2.2.3 Mapping Hell, First Half (Sky Arrows PoV: Dark Sage Park Lumberman)
Park and his group approach the stairs going down deeper into the dungeon. There are several scribes checking and reorganizing the desks and office furniture to both sides of the stairs. One of the scribes looks up. "Oh hello - please wait a minute, we just started setting everything up for the dungeon council."
The scribe collects a quill and a parchment. "This will have to do until we get formal procedures sorted out. The dungeon council wants us to record every party entering the dungeon, including who you are and on whose share you enter the dungeon and why. In your case the last two would be on the dungeon councils behalf and for first evaluation, but please state your names and classes for the record."
"YES, please tell me who you are and what tricks you have before entering my dungeon floors.
I like it when a plan works as intended. The Council would have been better advised to setup outside instead of using the convenient office on my first floor..."
"Bureaucrazy is the worst form of crazy" Park mumbles to himself while everyone gives their data. "OK, two things before we go down.
You two, your names are Lerin and Holgur, correct? We always use first names only when dungeon delving, because warning shouts need to be quick and not with formal titles. And we expect the same from you - I'm Park, and these are Claudia, Sam (to shorten Samantha as well) and Corvin.
The other thing is that in most cases, spawns are slow to react when a party enters a floor from the stairs. This is no longer the case once we are on the floor itself, but for the first room on each floor our best chance is to rush any defenders. And I would like you to do your part in the fight - if we just carry you along then you will not trigger the [escapee] status when we leave again.
Corvin and Taarna - that's the Sabretooth Lion there - will rush first, then I want you two to follow, then Claudia and her other beasts, Sam and me last."
The plate-armoured fighter goes down the stairs beside the big cat. Halfway down he quietly tells the party what he sees. "As Park said you rush the room - but not the stairs, which is especially true in this case. The stairs slowly become smaller, from the three meters at floor one to the minimum of two meters at the lower end. Rushing them from the top would have cause some people to stumble on that. The room itself seems to be dark, but consists of masonry similiar to the top floor. Ready to go, three, two, go!"
The party storms into a room that is six by six meters, with a small column of one meter wide in the center. As soon as Corvin enters, torches on all walls light up to reveal a group of six silver foxes in the room.
Spoiler: The first room of floor 2
The first room of floor 2 [http://www.avarion.de/sphere/Room_01_F002.JPG]
Combat Initiated
Dark Sage Park Lumberman, Tamer Claudia Pekarest & tamed beasts, Shadowhand Samantha Swiftblade, Fighter Corvin Omklen and Citywatch Recruits Lerin Airleaf and Holgur Moog
vs.
Silverfox A, B, C, D, E and F
Corvin simply smashes the silver fox that attacks him against the wall with a backhand blow of his armored fist, while the sabretooth lion bites another fox in half. Park and Sam also kill their foxes quickly, but the two recruits have more problems.
The Sky Arrows watch the fight where Lerin and Holgur both need multiple hits with their swords before the battle is finished.
Victory Result
No XP due to excessive rank difference between the party and the spawns.
Silver Fox Cadavers can now be taken as loot.
"What? Why are the spawns bodies considered loot instead of dissolving? And Holgur and Lerin had more problems than they should have with floor-two-spawns. Claudia, please check on the foxes while I check the room and the floor details. Corvin, on guard for roaming spawns." Park doesn't like it if a dungeon doesn't behave as his experience tells him.
Claudia kneels down and checks the silver fox corpses while Park looks around.
Five illusions in this room alone - one on each exit making them all look like regular corridors, including the stairs up that should be there. And the last illusion on the column with the decorative floor around it. Why is that fifth illusion there? Oh right - its the same size as a node and its magic circle, which means the floors node is hidden behind one such illusion. And in total the illusions on the exits work hand-in-hand with the floor effect "Misdirection".
After a few minutes Claudia stands up again. "Interesting - I've never seen it used that way. Everyone, these silver foxes carry the modification [Loot] that is usually only found on traps and trapped chests. And as usual it increases the level by one, making these spawn be level 3 on floor 2. The cause of the loot is that their teeth and claws are laced with real silver. That also gives them a slight enhancement of combat strength, but since the silver comes from the loot modification there is no extra battle modification needed or mentioned.
With the silver, the high quality fur and the meat it adds up to a value of around 40 copper for each of these cadavers."
"More than two silver for fighting half a dozen foxes in the first room?" Holgur is surprised "I know quite a number of recruits that would be interested in clearing these rooms for that money..."
"That explains much" interjects Park before the discussion can turn to loot "including why the Necromancer Apprentice was overwhelmed. He expected to face several spawns of the first level, but instead he got spawns of level 2 equipped with the equivalent of silver weapons. With the silver giving a chance of dispelling [limited] magic the foxes must have gone through his simple skeletons as if they weren't even there.
And that is not the only trick this dungeon has. Look around."
"Huh? Where are the stairs? Every exit of the room is a regular corridor and they go in all directions..."
"There are five illusions in this room, let me dispell them." Park chants five times and each time an illusion vanishes. One exit now shows the stairs going back up, directly opposite to it is just an alcove with a chest. But the two corridors to the north and south don't change despite the illusions dispelled, and the column also remains the same.
The female recruit, Lerin wonders: "Why waste power on an illusion that shows the same thing as reality?"
"It isn't wasted" Park answers "The floor effect is misdirection, and with illusions into every direction you can't even use detect magic to get your bearings. You need to dispell everything unless you are high enough in rank to ignore the misdirection and have good maps to know where you are. This floor will provide quite a challenge to [Limited] adventurers, requiring a lot of mapping skills and counters to illusions. We'll probably have to raise the minimum entry level for adventurers to four or five for this floor or we'll loose a lot of them to this dungeon."
At that moment the discussion is suddenly disrupted
System Notification: The Dungeon's public title has been changed.
What? thinks Park [Dungeon Details][Floor Details]
Dungeon Details Dungeon Name
general Public Title
Trickster
Title Effect All attempts to see through any distraction or illusion (magic or non-magic hiding) are at -2 penalty. Dungeon Rank
unknown
Floors reached
2
Floor Details Floor Number 2 Floor Name not set Details not set
Floor Environment Medieval Cellar Environment Rank [Limited] Details Rough stone masonry walls with functioning torches.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
No effect other than Light Floor Effect Misdirection Effect Rank [Limited] Details The Mapping and Direction Sense skills are reduced by one [Rank] in effect, and all skill rolls of direction sense and mapping are at a penalty of -2 while under this effect.
Park groans. "OK, at least we now know that the dungeon core survived. It changed the title exactly after we learned what this floor does and it changed it into one that makes dispelling these illusions more difficult. I can still handle it, but dispelling dozens of illusions with that penalty will drain even my astral power a bit.
Sam, have you checked the chest? If you're finished I suggest we go north."
The Shadowhand holds up a black coin "Yes, and it was only level 1 with only a single dungeon token inside it - probably a placement instead of a random floor chest. The token has a number 1 on front and three stars on the symbol side. I have no idea what it is to be used for."
The party goes to the north, quickly dispatching the six silver foxes that wait for them in the next room. Everything looks identical to the first room, including illusions on all four exits and on the column.
Samantha looks around "That [Misdirection] effect will really cause people a headache if every room looks the same. Park, can you dispel the illusion to the right exit first? If that is the dungeons size limit it would also be a fake corridor."
Park casts the spell and the group looks at an alcove again, this time with a half-meter hole in the floor and some planks and basins on the wall.
"Huh? [Embarrassing Pitfall Trap Level 0]" Samantha wonders "What is this idiocy? You just need to fold down this damaged plank and no one can fall in, because the hole in the plank is too small. Think this is something mutated Park?"
*snicker*
"This trap doesn't make any sense at all, the only one to be embarrassed with it should be the dungeon itself."
*snicker*
"Something funny, Claudia? Or why are you snickering this whole time?"
"Oh Sam, just think about it - where do you normally see a seat with a hole in it and a basin of dry leaves next to it? Then you'll also know why it would be extremely embarrassing to fall down into that pit..."
"AN OUTHOUSE???? Why would a dungeon even bother with that?" Samantha shouts in confusion.
Into the following silence Corvin says "The dungeon does have office furniture on the safe floor as well - it seems to have been programmed with options about making an adventurers life easier."
"OK, General, what is it really? You made that while you were still closed and under an energy limit, but you have never wasted a limited budget on conveniences before on Earth."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Gunny. I can give you on good authority that this is nothing but a simple restroom for the poor adventurers travelling through me."
"General...." Gunny gives THE LOOK toward the core.
"Ok, Ok, I give Gunny...
This restroom and a second one like it on floor three are exactly what they seem to be - mostly so that the adventurers exhaust their curiosity and identify skills on them and then ignore the third restroom that is also on floor three.
One of the absolute system rules is that all rooms in a dungeon need to be physically connected somehow, and since I had only three floor crystals to create floors at the same time, that connection had to have been on the third floor at the latest.
I knew from the beginning that I would block the corridor as soon as I had something deeper, and the current connection on floor 5 will also be closed as soon as everything is ready on floor eight. But a blocked corridor is not the same as a corridor that was never exvacated, and a fake wall can be detected sooner or later.
So the former connection on the third floor ends inside that third restrooms pit.
Let them use the rooms for a few weeks and no one will climb down there to look for a fake wall anymore."
After a number of identify skills and spells on the embarassing pitfall Park grows tired of it. "There seems nothing to it, the only magic on the bottom is a slow absorption pattern and a smell illusion. Let me continue with dispelling the illusions in this room."
Park casts another dispell on the illusion of the column - and suddenly there are stones flying everywhere, followed by a short firewave.
"Ouch" "Look out" "What the hell" "Iiieeks"
None of the high-ranked Sky Arrows is really hurt by the trap, but Holgun needs a healing potion for the burns on his face, and they all need a minute to put out the tiny flames on their equipment.
Samantha looks up to the hole in the ceiling. "That is a rockfall trap with a Loot-bonus to make it level 3. The cone that is here instead of the column made the stones scatter in all directions instead of only falling down. But why was it triggered by Park's magic, and where did that firewave came from? No trap on floor two should have secondary effects."
"When I cast the [Dispell] on the illusion, I detected that there was a shield spell directly under it. But I thought nothing of it and dispelled both, because anything protected by the dungeon should lose that protection. Unfortunately the shield-spell was basically used as a plug to keep the rockfall trap closed. But I have no idea where the fire came from, there was nothing magical about it." comes from Park.
Lerin speaks up "I think I know what it was - look at the stones. It's another case of a carefully selected loot - those rocks are heavy coal and can be sold for some copper. But coal means coal dust, and coal dust with open fire like the rooms torches..."
"Claudia, your Taarna is already sniffing into the next room north. Should we check it?" Sam asks.
At that Holgun looks surprised "A further room in a straight row? OK, we haven't gone into the corridor to the south so there might not be another room in that direction, but isn't this at the size limit for a floor 2 of a low level [high] or [very high] dungeon?"
The Sky Arrows exchange quick glances, remembering their discussion from the previous evening. Park answers "We can probably rule out a [high]-ranked core by now, but this should be possible with a [very high] ranked dungeon. Let's check it out."
The group proceeds into the next room.
Bad idea, Park - you should have removed the illusion on that corridor to see what it really is...
The General grins to itself
"Another room like everyone else, with another group of six silver foxes, although two of them have minor mutations from the energy cycle. It's surely nice for adventurers looking for loot, but somehow I expected something more out of a dungeon that has been cunning with its spawns and traps so far." Corvin sounds a bit bored when complaining about that. "Park, is the column real or another rockfall trap?"
"I think neither - but I can't make head nor tails about the traces that I can detect through the illusion. One moment, let me dispell it." Park casts the dispell again and the group is given an unexpected sight.
Under the illusion was no column, but a statue of six foxes standing next to and even on each other. They are extremely life-like as if they had been frozen in that position. Before anyone can touch them however Shadowhand Samantha calls. "Wait - that's no statue, they are caught in a stoning trap."
"That makes no sense, Sam" Park answers "A stoning trap needs an [Average] rank to function properly, it can't be placed on a [Limited] floor and still function."
"It doesn't function - my [Identify Traps] allows me to see its restrictions and conditions, and it is completely harmless to us. I don't know what the core thought when it created that trap, but the first restriction is that it cannot trap adventurers, only spawns can be trapped." Samantha shakes her head "and the second restriction is that all caught will be automatically released when there is no danger and no life around for more than five minutes."
Everyone looks at each other confused. That really doesn't make any sense.
There is something about the way those conditions are worded - it's something that doesn't fit ... But before Park can complete his thoughts, he hears another call from the recruit Lerin
"Your cat is too curious, Claudia - she's already on her way to the next room again."
Another room in a straight line? something doesn't fit here, let's look. Park calls to Claudia "Make sure Taarna stays in the next room, this is too easy and we need to check more carefully."
"Only a single Silver Fox this time" calls Corvin while trying to backhand the spawn into the wall as usual. But this time the spawn evades.
Combat Initiated
Dark Sage Park Lumberman, Tamer Claudia Pekarest & tamed beasts, Shadowhand Samantha Swiftblade, Fighter Corvin Omklen and Citywatch Recruits Lerin Airleaf and Holgur Moog
vs.
Silverfox A
Corvin strikes with his sword against Silver Fox A and hits, but despite the wound the fox makes its own assault against Taarna and bites her into her front paw. Her retaliationary claw strike also hits, but it takes the additional trident attack from Claudia and a knife throw from Samantha to finish the Silver Fox.
Victory Result
Recruits Lerin Airleaf and Holgur Moog each gain 10 XP (reduced due to high-ranked help).
Sky Arrows gain no XP due to high rank difference.
Silver Fox Cadaver can now be taken as loot.
"What the hell was that? Single enemies usually have two levels more than a group of spawns, but that was no level 5 fox. It has to be of at least level 11 for the victory message to change like that." Corvin is now really angry "Claudia, how did that fox get to that level?"
Claudia lists the result of her identify beasts "Node Guard Bonus +2 levels, Stair Guard Bonus +3 levels, Single Enemy Bonus +2 levels, Loot Bonus +1 level, Base level ... that can't be right - base level three???"
Park begins to dispell everything in the room and finds the node as well as a natural cave corridor going steeply down - only that the way down is in the south alcove where they should have come from since they were always going the north corridor. What? How did we get lost that easily? The [Misdirection] alone is too weak to do this to us on our levels.
Sam uses the silence that follows the surprises to check the floor details. "We are indeed on floor 3 instead of floor 2, and that cavern corridor there will go down to floor 4. How is that possible, I don't remember going down any other stair?"
For a minute or so the room is filled with confused shouting before Park stops it. "CALM DOWN!!
OK, the dungeon got us lost and no I don't know how either. But nothing here can really harm us, we are too high-leveled for that. We will handle our task here and retrace our steps dispelling every illusion, that should allow us to find out what happened.
Before that, Samantha, Corvin and I will go check the fourth floor if it has the core node and if it has different effects than the first two floors or the same misdirection. Claudia, keep guard here and especially check if the dungeon releases any Lifeforce here while we are down to the fourth floor."
"No need for any cheating or respawning so far, Park. The list of surprises is still long...."