>>5146984Once inside, many men—and many more women and children—watch you warily from their windows and doorways, until you are guided into the greater demon’s parlour once more. It is less smoky than usual, and the atmosphere is somehow lighter and less intense in another way. The Incubus is absent, something you assume to be related.
“The master is at the farmhouse already,” the large human of uncertain gender explains, “waiting, with your friends, for you to honour the pact.”
“I ssee,” you say.
Obviously, these people at least have no issue with you summoning a demon, and so you do. The odd couple watch with silent interest as you slice open your palm, trace the usual sigil in the air, and thus summon the degraded and filthy imp known as ‘Yemrep’.
“Mmm,” you moans, “mmmisstress calls for Yemrep once more? I am so spoiled, spoiled ROTTEN to be in your presence again so soon.”
This creature gives you the creeps, but his summoning cost is low, and he is surprisingly useful. He is almost as much a jelly as a biped, his form insubstantial for lack of souls or pacts, but he is nearly as good a tracker as a hellhound, with a bit of direction.
“Sscour Hawkssong,” you instruct him. “Itss graveyardss and sspeculchressss. Find me the wraith who lurks there.”
“Oh, the graveyards!” he speaks with elation bordering of ecstasy. “Pyrefaction and decay, worms crawling in and out! So much STENCH in those tombs, and fresh soil to squirm and roll in to my dark heart’s content!”
“Be ssubtle,” you command, “and QUICK, Yemrep. An order of Paladinss and a Mage’ss Tower Inquissition are searching, too.”
That gives the little toad-like demon pause. He stops stroking his face with his little paw-like hands and his eyes bug out.
“P-paladins?” he asks. “INQUISITORS?”
“Yemrep,” you say his True Name sternly, “I command you to go forth NOW, and to not return without achieving SSUCCESSSSS.”
Yemrep chortles, but it is half-hearted, hiding fear. “Mistress is so sexy when she yells at poor, pathetic, squalid little Yemrep.”
“GO!”
He bows, and sinks into the shadows.
“I think he’s kind of cute,” the tattooed girl says.
The human of indeterminate gender simply sneers and scoffs at their friend’s taste in demons.
