Emearia and Selenia started to descend the steps that separated the inn's courtyard and the market square that we were in. Aern'Lenninisal stood up. I copied him hoping there wasn't some 'stand when a lady enters the room' rule that I was missing. That would get old in a hurry in Aeseiriral. The elven girls chatted in whispers before approaching, but they both had friendly smiles. Normally they wore knickers, like the elven males did, but not today.
Emearia was wearing a mid-length, emerald green, velvet circle skirt that came down to just below her knees. It flowed around her as she moved. The skirt had a cream colored lace ruffle around the hem. Flounce upon flounce of lace cascaded from her right hip in a accent strip six inches wide to the ruffled hem below. The emerald green skirt was matched by an under-bust cut jacket, with three gold buttons fastening the jacket only at her narrow waist. Cream lace edging lined the lapels, collar, and cuffs. The jacket had a sheer lace overlay at the cuffs and lapels in a leaf and vine motif. Her lace cravat wasn't full length, stopping were the jacket came together just above the buttons. All of the lace was cream, as was her her blouse, stockings, and the ribbons streaming from the golden hair clip at the back of her head. The three inch heels on her green suede shoes had her standing an inch or two taller than her normal 5'-1”. The were small flounces of cream lace on the shoes too.
Selenia was a wearing a sky blue trumpet skirt. White lace erupted all along the bottom. The dress had a cinched waist, pulled taut by blue sash. The entire dress was blue silk satin. There was a narrow band of white sheer lace edging the scoop neck that displayed her ample bosom. Another one inch band of white lace edging was around the hood of her azure, velvet mantle. The mantle hung open, where her arms crossed into a snow white fur muff, reminiscent of a cloud, enclosing her hands. The wide hood framed her beautiful face, along with a nets of golden chains dangling from her blond hair across her forehead and also over the wide blue silk choker at her neck. Large golden broaches over her collarbone were connected by three, blue, silk cords laying across her skin.
I turned to Aern'Lenninisal and in a menacing tone through gritted teeth said, “That. Is. A. Lot. Of. Lace.”
“I know you have heard females wear more lace than males in elven culture. Whatever you end up will be less than what you see,” he replied.
Aern'Lenninisal himself was in more lace than I thought I would be comfortable with. He had a full length, white lace cravat over a white silk shirt. He was wearing a black silk satin jacket, vest, and knickers. Layers of lace hung from under his cuffs, covering the back of his hands. Each cuff had a single gold cuff link, matching the small gold buttons on his vest and jacket. This was his normal clothing, but he did not always wear the lace cuffs and cravat while Questing.
I turned back to watch Selenia glide toward us.
She said, “Greetings and well met.” Her smile dropped only for moment upon seeing my appearance. She turned to Aern'Lenninisal and said, “Thank you for puff pastry. It was not on the recommended sampling menu. I added it immediately,” she gushed.
“When I tasted its sweetness, I immediately though of you,” he said bowing with the flourish of his hand.
She giggled, while Emearia rolled her eyes at the smooth line.
Emearia then said, “I heard you need help with [Wardrobe] selection, but this is extreme.”
I looked down at my threadbare cotton tunic and pants, covered by my bathrobe.
“It's cold today,” is all I said, as if that explained everything.
“Would not it be better if we started with a coat, that way the tailor will be more amenable to servicing us,” Selenia said politely.
“Sure,” I said, grateful for the diversion from my rag tag appearance.
“How much are we to spend today. Fifty gold, perhaps a platinum,” Selenia asked hopefully, her eyes getting big at the mention of a platinum.
I grimaced, “I have twenty gold I could spend. Twenty-four if I really needed to. I was hoping this was going to cost silvers, not golds.”
“You have a [Personal Wardrobe] don't you? Would it not be better to only have the best clothes available for the rest of your life,” She asked with innocent incredulity.
“I don't have [Personal Wardrobe] yet, but I will get it before reach we Aeseiriral. I only paid coppers, a silver at most, for what I wear now. It works for me,” I responded defensively.
Emearia interjected with a smirk, “I believe what I have heard!”
The three got a good chuckle out of my desire to keep my money. After she saw I wasn't laughing Selenia had the good graces to blush.
Selenia then said, “It is very important to present well to the craftsmen. The first time I went to the tailor we are going to see today, he only brought out his Fire Spidersilk because he saw my dress. As if I would not know Moon Spidersilk at first glance, just because he was charging more than he should.”
“Would not it have been better for you believe me without complaint, for her expertise has already proving that she would save you more money than I ever could,” Aern'Lenninisal said to me smugly.
“So she can spend it on more expensive things,” I shot back.
Selenia looked sad and offended. She did wear her heart on her sleeve. Aern'Lenninisal was giving me some disgruntled side-eye because I was upsetting his girl.
“If I'm gonna spend it, it might as well be on the good stuff,” I acquiesced.
She smiled brightly as did my friend.
First we got me a woolen overcoat. The wool came from a Night Ram. The pitch black color was natural and wouldn't run if it got wet. We opted for suits in two different colors. With black and gray outfits I could mix and match as if I had more than just two. Selenia insisted on two outfits of each color. If I spilled something on what I was wearing I would need a set to change into. One look from Aern'Lenninisal told me I was going need four outfits not two. As a man, black lace and white lace were considered two colors I could wear. That meant two sets of two again. I only had to buy two shirts and two pair of hose. I even got the [Fire] Spidersilk. It breathed more and wouldn't make me sweat. It actually looked better too.
There was a long discussion about lace. The debate was whether I should get sheer lace sown onto my cuffs or get the full layered lace that Aern'Lenninisal was sporting. The sheer lace cuffs were for servants or healers. Anyone who had to use their hands couldn't have flounces of lace getting in the way. It was argued that since used my hands to recharge people, I should get sheer lace over the cuffs. Since I was also caster, we got both. Of course we did.
The next argument was over what type of sheer lace to get. Female patterns tended be plants or birds. Male patterns leaned more toward monsters or animals. I suggested dragons, but to everyone's chagrin, they didn't have that. In the end I got lions because they also had some buttons that matched the lace. All the clothes, except the shoes, cost less than the buttons. I got the clothes for less than seven golds. The buttons cost eight golds. It didn't help that the buttons were actually gold themselves. I needed gold because I already had a Greater Class in Archwizard, which gold represented. The best part of the day came at the cobbler.
“I like the way it feels, it's very flexible,” I said. The black shoe was low-cut rabbit suede with Stone Bull leather for a sole. I felt remarkably like a sneaker from back home. The gold-plated buckles were odd looking to me. “Is there anyway to get something taller? Like a riding boot, or better yet a moccasin. I don't want to get monster guts in my shoes while I'm in a Dungeon.” My recent encounter standing in the pool of Acid Slimes was not pleasant.
Selenia got a little excited as I didn't understand the rules. “Oh! That is not done. If you are going to wear boots for excursions, we should also purchase trousers.”
“You made me buy knickers, when I could've been wearing pants,” I said in a tone that was not pleasant.”
Aern'Lenninisal calmed the situation, “Knickers and hose are regular attire. While crafting or delving, pants are acceptable.”
Emearia scoffed a little, “Would it not be better to wait to buy boots when you actually plan to enter a Dungeon?”
Deciding a snide remark deserved one in kind, I turned to the cobbler and said, “I have heard that I will need boots for my trip to the Dungeon this week. Could I also see what you have to offer?”
The cobbler nodded and walked to the back.
Emearia shook her head and then accused me, “You are bluffing. You are not going to the Dungeon.”
Aern'Lenninisal came to my rescue before I could answer, “He goes late in the evening on Valoriaday and returns on Bestalday morning. The next day his bathroom smells of monster guts. Would it not be better to stay quiet than to deny the reality of another's life based only on your assumptions.”
Emearia glanced to Selenia for support but a guilty smile crept onto the Sacred Saint's face. She could taste the drama in the air and she liked it!
Emearia looked back to me. Once her disbelief vanished, her demeanor turned to hungry desire, “Can I buy your cores. I will pay double, no triple. Please!” By the time she got to 'please' it came out as desperate begging.
I looked at her with pity and said, “I'm sorry I don't collect them anymore. It takes too long and I need the XP more. Why don't you just go into the Dungeon yourself it you want them so badly.”
All three of them looked at me as if I had grown another head.
“...Karma...”, “...want to be a citizen...”, “...my mother...” the group grumbled for a while until I spoke up. “You don't have to kill anything. Just follow me into the dungeon and collect the cores after I fight. Crafters do it all the time.”
Emearia blushed so hard I had to look at the other two to find out what was going on. Selenia was blushing just as much as Emearia, except she had one hand covering the smile on her mouth politely, as though she was feeling guilty for enjoying a naughty joke. Aern'Lenninisal's face looked like he smelled a sour fart, while he was cringing away from the love of his life as if she would turn and attack him at any minute.
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Frustrated and confused, I bellowed “What!”
Aern'Lenninisal stood straight, and forthrightly admonished me, “It is inappropriate to invite a young female elf away for a private rendezvous.”
'Rendezvous?' Did he think I was going to elope? “Why don't you all come then. You don't have to fight. Selenia can heal me if I need it. The Karma for that is as good as Quest Karma, right?”
I could see the wheels start turning in Emearia's head, but Selenia would have none of it.
“We are not allowed to go into a Dungeon,” she said timidly.
“Not true,” I responded. “Elves need to be a hundred and eighty to enter a Dungeon, but only a hundred and sixty if you have an extra life. Nellamon told me that you all had to have an extra life before your parents would let you leave Aeseiriral. You can come if you want!”
I read Crundal Hardforge's book cover to cover. Even the sections of on laws and rules of the Adventurer's Guild. On a side note, the rules on headknockin' and asskickin' are a lot more technically complicated than you would think.
Selenia was considering it, “Well...”
Aern'Lenninisal decided he didn't like anyone pressuring his woman. “Why do you want to go into a Dungeon so badly, Emearia? Cannot you wait like the rest of us?”
She looked a slightly guilty for having pressured her friend. “I want to be a Songcrafter. I need to practice my [Core Smithing] Skill. It's not fair,” she said tearing up. “I cannot get any cores to practice on. I planned out my build, before I knew I would not be able to get them. If I do not get some soon, I will have to Level without the Skills I need. I will have to wait until I am Level 20 to change my Class!”
“Why are they so hard to get. Is it because there so inexpensive no one harvests them,” I asked.
She collected herself and answered. “No. Temples and the Guilds buy them cheaply, but they all go the Academic Guild for training Crafters. My mother doesn't know I changed my Class from High Bard. I need to get [Core Smithing] up to my Level or I cannot take Grandmaster Songcrafter at Level 10.”
There was silence for few moments, until Selenia visibly reset herself. Shaking off her fear she asked me, “Is it dangerous?”
“For you? No. It's Level 3 of the Dungeon. Everything there except slimes will run from you.”
“Level 3? Why are you fighting in the Dungeon at Level 3.” Emearia asked.
Apparently I was much better at keeping secrets than I thought. “Because I'm Level 3.”
Her face grew pensive.
“Will Level 3 cores still work for you,” I asked.
“Yes. It is better than nothing, at least for now. I will need hundreds, maybe a thousand to reach Level 5,” she said worriedly.
I smiled. All in a days work. Literally. We might get that many cores this Celestiumday. When the cobbler came back I bought the low cut shoes for my outfit and the boots. Which turned out to basically be moccasins. [Tongues] was awesome!
----------------------------------------
It had taken a few days to organize this, and we almost didn't make it. We had to take the girls to the Adventurer's Guild to get them registered and purchase their day passes. Which I forgot necessitated them killing three animals larger than they were, since we didn't have access to monsters in the city. Selenia cried quite a bit about having to kill cows in the slaughterhouse. I asked if she wanted to make some else kill the cow so people could eat. Once she saw it as a sacrifice for another person she was fine. [Acumen] came in handy there.
All three of them were Level 8. Their lowest Statistics were equal to mine, and the rest were all higher. Nothing attacked them on the way into the Dungeon. That's how I found myself standing in front the Giant Spiders that only like to walk on webs. Instead of clearing the webs, I needed to try something first. After warning everyone about what I was going to do, I let one of the spiders bite me.
As soon as it struck I activated [Just a Fleshwound]. I was ejected from creatures grasp and had taken no damage. I beat it down with [Force Punch]. Once it was dead, I checked my Quest log. The log showed that I had less than a year to complete the Quest, but I still had to take 10,000 damage. I was afraid of this. [Just a Fleshwound] wasn't a [Healing] Spell. It readjusted reality using probability to retroactively make the attack and the damage not happen. Since I had not taken the damage, the Quest counter didn't recognize it.
I knew what I had to do. I let another spider bite me, and then pounded it with [Force Punch]. Repeatedly. I checked the Quest log. I had credit for taking 3 points of damage. When the next spider got to me, I let it take bite. Then I crushed it. There were only six spiders in this spawn of monsters. They all got to sink their fangs into me.
Emearia waited until I had completely finished before she started searching the bodies for cores. There was a white, stiff paste in all the holes in the crushed exoskeletons of the spiders. She ripped apart the shells by putting her fingertips in the cracks formed when [Force Punch] landed. Once a shell was pulled apart she jammed her hands into the white paste. It looked, and sounded, like lard. When her hand came out she was holding a core and had a beaming smile. While she collected all of them, Selenia cast [Purify] and I recharged her. We all looked pleased with ourselves. The next few hours became a rinse and repeat.
After several hours I had maxed out my Luck and Spirit. I used my free [Statistic Point] to [Limit Break] Spirit. I chose [Confident] as my Virtue. I pumped Chi into [Confident] and activated [A Chance at Greatness]. It worked the first time on Luck and I selected the Virtue of [Faith].
The time on my HUD indicated dawn would be approaching soon. I had to get these guys to the surface. Nellamon, might be alright with a human Pilgrim skipping church services, but he would probably have a problem with Selenia and Emearia hanging out in a Dungeon on Celestiumday. They needed enough time for them to get some sleep before services.
“Emearia, did you get enough cores,” I asked.
“Oh, yes. It will take me weeks to go through all of these. I...I don't suppose you would recharge my Chi, while I work on them,” she asked.
“We'll see if we can't work something out. Let's head up.”
Aern'Lenninisal interrupted, “I was wondering...”
We all stopped and looked his way. He was nervous at first but then girded himself. “I was wondering if we could visit the Shrine on this Level of the Dungeon.”
“It's not on my list of places to go. I suppose that's because there are some [Poisonous] spiders on the way there. If Selenia is willing to [Purify] the [Poison], I don't see a problem. Ladies, do you mind visiting the Shrine.” With no objections we changed course.
Falling Death Spiders were a double whammy on my list. They had [Death] Magic [Poison] and they liked to ambush by dropping from above. Their ambush was one of the easiest to predict, but the [Poison] could be dangerous to low Level Adventurers. I didn't expect this to be difficult, but why take the chance? In this case it was Aern'Lenninisal's desire to see the Shrine.
The maps from the Adventurer's Guild showed a large space on the way the Shrine. When we reached the mouth of the cavern, I turned to the three of them and said, “Wait here.”
The guide said the best strategy was to run out holding a spear vertically. The dropping spiders would be moving so fast they couldn't stop themselves in time. I had no spear or spear Skill. Only [Local Portal]. Instead of running, I crept forward watching the high ceiling. No need to trigger more than one attack at a time.
Selenia screamed, “Look out!”
I was distracted just long enough the miss the timing on [Local Portal]. It formed and closed too quickly. I tried to [Dodge] the falling spider. 'Tried' being the operative word. The spider's foreleg pierced my foot.
“Aaaaarghuha-uh,” I fell backward and screamed nonsensically. It's difficult to make sense when in pain.
I aimed my [Force Punch] at it's mouth. I got second attack off before the spider could get one in. It was expecting venomous fangs, but I had blown it's face apart. It brought another foreleg down into my right shoulder, and dribbled [Poison] from it's broken mouth onto my chest. This time I grunted instead of screaming. Without the speed from dropping from above the damage was light. I was so much tougher than this thing the attack only penetrated in inch into my body.
One more [Force Punch] finished it. I struggled out from under the corpse. With my Strength it was more bulky than heavy, but I had two significant wounds. I bled from both.
The poison was drizzled on top my leather jerkin. I pulled an unlit torch from [Inventory]. It was the only thing that wasn't in a bag that could help. I tried scraping the [Poison] off. I got most of it, but some of it seeped between the jerkin and my pants.
You have been [Poisoned] by an unknown substance!
You will lose 1 Health per second until the [Poison] has been metabolized
I screamed again, “Aaaaah....Some help here! [Purify] and [Healing], please.”
All three of my companions ran out to me. I heard another spider hit the floor. By the time I located it, two more of the creatures were on the ground. Fallen prey is hard to ignore. One good thing about being on my back, I saw the ceiling shift. Somewhere up in the darkness more spiders were moving around.
“Above you! Look up,” I shouted.
“Selenia and Emearia kept going. Aern'Lenninisal walked under the closest spider and also into the path of one charging on the ground. He held is hands at his sides. He wasn't even casting. At the last second a three stride cube-cage materialized around him. The charging spider crashed into it and impaled itself on the many spike-blades. About every eighteen inches, dagger length blades were arranged in a grid pointing outward, away from the center of the cage. What passed for the bars of the cage met at the grid points behind the daggers. The bars weren't actually bars. They were blades set with their edges pointed outward and curved inwards along their length. The daggers pierced the shell of the spider and a continuous curve of blade traced back so that the bars would widen the same hole made my the daggers. It looked wicked. I couldn't see Aern'Lenninisal because of a metal drum, on the inside of the cage, which contained and sheltered him. A second after the charging spider was stopped, the falling spider diced itself when it landed on the cage. I heard a zap of lightning coming from the other side of the drum.
The next thing I knew, Selenia was casting [Purify] on me and the burning sensation at my waist caused by the [Poison] went away. While she was casting [Lesser Heal] I was casting [Recharge Chi]. She finished before I did.
When I was standing again I surveyed the situation. There were three spiders on the other side of the cage. Ten or twelve spiders were on the ceiling and headed our way. A sneaky spider had maneuvered itself over Selenia, Emearia, and me. I was ready for it when it dropped. I finally got my timing right. Sneaky spider tricked itself in two. I [Dodged] the second half of it that fell when the [Local Portal] closed. I might have forgotten to mention that to the girls.
“Eeeewwwww,” Selenia cried. “I'm covered in spider guts!”
Emearia sputtered for moment, but then got her bearings and moved to Selenia's side.
I had one eye on the ceiling and one eye on three spiders moving toward us at ground level. Aern'Lenninisal's cage was blocking the pathway, so the spiders on the floor clung to the walls and went around it. I was ready for the first one. The spiders were bigger than the first group near the beginning of Level 3. I had long since earned the [Space] School from casting [Local Portal]. I had been using that extra power to make the [Portal] diameter two stride wide. I put a large [Portal] in front of me, the exit portal behind me, and dove to the side. A clean getaway, and I do mean clean. I felt sorry for the girls.
I was going to go for the second charging spider, but then I saw another ceiling spider moving toward Selenia.
“Get back to the tunnel. Let them charge me,” I shouted.
Selenia and Emearia moved, but that was it. A second later Aern'Lenninisal cried, “I'm stuck. I can't pick it up. Help!”
So the cage had come out of his [Inventory], and now he couldn't put it back because of all the spiders on top off it.
“Stay put! I'll get you when it's over,” I answered.
Aern'Lenninisal had been holding my lantern. He left it in the tunnel when they came to my rescue. The girls ran to the light. I followed and once I got between them and spiders, the hard part was over with. I got into a rhythm with [Local Portal]. The spiders were too dumb to plan and died easily. When we were done I had to use my grappling line to pull Aern'Lenninisal's cage free, because the bars on the cage were double edged, to prevent people from grabbing it.
As soon as it disappeared I asked, “What was that?”
He replied, “You have never seen a caster's cage? My grandfather got it for me. My combat Magic is insufficient. My mother could not object.” He seemed sad when he said that.
“I want to get clean, and the I want to go HOME,” Selenia said, the last word a shout.
I ran over to her and cast [Recharge Chi]. I let her use [Purify] to her hearts content. She used it on her hair three times, just to make sure. I was in no position to complain.
“May we go see the Shrine,” Aern'Lenninisal asked. There was some desperation in his voice. “We have come all this way. Please.”
“Fine,” she huffed.
There was nothing left to impede us. A copper sacrifice gave [Minor Poison Resistance]. Of course it would come after the spiders.
“Are you happy now,” I asked.
“Very much so,” he said. He was in fact happy. Very happy. Too happy.
“What's up,” I asked. “What's got you in a good mood.”
“I will tell you later,” he said mysteriously.
Not wanting to pry, we headed out of the Dungeon. At least we tried to. My Luck had finally run out. The Level 2 Boss Chamber wasn't empty anymore.