Lewd Dungeon, Chapter 381

Chapter 381 – Reporting In

“Well, you have been busy,” Captain Dattae said, appreciatively, as Gracie and her crew walked into her office in Khav-Szarol, with their three new slaves in tow. The Dogik guard captain nodded once as she looked over the captured slaves. “And there’s a couple of special ones in this group, I see. That Righteous Defender has been wanted for a while. Some had thought to make an example of him, since he was causing so much trouble, but looking at his ‘weapon’, it might be better to make him a breeder.”

The spider alien’s eyes examined the other two slaves carefully. “Haven’t heard anything about the Knelfi, so he probably isn’t too important, but crafting slaves are always useful. Might even find a place for him here at the outpost, if you’re willing to sell him.

“Now, as for this girl, we had reports about her. Wanted for murder. Member of House Aparicio, one of the minor noble houses in the city. Killed the family head, his wife, and her elder brother, the heir. Even killed the second in line, the brat her brother put in her. Left the entire house without leadership.”

Gracie chuckled. “So, is there anything left of her house to sell her back to?”

“No,” Dattae said, shaking her head. “Even if there was anyone left of the family, the incompetence shown in allowing such gaps in their orders so that a slave could do what she did would have caused even their allies to turn against them, and take what they wanted from their holdings. Minor houses rise and fall all the time in Khav-Szrokzas for less than that. It is how the high nobles of the Upper City keep anyone from snapping too hard at their heels. Especially since anyone with sufficient talent is usually scouted by the Great Houses, for use in the next Great Game.”

Gracie’s eyes widened a bit. She could practically hear the capital letters in the spider’s words. That meant that whatever they were talking about was important. Which meant she needed to know more.

“Could you tell us more about these Great Houses, and the Great Game?”

“Sure, it isn’t much secret, since the Great Game is one of the main forms of entertainment for the high and mighty that the common folk of the city can watch. They use magic to let the city view everything during each Game. You’ll hear plenty of people talking about the Games, even in the Lower City.

“The way Khav-Szrokzas is run, every two months there is a Great Game between the Great Houses in the Upper City. The winner of the Game gets to lead the city for the next two months. However, any major changes to the way the city runs cannot be implemented until after a waiting period of six months, and they can be repealed any time before then. So, to make a big change, a Great House would need to win at least three consecutive Games. More likely four, to be on the safe side, since most Houses take a day or two to recover after the Game before making any decrees, and six months and one day is different from six months, yes?”

Gracie sighed. “Sounds like a lawyer came up with that distinction. So, what are these Games?”

“Combat, of course. There are special enchantments woven into the Upper City. Those who have special markers, either by being born to a Great House, or being found worthy and recruited by them, are protected by these enchantments. So long as they’re in the Upper City, they can fight to their heart’s content, engage in assassination, bloodsport, and more, and even if they die, they will revive at the end of the next Great Game. This means that not only can the fighting through the Upper City be ‘live’ during each Game, but ‘champion hunting’ between the games is an acceptable tactic, weakening rival Houses before the Game starts.”

Dattae’s mandibles chittered in laughter as Gracie and her pets all looked dumbstruck. “That’s the face most outsiders make when they hear of that. Powerful enchantments, but limited to only in the Upper City, and only to those with the proper tokens. Doesn’t help any if you’re killed outside of the Upper City, even if you’re born into one of the Great Houses.

“Now, as for the Houses themselves? You have Ilzor, Vomhur, Nahlans, Dren, Throk, and Aslin. Each Great House has its own focus, but the one at the top is Aslin. They’re the ones who came up with the Games, and they’ve won more Games than any other House.”

“Are they truly that much stronger than the other Houses?”

“Yes, and no. Each Great House has their own focus, you understand. Aslin are warriors to the core. But don’t go thinking their muscle-headed morons. They view everything as combat. Diplomacy, Logistics, Law? All forms of combat and battles to be won. Because of this, and their extensive use of combat slaves, they are the single strongest House, and none of the others could take them on, one-on-one.”

“And I’m guessing that the other Houses can tolerate each other long enough to force them out?”

“Indeed. Ilzor is the weakest of the Great Houses, and with the fewest allies. They’re religious types, for the most part. Believe slavery is immoral, except as punishment for crimes. Naturally, this makes them unpopular with the other Houses, but they’re also the hungriest for new champions to bolster their ranks.

“Vomhur are merchants to the core. They don’t care about anything or anyone, so long as their coffers are full. I’d be careful joining with them. They might pay better than others for mercenaries in the Games, but lives are just another form of currency to them.

“Nahlans are the scholarly sort. Most magically adept House in the City, and they run the most prestigious magic Academy. They don’t take in any free mercenaries for the Games unless they’re some kind of mage, or led by a mage. However, their individual combatants are more powerful, on average, than individuals of other Houses. They would much rather collect several precious gems, than have a pile of shiny baubles made of colored glass.

“Dren are also scholars, but of a different sort. Where the Nahlans focus on magic, Dren turns their minds to technology. They’re big on adding vehicles to their fighting force, and making ‘augments’ to their fighters. Dren and Nahlans sometimes work together, but even when they oppose each other, the Dren’s technology means they never end up last in the Games.

“Last of the six Great Houses is House Throk. They are perhaps the most diverse of the houses, since every member of the house has their first spawn with some creature that is not Dogik. Demons, different types of undead, and more. This ensures that their blood does not run too closely, despite their tendency to turn to others within the House for marriage. They employ all manner of mercenaries as champions in the Games, especially if they are those who walk on the darker paths to power.”

The captain chuckled. “But you won’t need to concern yourselves with any of the Great Houses, not unless you do enough in the Lower City to get noticed by them. However, since you’ve done good work in dealing with the rabble from Shatterchain, I can give you a couple letters of reference. One to the Slavers Guild, and the other to the Adventurers Guild. Won’t get you any special benefits, but it might remove a few of the normal hurdles they put in front of outlanders.”

“Do the guilds often have trouble with outlanders?”

“Typically, free outlanders fall under two categories. One is those looking to cause trouble, maybe help with the rabble-rousers inciting the slaves, or just looking for ways to scheme and scam people out of their coin. They aren’t typically the majority, since most outlanders that don’t come in with a collar or brand are looking to make trades, or take adventuring work, but there’s enough of the troublemakers that a little precaution saves a lot of trouble.”

Gracie nodded, and said, “I think I’ll sell the two males, then. Probably keep the woman in a [Capture Ball] so I don’t have to listen to her talk, or worry about her needing to defend herself until we can get to Khav-Szrokzas, or beyond. Assault Mage and Battle Courtesan are a useful enough class and profession that it would be a shame to turn her into just another breeder.”

Dattae nodded, and began using what Gracie recognized as [Mystic Hands], a Dogik racial skill that allowed them to do some simple tasks like writing or using certain basic tools or instruments (nothing more complicated than a kitchen knife) without having actual hands. There were upgrades to the skill, which allowed them to use more tools, increased how much they could carry in the ‘hands’, and allowed them to wield weapons. Multiple skill points to replicate what other creatures could do naturally, but it wasn’t like they didn’t have their own advantages, like their near-immunity to poisons of their Tier or lower.

“In that case, you might look at the Blackstone Arena, when you get to the city. They’re always looking for new blood to fight for the entertainment of the crowds. Slave fighters only, mind you. Most of the fights are to submission. The winning Master wins a share of the betting pool, and the winning slave gets to enjoy the loser for the crowd’s pleasure.”

“Most of the fights are to submission? So, not all of them are?”

“Ah, yes. Some of the fights are team bouts, or team fights with individual matchups. Different rules for those, obviously. And some fights are to the death. But those fights are rarer, because then the losing Master takes their slave’s place as the winning slave’s reward, forced to let the winning slave take their pleasure while the winning Master gets paid. Depending on whatever bets the Masters might have made, the losing Master might end up with a collar, themselves, afterwards. Those fights usually have some bad blood behind them, but the City allows them for the same reason Shatterchain is allowed to exist.”

Gracie nodded. “Having a ‘safe’ outlet for tensions between Masters means they’re far less likely to start hiring assassins, or other such nastiness. At least with the Arena, they can focus on a way of settling the feud that still profits the city. Because simply expecting feuds to not exist is like expecting gravity to just stop working without magic or the System being involved.”

Dattae chuckled, and slid the two letters of recommendation across the desk to her, along with a [Temporary Portal Keystone]. “There’s your letters, and the keystone I promised you. That’ll get you to the outskirts of the Lower City.”

“Captain!” Another Dogik said, skittering into the office, and up onto the ceiling so that they could be easily seen without bowling over Gracie and her pets. There was… not alarm, exactly, but definitely concern in the Dogik’s voice.

“What is it, soldier?” Dattae asked, a displeased tone in her voice.

“Word from the informant in Shatterchain. Something’s set off the Mountainheart. Word is that they’ve lost some of their best hunters, all quickly, and someone made a ‘display’ of the guards who died trying to escort those escaped slaves. Stripped them naked, and then hung them from the walls in a web of their own entrails! At least, that’s what the informant heard. You know how rumors go.”

Dattae nodded slowly, before looking back to Gracie. “Current leader of Shatterchain is a Krils man, by the name of Golgor Oreblade, but everyone calls him Mountainheart. Escaped slave, was an Earth Sorcerer when he escaped, but we know he’s in Tier 2 now. Don’t know what his new class is, since the informant doesn’t want to risk exposure by getting caught using [Appraise] on important people. But, if the Mountainheart is really angry, chances are he’ll be looking for whoever took out his people.”

Gracie frowned. “I’d rather not fight an Earth Sorcerer underground, if it is all the same to you.”

“Don’t blame you,” Dattae nodded. “That’s the other reason we’ve allowed Shatterchain to exist. Taking it out is too much risk, for too little gain. Might be best to rest the night, and head out tomorrow.”

“I think that’s a good idea, Captain. At least then, if we’re forced into a confrontation, we’ll be fresh, instead of having so many large fights in a day.”