Poppit POV

-We are finally getting our actual task, like Babe just got! This is so exciting. Long stairs aren't fun though. So much dragging, and zig zagging to get up them. Maybe we should ask Curator to add in a slope made of sand to swim up? That would be muchly faster!-

Concentrating, Poppit would do just that, doing their best to communicate that, for them at least, a moderately deep slope of sand would make getting to the top of Curator's ziggurat notably faster and easier. That done as he reaches the summit the longboyo would eagerly wriggle near the core, their massive excitement barely contained before Curator speaks.

'Poppit, you've served me well so far, both in helping me learn more about things around me as well as protecting those things I feel should be protected. From this point on your role will be that of the Guardian. Protecting my domain, those within it, and even going beyond my realm to investigate things that might end up being a threat to myself, my realm, or those that dwell within it. Even the most open of libraries, and communities, do need protectors after all!'

Curator POV

Upon giving Poppit their role, man I really need to figure out if it's male or female, they grow silent and unnaturally still. For their wriggly self that is. Watching in, fairly abject, horror as they bloat and inflate like an over stuffed sausage as that flow of mana from myself to them finally ends, I can only hope my fuzzy noodle is fine.

Thinking on the images they showed me, a sand slide might not be a bad idea. It would allow them to get up and down much faster. Also long as visitors brought something to slide on with them, it'd let folks get down quite rapidly, without the worry of falling down stairs. Plus, after whatever changes finish to Poppit, this should, hopefully, bring them back to their prior sensibilities of excitement and joy, right?

Focusing on myself to check how much mana is still coalesced into rings, I'd be pleasantly surprised to still see one, and change, after imbuing both Babe and Poppit. Perhaps since this was just 'title' granting kinda thing instead of full naming, it's cheaper? Or maybe since I'd previously named them that's what made it cheaper. Kinda like upgrading a unit in a strategy game is cheaper than buying the new unit from scratch.

Making a flat bottom 'ramp' with side guides down the 'back' of my ziggurat, I'd set a flow of sand going down it till it reaches the bottom and stops flowing. Thank you magic for letting me set this how I want, as a stream of sand isn't the goal, but a constant slope of it is!

Looking back at the bloated Poppit, it'd be easy to see their skin through all that spread out fur. As that gaze lingers upon them, there's...shapes and bulges starting to writhe and move under that skin, almost like the scarab scene from a certain movie. It's....disturbing and I hope my lil fren is okay.

Looking for something to take my mind of that...horror show, I'd sweep my gaze over various points. Babe has, indeed, lead those skinkle to that prepped camp area, and they're already starting to set up those tents. Many of them seem excited, but almost all of them seem, anxious, which is more than fair. If some mysterious powerful...thing...suddenly told me to move it'd put me on edge too. Spotting Babe, Vekla, Vahlu and chieftain all talking I'd listen in.

"...so on edge? It is not like Curator has demanded you sacrifice yourselves to them, or some, nebulous goal. They has provided a place to shelter, with water and food, and merely asks for your assistance and collaboration on his own plans and ambitions. Which will also benefit your people. You merely need trust him."

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"See, that's what we don't get. Why would such a powerful dungeon core, that is truly intelligent and wise, who has such power, not just subjugate us instead. There is nothing we could possibly do to stop it if it were to decide to wipe us out. Let alone enslave us."

Hearing those thoughts of the chieftain spoken out loud, I couldn't help but feel a smidge of anger was over me at the mere thought of doing such. As that happens Vekla frowns and Babe actually hisses in annoyance, causing the brothers to shrink away slightly. Watching Vekla take a deep breath and close his eyes a moment to calm down, my lil...desert kobold I guess, would speak up.

"Curator must have heard some of what you just said as they grew quite angry over those...ideas...you had toward them enslaving you and such. I'm fairly sure they despise such things, and do not want such. That is why they steered us toward this situation, where it's beneficial for them, you, and every one here, to work together in the direction they lead too. A direction where our people prosper, and have the knowledge, and know how, to do great things upon the world."

Speaking up myself at that point, I would finally give my two cents on the situation.

'Very much so Vekla. For me subjugation should be a last resort only for those that will not listen to reason. Enslavement shall never be a thing in my domain. To the point that should one show up with slaves, I would likely take the slaves from that individual to ask why they were enslaved, how they were treated and use that to determine if they will be freed and allowed to stay here, freed and expelled, or in some cased, imprisoned and put to work until the debt they've built to society has been paid off. The last option there would be for folks who committed crimes that harmed, but did not kill, others, or, did not harm in certain ways. For those who murder, rape, and target children however....I think sending them into the sands without hands, nor feet, to crawl in search of a way to survive may be the best option. In that state, they will likely die, yes, but should they not, it ensures that they will be in no position to hurt people in those ways again. I do try to be good, and fair, but some things, some things I WON'T tolerate in my domain.'

Having said my peace, and laid down the...law I guess, it would be time to simply watch their reactions. Babe and Vekla both nod in agreement with my statements, the brothers however seem a bit more...perturbed by such. Chieftain has fallen to his knees trembling slightly, and Vahlu looks like he's just seen a ghost.

"He....he was listening as we were talking?! Is he always listening like that...do we need to walk upon shifting sands so as to not...rouse such anger?"

"No such thing. I only felt their presence focusing upon us just before Vekla and myself responded so negatively to your assertions. Curator heard your worries and was upset that you would think so poorly of them that you thought they may try to enslave and subjugate 'willy nilly' as they would put it. Having seen some of their memories, memories that lead me to believe they were a regular person of sorts prior to becoming the core mind you, I can tell you they have a vehement dislike of pointless violence, or violence as a first resort, however, they are not opposed to violence to protect themselves, or others. Or to resort to such to spite those who attempt to take everything from them."

Good, Babe understands. I'll leave her to further handle this then and check back in on Poppit. Returning my view back to my core room it would be easy to see the change to Poppit. That writhing under their skin having gotten worse, and their forms so bloated, stretched, and distended, it's like watching eels or something moving through them in such a manner. It's not long until, with a sound not unlike skinning a catfish, their body ruptures. Gore, blood, and viscera spilling out all over my chamber. That is...I thought it was gore and viscera until the things spilling out in that torrent of blood start moving on their own and it's shocking to see but...mini Poppits. Dozens and dozens of mini Poppits. Is...is this how their kind reproduces maybe, goodness I hope not, that's...disgusting and violent.

As I watch though it's easy to see they aren't all the same size, as they move, gain their bearings, and start moving into a group, there is one that's clearly larger than the rest, and of the smaller types there are two sizes, one kinda larger, and one kinda smaller. Reaching out to Poppit's mind to try and view through their senses again, my own mind would be repulsed and have to pull out. Suddenly seeing from dozens of different points of view and sense is quite disorienting.

'Poppit, you okay lil buddy...buddies now I guess?'

Upon asking that, all of them turn toward me at once and nod, clacking their mandibles in a kind of salute, the largest even standing up on it's hind legs to properly try and salute. Pulling the...remains...of the prior Poppit single body into my storage, and then dumping a massive glob of clean water over them to clean them of that blood and wash it out of my chamber I'd let out a mental sigh of relief. Seems different species, or maybe just different individuals change uniquely when titled. We'll need to see if that's due to the title, the individual, or the species. At least Poppit is still alive...even if they are now a swarm as opposed to one individual.