Chapter Text
A/N: I do not own Darkest Dungeon or anything affiliated with the brand. This is just fanfic from an amateur writer. Warning: World Building, Unreliable Narrator, Dark, Everyone is Broken, Flashbacks, Horror, Death, Stress, Traumatic Pasts, Human Trafficking, Abuse, Child Abuse, Rape, human sacrifice, Hey Did I Mention Dark?, Yandere, PTSD, Survivor's Guilt, Depression, Self-Medication, Drug Dependency, Baggage, Temple Prostitution, Cannibalism, Toxic Relationships, Heal Fic, Should I just bold Horror at this point? Cheesy Romance, and Gamer tropes. I do not make any money off this story. Thank you for your time and my gratitude to Red Hook Studios.
Thank you to everyone who gave kudos or commented. Shout out to SeaBassToast, Critical_Lee, Fant4sia, jjcc1113, xuyi83366386, Collectorofhats, Xolsis, Stov1212, DreamingOfWingsAndDice, That1DireWolf, Anonylemon, FanfictionFan368, I_LikeCheese, JeraldOfRivers, 1randomdum_dumb1, ArtyrVokyta, AntiMeep, melamory_blimm, TheConfusedEngineer, Alex_chung, Ysolde, NazoAO3, AileenRaven, Lord_Chocolate, Supplicant, EraOfTheBrave, and all of my guests.
“Talking”
‘Thinking/Mental Communication’
Memories/FlashBacks/Future Sight
Casting/Skills/Words of Great Power or Meaning
The Ancestor Speaks
The Others
Previously
Halfway through the floor, I stop. ‘Right.’ Magic lines weave a web ensnaring the gambling dens. Technically, I won that challenge that Hedona sent me. With that, I have the right to usurp her hold in this section, and the ritual is increasingly fortified thanks to it.
With that done. I drop through everything and land back where I belong.
Ch 37: Lay the Cards and Weep
Lenore’s POV
With a sigh of relief, I settle back in my body. With a tilt of my wrist, the flowing wine becomes a drip until the chalice is fully upright. Followed by a quick shimmy to wake up the sleeping limbs and quicken my pulse.
‘How long was I stuck in that position?’
My movement attracted the attention of Seguier, Stafford, and Aguilon. All remain in their respective places. Seguier's hound wags slowly wags her tail, while Seguier himself fidgets in place. Aguilon and Stafford are unreadable at a glance.
‘But they’re here. They’re still here, and that’s what matters.’
It’s nearly impossible to see past the ritual circle due to the dense smoke surrounding us. Not a wisp remaining inside the circle. The festivities above us take on a haunting echo. My hair flickers as it tastes the air, ‘Louder than it should be. Mind games then. She’s trying to stoke fear and anxiety to tempt my men to abandon their positions and to break our sole defense.’
Another glance shows Seguier keeps fidgeting but keeping vigil, his hound periodically taking big sniffs and sneezing from them. Aguilon looks distracted as he’s studying the runes though his head tilts toward the slightest of sounds. ‘He’s not relying on his eyes.’
Then Stafford, when I check on him, his attention is squarely on me. In response, I flash my eye red and back to blue. He nods but does not turn away… ’What is he concerned about if not that?’
The creaking of wood and the sound of splintering catches our attention. The smoke is moving in distinct patterns, speeding up with the increased pounding. Urging the partiers onward and down.
I can’t stop the toothy grin at this realization, “She’s nervous.”
Aguilon gives a disapproving look before facing the entrance with a soft tsk. Stafford immediately draws his knife at that, and the hound goes still. My grin drops, and I nod at Aguilon slightly ashamed.
‘I can’t afford to be overconfident now. I only got this far because she was.’ A deep breath, ‘I don’t want to pay that price. I don’t want to die.’
Aguilon raises an eyebrow, but no comment is made.
‘It should be around 5 am now. 1 more hour dawn…As the Sun dispels the night, I’ll use it to break her hold on my land and people. Hmm~ I won’t stop at that but even her place of worship. As I use her power to convert her temple to a place beyond her reach…I would enjoy that for all the trouble she caused.’
“Hold strong, it won't be long now.”
The basem*nt door shatters inward as it falls to the floor with a thud. Followed by the slap of flesh against the ground, as thralls fall in after it. Stafford jumps up in fright as several hands reach out to drag him out of the circle. Only to be rebuffed by the wards, with a cackling sheen of light barrier between my hero and her thralls. They leave behind the scent of cooking meat.
A gurgle from my stomach draws a co*cked ear from the hound and Seguier’s shoulders hunch forward. Trying to focus on the threats surrounding us and not on what consists of my diet. ’When was the last time I ate?’
Breathe out ‘Concentrate, I’ve starved before.’ Another gurgle as Hedona tries to prode at my soul to partake and glutton myself on man-flesh. It’s with long-suffered practice, that I shake off that temptation. Hope scoffs at the attempt, it knows the penalties it forced on me. I grimace at that reminder and redouble my efforts to focus on my craft.
I hold out the upright chalice, breathe in, and grip the rim of the cup in my other hand. Channeling power so my metaphysical hand reaches through the ward lines I laid down and grips the smoke contained within.
Now there is an onslaught as fists, bodies, and any manner of flesh throw themselves onto the wards. The smoke might be kept out of the circle, but that doesn’t stop my grandmother.
Even as I close my eyes, I watch. My family emphasizes through several journals the virtues of mental attacks and mind games as our bread and butter. To set the environment and toy with our prey to bring out the most amusing reactions.
With concern, my hair flickers in the direction of my men. ‘This isn’t an attack on me.’
A man is stuck on the ward spread out and sizzling in a death rattle in front of an unimpressed Aguilon. Segiuer is starting to hyperventilate in the face of his suicidal pawns. Stafford is doing his best ‘and failing’ at appearing as indifferent as Aguilon.
This is a setup. ‘The smoke can’t reach them, but that doesn’t mean that Hedona is without her tricks.’ This is still her temple, she has power here. ‘She can’t physically touch us. Magically I have the Tarven locked down. The Land will not answer her. What’s her counter?’
The green eyes step back. Then murmurs. Then chanting. Sound fills the room.
My heart skips a beat as I feel her whisper to my men. Her presence rubbed against their souls and probed their doubts, desires, and ambitions. ‘I didn’t think to protect against sound! Why didn’t I think!’ I pray that they won’t move. Not even succeed in resisting her, ‘Who can?’
‘Please, please, don’t break the last defense. Don’t step out of your circle.’
I try to reach out to them and find myself blocked. For whatever reason, I can’t control their movements. The Lord’s ring sizzles and mockingly laughs at me. It’s holding me to my gamble on my men. Now it’s time to lay down the cards. Their choices are my hand and my soul the chip.
I can hear a gold coin land on a velvet table and my body betrays my mental state from shaking with fear. I can barely control the shallow gasps as the lead-up to the finale is ripped out of my hands. That my tools, my pets, determine if I live or die. ‘I can’t do anything!’
It’s with a desperate prayer that I check the wards…they need more time. Even if they were fully charged now, I have a feeling I won’t be able to finish it until all my men have answered Hedona.
I take a shaky breath and blink. ‘When did I open my eyes?’ I turn to Seguier he’s the first to be tested. The man doubles over and vomits, I’m worried for a second that the bile would ruin the runes fueling our circle. The light protecting us doesn't even flicker, ‘it’s been powered long enough that the magic saturation is beyond minor physical disruptions. It remembers what it’s meant to be.’
The hound starts to bark madly and harshly bites the hand of her master. ‘Is she trying to eat-?’ The master wipes his mouth with the unwounded hand.
“Not again.” He looks back toward me while keeping his chest forward to the threats, “You have a lot to make up for. But.” He faces the ceiling and shouts out, his beast echoing him with her howls, “You hear me, demon?!? It will never be right! But she’s trying! She’s better than you! So stuff your bribes! I won’t take them! I won’t take them! I won’t do it.”
The dog snuffles and butts her head against his hip. I can barely hear his last whisper, “Not again…”
Hedona withdrew from his soul and mind. I feel something wet slip from my good eye, but it’s too early to feel relief. Aguilon is next.
“No.”
Aguilon is unfazed by the whispers and probes at his soul. He’s unreadable and unassable. Hedona batters fiercely against his mind. She seems to be searching for some prior claim or chink in his armor.
‘No.’ I barely suppress the whimper, ‘Did he have a deal with her? What claim could she have on him?’
And she found no purchase on his soul.
He coldly repeats, “No.”
My muscles unclench at his declaration. He breaks his composure to eye me for a moment. I feel like he’s trying to evaluate a butcher’s- No, not a cut of meat, there’s no hint of lust in his eyes, not the personal feeling of want.
A cold detached determination of a commissioned work. To ensure the object in question would hold up to muster. His eyes soften a bit and he nods to himself as he makes his judgment.
‘He’s as much my tool, as I am his.’
'T-That’s good.’
‘He’s more likely to stay if he can gain something by my side.’
Aguilon advises Stafford, “Whatever Hedona offers. It is hollow.”
Hedona didn’t let him continue and immediately tried her luck with him.
Stafford begins sweating profusely. Swaying on his feet with a blush, before it drains into a pale completion. He whips away from the cultists around us and looks at me with a heartbroken betrayed expression.
‘Why? ’ The chants swell to drown out any words I may have spoken, so I keep my mouth shut. His eyes flicker side to side until they roll back into his head exposing the whites of his eyes that turn pitch black.
I resist the urge to give up, ‘It’s not over yet. Maybe I can turn this into my favor?’ and don’t turn away from the river card. I can’t hear but I can see his lips move. I nod to the man, ‘Yes, I will keep my promises.’
His head twitches and the medium flares. I read his words, “One more.”
‘A promise 3-fold. Reaffirmed 3 times, thus making the punishment 3 times worse for breaking my promise.’ Every muscle tenses as at the threat, I remember the costs of breaking deals. ‘Lords do face greater backlash from breaking their words.’
Before forcing myself to relax, as tenacity fueled by hope, steadies my nerves. ‘But I keep my word. This changes nothing.’
I can feel his awareness primarily on me, even with Hedona trying to caress his soul with various promises and temptations. I’m… relieved at this insistent suitor, ensuring he can’t be casually put aside. That he’s so desperate for something I offer he’s willing to ignore my great-grandmother. ‘No small feat, regardless of the circ*mstances.’
‘If I wanted a harem, he forced his place in there.’
There is a painful tear in my chest at the thought of my rouge. Then I remember how he abandoned me after I wagered my life while betting on his promises. That anger at his betrayal and my foolish, naive trust in the rouge …
‘I should have fallen into Stafford’s bed instead.’
I don’t stop at nodding, with words unheard, I promise thrice, “I will allow you to properly court me.” I don’t stop there, “By my name and in good faith.” Sealing the deal with my name, my person, on the line, and in a way that can’t be easily betrayed or cheapened.
I feel the weight of that promise on my soul and Stafford does as well. A hand covers his face as Hedona screams in fury as she pours out of him. Leaving him with a bloody face as it drips down his hand into his wide sleeves. A crafty trick to not leave a trace of blood behind.
She failed to turn all there of my men.
The flop, the turn, and the river were in my favor.
‘Her tactics were working on Seguier. If she saved him for last she might have broken him.’
‘Could be, would be, that does not matter.’
The sun is ready to burst from the womb of the earth.
‘This ends now.’
My metaphorical grasp tightens as the strings of magic are at their limit and ready to snap. The wards are fully charged and only need to be released to be tattooed into the soul, existence, and concept of the Tavern. It’s almost time.
‘Hold.’
The battering against the barrier becomes nonstop as Hedona becomes desperate. She caught onto my retaliation. The bitter and corrupted sliver of love is pulsing frantically, urging her on.
‘Hold.’
Her smoke is trying to preemptively trigger the wards. To hold off the influence the Dawn and more importantly, the Light will have on her home. She knows she will lose at this point.
Still, she fights to not lose everything.
‘Hold.’
She fails.
‘3’
‘2’
‘1’
As the sun breaks through the earth, I snap my fingers. On cue, the magic snaps into the wards, and the Blessing of Home is cast, anchored, and secured. I won.
Light magic floods the tavern dispelling many old curses, jinxes, hexes, and other dark magic. A hidden miasma lift and the air tastes cleaner than it has in decades if not centuries. This place can no longer be used as a place of worship for the Dark god and his followers.
‘At least never to the extent it once was.’
With the dawn used as the center point for the blessing. Fresh starts and in the Tavern's favor, better feasts and drinks. The tavern will be a mark of new beginnings and awakenings. No doubt this will cut into the inclination for dirty dealings and dark indulgences with the coin they bring.
‘A punishment for the Tarven Owner for his impatience, greed, and hiding crucial information from me. To be forever separated from his wife and lose out on profits he might have gained from her favor. I will leave it at that, as he has been respectful otherwise.’
‘If I didn’t have the time-dependent offer, I might have been able to rest enough to have the wits to ignore my grandmother’s call. Then I wouldn’t have to be forced to choose to gamble for my life or be killed right there and then.’ I allow myself the bloodthirsty smile, ‘Bastard deserves it.’
Before wavering on my feet, the world is spinning. No that’s my perception as I dance to it. Arms catch me and ‘When was I falling?’ Before hefting me into a princess carry. Everything is starting to blur so I don’t rely on my eyes to identify the arms, ‘Oh, Squid ink and warm sands.’
Stafford is looking down at me. I can tell it’s him, but colors are starting to overlap, ‘I'm way past my limits. Why am I not dead?’ It’s hard to make the details.
‘My job is not done.’ My wrist flexes on the ‘Stupid Goblet’ I have a death grip on. ‘f*ck that c*nt.’
‘I can’t secure it.’ I think hard, thoughts are startingly clear for someone whose body is shutting down on them. ‘Who can?’
“f*ck.” I’m going to allow myself to break decorum. ‘I'm going to do something I know I’m going to regret later. ’ It’s been a long night. ‘But I’ll be alive to deal with it.’
‘Where’s my other Occultist?’ I twist my head searching for the other red-brown blurr. ‘He’s responsible and reliable.’
‘And likely to survive this task. f*ck, I’ll just summon-’
“My lady? What do you need?”
There’s the red blur I need. ‘I didn’t even need to call him.’
“Take this,” I flop the trinket towards him, and I can feel his hands overlap mine on the overly gaudy cup. Only when he has a good hold do I release my grip.
“You must get it safely to the Caretaker.”
‘Hello, Black. Missed seeing you on the edges of my vision.’
“Make sure that he knows to safeguard it for me. He can’t use it for himself and will only ensure its protection until I decide to use it myself.”
‘Bastard will try to steal the 3 uses I can get out of it. Hedona would let him as well. I imagine they had a good working relationship.’
“Yes, Lady Adamos.”
The blur stands there, 'What am I missing? Ah.’
“Dismissed and gods’ speed.”
Before he goes, he summons his familiar to clear a path for him. The corpses piled up in the basem*nt are dragged into the abyss leaving only a few recovering thralls scattered about. He quickly moves out of sight and I hear a wooden clink as a ladder is carefully lowered behind him.
“Stafford. Segiuer.” I feel their attention, “Take me to the church and lay me on the altar. I’m going to pass out, but whatever happens, you must wake me before sunset.”
The colors are blurring past me and the motion is rocking me to sleep. ‘Not yet.’ They’ve decided to move out. Now it’s getting harder to think, ‘What am I forgetting?’
Sunlight hits as we step out and are greeted by a mob of people. Thankfully, this mob is made up of my heroes, who part out of the way as Reynauld steps to the front. ‘That’s it.’
“Reynauld.” The silver blur stops, “Go get Dismas,” The arms around me squeeze in discomfort. I ignore it. ‘Don’t have the strength to address that right now.’
A low angry address, “My lady-”
I interrupt, “Collect him and arrive at the Church before sundown.”
I hurridly project the image of where I last saw him and in what condition.
More than I meant to, my feelings from then bleed through. Choking fear, cutting betrayal, and anchored by despair. Wrapped up in bittersweet acceptance. ‘How dare I hope for more?’
To become tied up with self-mockery for daring to believe that my sworn hero would come. At least if not for me, then for his oath-brother. ‘How dare I believe he would be loyal beyond what he needed to save face?’
There’s a clank, ‘Yes you arrogant f*ck. That’s why I tried to summon you earlier, but did you listen? No!’
Now my voice is the low growl, “Reynauld.”
The blur lowers itself, “At once, Lady Adamos-”
Just because exhaustion has rendered me helpless doesn’t mean I’m heartless. ‘Their success is my victory.’
I announce, “Segiuer, go with him and help him find Dismas.”
‘He’ll probably inform Reynauld about the situation on the way there. And his nose will help with finding my- the rouge in good time.’
And there goes my vision. ‘I think I saw a brown blur. Could be Villehardian or Taillebois.’
“One of the vestals come with us to the church.”
That’s as far as I get before I pass out again.
Roll 4: 5 am
Citizens (Frenzy against the ritual) - failed, -150 population, -50 reputation, -1 to diplomacy (trade) for the next 4 months
Hedona taunts (wis/will save threshold of a 15) - success with all support heroes, +3 to all mental save and ritual rolls for the event.
Rules of engagement (both Lords have Charm classes and those benefits neutralize each other.): When heroes are targeted to turn against their Lord by any form of charm, diplomacy, or form of mind control. Different approaches will target different social stats. The main stat being targeted is where the following applies: 30 or below is to roll with a disadvantage. 30-60 is a -1 penalty. 60-75 is neutral. 75-99 is +1 to rolls. 100 is to roll with advantage. The other two social stats can play a part if the additional stat(s) are below 20 they can a -1 to rolling for each negative stat. Alternatively, if the extra stats are 90 or above they gain +1 when rolling for each valid stat.
Segiuer and Aguilon rolled 18+, Loyalty is now locked at 100 beyond the event.
Aguilon rolled a nat 20 with the first set of dice, Obedience will not go below 75.
Stafford rolled a nat 13 before advantage applied, barely crossing the threshold. His will is shaken but not unbroken. Doubts will cloud his mind leaving him with -1 Int and Wis for the next 2 weeks. Loyalty and obedience will drop to 90 for the duration of the event.
Roll 5: 6 am - dawn
(Win Condition) Dispelling the Nightmare: Success
Blessing of Home is a permanent condition for the Tavern, making it a “Sanctuary” location. No harm can come to inhabitants or welcomed guests within. -5 to all malicious actions within the location. Additional -5 to all malicious actions against the inhabitants/invited guests w/in the premises. +1000% healing and minor resistance against disease (for inhabitants). Dispells all minor curses, jinxs, hexes, or other forms of malicious magic. Great or more advanced malicious magic is stalled in progress on the premise.
Due to using the dawn as a lynchpin for the ritual it grants the following benefits: +3 to inspiration, insight (self-relfection rolls), and cooking/brewing on the premise. +2 to diplomacy, bartering, and Light-aligned actions on the premise. -5 to all Dark-aligned actions within the premise.
The Great Demon Lord, Hedona, can now be summoned and dismissed at will as a utility unit, ‘handmaiden’. (She can not be summoned as a battle/fighting unit.)
Outright Summoning Costs (can be negated or minimized by various means): As a spirit 50 MP per hour. As an animal 150MP per hr. As a human homunculus for 350 MP per hr. She can not manifest into the Waking World without Lenore’s permission and magic.
Gain social stats: Loyalty -20, Obedience -30, and Affection +50 (Affection is influenced by Lenore’s Love blessing and previous actions/inclinations).
Binding by Contract: She is bound in service until released even after the 3 uses of her power are used. Despite this, there is no hero’s bond between Lenore and her servant Hedona, so there will be no direct benefit from the binding.
Conditions of Release: Lenore’s death or if Lenore releases her. If the Dark god wishes, the contract will not end by Lenore’s death and can renew the bindings as it wishes.
Temporary Penalties: Due to losing the wager Hedona permanently loses 10% of her current MP and will be indisposed for the next month and unable to act in any capacity. (The Dark will have its cut.)
Secure the Goblet: Success - Lord’s Trinket Tempting Chalice is secured. 3 Uses are preserved, and the spirit’s influence is restricted until it’s unsealed again. Hedona gains -4 on all rolls and dispels any previous advantages she once had in influencing the Hamlet.
Lingering doubts: Fail - Doubts will continue to plague Stafford. -1 to Wis and Int for 2 months or until the mental state is stabilized. Obiendence will drop to 85 until addressed.
The Open Iron Hand: Success - Dismas and Reynauld will be present at the closing festival. +10 in Obedience, for fighting against Hedona new threshold for Obedience and Loyalty is at 90. Temporary loses -80 Obedience in all interactions with Hedona present or lingering.
Reynauld will now respond to all summons except when in combat, questing, or in an extreme emergency.
Find What is Lost: Fail - Dismas loses 10 Loyalty and Obiendence. -1 to interactions with Lenore for 1 month. -1 to Wis and WP for one month from mental break. Temporary loss of -70 Obedience in all interactions with Hedona present or lingering.
A/N: Again not the ending (or 3 endings) I had planned out and it feels a bit rushed, but I do think that’s accurate to the situation. Sorry for not uploading sooner. With school and life, I’ve given up on regular updates. I’ll post when I can and hope you enjoy it then.
Let’s get into some of the details.
Why is Lenore so afraid when she’s used to wagering her life? Because it’s based on her actions, win or lose it’s by her skill and luck. (Considering she has the Blessing of Fortune, that always allows some room for her.) For once it’s someone else’s actions that determine her fate. She loves her men but doesn’t trust them like that. It’s hard to trust when control is ripped out of your hands. Lucky her, it worked out.
Yes, I headcannon that the Ancestor is a dramatic bitch and would very much be a nerdy spoiled theatre kid in his youth. (notice how opulent his words are as he narrates. He’s so extra, it’s just a part of him, and it enriches him as a villain.) Much of the family is just as dramatic, if not in the same expression. So their weaponizing such nature is absolutely on par, and the Ancestor low-key enjoys watching the shenanigans that ensue. Lenore did the same thing when she established herself to the community heads.
Then I had 3 endings for when Lenore went after Dismas at the end. But she rolled low after finishing the event and became fatigued. She’s out of battle (and a dangerous situation) so it hit her all at once. So I had to forgo that encounter and have her send Reynauld to collect him.
Which, it’s a good thing he was lingering outside the Tavern. You bet your ass he’s kicking himself for allowing his pride to rule over loyalty and not answering her summons. He has no clue what’s happening. sh*t is going down and he needs to quarantine the area. “Nothing here, folks. Move along.” So yes he’s going to get the details from Segiuer, but only partial information. That certainly won’t complicate things further, right?
Ciao everyone and seriously thank you for all the support.
