"I do offer unlimited power, master." You There insisted. "My seed soaks into the very core of my partners, imbuing them with the stolen power of Eriad."

Scratch was pacing up and down the cavern floor. The bandits and goblins had convened in front of the steel forge in order to discuss their course of action.

The bandits were able to stand calmly still, but the goblins were fidgety and energetic. The demon stood in the middle as the center of attention.

"The women of this community have agreed to lay with goblins for material gain." Aimone spat. "Surely, an incubus is a step up. Let them take the seed and fight for us."

"Women or men. My powers do not discriminate." You There gleamed.

"Oh. Uh..." Aimone looked uncomfortable, it seemed like he had second thoughts on the suggestion now that he was eligible.

"Nobody is laying with an incubus." Stanford stated.

Harkness gave him a questioning look, for his presumption of authority.

"I won't abide it." He answered her. "It's a corruption."

"Really?" Scratch grinned joylessly. "After everything, this is a bridge to far? A stick up your pooper has got to be the least indig-"

"It's a demon." Stanford roared. "The primal enemy! Do you think this is a game?"

Scratch matched his energy. "Who's your primal enemy? A year ago I would've been your primal enemy!"

"Maybe you are..."

Harkness gave a sharp and short whistle, reining them in. "We're all on the same side."

Scratch threw his hands up. "Regardless of believes, grudges, whatever. At the end of the day, everybody has to follow their self-interest, that's what I think. Isn't that right, You?"

"Hhm? Oh no, the cleric is astute. My only agenda is evil."

Scratch became angry. "What is your angle, antagonizing us?"

The demon giggled girlishly. "Who's your hero, Scratch?"

"What?"

"This is no use." Harkness cut the discussion short. "You can use the demon, but not on humans, and not on our family. That's final."

"And she's back to giving orders." He muttered under his breath.

-

"Then there's the the steel," she continued, gesturing broadly at the forge, "we can't let it sit here while we're under mortal threat."

"What about Lacrima?" Huckabee asked.

"She can't threaten us with anything worse than the army would do."

"Is it true that the captain is your father? Can't we use that?"

She gave a bitter expression. "No chance. There is no love between us."

"Lacrima couldn't have done us a greater service." Scratch stated. "She specifically ordered us to create armaments that we can equip our own goblins with. She has prepared us for a battle just like this."

"That can't be a coincidence, can it?" Gildo groaned.

"No. She's been planning to use us for her own purposes, but I don't know what those are yet."

"Let's postpone these concerns." Harkness cut them short authoritatively. "For now the witch will have to accept us taking her army for a trial run."

"We'll turtle up." Scratch declared. "We'll stock food in the promise and gather the population within these walls."

"Absolutely not." She shot him down. "The promise will go out to defend the homes of the people. Barbara, tell them what you told me."

"Oh! Uh..." The goblin brood mother straightened her back on being called upon. "The fort is almost complete, Mabel and the others know the location. They're connected to the suppliers."

"It's to the southwest." Harkness continued for her. "In the middle of the plains. If we mobilize quickly enough we should be able to surprise them."

"Oooh, the relentless throng," the demon purred, "a classic goblin strategy. It has always been a dream of mine to see it up close."

"Well not of mine." Scratch protested. "We can't destroy a state power, our strategy should be to force a standstill. Besides, goblins can't march in these temperatures."

"Scratch, I want you to focus on managing this dungeon." Harkness commanded. "I'll take charge of the war."

"Zounds!" You There said mockingly. "That must be the lost credibility you were referring to!"

"Is he not going to be part of the charge?" Huckabee asked.

"We need him to lead the troops." She added. "We'll call on you when it's time to head out."

Scratch balled his fists but said nothing. Impotent protest would only further drop his social power amongst the humans.

"So," Aimone summarized, "we have demon magic, steel, and the element of surprise. Is that enough?"

Harkness sighed. "We'll have to find out."

"Mannaggia..."

----------------------------------------

Rather than compete for dominance, Scratch saw the wisdom in maintaining unity. So he ceded to Harkness and followed her plans.

While equipment was being moved upstairs and messengers were send out to unite the tribes, he and You There were in the deepest depths performing experiments.

"This is Guinea." Scratch introduced the young goblin taken from a vassal tribe. "Say hello."

"E-Ello..." Guinea stammered. He was a half-feral, loyal to the Promise but not as educated as many others.

"You disappoint me master!" You There laughed mockingly. "I had hoped to taste your body today, but I'm fobbed off with an experiment."

"Perhaps if you'd seemed less eager." Scratch croaked humorlessly.

"Promise me you'll take me to see the carnage of them battlefield, master. I must see it."

Scratch ignored that last comment and threw his hand up for the others to begin.

Guinea's family members encouraged and comforted him. They spoke a crude creole of human and orc words and were hardly intelligible, but their meaning was clearly for him to 'take one for the team' or something to that effect.

They needed to earn the favor of the patriarch.

The demon and the goblin took off their respective clothing. A, by now, dirty and torn schoolboy's uniform, and a collection of pelt scraps tied around various parts of the body. The items were folded and placed next to each other.

A thin blanket over the hard and cold stone was the stage for You There to show off his abilities. Both took their places facing each other like gladiators before a fight.

The incubus took initiative. At first he draped himself in the goblin's arms like a woman. When the goblin didn't quite know what to do he took on the role of the man instead, pushing Guinea against the floor and starting his business.

Scratch sat down on a rock and lit a bluegrass cigarette. It was a strangely perverse experience to lean back and observe the two in an act like this, he felt like a voyeur.

-

Cyclophan didn't provide context for the magic at display, but veered straight into his own agenda.

You failed today.

Christ.

I told you not to invoke other gods. And we really do need to talk, about your performance as my champion.

Scratch summoned up a smug arrogance. Now I know that you can't fire me. So don't threaten me with that.

Nevertheless I will call you out. You've failed me today.

Ugh

When I finally got a dungeon I wanted to announce myself to the world, cast the lands into darkness. But you convinced me stealth was the way to go.

I remember that. Scratch held up the idle conversation as the two fornicators stopped moving. It seemed like You

There was whispering something in Guinea's ear, causing his face to grimace with fear.

Why then are you acting out? Summoning demons you don't know, openly talking about the shard. I thought you were going to mention my name to the humans.

Before Scratch's eyes Guinea began to groan unnaturally, his bones creaked as his limbs lengthened and his skin began to chance colour. Acting out... I wouldn't say acting out. But I've been taking risks, that's true.

Why?

Why? Guinea up-righted himself. He had changed, resembling a pale hobgoblin. The expression in his eyes seemed hollow. Because I've been humouring you too much. We're growing too big. I'm trying learn from past mistakes.

What does this have to do w-

Shut up. Listen to this. Anyone can break rules, almost nobody can make them. In the past year we've destroyed two ways of life, those of goblins and those of bandits. That was the easy part.

Guinea's tribe mates rushed over to him in order to cheer. He barely responded, looking at the smaller beings as if they were curious splotches of colour on his retina.

Creating the new ones is the hard part. We barely got rid of Fyro and now Lacrima is muscling in, not to mention Lydia pushing to get her way. Scratch leaned forward to focus on the transformed goblin while communing. If I'm going to be 'master' of a dungeon I need to be in control of it.

You There walked up to him to receive praise, he dragged the transformed Guinea with him by the elbow. "See here, master. The stolen power or Eriad is at your disposal."

Scratch threw them their clothes. "You turned him into a hobgoblin..." he observed, scratching his chin.

You There shrugged. "An surprising result, but in hindsight we should have expected it. When we incubi service humans, they attain the qualities of those of higher birth. And after all, what are hobgoblins other than goblins of higher birth? The bigger body is how their potential is expressed I would say."

It seemed to Scratch like he was making it up on the spot. "And Guinea, how are you feeling?" He asked the other.

"More powerful?"

Guinea opened and closed his mouth. He stared into the distance with teary red eyes. His tribe mates began pulling on his arms trying to get him to react. He turned his head towards one and screamed, slapping him across the floor.

"Friend! No!" The other goblins cried. They didn't see the person they knew behind those wild pained eyes.

Guinea proceeded to savagely attack anyone around him, forcing the goblins to defend themselves.

"Oops!" You There laughed as Guinea began beating the goblins, and he stepped aside to let them fight.

Scratch whistled on his fingers and idle and industrious goblins within hearing distance dropped what they were doing to jump on the mad hobgoblin.

Guinea kept screaming while being piled under a growing heap of goblin bodies.

You can control Lydia Harkness, that won't be an issue. Cyclophan continued the conversation as Scratch sat staring at the violence.

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"Well how? I can't evolve, I can't cast magic, and apparently I can't command any decent demons either. Meanwhile every other day the threats become bigger, with no end in sight!"

I see. So you're feeling insecure because of how weak you are, and this is what your tantrums look like.

Scratch sank down and placed his head in his hands. There's to talking with you.

Fix it, Scratch. Survival comes before control.

-

Two dozen goblins and a heavy rock to the back of the head were required to subdue the rampaging beast.

"Will he go back to normal?" Scratch asked the demon.

You There looked back and forth between his face and the cigarette that let him commune with the lie detecting god.

The hesitance told Scratch that he wouldn't.

Under the wailing of Guinea's friends he had to be euthanized. A pin through the throat did the job quickly.

The goblin crossed his arms. "How did I know you were playing me? Huh? Tell me the whole truth."

You There drooped his shoulders, in no way recognizing the gravity of the situation. "My goodness, is this experiment unfavorable to me. I give you my vow that it's supposed to be a subtle progression!"

Scratch breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, the other goblins became quiet and still. The demon suppressed a slight giggle at the heavy atmosphere.

"A subtle progression..." the goblin growled, "into... what?"

You There put up his two index fingers. "Before that, let me assure you that I wasn't planning to have you find out until it was too late."

Scratch's expression didn't change. He kept up his threatening and expecting look.

Since the joke didn't land the demon became more serious. "No being can truly perform beyond its potential, you must have understood that by now. Haha. I mean, that is what a potential is, the divinity of their existence, their weight in the fabric of reality."

Scratch didn't answer.

You There smiled guiltily. "So the stolen power adds to their divinity. A graft of dark demonic divinity sitting on top of their soul. If the darkness becomes larger than the original soul, well... you can see the result. The old guinea is gone."

"You can't fight, but you assure me you can empower my people." Scratch stated in overly enunciated staccato.

You There looked back and forth between Scratch and Guinea. "Oh no, this isn't supposed to happen. I had not foreseen how small a goblin's power is. Give me Lydia! She's a knight, it would require an exponentially larger amount of my seed to destroy her mind."

Scratch's eyes shot fire.

"Listen to me!" The demon insisted. "It's supposed to be a slow corruption, addicting them to power until they lose their very selves. Do not judge me on one premature reification, rather, grant me a meatier subject."

The goblin shook off the anger and made a wry smile. "How come that is still the only thing you care about?"

You There gave a guilty laugh. "Incorrigible, me."

With two fingers from Scratch the surrounding goblins piled on top of the demon and held him down.

"You said something about your next summoner being better last time." Scratch remarked. "So I suppose you can't die.

But if we burn this body I don't have to deal with you anymore, is that correct?"

"No."

Yes. Cyclophan corrected.

"He killed your brother." Scratch explained to Guinea's tribe mates. "You can do with him what you like, but there's an industrial furnace nearby, that's my recommendation."

The goblins yelled loudly and angrily at his words and dragged You There away.

"Hey, wait. WAIT." The incubus hissed as they tightened their grips. "Haha. You want your control back, you need a demon of temptation to do it."

Scratch held up his hand to stop the crowd. "You can hear me talk with Cyclophan?"

"There are 7 families of demons." He struggled uncomfortably against the goblins' grip. "The -not so tight boys- The mimics you employ are beings of the darkness, I am a being of temptation. Manipulating the will of mortals is my primary skill."

The goblin patriarch had the others bring the demon's face close to his. "You didn't answer my question."

"I have no need for any sort of magical intrusion upon your communion, master. To someone like me the strings connecting all are eminently visible."

Scratch scoffed at You There's attitude, a negotiation technique to seem more dominant. "You're trying to buy your life and what you've got to offer is... what? You'll tame Lydia for me?"

"My life is of no value to me." The demon tried to come in closer but was held back. "What I want is to be part of your symphony, an instrument in your domination. If only you knew how much I have to offer. Give me a chance to prove it."

Scratch narrowed his eyes at the incubus.

You There softened his tone. "I can inspire such gratitude in you master, that you let me have her body any way I'd like."

The other puffed on his cigarette. "Bizarrely," he said, "it doesn't seem like you're lying."

----------------------------------------

"Is everybody partnered up!?" Scratch yelled out over the gathered troops.

Before him were collected close to two hundred goblins from the surrounding colonies. Most of them were younglings from bandit matriarchs.

They had gathered near the tree home as a central location, the family was explaining the war effort to them. Each of the leading family was seated on a wolf while talking to a manageable portion of the many dozen children.

"The boy you're holding hands with is your partner." He told the pairs close enough to hear him. "You'll be marching for a few days, always marching with your partner. If you can't find your partner, come find one of us! Any questions?"

One of them raised an arm as he had been taught. "Why not take weapons?"

"You are taking weapons. Every one of you has a pack with supplies, it comes with a sling and a bow. You're not carrying spears and shields because we don't want to make you brawl with humans, your job is to stay back and fire ranged attacks, is that clear?"

The goblin nodded slightly not to seem defiant. He didn't really understand the reasoning, but was now at least confident that there was one. His neighbour elbowed him for dragging out the lesson and he elbowed back, they entered a covert tussle of back and forth jabs without exposing it to the boss.

"That's fine then." Scratch concluded. "We're leaving as soon as you hear the horn."

-

After the briefing he went to visit Lydia Harkness among the armored goblins. Her speech wasn't over yet.

"Individual strength doesn't matter," she was saying, "what matters is that you hold the line."

Barbara's sons before her nodded. They looked like snowmen in the matte steel harnesses produced by the Promise. The outfits were collections of rounded shapes over their heads, torsos and joints.

"There will be adults there to have your back." She continued. "You are never alone against the enemy, understand?"

"Yeah." "Uh-hm." Some tepid confirmations sounded from the crowd.

"Now take them off. We only armor up before the battle." She concluded.

-

"Is this really the best way?" Scratch asked her while the others were packing up their armor.

"This is how war is waged." She stated. She put her hand on Wendy's head, Scratch had to calm the wolf not to make her bite her. "The cavalry goes ahead to set up camps, the baggage train is guarded by the light infantry, and the heavy infantry marches in front of them to set the pace. Normally the cavalry are the horseback riders, but your dogs are faster. So we'll stay with the infantry."

"I still wish you wouldn't involve our kids." He sighed.

"I know." She touched his cheek. "That's also why I don't believe you when you tell me you're evil. But we can't protect them forever, they need the experience."

"They're only a few months old." Scratch half-joked.

"I wish you would get rid of that demon." She responded. "Didn't you tell me his power was of no use?"

"He swears he can make himself useful." Scratch scratched the back of his head. "I want to believe him. Maybe it's wishful thinking."

"As long as he doesn't cause any trouble."

"I'm not letting him leave my side, he-" Scratch looked around. "Where is that twerp?"

-

They found him chatting up Brittany in the underground living space.

The base was more sophisticated now than it had ever been. The floor was tiled, hanging curtains divided it up into rooms with privacy, and elevated bowls of fire illuminated the place, casting colored shadows through the curtain fabrics everywhere.

Brittany was not a volunteer from among the bandits, but a captured adventurer. She did not enjoy the trust of the family, and neither did You There.

They were castigated and the demon was tied up.

----------------------------------------

That very same day the goblin army started its march. It was just after sunset, so they had the whole night to travel in cooler temperatures.

As the former knight instructed, the foot soldier marched around a baggage train, two dozen horses pulling sled of weapons, shields, tents, food, and tankards of water.

Their society wasn't advanced enough to give everybody their own waterskin, so they carried cups that they could fill at the tankard.

For the first few miles the wolf riders kept pace with the pedestrians. Scratch had introduced a marching song.

"Gory gory, what a horrible way to die!

Gory gory, what a horrible way to die!

Gory gory what a horrible way to die.

He ain't gonna fly no more!"

The goblins didn't know what it meant, but singing it was a good distraction for their chaotic minds, and it gave a sense of unified will.

-

Under the noise of the singing Lydia Harkness had to wave at the wolf riders running in all directions around them to get one's attention.

It was Benjamin that noticed her and managed to convince his wolf to approach her.

The horses Harkness and her children were riding were much larger than the warg wolves, and Benjamin had to stretch himself upwards as much as possible to address her.

"Could you get your brother for me?" She asked.

"Which one?" He responded slowly.

"Get Scratch. Tell him to come to me before you go ahead."

"Hmm." It was the least enthusiastic confirmation in history, but it seemed like Benjamin agreed to it.

"Why can't we go ahead too?" Felix complained as he left.

"Dogs can't carry the likes of us." Harkness stated.

"That's lame." He responded.

"So you would rather be small?" Ada laughed.

"N-no. I didn't say that! When did I say that?"

"You idiot. It's a ra-torical question."

"Rhe-torical." Scratch had joined the group and corrected her.

"Ugh." She responded with annoyance.

"It's almost time for you to leave." Harkness told Scratch. "Do you remember everything I told you."

"It's not rocket science," he said, "find a large open spot, about fifty miles ahead, get a fire started, and prepare the ground for tents."

"And have you collected the necessary equipment yet?"

"Uhm." It had slipped his mind. "We'll grab it right now."

"Remember to keep going south." She pointed at the night's sky. "Those three stars in a line always point west, use them as your guide."

"I will. You lot can look forward to eating by a bonfire when you arrive."

"And catch something while you're waiting for us too." Ada demanded as he sped off. "I want fresh meat. Fresh!"

----------------------------------------

The lands to the south were an open plain. No trees obscured view of the horizon, but changing elevations, gullies, hills, and ridges, broke up the land and created diverging pathways.

The wolves fanned out, as was their way, only just close enough to see and smell each other. Their riders were just along for the ride.

It was a wistful, lonely feeling for the goblins. Each on their own wolf they were isolated, having no stimuli around them other than the cool breeze and the starry sky. Many of them would have had the wolves turn back if they had the power to do so, but they had to wait for the temporary meetings along the way to give their input.

You There was tied and gagged, secured fastly to the back of a strong young wolf. But he squeezed his eyes shut in fear whenever the beast took to sprinting.

-

It was still deep into the night when they found a suitable spot to set up camp. An elevated plateau over the rest of the grassland.

Scratch made it clear that it was the selected spot by jumping off the wolf. "Unload everybody! We have our camp!"

Mac and Fyro repeated his words for others to hear, since they were so spread out.

"Unbelievable." Scratch said to Benjamin when his wolf brought him to him. "You can sleep anywhere."

"Hhm, what?" Benjamin rubbed his face in the annoyed wolves' mane and woke up.

"Here, you start the fire." Scratch threw him the sticks. "I'll unpack the livestock."

"Should've killed him." Second muttered behind his back.

-

By himself Scratch untied You There and let him fall to the ground. He rubbed the wolf behind the ear and crudely made clear, using wolf-like grunts and gestures, that there would be food unpacked where Wendy was.

"Are we going to have any more problems?" He asked the demon.

"Master! You know I would never offer up my power to your enemies, I was merely gathering information."

"I know that. But there's the question of image. You told me you were a master manipulator, mistakes like that are not allowed."

You There stood up and brushed himself off. "Expert consideration. I must commend you on your vision." His schoolboy clothing had become mixed with the attire of colony goblins at some point, he was wearing hides wrapped around his soles instead of shoes, and teeth and feather jewelry around his neck. The jacket of the original outfit had been abandoned somewhere.

"You keep trying to flatter me, and it keeps lowering my assessment of you." Scratch grunted.

"Yet you took me along, away from the 'adults'." You There grinned. "Because you wanted to hear what I have to offer, without them hearing."

"You might not be here when they arrive." Scratch turned his back to him and led the way to where the fire was supposed to start. "So start talking."

"With pleasure." You There hobbled after him.

-

Next to the smoke signal the goblins huddled around the demon, who lectured to them on manipulation.

"I have familiarized myself with the fine points of your methods." He proclaimed. "You are familiar with the very basics of breaking minds. The use of discomfort."

"When a woman has no allies," Scratch responded, "she can be humiliated. That is not the case here. I can't withhold any of our humans their dignity unless they obey, if anything it's the other way around."

"But do you understand why dignity is such a strong motivator?" You There asked.

"Why? It's a survival instinct, isn't it? We all strive to gain dignity, that's why we require food, housing, expensive goods, for status." Scratch spoke why it was the most natural thing in the world. "People act out of self interest."

"Not at all." You There disagreed. "Mortal beings act out of pride. In everything, they strive to embody a chosen ideal, to mimic a hero."

"That's bull." Scratch scoffed.

"You may not see it, but that is the essential truth. Even you strive to be a special person, don't you?"

Scratch looked to the others for confirmation. "I strive to be myself. That's what I tell everyone to do."

The others nodded.

"But that in itself is an ideal. An elevated person, not fooled by the delusions and hang-ups of the masses, a superman, does that sound familiar? There have been others like you throughout our history." You There stated. "I do see that I have caused discomfort, so I will return to our original focus, Lydia Harkness."

"What do you want to do to her?" Mac gasped.

"Just to get her with the program." Scratch said curtly to silence him.

"Each realm of this world celebrates a different breed of hero," You There explained, "accomplishments of the past guide the ideas of the future you see. In Reddington, all people of note have been protectors of the common people.

Our girlfriend Lydia aligns herself to those heroes of the past."

"And that's how you explain irrational behavior." Scratch concluded for him.

"That is how I explain mortal lives."

"And where does this turn actionable?" Scratch pressed.

"I'll tell you. It's not dignity that needs to be broken, it's pride."

"Pride?"

"Human beings will flow into any shape and form that will let them feel comfortable with themselves. Simply make her feel ashamed for who she is, and she will change to regain her pride."

Scratch sighed. "Simply, huh? So you're giving me the blindingly obvious, but no way to achieve it."

"Obvious? Hah, if only. You mortals never understand the full meaning. In two days we will wage battle against enemy troops, you will see that encircling enemies to kill them is ill-advised. A wise warlord leaves an opening for soldiers to flee towards. For if there is no way out of their position, the troops will steel their nerves and fight valiantly to the death. Viola, the same is true for the war of idea."

"What on earth are you yapping on about?" Scratch become a little angry.

"The next time, master, that you shame our dear Lydia for following teachings that vilify you, give her an escape route."

"An escape route? From the teachings?"

"From the shame. A human being wants only to preserve his pride, if there is no way to do that other than to defend his position, that is what he will do, he will entrench himself in his belief stronger than ever before. But if you give him an excuse..."

"An excuse for his belief? Somebody else to blame!"

"Somebody or something, a misunderstanding even." The demon giggled. "When the human takes your escape route, he accepts your premise, and you've won an ally."

"Hhm." Scratch thought about it. "It sounds like some sophistry for winning arguments. That can't be enough to change personalities."

You There shrugged. "It is just one tool in the arsenal of us temptation demons, it is only natural that differing subjects call for differing methods. Think of it like so: your method of deprivation imposes discomfort on the subject from outside, the method of shame has it come from within. These things very similar, but shame can not be fought with the threat of violence, it is the tool of the powerless."

Scratch nodded, his head was swirling with ideas and he began to feel more in control just from You There's suggestions.

Mac opened and closed his mouth. Then he said "you're a mean guy" to You There.

"Thank you." The demon replied unironically.

----------------------------------------

Siege Harness

A siege harness is equipment used in large-scale warfare. None are available for use by adventurers.

From the outside a siege harness resembles a giant in full plate armor. But no such being resides on the inside. A regular sized pilot takes up position in the chest, using magical means to move the entire body.

Siege harnesses are used to break through enemy shield walls and storming forts. Their power and value rivals that of castles.

If a siege harness lies unretrieved in the wild, that is because the area it has been lost to is extra-ordinarily perilous. Adventuring quests to retrieve such a machine tend to be rank B and higher.