Drow's Dilemma Ep. 148: Alchemistry

Author's Note:

A Drow's Dilemma began as a one-on-one roleplaying project and has been converted into a chapter-by-chapter format for weekly posting with the permission and assistance from my partner. It will contain a considerable amount of sexual themes such as femdom, lesbian, straight, 'reverse' rape, BDSM, group sex, romance, and other themes. The main goal of the story, however, is to tell an epic tale of adventures, gods and goddesses, fae, and nymphomaniacs. This episode and every episode to come will be available for free on Literotica for the foreseeable future. All characters that engage in sexual or suggestive situations are mentally and sexually mature: the human equivalent of 18 for their race.

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Episode 148: Alchemistry

Hlara Redspear led Althaia, the Dragon Priestess, Ashyr, and Aster past her secretary's office and into her own. It was sparsely decorated and small, but everything was made to the highest standards. The marble floor was an abstract piece of art on its own with its swirling greys, blues, and gold. Hlara stood behind a sturdy desk that would have been considered plain if it wasn't for the masterfully stained wood; its swirling natural patterns were highlighted perfectly. At the foot of the desk was a large sky-blue carpet. It was plain except for the gold knotted outer edges in an echo of the fortress wall decorations. The only other thing in the room was a large tapestry in the background that was an artistic rendition of a red spear.

"I heard that Ashyr was here?" Friava asked a moment after the rest of the party entered the room, her head poking through the door. "It is you!"

"Hey, Deathdancer!" Ashyr greeted the other Valkyrie as she entered and stood to the side.

"There you are, Deathdancer. Come in, we have much to discuss," Hlara told her partner.

"If my master is not allowed to join, would you mind if I actively share this conversation?" Aster asked politely.

"Permission granted. Now, Queen Althaia, you have a report?" Hlara asked.

"I do," Althaia replied. "I was able to do a special ritual to bypass the God Defeaner just enough to directly talk to Aelsuna for a few hours. Among other things, she told me that you, Ashyr, were heading here, so I knew where to go. I am tasked by her to give you all information on our current foes.

"The major foe and overall architect of this situation is the world's most powerful Green Dragon, a female by the name of Varyndaevyrress, or Varynae for short. Varynae struck deals with Aelsuna and some others to let her run amok, the details of which my goddess was unwilling to provide me.

"The God Defeaner itself has been activated by Slasjowskew Slitherscar, a supremely skilled Yuan-ti thief who wants to use it to steal the domain of God of Thieves from the current holder. He activated it in the monastery while Abbott Geirloss was away. Archmage Birchborn is standing aside and watching. I hear she made some sort of bet with Varynae, once more I was not given the details and was interested in seeing how one of her lost devices functions regardless. She made the God Defeaner, of course. Slitherscar seems to be otherwise uninvolved with whatever Varynae is planning."

"I was wondering when he would show up again," Ashyr commented.

"Selene isn't very happy about Archmage Birchborn not helping us," Aster giggled. "It's nothing worth repeating. Continue, Althaia."

Althaia shrugged. Her eyes were the sort of steel grey that indicated she had suppressed all emotional reactions. "Putting aside whether Fedwyn should be assisting us: Varynae's major allies are a fallen Solar named Ceupheara, a long-sealed succubus known to history as the Empress of Souls, and a pixie who seems to have erased her entire history - including her name - from even the memories of the gods themselves. It is very difficult to overstate how dangerous this group is, but of them, Vilinixia Violetcrown: the Empress of Souls, is by far the most dangerous. She gave Varynae a massive upgrade by a process of pseudo-succubization that creates a sort of creature called an Eromajin, though my goddess told me that the Empress herself calls them 'monster girls' since she takes powerful monsters and turns them into beautiful, sex-obsessed females who are somehow even more powerful than the monsters she made them from.

"No matter how large and powerful the creature is that she shrinks into a normal-sized humanoid form: they do not lose one bit of strength, but still have vastly heightened dexterity. No matter how soft their skin becomes, they still have the same durability as when they had layers of scales. It is a fearsome technique, and now that she has taken the Bouquet Seduction as batteries we can expect her to start mass-producing these creatures."

Hlara's eyes shone with excitement and Friava grinned. "They sound like worthy foes," Hlara commented. "I would be interested to see how they operate in battle."

"Do you think it possible to imbue something with Valkyrie energy in a similar way?" Friava asked excitedly.

"He says that it could be researched, but probably not. Valkyries are a martial offshoot of Succubi," Aster repeated her master's words almost verbatim. "Fundamentally, valkyries have succubus energy, so anything based on valkyrie energy would have the same effect." Aster tilted her head. "I don't think it would be exactly right to say that Valkyries have succubus energy. It's something more fundamental that they both share. But I think Caleldir is probably right; if your people made eromajin," she shrugged, "they would be eromajin. Their original race would decide most of their traits."

"Would we be able to make them loyal to us?" Hlara asked.

The young succubus shrugged again. "Probably not - unless you have a strong existing bond with them, maybe. I wouldn't trust them in a fight with Empress Violetcrown. Her fundamental knowledge of them would allow her to exploit something, I'm sure. Selene is powerful and intelligent enough to be safe, but anything less than-"

"Selene?" Ashyr interrupted.

"Oh, er... you didn't know?" Aster turned a more brilliant shade of pink. "I thought- I mean- the change is so apparent that- I'm sorry; I suppose you both have a lot to talk about."

Ashyr grunted and looked slightly grumpy. "I guess we do."

"Althaia, do you know anything more about turning things into eromajin? Mother only knew the very basics and was very, very cautious. Those 'monster girls' were a major reason why The Empress fell. The gods disapproved of them or something," Aster asked, trying to get their conversation back on topic.

"I don't understand the process," Althaia shrugged. "I am just repeating what Goddess Aelsuna told me. She was unusually subdued. Normally, I can tell what she feels, but she was clearly trying to hide her actual thoughts on the situation."

"If it allows a dragon to have full draconic power while in humanoid form, I certainly want to become a monster girl," Priestess Coppereyes said lazily. The shape-shifted copper dragon had sprawled out like a cat floating in midair. She ran a hand up her nude body, cupping her breasts. "Varynae can still take draconic form, so she did not give anything up."

Althaia gave the priestess a steady look, then shook her head. "Anyway, to summarize: Varynae has the power and durability of a dragon combined with the precision and grace of a nymph, Ceuphaera is an unusually powerful Solar and possibly the only one on the continent right now who can use Divine Magic, the Pixie is so slippery not even the gods know her name and abilities, and Vilinixia is the most powerful succubus in history who has found a way to exploit underlying reality. Their current goals are unknown, but they are systematically isolating us from all allies divine and mundane."

"This all sounds like some sort of test," Friava observed. "Like something we put our trainees through to see if they're worthy. Strip everything away. See if they can handle themselves with only their partner and their weapons."

"Indeed," Hlara agreed in a musing voice. "Ashyr, go talk to your partner. We can plan further once we know the result of that conversation."

"Althaia, I'd like you in the conversation as well," Ashyr said, brushing a hand down the nymph's arm very briefly.

"Of... of course!" Althaia nodded, smiling. She let her steel-grey eyes flip to blue as she stopped repressing her emotional reactions.

"Where shall I go?" Priestess Coppereyes asked.

"If you are hungry, I can send you someone to escort you to the mess hall," Hlara suggested. "Or, did you have a purpose beyond attending Queen Althaia?"

"I came along because I am a copper dragon, and sitting around waiting for things to happen in Nymphgarden is dull," Coppereyes declared. "I heard that the valkyries have mead, meat, pleasant company, and enjoy song, dance, and riddles, so I figured it would be more fun to hang out here than sit around Nymphgarden where everyone is morose about Aelsuna being absent."

"Then the mess hall is just the place for you, Lady Coppereyes!" Friava said jovially. "Come, I'll take you there myself!"

"Send someone to escort Ashyr to her male's lodgings," Hlara ordered as she sat at her desk and began pulling out writing supplies. "I will be here writing correspondences to some of the other outposts. At the very least we can get some warriors mobilized."

"Thank you, Captain Redspear," Ashyr said as she raised her hand in farewell and turned to follow Deathdancer out.

Ashyr, Aster, and Althaia arrived at the sparse building a few minutes after Caleldir and the rest of the party arrived. It seemed to have been a warehouse, as the only things in the sprawling space were some large crates. A few were lined up to divide the warehouse up into 'rooms.' There was a section for sleeping with bedding folded neatly in the corner, a room with a dining table with seats enough to fit the entire party, and space with worn couches for lounging. It was nowhere near the level of comfort everyone was used to, but serviceable enough for the party.

"You will have to send some of your female attendants to the kitchen for meals," the servant-trainee explained apologetically. "All of our cooking supplies are there; we can't use magic to summon our food right now."

"Thank you," Aster said sweetly. "This will do nicely."

Selene looked over to the lesser Duskhavens who were waiting for orders. "Make yourself useful within the fortress," she ordered. "We would like some privacy."

Phivucai Moon made a face of disappointment but directed the rest out of the warehouse. Once they were gone, Althaia let out a long breath and gracefully slid into a reclining position on one of the couches. She gave the others a searching look, mostly Selene. "So..." she began slowly. "Aster helped transform Selene into a pseudo-succubus? A Dark Elf Eromajin?"

"Apparently," Caleldir said in a mild tone as he sat down on a different couch. Aster immediately straddled his lap and cuddled into his chest. Caleldir put his arms around his familiar and ran his hands up and down her back, though his eyes were on Selene. "She does not seem all that different."

Selene gave the group an imperious look. "I am myself," she asserted. She sat down on a chair and was likewise joined by her familiar, though Ylene chose to sit beside her rather than on top of her mistress. "I have simply gone further down my path of power."

"Hmm..." Althaia mused, her brows knitting. With a move as elegant as it was sudden, she was back on her feet and gliding towards Selene. "I confess, I am very interested in this process, and in the result. While I can just use True Sight to see your glamors, do you mind dropping them so I can see what you look like now? And maybe getting naked..."

The Eromajin Dark Elf raised an eyebrow. "As long as you don't get too carried away," she said not very seriously.

"Would my pulling you into a passionate embrace and laying kisses all over your gorgeous dark body count as getting carried away?" Althaia said innocently, her armor and veil starting to drop away like water flowing down her perfect figure.

"What would possess you to do a thing like that?" Selene responded in mock seriousness. Like Althaia, she let her veil drop and showed her true form to the small party.

"You look like a Blackdawn!" Ashyr observed with some surprise.

"Except not as tall, and more glowy," Caleldir added.

Althaia licked her lips, her eyes now very purple. "Well! I approve of the aesthetics at least. You are now practically the equal of a nymph for sheer beauty, though not to the extent that you could cause blindness."

"No. But, if I continue on my course, I will be able to break lesser minds to my will," Selene told her with a slight, smug smile.

"Which means that Vilinexia Violetcrown can do that already," Caleldir worried out loud. "We will have to assume that whatever abilities any eromajin has: she has the same except to an incalculable degree."

"She does not seem to have used that power, though," Althaia said, her eyes a thoughtful blue, though still with a notable violet tinge. "So far all she has done is capture souls in her staff. Would it not have been more useful for her to dominate people to her will?"

"I think that she probably did not have enough power to do much after thousands of years imprisoned in her own orb," Caleldir theorized. "Maybe... maybe the reason she went after the Bouquet was to get a battery to power her abilities?"

"That is what I think as well," Selene agreed.

"Mmmhmm..." Aster seemed to agree too, though she was more focused instead on subtly undressing Caleldir, who pretended not to notice.

"Why didn't you tell any of us what you did?' Ashyr asked.

"I don't see why you're annoyed. I don't inform you every time I learn a new spell or gain more magical power. As I said and as Caleldir observed, I am not different," Selene insisted.

"I suppose that's a good point. I didn't notice anything different. Except maybe that you were hornier than usual," Ashyr conceded. She still seemed slightly annoyed. "I think changing going through any sort of transformation calls for discussion with the core party: all of us here, obviously. The original team. And Ylene and Aster, of course. Which brings me to my next point: The Valkyries want to turn me into one of them."

"The Matron of House Duskhaven must be a mortal drow. You can't step down until your daughter can step up," Selene told her firmly.

"Indeed, that is why you stayed Matron instead of Alycyrl taking your place once she joined the House," Althaia said idly, her eyes darting between the still-much-too-clothed Selene and where Aster was 'subtly' undressing Caleldir. "Though... are Eromajin still mortal, Aster?"

"They're... mostly mortal. Selene technically is still mortal but is on the path towards immortality," Aster explained. She fluidly slid down to the floor, taking Caleldir's trousers with her.

"Well then!" Althaia concluded in a pleased tone. "Selene can still be Matron. Once she achieves immortality through her path, she can abdicate in favor of Iondae, since if Ashyr becomes a Valkyrie with her heir still in her womb: said heir would become whatever the Valkyrie equivalent of a Cambion is."

"An Aasimar," Caleldir stated, still pretending to not notice Aster's actions. "She would be an Aasimar. Would an Aasimar drow still count as drow? If a mortal Eromajin drow does, why wouldn't an Aasimar?"

"Legally, we have to take Sidhriia into account," Selene reminded them. "She doesn't look like a drow, but genetically she is full Duskhaven. She has said before that she did not want to be Matron, but I think her admiration for Phanuel influenced that decision. It is something we could account for if we needed to. Permanent portals and the like. It actually wouldn't be a bad move when it comes to relations with Port Afron and the surrounding state. Their climate supports crops that we can't manage without magic in Norahist. And there are the trade routes with the other city-states of which we could take advantage."

"You really think that is a good idea?" Ashyr asked. "She's so... naive. Nothing like a drow or a dark elf."

"Would it be a good idea to have a matron living in a foreign country?" Caleldir asked. "Even an allied one..."

"Technically, Port Afron is still in my territory," Althaia declared, her attention now very much on Aster removing Caleldir's last layer of clothing, revealing his aroused body. "Lord Phanuel is my vassal. So, Port Afron is a Norahist possession. It is not a foreign country."

"What? I thought that you gave it back to Phanuel in its entirety," Selene asked disapprovingly. Her reaction might have been more pronounced if she hadn't been looking at Caleldir's turgid manhood with satisfaction. Apparently, she had successfully addressed his problem. "Phanuel has proven to be stable. You have no business butting into Port Afron affairs when you have so much to deal with in Norahist."

"I did give it to him entirely for a bit," Althaia admitted, her attention still more on Aster sitting back on Caleldir, this time with him firmly in her pussy with a sigh of utter relief. Caleldir gasped a bit, his arms going around her. Althaia licked her lips, though continued talking to Selene. "But... then my Goddess gave me some advice. So... I asked him to become my vassal. Port Afron is vulnerable to attack by several more powerful polities in that region. With me as Queen, that will not happen. Once we are settled down in Norahist, I was going to send a garrison of Nymph Royal Guards." She smiled pleasantly. "We have a very lovely uniform ready!"

Selene grew more disapproving. "I say that we go through more traditional routes. By surface standards, of course. It would be different if we were still in the Underdark."

"Lord Phanuel marrying Sidhriia would certainly help," Althaia said easily. The young succubus was becoming far less restrained; she bounced and jiggled on Caleldir with soft noises of pleasure.

Althaia squirmed a bit, then took a deep breath and turned her attention fully towards Selene. "When I was in charge of Port Afron, I learned how precarious of a position it is in. Why do you think Faust was so paranoid? Phanuel's position is not perfectly stable there. As far as the population knows, he is a stranger who was installed by their liberator."

"Ah, that's right. It's so obvious to me that he's a reincarnation that I forget his people don't know," Selene conceded. "Some of the more intelligent ones must suspect..."

Althaia nodded. "Officially, Faust was executed and stayed dead. If they suspect, they will have to stay quiet. Faust was deeply unpopular by the end. My staying as Phanuel's Liege increases his legitimacy in the eyes of the people, gives him powerful allies in the form of the Nymphs, Norahist, and the Aelsunite Church, allows me to proclaim Aelsuna and her court the official divine protectors of Port Afron, and gives Norahist a foothold in the region. Port Afron is a crucial stop on the trade routes between old Byzromine and the Northern Lands. Once Queen Mirjana has established her port city in Norahist, that will give us control of the entire trade route between the north and old Byzromine! Not only will that bring us wealth, but it will allow Aesluna's faithful access to secure pilgrimage routes. Most people cannot teleport, you know."

"Uh. Ladies? Does this mean that you see no reason why I shouldn't join the Valkyries? There's an heir to take my place? It is rather important, as they told me they won't help unless I become one of them," Ashyr interjected.

"If that is the case and you wish to change yourself, then I can have no objection," Selene sighed.

Biting back a moan, Caleldir finally managed to interject. He seemed to still be trying to ignore the succubus on his cock. "Selene is still a Matron candidate, as is Sidhriia. Iondae is a viable heir. Even if Ashyr became a valkyrie, it would not disqualify her next daughter, who would just be an Aasimar. So... the question is, Selene, or Sidhriia?"