Arden steps into the moonmother’s little sanctum, her home away from home. She nurses the bed-ridden Eliza, calmly rocking her as pustules leak ichor from her face.

Caau watches from a birds-eye perspective as his champion kneels to the moonmother, and takes her hand. “Hello Arden. Are you here as a champion… or as a child?”

“A child. I am… angry. My master has declared in no uncertain terms that the murderer of my father is to be kept safe. I do not understand why…?”

The moonmother — that is, the lunar priestess, avatar of the lunar-blood — places an ethereal hand on the boy. “You know I cannot speak for your master. But… you made an oath, yes, when you became champion? What was it, if you wouldn’t mind telling me?”

“I was lost. Afraid… a weak, insignificant child and I—“ he looks up at the ceiling, looking directly at Caau regardless of if he knows it or not. “I declared that I would be the strongest man alive. That no others would die down here.”

The moonmother rubs his ginger hair, straining her hand up to reach. “Do you, then, not have your answer? You made an oath… and in a moment of weakness you very nearly betrayed that oath. The man was just on the edge of death, yes? You had split his head open, destroyed the brain?”

Arden shrinks. “Yes.”

“Then the only answer is that the Celestial-blood saw it coming. Its blessings are potent… but I do not think they may revive the dead. It saved you once… and now it has saved you again. Looking back, would you rather it allowed you to break your oath?”

Arden’s head snaps up. “No. Thank you, moonmother.”

The ethereal hand traces down Arden’s face. “There is no need, my child. You are growing into a fine young man. I am very sure… your mother would be proud.”

He grasps her hand ever-so-gently. Tears stream from his face in thick, wet drops. “Thank you, mother.”

He hardens. The tears pass by his face and do not replenish. He looks up at the moonmother with a different face.

“Ah, and now the champion is here.” She speaks, taking her hand away and resting it on Eliza’s dripping forehead. Arden stands, leaning against the doorway to her abode.

“A guardian of my master has been captured. You still hold sway over the gorakhin. Could you ask them for help? They are able-bodied more than not.”

The lunar-priestess nods. “I think… I have seen enough. Of this celestial-blood. I know what must be done.”

Still holding the swaddled Eliza, she floats from the abode. Caau tracks her as her path switches between small alleyway to alleyway… until she reaches a fountain.

In front of which is a group of ghorakin, praying to it. Praying to the lunar-blood instead of Caau. She floats until she is the ornament atop the spike of the fountain, and looks down upon the assorted goblins. “My friends,” she speaks softly, looking at two of the ghorakin children. “My children… it is time. I shall sing a requiem for our master.”

Arden leans against a nearby piece of stone, watching the lunar priestess slowly lower her head. Caau never expected her singing voice to be beautiful… nor so full of sadness.

“In the somber embrace of moonlit skies, We gather, hearts heavy, tears in our eyes. For our master, a beacon so true, guided us from shadow… taught us what to pursue.

Beneath the gentle moon’s soothing gleam, our souls found solace in the tranquil stream. You lifted us from despair’s abyss… offered us hope… a sanctuary of bliss.

A refuge from battles, a life to adore.

Oh, moonlit master of the night. You sculpted our hearts, transformed our sight. From the darkness of our former, wretched plight… to the serene glow of your nurturing light,” she falls into a reprieve, letting the words fall like a blanket over the assembled.

The gorakhin sit in absolute silence, looking up at the avatar. Some smile… others cry. Arden watches impassively. The moonmother’s voice is so full of sadness. Caau wonders what could inspire such love… and if his actions have done the same. Maybe he’s been playing at being here. Maybe there’s more he should do. But, what?

Before he has time to answer his own question, the wraith’s reprieve ends.

“But now, as the stars weep, casting their veil… our master departs, their legacy prevails. As we bid adieu to their guiding hand… another figure emerges, in celestial band. A new master, glowing bright in the night. It offers guidance and grace… a beacon of light.

They beckon us forth, to a path of atonement. To heal ancestral wounds, in every moment.

This master, a bridge to amend. Their teachings align — a continuum does blend. To repent the actions of our fore-bearers’ past… and forge a future where harmony will last.”

She looks at Arden, putting out a hand. He steps over, careful not to break the silence left in the wake of her words. “Would you sing, Arden? Of the safety your master can provide?”

“I will not. To use my voice is to use my path to convince you. Instead, I should like to tell you a story.”

He crouches down, looking upon the gorakhin — meeting the eyes of each. Eighteen remain, three of which have that slight glowing outline that marks them as follower of Caau.

Arden speaks of his mother, of his father, of the passage underground… of their deaths. Of Strauss’ part in that.

Then he holds out two hands. “If you worry, so great, that my master will not accept you… know this. It saved me from betraying my oath… blessing a murderer to do so. If it will accept one who has taken life in their time… why would he not accept you, whose ancestors-upon-ancestors are the ones in folly?”

[ 15/100 Followers —> 30/100 followers ]

Current rank: Local Sect.

I don’t know what to think. That song… If he could shed tears, he feels like he would. How long? How long as it been since he has felt enough sadness for that?

I’m no saint. I can’t help these people, and whatever sins they have. What can I do? Flash fire at them?

The administrators voice, when it finally comes, is softer than normal.

You see that you cannot physically aid them, and you think that you, therefore, do not help them in any other way? Do not be silly, Caau.

What? What can I do?

Listen. Let me explain a little of the world. You haven’t asked… and usually that means I won’t tell.

The world is separated into planes, further divided into planes. The further down one goes, the harder life becomes. The more… realistic you have to be to survive.

You are giving them shelter, Celestial-blood. A home that is defensible… and now you are able to stave off starvation. The Immortals attacked the Mortal plane to obtain much the same as you have given to these.

Evaluate what you want from this world.

Before, you said you didn’t have the tools to be good. Was that just an excuse, Caau?

Or was it the truth?

I… don’t know.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Now is the time to find out.

What do you mean?

There is no rule, here, Caau. You can do what you want. If you wanted to ignore Granite, you could. You could raid the settlements for your own people, force the tribes around you into following you.

Establish yourself as a god.

You have that power. You even have the ability to exert that power.

I think you need to look at this world with a bit more than passing interest. You seem to think, just because you have no physical, movable form that nothing matters here.

I think you need to ask yourself, now that you have another chance… what would you change?

Moreover, what world would you like to create?

Caau doesn’t respond.

—

11 figures stand in front of the eastern wall. Arden, Strauss, Onyx, Quartz, Sapphire, Ameior and Graskull. — and two each of Gorakhin and human, armed with [ Makeshift Pikes ].

[ 32/100 followers ]

Caau stares at the middle of the void-room. His internals have taken shape, now. First, a large corridor of unblemished, smoothed stone — leading to large stone door.

There isn’t much else to work with.

From there, three routes lead through to the ‘treasure room’. He can separate the consigned items, but there is a rule. The higher level items have to be further back. Right now, there is really only the [ Femur Axe ] and the [ Crystalline Swords ], but apparently the axe is just a little stronger and thus must be placed further back.

The three routes are intended, by the Administrators advice, to split up expeditions that enter. At the end of each corridor lies a door. The ‘puzzle’, if one could even call it that, is to that all three levers must be pulled within a short timeframe of each other.

This follows another rule of the ‘dungeon’ creation process: That there must be a valid path to the treasure room. This one is more of a soft rule, and quite beneficial to Caau. If there was no valid path, the dungeon would be destructible, either through the doors or the void-room itself. With a valid path, and a puzzle, he can force Expeditionaries to play by his rules.

Behind the treasure room lies three extra rooms. One is a place for the children — of which there are four, one human and three gorakhin — the other is a growing room. Tests of the [ Dark Growth ] ability shows that it works rather like a gas. That is, no matter the size of the room, it fills it. If the light touches flora, specifically, then it will grow in size by roughly 2% per hour. Without a better option for penning them, the beetles are let loose on the mushrooms.

As such, Arden and the Lunar-Priestess together convinced all food production to be shifting into this room. The ideal is that, upon the Treasure Room being found, the Expeditionaries will have no need to move any further. With the same idea in mind, the leftmost of the three passages is adjacent to this growing room, and next to the right is the daycare… and as many homes as they could fit. The lunar priestess rocks children to sleep inside, and holds Eliza steady.

She’s not doing very well.

[ Sanctuary - 20 Occupants ]

[ Maximum Size Reached… ]

[ Excavate externally to increase capacity ]

It has been a long two days, much of this done as fast as possible, communicated through the guardians. Now there are only a few gorakhin left outside the sanctuary, and only three humans.

[ Expedition Team 1 is ready for: Custom Expedition: [ Save Granite ] ]

Launch?

Y/N?

He looks over the tactical screen.

Tactical Screen.

Expeditionry:

Equipment: Consumables Arden Lockwood

[VIT][Resistance I][ATK] + [CHA][Persuasive I][DEF]

[ Path of the Paladin ]

[ Untold Skies ]

[ Broken Hearts, Shattered Dreams (Platemail) ]

Solstice Strauss

[DEX][Swiftness I][ATK] + [STR][Unyielding Force I][DEF]

[ Path of the Zealot ]

[ A Dagger of a Dreary Day ]

[ Flashcloak, Weaker ]

[ Celestial Energy Containment ]

[ Throwing Dagger Satchel ]

Ameior

[DEX][Swiftness I][ATK] + [INT][Artificer I][DEF] [H][ Created Lance ]

[ Unsent Revenge ]

[ Basic Armour ] [ Recalled Solar-Nature Reaction Vial ] Graskull

[STR][Unyielding Force I][ATK] + [VIT][Resilience I][DEF]

[ Axe of Comeback ]

[ Furs of Containment ]

[ Abyssal Energy Containment ] Quartz

[INT][Arcanist I][ATK + DEF][Bound]

[ Cracked Staff ]

[ Basic Armour ]

[ Crystallized Celestial-Lunar Reaction ] Onyx

[STR][Ebb and Flow I][ATK + DEF][Bound] [ Axe of Long Reach ] Sapphire

[DEX][Swiftness I][ATK + DEF][Bound] [ Crystalline-edge Dagger ] x 2

[ Cloak of Hidden Messages ]

[ Basic Armour ] Dangan

[WIS][Neophyte] [ Makeshift Pike ] Dahooli

[INT][Neophyte] [ Makeshift Pike ] Eras

[DEX][Neophyte] [ Makeshift Pike ] Hiasmas

[STR][Neophyte] [ Makeshift Pike ]

The assorted expedition actually looks the part. Arden has proper clothing for the first time, steel armour with cracks and fissures that pass through the ancient engravings. It has an aura, [ Resilience Amidst Sorrow ] — which Caau through was perfect for Arden.

Better yet, it seems to convert sad emotions into actual power. He’s not quite sure how that works yet.

On top of that, the kid has [ Untold Skies ] — a large staff with a thick ball of steel engraved to look like a moon atop it. 3 charges of [ Firsthand Understanding ] per day.

Whatever that means. Hopefully Arden will find a use for it.

Caau had also opted to give Ameior an item: [ Unsent Revenge ], a crossbow that is much larger than he would have thought. Apparently his gift was well given, because the both of them finally converted to being his followers.

Now he has a lot of followers… which means a lot of prayers — which hopefully means he can start rolling for some way to speak pretty soon.

Then again… what if it is an extremely rare ability, or requires thousands of ‘invested faith’. If I have 32 followers now… that means 128 prayers a month.

It would still take nearly a year to get to one thousand.

The maths is a little scuffed, but the spirit is there.

You want me to take a more active part in all of this… but if I can’t speak, how can I?

You already are. You’ve properly equipped your expedition, rather than hoarding the items. For a while, you neither had them in use nor did you consign them.

If you don’t know the cards on the table, you don’t play.

Sounds like a great way to never do anything.

He presses the Y button — with his mind, of course. If only he had hands to do it. The Expedition immediately starts, venturing into the darkness.

Caau looks to Granite’s vision. The golem is still chained tight to a wall, scared, and now blind. A room has been built around him. Any information he could give is now gone.

It’s alright, Granite. We’re coming.

The golem nods.

Caau turns his attention to the Expedition. As it turns out, he can see through any of his followers eyes, meaning his vision is now rather expansive and not unlike that of a insects, if he deigns to ‘zoom out’ enough. Though, that can become very confusing very fast.

Beyond the known figures, there are two humans and two gorakhin. He ‘drafted’ them, for lack of a better word. They are the most able bodied of their respective races.

Two of them weren’t even Neophytes — both the humans. One was a baker… the other a beggar. The beggar, surprisingly, wears a cloak made from bearskin — though it doesn’t register as an item, as clothes often don’t.

As such, he’d spent the two remaining [ Neophyte Tokens ] on them, giving them some fighting chance. All had pikes — the intention is that they could perhaps stab a few goblins whilst they are out there and then get their Paths.

That’d make them a class, right?

Indeed. Well done. You’ve come a long way from a piece of stone sitting in the dark… to a slightly below-average piece of stone sitting in the dark.

Bravo!

Fuck you.

Caau would smile. If he could.

How long has it been… since he had?