[Episode 181707] [Episode 181707]“Now is the time to acquire a… servant, or rather, servants. No self respecting Keeper would have no more than at least five to six servants at one time.” The Mentor began to glide deeper into the undercity. “However, to gain servants you must be there to get them yourself in order to have them under your command. So, to work.”
Ranma walked beside the Mentor as they made their way through the now crowded walkways. Ranma did notice that the inhabitants had now given him a wide berth as they walked on by. It seemed that the Mentor was right about the outfit that he was wearing at moment. But Ranma remained cautious after seeing a brawl outside one of the casinos they passed and what seemed to be two gangs fighting over territory in one of the darkened alleys.
“They don‘t like each other much don they?” Ranma asked as he looked over his shoulder to watch the disturbance behind him. A toady, green creature with a mouth full of teeth and claws was slashing at what looked like a large dog with two heads.
“Yes, Demon Spawn and Hellhounds don’t see eye to eye…” The Mentor shrugged. “In fact, they spend most of their time pitting themselves upon each other rather than against a common foe.”
“So, some guys don’t like each other because of they are?” Ranma raised an eyebrow as a shriek was heard.
“Indeed, many creatures have old hatreds that date back to even before the Dungeon Hearts ever existed.” The Mentor sighed as yelp and a growl echoed through the corridor. “Such squabbles are a bane to most Keepers, for it inhibits a dungeon’s efficiency.”
“A lot of ‘em still hate each other, eh?”
“Not quite Keeper. Some look past those problems now. For example, Warlocks before the fall of the first Underlord would attack Vampires without discretion. But now both sides now stop their petty fighting to work on a common goal of crushing their enemies.”
“So why are they friendly to each other now?”
“Friendly doesn’t describe it. More tolerant is more like their current feelings to each other at the moment, for the Vampires now shifted their hate toward the Monks, who now hold the secret to keep them permanently dead, and now aid Warlocks in their studious research for new spells… Ah, here we are.”
Both Ranma and the Mentor stopped in front of a Steel door with two large Dragons guarding both sides of the door. What caught Ranma’s attention the most, however, was the sign that read ‘Slave Girl Auction Today’.
“Now Keeper, don’t look at me like that.” Mentor noticed the shocked expression when Ranma looked at him.
“You said servants, not slaves.” Ranma growled between his teeth.
“And I did. Servants are the more… polite word for slaves.”
“There ain’t no way I’m gettin’ no slaves!”
“Keeper listen to me and listen well.” The Mentor had planned for everything and now it was time to play on this neophyte’s goodly morals. “You have two options. One, you acquire slaves that you would treat fairly and with kindness. You can protect them from many horrors of this dark and deprived place and give them something to live for.”
“Or you can settle for option two, leaving them in the hands of them.” The Mentor pointed to several groups heading for the door. “They are minor Keepers but as of now they are your rivals.”
One group was lead by a thin, boney man with a sinister expression on his pale face. He dressed in expensive looking velvet clothes that was adorn with great amounts of finely crafted jewelry. He was flanked by two warlocks and four goblins. “That is Keeper Sidarian. An disgusting individual that often ‘rewards’ his troops by allowing them to have their way with the slave girls and takes pleasure in watching them struggle as they are raped in the most brutal and obscene manner.”
Another group was lead by a Dark Elf wrapped in fine black spider silk robes who carried himself haughtily. His head tilted upwards as if he was looking downward at anyone around him. On his hip was a broadsword that looked more for decoration rather than battle and in his right had was a coiled whip where there were obvious stains of blood. He was followed by three large Orcs and a Troll. “He is Keeper Malbrin, well known for his cruel pleasure in beating and tormenting his slaves. Malbrin constantly uses that whip to rip flesh from bone of his slaves and relishes in their tormented screams of pain.”
The next group was lead by a fat woman with a perpetual scowling expression dressed in leather which showed way too much skin causing many males in the vicinity to turn their heads in disgust. On her hip was a large dagger decorated in gold and jewelry. Behind her a was a fat Bile Demon and four leather clad Mistresses. “That horrid looking specimen is Keeper Nelfania. A Keeper who searches for the most beautiful of slaves, only to bring that dagger across the poor girls faces and hideously scarring them for life. After that she has them thrown into her prisons to starve or tortured until they wither away.”
The last group was lead by a elderly man that was dressed in simple robes who wore a enlightened expression. To many he would look like a harmless old man that wouldn’t hurt even a cockroach. Trailing behind him was five Vampires that kept taking glances at a passerby’s throat. “Lastly, the fanatical Keeper Zeldon is a dedicated worshiper of the Dark Gods. For he disembowels a still living slave upon the alters of his temple where he deludes himself that he has divine protection by dark deities of the underworld. And when it over he feasts upon the still warm hearts and livers, for in his senile mind, would make him young again.”
“What will it be Keeper?” The Mentor turned back to Ranma who was standing rigidly grinding his teeth in anger. His hand clenched into a fist is legs tensed ready to lash out. The Mentor took notice and quickly stopped him. “Don’t even think about it Keeper.”
“Why shouldn’t I?!”
“The simple fact remains that starting a fight here and now would turn all of Skid Row against you. Even for someone of your skill you would easily be overtaken the sheer numbers of those who live here.” The Mentor harshly responded. “And think again, if you plan to free those girls. The collars they wear are magically designed to kill them if such a thing to happen and by how difficult as it is to take those collars off would trouble even the most experienced of Warlocks. Life isn’t fair Keeper, the underworld even more so.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“Be as it may. It’s still your choice to make Keeper.”
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(Posted Sat, 13 Jan 2007 23:19)
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