I awoke from my unconsciousness with the message in the center of my view. After reading it, it faded away and left me with a view of my surroundings. Looking around with my bodiless eyes I saw that I was in a small plain stone room. The room was circular and about 10 feet wide with an unadorned stone pillar in the middle that held what I knew to be my true body, a tiny conical faceted light blue gem that sent out short lived blue solar novas as it hovered and turned above the pillar. At the entrance of the room I saw a smooth arched entrance to a short tunnel that lead to a wall of white snow.
Looking around for anything else to look at, I quickly found that there was nothing else in the chamber aside from me and the pillar. The walls were all the same shade of grey stone that existed throughout my small domain, and bore no signs of decoration or age. Eventually I gave up on finding anything else of interest to look at and just decided to sit there and wait for something to happen.
Eventually my waiting paid off as another message appeared to me, quickly followed by another that sounded more personal than the last.
Dungeon Core Assistant, designated to the new Dungeon, Iceborn, activated.
Greetings Dungeon Core, I am the assisting intelligence the gods sent to aid you in your duties as a Dungeon Core. Do you have any questions to ask me?
Yes, I thought as I looked at the message, What is a Dungeon?
Oh dear, you should already know what a Dungeon is, let me run a few quick tests before I answer that question. The assistant answered before I felt a curious sensation of being doused in cold water within my crystal body as she ran whatever tests she was doing. Hmm. It looks like your core was never properly finished, only your unnecessary memories have been removed but none of the necessary memories have been added. Oh well as an assistant I have been given a copy of the same memories that you are missing, I will answer your question and then any other questions you have.
Dungeons are stationary places that provide the Gods followers with the resources and challenges to strengthen them. Dungeons perform their duties by creating environments rich in locally or globally rare resources with a level of danger to match the reward. Additionally Dungeons may bestow divine blessings on followers at the Gods behest.
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How do most Dungeons successfully support the Gods followers? I asked thoughtfully.
Most Dungeons start with several resource floors that supply the followers establish a city with materials that allow them to create a permanent settlement easily. The average Dungeon has 3 resource floors, but as the Gods placed your entrance on the side of a mountain blocked off by a glacier you will have to provide more than most.
In a mountain you say? I thought as I looked back at my snow covered entrance. Such a cold environment, I guess I will have to provide warmth and food for the followers. The Gods know nothing lives on a glacier.
Correct, your surroundings are very cold and barren so food and heat are a great idea. However due to your divine patron you cannot provide heat directly.
My divine patrons? Who are they and what does that have to do with heat?
Ah, I forgot. But you should think the word “Menu” to view your status and titles.
Following her suggestion, I think “Menu” and another message appears in my vision, this one has the same impersonal feeling as my first message.
Iceborn Dungeon:
Floors: 1
Mana: 100/100
Defenses: 0%
Titles:
* Iceborn: You were crafted by the God of Ice Kirios and have been blessed with his touch. Your creatures are all adapted to any cold environments, and have an increased chance of gaining ice magic, and a slightly increased chance of gaining water, or wind magic. Because of Kirios’ patronage all of your floors will be cold environments barring outside factors.
* Nature Bound : While you were crafted by Kirios, the Goddess of Nature Vita, added her blessing to you. You have access to all harmless plants, and small creatures, but your floors will naturally drift towards a balanced ecosystem.
Oh, I see all of my floors will be cold, but what does outside factors include? I asked after reading through my titles.
Outside factors can include the involvement of powerful monsters, other Gods, magic resources, or geothermal activity.
Ah so unless I find something or someone that provides heat, all of my floors are going to be cold environments. I said after my assistant’s explanation. Thinking further I realized that my menu said I was on floor one but all I saw was this plain stone room, so I asked, Wait my status says I currently have one floor but all I see is this room, why is that.
While you are technically on floor one you are currently comprised of only one special room and no regular floor rooms. The room you are in now is called your core room and it will always be at the end of your dungeon, no matter how many rooms you have.