Why are you special?

Now, I do plan to wipe and rewrite Fred multiple times. But that will take a while. In the meanwhile, I have a few hundred naked women… not all of which are supposed to be… sitting in a demiplane waiting for an explanation.

I turn to Wendy, "So… I'm about ready to go brief the rescued folks and hand out clothing, tools, and basic gear sufficient to hopefully get them all on their feet. Would you like to come with me, would you like me to drop you off with Christine and Paula, or something else?"

Wendy considers, "Actually, it might be a good idea to fetch Paula and Christine… because they will love that scene."

Useful as that would be for me… "That's… the soundest argument I've heard for NOT bringing them. These people have already been violated quite severely, they don’t need to be anyone's eye candy."

Wendy pauses at that, "OK, so… I understand that expression perfectly, and yet I'm certain it's the first time I've heard it. How…?" she looks at me a bit cock-eyed.

I chuckle, "Champion stuff. Divine translation. Don't worry about it. The actual question, though?"

Wendy considers carefully, "I… am going to have the same problem, I think. Best if I don't go. Drop me off with Paula and Christine, please."

I nod, and drop a Teleportation Circle on the ground, and gesture at it, "That’ll get you there."

Wendy smiles at me, "You don't want to see them just yet, huh? Makes sense. I'll … take their temperature while you're working with the women you rescued; let me know when you're done, please."

I nod, "Will do. Thank you."

Wendy simply smiles, stepping through, and vanishes.

I turn to my ice sculpture, "OK, so… if you just kill him, he'll be back, every time. I have a plan to permanently dispose of him, and would like you to start in on the first step: Systemically use the Erase spell on every single page until they're all clear, starting from the end and working your way backwards. Keep the book safe - my plan has far more steps than this, and is very thorough. I plan to be back after a time, so stay on this island until you get further orders."

My ice sculpture gives me a very evil grin, "Certainly master," as she begins gleefully erasing her original's memories from existence. Of particular note with this step is that the Erase spell is Instant, not permanent, and doesn't have any clauses for fixing it. Had I not saved a backup in my own head, there would be no defined way to restore him after this is done… but if it's just Freda doing it, it'll take a few years for her to finish. And I am fine with keeping her busy.

I then Plane Shift to my demiplane.

It's a very plain demiplane - I simply made it, I didn't take any time to customize it - so it's a big open plain, warm and brightly lit, with a soft dirt floor… upon which I and my earlier summon are the only two who are standing.

Oh, everyone is here, all right. But all the rescued people are laying down, or kneeling, or on all fours. And I don't think anyone has even noticed my arrival. They're all quite busy. Like, there's a trio right at my feet. The blond elf lass has her tongue quite deep in a human redhead's bush, who is busy fingering a brunette halfling, who is in turn suckling at the blonde's bountiful rack. And there's maybe fifty or a hundred such groups, in twos, threes, and fours.

I find myself feeling very warm down there as I ask the Trumpet Archon, "What happened?"

The Archon shrugs, "They were complaining that there was nothing to do and that they had no information. One of them joked that she'd love to 'do' the person who was complaining, and the complainant looked over the catcaller, saying 'sounds good to me' - and they started in on each other. Others started joining in and… well, things spiraled from there."

I make a skill check to search Fred's memories… ah.  ALL of these people were originally male.  I… don't have that many Elixirs of Sex Shifting. Hmm. Well, there's a spell for that.  Also… I was looting Fred's home for quite some time... "How long have they been at it?"

My summon shrugs, "Varies by the person… I think the final rescued person joined in about an hour ago." I notice that the summon is soaking wet down there as well… but is keeping her composure.

Still… they seem to be adapting to their situation quite well? Almost a pity that I need to break up the party… I cast Resounding Voice on myself; it's a spell from Heroes of Battle that lets a person be heard quite clearly for a very long ways. At my caster level, it will cover this entire demiplane. I announce to everyone, "Explanations are in order: Almost all of you were killed by…" another skill check, "'The Blessed Mother's' Champion, Fredrick Von Hildebrand. And he wanted you to stay dead, so he animated your corpses as zombies, and kept you in his domain. Some of you have been dead for centuries, others months. And… Fredrick had some specific tastes, and shaped your bodies to fit them - which carried over to your resurrection. I can undo… some of that, but…" I sigh, "I don't have the materials to get everyone. I can get you all clothing, tools of a trade, enough cash to get you covered for a few months in a city until you can find suitable employment, and transport to a suitable city. So… would folks please form a line?"

No, they don’t form a line.  They pretty much just mob me.  A simple Greater Teleport spell gets me out of the way, and Create Demiplane's Structure option gives me an instant set of low walls to somewhat force a line.  Things go a bit more smoothly after that.

I find I don't need to ask people's names: It's in the data from Fred's book, so I can simply mentally look it up as needed.  The 'interviews' mostly go pretty similarly: I greet each by name, ask them if they'd like me to make them male again (and I cast Reverse Gender on them, from the Book of Erotic Fantasy, if they say yes … only about half do, oddly… maybe they liked the fun times?), ask them their trade, reach into a bag of mine, create a suitable set of Masterwork Artisans' tools, hand that over, reach in again, create a set of clothes, hand that over, reach in again, create a twenty pound bag of platinum coins, and hand that over as well. It works out to 10,000 gold pieces… and as a "good" inn stay is 2 per night, with "good" food at an inn being half a gold piece per day, each person will have over a year to set themselves up if they're not particularly wasteful. And if they are… well, that's their problem. I can get them established, but I can't baby everyone. And if someone is particularly frugal, that money could last MUCH longer.

I also hand out up to three weapons (enchanted with Greater Magic Weapon) and appropriate ammunition, armor (enchanted with Magic Vestments), shields (likewise), and any class-specific tool kits to fit whatever they say they need. I let them know that these will work fine for them, but that trying to sell them will end badly. No, I’m not specific as to why.

While chatting and handing out equipment, I also apply a series of buff spells: These folks will all be very hard to kill and be very well set as mid range dungeon delvers, even without gear. It's part of why I hand everything to them one at a time: It gives me a handy excuse to touch each person to apply the buffs. Touchinghundreds of beautiful, naked women... and keeping it civil. 

Having a conscience is annoying sometimes.

When I'm done, I Greater Plane Shift them, one at a time, to the front door of the guildhall.

When David shows, I set him aside, letting him know I want to talk to him when I'm done with everyone else.  He seems a little confused, but accepts it.

Once everyone is done, and it's just David, the summoned Archon, and myself… I dismiss the Archon, and speak to David, "You’re a special case. I cannot return you to your old form, or any male form at all; no mortal can, it's a divine curse.  Everyone else, as nearly as I can tell, was killed and animated by Fredrick. In your case… that’s not how it went."

David nods, "That's right; I died in my sleep. How did I end up here?"

That's one of the nicer ways to go … "In your case, I’m the one he killed. But I had a contingency set up for that scenario, and so he didn't end up with MY soul powering my corpse… he accidentally drew yours, instead, and that carried over with the resurrection. Fredrick is… being dealt with, but physically…" I take a moment to wash off my makeup, and conjure a mirror, "you're me, and I've no idea how to approach that."

David reaches for me, and I let his hand caress my cheek, "I've always wondered what it would be like … do you like girls…"

His touch feels electric… and I've been looking at wonderfully shaped women for a while… I am dripping down there, and he can probably smell it. This wasn't my idea, and is not something I'd ask, but if he's offering… "I do, yes."

 I slowly bring my face closer to his, my mirror… and he closes the distance.