>>5318735“There is… Another thing,” the Novice says, lowering her voice so that Glowie does not overhear, from where she is replacing her amulet and putting her clothing back on over her transfigured form.
“Speak,” you say.
“Glowie is… I suppose the word might be ‘pregnant’?”
You feel your heart seize in panic, and say nothing.
“Well, it’s an imprecise term. There are other lives, other souls, gestating within her, half-formed in a sort of internal egg-sack.”
You nod, glad your helm hides your expression.
“They remain are in some sort of stasis—a holding pattern, not developing beyond a certain point. A delayed pregnancy, or waiting for some external factor… Fertilization, perhaps, or a hormonal trigger when she is ready to brood.”
You breathe a sigh of relief. No insult, or accusation, despite talk of ‘fertilization’. The Novice does not know—there is NO way she would let such a secret lie.
“But, well, it seems the battle must have… Terminated some of them, rupturing a section of the sack and bursting several eggs in the process. Your restoration of her did not correct this. Unaddressed, this MAY lead to the loss of the entire brood.”
“Why do you tell this to ME?” you ask, trying not to sound paranoid or defensive as your fears return.
The Novice looks at you strangely, and says: “Because you are pretending to eb LEADER here, yes? You BROUGHT this creature with us, did you not? This whole… ALLIANCE with the worms is your gambit? So, how would you see this gambit better served? Do we wish for her to lay these eggs, or to lose them?”
What will you do about the kobolds’ morale, and rumour-spreading?
>Enact harsh discipline, publicly executing the kobold who the Bastard says openly questioned you and promising more of the same for any who foment rebellion>Promise them that they will soon see growth and wealth to put their previous victories and scant village holdings to shame>Hold a sacrificial ceremony, a distraction and a demonstration of your piety and power, and sacrifice the berserker in the kobolds’ honour to the Gods Beyond and Below>Meet with the kobold ‘leadership’, such as it is, and hear their grievances—even accept one or two into your retinue proper, perhaps, to serve as cultural advisors>Write-inAnd what of… The other matter?
>Keep silent—perhaps it is best that Glowie’s fertilized brood perishes in the womb>Order the Novice to save the brood—YOUR children as well, after all, though you cannot tell her that>Admit to being the ‘trigger’ for this new development to the Novice, and seek her advice on what to do>Write-inDo you speak to Glowie, the Bastard, the Novice, or the kobolds about anything else of importance?
>Write-in 