Chapter 23
C'nthia gathered everyone around the fire and explained the setup of the dungeon. “It is a simple straight run with only a few corridors off to the side, none of which appeared to have anything of worth last time it was cleared.”
P'trick stirred at that, “I don't want to do a dungeon if it's already cleared,” he insisted in a whining voice.
The fire popped and crackled as a log collapsed in to embers.
C'nthia sighed but replied patiently, “It was cleared a while ago. It should have regenerated by now. It didn't disappear after being beaten once so it will stick around for a at least a few more runs. Its an easy dungeon for me and my partners. For you,” she said while pointing at Jay and P'trick, “it is a deathtrap. You're both level 1. Don't do anything stupid and this should be easy. Ignore what we tell you and you'll probably end up hurt.”
Jay nodded, “Ok.”
P'trick shrugged, “Whatever. Can we just do this?”
C'nthia explained the known trap layouts for the dungeon. She showed everyone a map which Jay copied as best he could in to his Mighty Book making sure to copy the trap locations properly.
“Also,” she said while looking at her partners, “there will be a swarm.”
P'trick looked a little upset at that. “Now wait a minute, no one said anything about a swarm.”
Jay knew what a swarm was but P'trick seemed to be talking about something else, something specific. Sighing at his own ignorance Jay finally broke down and asked. “What is a swarm?”
C'nthia looked at him askance, “How do you not know what a swarm is?”
“You could say I'm not from around here.” Jay replied with only a hint of exasperation.
P'trick spoke right up and volunteered the information. “He's a Traveler.”
Jon and M'tthew both groaned as C'nthia raised an eyebrow. Travelers were always described as a bit dim in the stories. Turning to Jay she asked, “Really? Is that true?”
Jay nodded seeing no point in trying to hide it. He nodded almost sadly. “It is. Just because I am missing information you all take for granted doesn't mean I'm stupid though. I'm just uninformed. Or poorly informed I guess you could say.”
C'nthia looked like she didn't know what to think about Jay at this point. “Look, that changes nothing. Well maybe it changes things a little. If you don't know something we talk about or what something is just don't touch it and just ask us instead, ok?”
Jay nodded. “That was my plan all along.”
P'trick rolled his eyes but C'nthia let a lopsided grin slip past her control over her facial expressions.
“A swarm,” she said while looking at Jay to make sure he was paying attention, “are a multitude of enemies that are easy to kill on their own but gain additional abilities when in a crowd of like minded creatures. Tough to fight even when their levels are low. We have a secret weapon for these ones though.”
“We do?” asked P'trick, not waiting for her to continue.
“Yup. Its you.” she said while pointing at P'trick who did not like being pointed at and scowled.
“There is a dark room full of creepy crawlies and larger monsters. The way it works is one of you, in this case P'trick, will carry a lamp. This special lamp lights the entire room but only for a short time. They hate that light, has to be a bright one. The smaller creepy crawlies won't come near us as long as we stay within the lamp's light. Do not get separated from the group or walk in to the shadows or darkness. Do not fall behind. Do not stop. We won't be able to get you back.” C'nthia finished.
“I thought you said this was an easy dungeon?” P'trick demanded with wide eyes, his hands on his hips as he did so.
Jay stifled a laugh at the sight of him. He looked like a child throwing a temper-tantrum. Thankfully P'trick didn't notice Jay laughing.
C'nthia didn't hide her laugh. “This IS an easy dungeon. No one said it was a safe one though. You can still die in an easy dungeon. Gods, I could die in here if I wasn't careful. So you be careful, ok?”
Jay nodded even though she was speaking directly at P'trick.
M'tthew and C'nthia took a moment to quietly talk something over. “Five minutes then we head out, ok?”
Jay noticed he had a new notification. “No time like the present,” he said under his breath.
You have entered the dungeon: Rat's Redoubt. This dungeon is intended for levels 1-5.
“Hey guys, is this dungeon called the Rat's Redoubt?” Jay asked no one in particular.
Jon answered, “It is. How the hell did you know that? You have a high Identify skill or something?”
“No.. I don't think so,” said Jay slowly. “I think its a Traveler thing.”
Jay got up and looked around the nondescript room. There was an entrance, a campfire with log seats, and an exit with a blank featureless square plaque next to it on the wall. Jay went over to the plaque to find that it glowed dimly.
“What's with the plaque?” Jay asked.
“Just decoration,” C'nthia called back from over by the fire. “Some dungeons have them and others don't. No one knows why.”
“Oh. Why's it glowing like that then? I don't see anything else glowing.” Jay asked.
C'nthia immediately stopped what she was doing and looked up as Jon and M'tthew stopped what they were doing to look over at Jay. “Don't touch anything.” she said to everyone in the room in a voice that brooked no argument.
“You see something glowing? The plaque?” asked Jon.
Jay nodded.
The others all came over to Jay. P'trick realized he was alone at the fire and wandered over to join the group as well.
“I don't see anything.” said P'trick. “Its just a stone plaque.”
“M'tthew?” asked C'nthia.
M'tthew looked closely at the tile but did not touch it. He waved his hand over it slowly a few times but didn't appear to find anything. “If it is trapped then its a trap I can't find,” he said but stepped away from the tile. Everyone else except Jay did as well.
C'nthia took a deep breath. “I appreciate you not touching it right away Jay, you did good. Now though I'd like to see what happens to you if you do touch it?” C'nthia said while taking another step back.
“You guys are filling me with confidence here watching you all take steps away from this thing.” Jay joked with a light grin.
Jay finally shrugged and reached out to the tile, placing his palm flush against it and it tickled for a moment. A bright blue dialog box popped up in front of his vision. It stayed in the center of his vision even when he turned his head back and forth.
Congratulations! You have been awarded a Dungeon Quest. You may share this quest with your group in which case it will become a group quest. Personal rewards will still be granted for completion regardless.
Quest: Ratman!
Task: Kill 50 rats
Reward: 100xp
Jay read the dialog out loud. He focused on sharing the quest and then noticed everyone else stare off in to space as they read their own dialog boxes. Almost everyone seemed happy at the new development.
“Gods, its a quest!” exclaimed Jon who was apparently quite excitable.
“Just like in the stories,” said P'trick. “Still it's a crappy quest. Only 100xp as a reward?”
C'nthia looked at P'trick like he was an idiot. “Really? It's a Gaia-given-quest! Do you have any idea how lucky we are? Are you going to say no to a free extra 100xp not to mention whatever else it might lead to? We were going to kill rats anyway. Why complain?”
The others seemed to be excited by the development even if the reward was tiny.
“I've seen those plaques in other dungeons as well. I wonder if they'd work the same. Some of those dungeons were high level – the rewards might even be better.” Jon said thoughtfully.
“Maybe, but lets all focus on this dungeon. Get your heads back on straight everyone. Focus on getting out of this alive and then we can all talk about the heroic rat killing quest we all have.” C'nthia insisted.
She put the group in to their walking order. She was first, followed by Jon, then P'trick, Jay, and finally M'tthew. Gathering their things they finally entered the first room. The entry room didn't count as it was a safe spot.
The first dungeon room was down a short incline and covered in trash. The room was longer than it was wide and as the group began to walk from one end to the other they were immediately attacked by rats. C'nthia, Jon, and M'tthew all tore in to the crowds of rats, their weapons moving almost too quick for Jay to follow. Rats dropped dead everywhere Jay looked but still more came.
One rat made it past the three fighters and desperately tried to climb up P'trick's leg. P'trick screeched a high pitched squeal and cast a spell at the creature. The spell looked like a spark of flame and it struck not just the rat but P'trick's left calf as well.
The rat fell to the ground just as P'trick did, the entire time screaming that he'd been hurt.
Jay stepped in and used his staff to strike at any rats that got too close to him or the prostrate P'trick, who had seemingly no intention of getting back up.
“Why aren't we moving?” asked P'trick at one point in between cries.
C'nthia stabbed at a rat that had tried to climb her leg. “Eww. I hate these things. We're not moving because we're not done killing these things. When they're all dead the next door will open. But if you don't like this room you're going to hate the next one!”
“What? What's in the next one!?!” P'trick asked with wide eyes. Finally forgetting about his almost non-existent leg wound he stood back up and started casting at the rats one at a time. His spell didn't do a lot of damage but rats couldn't take a lot of damage so it all worked out.
After what seemed like hours but was probably only five minutes the crowd of rats thinned out and finally stopped entirely.
Jay grinned with excitement. That had been some of the most fun Jay could remember having. He had even gotten to fight some of them using his staff.
C'nthia waved at them. “Take a seat while we disarm a few traps in here.”
M'tthew took a few minutes to go from spot to spot in the room and fiddle with some tools. Jay wouldn't have known there was even a trap there if M'tthew hadn't seen it. Jay decided not to walk around until the traps were made safe first. Instead he watched M'tthew closely and even learned a little from watching him work.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
After making the traps safe the group searched the room but found nothing except for another plaque next to the exit door to the next room. “Did everyone get the 50 rat kills they needed for their quest?” C'nthia asked the group.
Everyone nodded and she motioned to Jay to go ahead and touch the next plaque.
You have completed a quest! Ratman: 50/50 rats killed! You have been awarded 100xp!
Congratulations! You have been awarded another Dungeon Quest. This is the second quest in the Ratman! series and must be completed in order. Failure of any quest in the series will prevent its follow-up quest from being awarded. You may share this quest with your group in which case it will become a group quest. Personal rewards will still be granted for completion regardless.
Quest: Ratman Race!
Task: Reach the next exit without taking damage from a rat
Reward: 100xp
The thing to know about quests on Eden is that they're a thing of legend. Books tell of quests as if they were once a real thing. And yet no one living could say they had ever seen one. It had been ages since a resident of Eden had last gotten a quest. Even though these quests were about rats they were still QUESTS, and therefore quite exciting regardless of the reward.
“Is this a Traveler thing too?” C'nthia asked.
“I'd say yes, since I'm the only one that can use these tiles.” Jay replied.
Jon shrugged, “Works for me. I'm going to get so many drinks bought for me with this story alone.”
M'tthew grinned as well. P'trick wasn't happy with Jay becoming the center of attention and wasn't about to show his excitement at getting a quest. P'trick scowled instead.
“For this next room you all need to stay with me. Run the entire time and no matter what do not stop. Ok?” C'nthia demanded.
Everyone nodded except P'trick who shrugged, “Whatever.”
The next room was not a room at all but a long hallway that went off in to the distance, its exit too far to even see.
“Er, that is a crazy long hallway.” Jay said hesitantly.
“If you stop in there you're dead. So don't stop.” C'nthia insisted, hoping they listened to her. She'd hate to have to explain to Walter how one of them died. Walter would make a whole thing out of it.
C'nthia visibly shivered for a moment before shaking it off.
“Ready?”
The group took off at a dead run through the doorway as the lights dimmed and began to flicker.
“I can't see!” shouted P'trick over the sudden cacophony of rat shrieks coming from behind them but sounding as if they were slowly gaining on them.
“You wouldn't want to see them anyway! Just keep going forward!” shouted C'nthia as the group ran.
Jay occasionally saw corridors heading off to the sides of the hallway but C'nthia didn't stop and led the group ever onward. The rats behind them had gotten close enough for Jay to barely make out in the dim light that were right on their heels.
They were rats, but their size was far too large and hair hung off of them in dirty tufts, their eyes cloudy and what teeth left in their mouths were yellow and cracked. The smell though was rancid and Jay found himself running from their smell even more than their appearance.
As they ran past one corridor Jay glimpsed a treasure chest sitting not too far away in a perfectly round pool of light. Something about it screamed danger to Jay so he ignored it and focused on keeping up with C'nthia. She had been very clear about not stopping.
P'trick however felt that it was the perfect time to look for loot. “A chest! We have to stop!” he said as he walked out of their line and moved in to the side corridor.
C'nthia didn't even pause but continued on as well as Jon and Jay. As M'tthew passed the corridor however he grabbed P'trick by the back of his clothing and physically lifted him off the ground, throwing him over his shoulder right as P'trick was bitten horribly on one arm. The skin sizzled as the rat bit in and chewed.
The sound of tearing could be heard as P'trick screamed from the pain. His left arm hung limply, the muscles used to control it no longer a part of his body.
They ran on like that as the exit did not appear to be any closer than when they had started. “Gods damn you P'trick what did I just say!” C'nthia yelled at him as she looked back to check on the group only to see M'tthew carrying a wounded P'trick.
P'trick sniffled miserably as he held his arm while being bounced about on M'tthew's shoulder. “Put me down!” he whined.
M'tthew ignored him and continued on.
“Not right now,” called back Jon. “I'm afraid you've lost your walking privileges.”
That made Jay snort a short lived laugh but P'trick had noticed and was now scowling even more than before.
The rats continually gained on them and occasionally the group was forced to make a fighting retreat as they fought, always making sure to be constantly moving towards the exit.
Jay was even forced at times to help out, using his staff to pin down large rats to make it easier for his other group members to finish them off. Other times he'd use a well placed poke with his staff to set a rat off balance, ruining its intended attack. Jay's skill with a staff advanced quickly as he learned what worked and what didn't.
Even though P'trick occasionally screamed in horror or pain Jay was still having a relatively good time. To him it was a real life dungeon run, like a game come to life. Fun!
No one else was bitten as they finally saw the exit in the distance grow closer. Suddenly the lights went out altogether, the only light coming from the distant exit. P'trick screamed and the group ran on even faster, using what energy they still had left to give one last burst of speed.
The sound of chattering and rats screeching became almost deafening the closer they got to the exit. Finally they all passed through the exit, sealing the door behind them. The sound of bodies slamming up against the closed door could be heard along with the high pitched squeals of rats.
“What,” C'nthia started as she wheeled around to face P'trick, “the actual fuck was that P'trick! Didn't I tell you to not stop!”
M'tthew dropped P'trick to the ground and not entirely gently either. P'trick landed with a half grunt half cry as he jostled his arm. “Heal my arm! I demand you heal my arm!”
C'nthia and her group all looked to each other before she spoke, “We aren't healers. There is you, Jay, and three fighter types. One is a tank, me. If you paid attention and listened to my commands you would be uninjured and not in need of healing. Your injury is your own fault.”
Jay waited for them to start first aid but no one did. “Uh – not sure if this is a thing only from where I'm from or not but do you guys have first aid here? Its like a non-magical medical treatment? Bandages and that sort of thing.”
They all shrugged at that, “Magic healing is usually cheap and easy. Groups almost always have a healer. Our current group excluded of course. Sometimes people with money and or power put together a group for their own purposes and are forced to leave out the healer. We had been assured that due to the low level of the dungeon no healer would be needed.” C'nthia said while glaring at not Jay, but P'trick.
The group all seemed to be focused on P'trick and Jay took the opportunity to ignore him and instead take a look around the room. There were three exits not counting the one they had entered from. One red, one green, and one blue door, all in bright primary colors. There was a small pool off to the side.
Jay heard C'nthia speak again. “P'trick go have a drink from the pool. It will heal you a little and at least seal up your wound until we get back and can get you all healed up. You'll have to make do with one arm until then.”
P'trick moaned but didn't argue, going over to the small pool of water and used the only hand that still worked to cup enough water up to his mouth for a sip. His wound stopped bleeding but still looked awful. It didn't appear to Jay that it did anything for the pain.
“It still hurts!” P'trick complained.
“Good. That means you're still alive. When everything suddenly stops hurting that is when to be worried. You're going to have to tough it out. Once we get back to the city you can get healed up.” C'nthia said without sympathy.
Jay was surprised when C'nthia didn't yell at P'trick any further but instead went on as if nothing had happened. “Next room is a tough one. Stay with the group. Jay, you'll be using your staff to keep the enemies away from you and P'trick while the rest of us try to kill 'em. P'trick you have the most important job – holding the lamp.”
“I only have one arm why do I have to hold the lamp?” whined P'trick.
“First of all,” Jon began, “you have two arms. You can only use one because you did something stupid. Second of all, we need Jay to be able to use his staff to help keep you safe. You could use your one good arm to cast instead of him but your level 1 spell isn't going to keep monsters from coming closer. A staff poke to the eye will.”
The room went quiet for a moment as everyone thought of what their job was for the next room. “Stay with the group. Do not drop the lamp. Obey all instructions. Got it?”
Everyone but P'trick nodded. He shrugged instead.
“Listen you little shit,” C'nthia snapped, “the next time you pull something like running away from the group I'm going to leave you there. You got THAT?”
P'trick nodded this time. He had apparently used up all of C'nthia's patience and he could tell she'd had it with him. He toned his moaning and groaning down a bit to a quiet murmur.
Everyone took a moment to make sure their weapons and armor were in shape for the next battle and adjusted straps and fasteners as needed.
Jay went over to the next room's door and motioned towards the plaque next to it on the wall. “There's another one. Want me to touch it?”
“Sure,” C'nthia said while pulling at a strap on her armor.
Jay placed his hand on the plaque and grinned as the familiar text appeared in front of him.
You have completed a quest! Ratman Race: exit reached without being bitten! You have been awarded 100xp!
A member of your party has failed the quest Ratman Race and does not qualify for the next quest in the series. (P'trick: FAILED – bitten by rat)
Congratulations! You have been awarded another Dungeon Quest. This is the third quest in the Ratman! series and must be completed in order. Failure of any quest in the series will prevent its follow-up quest from being awarded. You may share this quest with your group in which case it will become a group quest. Personal rewards will still be granted for completion regardless.
Quest: Who is the Weakest Link?
Task: Complete the Everbright Lamp event without dying or taking damage.
Reward: 100xp
P'trick whined, “No fair! Why didn't I get the third quest! I demand you share the quest with me!”
Jay looked around as the other group members all shrugged while looking at P'trick in disgust. Jay opened up his Mighty Book and flipped to the Journal section. Selecting his current quest “Who is the Weakest Link?” Jay focused on the 'share' button on the page and then picked P'trick as the target.
You may not share that quest with P'trick. He has failed the quest Ratman Race and does not qualify for the next quest in the series. (P'trick: FAILED – bitten by rat)
The whole group saw the message and C'nthia shook her head. “That's a shame.”
Jon and M'tthew both shrugged.
“Can't change that. Well, lets go see what is next.” C'nthia said in a low voice, the kind of voice you'd use in a library or funeral home. She motioned the rest of the group to follow and walked through the blue door. P'trick moved with them but kept a look of discontent on his face. Things hadn't gone well for P'trick, through no fault of his own he thought, and he wanted to make sure everyone knew it.
As they moved in to the room Jay asked, “Why are we whispering?”
M'tthew replied from the back of their column, “We're not whispering, we're just talking quietly. Whispers carry too far. And we're doing it so we can make it to the lamp before we get attacked.”
Everyone else went quiet at that and the group moved over to a small table. The room was the size of a football field and dotted with hills and valleys. A path wound through the room which led to a slightly raised platform in the center. At the beginning and end of the room were small ornate tables. The table next to Jay held a large golden lamp whereas the table at the other end was bare.
“Do. Not. Drop. The. Lamp. That is the most important thing to remember. That lamp keeps the enemies from getting close. Any magical lamp would do really but this one is bright enough to keep us all safe. Without the lamp they would swarm us. This is the swarm we were talking about earlier. Got it P'trick?” C'nthia said while looking him in the eye.
P'trick nodded casually. C'nthia looked frustrated by his attitude but didn't call him on it. Instead she got everyone back in to their spots in the column.
Jay wasn't thrilled about any event that required him to trust P'trick but had no choice. He held his staff in a white knuckled grip before M'tthew casually tapped him on the shoulder. “Jay it's already dead you can let go of it a bit now.” he said with a lopsided grin.
Jay smiled slightly while blushing and loosened his grip on the staff. “Thanks,” Jay said quietly before C'nthia waved at everyone and handed P'trick the lamp. “Let's do this!”
Then the lights went out.