User Submitted Contest #9 Round 7 - Vote 1 (Patreon)

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Title: Shattered Sanctity

By: Potomiani

Mila receives a report that vampires have recently been able to get near and even enter Besilly Cathedral. Though they are still held off by the clergy men and women inside, being able to enter a sacred building without harm is both odd and mysterious. It seems that over time, the building’s protection from evil has faded. Additionally, the cathedral is headed by a powerful light-wielding nun known as Sister Seraphina. Rumors suggest that Sister Seraphina possesses extraordinary light-magic abilities and wields them with unwavering zeal. However, she apparently has an underlying darkness within her.

Mila is tasked with removing the potential threat of the cathedral by turning the nun’s latent darkness against her.

As Mila delves into the quest, she unravels the details of Sister Seraphina's descent into moral corruption. The once devout and righteous nun has become subtly twisted, driven by a thirst for power and dominance. Her outfit’s design reflects the sort of woman Seraphina had become: tight, beautiful, and inappropriate for a woman of the faith.Reports indicate that her connection with the Knights of Friedrich had become very weak and she was able to maintain independence from them. Seraphina keeps her clergy in line through malicious tactics, such as blackmail. All the while, she keeps a kind, but cold and distant face, as if detached from reality. While she sees her actions as morally good, her morality in truth is hanging on by a thread.

Mila's mission takes her through the Cathedral facing off against followers of Sister Seraphina who have been gifted similar, but weaker light-powers. Along the way, Mila uncovers the nun's backstory through the victims she claims. She learns of how the nun’s light-power was gifted to her only a few years ago by an unknown force. Since then, the power went to her head and gave her an air of authority that she would use to place herself above others. Her descent into darkness began at that moment.

Bad End:

If Mila is defeated by Seraphina or her followers, she is tied up and made an example of. She is put on display as a naked trophy in the church, to be humiliated. She becomes an example of Seraphina’s power to “conquer” evil.

Good End:

Mila manages to overpower Sister Seraphina and subdue her. Mila convinces her to abandon her light and embrace the power of the darkness that has been building inside of her. A darkness that only she can provide. Seraphina, is conflicted, just barely hanging on to the good inside of her. After some seduction on Mila’s part, Seraphina succumbs in an attempt to gain further power. She accepts Mila’s proposal and bathes the walls of the cathedral with her corrupted light, making this once sacred building a home for evil beings. Seraphina embraces her own dark nature and allows herself to be fully corrupted and transformed by Mila. She results in a cold, salacious, and nefarious servant of Mila. Mysteriously, she can still use her “light” powers, which Mila sees as advantageous.

Title: Something Familiar About Her

By: Rosen King

While searching for a servant who's gone missing from the manor, Mila spots a raven who seems to be mimicking someone calling out to a pet. She tries to follow the raven, but loses track of it at a crossroads.  However, a cat approaches her from the shadows, and transforms into a humanoid form. Mila prepares to fight, but the cat girl begs for Mila's help.  Her name is Luna, and she used to be the familiar of a witch named Dorothy, but she was kicked out of her home. Now the witch has begun searching for a replacement for familiar and ensorcelling women in the area, both human and otherwise. Those who are rejected as familiars are kept as hypnotized thralls who guard her lair. Luna knows she won't be taken back, but is concerned that her mistress's search will put her in conflict with a nearby vampire lair, which turns out to be Dorian's manor. Since Luna's bond with her mistress has been severed, she can only take her humanoid form at the crossroads where Dorothy first became a witch, unless she takes a new mistress in the same place. In exchange for Mila's promise to keep Dorothy safe from harm, Luna offers to become her familiar.

As they approach the witch's lair, Luna explains that she was once a normal cat with a loving owner, Dorothy. But Dorothy made a pact with a dark power to become a witch, and Luna was given a human form so she could be her owner's familiar and lover. She didn't mind that Dorothy seemed to love her dark mistress more than her, but their relationship became strained and Luna lashed out at the demon(?), angering her.  Dorothy abandoned Luna in an attempt to appease her, which Luna took as proof that Dorothy's heart was being controlled. Mila navigates the woods to Dorothy's lair, aided by the raven calling her towards the right path. They find the witch preparing a potion that will be part of a ritual to renew her contract with her mistress, though she's still waiting for a suitable familiar. Mila fights and defeats her, but a shadow descends on the area and takes on a vaguely feminine form with glowing eyes. It mocks Dorothy's weakness and moves to attack her, but Mila intervenes and fights it.

Bad Ending:

If Mila is defeated at any point, Dorothy thanks Luna for finding the perfect new familiar.  Luna is reluctant at first, but quickly gives in to Dorothy's headpats and helps prepare her spell. Mila is transformed into Dorothy's new catgirl familiar, and Luna is allowed to stay with them as a pet.

Good Ending:

Mila defeats the shadow, who seems to smirk before fading away.  Dorothy feels her magic fading and cries out for her mistress not to abandon her. Mila chastises her for her hypocrisy, but Luna tries to comfort her. Mila is suddenly scratched by the raven, who then perches on the cauldron. Mila takes the hint and adds her blood to the cauldron, offering to make a covenant with the witch. They travel back to the crossroads and perform a ritual that binds Dorothy to Mila's dark power, restoring her magic. Dorothy apologizes to Luna, saying she was right when she told the demon(?) that Dorothy deserved a better mistress who would be there to love her in person. She thanks Mila for being that mistress, but Mila tells her that a good servant is as important as a good mistress, and she should be more grateful for her two loyal familiars. Dorothy is confused, saying that a common witch can only have one familiar. The raven watches from afar, murmuring one last "Good girl" before fading into the shadows.