1d10 XP which can be used to grant her a bonus in any encounter featuring an act she’s performed before. At the close of the encounter, she earns bonus HP equal to the XP she expended in the encounter. Bonus HP can be passed to other party members with a touch, and are converted to 1d10 GP each at the end of the day if unused.

As the party finished reading through Penny’s options, Lily turned her attention on the siren in question. Much like Hazel, she had gotten through the dungeon without much damage to her outfit, but she’d spent what felt like an eternity evading the grasp of the massive clay golem through a mix of running and her inborn ability, before Kevin had unceremoniously used the magic rope they’d found at the start of the event to bind her. “Miss Sierran, as someone else who has a class, racial, and background option, do you have any preferences for which one you receive? You haven’t managed to earn many HP thus far—perhaps a nice weekend where you already cut loose with Kevin would make it a little easier to work with the party leader? Or would you prefer some extra help getting views?”

While Stheno had already managed to work loose the knots which held Penny’s hands, she was clearly still exhausted by their first dive into the dungeon and her usual fire was diminished. She took a moment to glance over at Kevin, then looked back to Lily to respond, “The first one. I know it probably means that you’ll find more opportunities to—” She gestured at the nude statue of herself which now adorned the courtyard, “—put me on display, but I can take it, if it means I can help everyone else avoid a worse fate. I wouldn’t mind knowing Kevin a little better, but it doesn’t sound like the background option would actually help much there. The bonus HP would be nice, but so far we haven’t lost many during the week so I’m not sure how useful they’d be, and the GP they turn into if they aren’t used doesn’t sound like a lot.”

When Lily’s attention turned towards Kevin, he lifted his chin to meet her gaze. Now that the party was out of the dungeon and the immediate danger they’d faced, he seemed to be recovering some of his confidence. Negotiating with someone for class abilities was far more comfortable for the DM than actually facing down monsters. “I—actually, I think the third option, the background, sounds good.” He swallowed visibly as he glanced over at Penny for a moment. “Not because—not that I mind the thought of Penny and I having—but we don’t really have any kind of healer, and that might let her save someone in the dungeon. It’s not as broadly useful as the siren or bard options, but when it matters…”

Penny's 2nd Level Poll

Lily nodded as Kevin trailed off, and while Penny spent a few moments to study the DM she eventually turned and reread the background transformation before eventually shrugging. The hostess then turned to the Greek woman still standing beside and just behind the siren and continued, “In that case, let’s examine the options for our resident legend, who tied for third for overall party contribution.”

Antipaladin (Class Ability) Touch of Corruption - Hedonist Path

(Passive) Stheno is protected from the consequences of excess. Excessive eating will only result in weight gain around her hips, butt, and bust. Excessive drinking or **** use will never result in hangovers or overdoses. Excessive sex is treated by her body as vigorous healthy exercise.

(Active) Once per day, Stheno can activate Touch of Corruption. The next individual she touches shares her increased protection from excess for the next 8 hours. Both the touched individual and Stheno will find themselves more willing to indulge in activities which might otherwise be considered risky.

Gorgon (Racial Ability) Petrifying Gaze - Monster Girl Path

(Passive) Stheno is granted further control over her ability to shift forms. So long as she remains in Kevin’s good graces, she can change between her monstrous serpentine form and her human form at will.

(Active) In her monstrous form, Stheno is granted additional control over her legendary petrifying gaze. Anytime an individual meets her gaze, she can choose to selectively exclude any portion of their anatomy. The effects are no longer permanent and will instead wear off after 8d8 minutes. Petrified flesh retains full sensitivity to external stimuli.

Legend (Background) Destined Encounter - Yandere Path

(Passive) Kevin has never been to Greece, and Stheno’s reclusivity made it impossible for them to have ever met in this lifetime—but what about another? Stheno is granted a new backstory where a previous incarnation of Kevin encountered her before her curse was enacted.

(Active) Once per week, Stheno may touch Kevin and draw him into a past-life memory. To outside observers they will appear to sleep for 8 minutes, but the pair will experience 8 hours of their shared past life together. When they wake, Kevin will retain some portion of the skills and training of his past-life self. Each use will increase the degree to which Stheno feels attached to Kevin.

Stheno seemed to be in no rush as she read through each of the options which had appeared behind Lily in turn. After a few moments, Lily prompted, “Do any of the three stand out?” Stheno carefully finished examining them, then turned to face Kevin. “I would give that choice to the dungeon master. Any of the three that he selected would be acceptable.”

Kevin seemed surprised to have been put on the spot so quickly, but rallied once he realized that he was going to need to give his thoughts sooner than expected. “The—the Gorgon ability. All three of them are useful, but the downside of the Antipaladin ability—the increased risk-taking—make it sound too risky. The backstory sounds fine, but the ‘yandere’ path doesn’t sound—”

“What’s a Yandere?” Penny cut in, curiosity obvious in her voice.

“It’s Japanese. It’s—think of it as shorthand for ‘obsessive stalker girl.’” Elsie was the one to provide the explanation, then immediately blushed when all eyes turned towards her. “I—look, anime and manga have a lot of good stories in them, I’m not going to be ashamed of exploring things outside of my culture.”

Stheno's 2nd Level Poll

“My dear, no one said a thing.” The amusement in Lily’s voice lasted only a moment before she again turned her eyes on Stheno. “You would be happy with your master’s selections?” The gorgon nodded once, decisively, and the hostess turned her attention towards the next member of the party as the words behind her changed once more. “Tess.”

Ranger (Class Ability) Constant Companion - Matched Set Path

(Passive) Tess’ familiar joins her permanently. Her Familiar Spirit ability is updated.

Ranger (Class Ability) Familiar Spirit - Matched Set Path

(Passive) Both Tess and Abby gain heightened senses through their bond. They can rapidly assess the nature of a creature or area. Tess and Abby’s senses are permanently linked. They will feel what the other feels as a second-hand sensation even when Familiar Spirit is not actively engaged.

(Active) Tess and her familiar become as one. For the next 12d12 minutes, they share each other’s thoughts, sensation, abilities, appearances, and experiences.

Psychic Warrior (Class Ability) Powerhouse - Genki Muscle Girl Path

(Passive) Flexible Shape is updated.

(Active) Tess can choose to apply the effects of Flexible Shape to Abby as well as to herself.

Psychic Warrior (Class Ability) Flexible Shape - Genki Muscle Girl Path

(Passive) Tess gains perfect control of her body’s movements and muscles, as well as supernatural strength, proprioception and reflexes. Tess’ inhibitions decrease the more she exerts herself.

(Active) Tess gains further enhanced shapeshifting, and can choose to shift 1/12th of an attribute into a different attribute. As an example, she could improve her strength by +8.33% by reducing her speed by the same 8.33% or improve her bust size by 8.33% by reducing her height by that same 8.33%. After she has shifted an attribute 12 times, the next shift will cause the oldest active shift to expire. All shifts expire on a long rest.

Ingenue (Background) Mentor Figure - Forbidden Fruit Path

(Passive) Tess is barely half Kevin’s age, and their paths never crossed before Harem Hotel. How would their relationship have evolved instead if she’d gotten the chance to see him as the experienced older man that he is? Kevin and Tess are given a joint backstory encounter built around an overseas event Tess attended when she was 18 and left home for the first time.

(Active) Any time Tess approaches Kevin for mentorship, guidance, or advice, they both gain increased confidence and capability in all areas involved. Tess will increasingly see Kevin as the father figure she never had while, without any of the problems biological **** could cause.

As attention shifted to the bikini-clad selkie, Tess shrank back as best she could. As the tallest member of the cast, this was not particularly effective, and Lily gave her only a moment or two before asking, “Tess, any thoughts on what you—and of course, your sweet sister—might enjoy?”

The hostess’ words practically dripped honey, but her sadistic smile made it clear that she was fully aware of how uncomfortable the white-haired athlete was. “I—um. The second one?”

Tess’ words came out as a question, and Lily was swift to pounce on the obvious moment of weakness. “You don’t wish to have your sister join you permanently? I notice you didn’t summon her at all in the dungeon. Did you not think that she might have been able to help?” The hostess gestured towards the mostly nude harpy glistening beside the selkie. “Poor Blue lost quite a few HP and her clothes to those slimes. You don’t think Abby might have been able to help pull the two of you free?”

Tess’ already pale skin turned white at the line of questioning, and both Penny and Kevin stepped forward at the same time. “Enough—” “Hey, leave her alone!”

The two exchanged glances before Kevin motioned for Penny to take the stage, but Lily took advantage of the brief pause to retain control of the flow of the conversation. “If you’re ready to step forward and defend her, does that mean you feel you know best, Kevin? Acting as Tess’ mentor would certainly help her move past some of these more difficult and awkward moments.”

The DM’s eyes narrowed as he stared down Lily for a few moments, before speaking with careful deliberation. “I think that Tess is perfectly capable of making judgments for herself. The Psychic Warrior option seems like it would suit her well, and I’m sure she doesn’t need anyone forcing her to view someone as a mentor.”

Tess's 2nd Level Poll

Lily’s amusement as Kevin did his best to dance around the more awkward parts of the transformations as he spoke up for Tess was obvious, but rather than call him out, she turned back towards Blue. “Perhaps we should then look at dear Blue’s possible changes.”

Harpy (Racial Ability) Stunning Plumage - Monster Girl Path

(Passive) Blue’s body and plumage are further enhanced. Effects which would conceal or diminish her beauty have a reduced effect or are nullified completely. This includes clothing, which will be restricted to outfits which showcase her appeal.

(Active) By stroking a target with her plumage, Blue can flood them with endorphins. Unless resisted, the target will be overcome with pleasure for 1d4 rounds.

Monk (Class Ability) Open-Hand Style - S&M Path

(Passive) Damage dealt to or by Blue is converted to pleasure, without reducing the pain the strike would have inflicted. Long term exposure to this effect can result in permanent changes to the target’s pain/pleasure response.

(Active) Successive blows from Blue inflict a stacking penalty to the target’s dexterity and willpower for the next minute. The duration is refreshed on strike, but the penalty caps at four stacks.

Wild Thing (Background) Lure of Civilization - Submissive Path

(Passive) Blue's heritage banished her from civilization, but she has always longed to experience it for herself. What if, through Kevin, she saw that chance? Kevin and Blue are given a shared backstory built around a chance encounter during a family trip to Europe from his childhood.

(Active) Kevin can act as a lifeline for Blue. Up to 4 times per round, she may receive an immediate, honest answer to a question she has, regardless of her distance from the dungeon master.

Somewhat surprisingly, Blue didn’t seem particularly off-put by her nudity. Even as the eyes of Lily turned on her, followed by the rest of the cast, the harpy simply met the hostess’ gaze without shrinking back. “Blue, are there any options which seem particularly appealing to you?”

She shrugged. “Any of them would be fine, I think.”

If anything, Lily looked disappointed. She tried not to let her irritation show, though, and smoothly turned her attention on Kevin once more. “Well, Dungeon Master? Are you as content as your harpy monk to let fate flow as it might, or would you prefer to see her fall into line a little? The two of you barely spent any time together this week, perhaps if she had a greater connection to you, you could help Blue integrate into your party a little.”

“I wouldn’t mind helping Blue out. You’re right that we didn’t get the chance to talk much, and while the excursion with Ishtar—” At the other hostess’ name, Lily’s expression darkened, but she didn’t interrupt, “—didn’t help on that front, it’s still my fault and responsibility overall. Blue, I’ll try to connect with you and get to know you better this week, no matter how the audience votes.”

Blue's 2nd Level Poll

Lily’s expression smoothed after only a moment, and she nodded, then turned her attention towards the final member of the party. “And last, but—well, technically not least, you managed to narrowly avoid coming last in both polls, Hwa.”

Warlock (Class Ability) Pact Magic - Bondage Magnet Path

(Passive) Hwa becomes subject to three pacts, at least one of which must be active at all times. She can activate and deactivate pacts only while she has her patron’s permission to do so.

• Pact of the Chain: Hwa’s wrist and ankle chains will anchor themselves to the nearest surface.
• Pact of the Key: Hwa is equipped with a magical chastity device which blocks orgasm and prevents arousal from decreasing.
• Pact of the Leash: Hwa’s collar is fitted with an an unbreakable leash. She is unable to disobey any commands given by the leash holder.

(Active) Channel the power of any active pact.

• Pact of the Chain: Hwa’s chains extend to bind a chosen target into contact with her for 1d8 minutes.
• Pact of the Key: Hwa’s arousal is shared with anyone she touches. Effect fades over 1d8 minutes.
• Pact of the Leash: Dissolve the leash to obey an issued command. If the task is not completed within 1d8 minutes, Hwa suffers consequences.

Witch (Class Ability) Reap Essence - Oral Fixation Path

(Passive) Hwa’s ability to drain energy from an individual is heightened if she uses her mouth to do so. Hwa’s sense of taste is heightened and tweaked to improve her response to sexual fluids. The sensitivity and pleasure receptors of her lips and tongue are greatly improved.

(Active) By taking advantage of fluctuations in magic which occur during a climax, Hwa’s lips can absorb and allow her to store up to 8 points of essence. Absorbed essence can be spent to heighten the effect of any party member’s abilities, and will strengthen Hwa’s abilities while held. Held essence expires at a rate of 1/day.

Kumiho (Racial Ability) Dangerous Beauty - Cougar Path

(Passive) Kumiho attract the men they devour with their stunning looks. Hwa’s features are enhanced and her figure is improved. Her breasts become larger, perkier, and more sensitive, her ass larger and more well rounded, etc.

(Active) When Hwa allows her tails to manifest, the improvements above become even more exaggerated. This produces a hypnotic effect in observers which makes it difficult to pay attention to anyone else in the room. Each day, she can designate up to 1d8 individuals to be immune to the hypnotic effect.

While Hwa’s outfit was undamaged by her time in the dungeon, the kumiho’s normally silken hair was matted here and there with sweat, and though she’d started to recover her composure, it was clear that she was still shaken.

Despite all of that, though, there was yet fire in the glowing red eyes that narrowed at Lily as Hwa walked to the front of the group, head held defiantly high. “I am a dangerous beauty. It is that option for which the audience should vote.”

Lily’s perfectly plucked eyebrow rose into a smooth arch at the declaration, but rather than challenge it, she turned her eyes on Kevin. “Do you agree, party leader?”

The DM in question looked torn. He glanced from the witch, who had readjusted her outfit but could do little to keep her breasts from nearly overflowing and spilling out of the corset that barely held them back, to the descriptions of the transformations. Hwa’s expression challenged him, but the kumiho’s intimidating presence had been somewhat diminished over the past week. He managed to keep his composure well enough to state, “I don’t think Hwa deserves to be bound, so I can’t ask for the warlock class option—” “No matter how much the thought of it turns you on,” Lily interjected, before Kevin continued, “—but it does sound like the witch class option would help the party out as a whole. I won’t say that I disagree with Hwa, but I think that either the second or third option would be fine.”

“Hmph. Of course you would.” Hwa’s comments were accompanied by a sneer, but there was something about her expression that caused Kevin to double-take. It was gone by the time he looked back, but there was something hungry in the kumiho’s gaze as she looked at him which sent an **** shiver down his spine as Lily once more began to speak.

Hwa's 2nd Level Poll

“Kevin, as you know by now, the Master of most seasons of Harem Hotel isn’t given a transformation every round. Given that Favored Souls are normally a spellcasting class, what we’ve elected to do is simply advance the degree of power you have access to each week. Every other level, we’ll give the audience the chance to help choose a feat for you which will enhance your abilities further.”

Favored Soul (Class Ability) House Rule - DM Path

(Passive) Your senses extend into the realm of magic and divinity, allowing you to directly perceive the forces acting upon your environment. (2) You can see the written descriptions of any rules in effect by focusing on them.

(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. (2) Certain rules will have keywords that you can change from a preselected list.

“As I’m sure you all remember, gathering the votes from the audience won’t take long. We’ll take a brief recess for food, then return here to see what the audience selected. Once you all receive your transformations, I’ll announce the week’s upcoming order of days and nights, and let you all settle in to your new abilities.”

[Author’s Note: I was originally not going to reveal the results of the popularity and participation polls immediately, but my work has gotten busy enough that my pace has slowed drastically. I wanted to leave the loss of HP hanging over the party’s head until the dungeon, but rather than keeping the audience waiting for months to find out how the vote turned out, I’m just going to reveal it here and now. I’m going to continue to update the story as I can, but until my work slows down I can’t make any guarantees about pacing.]