Prologue: RiseSix Kings have arisen!Sammacle, the Elder Princeling!Mael, The Ninth Son That Crawls And Writhes Resplendent In Ultramarine Upon The Crypts of Child-Queens, the Skin-Weaver!Tlanextli, the False-Thrown Sun!Secrahz Markosl Dubarz, the Dreameater!Phor Yevell, the Siege Architect!Vas'nox, the Father of Ill Fates!Even in Bloom, there must be a bit of ceremony.
The initial meeting spot wasn't hard to get to, nor was it especially important. Just an intersection of streets to gather in, so as to arrive at the real destination together and coherent looking. Everyone arrived at a leisurely pace and with time to spare, save poor Sammacle who arrived with all the grace of a panicked herd animal, needlessly concerned that some last-minute business might have made him late.
The trip to the actual destination was short and relatively to the point; other than looking somewhat regal and keeping your nerves down, there wasn't much to be done save walk. Or slither, in Markosl's case.
The issue of nerves was not one to be taken lightly, however. The site of your formal ascension was an amphitheater of sorts, riven with individual balconies, platforms, cages, even slits to watch from. From these myriad perches loomed some of the greatest entities in the city; most technically beneath you in raw power and status now, but often laughably more influential and wealthy than your current status. Some stared with amusement or disdain, merely here for the show. Most watched with the hungry, measuring eyes of apex predators, judging you for potential utility or danger.
Straight ahead, the amphitheater gave way to a wall of copper steps leading to an elaborate throne. Platforms descended to either side, holding the Lords of Bloom in no particular arrangement. Much harder to read than the looks of naked greed and paranoia adorning most common powers, most simply stared ahead impassively or admired the crowd.
The arrival of Asudarai Kei Talmalach was fairly rapid and without much fanfare, save the tingling sensation of dread and power on your skin. She simply flew in unceremoniously, daintily placed herself on the throne, and sat there a moment while most of the audience shrank a bit or made signs of respect or supplication.
A moment later, she raised her hand and the world became a tide of crimson power. As it faded, red runes flared to life on your skin and the ground beneath you. The former dulled down after a moment, while the latter continued to hum and build with power.
With that, your fate was sealed. Asudarai Kei Talmalach, Empress of Strength, simply floated into the air and flew off again, her task complete. The runes would slowly charge in power, and when ready, fire the lot of you to your new destination. The circle would even forcibly drag you back if it had to; not recommended for dignity's sake, but there was no missing this appointment anymore.
In the meantime... you have business to attend to. As you are now officially and irrevocably one of the Six Kings, you have much to offer and much you may need. The vultures perched around you might be open to negotiations, but beware- they are not your servants. If they make a deal with you, it will be because they feel they benefit adequately from it. Additionally, while the power of the ritual can take some possessions or creatures with you, it is generally considered poor form to make your first appearance desperately clutching luggage. Anything you barter for here will likely need to be summoned at some cost later; some arrangements can reduce the cost to you above by dealing with it below, but it's a cost nonetheless.
Finally, you have several more specific and proactive suitors, inaptly named Supplicants. Supplicants are those creatures that feel they have useful, immediate business with you specifically, but despite the name, merely getting this far implies a certain level of power and skill that is not to be taken likely. Additionally, like anything else you are likely to deal with down here in any way other than buying outright, Supplicants are also here for their own sakes, not yours. Most will want a steep fee at the least and a cut of your crown at worst.
You could also, of course, simply avoid dealing with this nest of vipers entirely and wait until the ritual activates, but you might be losing out on useful, if expensive, opportunities. A handful of creatures might even be open to smalltalk or friendly advice, especially those you have (amicable) history with. Whatever you decide to do, you'd best be quick about it; the runes won't take long to charge, and then you'll be stuck negotiating through rituals on the surface world.
Individual TurnsToday's a day just like any other, which is to say a living nightmare that refuses to end. First some last-minute, probably entirely intentional business between Jezel and Oggletop needed to be resolved very quickly before you went and nearly made you late. Then you became quite certain an entire clan of Grisell was staring at you from one of the rooftops. And now Jezel is smiling at you from its platform... it doesn't have a face, but you can feel it all the same. You're not sure you want to know why, but you're quite sure you don't want to not know why.
Nervously approaching your two visible Supplicants, you wave for them to continue.
The first is immediately recognizable as a Grisell; a thick, low V-shaped crestlike head, a wiry, disturbingly thin, very nearly humanoid body spoiled by having four legs rather than two, and a stubby tail of an abdomen. Six yellow, blue-slit eyes arranged in two columns, a surprisingly humanoid-looking mouth, and a handful of tribal markings- four blue and two red "notches" along the edges of its face- complete the picture. You know Grisell face markings tend to indicate things, but you're far too ignorant of Grisell House workings to have the faintest idea what these ones signify.
You do, however, know that Grisell are far stronger and more ferocious than their girth would indicate, that they breed incredibly quickly, and that they are usually engaged in various forms of genocidal clan warfare. They're one of the most common creatures in Bloom, and find constant use in a variety of fields.
It begins speaking in a fairly feminine voice tinged with a hint of rasp or buzz.
"Greetings, Lord Sammacle. This one is Blackrack Otorome Melsis, Hand of the Quarter Moon. You will face much conflict in your new duties, and we would offer a solution. A squad of our finest Otome-touched suppressors could easily handle any threats you might face, and we could subsidize the cost of summoning as many common soldiers as you desired. In exchange, we ask only that the weak and foolish nobles of your new city be replaced by me and my kin."
You're pretty sure some of what she's saying has meaning you're not up to date on, but you're familiar with the Otome. They're the giant floating things that look a bit like softbodied invertebrate marine life; each one looks different, as they "grow" by mastering the art of warping their own flesh. This practice extends to other creatures as well, and they're known for keeping a variety of mortals for use in ritualized magic duels against each other. That a clan of Grisell could acquire powered-up elite forces from one seems plausible enough, and the being in front of you certainly seems like it could pull its weight in a fight.
Otherwise, its offer is a fairly standard one- you rip out and replace the entire nobility of Miraga with this thing and its kin, and they provide you with an elite brute squad and cheaper infantry. You have no idea what the connotations of trying to supplant Miraga's nobles might be, but you know giving Grisell even the slightest foothold is likely to result in them breeding their way into a thoroughly entrenched position.
Your other supplicant is a male humanoid with pale skin, hair, and eyes, and clad in pale robes. He looks arguably more Kingly than you do, actually, and speaks in a gentle voice that carries an unnatural force of persuasion with it.
"Sammacle! Dear, dear friend. Won't you be lonely up there? Won't you be unhappy? The people will blame you for things, Sammacle. Blame you for all sorts of things. Never fear! I am Sacarsis, and I am here to help. Simply grant me noble title and rights to the city's justice, and I will ensure that everyone everywhere knows you are not to blame, Sammacle. Doesn't that all sound so much smoother than you had feared?"
Listening to him talk for a while leaves no doubt that he's in possession of supernatural negotiation abilities, and is about as manipulative as you'd expect as a result. No doubt he'd be exceptional at smoothing over and persuading the locals, but he'd be likely to try his hand at you as well. His price is somewhat vague; being in charge of "the city's justice" could satisfy any number of goals, from obscure cultural imperatives to a simple power grab. If you had to guess, though, based on his fine clothing, appearance, and skillset, he's probably accustomed to an opulent lifestyle surrounded by a fanatical cult of worshipers.
At last, the day of your ascension has arrived. Soon you'll be in your new dominion... with all that entails. The vipers around you could prove handy or be your undoing in the endeavors to come.
Kaikari has remained, and is waggling her eyebrows at you, while Echtholomon flashes you a knowing smirk. Miku is sitting in a nearby balcony, covered in various crawling things, and gives you a friendly wave.
Your first Supplicant is... no. It couldn't be... but of course it is, because of course it is.
The creature before you is tauric in the loosest sense of the word, a hideous pasty maggot topped by a hideous pasty vaguely humanoid maggot. Its eyeless, featureless domed head sports a hideous maw, mostly gums save for sporadic, tiny teeth poking through. Two columns of teats running down its torso provide the only evidence of the creature's gender that you'd care to examine without gloves and a long pole.
Golgocht the Vile, a fleshcrafter like yourself. You thought you'd killed her twice; the first time you hadn't paid it much mind, the second time you'd remembered the first well enough to be dubious. You never managed a third time, though a handful of maimings and partially effective censures confirmed the wretched thing's resilience on multiple levels.
It begins to speak in the sort of wet, rasping, vaguely feminine sort of tone you'd expect from such an abomination.
"Good to see you, old friend. Hoping to make your new home a paradise? You won't do that without a lot of assistance, you know. A bit of muscle, something to keep the streets clean? So lucky for you that I'm in such a good mood now. Me and my beauties could keep everything nice and orderly, just as it should be... In exchange, I keep any pretties I find, and get first dibs on any you uncover elsewhere."
Of course. Golgocht has always been obsessed with finding more breeding stock to spawn malformed but dangerously talented abominations from; her fleshwarping ability is of a rather more whole-cloth and unrefined affair than the precision of your Flesh Cant, and primarily useful for exaggerating a creature's abilities or granting it some gimmick or another. She's especially fond of spellcasters for that reason, and so would likely tend to round those up for good or ill. Other than that, she'd be both motivated and capable of hunting down any enemies you might have, as well as more than able to produce or import freakish spawn to help out. It'd also mean that wretched freak would be practicing a maimed approximation of fleshcraft in your city, with a harem of pet undesirables and a legion of the worst abominations to ever see the light of day. It's also clear that she hasn't forgotten that you keep trying to murder her.
Your other Supplicant is far less repulsive than Golgocht, though as a corpulent toadlike reptile of a humanoid that tells you more about Golgocht than him.
"Ah, sire! I am Peaches, Master of Comfort! I know what you're thinking, sire! 'Why would I want one of those,' well, let me just tell you, sire! You like mortals, sire, everyone does. Always need specimens, especially for a master artisan such as yourself! But mortals are... erratic, sire! They don't always want what's best for everyone. That's where ol' Peaches comes in! I have a talent with them, sire, comforting them after loss or despair. A little shepherding and soon they're bright and chipper again- handy, that, for all manner of things! But more importantly, sire, they're very grateful, and listen to ol' Peaches when he tells them what comes next. Right into your arms they'd go, sire, all ready to be used as you deem most befitting. Much better than hunting them down and then hearing them complain about it afterwards, isn't it? All I ask in exchange is a modest fee in accordance with my extensive services, as well as the funding to properly ply my trade, sire!"
Interesting. A mortal herder could indeed be handy, but most likely he preys primarily on the weak and desperate- not exactly prime stock. He's also, regardless of how servile he sounds, not likely to be in the charity business, so his "modest" fees are likely to be anything but. Still, having willing specimens on hand probably would be better than having to hunt them down, assuming you needed mortals for anything they were insistent on running from.
Well, here you are. A great step forward in a direction you'd rather not take... but your course is set. Soon you'll begin building up the kind of power you need, and then...
Well, first things first. You'll need assistance in your endeavors, some of which might or might not come from here. Soulrot's here, obviously, as are Telu and Mar. The former nods kindly to you when you meet his gaze, while the latter appear to be whispering animatedly to each other.
Your first Supplicant... looks... familiar...
Comely, fair, and glowing with an inner radiance, your first Supplicant is clearly an angel. Possessing a willowy build, familiar face, and slightly nervous expression, she's also very likely met you before. Well then. Her voice matches her appearance, and makes you a bit homesick for the trappings of proper divinity.
"Great Tlanextli, Ever-Radiant and Sublime, I come to you on behalf of your people. For too long have they suffered under the yoke of their own ignorance, and... that of those that would seek to exploit them. I wish for nothing more than to offer them guidance and succor, and help them regain their devotion to the true gods, that they might find salvation and prosperity once again."
It breaks your heart to have to even consider turning down her offer, but her terms are as dangerous as they are selfless. She doesn't seem to be offering to serve you so much as your new subjects... and what's more, your new subjects in their devotion to the gods. While you have little doubt the people of Miraga could do with an angel's prowess and guidance, you're not certain how you and your ilk will fit into her teachings, and unrest on that front could do more harm than good. Then again, if the city was desperate enough to agree to this blasphemous pact in the first place, religious disagreements might be the least of either of your worries.
Your other Supplicant isn't so much fair as unnaturally pale, a handsome male humanoid with pale grey skin, red eyes, and white hair pulled into a ponytail. His attire is largely gold-trimmed red and black leather, and you recognize him as some manner of blasphemous vampire.
"Greetings, Lord Tlanextli. My name is Samuel, and I come here offering my services to your noble cause. You'll have need of soldiers, my lord, and I can provide them. In exchange for the right to do as I wish and confer like privileges upon those I deem worthy, me and my companions will gladly take up arms against any foe that dares face you in the night. And of course, should you wish to deem certain mortals immune- say, those offering you a substantial fee?- I'm sure we would have no trouble complying, making you a very popular man. As well, should any of my associated become disillusioned with my wise leadership, no doubt you would have just the tools to bring them to heel and salvage your people once again, mmm? What do you say to that, my lord?"
A potent offer, and a very, very dark one. You're fairly certain this is a variety of vampire that grows stronger by killing; letting him and his spawn rampage through the city would produce an impressive body count and an impressive set of monsters. You can also tell that the abominations are burned by sunlight, which could indeed give you a decided advantage against any that went rogue... and if you were willing to be a bit deceptive, might indeed help make you a symbol of salvation from their predations. On the other hand, you'd be feeding your people to unholy beasts, they'd be useless during the day, and splinter infestations would likely be a periodic occurrence, not an unfortunate possibility.
You're awake. All of you. Strangely, most creatures don't see the obvious parallels to "living hell from which there is no escape" when you tell them that, which perhaps explains why it'd be rude for any of you to sleep here. No, no, gotta chat with mud piles on a large piece of driftwood. That'll be fantastic.
Off you go, then.
Your first Supplicant is a tiny, light grey rabbit with black eyes. Like most tiny, cute things in Bloom, that probably makes it a terror-basted delicacy or a being of unspeakable evil. Given that it's a Supplicant, most likely the latter.
It begins pulsing thoughts directly into your head, in a sweet, saccharine voice.
"Greetings! My name is Tea, and I'd like to help! I know you've got better things to do than look after every little thing, so I'm willing to forge Dream Warriors to battle threats in both realms for you! Don't worry, I'll make sure to harvest some good materials out of them before they burn out into Nightmare Cores as well! Just make sure I'm well supplied, and I'll handle all the rest."
Unspeakable evil alright. Most likely going to recruit children to battle their own ravening predecessors, as well as whatever mundane things you throw at them. It's likely a good process as far as muscle goes, and the part where you don't do anything sounds fantastic, but you're a little concerned with polluting nearby dreamscapes with the ravening shells of insane soldiers.
Your other Supplicant is a female humanoid torso with centipede for a lower half, both of which scintillate and shift colors constantly. She's wearing a vibrant but stable shirt and hat.
When she speaks, it's with the fast-mouthed enthusiasm of a street entrepreneur.
"Hello hello hello! Name's Tia, Tia the Small they call me and have I got a deal for you! Tired of those dull dreams, flat fantasies, and idling imaginations? Well look no further, because with your relentless powers of creation and my managerial expertise, we can both have a dreamscape fit for a king and better at stimulating the mind! All I ask is that you continue to apply your godlike strength to actually shape the dream as requested, and in exchange I'll maintain and manage it, no worries about it collapsing or suffering wear n tear, certainly no worried about it not being used or getting too full, yessir I'll do all the work except the heavy lifting, and in no time at all your dream quality should be through the roof! Whatya say boss, can you really afford not to fashion Tia's Dreamland?"
Well... that's interesting.
Dreams, as you well know, normally only exist when something is actively dreaming them. Some creatures, however, your Supplicant apparently being among them, can persist in and maintain a dream world without a coherently identifiable dreamer. Her offer, then, appears to be for you to craft her dreamland for her, which she would then manage in such a way as to improve the dream quality of the city's inhabitants, presumably via inspiration and training. She likely has some other goals of her own, but otherwise it's a plausible scheme... but one that would require an awful lot of work from you.
Well, here you are. Negotiating with court vultures isn't likely to be your strong suit, but you've nothing to do until the ritual fires anyway, and this is unlikely to be the last social activity required of you in your new position.
Your first Supplicant is a squat greyish dragon, its broad head roughly the length of your torso. Its curved ramlike horns appear to have holes in them, and a well-secured necklace dangles several bones and tokens from its neck.
"Great Phor Yevell, Whisperer of Steel, I greet you. I am Kar Ragash, Scourge of Bone. My prowess in battle is undisputed, and my mighty war-horns instill courage into even the most blithering fool. Grant me a place by your side, and I shall stamp out the weakness that surely festers in your new city. Cowardice is a rot that spreads from place to place, and can only be excised entirely and without reservation. If but one child under your reign is a coward, your city will soon feel the heel of a new master. With me and my chosen as chieftains, neither shall ever come to pass."
He sounds distinctly tribal, and not from the peaceful sort of tribe. Most likely he'd try to transform the city into a warrior culture given the chance, which would have its obvious advantages and drawbacks. His desire to rule could also conflict with other powers, but likely save you some hassle managing them yourself.
Your other Supplicant is a female humanoid with bronze-toned skin, dark hair pulled into a ponytail, and blank white eyes. Her attire is minimal and largely red cloth and sculpted bronze in a serpent motif.
"Greetings, Great One. My name is Selenite of Bloodstone, and I come seeking your patronage. I am a talented warrior and huntress seeking companions, and would gladly train you an elite clan of warriors should you allow it. In exchange, I would expect me and my warriors to be well equipped and compensated, as well as to have full rights to do as we wish with any locals."
An elite cadre of warriors sounds nice, but likely expensive in more ways than one. "Full rights to do as we wish with any locals" tends to result in a lot of unhappy, fearful locals.
The old feelings are coming back. This isn't a safe place; power surrounds you, dwarfing you. It's even more important than normal to keep your composure, lest they smell your fear, so you don't dare avoid being seen searching for possible allies.
Your first Supplicant is a robed humanoid; his face is concealed by a cowl, but you can make out relatively normal humanoid features under it regardless. The tips of tentacles writhe gently from under his sleeves and hem, however.
His voice is gentle, but with a peculiar humming or echoing quality to it.
"Greetings, your majesty. I am known as Pinnacle, and I train people. Within dreams, they master the arts of stealth and infiltration, refining both skill and purpose, and so achieve heights they had not thought possible. If you would sanction my efforts in the world above, I could provide you with invaluable information, given enough time and ample material compensation."
Sounds straightforward enough, though you notice that he's not so much offering to train you a lot of spies as to train infiltrators in general and then direct some of them when you need (and pay for) something. That may involve some upkeep costs and collateral issues regarding people sneaking into places they shouldn't and then expecting to be rewarded for it.
Your other Supplicant is a light brown female humanoid's torso mounted on the body of a bronze scorpion. Her red hair is tied into a ponytail, and she's fairly well-studded with jewelry and fine silks.
"Megara of the Writhing Sands at your service, Great One. My specialty is bending mortal hearts to my will; once initiated, my pawns will gladly die for me. Unlike brute mind control, however, my servants retain their ability to function as normal people. Grant me and my cult support, and I could supply you with fanatical double agents, capable of infiltrating any organization you wish, gaining trust and acceptance for as long as necessary, and paying any price to enact my will."
Her offer is intriguing, but most likely glossing over a few noteworthy complications. For one thing, mind control is subject to the same tendencies as anything else- the better it is and the more resilient the material, the harder it is to do. That means her method probably has some obvious drawbacks somewhere, like taking a long while or only really working on people who were vulnerable to suggestion in the first place. Either of those could increase the cost or decrease the availability of agents, many of which might not be terribly high quality to begin with. Finally, creatures that can bend others to their will tend to enjoy the finer things in life, so you'd certainly be paying for some considerable overhead beyond raw agent production cost.
((Turns spoilered for length, not secrecy. Feel free to snoop in each other's business.))