Drow's Dilemma Ep. 148: Alchemistry

"If I had not been asleep just now, I would make an educated guess. But I must be the one to ask questions. What's going on?" The book spoke for the first time. The first part of her words was very precisely and deliberately spoken. The last was quicker and quieter.

The Empress's smile was more than a bit smug. "I will answer both of your questions in time. It is not a small power boost you would have if I turned you into one of my adorable monster girls, Carlotta. The difference is greater than that of a mouse to a woman. But that is only a small part of what I am offering."

Vilinixia stepped back and spread her arms wide, swelling in size and outfit back to her true form. "Carlotta Sundial, by giving you Alkali as a familiar and giving your ancestral tome sapience, I have already ensured that you will become the single most powerful living human alchemist. I give you this for free, asking only that you treasure my beloved, adorable daughters. But if you are willing, I want more from you. I, the great Empress of Souls, Vilinixia Violetcrown, daughter of Azathahuga and Morrigan, granddaughter of Lilith, the creator of the Eromajin, wish to recruit you as my new Court Alchemist. Your duty will be to create monster girls, as I have done. It has been too long since my cute creations have graced these lands, and I want you to make a great many of them. For I see that you will be kind to them, and responsible in their creation and upbringing."

She smiled, shrinking down again. "Well, alchemist? Do you want me to give you the power to create life?"

The mad alchemist in Carlotta wanted to answer with a resounding YES. But her wisdom number was higher than that. Whatever that meant. She craved a power boost, but not at any cost. "What's the catch here? Do you want me to work against Ashyr and the rest? I refuse to harm them. Hell, I don't even want to make them mad at me. I just want to rise to their level."

"Work against them?" Vilinixia giggled. "Well, if you want to, you can. While my mistress wishes to test them, I do not ask you to fight them. No, the only thing I want from you is to create many, many lovely monster girls! I want you to make them, and care for them, train them to fight, and help them develop their skills! If you want to challenge the Duskhavens, you can. If you do not want to challenge them, you do not have to! My new world order is served by the proliferation and strengthening of my lovely daughters, and that is all I ask from you!"

"So... you want to take over the world with sexy women?" Carlotta asked with her head tilted and her eyes narrowed.

"Well... sort of," the Empress admitted. "I mean, as long as I exist and am unsealed, I am the supreme ruler of all eromajin, and they cannot go against my will. So, certainly, I can order my daughters as I will. But I am a pretty lazy supreme ruler. My goals are to create a beautiful world for succubi and eromajin, then enjoy the happiness of my sisters and daughters from afar."

"And if you change your mind? Decide to mobilize your army against the world? Against me and my allies?"

The ancient succubus laughed. She laughed long and deep. As she laughed, she grew. Not to twelve feet tall, but swelled to a truly massive size. The eldritch entity stared down at Carlotta, her golden eyes swirling with alien suns. "Carlotta, Carlotta, Carlotta. If I wanted you to attack your allies; If I wanted you to create an army to destroy the world: I could make you. I could shatter your will in an instance, and dominate you to do as I please. For I am Vilinixia Violetcrown, Empress of Souls, the Creator and Supreme Ruler of the Eromajin, Daughter of Morrigan and Azathahuga. It took an alliance of ancient gods to seal me, and their like is not in the world today."

Vilinixia abruptly returned to her ordinary-sized pleasantly brown elven appearance and smiled. "But, I am not a malevolent demon. I want you to be happy. If I was the type to abuse my power, your will would have long ago been shattered. Reject me if you like. All I will do is find another alchemist, and leave you to enjoy the company of your long-time companions given new, more pleasing shapes."

Carlotta had to take a minute or so to collect herself after the terrifying display. "I apologize, my lady," the small redhead said in a small, squeaky voice. "I just- my girlfriend told me- nylameia are crafty with their words, right? She said they make you promise things and in the end, you have no idea what you've promised. So I'm trying to be careful."

This chuckle from Vilinixia was much less threatening. "Your girlfriend is a Nylameia. Her levels in Succubus long ago eclipsed her levels in Human. She might as well warn you about herself. Besides, my nylameian part is the least suspicious part of me. You saw my father, right? She is... an interesting existence. I am sure that an alchemist like yourself has enough learning to know what sort of... Entity she is."

"I fear that most would call your father An Abomination," Carlotta admitted.

Vilinixia laughed affectionately. "Of course! But after I devised the Monster Girl racial class and had It take a few levels in the racial line, she is much cuter! If your mind was capable of interacting with her without shattering, you would find that she is quite adorable. Even if she is... strange." The ancient succubus looked wistful. "Actually, my turning Azathahuga, Sharazhem, Mnarlyuthia, Daghatheama, and a number of lesser Entities into eromajin was part of why the gods sealed me. How much of a threat am I, if I can make Eldritch Gods From Beyond Comprehension into adorably sexy ladies?"

The empress started ranting. "A big one, apparently. It was unfair, I say! Why should my making the Outer Beings into more sympathetic, less alien, kinder creatures result in my being punished with thousands of years of absolute loneliness! Five thousand years I spent without another creature to talk to! Five thousand years without anyone to touch, see, or interact with! I'm a succubus! I needed to have more of my kind to keep me sane! I needed loving physical touch to keep me whole!" She turned wild eyes to Carlotta. "Can... can you understand, human? Understand what it is like to be isolated and alone in a realm of misty illusions for thousands of years? No one to talk to, touch, or feel? To slowly drift in and out of sanity as the solitude bores in on you? To scream unceasingly into the deafening void over and over again, the only reply being the echoes of your own madness? What were my crimes, really? A bit of conquest, a spot of rape, some unwilling transformations... feh. The gods do all those all the time. I truly tried to be a merciful, just ruler!"

Vilinixia stopped herself, closed her eyes, and let out a long, steadying breath. "I'm... I'm sorry. I should keep better control of myself." She opened her eyes and gave Carlotta a sheepish look. "Anyway... I want to keep a lower profile this time around. I... I don't want to go back into the void. If you can just make more of my lovely daughters, that is all I want."

"Oh...kay. I believe you," Carlotta said honestly. It seemed that the old succubus had a pretty good incentive to stay in line this time. "I will do as you ask, then. For alchemy!" The mad light shone in Carlotta's eyes this time, though it was dwarfed by Violetcrown's.

"Well, I am glad that you have gotten over the objections you have for me," Vilinixia said slowly. "But... there are costs to you. Not costs that involve my control over you or anything bad I want you to do: more just... costs that are the necessary effects of the transformations."

"Oh, yes. I should have asked about those first," Carlotta said, looking sheepish.

The Empress giggled. "See? If I were a malevolent creature, I would have just hit you with all side effects and not told you anything!" She took a long breath. "Well, part of what I am giving you will make you... slightly mad. You will see the world in the same way I do, you know? You will see the HP, levels, and stats of people around you. You will see your own character sheet and those of others. This level of knowledge is not usually meant for mortals, you know? But... more to the point: your current sexual orientation is listed on your character sheet as 'Strictly Homosexual', and an ordinary sex drive. Once you drink the potion I give you, it will shift to 'Bisexual', and... well, you will become practically a nymphomaniac. Seriously, it will be difficult for you to not think about sex every few seconds. Also, spirit energy will be required for you to be healthy. Oh! And you will become a shameless exhibitionist, and find concealing clothing to be almost unbearable to wear without serious modifications." The succubus pursed her lips. "I... think that's it, though."

"You think?" Carlotta muttered to herself. "It sounds like I'll just become more like my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend is literally a succubus," Vilinixia said dryly. "She is in serious denial about it, but it's true. Anyway, yeah. Eromajin are called 'pseudo-succubi' for a reason."

"Yeah, I noticed when I did some experiments on her... er, while she was sleeping. Heh. I know I probably shouldn't do that sort of thing," Carlotta said, sheepish again.

The empress shrugged. "I don't judge. Nor do I care."

"And not really the point. These sound like drawbacks I can handle. It might even give me more in common with Cieraela."

"You think you can handle it," Vilinixia said smugly. "But... are you sure you want to burden yourself with an insatiable thirst for dick? And to have your desire for pussy ramped up to a desperate craving?"

"Uhhh. I have no moral objection to, er 'dick.' It's just never been my thing. It's fun in very specific situations." Carlotta licked her lips. "Anyway, I will learn to handle it. Succubi do other things and enjoy other things beyond sex. I will too."

Another laugh. "That's the spirit!"

Vilinixia closed her eyes and let out another long sigh. Then, she thrust her hand into her chest. Deep. Her arm vanished inside herself, then she pulled out a large diamond chalice and set it in front of Carlotta. The liquid in it was... otherworldly. Indescribable. A fusion of the eldritch aura that Vilinixia had arrived in, the Empress's own aesthetics, lifetimes of study and research, crystallized memories, and divine essence.

"A succubus's most powerful ability is that of Level Drain," Vilinixia said fondly. "I discovered what can be taken: can be given." She pushed the potion towards Carlotta, then stepped away. The alien portal opened up in the alchemist's peripheral vision. The Empress of Souls stretched out her staff and tapped the sleeping mouse-woman. The cute creature vanished into the mists. "This is what I like to call a 'Legendary Divine Mythic Potion of Ultimate Experience: Monster Girl, Alchemist, Artisan, Eyes of the Meta, and Flexibly Assigned Knowledge - Artifact Quality - Unique '. Drink it, and Become."

The succubus gave her a final smile, a wave, and stepped through the portal. And she was gone.

Carlotta squeezed her eyes shut then downed the potion.