The DM watched the display of his main character in amazement. This is what he had been expecting, although not as pronounced. He was still surprised that it happened so fast. That said, the power protocols were more robust than he had expected, even after toning them down when the werewolf mage got away from him.
Now that Travis seemed to be embracing his place at the top of the food chain, it might be safe to ramp up the monster level. The people, in general, were still not equipped to handle upgraded monster hordes, but that was the absolute least of his problems.
Speaking of problems, he did have plenty. For one, the AI was more headstrong than he expected. It was increasingly trying to take tasks away from him. Since it was integrated into the system, even as the admin, he had problems reversing its decisions.
He did have ultimate authority, though, and could take punitive actions, of which the AI was aware. It also didn't get to 'live on' after this project if he had to remove it. Knowing that, things shouldn't get too bad.
Another thing not going as planned was the creation of gods. At first, he thought it would be a good idea to have deities of all types, similar to the ancient Greeks. Problems arose when he tried to set each god's power dynamics. For example, how could he limit the god of war from interfering with the affairs of all warriors?
What happens when the being tries to dictate to wizards who take part in battle, even though those wizards have their own patron saints and deities? Fiction writers, he was finding out, had it easy; they didn't need to actually create the things in practice that they created on the page.
Of course, he did what anyone in his position would do— reversed his decision and just removed gods from the game. Not being fast enough early on some characters saw a column for it in their journals, but that wasn't a huge deal. Or at least he did not think it was.
Then he comes back from a short break and finds that there have been "god manifestations," as the AI described it. Apparently, he left certain parameters in place—very specific path, it said, but not impossible to fulfill—to create living gods. There are three the last time he checked.
Even though these gods do not have dominion over any particular thing, they are limited to geography and heavily dependent on worship. It's all very convoluted, as are many things in what was supposed to be a smoothly run game.
***
Paul and Trevor tiptoed towards the cave entrance. There was a small rock formation deep inside the woods about a mile and a half outside of the base. Paul had followed a feral vampire back here once before finally putting it out of its misery. They seemed easy enough to kill, that's why he had come back.
Trevor had been nagging him since Travis left to go out on a hunt. It turned out that Trevor and Wendy did not have as picture-perfect a marriage as they made it seem when people were around. He told Paul that he just wanted to get stronger so he could play a larger role in defending the base.
Paul thought he might want to leave and needed to get a journal with a map before doing so. He had no evidence to this effect but felt pretty confident. Regardless, he had taken him on this dangerous mission. Trevor was a competent swordsman, especially against lackluster opponents, and he was willing to go even if it could lead to a real fight. Gary was a better fighter but since he became a PC, he'd become less open to danger.
It was daytime, because you don't hunt vampires at night. Although now that they were about to enter the cave, things got dark real quick. Paul came prepared though; he had also gone up a level the day before and finished a few missions. Two of them vampire related.
For a reward, he received night eyes and resistance to vampire venom potions. Even though they had only seen ferals so far, Paul was certain that there were more evolved versions. He didn't think he would find Edward Cullen in the cave, maybe something closer to a Blade movie villain though.
Paul steeled himself as he thought he heard something; reacting quickly, he took one of the three night eyes potions he had received. It was like turning the lights on inside the cave, and inside he saw two shambling figures approaching the entrance. They were still far off, as the cave was much deeper than he expected.
He motioned for Trevor to back up, and he did as well. They moved fast to a large tree about 20 yards from the cave. There he tried to calm himself to listen and watch for anyone exiting the cave.
Fifteen minutes passed, and nothing came out. Trevor leaned over and whispered, “what should we do?”
“Let's wait a little longer. Maybe they went back for some reason, but I don't want to enter the cave at the same time they are coming out. If we have a chance to get the jump on them, then we have to try.” He didn't take his eyes off of the cave as he said this. Trevor nodded and put his back against the tree, relaxing somewhat.
Ten more minutes passed when he leaned over again, “hey, can I ask you something?”
“What?” Paul answered in minor frustration.
“What do you have against Travis?”
That question surprised him somewhat, especially considering where they were. So far, Paul had been successful in giving off the stern trainer persona. He didn't need to socialize like other people tended to do, so being quiet and even unapproachable at times was fine with him.
He did converse with Javier and sometimes Clyde, but even that was usually regarding serious base-related issues. He did like them, though, and also respected both, although for different reasons. Regardless of what people thought, Paul tried not to be disrespectful to Travis in front of others. The last thing he wanted was to cause a schism. Apparently, he was unsuccessful.
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Not sure how he was going to answer, Paul just went with the truth. “I don't have anything against him as a person; it's as a leader that I think he's lacking.” Then he tacked on something he felt was worth mentioning, “Not entirely, I do recognize the challenge he has in being thrust upon as the 'main character,' whatever the fuck that means.”
Trevor waited for him to go on, but nothing was forthcoming. “In what ways do you find him lacking as a leader? By the way, I am not trying to gossip or cause drama, but I think it's important to understand the leadership dynamics. Who knows what will happen, and what position I will be in going forward.”
Paul wasn't sure he agreed with that last part, but even though he did practice professionalism, he was not immune to boredom. Once the adrenaline of the hunt went away, the waiting game was anything but exciting.
“Travis was an officer in the army; I also served but as a grunt, a regular frontline soldier. He did serve in the field, but he still has an officer's mentality. We should have more of a council since everything happening is new but in different ways to all of us. Now, I'm not saying leadership should be democratized where everyone has a say, but more of a small leadership group.”
“Since that is not the case, we need a leader that is more assertive, more aggressive. To be a dictator sometimes takes a dictator's actions. Remember when he didn't let those people come with us to the base?”
Trevor nodded his head.
“Well, that is the type of thing that he needs to do more, make the hard decision that may seem cruel, but it's for the benefit of the many. Also, and most importantly, he is the most powerful person we have encountered.
He should be tearing shit up left and right; instead, he walks softly and carries a handgun that he doesn't use enough. Travis should be shooting everything that isn't human right in the face and worrying about what it was later.”
While that was all true from his perspective, it should be said that Paul also just never had an easy time accepting authority over him.
Trevor looked thoughtful. “I can definitely understand most of that; but have you ever thought that the last part might be because you are a grunt. When you're the leader, consequences of your actions fall on the entire group, where a soldier usually just speaks and acts for himself. Maybe he is afraid that if he takes punitive actions shit will roll downhill.”
Paul hadn't thought about it like that. He still believed Travis was too hesitant, but surprisingly Trevor raised an interesting point. He pondered his position; this was the first time he had ever thought about it so specifically, and the nugget from Trevor.
As they were waiting, the weather shifted dramatically. No more bright and sunny, it was now overcast and raining slightly. The sky went from a clear blue to a dreary grey in a pretty short time. That might be a good sign to pullback Paul though.
As he was about to tell Trevor it was time to pack up, he saw ferals start to exit the cave. This time, instead of just two unsteady figures, now there was at least a dozen. He put his arm on Trevor to keep him still, which was unnecessary. Trevor wanted some easy experience, not a fight to the death with a mob of zombie-like vampires.
The last feral stumbled out, but that wasn't everyone. The group stopped as if waiting for something, and waiting they were. Out from the cave mouth came what Paul could only imagine were two regular vampires.
The Cullens these two monsters were not. What stood at the mouth of the cave were abominations. They had grey skin, with a head that was barely human in shape. They did appear to have changed their clothes. Paul was surprised that he noticed that, but it stood out. They were still far away so he couldn't make out much else, except that these were not humans turned into vampires, these were straight up monsters.
He was peering out from behind a tree to stay hidden but also had to get a good look at these things. He had seen vampires that looked like this, but where? It came to him as he continued to stare. One of the guys in his squad in Afghanistan played a Warhammer video game. The vampire faction had members like this. monstrous and grey, neither wearing shoes but still walking and behaving like humans.
The taller of the two looked to be sniffing the air; he turned around as he did so and faced the direction of the tree they were behind. Paul tried to think, should they run, hide, or fight? Fighting was probably suicide. He could send Trevor off while he fought, buying him time.
He was leaning towards that option as it was his fault they were out here; that's when he heard a commotion. The vampire leaders started screaming orders. Paul couldn't help himself, so he took a peek. What he saw was straight out of an Underworld movie.
There was a group of werewolves charging in from the opposite side of the woods that he was in, realizing to himself that was the direction of the werewolf stronghold. Something like allies, Travis had said; he didn't really believe it, but he would find out now.
***
The two vampire lords exited the cave, their transformed state marked by a more monstrous appearance. Their progenitor had informed them that they would be the inaugural members of the Stirgoi faction. Drawn to the allure of physical strength and dominance, they embraced this powerful option, leaving behind their more human features. Former gang enforcers, they were no strangers to taking orders from physically weaker individuals, but in a new world where sheer power ruled, the decision to become Stirgoi held great appeal.
In their monstrous form, they controlled a small but expanding coven of neophyte ferals, guiding them towards becoming full-blooded Stirgoi. While not all could endure the transformation, even a modest number of successes promised territorial growth and increased influence.
The metamorphosis had a profound impact on their minds, blending human consciousness with a more feral and primal nature. Alongside this transformation came a host of enhanced abilities that favored their monstrous forms—increased strength and speed, sharp claws and teeth, and advanced healing capabilities.
Some of the more formidable members of their coven possessed additional, more advanced powers, though few humans survived encounters with these creatures to witness and report such abilities.
As the leader of the coven caught wind of an approaching force of some power, a sense of unease permeated the air. The vampires, with their heightened perception, could detect the scent of fear and anxiety emanating from the hidden humans, yet this new force held no fear whatsoever.
"What is it?" inquired the second-in-command, as footsteps echoed in the distance, rapidly closing in.
"It's the werewolves," the leader responded.
"Should we retreat?" queried the second-in-command.
The leader found himself torn. Abandoning their growing power base and starting anew was unappealing, yet he remained uncertain about the strength of the approaching werewolves. Having observed them from a distance and heard tales of clashes between their kind and the vampires, he pondered the best course of action. The warning not to settle near the werewolves' stronghold had been received, but the cave's allure lay in its hidden nature.
Little did anyone know, except for the werewolves' side, that the discovery of this place had been orchestrated by Torak, the head werewolf and leader of a burgeoning mixed faction. Tasking stealthy kobolds with shadowing members of the Joint Task Force, knowing the unique nature of Travis, if not understanding why, he made sure that any world shaping events he was involved in, Torak would be made aware. Finding this vampire coven was just a bonus.