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Pathfinding: An Adult Choose Your Own Adventure

Thirty-first Entry

By Gideon Kalve Jarvis

Vote Tallies

A - 12

B - 2

C - 2

D - 7

Get additional information before picking/be sneaky - 2

Be sure to secure the other exit points first - 1

* Skaeth is up to something - 3 * Shara and Padmini learning flesh magic and non-lethal skills (sex quite likely) - 6

* Kyte's submission - 16

* Investigate that weird crystal orb Ryg found on Praxis' body - 6

* Campfire tale for Urta and/or Urtan - 4

* Rufus/Urtan scene, where they finally go at it - 6

* Appearance of Jonna the she-minotaur - 11

Vote Options in Progress:

* Wisselfleur and Imogen seduced by Rufus (Adel included) - 11

* Training Crystal (making her more combat-ready) - 9

Author Notes

Two interesting sites all about hyena behavior and sexuality that I thought might be interesting to folks:

http://www.hyaenidae.org/the-hyaenidae/spotted-hyena-crocuta-crocuta/crocuta-social-behavior.html

http://sciencetrio.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/genital-mimicry-social-erections-and-spotted-hyenas/

My personal take on this for the world of Therafim is that there are two sorts of gnolls in the world, one sort more hyenalike, and the other sort more like wolves. Among the hyenalike gnolls, who are generally more pure-blooded, females are larger and stronger than males, and they're the usual leaders, with some males achieving importance by becoming shamans. Females among these hyenalike gnolls may even be so much like true hyenas that they have sex and give birth through their faux-penises, which makes stillbirth not uncommon thanks to the complications mentioned in the two articles above, naturally keeping the population of these gnolls down. These more hyenalike gnolls tend to be fervent worshipers of demon princes, especially Yeenoghu, who their females regard as the idealized male, far more powerful and potent than any of the males in their packs, and are much more likely to become part of the hordes of evil because of this worship.

Incidentally, Urta is one of the lucky gnolls of this variety that is less like a true hyena, and just has an enlarged clitoris, and has sex and gives birth through a more standard vagina. This is an advantage because it means she can mate and give birth more easily. It's not quite so great in other ways because it means she's not quite as 'butch' as she could be, which is why she sometimes has challenges to her authority from the males in her little pack.

More wolflike gnolls are generally a result of interbreeding with other races, such as humans, elves, and canid beastfolk. Their lack of pure blood means that their behaviors as well as their physiology have both changed somewhat, and females usually lack a faux-phallus, having more traditional mammalian genitalia. Among this sort of gnoll, males are commonly in a slightly dominant state, but are not that much stronger than their females, leading the two sexes to be more-or-less equal. These sorts of gnolls tend to be more laid-back, interested primarily in food, mating, and sating their whims, rather than in the direct worship of any higher powers, though they do pay some veneration to nature spirits and the Mother Goddess of Therafim, Matra. Because of their more animal-like interests, wolflike gnolls prove to be an occasional hazard to travelers, but they generally prefer easy pickings, so shows of strength will keep them off, and they may even develop friendships with other races, or at least mutually-beneficial relationships.

With all that said, due to additional time constraints this week, this will be a slightly shorter entry.

Pathfinding Thirty-first Entry

Dropping low to the ground - not hard since he was so short anyway - Cassidy took the lead, his ears raised, picking up even the most minute of sounds as his eyes swept the floor and the walls, searching for any signs of tripfalls, traps, or silent alarm triggers. Rufus just stood a short distance back, watching the tan-furred male at work, admitting to himself how much he appreciated having the rabbit around. Cassidy might be the quiet sort, but he was a true friend, never abandoning Rufus and his group no matter how bad things got. Glancing down to his side, where Adel was standing, Rufus wondered if his little chipmunk mate would mind helping him give the bunny a first-class double blowjob. Hmm, or maybe he could add in Urtan as well, and make it into a foursome.

Grah! Why was it so hard to concentrate right now? Rufus grit his teeth as he realized how much all his thoughts kept drifting onto matters sexual. There was definitely something wrong here, something more than his typical horniness. Ever since he'd gotten within spitting distance of this blasted tower, there'd been a sense of rising tension inside of the grey-furred wolfen, a rising, nearly overwhelming feeling of primal lust. Was there some sort of magic at work here? Rufus glanced back toward where Ryg was standing, the blind shamaness turning her head as though she were looking around, curiously sniffing the air at something only she could detect with her magically-attuned senses. Maybe he should take a moment and see what Ryg knew, see if maybe she could tip him off to some trouble before it got _really_bad.

But then Cassidy was giving Rufus a nod, signaling the passage was clear, before starting up the stairs, his keen lapine senses and reflexes ready for anything. Rufus scowled, then, before shaking his head, and motioning with his hand for everyone to follow after him as he followed after Cassidy. Whatever was going on here, it'd have to wait until after they could catch a breather. Stopping for a conversation in the middle of an evil sorceress' lair in the middle of enemy territory just didn't seem like such a good idea right then.

As he reached the top of the stairs, Rufus' eyes widened in some surprise as he looked around, checking out the room before him. Well, this wasn't exactly what he'd expected, but then, he wasn't completely sure what he'd expected in the first place. At the far end of the rather large chamber was another door, presumably one that led to another set of upward-leading stairs, since there were still a few more floors left before they reached the top of the tower. As for the room itself, it was sort of a war room as envisioned by a decadent harem master. Plush cushions and soft couches lay strewn around the room, while numerous tables held various wines and other tasty-looking refreshments, and also a number of strategic-looking maps. More maps were tacked to the walls, and most of them had various marks made on them with different colors of ink, making some sort of strategic code meant to be understood primarily by whoever drew the markings in the first place.

"Guess Belthin likes her comfort while she's working out strategy," Rufus growled mostly to himself, scratching his head as he considered the rather odd room, wishing the various censers hanging from the ceiling didn't keep filling his nostrils with that weird incense; it made him feel...odd. Adel, however, took one look at the maps, and promptly hurried over to a table, where she started to sift through some of the sheaves of paper stacked there.

"Troop movements," she muttered to herself, glancing at Hanaro and Lysha as the two girls joined her on either side, their own martial training, since they'd been part of a religious order that taught strategy and tactics, helping them to start following what Adel saw after a little while and some whispered help from the clever chipmunk girl. "This is...it's the Amazon territory, I think. And this would be their main fortress. Wow, it's big, and built like a solid mountain, too. No wonder they've held out so long against an army this big. And here...oh...it's the Blue Feather tribal territory." Adel shook her head in worry. "This could be very bad."

Rufus, though, was having a hard time focusing on Adel's words. His attention was much more centered on her pert little tushie, thrust outward rather invitingly as she bent over the low table to better look at the maps. He glanced momentarily to the side, and saw that One-eye, Urtan, and Urta seemed to be having similar troubles, though Urtan was obviously doing his best to fight it off, with a little bit more success than Rufus was having. Skaeth, for his part, grabbed Kyte by a shoulder, and walked over to one of the refreshment tables.

"Might as well take advantage," he grunted, shoving a bottle into the stunned-looking she-dragon's arms, before scooping up another for himself, and taking a long pull. "Mmm, good. Belthin's not the kind to be stingy with the good stuff, obviously."

Imogen and Wisselfleur hung back shyly, seeming to have problems similar to those Rufus was experiencing, but without the experience to really understand what it was that was going on. Imogen, especially, had a certain pinkish glow about her horn that matched the flush in her cheeks, and Rufus was soon forced to look away from her, feeling his emotions going wildly out of control just looking at the smooth and gorgeous unicorn filly. Padmini and Cassidy, meanwhile, were seemingly unaffected, though that may have been because they were occupying themselves by checking out the door blocking off access to the stairs going up. Shara the foxtaur eventually ambled over to join them, lending her magical expertise to Cassidy's lockpicking skills.

It was at this moment, as Rufus was fighting his inner battles, that things got a little more...distracting.

"Go ahead," said a teasing, girlish voice. "You know you want to."

Rufus' head jerked around, his eyes sweeping the room for where the voice had originated. Nothing.

"Honestly, you've got time now, and Belthin won't be back here for a long while," the voice continued, its tones those of a naughty little girl, or a seasoned seductress who knew just how to play that role. "Why not take advantage? It's obvious there's a lot of tension going on in your little group. The big spotty guy next to you would love it if you slipped him a bone, and it's pretty clear you'd like the same from him. And that little chippy - whew! What a hottie! And don't get me started on the horsey-babes in the back..."

"Do you hear something?" Rufus said out loud as he took a step forward, his voice low, but just loud enough to be heard by Adel and the gnolls. Adel looked over her shoulder at Rufus, giving the wolfen an odd look.

"I'm not hearing anything, Rufus," she said, her blue eyes showing a mixture of puzzlement and concern. "What do you hear?"

Rufus glanced at the gnolls, but only got blank looks from each of them, before he turned his attention back to Adel's...face.

"I...guess it was nothing," he finally admitted, before walking to the far end of the room.

"Nothing but trouble, you mean," the voice continued. "Trouble for you if pass up an opportunity like this, that is. C'mon, what could it hurt? And you just know you'll all love it..."

It was so hard to think! It'd been hard to focus before, but with that voice buzzing in his ears with such seductive ideas, images forming unbidden in his brain to accompany them...Grrr!

Suddenly Rufus' head snapped up, his mind centering on a single perfect moment of clarity. Yeah, he knew just what he was going to do now.

Path Choices

Side Choices:

Two options for scenes that may come in the future, back at the Blue Feather camp, depending on reader responses. Feel free to be creative in your suggestions, and general consensus will carry the day, as best as I can manage it.

1) What shall we do with Phan and Zane back at the Blue Feather camp? We might have a general orgy with the redheaded cleric and Oriental sorceress. Or perhaps we'll use them to keep Carver the bear leader happy. Or maybe they'll be tenderly loved by Windtooth, his mates, and Marlene. Or you can suggest something else.

2) What about the steampunk trio, Flit, Deo, and Midge? Will they have their first time with Crystal while making her more battle-ready? Perhaps Spark will have his way, and seduce them. Perhaps Horse will just decide he wants some extra-tight tail for his oversized gnoll cock. Or perhaps they keep their virginities for now...though that doesn't mean they'll keep them forever.

Main choice: So, what do we do about that voice?

A) Ignore it, then either keep going up or head back to one of the other exits from the prior entry. Let's just get out of here. (65% chance of resistance)

B) Well...why not? Give in to the voice's suggestions. (No save needed, since we deliberately succumb)

C) Find the source of the voice, and give it what it deserves! (65% to resist, followed by a 65% chance to find the hidden speaker)