The Slave World Abductions
A Fanfiction
Part Three
by The Preve
Based upon characters and concepts created by Roxy Rex
The Author wishes to convey his thanks to Roxy Rex for his permission in writing this story.
From Hermes'/Baedeker Guide to Extradimensional Realms.
The
Confederation of the Tartarum, Servo Orbis,
colloquially referred by the name
Slave World,
is a sub-realm located within the confines of
Svartalfheim.
A loose alliance of clans, tribes, provinces, duchies, and kingdoms, populated by various shadow races, Underworld groups, and dark entities, Slave World operates as Svartalfheim's main commercial center and trading hub.
As the name implies, its main economic activity is sentient trafficking, with an emphasis on young female humanoids (albeit many young males are also trafficked), mainly for sexual or other erotic purposes. Major criminal vices, such as weapons smuggling, drug trafficking, black market dealing, trade in outlawed magic, and soul theft are also represented.
The
Compact of Tir Na Nog,
instituted after the
Interrealm War
necessitated the distancing of the Realms from Midgard, closed many realms, including the aforementioned Midgard. Trade, illicit or otherwise, was and is strictly forbidden. Violations are common however.
The Department of Interdictions and Interdimensional Law Enforcement was created to police the Realms.
Slave World, as a hub of criminality, sees heavy activity, both from magistrates, and illicit visitors. Most visitors are present to conduct commerce or partake of the sentient product.
Treaties and alliances among the Realms, including Svartalfheim, preclude attempts by the Department to shut down Slave World completely. However, expeditions and raids by the Department are common.
Casual visitors are advised to exercise extreme caution, and are warned they travel to Slave World at their own risk.
****
In case some poor idiot might stumble across that long-winded Hermes/Baedeker guide, I'll talk about Slave World myself.
It's the Wild West. The really, really Wild West; mixed with the nastiest parts of Dungeons and Dragons, and Lord of the Rings with heavy emphasis on Mordor.
It's got dark elves, it's got orcs, it's got trolls. It's got ogres, goblins, demons, dark sorcerers, revenants, ghosts, and dragons. Every black evil creature you've dreamed about in your worst nightmares, or not, lives here. Welcome to Svartalfheim, or its largest, wealthiest province. Which is not saying much.
The H/B guide probably mentioned the main trade is slaves, mostly elves and humans. Most of the merchandise are women. Bear in mind, men are traded too, and not just for labor. Lots of people in the Realms swing both ways, Svartalfheim included.
There's not a lot of technology here past the fourteenth century. Many residents here are ignorant of the modern stuff, but it doesn't make ops here any less difficult. Svartalfheim is saturated with magic; very powerful, very dark. Slave World has quite bit of it.
The Alfheim States and the other modern realms could have dealt with this place. They had better technologies, but weaker magic. It wasn't pretty the last time they tried. It almost started another interrealm war. So a new amendment was added creating the Department.
The Department deals with violations through raids, rescues, and ruin. The three R's we call it.
Early on, The Department discovered nice guys sent to this place finish last... before they're raped, gutted, eaten, or sold. So they started sending not nice guys... like me. Mainly because I'm human.
The Light Elves who run the Department tend to shy away from the dirty work. They assume humans enjoy this kind of thing. Some do. I'd say I do too, but under certain circumstances.
The impulse of an amateur, on arrival, is to go to the
Goblin Market,
where the slaves are sold. Big mistake, usually. Best thing to do first is get the lay of the land, suss out the current politics, find if any new purchases caused some waves. In other words,
The Gutted Pig.
The Gutted Pig is the diviest dive in the history of all the dives across the Realms. It's also an information sponge. The closest this shithole has to the Internet.
Of course, in dumps like these, info sets you back a little, unless you know the right people. Plus, a person who asks for info, and isn't discreet in doing so, gets marked by the patrons, and often gets dead soon after.
No one really took notice as I walked the streets of
Umbra City,
Slave World's capital, and synonymous with it. It's a trade hub after all, and I was just another traveler.
You have to make sure, though, to project an aura of subtle menace, marking yourself as not the kind of meat to eat.
The Gutted Pig was located, conveniently, just a few blocks from the market. Good for ease of supply, and watering down patrons just in from the marketplace.
The hitching posts held the usual array of pack, travel, and war animals. The number of giant boars meant the presence of lots of orcs. Horses and unicorns were usually kept in public stalls.
I strode through the doors. The smoky interior held a full house; orcs and dark elves, minotaurs, some goblins, a few humans, the rare light elf. Most sat at the tables, drinking gambling, eating. A large bull spit roasted in the fireplace. At least it wasn't human. They do that sometimes.
A few glanced up at my entry, curious, sized me up, and went back to their business. I looked at everyone and no one. You never look at orcs or minotaurs directly. They see it as a challenge.
The bar held a few patrons, drinking ale or mead. If I remembered this place, both drinks tasted like piss as usual. Only newbies and strangers were dumb enough to tell the proprietor to her face. You had to known or accepted for that privilege.
She was big, tall, and built like a brick shithouse, combining the best of her orc and light elf heritage; slightly more light elf, with some human in the distant past. She didn't have orc's tusks. If not for her past as one of Slave World's deadliest gladiators, people around her would be less careful.
I strode to the bar and waited until she noticed me. She walked up with a smirk. "What's your poison?"
"You still serving that piss they call short grain ale?"
Some patrons went quiet at that.
"We're out of that shit. Got a new batch of dark bitter in the cellar though."
"Hmmph, I'm looking to buy a keg for an equinox celebration in Broke Tooth. I was hoping for short grain."
She looked me over, licked her lips, and smiled. "Would you like to come to the cellar to sample the supply?"
I smiled back with a touch of leer. "I wouldn't mind a little taste."
The others observed the brief back and forth. A few snickers rose from the room. They figured, as I followed her down, she'd probably kill me for my presumption, or fuck my brains out and then kill me. Few came back from her cellar sessions.
In the cellar she locked the door, uttered a shielding spell, and faced me, arms crossed with a cocked eyebrow.
"Agent Grant."
"Agent Agnesdottir," I answered, putting down my gear. Did I mention she's one of the best deep cover agents in the field? She knows anything and everything going on in Slave World.
"So I take it you're back because of some recent market purchases I'm hearing whispers about?"
"Straight, to the point. So what do you know?"
"They're trying to keep it quiet. I think it's related to some election issues on the Council though."
"Go on."
"There was a brief intercity war recently. A bunch got killed, including several Councilors. So the
Black Council
has open positions. Some of the
Quality
are looking to raise revenue for bribes and campaigns with slave raids."
"And Midgard was picked because as a closed realm, its product would fetch a higher price." It explained a lot.
"Most of the new slaves came from open realms, but some rumors came in about six off-the-books purchases."