Contract Contest #11 Round 7 - Vote 1 (Patreon)

Contract 4 Quest Title: “Daughter of the Darkwood”

By:RobTheNomad

Mila learns of a hidden grove within the Rotten Grove, where locals say a mysterious creature has been luring travelers with the promise of safe passage, only for them to vanish without a trace. Intrigued, Mila ventures into the depths of the forest and encounters Liora, a skilled former vampire hunter who has lost her family to the creature of the grove. Liora is a sharp and courageous sharpshooter with an unmatched knowledge of the forest, and she reluctantly teams up with Mila, drawn by the hope of avenging her loved ones. Although she dislikes working with a vampire, she slowly starts to fall in love with MIla as the quest progresses. As they delve deeper into the shadowy woods, they encounter Nimue, a beautiful yet twisted dryad corrupted by dark magic. Nimue’s once-pure nature has become tainted, and now she captures the souls of humans who wander into her domain, feeding on their life essence to sustain her own dark power.

In the true ending, Mila and Liora manage to break through Nimue’s enchanting defenses, ultimately freeing the spirits of her victims and purging the dark magic that has corrupted her. With Nimue’s defeat, the grove is released from its cursed grip, and Liora, grateful to Mila for helping her avenge her family, asks if she can come with her, knowing that means she must abandon her old ways and become undead. Mila bites her and leaves her at her home in Mor Town. In the alternate ending, if Mila is defeated, Nimue ensnares her with roots and vines, corrupting her vampiric essence to fuel her own power. Her roots spread through Mila and turn her into another Dryad, forever cursed to dwell in the forest with Liora also tangled in her roots and merged with her.

Contract 7: Quest Title: “Whispers of the Wailing Mire”

By:EmberFoxx

Mila hears rumors of a cursed swamp known as the Wailing Mire, where travelers have gone missing under mysterious circumstances. As she investigates, she encounters Elara, a stoic and skilled gunsmith who has lost her sister to the swamp’s rumored “ghost.” Elara reluctantly joins Mila, hoping to save her sister and finally put an end to the creature haunting the Mire. Together, they journey deeper into the fog-laden swamp and discover that the “ghost” is actually Lira, a banshee-like creature with hypnotic powers, capable of bending humans to her will and draining their vitality. Lira reveals that she’s been stealing the souls of lost travelers to increase her power, feeding off their fears and despair. She also takes an interest in Mila’s vampiric essence, believing it could help her ascend to even greater power.

In the true ending, Mila and Elara manage to resist Lira’s powers and defeat her in an intense battle. With Lira’s defeat, Elara’s sister is freed from the banshee’s control, though weakened. Grateful for Mila’s help, Elara pledges herself to Mila’s cause, joining her as a loyal party member with skills in ranged combat and tracking. In the alternate ending, if Mila is defeated, Lira drains her vampiric essence, warping Mila into a subservient, twisted version of herself who roams the swamp alongside Lira, luring other travelers into their trap. This defeat marks the end of the quest, with Elara disappearing, her fate unknown as the Wailing Mire claims yet another victim.