((Not back but these were really interesting to me so I had to OwO))

Orbran grinned at the highblood kneeling before him. It had all been so easy. He had warned him that he was no one to be crossed, but this fool had been so intent on keeping what was “his”. So Orbran began his machinations, orchestrating betrayals and rumors throughout his new enemy’s court.

First fell his fringe operations, things he couldn’t bring up in polite company and save face. His drug markets were seized by offers and extortion, and his supply lines for more simple things, like industry and food, were assailed at perfect times to cause the slightest of shortages, just enough to sew discontent through his ranks as prices in his domain rose.Then it became personal, his quadrant’s quadrants were taken, killed, sent to his court as messages to pull him in every direction. How could he think when his matesprit was weeping for his moirail? His kismesis was killing the second leaf of his auspis? His moirail was seething with his kismesis gone? He would have to see to either them, or his ailing county, and Orbran knew which he would choose.With his people turning on him, he began operations to keep them down, subjugated, and Orbran began to meet and greet, make connections, introduce his friends to these poor, neglected trolls in need. Pull them away, make them leave safety by their own choice, cheat…Proof of their infidelity was sent to the highblood count, videos and images of those he pitied and hated leaving him behind. With this revealed, he searched high and low for them, and only then realized that they were gone. Taken away.

Orbran hadn’t just taken his kingdom or crushed his armies like a barbarian. He had removed any connection, any reprieve. He made him alone, and the silence of being truly alone was more than enough to break many trolls, as it was with this one.

Looking over his prize, Orbran stood, his knight walking behind the defeated highblood, who was on the verge of tears, begging to see his quadmates again. He wanted nothing more, and he finally swore to grant everything he owned, every slave, every scrap of land, to Orbran in return.Orbran walked over to him, tracing a finger up his face to collect violet tears. His forked tongue slide out to lick them from his hand, and he grinned. He knew he had won, and there was no better feeling.

“Take him to hiss loved oness. He may join them.” Orbran hissed, returning to his throne. The knight nodded, lifting the nobleman up as he thanked him for his lenience. Orbran waved him off and he was gone.

Poor fool… Orbran was well known on the planet, and beyond. Even the Condesce had granted him wealth and power when she saw what he had become. He had gotten here because he realized one simple truth: Enemies you defeat make armies; Enemies you destroy make graves.Not a single troll that had stood to Orbran had ever feared death when it came. He had taken everything from them, stripped them of life before they spilled the first drop of blood. He knew how to make the strongest, cruelest, and most evil troll grovel and weep and beg for death, and he was always so generous to them, granting their requests happily.