While Merlin descended to the floor, another of my companions made her presence known. My companion and the first of a handful of demons to serve me, the praereptor Sombra stepped out of my shadow. She was wearing her dark-elven guise. There was a look of displeasure on her face.

I could sense her anger, and I found it amusing. Her scowl would no doubt frighten Merlin, who was for all of his arrogance a somewhat cowardly dark-elf. The dark-elf in question began to finish descending and in a matter of seconds, he was kneeling on the floor before me just beyond the portcullis that blocked the way.

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"Hello Merlin." I muttered, greeting the captain of the guard of the Dragonstone household. The dark-elf stayed silent, in part due to Sombra' withering glare. I chuckled at the demon's openness when it came to her emotions, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She tensed up and turned to look at me. In an instant, the emotion in her gaze turned from anger at Merlin's previously improper attitude, to frustration. I could feel it in her heart. Thanks in no small part to the perpetual connection she and I shared since she was now a witch and I was her patron.

Her emotions and indeed many of her thoughts were known to me. They were conveyed to me in real-time by the insidious power of the pact and the brand that marked her as mine. No one could see the mark at the moment, as her bare flesh was hidden underneath the mortal clothing she wore. Mortal clothing given to us by my dark-elven cultists days ago.

The pact that tied her to me was a powerful one. And in part because of that, she was a powerful witch. Her overall strength had risen many times over thanks to the pact and her obsessive desire to perfect her new magic.

Merlin was no magician. The dark-elf who was now kneeling before Sombra and I was a warrior through and through. The only magic the dark-elf could use were the familiar powers over darkness that all dark-elves possessed innately, and even with that he was less skilled than the average dark-elf.

He wore a spider-silk robe that hung loosely over his shoulders and a suit of familiar skin-tight material that protected his body from the dangers one could find in abundance in this corner of the world. He stood about two and a half meters tall and normally he had an imposing countenance though it was gone in my presence.

The dark-elf was meekly bowing before me when I stepped past the portcullis and I kept my gaze trained on him. I let him continue to bow for a second longer before I spoke to him mentally and gave him permission to rise. The dark elf quietly got up off of his knees, and looked at my chest rather than meet my eyes.

"Lord... I once again ask your forgiveness. I meant no disrespect earlier." He commanded, knowing full well that I was who I claimed to be. I chuckled at the dark-elf.

"Merlin, I know no disrespect was intended." I told the warrior. I was telling the truth, and so was he. Among my other abilities was the power to detect lies, and the dark elf's words did not out him as one who was lying to save himself.

Merlin visibly relaxed, and he turned to greet my constant companion. "Lady Sombra, it is a pleasure as always to see you." He said, having met with my shadowy servant a handful of times over the past few days. He wasn't lying, and indeed one could say that his delight at the sight of Sombra was a bit too heartfelt. There were some parts of him in particular that were excited to see her.

Like a cat, Sombra hissed at her suitor and turned away from him with a prideful sneer. I chuckled at this sight and motioned for Merlin to pay her no mind. The warrior frowned, his pride hurt, but he made no moves towards her and instead meekly motioned for some of the other guards to come towards us. They started to as I began to speak again.

"Merlin, do you know where your son might be?" I asked, curiously. Merlin heard my question and scratched his beard in puzzlement. The dark-elf had a light beard that framed and further darkened his face. He thought about the question but provided me with no audible answer.

It was only when one of the nearby dark elves, a male that Merlin had beckoned to come to us, approached that Merlin next spoke. He tilted his head in the guard's direction and uttered a command.

"Boy! Go fetch my son would you? We stand in the presence of our deity." The elder dark-elf commanded, issuing his command quickly while dropping a major bombshell on the lad he had called over.

The dark elf looked at me, his purple eyes filling with shock, before bowing and then turning to go and retrieve Merlin's son. Merlin's son was the same warrior who had defeated and overthrown him days ago: Drow Dragonspear.

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In the minutes that passed since we watched the dark-elven errand-boy walk off to retrieve Drow Merlin led us past the gate, and then into the grand courtyard of the household. What awaited us beyond the portcullis was an impressive sight.

We stood at the edge of a massive courtyard, just under two hundred meters long. It was filled with dark-elven warriors either on patrol or practicing martial drills. Each of them wore the skintight armor their kind was known for wearing, as well as identical helmets that born a distinct insignia on the side: a stylized spear that came to an end in a pool of equally stylized dragon's blood.

The patrols were made up of five dark-elves each. All of them had spears strapped to their backs and carried crossbows. Most of them were silent, curiously starring at myself, Jezebel who had remained silent this whole time, and Sombra. I made no motions to meet their stares and opted instead to focus on the warriors in training.

The dark-elves that were training were openly practicing their battle skills. They sparred with one another tirelessly, using practice blades and blunt arrows for their crossbows. Their practice sessions were elaborate and the way they trained was fierce. The courtyard was filled with the sounds of their bodies and weapons striking each other. It was riveting to watch, and it marked the first time in my life I was able to watch warriors practice and train in a large group like this.

That said, as my night was to be busy and filled with other activities I was grateful when I noticed Drow's dot on my mini-map begin to make a beeline towards us. I turned and alerted everyone that soon my servant would be here and that we ought to be ready when he arrived.

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When the dot finally drew in near enough that I could turn in its direction without startling my followers I did so. And in doing so I saw my worshiper, the dark-elf templar named Drow. His face brightened as he saw mine, and he did something odd for a dark-elf: he opened his arms wide and as he approached me drew in close for an embrace in lieu of a handshake.

I chuckled and returned the gesture, pulling the dark elf in tightly with my deific strength. I heard him gasp in pained shock and then let out an unseemly chuckle a second later.

"I did not know... How strong you were." He said breathing in sharply as a response to my actions. I chuckled and released him. He let out a breath and smiled at me.

The dark-elf before me looked happier than any dark-elf I had ever seen. There was a life to him now that he lacked before. A purpose in his motions and relatively new energy in his gaze. I liked it. But I did not let it distract me.

"Drow, it is good to see you again." I told the dark-elf, speaking to him with a warmness that probably surprised the others in my presence. There was a smile on my face, an expression which I liked but didn't often make as much anymore. The realities of the weight of my powers were beginning to sink in and that took an emotional toll.

"Master, it is good to be in your presence. Have you come here for any particular reason or are you here merely to gaze upon your people?" The dark-elf quickly asked, curiosity audible in his tone. He kept his gaze locked on me, relatively, but I saw moments wherein the orbs swiftly stared at my gathered followers in confusion and curiosity. I chuckled.

"Yes there is. Drow I'd like to introduce you to someone." I told the dark-elf, speaking gently. After a second of thought, I considered correcting myself and saying that I'd like to introduce the head of the Dragonstones to two people, but ultimately I opted to not retract my comment. Instead, I turned and motioned towards Jezebel.

"This is Jezebel. She is a Sobek, a powerful sort of lizard person. She's also an evolved servant of mine." I informed the dark-elves who I had gathered. I smiled at my creation, and she nodded at the two dark elves, doing so rather politely. She was silent though, waiting for me to speak further or grant her permission to speak.

"I have brought her here to you because I believe that you possess the best ability to mold her into an effective leader and trained warrior. She has received some of my gifts, as you have, and I want her to become a trained and able leader of my forces." I explained, hinting at what I wanted Drow to do.

The dark elf's eyes shot open in shock as he realized what I was saying. And then he began to grin. He wasn't displeased by my request, nor was he off-put by it. Indeed he appeared to be quite pleased to have been asked.

"Althos, are you saying that you want her to become a commander?" He asked, his eyebrows arched up in gleeful curiosity. I could sense his amusement and delight at that idea and nodded at him. The dark-elf began to laugh once he saw me nod.

"Oh wow! She must be something special. That said... training her will be a bit of a challenge." He confessed, speaking truthfully to me. He looked at her and admired the armor she wore as well as her stature but also eyed her critically.

I studied his studious gaze. His mind was a tangle of thoughts and concerns and I could imagine him doing logistical and logical calculations as he considered what to say to me next. I was surprised that the dark elf was at least somewhat considering refusing me. I was actually glad that he still had his independence and was willing to show that in a real way: attempting to reject his deity.

The internal debate claimed his thoughts for nearly half a minute before next speaking. When he did he had considered all of the potential gains from this endeavor and was now looking to me for some help.

"Master... this is a most unusual request. I'd like to attempt to complete it but it is not I who'd be training her." The dark-elf explained, half-heartedly. I chuckled and sensed the intentions behind the words. My worshiper was asking to be convinced of Jezebel's value to someone who wasn't me.

It was a fair move and one that I respected. I mulled over how to reply to it for a moment before replying. I made it an extra challenge for myself by pushing myself to make arguments that didn't hinge on my divinity and my own power.

"Hmm... That's a fair point." I said, acknowledging the need to make an argument directed towards someone else and not necessarily someone as loyal to me as Drow was.

"Well to start off a dark-elf can't exactly fight well underwater can they?" I asked Drow, my eyes lighting up with mirth as I thought about one of the reasons why I liked having servants like her and why I granted the inhabitants of Libertad "Aquatic freedom" days after establishing their new home.

Drow thought about my words for a second. And then he humbly shook his head.

"And dark-elves can't exactly fight well on the surface, can they? At least not in the bright-light." I said, asking a question and immediately adding a quantifying statement to more correctly contextualize it.

Drow pondered my statement for a moment before shaking his head and admitting that I was correct. My smile widened.

"I am interested in granting my servants an evil education. And I thought that this place would be a good place to start to teach her such things." I told the dark-elf, appealing to his pride in his family. But I wasn't done yet.

"I wish to teach my servants the glory of the dark elves, and the majesty of my chosen house. I wish for them to lay their eyes on the property and techniques of the Dragonstones." I proclaimed, speaking mightily of the dark-elven household I found myself in.

Drow smiled at me, and there was a boldness and mirth in his gaze that many others might have found unsettling but I knew was a sign of my victory. "Hmm... Well if you put it that way then there's no chance any self-respecting instructor among my kin could refuse could they?" He asked me, a glimmer of amusement visible in his gaze.

I shook my head at him, signaling my agreement with his assessment. He looked at his father, the fallen leader of the family and gestured for the guard-captain to lead Jezebel away from here. The captain looked up at the large creature and motioned for her to follow him.

The two left without uttering a single word and I watched them walk in the direction of the actual property. Ahead of us, beyond the courtyard, stood a number of gigantic residences. They were filled with soldiers and family members and I knew that in order to accommodate my servant adjustments would need to be made. I didn't mind that though and if it came to it I'd help using my powers.

With the two of them gone, I looked to the family leader and motioned for us to go somewhere private. Drow's eyebrows arched upward in curiosity, but he wordlessly began to lead us towards a door situated inside of the gate that enclosed the family's property. It didn't take us long to reach a quiet, solitary place from which we could speak unheard by other ears.

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"So we have much to discuss." I said, beginning to speak as I reached and sat down on a chair. I wasn't alone either, my two companions Sombra and Drow also found and sat in chairs.

We were inside of a plain room meant for these sorts of clandestine meetings. There was a table in the middle of this room that was surrounded by chairs. And then aside from the table and the chairs there were a number of doors leading in and out of the narrow and low-ceiled room. It was a great place for conspiracy making.

"We do? I'm delighted to hear that but I don't know what all we need to tell each other." The dark-elf confessed, confused as to why he was here. He still had a pleasant expression on his face, having enjoyed our previous discussion and verbal sparring. I nodded at him, a serious expression on my face.

"I am beginning my efforts to build an actual empire. And I plan for that empire to include Aronms. I also want for it to include the whole of this region, the world that lay underneath Puerto Rico. I will need you and your forces." I told the dark-elf, a glimmer of ambition in my eyes.

The dark elf's expression turned serious as he listened to me. He had a look of uncommon and intense thoughtfulness.

"I see." He muttered, but there was a soft tone of excitement in the two words.

"You and your family are the first of the dark-elven families to turn to me. I will not forget that." I told the dark-elf, speaking sincerely. I was grateful and excited to know that the family was mine to command. And I intended to reward the family in the days to come. Drow smiled at me as I told him that.

"Thank you." He replied, a sincere smile on his handsome features. A silence fell between us for a moment, until Sombra interrupted the quiet moment.

"Ugh, you're so... sappy." She muttered, jealousy and annoyance mixing in perfect amounts in her voice. I chuckled at her, reminded by her quips of the work I needed to do. I turned back to Drow and the resting smile on my lips widened and changed, becoming a smile of pride and not happiness.

"Drow, I'd like for you to become a general of mine. I think it is a fitting role for you." I told the dark elf, refocused on the matter at hand. Drow's eyes widened at this remark of mine, and the look on his face told me he was thoroughly caught off guard by the idea.

"You are a skilled warrior who has taken control of your family. You've converted them all into my worshipers and you are a creature of loyalty and objectivity. You proved this by being open to the idea of your family training Jezebel, and by asking me to make a real case for her." I told the distinguished warrior. I was speaking sincerely, and I knew that he could tell.

He mulled the idea over, and I wondered what he'd say while formulating more of an argument to convince him of his worthiness for this role.

"Granting someone status as a general affords me more strength. But I chose you because you've demonstrated your strength and valor in battle and in deed." I told the warrior, speaking honestly to him while also showcasing my own objectivity. He closed his eyes, and in doing so closed himself off to all distractions, and think more critically about what to say. His next words surprised me.

"Who all would I be commanding?" He asked, his eyes still shut. I grinned, amused that the first words this mortal uttered after being offered the status of a general within a god's military were to inquire about the status of the forces he'd be commanding.

"Well, for now, you'd be commanding your own family as you already do. But in the days, or heck maybe even the hours to come that'll change." I explained, teasing at some of the developments I had planned for the next few hours.

Drow looked at me, his eyes alight with curiosity but he said nothing. He knew that I would tell him what I deemed it useful for him to know.

"Hmm... Is this truly what you wish?" He asked, his eyes gazing boldly into mine. I could tell that he was searching for the truth. I nodded at him and readied myself to speak. I knew he wanted to hear me say the words, it was the only thing I could glean from his mind as thoughts of the desire crowded out all other thoughts.

"Drow Dragonstone, I, Althos the god of change and chaos, wish for you to be a general in my armed forces. I trust you and I believe in your judgment. You constantly display more than just skill at battle, but also openness to new tactics and a willingness to question even those mightier than you. I desire such an even-hand to guide my forces into battle in my name." I told the dark-elf. There was a smile on my face as I said those sincere words.

There was another moment of silence. And then the dark elf began to nod. His acceptance of my offer was known to me not just by his physical display, but also by the notification that appeared in my mind's eye. I smiled as I felt the familiar sensation of new power welling up within me.

The power that rushed into me was breathtaking. It was also an overwhelming sensation that filled my mind with images of blood-soaked battlefields, ruined cities, sprawling armies, and grim soldiers covered in blood, dirt, and other less pleasant substances.

It was at this moment that my mind turned to my other allies in the city: Lilith, and the mysterious evoker Qu'Ren. Both of them were among the few allies I had made so far within the city. I was hells bent on changing that tonight. By the end of the night, I planned to have many allies within the city.

That knowledge made me smirk. Tonight was the first night since the night my horde defeated the reptilefolk that I felt myself gaining power. And gaining power was an addictive feeling that I had come to really relish.

Stopping myself from building my power for five whole days so that I could practice the powers I had gained had been a challenge and it was one that I was excited to be done with. I looked forward to what I'd be able to do by the end of the night. That said, I still wasn't done with Drow.

"Believe it or not, we still aren't done." I told the dark-elf. He looked at me, amused now, and waited for me to inform him as to whatever I needed to say.

I paused for a second, unsure of whether or not I should reveal one of the things that were on my mind. The truth was that I wanted to reveal my intentions to at least converse with the ancient dragon Ygaynth. I wasn't sure if I should though.

The dragon was a fierce and apparently incredibly ancient dragon that lived in another cavern underneath Puerto Rico. The creature was possibly responsible for the existence of this entire region, or at least that was one of the myths that the reptilefolks told about it. I had promised the reptilefolks that I would protect them from it, and I intended to keep my word, though how I did that was something I was willing to be a bit more flexible on.

So far honesty tended to win out more often than not, and after a few seconds of internal debating, this moment proved to be no exception to that pattern. I opened my mouth and confessed one of my intentions to my new general.

"In the days to come, I am going to speak to Ygaynth." I told Drow. I said the dragon's name with a certain level of casualness, as one might mention a rival, but Drow's reaction was not a casual one.

The dark-elf fell silent and I watched the color drain from his face. He had been on the edge of his seat for a while now, but a few seconds after I spoke the dark-elf slumped back in his seat. For once he was at a loss for words. I smiled at him and nodded as if to confirm that he had correctly heard me.

"That... Yeah that's more or less the reaction I expected." I told the dark-elf. I was lying, and I did this partially to see how someone who wasn't a reptilefolk would react to the name. Drow was quiet for a moment, before looking up at me and speaking.

"So that damn monster isn't a myth? Figures." The dark-elf complained, speaking about the dragon as if it were some mythic bogeyman. I nodded at the dark elf. It turns out that telling him was a wise move and revealed something to me: the dragon was well-known enough to inspire fear or at least loathing in creatures like dark-elves. Great.

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[War domain details:

The final domain of the dreaded 'Apocalypse Quadrangle', the domain of war is a potent domain that shapes and reshapes worlds, solar systems, galaxies, and even entire universes.

The domain of war governs battle, combat, violence, anger, and genocide. It is a brutal, ammoral domain that grants those who influence it greater power over battlefields, hearts, violence, and tactics. The domain of war cares not for why people wage war, only that they do.

To gain greater influence over the domain of war build militaristic cults, empires, and military units loyal to you and encourage them to go out and wage war on those who are not.

War domain passive powers:

Anger detection: You can sense anger lurking in someone. This allows you to more effectively gauge who would be easiest to manipulate into battle or worse. This power stacks with wrath powers from the corruption subdomain.

Anger manipulation: You can sap away at someone's patience and cause their anger to tick up with a series of slow and subtle mental attacks. You can also focus on a target once a day and cause them to experience a wave of intense anger that makes them easy to prod into battle. This power stacks with powers from the wrath set of corruption subdomain abilities.

Army command: You can direct armies more effectively. This power is a straight stat-boost that grants you keen insights into battlefield tactics and allows you to recognize little things quicker than you would otherwise. You can also bestow this power on someone else, provided they swear loyalty to you first.

Class acquisition/Class granting: You gain the classes of berserker and warrior. These are the two most traditionally martially oriented classes and as such, they are invaluable for building up new armies or improving existing ones. You can also grant them to your followers.

Death empowerment: You can bestow your soldiers with the power to feed off of the deaths they cause in battle. This power can be used to get someone addicted to battle or to murder, and both of those can start a war.

Hate manipulation: You can use your mind to amplify the hatred that lurks in someone's heart. This can and often does lead them to conflict with others. This power stacks with many wrath powers you'll gain once you gain greater influence over corruption.

Minion empowerment: This power boosts the stats of all soldiers who worship you or who would follow you into battle. It also causes them to fall under your influence.

War detection: More enhanced than a mere domain-sense, this power actively broadcasts the details of any war taking place in the world you are on into your mind. It allows you to more readily manipulate battlefields and battles.

War rationalization: Your attempts at justifying wars are more effective. Amplifies the effects of your charisma when it comes to discussing war.

Auric ability: Creatures in the range of your aura who are neutral towards you or are your enemies are more likely to start a conflict.

War domain active powers:

War never ends: Once per day you can utilize this hour-long power. You gain the power to automatically raise any dead slain in wars as undead under your command. This power can be easily vicious if your forces are at war with someone else as it means someone has to kill your servants twice, and each death of theirs bolsters your own minions.

Heart of war: Once per month you can make it so that any and all people killed in wars on the planet you are on have their souls absorbed by you for an entire day. This exceedingly powerful ability rewards you for fomenting wars throughout the planet you are on.

War domain blessing and curse details:

If you bless someone using the war domain they become a better commander and a more skilled strategist. If you curse someone using the war domain they become a worse commander and a less skilled strategist.

Special note:

The war domain has three enemies among the domains and subdomains. The first is the subdomain of purity's patience powers, the second is the domain of peace, and the third is the emotion domain's love powers.

The domain has many allies though. It is allied with the death domain and the greed and wrath powers of the corruption subdomain.

Domains and subdomains are complex and have relationships with each other. Navigating these relationships is a critical component of increasing your own strength as a god. As you gain more influence over the knowledge domain you'll gain more notifications like this.

Remember that your powers allow you to act directly or indirectly and you can take on a number of roles if you wish. The war domain is an especially handy domain for empire-building gods like yourself.

To gain the first tier of influence over the destruction domain, destroy an object or building that is over 5,000 years old.]

Reading through the war domain's details were fascinating and I chuckled as I felt those new powers lurking within myself. In a city like this the power to detect and manipulate both hatred and anger caused me to feel a million jolts as my senses expanded further even in an abstract way. And that wasn't even going into the alerts I was receiving for wars going on worldwide.

And the quest for the destruction domain made me smile. I knew exactly what I could destroy that'd help me advance more than one goal at a time. I wasn't even particularly far from the place.