The Dungeon Without a System

Chapter 28

-0-0-0-0-0-

The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island

-0-0-0-0-0-

As they passed the archway at the end of the vine-covered hallway into the third floor, Isid took a deep breath. Having been well prepared, the second floor boss was easy. The dungeon had been far easier on them than it had on their last delve, though she attributed that to a reallocation of it's defenses more than leniency.

She contemplated the dungeon and the various changes it had gone through while they descended the side of the cavern to the trees below. Originally fierce in it's defense, it had relaxed the number of monsters on the first and second floors. It had maintained that until last night, where the dungeon carved a warning just inside it's entrance and upped the lethality once again.

The biggest changes Isid had experienced since her last delve involved the traps. On the first floor stalactites would fall onto unsuspecting guilders and solid-looking patches of sand would give way to spiked pits. The traps on the second floor were much more varied, though seemed focused on either trying to catch entire parties at once, or splitting them apart.

She had to admit, the splitter traps were effective.

The section of hallway that had closed in on them was fast. Slow enough they could get out of the way, but not so slow that the entire party could make it through the closing section. Isid and her husband had been separated from the other four in their party. Afterwards they had a suspiciously smooth delve. They had encountered no further traps and the number of fish monsters in the flooded sections was little more than a token force. The other half of their group had apparently encountered no such luck.

She was drawn from her thoughts by an out-of-place rustling in the brush around them. Yes, there was an almost constant rustling thanks to the fake wind on this floor, but this was off. Though she couldn't see much past the rather mana-laden vegetation, she did catch sight of movement. A glance showed her the rest of her party had noticed too.

A quick movement from Vena and an arrow embedded itself in the monster's skull. It collapsed to the ground, dead. Closer inspection revealed one of the large cat monsters. While Ducan was butchering the beast to retrieve it's core, Harald opened a tome, looking between the monster on the ground and his book every so often.

"It resembles something called a 'Tiger', found in the jungles of the Havaani Island Chain. The teeth and head shape are a rough match, though it isn't exact. They are also known for their vibrant orange, black and white stripes, though some that are just black and white have also been spotted. While vibrant, this particular shade of pink isn't exactly conducive to a stalking predator." He lectured them, his last comment given with a half-smile. The rest of them laughed, while Isid was left in the dark. She didn't know what 'pink' was.

This is why they had brought Harald onto their party; to identify the various monsters and officially name them if they were otherwise unknown. The archer Vena was included to handle any monsters that could fight from range, like the firebirds found on this floor. The last new member of their party was the leather-clad Ducan, a master of identifying traps and navigating puzzles.

"It's certainly unique. I'm sure some prissy noble's daughter back in Phenoc will pay handsomely for something made of this tiger skins." Jerrad commented to more laughter. After Ducan had extricated the monster's core he started on skinned the beast, while Harald took samples of it's teeth, claws and meat. The butchering didn't last long.

They encountered another three tigers on their trip to the first of the so-called 'combat trials'. These all pounced as one, jumping out of previously empty shadows. This was more of a fight, though not much of one. The element of surprise certainly aided the ambushers, though it wasn't enough. Their hides just couldn't stand up to steel swung with the strength of a Platinum, nor the power of Isid's mana-blades.

These hides were in worse condition and not fit for harvesting, though the beheaded one would probably end up on someone's mantle somewhere. The other guilders bantered about the odd colors of the hides, but to Isid's vision there was no difference.

With what they estimated to be at least four hour or so before sunset, they arrived at the first 'trial'.

They walked the narrow cliff in single file. It was a mostly uneventful climb. The only spot of trouble came about when Vena, who was in the middle of the line, walked on an outcropping that Isid and Jerrad had already traversed. The rock crumbled beneath her feet and, suddenly without support, she began falling. Thankfully Ducan was behind her and caught her quickly, pulling her back up without further trouble.

They proceeded much more carefully, and quickly found themselves outside the yawning cave. The rock to each side had been carved into lined columns, with a small statue and alter set off to the side. The creature depicted was large, if the statue was to scale. At least seven feet tall. The bipedal reptilian figure was crowned in horns and wielding a spiked mace, only partly clad in armor. There were a few lines of runes carved into the pedestal below the statue in the same strangely geometric language found throughout the rest of the dungeon. The alter had offerings of fruit, placed in a basket. A Candle that smelled vaguely of honey sat beside the basket, lit.

They didn't linger long. Their time here was limited, after all.

The cave showed signs of having been dug by hand, with wooden supports and half-carved pillars found along the walls. At the end of the hallway was a wooden double-door, shallowly carved with more runes and an image of a lizardman on either door.

Jerrad pushed open the doors, revealing their opponents. Standing on the other side of the arena was seven monsters. Each wielding metal weapons, or metal staves topped with monster cores. With echoing battle cries on both sides, the fight began.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The Dungeon, Medea Island

-0-0-0-0-0-

If I could have growled in frustration, I would have. In the mean time I had a few skeletons punch a wall. It didn't help, but made me feel slightly better.

Isid's party blazed a devastating path through the monsters of my third floor, defeating group after group of Kobold Hunters and Shamans. Not that I wanted Isid or Jerrad dead, of course. No, it was Vena who seemed to be the only one triggering traps. It was relieving it was only one of them, actually. Harald seemed like a nice guy, more interested in learning about anything he could get his hands on than killing me. I wasn't sure about Ducan yet, but he seemed professional. Didn't talk much. Moved like a hunter though. All silent footsteps and constant awareness of his surroundings.

That Lione, Isid and Jerrad didn't seem to harbor a grudge against me for the death of their old party members or their injuries was a best news I've had all week.

They showed great concern over the Kobold cores they found. I'm sure they've seen the cores previously harvested from the monsters, but the grave looks on their faces after pulling one from a Shaman... I'm not sure what it means, since they didn't talk about it. They just exchanged heavy glances and dutifully packed the one they harvested away. They left the rest alone, though they did take a few of the newly forged weapons and staves.

More cores to add to my Golem experiments, I guess. I did feel a little bad for the kobolds, though. It wasn't their fault they ended up facing a party far too strong for them to beat. They fought well though. Their training was obviously effective. The next batch will hopefully be even better, with the addition of the memories of combat of the guilders I've killed today,

Thankfully, they didn't manage to reach all the mini-boss arenas before night fell. As soon as the fake sun on the third floor entered it's 'night phase' they teleported out. Don't want to risk it, huh? Eh, I'm fine with that. I'll have more opportunities to figure out what's up with Vena later.

In the mean time, now that there are no more parties in the dungeon capable of getting deeper than the third, I can focus back on my experiments.

I have three ongoing, at the moment. The humans and their strange addiction to the mana filled fruit, the creation of a Golem monster and the lava-proofing of the sixth floor monsters. I've left experimenting with the metals and their properties to my Forgemaster.

In the case of the captive humans, I've given them slowly decreasing amounts of mana in their fruit along with some cooked snapper. In every case since that first taste, they've been reluctant to eat the fruit. They eat everything else first, but when the fruit is the only thing left to eat they will still eat it.

After a bite the disappointment sets in, that it isn't as good as the first one.

I've never been addicted to anything nor helped anyone wean themselves off an addiction, so I'm not sure how to do it properly.

Today I'm going to try something a little different. Instead of having the food delivered by Kobold, I deliver it myself, with one of the skeletons. I'm using a Kobold skeleton for this purpose, and I want to see their reaction. I think it would be too much to show them a reanimated human skeleton.

Their first indication something was different today was the sound of my boney feet stepping down the stone hallway; more of a 'thunk' sound than the clicks and clacks Kobold claws made. Confused at the noise they both made sure to look up and watch the bars as I approached. To be clear, I'm approaching them both in their separate cells with two different skeletons.

At the first sight of the animated skeletons and their flaming eyes they both recoiled and huddled in the corners. "What the?!", "By the Gods!" I clack my toothy jaws at them, and push the trays of food through. Then, I left them alone. Well, for a given value of alone. The healer immediate began praying to some god, I'm assuming a goddess of life by his muttered words. Vivadia, huh?

The woman didn't pray, but still huddled in the corner. She looked more thoughtful than terrified, as the healer had been. Interesting.

Alright. Time to make some golems.

I think I was looking at this from the wrong point of view, when I was working on the skeletons.

I was providing a framework for movement. Muscles and tendons, channels for energy to flow. But all that energy was mine. Yes, technically all the mana in my monsters was mine, but the spark that brought them to life was already there, I just nurtured it.

So, how do I give a 'dead' core a new spark?

Well, I don't know. I know from looking at the cores of my monsters and the dead cores in storage that there is a difference, but I don't know what. I'd hoped by using skeletons first I could piggyback off their previously living nature to 'jumpstart' the spark, but nope. Nada.

This time I have the cores embedded in the middle of the chests of my golems, provide the mana channels and tendons, but instead of pushing my consciousness into the empty core I take a metaphorical step back.

I needed a spark, a consciousness I could grant these husk of metal, stone and mana.

Well, there is one thing I can think of. One of the spells I've observed summoned a light that seemed to float about of it's own accord. Some of my absorbed memories seem to know what it is. The humans call them Sprites. They're tiny beings of mana that they can 'summon' and provide mana in exchange for a service. Light or fire sprites are the most common to use, since they can provide a bright light that the mage doesn't need to concentrate on.

Assuming there are sprites for every element... Could I summon metal or stone sprites to inhabit my golems?

Well. I can't. But maybe one of my monsters could. Actually, I haven't made any more new mage types beyond water, lighting and fire have i? Lets introduce stone and metal on this floor then. I think that works with the whole theme.

Hmm. You, you and you. Come over here. I want to make you into Shaman. Do you consent?

-0-0-0-0-0-