After looking over his work to date, Marty relaxed and then he grew several new berries for Rosita. They chatted and consulted before Marty continued working on his dungeon.
He opened up a further two new chambers, one each at the end of one of the mazes. He linked both to a new cave he created between the two. That meant that his heart chamber was now in the middle of two rings of caves and corridors.
Marty found that he was starting to have problems with the build up of mana in his dungeon. Things got better when he created new structures as the mana had more room, but then it built up faster than ever because, not only was his dungeon larger, it was full of life. Marty was constitutionally unable not to fill all available spaces with plants, and not only plants.
He was also filling his chambers with creatures. Most of the creatures he spawned were barely weaned, as that allowed him to create more of them.
Then Marty attempted to burn mana by expanding his domain as far he could. He had a vain hope that the excess build up would occupy the extra area. He was however surprised to find a sizeable underground river running not too far above his dungeon.
Two weeks later Marty was getting desperate. Rosita kept telling him that ready or not they were going to have to open. She was apologetic and admitted that she had been careless in encouraging him to fill every nook and cranny with plants and baby animals.
So Marty set to work to create the last cavern he was allowed at his level. He carved a long twisting corridor that sloped downwards and ended facing west. There he created one of his largest caverns yet. The tunnel itself opened out near the roof. Then he cut another tunnel from this cavern up to the river.
Marty had miscalculated. At first he didn’t realize his mistake as the river poured down the new channel. He happily summoned a school of piranha into his new lake. Then he realized he was unable to close the other passage, and worse the river was eroding and enlarging it.
So to avoid being flooded out Marty carved a new channel towards the cliff he sensed to his southwest. The water of his new lake quickly flooded into this new passage and the weight of water completed his work.
= = O = =
It was mid-morning when Melissandra and Goldeneye were alerted in the most spectacular way possible to the existence of a new dungeon. They had been discussing the intransigence of the centaurs and humans when with a stupendous crash a massive hole was blasted near the top of the cliffs to their north. A massive waterfall came crashing down into the hollow at the foot of the cliff. A new lake was quickly formed as the dryad and the elves of the warband stared in awed surprise.
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The diverted Witewater river soon filled the hollow and it began seeking a new path to the sea. A massive burst of nature aspected mana flooded out into the surrounding forest throwing Melissandra into a trance. She fed it into her tree rejuvenating it.
The tree runners frolicked in the trees. One of their elders descended from the treetops and rooted near the shore of the new lake. Drinking in the plentiful mana the new Silverleaf tree grew rapidly.
Goldeney realizing that he was the highest ranked elf capable of decision present quickly wrote a letter to his queen and a second to the officer in charge of the nearest garrison. He then organised a party to deliver them. He sent copies via two of his swiftest tree runners.
= = O = =
Marty’s first feelings were of relief. The stuffed up feeling he had been suffering from was gone. Rosita was looking happier. His new entrance needed work. It itched at him; it was not fit for purpose.
« Hum, Rosita, what can I do about our entrance. It’s kinda hard to get to, and I don’t think many people can use it. »
“What the? Let me see!” exclaimed Rosita. Then after a few minutes she started giggling, then laughing uncontrollably and rolling about on the floor clutching her stomach.
« It’s not that funny, » complained Marty.
“Oh – oh – Marty, not even a fish could use it. That river is flowing fast!” asserted Rosita as she wiped her eyes.
« Can I create another entrance? »
“Not yet Marty. When you have five levels you can set up an alternate entry. You will have to see what you can do with this one.”
Marty having learned about the power of water, set to work hardening the rock of the exit tunnel, then he enlarged it so the river no longer completely filled it. Having created a meter and a half headroom Marty next created a narrow rocky bank. The spray of the waterfall turned the footing treacherous.
It was only after he was more or less satisfied with the work on his entrance that he realized that his piranha were missing. Puzzled he summoned another half dozen only to watch them being swept over his waterfall.
« Oops, um, Rosita I’ve lost us some guardians. They kinda left the dungeon. »
“WHAT! How did you do that?” asked a visibly agitated Rosita.
« You know, those toothy fish? Well they were swept out of the dungeon by the river. »
“Well, lets hope they were killed by the fall, or that nobody noticed. There aren’t many people who live in rivers. What do you think we should do about guards.”
« Anything I put in the lake has a good chance of being ejected from the dungeon. »
“Well...” pondered Rosita. “Let’s declare the first room a safe room. They just have to be careful not to be swept out over the waterfall.”
« Oh boy! We have visitors. »
“Oooo! Let’s see.”
Marty and Rosita watched as three small grey furred long armed, big-eyed humanoids made their way cautiously into their dungeon. They were armed with long slender whip-like clubs. They had obviously climbed the cliff, and now they ventured cautiously along the treacherous path Marty had provided.
They arrived at the lake, chattered amongst themselves for a few minutes before withdrawing once again.