The Invention of Statistics Pt. 01

Underneath the ethereal shimmer of lightstones, a group of High Priestesses of the Moonwood Temple were engrossed in a heated debate. They were huddled within their sacred sanctum, arguing about what physical characteristics the God-Emperor found most appealing in the priestesses.

Priestess Calyndra, known for her candor, was gesturing wildly with a piece of parchment in her hand. On it was a crudely drawn woman with bright golden hair. "It's the blondes he wants, isn't it? They've always had a certain... allure for the God-Emperor."

Soraya, a pragmatic woman of tall stature and piercing eyes, scoffed at Calyndra's assertion. She retorted, "Hair color, really? It's the eyes, Calyndra. Always the eyes. They are the windows to the soul, after all. Green, especially, like the deepest forest. It's exotic, captivating."

Eldora, the eldest among them, cut in, scoffing. "All these trivial details! Remember Priestess-Initiate Alys during the Harvest Festival two weeks ago? She wasn't the traditional beauty, but those hips and that narrow waist of hers... she awakened the Emperor's lust and we collected twice the volume of sacred godcum than we expected"

Eldora continued. "Alys had an allure that was undeniable. Her body, it was full, and her hips... It was as if they had been crafted by the God-Emperor himself."

"And let's not forget the way she moved," Eldora continued, her voice almost reverent. "It wasn't just the physical attributes, but how she carried herself. With confidence, grace... and a certain sensuality that seemed to enthrall the God-Emperor...." High-Priestess Eldora continued, advocating for a recruitment expedition to the distant lands of Selendar, from where Priestess-Initiate Alys hailed.

A few others chimed in, with comments that grew more varied as the debate wore on. They discussed everything from the shape and size of breasts to the length of legs, the pitch of voices, and even the seductive curves of particular smiles.

Standing apart from the group was young Priestess Anara, her brow furrowed in thought. As she observed the intense discussion unfolding among the priestesses, she felt a gnawing discomfort, a sense of dissatisfaction with their approach.

It wouldn't have taken an Imperial Detective to notice a pattern in the characteristics the other priestesses emphasized. Calyndra, with her long golden hair cascading over her shoulders, was the most vocal advocate for blondes. Soraya, with her deep green eyes, argued passionately for the enchantment of an emerald gaze. At best; they were subconsciously projecting their attributes onto the God-Emperor's supposed preferences. It seemed to Anara a case of biased thought, where they saw and highlighted evidence that supported their beliefs and ignored the rest.

The priestesses were drawing conclusions based on generalities and crude stereotypes. Calyndra insisted that golden hair was preferred, yet there were numerous examples of high mana yields from priestesses with different hair colors. Soraya argued for green eyes, conveniently ignoring the cases where the God-Emperor had responded favorably to priestesses with blue, brown, or hazel eyes.

The discussion about Alys and her curvaceous figure only muddied the waters. True, Alys had seemed to boost mana yields after getting the attention of the Emperor, but so did waifish Priestess Caelia, who was slender to the point of fragility and whose breasts and hips were merely a suggestion on her frame.

It wasn't just a contrast; it was a contradiction that made Anara question the validity of their entire debate.

Their assumptions, based on casual observations and selective memory, seemed more like guesswork than actual knowledge. It became clear to Anara that these discussions lacked a strong foundation of factual, objective evidence.

Inwardly, she resolved to bring about a shift in this approach. They could not rely on stereotypes and conjectures. Instead, they needed a systematic study, an analysis of patterns, and empirical evidence to understand the God-Emperor's preferences. Despite the cacophony around her, Anara remained silent, her mind bustling with the promise of a new path forward.

Anara felt a stirring of something new within her, something radical. As she pondered the God-Emperor's true preferences and the blind discussions surrounding them, she began to see patterns, or rather, the lack thereof in their conclusions.

Her mind's eye saw a vision of charts, a visual representation of the God-Emperor's responses to different priestesses. Each attribute was marked down, tracked, and analyzed. The information would then be compiled, enabling the priestesses to identify patterns and make predictions based on real data.

This new approach would disregard personal bias, hearsay, or old wives' tales. It would instead rely on facts, figures, and correlations. It was a practical method of assessing information, unbiased and unemotional. A study of... states. The 'state' of things - the state of a priestess's appearance, the state of the God-Emperor's response, the resulting state of mana yield. The effect of outside variables. These were all elements she wanted to study and understand better.

Anara could see the beauty in such a system, the beauty of objectivity.

***

The Eternal Emperor shuffled papers, reading through them idly.

"Grain Exports - Baltoria"

"Status Report - Imperial Fleet"

"Infrastructure Development Report - Tarsis"

Riveting stuff, the Emperor thought to himself, dropping the pile of documents to the table and rubbing his eyes. His memories briefly brought him back to the time when he was only a warrior. Back then, he had no need of administrative bureaucracy or development reports. He sighed, but then looked down and smiled. It was all worth it, to be able to be with his beloved priestesses.

While the Emperor was in the royal offices his priestesses sought to keep themselves silent and to avoid distracting his attention. It was a practice that had started hundreds of years ago after the Emperor had threatened to ban priestesses from various administrative areas for keeping him from actually managing the Empire. The Priestesshood sought compromise.

And so, the Priestess-Handmaiden at the foot of his chair was gagged and blindfolded. A compromise between the Priestesshood's insistence on there being at least one priestess on hand at all times, and non-distraction.

***

Priestess Anara's schedule, once again, brought her into near contact with the God-Emperor as she watched him from a hidden alcove reserved for record keepers.

The Emperor groaned as his straining dick, longer and thicker than Anara's forearm and hand together, pushed into the tight, wet tunnel of the priestess-handmaiden below him. The Priestess-handmaiden shuddered under him, letting out a muffled gasp of ecstasy, as he pushed himself against her. He leaned forward, the heavy mass of his muscular frame bore down upon her body, making the priestess feel wonderfully helpless as the Emperor's sacred manhood settled inside her. She gasped again, feeling herself become stretched further than ever before.

Her legs trembled slightly as an electric current passed through them towards her chest. She whimpered, as pleasure coursed throughout her entire being, leaving every inch tingling with delight.

The Priestess-Handmaiden had been lowered onto a specialized piece of ornate furniture. Its wedged design, layered with opulent sapphire-blue brocade cushions laced with gold, held the priestess's body aloft at the perfect height for the Eternal Emperor to access her. The couch itself was specially made, its core was a structure of interlaced steel, masked by the elegance of polished mahogany, built to endure the weight of the Emperor's impressive build.

The heavy weight of the Eternal Emperor's sacred body pushed the Priestess into blissful submission underneath him. Her muscles quaked uncontrollably now, her body overwhelmed with intense pleasure unlike any normal human experience. The Emperor's monster cock throbbed inside the priestess, increasing the pressure she felt from within and adding to the pressure she felt from his muscular body. The Emperor smiled as he felt the Priestess shudder beneath him.

Anara heard a few more muffled whimpers from the priestess, she could tell that the priestess was experiencing a rapturous orgasm, a phenomenon Anara knew well.

She felt an urge, a strong impulse, to come out of the shadows and join the Emperor. To be at his side, to be underneath him, to have him inside her. She felt a sense of urgency as her heart began to beat faster. She suppressed it, even as her own arousal grew stronger, as the priestess's whimpers became louder and more frequent, as the priestess's body trembled beneath the Emperor's.

Though the Emperor was not looking towards Anara's direction. Anara was confident that the Emperor could sense her presence, but he remained focused on the beautiful priestess writhing in ecstasy beneath him. Anara took a moment to study the Eternal Emperor's form. He was a powerful, towering figure of a man. His frame was enormous, and his arms were heavily muscled and sinewy. His torso was wide and thickly muscled. His shoulders were wide enough for two other men to stand on each of them. Anara had never been this close to the Emperor before, and it was mesmerizing.

She found herself once again becoming lost in her reverie of his muscular body, of his powerful physique. The power of his frame was apparent in the way he moved, and the way he held himself. She imagined how that strength could be used to pleasure her. She was caught between awe at his imposing stature, and arousal at his raw physicality.

In that moment, the Priestess Anara was enraptured, as the God-Emperor began to thrust into the priestess, pushing his manhood inside her.

She could only imagine how it felt to have him inside her, to feel the fullness of his manhood stretching her and making her whole. To feel the power of his thrusts deep within her. She couldn't help but wonder if she could handle him, if she could take all of him.

The Emperor's powerful body glistened with sweat as he slammed his manhood into the priestess. His gaze was fierce, burning with passion and lust. He continued to drive his massive cock into her, again and again.

Anara bit her lip in a futile attempt to stifle the moans of pleasure that escaped her lips. She felt a strong desire to move closer to the Emperor, to see him more closely. She felt as though she could almost reach out and touch him. She wanted to be next to the God-Emperor, she wanted to touch him, to feel his muscular frame. She wanted him to touch her, to be with her. She could feel the intensity of her desire growing stronger and stronger.

She had been with the Emperor before, but never in such a position. Never alone, like the Handmaiden. She felt as though she was being drawn to him. As though he was pulling her towards him, calling to her with his strong arms, his commanding voice, and his powerful gaze. She wanted to be near him. She wanted him to hold her. She wanted him inside her.

Anara's arousal grew stronger and stronger as she watched him pound the priestess. She could feel herself becoming wetter and wetter, and she felt an overwhelming desire to have the Emperor's massive, throbbing dick inside her. To feel him moving inside her. To feel him filling her, stretching her, bringing her to new heights of ecstasy.

She wanted it, she needed it. She could feel her entire body becoming more and more aroused, more and more excited. Her breathing became more rapid, and her heart began to beat faster. She could feel her skin becoming flushed and hot. She could feel her mind becoming hazy. She was losing herself in a world of pure desire.

It was overwhelming, it was intense. It was...

A hand suddenly gripped Anara's shoulders and pulled her back. A shocked cry escaped her lips as she was yanked away from the Emperor.

Anara spun around and came face to face with Priestess-Recorder Meghana, several rank her senior. The priestess looked at her with a stern expression, and her lips were curled in a frown. The Priestess-Recorder glanced past Anara, through the hidden alcove's lattice-work, then back to look at Anara's flushed face and rapid breaths. She took the record book out of Anara's hands and looked into it. Empty.

"Go now, distracted one" She said simply.

***

Dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees overhead, illuminating the gentle ripples of water as Priestess Anara dipped her feet into the cool waters of the pond. The gentle water reflected the light from the sun in dancing patterns of light and shadow. The air was cool and crisp, carrying with it the scent of lush greenery.

The pond was peaceful, tranquil, and serene.

Very much unlike Anara's thoughts at that moment. Her thoughts regularly turned toward some kind of breakthrough idea which never quite materialized into anything concrete before being replaced again by another hazy notion floating somewhere between epiphany & half formed plan.

In the end she realized that she knew enough to know that she didn't know enough to create this new system of measurement on her own, and neither did anyone else inside the Temple. Not yet anyway.

Which meant that she would have to leave the Temple and go out into the world to seek the answer from a source of reliable, impartial knowledge.

"Well hello there, my little bookworm" a voice interrupted Anara's train of thought.

Anara turned to see a familiar face approaching her, "Hello there, Caelia. What brings you here?"

The slender young woman with gentle eyes and a dainty frame skipped toward her, her expression playful.

"I heard that you've been spending all your time in the library recently. I was hoping that we could get some fresh air, and here you are!" Caelia grinned and sat down beside Anara, letting her delicate legs dangle into the pond.

Caelia was a was a boisterous young woman who had always been blessed with the gift of beauty and grace.

Anara couldn't help but admire the young woman's graceful form, while Anara herself was considered the beauty of her small village, Caelia's beauty was like that of a lunaran fawn. Her skin was as pale as snow, and she was slender and delicately built. Her waist was thin and narrow, her hips were slim, and her legs were exceedingly long and gracefully muscled.

Her face reinforced the idea that perhaps the essence of a lunaran fawn had, at some point, entered her bloodline. Her blue eyes were huge and luminous, and her heart-shaped face was set with an adorable nose, her lips were full, soft, and small.

It was no surprise that many priestesses found Caelia irresistible, and it wasn't surprising that she was often chosen to be the Royal Pet by the God-Emperor's side, during the weeks of the doe. Something that stirred Anara's envy, which in turn made her feel guilty. Caelia was just as warm and kind as she was beautiful.

Caelia noticed Anara's gaze on her and smiled, taking Anara by her shoulders and laying them both back against the pond's edge. Caelia idly brushed Anara's brown hair and ran her lithe finger's delicately across the record keeper's abdomen.

"Now then, my sweet bookworm, how are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm feeling fine. Why do you ask?" Anara inquired.

"Because I heard that a little rumor that Meghana had to shoo you from the Emperor's office," Caelia replied.

Anara furrowed her brows, which Caelia attempted to smoosh flat with her fingers, news traveled fast.

Caelia grinned, "In truth, it made me very jealous. I'd give anything to be able to spend that much time in his office. Especially since he's not going to be here much longer."

"What do you mean?" Anara was surprised, she hadn't heard anything about any upcoming trip.

Caelia shrugged, "He's leaving on a diplomatic visit to the Sardorian Isles."

Anara sat up in alarm, "And he didn't tell us? How long will he be gone?"

Caelia giggled and smiled, "It's alright, it's just for a few weeks.

"Where did you hear this from?" Anara asked.

Caelia sat up too, hugging Anara across the waist and leaning in to whisper in her ear "Oh you know, had a little get together with some of the girls last night." She smiled, leaving out the exhaustively physical nature of the meeting. "I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now. It's no secret."

"Well I certainly didn't hear anything about this." Anara shook her head.

Caelia shrugged, "Well, you don't have as much fun as we do, you spend all your time in the library." She gave Anara a teasing glance, her hand drifting further down. Anara blushed as she felt her body becoming warm.

Caelia grinned and leaned forward, giving Anara a quick peck on her cheek.

Anara blushed even more deeply, Caelia grinned. "You've been so tense lately, I can tell that something's bothering you."

Anara looked into Caelia's eyes and felt a sudden compulsion to speak. Her mouth moved before she had a chance to stop it, and she found herself talking about her theories. About how there needed to be a better way of measuring the God-Emperor's aetheric yield, and how Anara needed to find a way to measure his preferences.

Anara's mind was a whirlwind of ideas and theories as she described the advantages and disadvantages of different attributes in their attempts to please the God-Emperor, and how the results of such studies could benefit the Temple, and the priestesses themselves.

Caelia listened, with an occasional hum or nod to indicate that she was still listening.

After Anara had finished talking, Caelia remained silent for a moment. She looked deep in thought for a moment, before speaking, "So... lemme see if I have this right. You think... there is a way for us to get more godcum, from the Eternal?"

Anara nodded, "Yes."

A maddened look briefly came over Caelia's face. She had, on several occasions, drank directly from the God-Emperor, undiluted and pure, a fact that made her tremble at the memory of it. And while it was extremely pleasurable and caused a frenzy of ecstasy even in a diluted state, it also caused a kind of addiction. It was inevitable, considering the godcum's potent pleasure, healing, and mana boosting effects. Still, it was taboo to suggest that the sacred Moonwood Temple was in anyway a den of addicts.

Caelia bit her lip, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Anara hesitated, "Um, Caelia?"

"That is the best idea I've heard in a very, very long time." Caelia looked at Anara, her expression changing to one of hunger, "But how do you propose we go about it?"

The various streams of information and planning coalesced in Anara's mind. She needed to find help outside of the Temple, outside the Capital, and now there was an Imperial Mission being formed?

Anara blinked slowly, then took Caelia's face in her hands, squishing her cheeks and lips together. "I need your help convincing Meghana to let us join the Emperor's diplomatic mission."

A mischievous squished grin formed between Anara's hand as Caelia began to laugh. Caelia had a notable talent for convincing her fellow Priestesses to see things her way...

***