My freakout at the idea of Herbie introducing networking to a world without computers was interrupted by a Delver entering. Normally this was unworthy of comment even for one that turned aside two of Bonehead's skeletons. Bonehead shrugged as Keystone grumbled about it needing to be important if I was getting yanked away from their meeting.
Considering the book this halfling, and it had to be this guy in particular, took from me? Yes. It was very important. He looked much the same as before. Rune covered staff. Robes. Looked somewhere between grandfatherly, and Yoda. Yet none of my minions had even the slightest want to hurt him as he inspected the place.
"Seems you have been busy." The old halfling stopped at the threshold to Nyx's chapel. There she floated just behind the pulpit, arms extended out in an A pose as her robes ruffled. Her new staff, complete with purple gemstone, held before her, either by its own power or through some other arcane means. Her hood rustled, revealing golden glowing eyes lit by an internal fire that stared into the Delver's soul.
A smile from the elderly halfling as he approached. "Very busy indeed." The light was sucked from the room as he crossed the threshold. A single bell tolled through the dungeon.
Briefly, I spared awareness enough to see delvers gathering in the adjoining room to take bets and to spectate. It was not that they were barred. It was apparently a matter of etiquette that they not get involved once battle was started, though there were probably exemptions to this gentleman's rule if the monster was going to truly murder rather than incapacitate..
"The Book." Nyx whispered. her voice seemingly formed from wind blowing through dead trees and crunch of leaves than a human throat. One of her hands extended, palm open and upraised. "You took it from us."
The halfling held firm as etherial winds blew. "I have." His voice strong, a resolute ironwood bending in the gale but refusing to break from the unnatural fear Nyx sought to inspire. His staff raised, casting light in the dark, only for it to be stripped away with a flick of Nyx's left hand.
"I am Nyx. Bride of Darkness. Mother of Monsters. You have stolen from this place." The rasp of her voice rough as she pronounced the Delver's crime. "Return it to Me." Her hands open, still outstretched in an A pose. Arcane force caused her staff to move, first to strike the halfling. When that strike was blocked, the darkness in the room condensed, pooling at the delver's feet while forming shadowed clawed hands to hold him there.
Yet he was still able to form a shield that deflected the ice shards that flew at him. "It was gained through battle and guile!" His voice held firm and clear as he countered her claim of theft. "Thus ownership was fairly won!" A gout of flame shot from his staff towards Nyx.
Her staff moved, twirling as it it shielded Nyx from the flames. Shadowed talons let go of the halfling's legs as the room once more was plunged into darkness. "Deception and Deceit!" She hissed as she swooped towards her prey. "You believe this is a fair way to gain your prize?"
"I do." The halfling rolled to avoid another ice shard, yet Nyx still scored a tear in his robes. When he got to his feet he looked about, unable to see far into the black. Even when he created light, the darkness pressed against it, making it next to ineffective.
"Then you won't mind losing it in the same way!" Nyx briefly was visible at the center of the room before her robes fell to the ground. Her staff floated on the spot, slowly turning. All that could be seen of the specter were faint traces of her eyes as she attacked. Insubstantial hands grabbed at the Halfling, attempting to wrench the staff from his hands. "Sleep now." Her voice crooned in his ear. "Sleep. Forever."
The runes lining the delver's staff flared.
Yet Nyx laughed as she let her quarry go.
Robes filled out. Her staff resumed its place floating before her as Nyx held a leather bound book.
The halfling's expression flickered to a frown before he started laughing. "Your master has grown fairly and well. Still a babe, but I acknowledge your skill." He rapped the butt of his staff against stone. "I yield."
Just like that, the encounter ended. The room resumed its normal brightness and Nyx gave a small bow to the man. "I am new to this post. I do not wish to be unkind, but I must ensure delvers are worthy."
The Halfling smiled, returning the bow with one of his own. "I am Renaldo. Mage and Scholar in service to the Keep of Four Worlds." There was a formality to the title and Name. "Does your master truly harbor ill sentiment for my actions?
"No, Renaldo of the Four Worlds." Nyx's voice softened, more the sound of wind through medow now. "He had worry over your health and the health of any who saw such book as it caused him pain when he tried reading it." Her staff lowered as she floated towards Renaldo. "If anything there is gladness in his heart and mine that you are well."
The mage snorted, "Given some of the texts we have been tasked to keep and catalogue. The accounts of another world, even one as unlike ours as where the animus for this dungeon comes is nothing." There was a smile as offered his hand, which Nyx clasped firmly in greeting. "It is well that he has concern."
Oh? Also, way to go Nyx. I'm genuinely in love with how you're both being outright Mean, but not being unfair in your fight.
A head-tilt from Nyx with the obvious question unsaid.
"There is no knowledge that is inherently dangerous contained." Renaldo reassured, "However the way this Fuzen operated. this Shadowed Void he came from. It speaks of the same evil that corrupted Damala."
Damala. The Dungeon that occupied this place before me.
Nyx stiffened, the lights of her eyes brightening.
"Yes, it seems you understand the potential for mischief." Renaldo was approached by Laginn, and after some finger snaps and gesturing, got the hint to follow my right hand to the impromptu war council that was growing by a rather alarming amount.
Keystone motioned for Renaldo to find a chair, which was offered by Bonehead as he took a place near to the table but far enough away so that the delvers would have room to operate. "The dungeon says you have information." He pointed to a scrawled note likely written by Bonehead.
"I shall not bore you with details of the dungeon animus's prior life." Renaldo very pointedly looked to Bonehead, "Though the garb he wears looks to be a near perfect mate to what was worn in the battles that were recorded."
While Renaldo spoke I briefly gave command to Laginn, then to Nyx. then reassured Nyx I knew what I was doing.
As that happened I listened to the mage talk:
He told of what Fuzen was. A man of some power, not a Greater light, but not a mortal ember. He was a candle in the dark. Maybe the first step was accident. Maybe intentional study. However the steps taken after into opening himself to the Void were wholly deliberate.
The kingdom he had been part of fell. As did the other space-faring kingdoms of that age. Time passed. Souls were reincarnated. Fuzen emerged from the void just as magic came to the world, but was only in the hands of a bare handful, and those wished it kept largely to themselves. I had always assumed selfishness, but it may have been to limit how many hands could press the Armageddon button.
These Great Lights. People who were gifted with Ancient knowledge and responsibility stood against the dark. Protected people like me. For whatever reason I was one of those that refused to look away, pretend it didn't happen, file it as someone else's problem.
I encountered Fuzen when he hoped to eat the soul of one of these Greater Lights. I encountered him again, and again... and again. And each time the group I had tasked myself with helping grew more selfish, more inward focused, more unharmonized.
Had they remained as they were before they would have felt the slow corruption, noticed what it did to their own. yet they were always distracted. Always subjected to traumas. Always another monster. Another would be tyrant. Another eldritch horror.
All while Fuzen played the omnipotent fool who gamed as often as he showed his teeth.
Maybe it was because I wasn't part of their group proper. Maybe it was a gift given to me by one well meaning and hoping I would survive impossible odds. I like to think it was a curse. I saw what was happening, but the more I struggled to keep it from happening, the less well regarded I was. Even when I drove him away I was kept on more to keep an eye on me than out of genuine respect.
They then broke ties with me when I refused orders, went with my gut.... and while I was correct. I had no standing left to make my case.
Fuzen had won and only tipped his hand later. I was little more than a restless specter, only able to watch, occasionally able to whisper. He had feigned reform. Causing Ami to declare all kneel to him and give forgiveness. I saw the darkness in her eyes.
So did Ishida. Who was punished harshly. I saw her scourged in standing and in duty. I saw her subjected to Ami's abuses. Witness to the moments where corruption became overt, and then disbelieved with cries that she was bitter and hateful and thus was to be shunned.
I was there when she stood against Ami openly when she sought to undo Creation.
My awareness spiraled away from the discussion at that point. Bonehead had long since left. He had resumed his post by the stairs to the second level.
I was there when Laginn had carried the book to Kronos's border and scurried away. I saw Ishida pick it up.
She looked at me, eyebrow raised. Yet she stood there reading. Just outside of Kronos's territory. Then, when there was the sound of others coming, I saw her tuck the book away behind a pile of bones.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Was I Mad for thinking it would do anything? Perhaps yes, but this was another world, where anything was possible. Even if I could not gain my friend back. Even if Kronos would never let her go.
I had to try.
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Perhaps what I had done was a mistake, but just as I could not divine the minds of my minions, I pinned my hopes on Kronos being unable to do the same with theirs. It cost little, and while I had no way of Knowing how this would play out. My seeing her read rather than discard gave me hope.
As I left that place, my awareness drifting, I allowed myself a small joy.
Which was soon compounded when Herbie got my attention. At first no words were said. yet I could see his newly gifted spiders at work. A dozen of them all working in concert, spinning and weaving, braiding around a wire his imps had left in my dungeon, jacketing this line with silk braid. My awareness brushed against it as more spiders glued then wove it into place, affixing it to the stone just inside my entrance. It did not look terribly pretty, but it held as these spiders continued to work, weaving as they followed this metal wire and now so did I. The whole affair looked familiar, yet the context and place were so unlike any other place where wire and power might be applied that its function eluded me.
Then the wire split. Another line had been grafted and welded onto the first before it splintered off in a new direction with yet more spiders braiding a silk jacket around it. While I was curious, I wished to follow the primary back to its source within Herbie's own dungeon. His inherent domains were stone shaping and jewel crafting. This held neither, though perhaps the wire was crafted through negotiation with Good Neighbor for the use of their forge.
What was going on here?
> Testing.
My awareness backed from the line in surprise. It wasn't a voice. Not in the same way direct communication had been, but I could feel the intent flow through the wire. Gingerly I made myself focus on the wire within the silk braid.
> -Apperatus needed. Raw contact with proto-network not-ideal. Takes too much focus away from other tasks.
That. Wait. Was the wire the conductor, the silk, or both? If I was seeing this right, the silk braiding would act as a weatherproofing layer to protect the wire from corrosion, but the silk itself was a mana conductor.
Again, the not-voice.
> Reception of signal from Lonely Hill is strong. Hello. Welcome to the first iteration beyond my own borders. Optimization needed, mechanisms crafted to make the things needed. For a basic way to get messages to and from this will be more than enough.
Then a curious sensation. I could feel something else there other than myself.
> Welcome to the Inter-Dungeon Messaging Protocol. I am Herbie, its creator. In time I wish to iterate so there is a proper store and forward system, mailboxes, and a way to connect our differing quest and bulletin boards to each other so Delvers can better coordinate.
IMP. There's a joke there, something about IT gremlins sense of humor. Still. If the bugs could be ironed out I'm all for it. Even a simple messaging system so we don't have to send runners is going to be invaluable, but all thee other features? Especially if they were avalible for delvers to use? Literally game changing.
> Hello? Am I using this thing right?
>
> Yes you are. Seeing a problem though since it's hard to tell you two apart. Will need a way to bake identifiers in. Since there are only three of us as of right now that shouldn't be an immediate concern. Too many other features and issues need addressing.
>
> Hey, I did electrical work before ... Here ... I love your use of woven silk as insulation and weatherproofing, but while it has a lot of tensile strength, it doesn't have much sheer strength. So while this single branched line is great for a proof of concept, maybe you and me can hash out for what the next iteration will be?
>
> This is agreeable yes. I mostly dabbled in old hardware, so someone who actually did line work would help immensely.
>
> Lonely Hill here. As a reminder; I'm currently playing host to two fairly major sounding delver factions. Thank you for taking most of the spiders off my hands Herbie, and the gemstone for Nyx's staff is beautiful. GN, Bonehead loves the armor, Nyx made phenomenal use of the staff when she fought Renaldo, made the old mage yield in their fight. After you two grow some i hope to send her to train with you both. For now I must disengage.
>
> Great news man! Send Renaldo over so he can look over my alchemy setup to see what I'm missing.
>
> Understood LH. the spiders have been most useful. As have the books from your library on enchanting. I would like Keystone's presence when convenient as he may either be able to directly aid in improving my stone golems, or would have the ability to call on someone who does.
I wasn't aware I had those books. When did that happen? Questions for later. I left the two of them to excitedly chatter away. They were friends from before. I don't know how I knew, but they were and are again. Best to get out of their way and let them work. That is one thing I remembered of them.
Jen caught my attention as she followed Finnal from the guard post that acted as a war room.
"I don't get it. you said you don't want to count Lonely Hill as disposable," Jen frowned as she trailed behind the halfling rogue. "But you're not wanting it to expand so it can grow stronger."
One of Finnal's hands ran through the girl's short cropped white hair. "It's a compromise. We're likely to get help if and when Keystone gets his report in, but for now the situation is static." He waved to Bonehead, who waved back at the pair. "None of the smaller crypts appear to be connected, so having the other two dungeons take them over both denies Kronos assets and a way to open a second front, and it makes both of those dungeons strong enough to push through with their own allies."
They stopped near my front entrance and he gave his apprentice a wry smile. "It's like that time You and me worked with Shir and Julian."
The laughter from Jen might not have been pretty, but it was just so bubbly. "Oh yea that was amazing."
"There weren't enough guards, and all of us brought something to the table." Finnal then pointed to the newly lain braided silk cable leading away from my entrance. "Huh that's new. Wonder where it goes."
> Herbie, GN. Not sure where they'll go first but Finnal and Jen are following the line out.
>
> Acknowledged.
>
> Cool. I'll get the goblins to start warming up.
It still unnerved me just how much Jen looked like the goblin creatures from Good Neighbor. A little more meat on the bone, hair. Better bathing routine. Maybe Dungeons were how new races and communities spread here? Hard to say. Not enough information when I don't even know what's past the Necropolis fence.
For a moment I considered checking to see what Ishida was doing, then reconsidered. I was probably already pressing my luck as is both in her receptiveness, and Kronos finding out and assuming I was trying to subvert one of its minions.
Instead, I went to see what Bonehead was doing, which was trouncing a pair of newbies who had tried to take him on. To their credit they hadn't gone in without a plan by the looks of things. The rouge had planted a knife in Bonehead's back right at the shoulder, and the fighter of the duo took advantage of the immobilized right arm. It's just that Bonehead fought as well with his left as his right hand, and he never stayed put to give the fighter a clear target.
He managed to grab the thief, spin him around into his buddy's attack, and then started stomping on both while they were down. Then motioned for two skeletons to drag the pair to the entrance. Odd thing is he actually left the pair with a soul tear each and their equipment intact. He must've been impressed by the effort.
When he got back to the center of the arena Renaldo was there waiting. Cue headtilt from Bonehead.
"The Keep is itself a massive dungeon." Renaldo explained, "One that encourages and expects even researchers like me to go out into the world." The mage tapped his staff against the ground before taking a wide stance, staff held high.
Bonehead gave the old man a deep bow before charging.
It was an intentionally straightforward attack. One met with a frontal shield. yet when the slight glint of its activation ocored, Bonehead leapt, then used the shield asa stepping stone, abusing the fact it would seek to push against whatever struck. Right as it pushed away his legs uncurled, propelling him higher than he would otherwise. High enough that he was able to quickly draw and fire an arrow from his bow straight down.
Renaldo's eyes went wide, the shield pivoting upward, cracking at the arrow strike. yet Bonehead was still carried downward by momentum, and while the shield raised to block the arrow, he hit the ground, rolling forward, then lashed out with a foot, and struck the mage's back.
To his credit, Renaldo tucked his shoulder and rolled, spinning to face his opponent with his staff held high. "Clever for a bag of bones." For a moment he would see Bonehead seem to impossibly grin as he beckoned for the mage to rise. "Lets see you out-think this!"
Flame erupted from the end of Renaldo's staff, at first billowing wide before contracting to formg a series of finger wide lashes. that snaked out, cracking and hissing as Bonehead hopped just away from their reach. Another arrow was fired, then another. Both caught by the writhing tendrils of fire as Renaldo slowly advanced. Grinning. Cackling. "Come now. What is the solution to the equation this fight represents?"
As he spoke, Renaldo's hands let go of the staff, allowing it to hover in front of him as more flame-tendrils burst from its opposing end. I could see a third eye, lidless and wreathed in flame, open at the halfling's forehead.
The Bone-Guard ringed the arena as Bonehead sliced through tendrils that got close.
Renaldo hissed, his staff spun, tendrils lashing out to try plucking the Guard-Captain's sword from his hand only for the staff to be thrown off balance, forcing Renaldo to let go of he blade. He hissed as his opponent charged, Arms crossed, letting his greaves absorb the inevitable flurry of strikes.
Skeletal feet stomped. Staves struck against the ground. Swords beat against scabbards.
Spectral hands were summoned by the mage to try grasping at Bonehead only to be batted aside. the effort leaving him open to a wall of force, sending him sailing back until he collided with the braided silk ropes that ringed the arena.
In the crowd now were Goblins from Good Neighbor. Gargoyles and Grotesques from herbie. There were Delvers in the crowd now. Filling the room as the pair fought.
Again Bonehead leapt high with an arrow at the ready, this one bone white and blinding as it was loosed. Renaldo's shield splintered, fragments of the arrow striking the Mage's third eye.
For a moment, out of the corner of my awareness. I could have sworn I saw Ishida peeking through the door from the guard station. Then when I looked closer, she wasn't there.
All of these spectators. All as one. Then the Chant started. Somehow, impossibly, it started from within the Bone-Guard itself. It was then picked up by others. Goblin. Delver. Denizen. Not. All caught up in the chant.
"Rip. And. Tear."
Renaldo swung, fae-fire flaring where short sword blade was caught by his hand. His counter-strike caught when Bonehead grappled the wrist of his other hand, and then headbutted him. When Renaldo screamed, a gout offlame shot out, wreathing my skeleton's face in hellish sulfuric flame.
Again the chant.
"Rip. And. Tear."
Bonehead's grip tightened on the Mage's arm, attempting to lift him, only to have his knee buckled when the halfling mage's foot lashed out. Both combatants fell to the ground. Only Renaldo stood, aiming his staff , bathing his opponent in fire.
Bonehead rose even as his form was burning away. At the last, as everything that he was gave out his blade struck, shattering the Mage's staff.
Then there was stillness. Renaldo standing there breathless. Leaning on the remains of his staff as all vigor left him a tired old man again.
The crowd rushed the mage, cheering, offering healing, potions of restoration. Renaldo smiled warmly as a pair of magi. Equipment breaking seemed to be simi-common and there were ways to make repairs.
When Bonehead re-entered the room Renaldo was there, staff newly repaired and the Skeleton's sword in his other hand. "Well Sir that was perhaps the best workout I've had in a century." He offered the blade, grip first, to his opponent before tottering to the chest. "Let's see what that battle netted me hm?"
A new staff. A near copy to the one Nyx wielded. Renaldo blinked at it, feeling the unnaturally warm wood, tracing the haft of it with deft fingers. "A dungeon who's rewards match the delver! Wonderful! you have no idea how often dungeons just set and forget, leaving Delvers to figure out what to do with gear useless to them. Thank you."
Bonehead bowed to the old man then to the crowd.
> Alright, that guy chainsawing through the guy that tried to eat me suddenly makes more sense. I'm gonna have to send my goblins over for proper drills with him.
>
> That fight held much worthy of study and review. It ... brings back memories.
Keystone had caught my attention near to my door. "I've reports t'make lad, recommendations t'give. W'luck I'll have help coming soon. You an th'other two show too much promise to not recommend we invest resources in helping. Mayhap y'can help us get th'rest of this place in order."