Empowered by a vast array of new abilities, the submerged god quietly contemplated how to proceed. Even now he had followers who were doing their best to evangelize and to persuade people to submit to him and to whisper his praises, so he needed to focus on where he would be the most effective.
In Puerto Rico there were still plenty of places where his influence was either nonexistent or minimal. And he didn't like that. It wasn't conducive to his goals, so he set about changing it.
A portion of his mind turned its lofty intelligence and powers to the city of San Gerardo, a portion turned to the settlements of the orcs, hyenoids, the community of kobolds, and another portion turned to the dark elven settlement of Aronms.
That said, though the god wasn't happy with his limited control of Puerto Rico, he was a patient sort. He knew from successful allies like Drow and Lilim that oftentimes all he needed was a single skilled ally. He was allowed to be annoyed, but he needn't pretend that his hard work would be for naught if it didn't succeed today. He had all the time in the world.
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The land beyond the Rodan forest was strange territory. It was a valley at the edge of a mountain that housed four distinct civilizations: hyenoids, ogres, orcs, and kobolds.
The hyenoids were the most numerous of these civilizations, numbering over several hundred members. As a species, they resembled bipedal hyenas, and their attitudes matched their appearance.
Althos had actually encountered two of these creatures in the past. He fought against them and won, and revealed that he was the guardian of the vast and mysterious Rodan forest. The two Althos had met scouts, sent out to explore the forest before they encountered the creature they now identified as its "angry guardian".
After his initial conflict with him they had rarely crossed his mind again. He knew a bit about them, thanks to his ability to detect when people do things related to the domains he can influence, but he had paid them little mind to date.
Althos was more interested in the ogres. A tribe of a few dozen ogres lived in the valley beyond the Rodan forest. These ogres included the ogresses named Iret and Okig. Althos had successfully converted both of them into his worshipers, though Iret took a bit longer than he would have liked to convert.
The ogres were a violent species of massive, evil humanoids and though over three dozen of them lived in the area beyond the forest, only 7 of them worshiped Althos. That didn't prevent Althos from being fond of them though. They were Althos' favorite kind of worshipers.
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Over the course of the last few days, I had gradually mastered a new technique to increase my efficiency as a god and worker. It was simple, and only possible thanks to a handy trickery domain ability.
First, I split my consciousness into the number of portions I thought I'd need to accomplish a task. Second, I created projections of myself equal to the number of portions I split my consciousness into. And third, I teleported myself wherever I was going to go to get a task completed.
Once I had split my consciousness, I teleported each portion of myself to a new area. Because of this I was active all over the island and doing different things in each place.
In a flash, I was not just located in the undersea temple, I was also located at the edge of the ogre camp, the outskirts of Aronms, and even just outside of San Gerardo itself.
In each case, I wasn't alone. The part of me that was located in San Gerardo was accompanied by a shape-shifted earth-bear, the part of me just outside of the ogre encampment was accompanied by my amarok wolf and a drider, and the me on the outskirts of Aronms was accompanied by a Sobek, the evolved form of the black caiman I had once befriended.
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Each night in the ogre encampment one of my followers devoted herself to the pursuit of her desires. This was a rather primal, carnal practice that I encouraged while she slept in her dreams. Tonight I was paying her a visit, though she didn't know that. Which was why I could hear her from a healthy distance away.
The truth was I didn't need to rely on hearing to detect her and her two mates, men she had convinced to come live with her. She lived on the outskirts of her people's encampment and the fire the tents of her and her companions happened to be centered around was located far enough that I could differentiate it from the other fires the ogres set.
I began to slowly approach it, followed by two of the creatures I had awoken and then evolved days ago, and as I did so I could hear Iret's sybaritic moans. As I listened to them, I chuckled.
I looked at my two companions and began to tell them the story of how I first met the ogress we were on our way to see.
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"So all she wanted was to beat the fuck out of her superior?" My drider companion asked me, by the time we reached the fire that we had set off towards. I nodded at the evolved-spider, and the thing began to laugh. He had a way with words, and his choice of vocabulary was something I liked about him.
"How strange." Remarked the amarok wolf, somewhat idly. The shadow-furred creature was one of the very first wolves I had willed to evolve when I gained power over the Canis subdomain. It was now no longer alone, but at the time it had spent nearly a day alone aside from the company of a gregarious earth-bear I had created to experiment with my powers.
"Well it wasn't just that. She was repressing herself. Getting her to beat the shit of Okig was a part of getting her to stop repressing herself." I explained, after giving the matter a bit of thought.
Aside from our idle conversations and the sounds of the crackling flames near us, I could hear the muffled moans of one of the first mortals to worship me. She and two more of my ogrish worshipers had shacked up in the days since my undead horde defeated an encampment of reptilefolk.
The moans were muffled because of the fact that their threesome was taking place behind a thick and impressively large tent made of many layers of tanned animal skins. But that didn't stop me from receiving the energy of their lust-filled prayers. The truth was, of all of the payers I had received it was the lust-filled ones I liked the most. That said, I had come here for a real reason. I only intended to wait a bit longer.
Iret and Okig both had their own forms of worshipping me. Iret's was focused on sex and sexuality and I tended to get my prayers from her when she was being mated with by her two mates. This caught me off-guard when it first happened but in the days since I've gotten used to it. Even now I could feel a strange sense of piety emanating from the tent not far from me.
Okig's form of worship came across most distinctly whenever she successfully finished a hunt. This was the case during the first few days after she became a worshiper of mine and has become more the case in the days since I granted her the rogue class.
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The fraction of myself that was within the city of San-Gerardo was guarded by the gregarious earth-bear I had created days ago. I was quite fond of the bear. Some of the Althonians had taken to calling him Fluffy, as towards me and his fellow Althonians he was friendly and approachable even if he wasn't towards other people.
As the two of us made our way down a crowded street inside of San-Gerardo, I found myself studying his form. The bear currently had the appearance of a powerfully built and large man, and I had the appearance of a traveling merchant.
My ally stood well over two meters tall. He was actually naked, but I had wrapped him in an illusion that made him look like he was wearing simple overalls.
I wore a plain outfit that was a replica of what I had once seen Mateo wear in the days since I had discovered the truth about Isadora. It was a simple merchant's outfit made up of white pants, and a white button-up top, hidden from view by a vest that was the color of emerald snake's scales.
I had actually made this outfit myself using a collection of my powers. I quite like constructing something real that wasn't just solidified light or darkness.
All around us human and almost-human denizens of San-Gerardo were hard at work. I could hear thousands of conversations concerning just as many topics throughout the city. And many of them were inspiring.
"Now... how can I most maximize what I can do here tonight?" I asked myself. I had come to the city tonight to begin to actually lay my eyes on the place, and determine where and how I could best create a variety of cults.
San-Gerardo was a large enough place that I could easily create a number of different cults here. All I needed to do was decide which sorts of cults I wanted to plant the seeds of tonight. I had so many choices I could do.
I was unsure of where to go at first and kept walking aimlessly while exploring my not-so-mini-map. And then I found it. The perfect place for corruption: a clandestine brothel.
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[Crocodilia subdomain details:
The crocodilia subdomain is the subdomain that governs alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and a few other predatory, reptilian species. As a subdomain that governs predatory creatures, it is a powerful subdomain that grants you considerable powers.
To gain further influence over this subdomain, build lizard-cults and master the abilities this subdomain grants you.
Special note:
As you gain an expanded catalog of powers some of yours may start to seem redundant. Keep in mind that in most cases you can grant these abilities, or at least a watered-down version of them, to your worshipers. This is especially true for animal subdomains.
Crocodilia subdomain passive powers:
Internal flexibility: You can rearrange the location of your organs or those of your followers. This is an ability that allows your servants and worshipers a more flexible body while also granting them enhanced durability.
Aquatic mode: You can bestow upon your followers an amphibian form which grants them enhanced mobility and strength underwater. They can enter this form at will.
Vibration detection: You gain enhanced sensitivity to the vibrations other creatures give off.
Dermal armor: At will, you can generate a tough layer of scale-like skin, known as scutes.
Crocodile king: You are the undisputed lord of unawakened and unevolved Crocodilians. You can evolve them into reptilefolks, lizardpeople, and other, more primal forms of Crocodilians at will.
Crocodilia subdomain active powers:
Sonic strike: By fusing the power of the physics domain and the Crocodilia subdomain you can launch a sonic strike at your enemy that assails their reptile brain specifically. When you use this once a day power, nearby humanoids begin to experience heart palpitations as you assault the part of the mind that dictates the heartbeat.
Crocodile curse: By focusing on the domain of chaos and the Crocodilia subdomain you can transform someone into a crocodile against their will. They become a crocodile for up to a week.
Crocodilia subdomain blessing and curse details:
Blessing someone with this subdomain grants them kinship with crocodiles and their relatives and improves their ability to swim and hunt. Cursing someone, predictably, does the opposite.]
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For a brief moment, Althos recalled the moment when he first read through the notification alerting him to the powers of the Crocodilia subdomain. At the time he had smiled and muttered something about starting a reptile cult that gradually wrapped its members into humanoid-reptile hybrids.
He actually quite liked that idea. It was one of many he had stored away for when he came across the right type of humanoid and the right environment that that humanoid would flourish in.
He could imagine that the right type of humanoid who had access to both a crocodile's strength and a snake's poison would be a fantastic servant and a great enforcer. He just had to keep his eyes open.
Though a portion of myself had joked about creating a reptile cult, I did have a few servants and worshipers who were reptiles. One of them was an ebony-scaled Sobek who was clad in onyx-armor and carried a dark Warhammer.
The creature, the very same Black-Caiman I met on my second day of life and had recently made evolve, was now a powerful dark paladin. She walked beside me with discipline and while doing a surprisingly good job of holding back her innate aggression towards others.
I turned my head and began to examine her. She was huge now that she was a Sobek, a creature that was, at its core, a bipedal crocodile. All of her equipment was equipment I had crafted for her, and she was visibly proud of that fact. I liked it too. Ever since I used my Crocodilian powers on her she had wanted nothing more than to serve me.
This wasn't just because of my powers either. This was because I had interacted with her earlier before I gained the ability to awaken and then enthrall her. It was nice to see that I was capable of invoking such earnest feelings in my followers. While I kept my gaze locked on her, I began to test her.
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"What is your name?" I asked her, my eyes locked onto hers. They retained their amber-color and snake-like slits even through her evolution.
"My name is Jezebel." She told me, having asked me to name her in the days since I caused her to evolve. I nodded at her, grinning.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, intending to make sure she remembered everything I had told her earlier.
"I've come to go to the Dragonstone family and both witness and receive their training." She repeated, telling me exactly what I was hoping to hear. I nodded at her.
"Who is your master?" I asked, intent on hammering this home and ensuring she remembers it perfectly. The truth was I was doing little more than dropping her off. As she readied herself to answer this question I saw a flash of pride in her reptilian gaze.
"Althos is my master. And I am his faithful servant." She told me, adding that last part herself. I grinned at her.
We were trodding down a largely empty road at the edge of the city. At this point, we were just minutes away from the edge of the property that was known to be owned by the Dragonstone family.
I could have warped us there right away, but I wanted this chance to test my servant and I wanted her to adjust to one of my gifts: the ability to see in the dark. It was one of several gifts I had given Jezebel.
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Jezebel was unlike any of my other servants. I had plans for her that were unlike any plans I had for them. When I made her evolve it wasn't to create a pet or a companion, it was to create a crusader. And the Jezebel that stood beside me knew that. She knew her purpose.
I was planning to create an empire of sorts. My empire would, by my own admission, be rather strange but it was still an empire. And empires weren't usually built peacefully. I intended to create soldiers, and in making Jezebel into a Sobek, one of the different types of evolutions that a Crocodilian could undergo, I was making a soldier.
I had given her gifts fitting for a soldier. Blessings that increased her strength and her adaptability, and bolstered her with mutations that would make her a more efficient soldier. Not that I wanted her to be a mere soldier... I wanted her to be like Drow: to be a general. One of many I'd command in the future.
When I envisioned Jezebel's future I envisioned something I could make real. A life filled with enemies to bring to heel, warriors to command, and temples to raise to my glory. And I told her that. I told her what I wanted, which was for her to lead armies in my name. And she was inspired by that.
When I recounted the day I went to battle against the reptilefolk she had listened attentively. When I told her of my powers over the dead she was delighted to know that not even the dead deny my power. When I explained to her what I wanted, worlds to worship me, she began to share that desire. And together we began to plot, to scheme.
In many ways Jezebel was already my foremost military commander, but only because she wanted to help me build a military. I didn't consider what I had to be a military. Not yet. I had soldiers, disorganized but powerful and skilled, but nowhere near the infrastructure to be considered a military. Though the more I thought about it the more I liked what I did have.
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Militaries were organized structures. They had hierarchies and leadership. They had resources and budgets. What I had was a mess.
I had soldiers aplenty and I could acquire more without much difficulty. Both thanks to my odd powers as a god and my skill as a necromancer, I could easily create or acquire soldiers. What I couldn't so easily acquire was a military. And that was unfortunate.
Over the past few days I had acquired the ability to complete numerous quests related to subdomains and domains. Some of them were fascinating.
One of them was the quest for the domain of war. The final domain I hadn't yet earned influence over that was part of the apparently infamous "Apocalypse Quadrangle", a collection of domains and one subdomain with utterly devastating powers.
I was actually going to complete that quest today, in the next few minutes. All it asked was that I appoint someone a general in my armed forces and I knew exactly who that ought to be.
As Jezebel and I neared the dark-elven compound I reminded myself of the domains and subdomains I could acquire influence over. I also recalled the details of my first real quest.
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[Alert:
You may now complete quests to acquire influence over the following subdomains and domains.
War: Appoint an Althonian general.
Suidae: Heal either a pig or their most common evolution: an orc.
Bovidae: Feed a member of this family.
Fungi: Plant fungi somewhere.
Chiroptera: Cause a bat of some sort to evolve.
Knowledge: In order to acquire the second tier of influence over the knowledge domain you must build an order of monks at least fifteen people strong and provide them with a monastery in which they are to do their work.]
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The other quests were easy. I could, in fact, complete most of them here in Aronms. But the knowledge domain quest... that was going to be a lot harder. It was the first quest in my life that felt like... well like a quest.
I thought about it until I faced the gigantic gates that led in and out of the Dragonstone family's holdings. They stood well over eleven meters tall and were made from vivid, almost golden-colored, orichalcum and as such, they were eerily bright against the dark backdrop of the subterranean city.
Dark-elven sentries armed with crossbows and their own innate magical prowess patrolled the top of the gates, and Jezebel and I were well within their line of sight. They had never seen me before so when one of them spotted us and began to speak to her superior I was unsurprised.
I looked up and made eye contact with the dark-elf who had spotted me. I smirked at her and I watched her gasp in shock as she realized that I could see her as plainly as she could see me. I wasn't close enough to talk to her just yet, so after staring at her for a few moments I lowered my gaze, a smile pulling my lips upward.
The dark elf I had studied was a beautiful creature. She had resplendent golden hair, blue orbs for eyes, and silver skin, unlike the other dark elves I had seen. She also radiated magic, and it was a color I had never seen someone radiate before. A soft pink aura surrounded her and to me, with my ability to visibly see magical auras, that made her stand out like a sore thumb.
She was a dark-elf, I regularly inspected the Dragonstone family holdings using my powers and confirmed that much well before now. I even knew her name: Zelda. She was just... unusual.
Jezebel and I walked for another minute or so before we were close enough to the gates leading into the one part of Aronms that was well and truly my territory that we could be approached, magically, by the gate's guards. They greeted us with what I could only assume was typical dark-elven hospitality.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Halt!" A magically amplified voice shouted, speaking in a tone that revealed that this person felt they could speak with authority, and also had no idea who I was. I knew who he was though. I grinned and motioned for my companion to obey the order at the same time as I did.
A few moments later I heard the speaker chuckle, despite the fact that the chuckle wasn't magically amplified, as he saw us do as he commanded.
"You are entering Dragonstone territory. Identify yourselves." The same voice said, once more magically amplified, seconds after its chuckle. Now it was my turn to chuckle.
This was one of the moments where I enjoyed being worshiped by beings who hadn't ever seen me physically. It made exchanges like this all the more amusing.
"Hello, Merlin Dragonstone. I am Althos. I am quite pleased to see you taking to your job with so much enthusiasm." I told the zealous guard-caption. There was a smirk on my face as I spoke. I heard the captain fall silent for a moment. His heart skipped a beat.
"Fuck." He whispered, a few moments after falling silent. His heart was hammering against his chest. As a member of the Dragonstone family, he was one of my worshippers. And then he spoke, using magical amplification once more, presumably for Jezebel's sake since he knew that whoever she was she was someone I had brought with me and thus was deserving of respect.
"Lord Althos, please come right in. And do accept my sincerest apologies. If I had known you were coming today I would have been right behind the gate to greet you myself. In fact..." The dark elf turned and leapt off of the wall, casting a spell in mid-air to slow his descent even as the gate in front of me that obstructed my path began to rise out of the way.
I smiled as I waited for the dark elf to land and greet me in a way that he felt would be proper.
While Merlin descended to the floor, another of my companions made her presence known. My companion and the first of a handful of demons to serve me, the praereptor Sombra stepped out of my shadow. She was wearing her dark-elven guise. There was a look of displeasure on her face.
I could sense her anger, and I found it amusing. Her scowl would no doubt frighten Merlin, who was for all of his arrogance a somewhat cowardly dark-elf. The dark-elf in question began to finish descending and in a matter of seconds, he was kneeling on the floor before me just beyond the portcullis that blocked the way.
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"Hello Merlin." I muttered, greeting the captain of the guard of the Dragonstone household. The dark-elf stayed silent, in part due to Sombra' withering glare. I chuckled at the demon's openness when it came to her emotions, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She tensed up and turned to look at me. In an instant, the emotion in her gaze turned from anger at Merlin's previously improper attitude, to frustration. I could feel it in her heart. Thanks in no small part to the perpetual connection she and I shared since she was now a witch and I was her patron.
Her emotions and indeed many of her thoughts were known to me. They were conveyed to me in real-time by the insidious power of the pact and the brand that marked her as mine. No one could see the mark at the moment, as her bare flesh was hidden underneath the mortal clothing she wore. Mortal clothing given to us by my dark-elven cultists days ago.
The pact that tied her to me was a powerful one. And in part because of that, she was a powerful witch. Her overall strength had risen many times over thanks to the pact and her obsessive desire to perfect her new magic.
Merlin was no magician. The dark-elf who was now kneeling before Sombra and I was a warrior through and through. The only magic the dark-elf could use were the familiar powers over darkness that all dark-elves possessed innately, and even with that he was less skilled than the average dark-elf.
He wore a spider-silk robe that hung loosely over his shoulders and a suit of familiar skin-tight material that protected his body from the dangers one could find in abundance in this corner of the world. He stood about two and a half meters tall and normally he had an imposing countenance though it was gone in my presence.
The dark-elf was meekly bowing before me when I stepped past the portcullis and I kept my gaze trained on him. I let him continue to bow for a second longer before I spoke to him mentally and gave him permission to rise. The dark elf quietly got up off of his knees, and looked at my chest rather than meet my eyes.
"Lord... I once again ask your forgiveness. I meant no disrespect earlier." He commanded, knowing full well that I was who I claimed to be. I chuckled at the dark-elf.
"Merlin, I know no disrespect was intended." I told the warrior. I was telling the truth, and so was he. Among my other abilities was the power to detect lies, and the dark elf's words did not out him as one who was lying to save himself.
Merlin visibly relaxed, and he turned to greet my constant companion. "Lady Sombra, it is a pleasure as always to see you." He said, having met with my shadowy servant a handful of times over the past few days. He wasn't lying, and indeed one could say that his delight at the sight of Sombra was a bit too heartfelt. There were some parts of him in particular that were excited to see her.
Like a cat, Sombra hissed at her suitor and turned away from him with a prideful sneer. I chuckled at this sight and motioned for Merlin to pay her no mind. The warrior frowned, his pride hurt, but he made no moves towards her and instead meekly motioned for some of the other guards to come towards us. They started to as I began to speak again.
"Merlin, do you know where your son might be?" I asked, curiously. Merlin heard my question and scratched his beard in puzzlement. The dark-elf had a light beard that framed and further darkened his face. He thought about the question but provided me with no audible answer.
It was only when one of the nearby dark elves, a male that Merlin had beckoned to come to us, approached that Merlin next spoke. He tilted his head in the guard's direction and uttered a command.
"Boy! Go fetch my son would you? We stand in the presence of our deity." The elder dark-elf commanded, issuing his command quickly while dropping a major bombshell on the lad he had called over.
The dark elf looked at me, his purple eyes filling with shock, before bowing and then turning to go and retrieve Merlin's son. Merlin's son was the same warrior who had defeated and overthrown him days ago: Drow Dragonspear.
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In the minutes that passed since we watched the dark-elven errand-boy walk off to retrieve Drow Merlin led us past the gate, and then into the grand courtyard of the household. What awaited us beyond the portcullis was an impressive sight.
We stood at the edge of a massive courtyard, just under two hundred meters long. It was filled with dark-elven warriors either on patrol or practicing martial drills. Each of them wore the skintight armor their kind was known for wearing, as well as identical helmets that born a distinct insignia on the side: a stylized spear that came to an end in a pool of equally stylized dragon's blood.
The patrols were made up of five dark-elves each. All of them had spears strapped to their backs and carried crossbows. Most of them were silent, curiously starring at myself, Jezebel who had remained silent this whole time, and Sombra. I made no motions to meet their stares and opted instead to focus on the warriors in training.
The dark-elves that were training were openly practicing their battle skills. They sparred with one another tirelessly, using practice blades and blunt arrows for their crossbows. Their practice sessions were elaborate and the way they trained was fierce. The courtyard was filled with the sounds of their bodies and weapons striking each other. It was riveting to watch, and it marked the first time in my life I was able to watch warriors practice and train in a large group like this.
That said, as my night was to be busy and filled with other activities I was grateful when I noticed Drow's dot on my mini-map begin to make a beeline towards us. I turned and alerted everyone that soon my servant would be here and that we ought to be ready when he arrived.
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When the dot finally drew in near enough that I could turn in its direction without startling my followers I did so. And in doing so I saw my worshiper, the dark-elf templar named Drow. His face brightened as he saw mine, and he did something odd for a dark-elf: he opened his arms wide and as he approached me drew in close for an embrace in lieu of a handshake.
I chuckled and returned the gesture, pulling the dark elf in tightly with my deific strength. I heard him gasp in pained shock and then let out an unseemly chuckle a second later.
"I did not know... How strong you were." He said breathing in sharply as a response to my actions. I chuckled and released him. He let out a breath and smiled at me.
The dark-elf before me looked happier than any dark-elf I had ever seen. There was a life to him now that he lacked before. A purpose in his motions and relatively new energy in his gaze. I liked it. But I did not let it distract me.
"Drow, it is good to see you again." I told the dark-elf, speaking to him with a warmness that probably surprised the others in my presence. There was a smile on my face, an expression which I liked but didn't often make as much anymore. The realities of the weight of my powers were beginning to sink in and that took an emotional toll.
"Master, it is good to be in your presence. Have you come here for any particular reason or are you here merely to gaze upon your people?" The dark-elf quickly asked, curiosity audible in his tone. He kept his gaze locked on me, relatively, but I saw moments wherein the orbs swiftly stared at my gathered followers in confusion and curiosity. I chuckled.
"Yes there is. Drow I'd like to introduce you to someone." I told the dark-elf, speaking gently. After a second of thought, I considered correcting myself and saying that I'd like to introduce the head of the Dragonstones to two people, but ultimately I opted to not retract my comment. Instead, I turned and motioned towards Jezebel.
"This is Jezebel. She is a Sobek, a powerful sort of lizard person. She's also an evolved servant of mine." I informed the dark-elves who I had gathered. I smiled at my creation, and she nodded at the two dark elves, doing so rather politely. She was silent though, waiting for me to speak further or grant her permission to speak.
"I have brought her here to you because I believe that you possess the best ability to mold her into an effective leader and trained warrior. She has received some of my gifts, as you have, and I want her to become a trained and able leader of my forces." I explained, hinting at what I wanted Drow to do.
The dark elf's eyes shot open in shock as he realized what I was saying. And then he began to grin. He wasn't displeased by my request, nor was he off-put by it. Indeed he appeared to be quite pleased to have been asked.
"Althos, are you saying that you want her to become a commander?" He asked, his eyebrows arched up in gleeful curiosity. I could sense his amusement and delight at that idea and nodded at him. The dark-elf began to laugh once he saw me nod.
"Oh wow! She must be something special. That said... training her will be a bit of a challenge." He confessed, speaking truthfully to me. He looked at her and admired the armor she wore as well as her stature but also eyed her critically.
I studied his studious gaze. His mind was a tangle of thoughts and concerns and I could imagine him doing logistical and logical calculations as he considered what to say to me next. I was surprised that the dark elf was at least somewhat considering refusing me. I was actually glad that he still had his independence and was willing to show that in a real way: attempting to reject his deity.
The internal debate claimed his thoughts for nearly half a minute before next speaking. When he did he had considered all of the potential gains from this endeavor and was now looking to me for some help.
"Master... this is a most unusual request. I'd like to attempt to complete it but it is not I who'd be training her." The dark-elf explained, half-heartedly. I chuckled and sensed the intentions behind the words. My worshiper was asking to be convinced of Jezebel's value to someone who wasn't me.
It was a fair move and one that I respected. I mulled over how to reply to it for a moment before replying. I made it an extra challenge for myself by pushing myself to make arguments that didn't hinge on my divinity and my own power.
"Hmm... That's a fair point." I said, acknowledging the need to make an argument directed towards someone else and not necessarily someone as loyal to me as Drow was.
"Well to start off a dark-elf can't exactly fight well underwater can they?" I asked Drow, my eyes lighting up with mirth as I thought about one of the reasons why I liked having servants like her and why I granted the inhabitants of Libertad "Aquatic freedom" days after establishing their new home.
Drow thought about my words for a second. And then he humbly shook his head.
"And dark-elves can't exactly fight well on the surface, can they? At least not in the bright-light." I said, asking a question and immediately adding a quantifying statement to more correctly contextualize it.
Drow pondered my statement for a moment before shaking his head and admitting that I was correct. My smile widened.
"I am interested in granting my servants an evil education. And I thought that this place would be a good place to start to teach her such things." I told the dark-elf, appealing to his pride in his family. But I wasn't done yet.
"I wish to teach my servants the glory of the dark elves, and the majesty of my chosen house. I wish for them to lay their eyes on the property and techniques of the Dragonstones." I proclaimed, speaking mightily of the dark-elven household I found myself in.
Drow smiled at me, and there was a boldness and mirth in his gaze that many others might have found unsettling but I knew was a sign of my victory. "Hmm... Well if you put it that way then there's no chance any self-respecting instructor among my kin could refuse could they?" He asked me, a glimmer of amusement visible in his gaze.
I shook my head at him, signaling my agreement with his assessment. He looked at his father, the fallen leader of the family and gestured for the guard-captain to lead Jezebel away from here. The captain looked up at the large creature and motioned for her to follow him.
The two left without uttering a single word and I watched them walk in the direction of the actual property. Ahead of us, beyond the courtyard, stood a number of gigantic residences. They were filled with soldiers and family members and I knew that in order to accommodate my servant adjustments would need to be made. I didn't mind that though and if it came to it I'd help using my powers.
With the two of them gone, I looked to the family leader and motioned for us to go somewhere private. Drow's eyebrows arched upward in curiosity, but he wordlessly began to lead us towards a door situated inside of the gate that enclosed the family's property. It didn't take us long to reach a quiet, solitary place from which we could speak unheard by other ears.
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"So we have much to discuss." I said, beginning to speak as I reached and sat down on a chair. I wasn't alone either, my two companions Sombra and Drow also found and sat in chairs.
We were inside of a plain room meant for these sorts of clandestine meetings. There was a table in the middle of this room that was surrounded by chairs. And then aside from the table and the chairs there were a number of doors leading in and out of the narrow and low-ceiled room. It was a great place for conspiracy making.
"We do? I'm delighted to hear that but I don't know what all we need to tell each other." The dark-elf confessed, confused as to why he was here. He still had a pleasant expression on his face, having enjoyed our previous discussion and verbal sparring. I nodded at him, a serious expression on my face.
"I am beginning my efforts to build an actual empire. And I plan for that empire to include Aronms. I also want for it to include the whole of this region, the world that lay underneath Puerto Rico. I will need you and your forces." I told the dark-elf, a glimmer of ambition in my eyes.
The dark elf's expression turned serious as he listened to me. He had a look of uncommon and intense thoughtfulness.
"I see." He muttered, but there was a soft tone of excitement in the two words.
"You and your family are the first of the dark-elven families to turn to me. I will not forget that." I told the dark-elf, speaking sincerely. I was grateful and excited to know that the family was mine to command. And I intended to reward the family in the days to come. Drow smiled at me as I told him that.
"Thank you." He replied, a sincere smile on his handsome features. A silence fell between us for a moment, until Sombra interrupted the quiet moment.
"Ugh, you're so... sappy." She muttered, jealousy and annoyance mixing in perfect amounts in her voice. I chuckled at her, reminded by her quips of the work I needed to do. I turned back to Drow and the resting smile on my lips widened and changed, becoming a smile of pride and not happiness.
"Drow, I'd like for you to become a general of mine. I think it is a fitting role for you." I told the dark elf, refocused on the matter at hand. Drow's eyes widened at this remark of mine, and the look on his face told me he was thoroughly caught off guard by the idea.
"You are a skilled warrior who has taken control of your family. You've converted them all into my worshipers and you are a creature of loyalty and objectivity. You proved this by being open to the idea of your family training Jezebel, and by asking me to make a real case for her." I told the distinguished warrior. I was speaking sincerely, and I knew that he could tell.
He mulled the idea over, and I wondered what he'd say while formulating more of an argument to convince him of his worthiness for this role.
"Granting someone status as a general affords me more strength. But I chose you because you've demonstrated your strength and valor in battle and in deed." I told the warrior, speaking honestly to him while also showcasing my own objectivity. He closed his eyes, and in doing so closed himself off to all distractions, and think more critically about what to say. His next words surprised me.
"Who all would I be commanding?" He asked, his eyes still shut. I grinned, amused that the first words this mortal uttered after being offered the status of a general within a god's military were to inquire about the status of the forces he'd be commanding.
"Well, for now, you'd be commanding your own family as you already do. But in the days, or heck maybe even the hours to come that'll change." I explained, teasing at some of the developments I had planned for the next few hours.
Drow looked at me, his eyes alight with curiosity but he said nothing. He knew that I would tell him what I deemed it useful for him to know.
"Hmm... Is this truly what you wish?" He asked, his eyes gazing boldly into mine. I could tell that he was searching for the truth. I nodded at him and readied myself to speak. I knew he wanted to hear me say the words, it was the only thing I could glean from his mind as thoughts of the desire crowded out all other thoughts.
"Drow Dragonstone, I, Althos the god of change and chaos, wish for you to be a general in my armed forces. I trust you and I believe in your judgment. You constantly display more than just skill at battle, but also openness to new tactics and a willingness to question even those mightier than you. I desire such an even-hand to guide my forces into battle in my name." I told the dark-elf. There was a smile on my face as I said those sincere words.
There was another moment of silence. And then the dark elf began to nod. His acceptance of my offer was known to me not just by his physical display, but also by the notification that appeared in my mind's eye. I smiled as I felt the familiar sensation of new power welling up within me.
The power that rushed into me was breathtaking. It was also an overwhelming sensation that filled my mind with images of blood-soaked battlefields, ruined cities, sprawling armies, and grim soldiers covered in blood, dirt, and other less pleasant substances.
It was at this moment that my mind turned to my other allies in the city: Lilith, and the mysterious evoker Qu'Ren. Both of them were among the few allies I had made so far within the city. I was hells bent on changing that tonight. By the end of the night, I planned to have many allies within the city.
That knowledge made me smirk. Tonight was the first night since the night my horde defeated the reptilefolk that I felt myself gaining power. And gaining power was an addictive feeling that I had come to really relish.
Stopping myself from building my power for five whole days so that I could practice the powers I had gained had been a challenge and it was one that I was excited to be done with. I looked forward to what I'd be able to do by the end of the night. That said, I still wasn't done with Drow.
"Believe it or not, we still aren't done." I told the dark-elf. He looked at me, amused now, and waited for me to inform him as to whatever I needed to say.
I paused for a second, unsure of whether or not I should reveal one of the things that were on my mind. The truth was that I wanted to reveal my intentions to at least converse with the ancient dragon Ygaynth. I wasn't sure if I should though.
The dragon was a fierce and apparently incredibly ancient dragon that lived in another cavern underneath Puerto Rico. The creature was possibly responsible for the existence of this entire region, or at least that was one of the myths that the reptilefolks told about it. I had promised the reptilefolks that I would protect them from it, and I intended to keep my word, though how I did that was something I was willing to be a bit more flexible on.
So far honesty tended to win out more often than not, and after a few seconds of internal debating, this moment proved to be no exception to that pattern. I opened my mouth and confessed one of my intentions to my new general.
"In the days to come, I am going to speak to Ygaynth." I told Drow. I said the dragon's name with a certain level of casualness, as one might mention a rival, but Drow's reaction was not a casual one.
The dark-elf fell silent and I watched the color drain from his face. He had been on the edge of his seat for a while now, but a few seconds after I spoke the dark-elf slumped back in his seat. For once he was at a loss for words. I smiled at him and nodded as if to confirm that he had correctly heard me.
"That... Yeah that's more or less the reaction I expected." I told the dark-elf. I was lying, and I did this partially to see how someone who wasn't a reptilefolk would react to the name. Drow was quiet for a moment, before looking up at me and speaking.
"So that damn monster isn't a myth? Figures." The dark-elf complained, speaking about the dragon as if it were some mythic bogeyman. I nodded at the dark elf. It turns out that telling him was a wise move and revealed something to me: the dragon was well-known enough to inspire fear or at least loathing in creatures like dark-elves. Great.
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[War domain details:
The final domain of the dreaded 'Apocalypse Quadrangle', the domain of war is a potent domain that shapes and reshapes worlds, solar systems, galaxies, and even entire universes.
The domain of war governs battle, combat, violence, anger, and genocide. It is a brutal, ammoral domain that grants those who influence it greater power over battlefields, hearts, violence, and tactics. The domain of war cares not for why people wage war, only that they do.
To gain greater influence over the domain of war build militaristic cults, empires, and military units loyal to you and encourage them to go out and wage war on those who are not.
War domain passive powers:
Anger detection: You can sense anger lurking in someone. This allows you to more effectively gauge who would be easiest to manipulate into battle or worse. This power stacks with wrath powers from the corruption subdomain.
Anger manipulation: You can sap away at someone's patience and cause their anger to tick up with a series of slow and subtle mental attacks. You can also focus on a target once a day and cause them to experience a wave of intense anger that makes them easy to prod into battle. This power stacks with powers from the wrath set of corruption subdomain abilities.
Army command: You can direct armies more effectively. This power is a straight stat-boost that grants you keen insights into battlefield tactics and allows you to recognize little things quicker than you would otherwise. You can also bestow this power on someone else, provided they swear loyalty to you first.
Class acquisition/Class granting: You gain the classes of berserker and warrior. These are the two most traditionally martially oriented classes and as such, they are invaluable for building up new armies or improving existing ones. You can also grant them to your followers.
Death empowerment: You can bestow your soldiers with the power to feed off of the deaths they cause in battle. This power can be used to get someone addicted to battle or to murder, and both of those can start a war.
Hate manipulation: You can use your mind to amplify the hatred that lurks in someone's heart. This can and often does lead them to conflict with others. This power stacks with many wrath powers you'll gain once you gain greater influence over corruption.
Minion empowerment: This power boosts the stats of all soldiers who worship you or who would follow you into battle. It also causes them to fall under your influence.
War detection: More enhanced than a mere domain-sense, this power actively broadcasts the details of any war taking place in the world you are on into your mind. It allows you to more readily manipulate battlefields and battles.
War rationalization: Your attempts at justifying wars are more effective. Amplifies the effects of your charisma when it comes to discussing war.
Auric ability: Creatures in the range of your aura who are neutral towards you or are your enemies are more likely to start a conflict.
War domain active powers:
War never ends: Once per day you can utilize this hour-long power. You gain the power to automatically raise any dead slain in wars as undead under your command. This power can be easily vicious if your forces are at war with someone else as it means someone has to kill your servants twice, and each death of theirs bolsters your own minions.
Heart of war: Once per month you can make it so that any and all people killed in wars on the planet you are on have their souls absorbed by you for an entire day. This exceedingly powerful ability rewards you for fomenting wars throughout the planet you are on.
War domain blessing and curse details:
If you bless someone using the war domain they become a better commander and a more skilled strategist. If you curse someone using the war domain they become a worse commander and a less skilled strategist.
Special note:
The war domain has three enemies among the domains and subdomains. The first is the subdomain of purity's patience powers, the second is the domain of peace, and the third is the emotion domain's love powers.
The domain has many allies though. It is allied with the death domain and the greed and wrath powers of the corruption subdomain.
Domains and subdomains are complex and have relationships with each other. Navigating these relationships is a critical component of increasing your own strength as a god. As you gain more influence over the knowledge domain you'll gain more notifications like this.
Remember that your powers allow you to act directly or indirectly and you can take on a number of roles if you wish. The war domain is an especially handy domain for empire-building gods like yourself.
To gain the first tier of influence over the destruction domain, destroy an object or building that is over 5,000 years old.]
Reading through the war domain's details were fascinating and I chuckled as I felt those new powers lurking within myself. In a city like this the power to detect and manipulate both hatred and anger caused me to feel a million jolts as my senses expanded further even in an abstract way. And that wasn't even going into the alerts I was receiving for wars going on worldwide.
And the quest for the destruction domain made me smile. I knew exactly what I could destroy that'd help me advance more than one goal at a time. I wasn't even particularly far from the place.