Decide Tamolith's fate!

If hes stuck on dragon and humanoid procreation he can always go fchan.org.👀

Two........

Rhys

A thousand smacks to your forehead with a wet pool noodle for even mention such blasphemy.

No update has me worried Tefler is sick.

DemonHunterCole

Draconian*

Matt

Do you think that are need for giant Dino sex killed his muse?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNLhxKpfCnA

thomas rodrian

Darn ya beat me

Three.........

Rhys

Eww. That brings all sorts of bad mental images. 1. John sitting with Shoal Master Kaelotegh bent over his knee; John whaling away on his scrawny butt: squish, squish, squish, … 2. Alyssa using telekinetic hands to hold a group of fish boys while Tashana’s fiery sprits beat the fish poo.

thomas rodrian

Beat ya by 11hrs 😁

I actually want to see how John will deal with the instigator of the Matriarchal bloodbath on Genthalas...

Rhys

Four..............

Rhys

Brimorian's need to be spanked by John.

Anyone ready for more speculation on what will be in the next chapter? No, okay. Skip this post. 1. Resolve the Kinta invasion, but leave open the rescue of Jade’s sister (sorry, cannot remember her name) 2. Finish upgrading Jehanna and give her an assume psychic power like a Charismatic persona 3. Finish upgrading Ailita, but don’t give her any psychic powers. Come on, he made her pink. That’s assume enough. 4. Start for Genthalas but get diverted back to get Admiral Lynette’s newest conquest.

thomas rodrian

4 days............. (Sorry Rhys)

I like waiting, but only if it's delivered on time 😅 Tef, please: just say you're going to release at the end of the month, so we don't have to check every hour if there are some updates 😋

hoibat

Well I know that on sol you get band for that kind of behavior and your post removed.

Just think how miserable the SOL and Lit folks will be when they have to wait two or three more months to read Ch. 134 after people start blabbing there how epic it is.

prsstarid

It could be worse storiesonline is stuck at chapter 130.

I HATEEEEEE WAITINGING.... I REALLY WANT TO READ THE NEXT CHAPTER

130 hours... 7800 min - more or less

Heinz Molck

Five.............

Rhys

I don't get this math. If we're just crossing our fingers I'll say six hours.

Connor Shearn

Tefler saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.

Six days..........

Rhys

Wasn't there a sci fi show with that name?

Rhys

seven, seven days ha ha ha

Indeed......

Rhys

Might be better to get Conor McGregor to go visit Tefler. Or, if not him, Aoife. What a babe!

thomas rodrian

Channeling my inner Steve Irwin. Pokes Tefler.

8 days now eh Rhys?

Big Dude

9 Days to go......

Rhys

ROFLOL

thomas rodrian

Father's Day Present dropping in T-4 hours!

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

jinx 😢

I hope sooner than the 30th!!

BrianM

Don't go lumping us into your unworthiness, I happen to have it on good authority that I am very worthy of being blessed by tefler with status updates and new chapters. Wink wink nudge nudge elbow elbow.

Jewbear

(Gets on his hands and knees) Please Tefler can we have a status update? We are not worthy We are not worthy

I think it was the sword's power. It was draining energy from the shield. If John was draining directly it would have been from everyone rather than just Rachel. In his mind he was attacking a progenitor, which is what that sword was designed to do.

Sean Miller

Or they would even more vindictive then their mother.

I know I didn’t choose the popular choice, but I picked option 4 - pride cometh before the fall, and it would be quite the fall. It would gut the society, and result in massive socio-economic change, but it might be good for the empire overall... and then in the future, her children might be more moderate rulers, more open to the idea of cooperating with John. My two pennies

Dennis Banfield

Not sure white sword would be evil according to the colors schemes at play in this story. Black bad, white good. Also if the sword was evil Alyssa would have felt it.

Actually I think it was John's sword that was doing the draining, John and Tef have described scenes where John was left feeling that the sword had a hunger/thirst, even Caralara's brother sensed it when he almost touched it on the armory rack.

Remember when John was taking his frustrations out on the representation of LK Rachel said he was draining her

We've seen it happen before. One of the visions Alyssa saw aboard the Legacy, I believe, showed Mael using a shadow tentacle to suck the life out of number of enemy thralls in front of him. It is not a pleasant trick and likely doesn't work if the opponent is on guard and shielded, which most Progenitors are. As for John, even if he could use the trick - which he might be able to after dealing with PJ - he would never stoop so low. Hijacking the Kirrix network and frying an entire hive is the closest John has come to that energy drain trick, and that was only marginally morally acceptable because it was the Kirrix. Doing the life drain against any other race would be done right evil and he'd be no better than Xar or the other Progenitors.

Jedi Khan

*I’ve been reading through personal accounts of the collapse of the Kyth’faren civilisation,* Tashana replied, her expression turning grim. *They didn’t know what was happening at first. People seemed to be dying at random, their corpses discovered in their dwellings as little more than desiccated husks.* *Husks? Like what Progenitors do their thralls?* Alyssa interjected. Tashana nodded. *Exactly the same... the bodies had the life force drained out of them. The Kyth’faren didn’t realise the threat they were facing until it was too late; Xar’aziuth was using dreadful psychic abilities that no one knew even existed. The death toll increased exponentially, until their civilisation dissolved into anarchy, whole worlds going silent as their terrified populations were consumed.* Tefler, this passage has me confused. If Xar’aziuth can suck the energy out of non-thralls, then why can’t John or other progenitors? If John can randomly suck out the energy from people other than his thralls, he could use that as a weapon against other progenitors, enemies like Brimorians, Kirrix, and others. Suck off a little energy to subdue or kill, and job done.

thomas rodrian

Do tell

No I am to

Hmmmmmmm........ XXX story posted on Literotica.com he had to know which way that was going to go.

He actually had several ideas for what to do with Tamolith, hence the poll. He wanted to see what the readers wanted.

Jedi Khan

I am hoping Tefler actually flags the votes and does what he was planning on doing in the first place.

rich ed

Am I the only one pacing for a status updates?

Most likely her brood would have to die in order to change her personality enough for John to add her to his harem. We all know that John hates to change anyone's personal sense of self aka mind washing.

I kinda feel like tamolith is a misunderstood character. Since she was introduced she has done everything in her power to protect her children from harm, including allowing John to kill her mate. Killing the emperors brood was an overzealous attempt and keeping her eldest safe. Sparing the two female whelps is giving her son a chance at love. Her society has a massive disconnect between the ruling class and the average kintark population. It is very similar to the French monarchy just before there revolution. It would be tragic if her children all died in the bombing of the kintark capital world but would give the broken angle a huge edge.

Ken House

Yeah, all the royal drama surrounding the dragons has a bit of a Game of Thrones feel to it. Banishment, the roar of battle, traitorous commanders and a shadowy supporter, intrigue and vengeance, death by beheading and an ascendant empress seizing the throne for her family’s sake. Not sure if he planned it but it makes for a good story!

Brian Woods

the thing i would love to know.... Tefler, when you created Tamolith back when, did you have this possible outcome in mind? or are you surprised by the direction her fate took with this poll?

TargetDrone

Actually, for the first 1/2 day or so - before the US weighed in with their votes! - Option 2 had around 1/3 more votes than option 3. It was something like 130 vs 90, or some such. Send for Jade, without a doubt......

Timbo

pretty sure TF4EVA was being sarcastic

Jedi Khan

She refused to do that since she was starting to realize that her grasp on the Kintark Empire was weakening.

good thing Tamolith and her brood evaculated Kinta with the rest of the population

TF4EVA

Groaning in dismay...... I know where you coming from but as a resident Flint MI I can only think of restaurant franchise with the same name in the region.

Oh I think she will be punished an John have to rescue her. The destruction of her capital planet and the deaths of millions may change her attitude towards her people. the again it could just be the result of need for revenge.

Well..to "feed" Tamolith, he'll need to become BIG JOHN like when he was rebuilding the ship. There'll be a couple huge lizards in the scene!

Joe Weyers

I wasn't but now I am! If John used his powers to become a giant...

AlyxHaestrom

At one point option 2 was a close second, it would have been nice to see a character change for the better of their own volition, but oh well, the public seems to have spoken.......

Rhys

Not really happy with the result, but it should make for an interesting read. I think making her a Lioness was probably the worst choice of the four for the story. Would have much rather seen a dragon fight with Jade taking Tamolith out, or at least giving her a good whooping.

Apparently I missed the deadline by a bit but I'd certainly vote for #2. If there is any contiguous theme to TSM it is love and redemption. It is the ideologic heart of the story and all trajectory and momentum head to white metal tempered by love versus black metal made of death and sorrow. And, of course, love conquers all in the end. Blessings and nice job to this point. Its a deeply archtypal mythology you are creating.

glenn kellogg

Bahahaha! Victory!

AlyxHaestrom

OMG no! This is going to give me nightmares.

Sean Miller

I went number 3 but I have to say that I have an morbid interest in option one and nod towards those few who voted that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Never question the power of boners. Come on people get your minds out of the gutter it's not like this is a erotic story. 😏

Because we have a whole lotta kinky Patrons in here.....

J B

Dragon 👏🏻 Girl 👏🏻 For 👏🏻 John 👏🏻

Rounding errors happen when you give percentile breakdowns as whole numbers.

mark

Patreons percentages algorithm is faulty it doesn't equal 100

Jewbear

I love how everyone votes for #3 is probably thinking, "Haha, let's goad him into writing a dragon sex scene..."

Chef Marco

As long as it doesn't go over 9,000!

J B

Rachel already said the Kintark are not Progenitor-modified.

J B

Given how she'll be raising the kids, is it truly cruel, or a mercy for the Kintark people?

J B

nope, i would have preferred something about 50% option 2 and 50% option 3, but we don't have that so you have to pick which option comes closest to what you want.....

tony

I think we should have put some effort into a more coordinated approach and got each option 25%. Then we could have sat back and watched Tefler write his way out of that!

ringill

So far it's at 101% lol

Nchalada

The results are actually fairly evenly split between #2 and #3 at the moment. When the poll first began, #2 had 58% of the votes and #3 was way behind.

Jedi Khan

I was surprised by how skewed the results were. While it seems I went against the grain in this poll, it was just an impulse choice and I'm eager to see how it goes. Tefler is bound to entertain no matter which way, but sometimes you just gotta get the choice made!

Hinterlands Man

i would be far more interested in the transformation of evil queen bitch of the universe going head over heels for john but hey thats just me :p

Maybe we find that Tamolith and family are twisted cousins to Jade, learned to transform into dragons generations ago . liked it and decided to rule these petty reptilians .

I think Tef putting that discord link in his earlier post has caused a load of people to join discord and become more engaged

Richard Skinner

In my oppinion the most logical step is to build an "alliance" with every empire and what is stronger than an alliance? Turn the leaders as Lynett said: Puppets. This way they get the maximum loyality from them. and even more, like tech, build capacity, even soldiers. Ofcourse John don't want to change the personality of a person, but for the greater good, he still does, and even if the kintark is now almost a minor empire, they still got some use in the upcoming war, like the trankarans, ashanath and terrans.

Not only is it impressive that nearly 1000 folks have voted, but, according to numbers supplied by Tefler, that is about half of all Patreon members eligible to vote, and it's only been about 18 hours. I would be interested to compare that ratio to how many Patreon members have commented up until now, assuming there are likely to be members that have read the story but never commented in any Tefler Patreon thread. Admittedly, most of those are probably at the Terran Marine level, but still...

Bp Hlpt

I see Jade laying the smack down on Tarnolith. That would take her down a peg or two. Thinking of Tarnolith as thrall makes makes me have recurring nightmares. of "Theodore Rex" and "Dinosaurs". Hummmmmm not the mama WAM, not the MAMA WAaaaM.

What amazes me is almost a thousand people have voted already.

Frostfyre

Yes

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

That just turned my stomach.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

I think it would be great to see Jade have a real dragon to mate with and it would also be really interesting to see what amount of power tamolith would bring to the network

xilefs

I find it interesting that most people want a positive outcome. Maybe it's because of what we've seen of tamolith and her kids. That scene turned tamolith from a villain to a character that is a mother first, and a villain second. And killing a mother is just cruel to her innocent children.

Benjamin Herne

I struggle to think of a reason why John would even think of making Tamolith a secret lioness. 1) Any injury to be healed can be done by Rachel (see Tashana & Lynette) 2) Tamolith has already shown to keep her word to John in the mines, and now in seeking John's help would highly unlikely turn against him. 3) The Kintark forces are in no state to be causing problems anywhere in the near future 4) John has no knowledge of Tamolith's killing off Baledranax's wife, or the random Kintark servant. 5) John has always had reservations on adding anyone else to his network and a dragon seems unlikely 6) John has always had reservations about changing someone's personality. For Niskera, it was so she could unite the Trankarans as Glowing Queen, for Lynette it was to prevent High Command from screwing John over. I also don't see Alyssa having any affinity for Tamolith, so don't see her using her 'favour' to get John to do this.

I have always thought that a red dragon girl was needed I hope she gets to nymph/shape shift

wildcat 1986

Hey tefler, are we going to get to see this scene in the next chapter?

Jewbear

The top 2 by far are #2 & 3. These can be combined. Tam survives, barely, but none of her kids do, nor do Baledranax' daughters. Tam's despair is tremendous - who'll follow her? There are no other royals! Then she sees John go giant-sized. The only creature her size, and he's POWERFUL. . . . Sets up for some interesting shenanigans down the road , when Tam gets a lil itch and pounces on John playfully...

J B

I don't believe that making Tamolith into even a half secret lioness is the answer, as she is still only the regent for her favourite eldest son. So she needs to have a damascene change to make sure he is educated correctly, as John can not as far as we know sort the male child out, so the problem will not go away be loading her up, even if it would be a good sex scene.

Mac of Alden

I chose option 2, but I'd like something in between 1 and 2. She doesnt need a huge conversion since she's actually a delightful character on the side of chaos, but she's going to have to give a little for the Empire to survive. I'm honestly not sure how option 3 would work in/enhance the story or how it is winning at the moment.

Metheus108

Kinky - bird-women to join the crew? Little One and the maids are gonna have a whole lotta feathers to gather up.... :) (You probably mean 'adversaries', not 'aviaries', which is a bird-zoo)

J B

23 more hours to go.... And people can change their votes.

J B

Chose option two, I think that other than the dragons that have already died, Tamolith is smarter and has the good of her civilization more as a goal. I don't see John turning Tamolith into a Dragon unless she becomes a magical dragon with a humanoid persona. I would like to see the Kintark and the Terran federation work together more

Richard de Leeuw

XO in charge of recruiting. Just can’t see her choosing a dragon lioness.

Selecting 2. I just can't see John filling a tanker truck's worth of jizz to even start to make a change to Tamolith...

MuddMaxx

I really want to select option 5 - One of Baledranax' daughters takes the throne. Ah, well.

MuddMaxx

I can't make up my mind on her fate, but let it be delivered after a titanic Battle of the Dragons - Tamolith vs Jade with the Kintark Empire at stake. For what it's worth, I saw Tamolith seizing the throne as the best hope for the future of the Kintark Empire, so she should stay in control.

I am interested in this epilogue you speak of, soon after the threat is defeated, or after a well needed break for our protagonists and peeks into their immortal lives over the millennia. There are definitely a number of women who I will be interested to see get a chance to settle down. From the Maliri fleet admirals to Niskera to Lynette to Tamolith and even Nkkrrt (vainly hoping to see a long lived Maria somewhere in there). Keep up the good work Tefler.

2

andrew finlayson

No problem. I thought you guys would appreciate being able to make a meaningful impact to the story. :-)

Tefler

Thank you Tef for giving us more of an opportunity to influence what happens in our story. Many of us are truly invested in John, his Pride and the fate of the universes as we know it but this just adds another level of commitment

TF4EVA

Approximately 2000 patrons are eligible to vote. There's about 1700 who are on the Terran Marine tier.

Tefler

Tefler, I know it shows us the percentages after we vote, but do you have the actual numbers? I’m curious as to how many people are actually voting. Do you have 10% of us... 25%? 42%? 98.6%? ;-) Ah, I see... bottom of the poll. 807 votes total... but out of how many who are eligible to vote?

Evan

It looks like option 3 still has a comfortable lead, so I'll just clarify one point for anyone expecting hot John on dragon action. :-) Putting Tamolith through the Change is no small endeavour. With other girls taking priority (specifically the Maliri), John won't have a chance to complete it for the forseeable future. I'm thinking more of a Niskera type of role, at least until the epilogue.

Tefler

I’ve been looking forward to option three since the first time she proved smart enough not to attempt to betray John in their first deal way back on the prison planet. With the caveat of some mandatory humbling goes with it.

Oddball1971

This is a way to bind the species together. John has a more vested interest in preserving the families he has a local representative for, not to mention the advantages with instant communication. I am still waiting on the visit back to the Ashanath. I still think there is a female there to tie back. Can't imagine that they wouldn't have one since they find females attractive and seem more genetically predisposed to the thrall form than the Maliri.... Closer to what the Trankarans feel towards the glowing queen.

Skchoad

Id also like to see Rahn arrive first and deal with the Brimorians. I think the fact that she asked for help in the first place is a good thing as far as her character is concerned.

Putting in a second comment, I suppose Jade could work as an intermediary for option 3 but personally I would love to see the prideful Empress get dominated by John, and just for the sake of extra fantasy smut I'd like to have a humanoid Tamolith get topped up by John personally, I don't know if this is really a possibility to add in to the story (or maybe if Tamolith gets transformed by John to a Thrall body but retains the ability to become a massive dragon, I don't know, could be interesting). I trust Tefler will find a satisfying conclusion in any 4 cases, and as he mentioned before he's planning on moving on from the Kintark scene anyway since they aren't really "important" for the foreseeable future in the coming war. But interesting that we get this kind of a reader's choice, it's perfect for this kind of relatively minor detail that readers can have influence over.

The wounded bird concept has merit, but only if the motivations can be there. She needs to suffer, and then be broken, but John wouldn't really want to convert her, not without a good reason, so there has to be some need to keep her under his thumb. Otherwise a simple "rule from afar" would work to keep her in line. I'm not sure any of these really make sense for the characters. *shrug*

I think a good healthy fear of John and the Maliri may help Tamolith realize she isn't as 'superior' a being as she thinks she is... and that an empire without subjects won't be much of an empire for her son. She may never be a good person, but that isn't a requirement for being a good leader.

Stephen B.

I’ve never quite understood the reasoning behind the idea that John can ONLY affect progenitor connected species. The Kyth’faren, from whom Xar’Aziuth drew his designs to form the Progenitors, were masters of genetic manipulation. Ergo, they could effect change in ANY genetic material they wished as masters of the science, not simply what they designed themselves. Why would John’s spend, which is both a psychic catalyst and a genetic manipulator, not affect any creature in the galaxy he wishes to? The Gifts and the Change may vary across the races, but the basic ability to manipulate a creature’s genes shouldn’t change regardless of species.

Brian Woods

Although it seems "interesting" how a massive dragon would be fed (maybe Jade in draconic form) I'm missing the logical reason why the Kintark can even be effected. So far only progenitor creations or thrall species seem to logically be effected by John. Maybe we get an origin story for the Kintark in the next few chapters.

Bugsy_Builder

i like when John and the girls turn Aviaries into Allies, it is better to have them on his side than the other way around!

Glenn Hunter

So happy #3 won 🥳

Evan

If she's wounded - she can heal herself - Dragons can regenerate! No need for number 3

Who Me

Her karmic fate as murderer etc seems related to that of the most recent Malari house leaders killings.

Jerry Isdale

Noooo!!! I can't believe the secret lioness is winning out...I don't think even Tefler's imagination can come up with a way to make that titillating...granted, she's sentient, so it's not beastiality, but still, it's not hot. What about option 5: She is forced to accept a constitutional monarchy, which provides for her family in perpetuity, but also gives the Malari, as rescuers from annihilation, a seat at the table - (or a whole house, what do we really care) - to bring some justice to governance?

Toodles McGhee

Sure, but that makes her entirely unsympathetic. Don't stick your dick in evil.

James Hârn

Tefler has all the scenarios worked out, so.... there’s clearly a way it does...

Timbo

Wounded little bird doesn't have to mean physical injuries. She's gone from thinking her kind is the perfect being, to having a "terran" smoosh her husband and her emperor, becoming the last of her kind, losing half her empire, having to beg the terran to rescue the rest, and, possibly having her children murdered, who are the only thing in the world she cares about. If they are killed by the Brimorans, she will be utterly broken, probably suicidal etc. At this point she may well beg John to end her life, and it could be that "wounded little bird" refers to a psychological wounding.

Richard Skinner

Also depending on how long dragons take to mature and incubate, John could knock em up for real.

Jewbear

Well, seeing as Tamolith can heal herself just like all the other large dragons, including the royal guard, I am having difficulty with how the 'wounded little bird' scenario would work out.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Umm....she can heal herself. Just like the one she killed and the two John killed.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

I'd say have Tamolith become paralyzed for a while before she can be cured. Some kind of spinal cord injury during the invasion. A creature of her power and strength being *completely* dependent upon the abilities of others, unable to even move, incapable of defending herself or her children? I don't know if any experience could be more humbling than that. One of the only things I can think of that could actually make her feel powerless. And an actual understanding of what it feels like to have a complete lack of power might be the only believable path to redemption for her.

cittran genericlastname

In Discord someone mentioned that TSM needed a G'Kar-type character. I was thinking the minor noble that John saved from the sulfer mines could fit that roll nicely. He's even reptilian.

Frostfyre

I am really torn by this. I personally don't like #4 but each of the other three appeal to me. I'm going to vote #3 but i prefer something between two and three. I would love to see Tam formally ally with John and discover what it really going on with the Progenitor war (especially since she has a stake in it after millions of her people were killed at one's instigation). That revelation would also pretty well smash what is left of her superior ego. Realizing her people are key to keeping her alive and safe could very much change her appreciation of them (although she might backslide occasionally when dealing with particularly arrogant couriers). I'd rather not have her become anything more than possibly Niskera became. I honestly can't see her willingly bonding with Alyssa ever, and really having a tough time even being willing to allow someone in her mind. That said, having Jade being Tam's matriarch would be pretty cool. I would love a scene where Tam is getting uppity before joining John and Jade shifting to a BIGGER dragon. That would be a hilarious scene to read. That would definitely put Tam in a better mindset to accept any offer of John's, lol.

Frostfyre

Given that the Kintark Empire requires an emperor or empress to survive, Tamolith taking over from her dysfunctional sister-in-law was a necessity. During the negotiations, she could only accept the terms of defeat but was smart to try to rebuild the Kintark’s fleet as fast as possible. Tamolith could have more talk with John and Lynette. She should be part of the Mariachs junta.

If John recalls the runes on Jade's heart, and figures them out, MAYBE he could give Nymph shapeshifting. MAYBE. None of the others can shapeshift, after all.

J B

While she's a doting mother, she's also a bloody tyrant and heavily prejudiced against her own species. While the motherhood MIGHT be something John'd respect, the rest of it would hose the deal for John, I'd think. *IF* Tam gets the Progenitor Protein Shake Special, something very very radical ahs to happen along the lines of Edreale - complete personality alteration, one way or th'other. IMO, 'course.

J B

See above. The senator from the mines Mateo was imprisoned at, the high admiral getting his scales shocked off by the Lion's tactics are just 2 options that have been mentioned.

J B

Alternately, she dies, the last of the hypersized royalty, and her kid gets less obnoxious of an upbringing, perhaps even becoming noble, not just a tyrant.

J B

...or her subjects catching a break as she catches something fatal, or badly wounded enough that the plebs mook-swarm her.

J B

I feel like you are forgetting the purpose of the secret lionesses. He hasn't met any other notable Kintark dragonesses. Bringing Tamolith under his protection ensures they aren't enemies in the future...

Dirlagraun

Along those lines, I’ve often thought it would be wildly hilarious if there was mention of Tamolith’s nickname of John’s as a ‘Tiny Progenitor’ during said copulation. The irony will be delicious and spectacularly funny.

Brian Woods

Something that hasn't really been mentioned is the future generations of Kintark society. Tamolith won't rule forever, even though if she plays her cards right it could be millenia, but what happens when she dies? Whether she gets option 2 or 3, the main thing to be considered is what happens in 300 years? What will her brood do? What will the other "noble" dragons do? That is what needs to be addressed, not just the one dragon. So it becomes a matter of which is more likely to make the race as a whole better. 3 seems like the more likely option, even if John might be kinda against it, but 2 could work if the scene is played right.

Roethan

I enjoyed the tension when John first met Tamolith. It was I'll eat you tension rather than sexual but we have been teased with characters asking what would happen if John bonds a non-humanoid for forever. (Still waiting for Niskera to finish going through the change, and for Nkkrrit to show up again. When will the Vulkat virus in the Brimorian ship to go off). Also If option 3 wins it would be interesting to see the instinctual Jade acting as Tamoliths Matriarch, spreading some of the girls to the to our most recent Matriarch.

Damn you, Sir Tefler, for forcing money out of my pocket to see the results of my musings ;)! All kidding aside, holy cow, I didn’t expect such reactions from just a logical inference of storyline possibilities. Not to say I was the only one thinking or positing it, but damn! On to the main point, though, since it seems option 3 is at least edging out on just a simple and clean nicer dragonlady, may I humbly suggest a Nymph-like transformation in lieu of a more in-depth Change to the dragoness? As an example, Tamolith changes completely to the Thrall template, being drastically shorter and more humanoid, but is given the psychic shape shifting ability to return to her ‘base’ form, or rather can revert to a more imposing mode for both regal and intimidating purposes? In addition, any chance we could find out in advance whether or not her pheromone powers would be enhanced by the change to her DNA? Looking forward to the results!

Brian Woods

If Tamolith was male y'all would be calling for her head. There are plenty of women more deserving of John's attentions than her.

James Hârn

#3. Tef is an amazing storyteller. If anyone can pull off giving Tamolith a nap, it will be him. And then he can get Tamolith and the two daughters of her former sister-in-law linked, to the Jade dragon. I am also interested to see how Alyssa handles this. If not this option, keep Tamolith a continuing part of the story. John needs a draconic air force against the Progenitors.

Mapper

ok so given the voting...i have a thought and borrowing from an earlier idea i had if Tamolith loses all her progeny and in her grief she needs convincing to keep in the fight so john and alyssa show her the astral monsters...but this breaks her mind so john has to pump her up using jade in order to restore her mind? perhaps alyssa can not do it as it is too shattered?

I had to vote 2. I can't see John being ok with option 1. He isn't the type to just ignore the suffering of the people. Option 4 could work but it would leave the Kintark even more vulnerable without a leader. I don't see John taking that route unless he has no other options. As much as I would love to find out what happens if a dragon goes through the change, I don't see Tamolith consenting to it. While I am certain Tefler could come up with some reason for her to agree, it just doesn't seem to fit with her character to desire it. So option 3 doesn't feel right. As for option 2. There are a lot of ways for Tamolith to see the light so to speak... bright white light perhaps... Alyssa can be very convincing when she wants to be...

Binuvyen

Screw it, I'm on board for #3. Reasons being is I dont feel Tamolith could change naturally. And I just want to see how Tef plays this out lol.

Knucklehead

I have to go with option 1. I don't see a sincere Damascene conversion. Tamolith has seen that both the Terrans and the Brimorians can conquer her empire anytime they want to, is openly afraid of the capabilities of the Maliri, and yet she maintains her arrogant rule of terror with no thought of change. But I have seen no viable successor that wouldn't throw all of the Kintark Empire into open warfare, which would simply eliminate them as a force in the galaxy. I believe that John (guided by Calara) wants to settle down the amount of fighting, not increase it, and a civil war is simply not helpful. Maybe someday Tamolith can be trusted to do some border patrol work to keep the Kirrix contained, which would free up other people to do useful work in the Progenitor war.

Ken Moreau

Although she is quite aggressive, a transformation from John will be amazing! He needs all the help he can have in the upcoming confrontation with the other progenitors and Tamolith can be of help. I can;t wait for the next chapter! Thanks Tefler!

Kostas Koroneos

You make some very good points. Option 2 would lead to an outcome along these lines.

Tefler

I think Tamolith's most basic personality is that of a caring mother. kind of a prerequisite for John, no?

recurve33

I like to think of how this affect the plot and characters. I think option 3 could test john as a person and give us readers an interesting look into him. It could also further the research dana and rachel are doing. Also what further input into the collective psychic thoughts could there be with her in the group no matter where she is in the universe.

I chose 3, with the expectation that there will be changes to the dragon class. :) I can see a bit of fiddling where Rachel uses her abilities to change the future offspring of the Kintark, and once they are converted, they are a useful species, not thralls, but useful. I can also see some sort of "seeding" such that no progenitors can turn a race into thralls once John, Alyssa, MAYBE Alyssa's passenger and Rachel do something together.

Grandizer

Based on the current votes, it looks like Tamolith's going to get a 14 hour nap... :-)

Tefler

Whatever happens, we need to see John go Ultra Man and lay it down on dragon sized Jade. Give us Rule 34! XD

Youkai-sama

Kinda always wanted to have a lizard girl on the team :D maybe we can get one kintark girl at random being saved?

Hawksbri

Option 3 for the win. Not just jade i want all the girls to change. Unlock the dragon they are finally accepting the freedom john has given them. Big dragon gang bang tamolith getting put in her place.

The difference between the Niskera situation and Timolith is that Niskera has lots of suitor options and is beloved by her people. Timolith has children already but has no suitor options and terrifies her people. What Kintark in their right mind would want to mate with her unless forced.

prsstarid

Every time she goes to the shipyard or seems to walk anywhere, one of her subjects dies. A real change means getting away from the oversize dragons to something more in tune with the populace. A new government without these almost immortals is needed. I wish there was some way for her to survive, but not as "ruling" empress! She is raising her son to be just like her and her contempt for her subjects is inexcusable! It might be interesting to find that Senator or whatever he was John met and talked with at Xen'Nuchek mines and build a new regime on that. Even a radical change in her attitude still leaves something different than other Kintark in charge.

Arrowglass

Some interesting thoughts. I honestly don't mind what the outcome is. I've got different plans in mind for each scenario.

Tefler

pretty sure they are saying glowing queen since it would most likely be a similar situation to niskera of a one time dose

You'd need to vote for option 3 to find out. :-)

Tefler

How can you assume that? Seems like wishful thinking

Robert Hibbs

Guys, "bigger game" means more to the story!

Evan

Does she become a humanoid with draconic traits and the ability to shift,

Jewbear

Option 3, the percentage is so close, would love to see how the change affects a dragon

Jewbear

I'll go with Option 2, because it would be a deviation from the load them up with John's cum and get them on his side method. Maybe it could be that she is mortally wounded, and unable to heal herself, but just as she draws her last breath, Rachel heals her. That could lead to that change of heart, and maybe a pep talk and a formal alliance between the Kintark with John. It would also kinda tie up a story arc, without Tefler having to write future scenes of John second guessing his decision, or what to do with her in the future. (Comparing John and Alyssa's interaction between the Ashanath (Ularean) and Trankaran (Niskera).

Yeah, I'll be moving on from the Kintark for the forseeable future whatever happens. They've hardly got any ships left, so they aren't in any fit state to fight in the Progenitor War.

Tefler

i would say that the flow of the story is more in line with option 2 or option 4, now being the person that prefers a good ending for the whole group i want an option 2 but it sounds to me like the most likely chain of events is for the planet to come under orbital bombardment, but the thing is we have to remember the emperors thoughts from his own childhood where he healed himself after "playing roughly with his brother" would they really need to worry about injuries unless they actually died? what is the limits of their regenerative ability? if there is a limit then maybe option 3 is possible but the thing is i would say that something severe has to get through Tamolith's narcissistic hubris about herself to affect that change, what would make that change? the only thing that has actually shown to affect her in a positive way is her children, perhaps the entire brood dies in the attack? perhaps most of them? or just the heir? or a close call but no deaths? knowing their regenerative abilities would anything short of death make any difference? perhaps torture? but would the brimorians have time? all of these questions? i say orbital bombardment is most likely given the time remaining and the fact that the brimorians are aquatic and most likely not going to find a jungle planet to be to their liking, they could try to invade but their fleet has been severely damaged and the commander is not ruthless enough to ignore losses so unlikely to send in ground troops unless it looks like a sure thing but he may send a surgical strike to determine the source of his humiliating setbacks and try to rectify them by attacking the empress directly with marines, this could lead to the torture scenario that i was wondering about but instead of torturing the empress, perhaps her heir instead and in the nick of time john provides the bullet to the brain of the torturer? then a stern talking to about her attitude towards her people? but would he even know how she treats them? would some accidental passing comment be the right trigger for tipping her in the right direction? one that makes her a benevolent empress? or perhaps another option, a subject sacrifices himself/herself to intercede for her children when the empress thinks all is lost and her brood are about to die?what if the heir falls for one of the normal kintark females? would the empress be forced to see them as more than just her play things? and my last thought, the astral plane, what if Tamolith is brought there and shown the astral horrors by john and alyssa? sorry if i ask more questions than i answer but ultimately this is not my story but yours and that is how i like it

i chose number three, I would love to see her get her {cum}euppance. The choice never says that she can't be a wounded bird once Brimorian are done with her. Who knows maybe they take her back to their home world for genetic modification like the Abandoned. I like to have my cake and eat it too 😈.

I vote for option 2.Like the idea that she is saved by her people.

CHOOSE 3 FOR LIONESS OPTION!

Thorox

I chose 2 but I agree with "T", above, and Mr. Tefler, I like your idea of Jade (and maybe her sisters?) giving her a bit of a reality check or wake up call to cure Tamolith's homicidal rage and lust for brutal despotic power.

BrianM

Tefler, I went for option 2 because I think that John would prefer not to have another Lioness, although Alyssa’s perspective on this might be different, and because I don’t think that Tamolith fits the ‘wounded bird’ profile of the other Lionesses, even less so than Edraele. I see Tamolith as an individual predator from a race of individual predators, but that doesn’t make her ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ per se, just different from races that came from those of a more cooperative, non-predatory bent. I think that if she can be shown how much it will benefit her precious offspring to build up her people without necessarily changing who and what they are, they could become something that John would actually like: Allies who are not controlled by his Progenitor heritage, but rather influenced by his own sense of morality to do what he perceives as being in their own self-interest, which helps everyone. On the other hand, all bow down to the new Kintark Matriarch has an amusing appeal, too. Tamolith the Eternal Empress has a ring to it, no?

Evan

Thinking like many.. Tamolith could get injured.. Rescued by her fellow citizens and few military units as support. Maybe try to heal her but to no avail.. Citizen could start crying there futur loss. Then John to the rescue.. Maybe with the help of Jade a first if she still have a few drop in herself (from pre battle filling) to start the process of healing. Tamolith would have a change of heart for her underlings and with the mental care from John to help the natural change in the Leader interaction with them.

Why does everyone keep saying "glowing queen?" The only reason Niskera glows, and gets the whole "revered leader" treatment, is because of her PROGENITOR ENGINEERED DNA. Lynette, Alyssa, Jehenna, and the rest of the Terran women didn't start glowing (well, not 24/7 anyway), so why would anything diff happen to Tamolith? Kintark are naturally occurring predators, not Progen creations. Also, John can't load her up too much. She has to remain on Kintark to lead, and if she undergoes too radical a transformation, nobody will want to follow her.

I chose 3 thinking an option would be for an injury due to invasion - perhaps she suffers some personal losses and humbly requests aid from her savior. Without some mental assistance she may not be capable of completely turning her personality/attitude around. It’s a chance for John to help them rebuild and change their society similar to the Maliri. More of the glowing queen variety than secret lioness Lynette. She will need to stay and rule and they will not be able to stick around.

What about Jade as an intermediary?

Tefler

I wouldn't mind seeing some sort of mix between 2 and 3 if it so happens that option 2 wins. But I can't see option 3 being a truly valid option unless there is some way for Tamolith to appear actually attractive to John, since I don't quite think John would be that into a full on dragon. Maybe if she has some kind of humanoid form that she can take then it could be feasible.

Killing her leaves mo one to teach and care for her children. We dont know what Kindrilax put her thru to deserve his fate. Yes she killed the sister inlaw to gain the thrown, is that any different then the Malari society did or civilizations thru the centuries either? To reward her with John filling her up and becoming a Lioness is a reward for doing bad things. Just my thoughts

Taco1085

Option 3, but tragically, she isn’t there for the final curtain …

martin Silsby

Yes, 2. That leaves option 3 for Sarinia Baelora. But that was the plan all along, wasn't it?

RobMob

I kinda think it would be funny if John goes giant size on her just enough to put her in line and that leaves her with a “crush” on him.

Jammus1

just to clarify, load her up with the jade dragon with dragon-sized replicas of john..And also let's not forget that Nymphs can change into anything their master desires, so it is possible we may find another little (BIG) nymph in dragon form...

Technomage

It seems to me that all the Kintark ruling class are like Tamolith, maybe worse. When we first met her, I got the impression she was a bit better than the rest and she did honor her deal with John. I think she’s in a position now that maybe she’s been humbled a bit and I’d like to see how John might will bring her in line. And being a secret lioness doesn’t make her part of a “babe in every port network”. Case in point, Lynette.

Jammus1

I've added it to the main post. :)

Tefler

Dragon chicks for the win! New thrall species called...wait for it......zerglings!

Technomage

Tef: Your updated explanation of the choices gets buried as more people add comments. Any chance of putting it up in your opening narrative, or updating the selector buttons (d*rn site probably wont let you....)

Timbo

Crushing... literally. 😂

DemonHunterCole

Naturally the black and white answers have next to no votes. I'm so proud of this community.

Sindre Bjørnhjell

She might even get the hots for John just due to his raw alpha male power. If he does the supersize trick around her, she's gonna fall in love and start crushing on him... Heheheh

Trimtab

I wouldn't wish Tamolith on John. That said, there are more options than "despot" and "benevolent ruler". Give her a reason to take a longer view of her empire - say for her spawn's sake - and make her prefer political stability and competent, productive underlings over power grabs and subservience.

John P

Since 2 is basically within 3 (i mean she can't become a lioness without a damascene conversion regarding the value of the lives of her subjects) i voted for 3. The idea of having a hot glowing dragon babe is irresistible I fear... };-). But in all seriousness, if she can be taught some humility, she and her kin could become great allies. And i think it is in character that John would see some beauty and honor in her, save her life, and in doing so get some bow-chika-wow-wow rollin'.

Trimtab

To clarify the choices: 1) Tamolith stays in power as a malevolent despot, terrorising the Kintark citizens at whim. 2) Tamolith becomes a benevolent leader, without any physical intervention from John. 3) Tamolith gets loaded up and becomes a secret Lioness (like Edraele, Niskera, and Lynette). 4) Tamolith dies.

Tefler

My reading is 3 is lioness (so sayeth Tefler) ... 2 is likely along the lines Trankaran or Ashanath option? 1 is probably Buckingham's type of fate, and 4 I could see being Judgement of Alyssa. Honestly, for the part about how she dealt with her nephews, she really does deserve Wrath of Alyssa. Though, I will admit, having a dragon empress as a mount (in the 'carry into battle' sense!) is a rather entertaining prospect.

Jesse

I actually would like to see a blend of 2 and 3. She is too slippery and arrogant and has no introspective moments, hard to see her changing spots easily, but in keeping with the redemptive theme that carries through the series, that would be a great resolution for her arc.

eclipse

I don't think John wants anymore "Glowing Queens " , he already regrets the necessity of doing that . He's about Family , not a babe in every port . I see Tamolith on the brink of death being rescued by the very subjects she looks down on & having her realize without loyal subjects a ruler is just title with no meaning .

bigdawguw65

Js in a galaxy where racism is very much based on race. It'd be fucked if John let the one completely non humanoid looking alien die. Based on my impression the kintarks while techno advanced are actually emotionally primative. Never grew out of the whole physical strength rules like we see in gorillas and apes. Doesn't mean they don't have the capacity they simply haven't. Between loss to the tfeds and loss of a ruler their society will completely implode even if brimorians are ultimately defeated. War lords would fight and likely fracture the Society then you'd end up like the blue folks only weak as hell. Terran pirates or another group would sweep in. Granted seeing the ashanath bare their teeth a bit would be cool too because it's out of character. I digress, just makes sure the kintarks society survives to improve. Or stagnate, John's got tonnes on his plate doesn't need to be involved in every society unless he's looking to be ruler over all of this corner of the galaxy

Kesone

Tef said option 3 is that

prsstarid

Option two would be to become the leader they needed all along but they would remain independent of John's alliance and influence. Option 3 would become a Lioness is what Tefler said and wouldn't that also include option 2? John would not put up with a despot.

prsstarid

Also, only having partial success might be nice rather than changing the dragon radically.

D. D.

I had to laugh at option 3, but John needs to learn how to convince the dragon without enthralling her. I mean, having a dragon play buddy for Jade is great and all, I don't think John wanted to have puppets on every throne in this corner of the galaxy.

D. D.

Everyone - before voting check out the explanation of option 3 in Tef’s response to Luke McDaniels above. Option 3 is basically Tam the Lioness....

Timbo

I voted that she become like Edraele - redemption after suffering.

TexanInParis

I really like “the glowing dragon” option - and Jade in draconic form would be prefect to deliver the “medicine”

Kim Biel-Nielsen

Ahhh! So many choices! Im voting on survival, but banishment/arrest by her son, who is taken under the wing(pun intended) of that kintark senator who was imprisoned on Xen-Nuchek! With him and High Prelate Zorlin guiding the young emperor, the Kintark truly begin to cooperate with the Blake Alliance!

Simorthelast

My thoughts exactly! I hope that is how Tefler meant it.

Robert Hibbs

all of the Empire leaders we've encountered so far seem to have taken the self serving schtick to the next level. Edraele risked personal gain against a litteral Baba Yaga. Fleet Admirial Buckingham drank his own Koolaid, and started to buy his own progaganda. Councilor Talari atleast recognised the writing on the wall and acted out of more than self interest, but only whilst being faced with annihilation. it'd be nice for *just one* of them to work it out on their own..

Clearly the 3. Show her is but a pawn in a game with dozen queens 😈..

BramBora

I can't decide which is the way for her to get a chance to turn into a benelovent ruler of the remaining kintark and to aid the rest of the empires against the upcoming common enemy.... so I choos the second option, I hope I choose the right one.

That's option three. :)

Tefler

No Draconic lioness option?

Luke McDaniel

Too bad she can’t become the first of many of Rahn‘ she’s thralls.

DemonHunterCole

Oh man. Idk if I want to choose the second or third choice.

DemonHunterCole