Noxika's Breeding Bestiary

Noxika is an up-and-coming human witch living in a low-magic fantasy setting. Spellcasters are uncommon, and most are treated with suspicion if they are not official members of the mage's guild. Noxika, as an occultist and practitioner of dark magic, is obviously not aligned with such a scrutinous and heavily-regulated organization. Living independently as a witch in the woods for years, studying medicine, nature, and magic on her own and gathering magic slowly, Noxika has recently made a breakthrough. The witch successfully communed with a powerful, extraplanar entity that identied themselves only as the "All-Mother" and Noxika was approached with a proposal. For each other species with which she breeds, Noxika will receive an incremental increase in magical power through new spells or magic items gifted from her new, elusive patron. The more powerful the mate, the greater the arcane reward Noxika would receive.

But there is a catch. If the witch consecutively breeds with the same monster species two ore more times, she will begin to acquire physical traits similar to that species, and will slowly lose her will to leave. Eventually, if she fails to escape, the witch will appear almost akin to a half-human hybrid of her consort's species, and become the monster's mindless, perpetual broodmother. But if she can maintain her discipline and focus her will on her goals, Noxika might one day rival the power of even the great archmages.Tempted with magic and knowledge, she accepted this pact willingly and eagerly. The witch immediately received a branded magical tattoo above her womb as a glaring reminder of her newly chosen fate.

*****

Achy and groggy, Noxika climbed out from the dim, underground temple. She performed the ritual, spoke with a power beyond imagining, and earned its favor. The witch parted her violet robe in the moonlight and gently pressed her fingers to the womb tattoo, studying the simplicity of the design. It simply appeared as an empty ring of glowing, white light. Noxika knew not why, but the symbol spoke to her of 'emptiness' and a deeply hollow feeling. A yearning. As though she needed to be filled. But even with this emptiness, she felt a spark of new power. The witch pointed her finger at one of the half-crumbled columns of the temple's above-ground ruins and spoke an echoing word in Abyssal. Violet-black energy coiled along her extended index finger like a serpent or tentacle before blasting forth as a long bolt of eldritch magic. In an instant, a chunk the size and depth of a soup bowl exploded from the column, showering the area in dust and pebbles.

"Incredible!" Noxika gawked at the new power now at her disposal. She knew the All-Mother only provided the witch a meager portion of magic to begin, but with time and effort she would show the eldritch stranger true diligence in pursuit of her quest. Her quest...

Noxika looked out to the sweeping plains of the surrounding valley farmland. Her human eyes surveyed the horizon as best they could under the vibrant light of the full moon. The hills stood to the east. The forest to the south, and the nearest town to the west. She would find the coastline if she walked a day north, but she knew the horrors that stalked the watery depths and decided to attempt those ventures later. She knew a few monsters who lived in the adjacent area, but she was not an expert on the local denizens. Not yet. To her surprise, Noxika felt her loins warming like an oven, wanton pleasure evident in the dampness between her legs.

"Get it together, girl," she blushed and patted her cheeks. "You have to start somewhere... but where? With who... or what?" The witch tapped her chin and again looked out to each of the neighboring biomes. "Orcs in the hills, but maybe I'm not ready for that much muscle... Goblins in the forest, but they are known for their traps... maybe I should try the town? If I can recruit a decent sellsword from the adventurer's guild, I might be able to operate more boldly." Though she could not waste time, for she would have to become pregnant in the next three days to fully seal the pact. Noxika's next step would be the first of many reproductive conquests, but it was an important choice all the same. Her magic was still in infancy, and she would have to operate with cunning and caution for now, but she lacked the luxury of time for thorough planning. What was a witch to do?

CHOICES
A) Hills. The Gnashmaul Hills are a dangerous place, and few travel their without well-armed company. Orcs dominate the hillside, eclipsed in savagery only by the ogre clans that pocket the crags at the Gnashmaul region.
~ Target: Orc (carry and birth offspring of Large-sized creatures)

B) Forest. The roads that travel through the Gallowpine Woods are well-guarded and for good reason. Goblins plague the forests like an invasive species. To wander out of sight of the road is considered suicidal for anyone not skilled in traversing the wilderness. It is also home to the cunning and cruel Worgs who sometimes ally with Goblins, and occasionally one may encounter the rare but terrifying Trolls.
~ Target: Goblin (halved gestation times for all future offspring, increased litter size of Small-sized or smaller creatures)

C) Town. Everyone knows that the charity and compassion for which Hearthvale was renowned extended only to the locals. When the town's commerce increased thanks to greater crop yields. With booming industry, Hearthvale saw an influx of Bandit Clans and the arrival of the mercenary-like Adventurer's Guild. Sometimes it was difficult to tell the difference between the two.
~ Target: Veteran* (this path adds an additional character to the party)
*Warning: This path delays the pact-sealing conception, and thus shrinks the 3-day window of opportunity, and will ultimately Noxika to resort to breeding with something deplorable in the sewers to meet her deadline.

D) Other? Suggest your own possible location, and what monster she seeks out first.