The dungeon spirit had just finished up revamping its main entrance by creating a long cave that would lead to the shaft to take delvers into the dungeon, rather than just a shaft from the surface, when a group of monkeys had finally returned to its dungeon.
Happy hunt? the Dungeon spirit asked, peering at the three jubilant monkeys in front of a large Lament King that served to light up the first room of the dungeon. The three hooted and howled in response, not even using mental constructs to speak to the dungeon spirit, but seemed in high spirits. Maybe because they later spawn, they do not have the mental advantage of my first four, or perhaps they are more base in nature than the named muppets. Despite their seemingly low mental, or social, ability, the dungeon spirit felt charmed by their happiness, their carnal enjoyment of violence and the spoils that it brings. They didn’t even seem particularly maleficent, and let there be no mistaking, many a beast hold intentions more than survival when they kill and maim.
They differ quite greatly from the rest, holding a personality and purpose all their own. Names are deserved, or one name for them all…
Digging into its regal voice, the dungeon spirit gave name to the squad of three muppets: The Hanuyana. Under their new name, the muppet hunters slammed their spear butts into the ground, creating a racket that further disturbed the rest of the denizens, from the smallest bugs to other muppets. That included Rangtwor, who sat off to the side as the dungeon spirit went through its theatrics. She didn’t seem to be too happy, especially considering the rapture of her brethren.
It was this group of four which had returned with this bounty, late in the evening the day after the dungeon spirit had sent them all out, because one missy was enjoying the forest a little too much. Somehow, Rangtwor had convinced the other three mupputs that staying out longer to hunt was a good idea. Made me worried sick that they’d all died.
But looking at its menus, Rangtwor did manage to push the final little stretch to make it to level five, as well as gain those sample the dungeon spirit was seeking, so all was forgiven.
A measly offering, the dungeon spirit commented, causing the Hanuyana’s hearts to sink and Rangtwor’s eyebrow to raise. I know you can do better than this, and I’ll be counting down till your next hunt, so you can do yourselves right. For now, thank you for your work, the dungeon spirit continued, alleviating some of the grief it caused, and adding some anticipation and hope in the hunters’ hearts.
Alright, kill them if you will. Following the Dungeon spirit’s order, the Hanuyana executed the captives, which included dozens of smaller bugs and arthropods, but some interesting ones were mixed in.
Corpse Spider Soldier:
These spiders are the soldier variety of the Corpse Spiders, a species known for using their pheromones to attract decomposers and eat them. Like most colony spiders, the corpse spiders use a more specialized web to bind their underground tunnels together, but unlike most other colony spiders, they use their special spinnerets to launch liquid and catch prey. Sadly, a single soldier is not very effective, lacking the same hunting extincts of the solitary spiders.
Black Eye Moth:
These fuzzy moths are identifiable by the large black eye like markings on their wings. With a wingspan of around six inches, these moths are somewhat sizable. Their main distinguishing feature is the ability to camouflage themselves in a fog of darkness, as well as their eggs.
In addition to the bugs, which while useful in filling the ecosystem had little use fighting delvers and invaders, were a hatchling eatal, a long-necked turtle, and a type of cat. Well, there were more, but those were mainly prey types: a hare, mouse, etc… The muppet hunters were quite good at killing prey type animals, seeing as it was more instinctual than searching for competitors to eat.
Hatchling Yellow Eatal:
These three limbed fliers are known for their aerial endurance and extreme diving speeds they can reach. The yellow variety are of a medium size, reaching around three long and twenty-five pounds, and live in mountainous areas where they can dive bomb their prey. Has a hatchling, the Yellow Eatal is grounded and unable to kill but the most pitiful creatures.
Allamore Snake tortoise:
These much more mobile tortoises are around ten pounds at full size, with a more stream lined shell and legs better evolved for bursts of speed. Their main prey are colony spiders, which struggle to escape the Snake Tortoise due to their relatively large size, but also eat a smaller amount of rodents, bugs, and lizards. They hunt with their long necks, which can reach up to one and a half feet long.
Rat Tailed Palla:
These agile and small cats reach around eight pounds at full size and are distinguished from many other cats by their much thinner coats developed for their endurance hunting in the warmth. Their name is derived by their thin and short tails
Common Hare:
A hare, common on the continent of Metalusa, averages around eight pounds.
All in all, quite useless still, but there is potential here. As the Hanuyana wandered away to explore the dungeon and Rangtwor spoke up. [Measly?] she asked the dungeon spirit, confusing it for a second with the seemingly non-sequitur question. Measly? Measly what, the dungeon spirit questioned in return. [you asked for small creatures, to fill the dungeon, and you were given that] she elaborated obtusely. It took a second for the dungeon spirit to catch on, oh, it didn’t mean any offense, just wanted to put some fire in the Hanuyana’s bellies.
Rangtwor grunted in understanding, but still she loitered near the entrance. Is there something else? the dungeon spirit asked earnestly. Rangtwor stayed quiet, their mental link buzzing as she tried to say something but cut it off multiple times. It doesn’t matter what it is, you can tell me, the dungeon spirit encouraged her. [It's just, they weren’t measly. They were alive. They fought hard to live, even if they were weak and still lost. It deserves respect. They were not measly at all.] She explained slowly, feeling out her own thoughts as she went along.
For a second, the dungeon spirit did not know how to respond, because ultimately it could sympathize with the monkey, but, somewhat shamefully, it did not like how the denizen reprimanded it. The dungeon spirit snuffed those feelings down. I suppose they were not measly, Rangtwor… would you rather not go collect specimen? the dungeon spirit asked.
Rangtwor chuckled slightly, [does it matter if it is not me that kills them, they’ll die all the same. So I might as well gain levels at the same time. I’m fine with killing them, with killing. I’d just rather not kill when it is not necessary.] she continued. I can relate to that, It's terrible to snuff out someone's life, to never see what they would have become. What they would have done, the dungeon spirit said. There was silence for a minute as Rangtwor and the spirit mulled over what was said and ponded on what to saw to end the conversation. Considering she started it in the first place, Rangtwor thought she should end the conversation, [hmmm, . Well, thank you for your consideration, dungeon. I need some rest now]. Then she took off, feeling more thoughts float around in her head than ever before in her short life. Good rest, then, the dungeon spirit said as she sent herself off.
Bad habit that, just leaving when she wants to. Like Rangtwor, the beginning threads of heavy thoughts tickled the dungeon spirit’s mind, each one connecting to a grand tome filled with things it truly did not what to touch: death, righteousness, the worth of a life, the meaning of its existence; more so, why did it want and do what it did and what costs do those base things have on whom ever it took its tole from. It was not nice, so it shut them all those tomes and ignored them.
So about that dungeon building…
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With a small flick of DP, the dungeon spirit created some bugs, who would breed and fill up the lowest floor of the ecological system. Included were the black eye moths, who held a magical attribute but very little way to level up. While all beasts, the moth included, did not solely level up through combat like human classes did, it was very slow. Even if some moth gained levels and evolved, it would stay a pure herbivore; so, the question is how would the dungeon make a pure herbivore into a dangerous creature. I suppose the key is that consumption is not necessary for leveling up
An interesting behavior of beasts, along with classed sapients to a less interesting extent, is that of hunting without intent to eat its prey. A hunt for exp, rather than food. This behavior is less common in predators as it is more efficient to simple to both at the same time, or they meet this exp need in interspecies displays of domination. In both cases, it is also likely that a predator injures itself, making it so it doesn’t hunt for exp. Herbivores on the other hand may find themselves in pristine condition after eating plants all day and can use their free time to hunt lesser creatures for exp. Though, it is not a dominant behavior, as even herbivores have to deal with predators and other members of their species taking up their energy. That is the case for the less violent behaviorally inclined animals, some animals fill the hyper aggressive niche that generally pushes their levels much higher than more efficient food and exp hunters, but they are a self-balancing force generally, as the only other animals willing to fight for the sake of fighting are other hyper aggressive animals, thus they generally cull themselves. Many legendary beasts tend to be of the hyper aggressive sort, though.
A start, but how to actually do this… The dungeon spirit had an idea, one that had high potential in the dungeon. The dungeon spirit could obviously give commands to its spawn, who seem partial to follow said commands, even when they are not particularly natural for them to do it. As of now, I’ve commanded most of the insect population to be peaceful as they build up numbers, keeping the predator numbers artificially satiated for the time being. Not that breeding of the insects was doing much to save DP, but DP was DP, and it was in no rush to get the ecosystem running. But, could the dungeon spirit command the herbivore to kill another insect? Very likely. A quick test relieved that it could, but it could not command the insect being attacked to stand still, not even for a moment. That would be a bit of a loophole.
It was not in the purview of the dungeon spirit to strengthen its spawn via some ability, at least not of yet, the possibility remains. But, the dungeon spirit could force its spawn to fight, giving the winner of the fight some exp. It sounds like the same thing just with extra steps, but the chance of the spawn you want to win surviving is never a hundred percent. On top of that, the exp gain is much less than if the creatures were out in the wild, perhaps only twenty-five percent of the normal amount of exp. That’s why just creating a massive bloodbath would be terrible, at least for the majority of the dungeon’s affairs. It could be used to strengthen a select few, but the chance of that spawn dying remains. Unlike one killed by invaders or delvers, a dungeon spawn killed by another dungeon spawn does not revive, even if they are named.
Doubtful one moth bugger would fend off any creature I have, it’s only capable of consuming liquids with its proboscis and its limbs are too weak to attack with. The only thing it could do is use its magic. It was capable of creating a sort of dark fog, but the effect was limited. Perhaps if it got many levels it could use better magic, but getting those levels in the first place is the problem. I suppose the only solution is exp sharing. Sounds great, when you don’t understand the numbers involved. Exp sharing only occurs between allies, for two creatures competing over the same prey, the one who does the most gets the exp. But exp sharing is still controlled by a calculated participation, one which completely nullifies gains if some creature were to try and party with a much stronger creature. If there is no threat, there is no exp.
Thus, the likelihood of a moth surviving is low, since I would need to use a weak creature as a partner, and the exp growth would be abysmal since its only attack would basically just be trying to use its fog to hamper the prey’s vision, or to distract it. It would be a long, arduous, process that would take at least a year to show any fruits. Many would see it as boring and pointless, but the dungeon spirit had a lot of time on its hands and a great ability to keep track of things, so it was quite exciting. Because who doesn’t love an underdog, plus I can’t wait to see what it might grow into in the future.
With a flex of will, the dungeon spirit spawned a flurry of moths into existence, imposing upon them their duty and how to go about it. Soon the restrictions would be lifted from the dungeon wild life, and they would start to battle and move along the evolution of the moths, for now they could pester everything and get used to their attacks. After the dungeon spirit finished, the moths all bobbed away, seeking prey to hunt, using the formidable technique of lowering the light in front of their target’s eyes by a few lumens. Quite cute in their little determined flights, like they know of my low expectations and want to prove me wrong.
Finished with the only bug worth special accommodations, the dungeon spirit turned its focus onto the larger creatures, of which its plan was less complex. What it amounted to was to summon a large amount, which would later breed and multiply, then simply select successful specimens to focus on. It could either have the higher level specimens team up with their brethren to hunt more safely after distinguishing themselves, or have them undergo a safer duel like regimen versus creatures of weaker, but still noticeable, strength. The second result was likely to produce lower quality evolution choices, but the only thing the dungeon spirit really needed from these creatures was to get bigger and stronger, more exotic traits were not necessary. But if they show up, it would be nice… hmmm, if there are a surplus of candidates I may run a more dangerous duel regimen or have them continue fighting it out in the ecosystem, try and produce some more quality evolution. Diversifying their fighting and hunting style would be good for potential diversity as well.
All set for now, the dungeon spirit created a plethora of creatures, reducing its DP for spawn down to about ten percent of its original number. It would just barely fill this part of the dungeon… come a couple of months and good growth. Growth till maturity is extremely fast in a dungeon, even without directly giving denizens the energy they subsist on. Perhaps fifteen or so times the speed of maturation. Meaning the bug couple multiply exponentially over the next couple of days, while the larger creatures would probably need a month or two to become fully mature. Of course, with a little more injection of DP from delver and invaders, that speed will increase as I spawn more mature specimens.
Right now, under the dungeon truce, many of the larger creatures started breeding immediately, filthy organics, starting the ticking clock that would end the birth of a new generation. Hmmm, I may have to do some culling later if I wish to introduce more species, or not. I could just put the new findings in a new section of the dungeon.
Ecosystem work done for, the Dungeon spirit went on to do its final round of check-ups on its more notable Denizens. As per usual, the Dungeon spirit floated along the halls of the area, correcting small things that it would likely correct once again later, moving towards Amor and Eros. The lazy duo was collecting energy from the dungeon while sleeping, something they had gotten very used to over the last week. You know, you’ll have to hunt for food when the truce is dissolved, yes? the Dungeon spirit asked, causing a scathing half lidded glare. Hmmm, that attitude will get you nowhere in this dungeon, missy, but luckily for you, I’ve decided to bring some gifts to ease your pain in the oncoming hunt, the Dungeon spirit said. Still continuing with their non-blase act, the muppets slowly righted themselves, groaning and moaning while the Dungeon spirit could literally look into their head and see the dopamine spike. Little bastards, living off my energy while only waking themselves in my presence if I bribe them with gifts, they’re lucky they're level two.
As much as the Dungeon spirit protested in its mind, it was quite excited to present its work. While its abilities nullified the craftsmanship, there was still time and effort invaded to shape any object it wanted, making it a perfect fit for its recipient. da dada da~ the Dungeon spirit mimicked before spawning the pair of items it had imagined some time ago. With a flash of light, two bows grew like plants, limbs extending from the grip like a tree in a time-lapse before it strung itself and dropped to the ground. Each one was relatively simple, as far as ornamentation went; the main flourish being that the limbs were made up of a braid of five pieces of wood, with an accent of black metal between the strands of the braid.
go on the dungeon spirit encouraged, causing them awed muppets to excitedly pick up their instruments. They both felt the weapons over in their hands, strumming the string in slight confusion on how to wield the bows. Expecting this, the Dungeon spirit elaborated, sending over images instead of words over the mental link. Soon enough, the muppets had their hands correctly positioned and were able to draw the bows back and dry fire. Good, good. So what do you think, I thought it would be great for you lazy bastards seeing as you could just wait in a good spot and fire. Keep yourself out of danger as well the Dungeon spirit explained, causing a bit of ire in the spawn, but they agreed with much of what was said so they didn’t make a fuss. [Thank you] Eros said, the genuine statement bringing joy to the dungeon.
There is more, though the Dungeon spirit started, recalling a bit of information, a new spot for you to rest, and protect . The Dungeon spirit sent another mental construct over their link, a map that supplied both the muppet’s current position and their next one, connecting them through the labyrinth. Since the creation of the new level, the muppets had been staying in the same room created to protect the denizens while the Dungeon spirit worked, but now it’s time to move out. That section is a near straight shot, and will lead to the entrance of the next area. Normally it would make this area very easy to bypass, but with you two protecting it, any delver will either have to fight you, or more likely, find a longer and less defended route the Dungeon spirit explained, creating mixed emotions in the muppets.
After some moments of deliberation, Eros spoke [that is acceptable, if under the grounds that if we defend against outsiders, then we’ll not have to hunt] . That is a tough bargain… Alright. Though, understand you’ll fall behind your siblings in strength if you only deal with ‘outsiders’. And you’ll need to train with your bows. Won’t be much use if you can’t even hit anything the Dungeon spirit said, somewhat disappointed that Eros And Amos would fall behind their siblings, that they would not even try to hunt. But if they are still contributing to the dungeon, then I suppose it is fine. [that will be fine] Eros said, ending the conversation, beginning their transit towards their new home after picking up a quill of arrows that the dungeon spirit manifested.
Interesting duo, I guess they know what they want, and they are still being somewhat productive. But the Dungeon spirit could only compare them to their siblings, with Wissen studying all day to learn Nedean and eventually pick up magic, while Rangtwor has either been training, sleeping, or hunting since her life began. It would seem Rangtwor was not particularly interested in staying a muppet, either because of how she looks or the stat growth of the species. All across the board, muppets, or dungeon muppets, really, had lower than one hundred percent growth on all of their stats besides one, wisdom, which was of little use for a warrior like Rangtwor.
It’ll be interesting what she’ll turn into, considering her fast growth. .
Done with Eros and Amor, the Dungeon spirit left to go deal with Wissen. She’s been- ah, fucking hell. Interrupted from its musings, the dungeon spirit turned its focus to one of its entrances. The Dungeon spirit didn’t bother hovering towards the area, instead simply becoming the area, allowing it to look closer at the invader sounding out its entrance.