The Fantasy Brothel scene, winner of this month's poll! It's been a good few months since I've done a big scene like this and I kinda missed it, even if it is a lot of work! I think if I were to do this again I'd try incorporating a few more 'fantasy' elements. Magical stuff to really make use of the setting. Overall though, I'm proud of this one.
Timelapse video and clip/psd files are available in the Rewards folder for Enthusiast tier patrons.
My friend @mudlark.bsky.social wrote a short bit of story as a companion to this piece!
I swear Ferra’s ears almost shot into space when Alec suggested spending the night at the Gilded Lily. Most bunnies I’ve met are nervous folk, but Ferra looked especially jittery covered in goblin blood, clutching her mace and holy symbol as if she would float away without both, eyes wide open.
“But there are whores there, Alec,” she said very plainly. A piece of goblin viscera slid off her shoulder.
“Aye,” Alec said, wiping his hands on his tunic. He nudged a corpse over with his foot, hunting for gold. “That’s generally the benefit of staying in a whorehouse.”
Ferra turned to look at me as if I were her abbess. I only tried to make it look like I hadn’t been thinking the exact same thing as Alec.
“Varrus,” she said.
“Ferra.” I sheathed my sword with a polite clink.
She scowled, ears falling. “But—but we’re heroes!”
“Heroes for hire,” I reminded her.
Alec snatched another coinpurse. “I know you’re new to adventuring—and you’re doing great, by the way—but let me break down how it works most of the time. Someone wants something dead. We go out and kill it. They pay us gold, and we spend that gold on ale and women until someone asks us to kill something again. It’s a very simple life.”
Ferra opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. Her brows furrowed.
“Listen,” I told her. “You spend your gold however you like. Plenty of taverns and inns with far less whores.”
“No! That’s not it. It’s just…” Ferra trailed off.
“You’ve never been to one, have you?” Alec asked.
Ferra nodded. A sheepish grin spread over her face. She picked at the hem of her tunic. “What gave it away? The cleric garb or the holy symbol?”
The three of us laughed. Her shoulders didn’t seem so tight anymore.
“But plenty of clerics work with whores!” I said. “Your type does lots of charity. I think.”
Ferra raised an eyebrow, docking her hands at her hips. “I’m a knowledge domain cleric, Varrus. We worked with children whose towns didn’t have scholar houses, not whores.”
“You might have to explain that to him again, Ferra. Lions are a dense species. Too much mane, not enough brains,” Alec said. I kicked a severed goblin arm at him. “But they never gave you time to hit up the town in the monastery? That’s tragic.” He placed his hat over his heart.
Ferra looked towards the evening sky. Her blush was the same pink as the clouds. “It was more that I didn’t give myself enough time. Time not spent learning was time wasted. Or at least I used to think that. But there’s a lot of learning to be done outside libraries and study rooms, I’m realizing.”
“Don’t you worry, fair Ferra,” I said with a smile. “We’ll get you a strapping lad or two and you’ll be right as rain. I have a feeling you’ll learn plenty.”
Ferra coughed into her fist. “Actually, could you do me a favor and tell them that women are fine for me? Preferred, actually.”
Alec’s ears perked up. He looked me dead in the eyes. “Varrus,” he said with utter seriousness, “it is our soul duty to get this woman laid.”
“Then give us a tune, man! We can make it to the Lily before nightfall if we make haste.”
Alec pulled out his lute and strummed a few notes. “To ale and women,” he said.
“To pouches heavy with gold,” I cheered.
We looked at Ferra. Her smile was easy and her ears perked up. “To a hot bath,” she added, wrinkling her nose.
We laughed and cheered, making our way out of the goblin camp as the stars peeked down from the heavens.