“You know you didn’t have to be so harsh with them.” A familiar, feminine voice admonished from behind him as he watched the pair finishing their first, so-called boss below. As useful a term as any he supposed.
“Pamyel, always a pleasure,” he responded smoothly but without shifting his gaze. “You know as well as I, that my time with them was limited. Not like either of them has an [oracle] skill yet. I hardly care if I’m perceived a little unfavourably if it allows me to convey the necessary information. Besides, those two seem to thrive on adversity, just look at what they’ve accomplished so far.”
He gestured to the scene below but the voice, while closer now, would not be distracted it seemed. “You really need to stop pretending you’re the villain you know. Just because it was once true doesn’t make it less of a lie now. You could be their friend Div.”
At her pointed use of his pseudonym, he suddenly realised his old companion was unlikely to let that go anytime soon. Redirecting he said, “And yet the legacy of those actions you find so repulsive lives on today and will even have an impact on what’s unfolding below.”
“Don’t try to deflect Div. We aren’t going to rehash that argument again. If anyone could pass on knowledge efficiently, it would be you. You started pushing them away now so they wouldn’t try to grow close to you in the future. The Three may have left you alone, but your attitude is why the others haven’t been able to grow close to you. Even our friendship is based on…”
The realm shook as Div’s fury coursed through him and he turned his glare at Pamyel. To her credit while her golden form flickered, her expression never faltered. Div shouldn’t have been surprised; she was the queen of self-righteousness after all. He reined his temper back in, no point in wasting power.
“Are you quite finished?” Eyebrow raised and finger tapping on folded arms her unimpressed tone would fool anyone else but still chafed at Div all the same.
Their relationship was always stormy, it did start with her trying to kill him after all, but whether today she’d gone too far or he was just in a bad mood he snapped back, dead serious this time, “Pamyel, you know damn well why I’m alone. If it’s so important that I’m not alone I could always just leave.”
Her look of sudden fear may not have satisfied Div, he knew that beneath it all she still believed she was right. However, the look that came before, that look of sudden realisation made him guffaw.
“You never put the pieces together? The Three’s decision only applies to this world.”
“How long…”
“Since about the time you came to lambast me over my impure acts. But never mind that, we need to pay attention now.”
Pulling herself back to a more dignified countenance as she no doubt sensed his anger fading, she frowned gazing at the scene below. “Surely you’re not wondering whose offer they’ll accept? It has to be Exousia’s.”
“With all that blood, of course,” Div replied dismissively. “I doubt many others will even try to compete this time.” With a thought the scene below changed to a meeting room where a certain Sergeant Major and Ranger were just finishing their report to the local lord and his advisors dotted around the table. “This is what we need to watch, the lord is unusually cautious for one who reached their position by coup and he treats his advisors too much like he’s still one of them. They could sway him to do something foolish.”
“If we can’t intervene further, does it even matter?”
“Information is power. Now I need to focus.”
----------------------------------------
“…four of the recruits levelled including the two who were badly injured. Most of the rest gained skill levels, new skills or upgraded skills including myself.”
The end of Sarge’s report was met by sharp intakes of breath from around the table. Div could feel Sarge’s relief that they appreciated the significance, as well as the brief jolt of guilt on hearing a similar reaction from Trafin beside him, apparently things had been too rushed since they left the dungeon for him to fill in his friend.
“Thank you both for your report, please stay for the remainder of this discussion as your first-hand insights may be of further use.” Lord Krieger’s tone was warm but his steepled fingers and the growing lines on his forehead conveyed the deep concern with which he weighed the matter. “Please speak freely, what do you believe Timberhollow’s approach should be to this new dungeon?”
Sarge and Trafin exchanged a brief glance before Sarge responded, “I think it could be an invaluable asset for training our forces and procuring mana crystals. Some small fortifications could be added near the entrance to reduce the number of guards required to restrict access.”
“And you Ranger Phiro?” Div noted the sickening twist of mixed emotions the surname brought to the half-elf, though dulled rather than festered by time, they might still be enough to prompt some petty act of rebellion…
Trafin spoke cautiously in response to the lord’s question. “The Master Sergeant knows better than I in terms of training, and I support his recommendations. However, I would add that this dungeon seems to demonstrate an unusual grasp of tactics and terrain effective for balancing discrepancy in levels.” Gesturing to the bulge of bandages visible under Sarge’s tunic, Trafin continued with growing surety as he saw thoughtful nods around the table, “And it seems to be escalating its danger rapidly. The skeletons that injured Sarge were level 8 with spears that were of magical construction.” Glancing at the less military minded members of the council Trafin elaborated, “Given his level and focus on resilience, if it had been someone under level 15 there instead they likely would have died. When exploring a room for the first time we need to consider that the defenders’ advantage will let any creatures effectively engage as if they were 5 to 10 levels higher. Moreover, level 8 is an alarming increase from the level 1 and 2 creatures we had encountered previously. With the right people it isn't insurmountable, but if the dungeon grows this much every day?” The question hung in the air for a beat as Trafin realised with embarrassment he'd allowed some emotion to slip into his report rather than his usual clipped professionalism. “It could be an invaluable resource, but if the decision to destroy it is to be made, it needs to be soon.”
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A heavy silence descended as Trafin finished, only broken by the venerable Father Kieran, “Let us confirm some facts; last night the mortician Evelyn slipped the guards surveiling her and has not been seen since. This morning everyone with a [priest] or similar divinely related class in the city received a quest to destroy a book containing the details of how to make a phylactery. The quest was completed after Evelyn’s residence was burned to the ground by an unknown party, who may or may not have suspected her of necromancy as we do. Seemingly over the same night we gained a local dungeon specialising in undead that seems to show uncommon intelligence in their use. I don’t like to accuse someone without them present, but does anyone think this odd string of occurrences unrelated?”
“It seems unlikely,” the taciturn slab of a man that was the captain of the city guard commented, arms firmly folded across his chest. “She’s slipped guards before, I’ve not got enough skilled manpower that wouldn’t want her dead if they put the pieces together, but she's never slipped away for so long.” It didn’t take Div’s vaunted abilities to know the captain’s dislike of Evelyn, the sour expressions on both his and Sarge’s faces made it obvious, but he was shocked by the intensity of the resentment the captain was nursing. Div knew exactly what sort of actions that kind of cold fury, banked away so that no one could see, could lead to, and all of them complicated his plans. “If she is somehow controlling it, we should destroy it. The skeleton attack on the convoy three months ago showed she has no issues with killing our people.”
“Luke, while I don’t deny she likely killed your people, only those who were obviously loyal to the previous lord died. We would have had to deal with them in the coup anyway…” Seeing the ugly looks on both the captain and Sarge’s faces the weathered ranger captain qualified, “We may not have had to kill them, maybe we could have bound them and transported them to another city but it would have been… difficult.” While neither of the soldiers were happy, they were disinclined to debate with the ranger captain. They both remembered the mess with his former vice-captain.
“Even if she’s caused it somehow, she may not be in control of it.” Father Kieran commented placidly, though internally his sense of duty was warring with sympathy for the inquisitive little girl who baked him crumpets when she finished her literacy classes. The pockets of unmixed flour had left his mouth so dry, but the heart and effort put in had his eyes misty. “My understanding is that dungeons always were uncommonly skilled at killing, particularly before they were mapped. Given the nature of the book however, there could be a lich guarding the core. If that’s the case, we need to purge it quickly.”
“No one wants another Aurumcrest,” The guard captain added causing the dwarven master of coin to wince and earning a warning glance from his lord that had little effect on the veteran. “We send an elite squad, dive to the bottom, kill the woman or lich then use the dungeon for training.”
“If she’s not a lich surely capturing her for interrogation would be more reasonable?” Father Kieran queried the table.
“And risk a dungeon break?” The weathered ranger captain asked incredulous. “First rule of dungeons: never take a creature that didn’t come in with you out.” He tactfully didn’t finish the saying his mentor once taught him, after all they very much didn’t want to destroy the nearby city.
“I’m right an’ sorry father but they have the right of it.” The dwarven master of coin stroked his greying beard like a comforter, “Just havin’ the dungeon will likely cut off trade from most of me kin. But even if there weren’t a break, if word got out that we had someone taken from a dungeon in our custody I donne’ know how many places would still be willin’ te trade with us, even if the elves need the mana stones. The dwarfbane mark scared people, and rightly so. If a dungeon can do tha’, what can’t they do?”
Seeing the pause produced by that line of thought, Lord Krieger turned to his magical advisor as the occasional spark jumped through her short grey hair, “What are your thoughts on the dungeon Jacintha?”
The aged wizard exhaled softly and the smell of ozone washed over the room, “There’s a lot of assumin’ goin’ on. Don’t get me wrong you two lads did a fine enough job and were smart to pull out when ye did, but we don’t know how this formed, or if there’s a lich at the end. Ye have the right of it, tha’ if we leave it too long we ain’t gonna be able te deal with it ourselves and it could well be the death o’ us. However, if the elves leave Timberhollow because we blew up the best source o’ mana gems this side o’ Aurumcrest we all die.”
“Surely they wouldn’t…” The ranger captain jumped in with conviction that swiftly faded as he saw the expressions of the rest of the council.
“Aye they would,” the master of coin added firmly. “We’ll lose a lot o’ trade by keepin’ the dungeon but not as much as if there’s no access te the teleportation network.” Grudging admittance evident in his words.
“There’s also the barrier,” the captain of the guard added grimly.
“Very well then,” the lord’s confident voice drew all eyes to him. “For now the dungeon stays, but we need to both find more information about it, and make the most of it as a training tool. I want each of you to place one of your subordinates in charge of doing training delves in the dungeon. I’d suggest the two here for the guard and rangers respectively since they already have experience, but I won’t object if either of you have another candidate in mind.” Hearing the affirmations from both his subordinates and a little amused at the poleaxed look on Trafins face he continued. “The Master Sergeant will have overall command then. Father, I won’t require priests to delve, though if any are willing I’m sure their presence will be welcomed, but we will need at least one healer outside the dungeon at all times. Goldanvil, similarly no need to send your people delving but I want a scribe to compile accounts after delves. Let’s make sure to keep on top of how much this dungeon is changing. Master Sergeant, take what time you need to scout and heal, then put together an elite squad to find the end of this Dungeon. Should Evelyn be present interrogate her and, if necessary, kill her. For no reason should she be removed from the dungeon while alive. Jacintha, Goldanvil, check the records for what we can find about the growth of dungeons, let’s see just how abnormal this is.”
“I’d intended to check our records before this meeting but there were some idiots trying to burn them for most of the day,” Jacintha commented pointedly.
While Father Kieran was unruffled by the jibe, the icy look the lord levelled at her was a stark reminder that this was a man with sufficient conviction to poison his predecessor. “I appreciate your displeasure at the near destruction of your books Jacintha, I've spent most of the day dealing with similar complaints including attempted break-ins to the elven enclave, but should another quest appear that seems to be of unprecedented importance to The Three I would happily burn every book, document and receipt in the town to deal with it quickly. A dungeon is quite enough, we do not need a dragon at our doorstep.” A shiver ran through the collected officials at the mere mention of the incarnation of The Three’s wrath.
“Now where was I, ah yes. No dwarves are to enter the dungeon at present, test a willing half-orc and we’ll check the texts for confirmation only the first-generation orcs are a danger. Actually, let’s ask our elven friends to check their records as well and help with the outpost construction. If they care so much about these mana stones, they can help us get them.” Privately he also wanted the elven representative too busy to keep pestering him for mana stones from the now confirmed dungeon, Div considered this overly optimistic but then he knew the value of mana stones to the elves, while this little lord simply could not. “Let’s also try to keep news of the dungeon close to our vests for the moment. It will spread of course, but no need to accelerate the process. Not everyone will be able to act as rationally about this. While dungeons may have destroyed this land, it is clear our predecessors were negligent in their handling, blinded by their greed, hatred and fear. We ousted the nobility of this city and did what we could for others, so we have the responsibility to do better in this, as in all areas of governance. We will make use of what this dungeon has to offer but we will not be blinded by it. It represents both threat and opportunity for Timberhollow and we shall find which is greater."