- [Vampire Lord Inkume] -
A chill lingers in the corridors of the Vampire Lord’s castle, traveling as a brisk whisper of air that slithers through the stone passages. Shadows cling to the walls next to the musty tapestries, their inky depths shifting with each flicker of the mounted sconces, casting an eerie luminescence that dances across the cold, uneven floor that seems to rise and fall, like a breathing chest. The air — crisp and biting — carries the faint scent of ancient dust and something metallic. The corridors themselves exude a solemn grandeur, their high arches looming overhead like the rib cage of some long-forgotten beast. The walls — adorned with faded portraits and cracked murals — whisper stories of bygone eras. The chill intensifies near the drafty windows, where the night outside presses in, a velvet darkness dotted with distant stars. As Fi-Fi leads the way, her fingers glide over the stone, her touch light and reverent. Inkume follows.
She said she has some ideas to make the castle better. If he’s learned anything, it’s that his minions are worth listening to. It's not like he knows what he's doing most of the time. Nonetheless, Vampire Lord Inkume strides purposefully, his dark cape trailing behind him like a living shadow. His sharp and calculating eyes scan the corridors as if searching for something beyond the stone and mortar — a vision only he can perceive. He's not actually looking for anything, but he's trying to look brooding and mysterious.
“No way,” says Inkume, surprised. “You’re saying that his first love was in the middle ages?!” asks the Vampire Lord, shocked at this revelation. “He’s that old?” asks Inkume, thinking about the sketchy morality of a many-century-old being spending his free days at a modern high school.
“Hai!” responds Fi-Fi giddily. “In book one, Matthew-Cray-Anthony fell in love with a maid in the royal castle,” she explains, lifting a bony finger. “— Her name was Sarah too! That’s how it all began.”
Fi-Fi, the skeletal maid, glides beside him with a peculiar grace, her bones clicking softly as she moves. Her presence is a comfort to Inkume — a reminder of the world he once came from. She pauses to adjust the bangle on her wrist, the golden band catching the dim light. "I think we should start with the outer halls," she suggests, her voice a lilting melody that echoes faintly in the corridor.
“Agreed,” says Inkume, but then rolls back to the prior topic. “‘Sarah’, though? You’re fucking with me. What are the odds?”
“Honest Fi-Fi only ever tells the truth!” says the maid. “In books one and two, each woman Matthew loves is called Sarah,” she explains.
The two of them are out to change some things about the castle but have gotten caught up in a chit-chat about Enfangled. Inkume almost hates to admit it, but he might be hooked. He has volume three of the series here with him. Fi-Fi has read the first two books of the trilogy.
“But they are mortal and he isn’t, so when they die, he spends his life waiting for Sarah to reappear again,” explains Fi-Fi, clutching her hands together and sighing deeply. “It’s so romantic.”
“...It seems a little odd,” concedes Inkume. “...So… the three Sarahs from each book, are they same… ‘person’, or are they just different girls who are each coincidentally named ‘Sarah’?” asks Inkume, trying to understand the deep lore of the Enfangled universe.
“We do not know, Master!” replies Fi-Fi. She strikes a flash of poses with each word, dancing alongside him as she sings in a sing-song voice. “It’s a great mystery, yeaaah~!” she cries out, her arms up in the air. “The author is very vague and paces such big questions out too long,” says Fi-Fi, leaning her head on his arm as she walks backward next to him. “I find it quite frustrating.”
The skeleton leans her head back, somehow managing not to stumble as she stares into his eyes. He can only assume this is years of idol dancing practice paying dividends to her footwork.
“So can I borrow it?” she asks.
He was afraid she was going to ask that.
“— Onegaishimasu!” adds Fi-Fi, spinning back forward and then wrapping her arms around his sides.
It sounds dumb, but the thought of him relinquishing his copy of Enfangled is… oddly terrifying. That book saved his life, and even if he’s just about read it cover to cover a few times now, it feels like giving away one’s best friend.
What would Matthew-Cray-Anthony do?
Inkume looks down at Fi-Fi, her large, hollow eyes are practically sparkling as she gazes his way.
Damn it.
“Okay, okay,” he concedes, not able to resist the bony puppy eyes. Inkume sighs and crosses his arms. “But you need to tell me everything you remember from the first two books first,” he adds as a condition. It’s not that he’s deeply interested. It’s just that there is perhaps vital survival knowledge here.
— Is what he tells himself.
They walk past a door, stepping over a large streak of ash on the rug where it looks like something was burning not long ago. There is still a smell in the air.
Fi-Fi, not letting go of him, shrieks and squeaks and starts to jump up into the air around him in a circle, her arms latched around his side. “Sleepover book party with the Master!” exclaims the skeleton excitedly, laughing playfully. “Can I paint your nails?” she asks.
The Vampire Lord supposes that this is his good deed for the day.
“— But later. For now we have work,” he reminds her.
“Yes!” exclaims Fi-Fi, as she lets go of him and suddenly stands very stifly, saluting him like a soldier about to be sent to the front.
“…Don’t take it so seriously,” he notes, raising an eyebrow.
Fi-Fi slouches over the bones of her legs and feet, collapsing into a loose, untidy heap on the floor. She lowers three fingers from her salute and then softly waves the hand his way. “Casual Fi-Fi will wow you with her smooth, relaxing charm,” says the pile of bones on the floor. “My first suggestion is for us to add water fountains!” explains the skull, sitting on top of a frilly dress.
“Water… Fountains?” asks Inkume, not sure if he heard right.
“It will make my mopping easier!” she explains, as if it were obvious. “Right now, Fi-Fi must walk very far with her buckets.”
“…Is having the castle mopped a priority?” asks Inkume, looking at the skeleton as she pieces herself back together. “I mean, you know, I think the whole point is that it’s kind of scary and bleak,” explains Inkume. He gestures to the painting of a screaming, horrified man they are standing next to. “— You know. For the vibe?” he adds. “Vampire Lord,” notes Inkume, gesturing to himself.
“Tsk!” she hisses, pointing a bony finger into his chest. She looks at it for a second, realising that she put her fingers on in the wrong order, and then gazes back up at him. “Vampire Lord, not Vampire Slob!” says Fi-Fi, poking his ribs. She lifts the digit, holding it to the side of her head. “Trust Fi-Fi!”
The Vampire Lord lifts his hands. “Okay, okay. Water fountains,” he concedes, not entirely sure that he understands what she’s after.
Inkume turns his hands over, a dark energy seeping out of his palms toward the castle walls.
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A surge of power resonates through the castle, swirling around like a tempest of raw magic. The air tingles with anticipation, vibrating in harmony with the pulse of the old stones. Each flicker of candlelight casts playful shadows, and the atmosphere hums. The ancient walls seem to breathe more intensely now than before, shifting ever so slightly under the weight of Inkume’s concentrated power.
Inkume stands at the center of the hallway, his arms raised, channeling his magic into the very fabric of the castle. His eyes glow with an otherworldly light, reflecting the darkness that surrounds him. The ornate chandeliers above sway gently, acknowledging the shift in energy.
As he focuses, the cold stone beneath him begins to resonate with an ethereal glow. Suddenly, the walls tremble and crack, revealing intricate fountains adorned with esoteric iconography. Water flows from their spouts — crystal clear and inviting, cascading in delicate arcs that catch the light. The sound of the water is soothing — a gentle rush that fills the air with a fresh, clean scent, a stark contrast to the lingering smells of dust and decay.
All around the castles, fountains of such a nature appear in many of the corridors.
Fi-Fi glides toward one of the fountains, her bony fingers trailing through the cool water. The sensation sends shivers of delight through her skeleton. She fills a small cup, holding it up to Inkume. "This will hydrate the adventurers," she observes, her voice a melodic whisper, breaking the silence that envelops them. “So their blood will be much more refreshing for the Master!” she explains, taking a sip.
[Water Fountains]
Every fourteenth corridor in your castle now has a water fountain inside of it, filled with pure, sacred water from the cathedral.
Adventurers can rest and refresh themselves here at these locations. The water will restore lost magic, stamina, and is rich in magnesium!
• [Holy Water] can now be accessed in [The Cathedral].
“…I have a cathedral?” asks Inkume, muttering. “Why does my evil vampire castle have a cathedral?”
The water runs down her ribs.
Fi-Fi looks down at her dress for a second and then back at him. “It is not urine. It is water,” she expalins quietly, as if he hadn’t just seen that happen.
“Sure ...I mean… yeah,” says Inkume, as the last of the changes envelop the castle. “I guess that makes sense?” he notes, not sure if this was a helpful use of his power or not. Maybe Fi-Fi just isn’t so versed in the business of running a dungeon as Snatch is?
She wags a finger at him. “And it will prevent your servants from burning to ash!”
“...Pardon?”
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As if called into action, the door behind them with the ash streak outside of it slams open. A screaming, flailing woman runs out — the witch, Hwa-Young bursts out of the alchemy lab, her large-brimmed hat on fire.
Judging by the scorch marks on it, this has happened a few times now.
Seeing the fountain outside the door, she dives toward it. A hiss fills the air.
“…You alright?” asks Inkume.
Hwa-young, her head and hair soaked, looks over his way and flashes them a thumbs-up. “Good work is often very challenging!” she explains, laughing awkwardly before wringing out her large hat and stumbling back into the lab.
“I have one more idea for the Master!” exclaims Fi-Fi excitedly, although he’s not sure he likes her suspiciously gleeful tone as she grabs his hand and drags him off toward a staircase that bends and shifts toward the two of them as they approach it.
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The air deep beneath the castle vibrates with a potent energy, a palpable tension that electrifies the very stones. A low rumble echoes through the mine shafts, reverberating against the walls like a distant heartbeat, urging the workers onward. Torches flicker along the rugged path, casting erratic shadows that dance across the jagged rock faces. The scent of damp rock mingles with the metallic tang of freshly exposed ore, an intoxicating blend that stirs both excitement and trepidation.
He looks at Fi-Fi. She nods.
“You’re sure?” asks the Vampire Lord.
“Yes!” she confirms, lifting a finger. “A strong castle needs a strong foundation!”
“Well, okay,” replies Inkume, not entirely sure where all of this is going. Fi-Fi seems like she has some kind of plan, though.
Inkume stands at the entrance of the mine, surveying the scene with keen intensity. His power cascades through the tunnels, invigorating the very veins of the castle. Workers — kobolds — forge ahead, their faces illuminated by the warm glow of shining crystals in the rockface. The clang of pickaxes on stone punctuates the air, a rhythmic song of toil that fills the depths. The picks send sparks flying as they graze the large crystals, glimmering like tiny stars before they vanish into the dark.
The mine’s environment pulsates with energy, the walls shimmering.
Inkume steps forward, his hands raised, channeling more of his magic into the mines as Fi-Fi asked. Kobolds shriek and squeak, running around as a minor quake disturbs the area. Rocks rattle down from above as the walls shiver but reveal in their openings slits — eyes.
And following them come arms, legs, and torsos as the stone itself peels off of the cave wall, the world around them rumbling.
Massive stone golems pull out of the underground. The kobolds run around them, pushing away carts full of ore and crystals before they get crushed as the giants set to work as well.
[Mine Upgraded]
Your mine has become more efficient, allowing a higher tier of monsters to spawn in this area who will aid in productivity and defense.
•Crystal acquisition has now been significantly increased in speed.
• Cathedral windows have now been replaced with stained crystal glass.
• Additional [Coal] will feed the forge, empowering the furnace.
~ [Crystalback Stone Golem] ~
A stone golem.
Golems are living constructs made entirely from an inanimate substance — in this case, stones, rocks, and soil.
Stone golems are towering, strong entities with a relatively passive nature. Seen as elemental guardians of an area, they will wander and patrol old caves, ruins, and temples of forgotten eras as lonesome protectors.
Golems are exceptionally powerful physical attackers and defenders, but tend to be susceptible to magic attacks. Their intelligence is seen to be rudimentary, above animalistic, but below the level of being capable of coherent communication.
These particular golems are, however, embedded with rare, magical crystals that seem to pulsate with an innate magic, infusing them with an unusual, dark power as they toil in the mines of the Vampire Lord’s castle.
Type: Elemental {Golem} Rank: B- Common Drop: Stone Fragment Rare Drop: Ancient Tablet
The shaking stops for a moment as the golems — each the size of a house — set to work by simply ripping stones and crystals free from the cave with their bare rockwork hands and throwing them into the minecarts of the quickly adapting kobolds. The latter throw down many of their picks and instead hurry, racing the carts along the tracks toward a stockpile to try and keep the freshly established line moving.
Fi-Fi grabs his hand, pulling him along before he can watch more of the spectacle at work.
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Inkume peeks his head into the forge, down in the castle basement.
Flames roar higher than ever before, licking at the ceiling above, illuminating the dark recesses of the sweltering chamber. The troll inside is hammering away, working at a series of jobs for items around the castle.
“How long will you need, Troll-San?” asks Fi-Fi.
The large thing stops its work, looking at them. “Fifty Obols and I’ll be done in a minute,” it says plainly. “Otherwise… eeeh… you know, couple’a’weeks?” it shrugs. “Busy schedule,” says the troll.
“Master?” asks Fi-Fi pleadingly in a sad voice, clenching her hands together as she stares his way with big eyes again.
— Not that she doesn’t always have big eyes, her face being a skull and all. But it’s really more about the feeling of the matter.
“Are you gonna tell me what this is all about?” asks Inkume.
“Fi-Fi promises!” she replies.
He reaches into his cloak, throwing a small sack of coins across the room. “Fifty,” agrees Inkume as the troll catches the bag, sniffs it, and then nods.
The Vampire Lord closes the door again, not sure what he just bought.
— Down at the end of the hallway, the other door flies open, slamming loudly as an intense pressure from inside of it smashes its black iron handle against the walls, crushing a hole into the brickwork.
[Boiler Room Upgraded]
As all of the castle’s old copper piping has now been replaced with hyper-efficient, leak-free, blackmetal pipes, there is virtually no loss of pressure anywhere within the entire system, resulting in a significant improvement in pressure throughout all steam systems.
• All of your [Fire]-type monsters now have improved defense against water-based attacks, allowing them to access steam subforms during battle if an extinguishing is attempted.
• All flames around the castle have increased in intensity.
• High-pressure alchemy workstations have been reactivated in the [Alchemy Lab].
• [The Cathedral] has been outfitted with steampipes.
Fi-Fi makes an excited noise and then drags him off one last time, sprinting up the steps with him in tow.
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The grand, arched doors of the cathedral fly open as Fi-Fi drags him inside.
Blasts of misty vapory — steam — rush out of the gigantic room that he’s never seen before as moving clockwork and pipes work together to produce a foggy dew. Colored light shimmers in all directions as starshine moves in through the beautiful windows all around them. Beams of various hues shimmer in the trapped fog, casting across the sanctuary like lasers.
“It’s perfect!” exclaims the skeleton. She lifts her voice, singing out a note that echoes up to the ceiling and back down around across the space.
[{Restored} The Cathedral]
{Angelic Spawning Zone}
The holy cathedral within the Vampire Lord’s castle.
Dedicated to the heavens and the gods above, this unusual sanctuary finds itself nestled within the dark heart of an evil lair.
Room Effects:
• [Holy]-type monster spawning rate increased by {100}%
• The [Ritual Altar] has been restored.
• [Holy-Water] can be acquired here.
The room is currently active! Monsters are currently spawning here!
“...What?” asks Inkume as she lets go of his hand and runs down the way, up toward the altar.
Fi-Fi jumps up onto it, lifting her hands to frame him within her fingers. “Arigato, Master!” says the skeleton joyfully as she lifts one leg and strikes a cute pose. “This will be the perfect arena for Fi-Fi’s great comeback performance!” she says excitedly before singing more notes out loud, her voice echoing around thanks to the perfect acoustics of the cathedral. “Master, Daiski!” exclaims Fi-Fi, making a heart with her hands his way.
Inkume looks around himself, studying the environment that feels oddly… Wait… The crystals projecting beams of light everywhere like lasers, the steam like vapors from a fog machine, the acoustics of the cathedral…
“— Did I just make a club?” asks the Vampire Lord, looking back at Fi-Fi.
She winks, or at least does her equivalent of doing so before spreading her stance wide and shooting one up arm into the air. “One. Two. Three. Four!” starts Fi-Fi, strumming an air guitar atop the altar as she begins her first comeback performance.
Another night well spent by the horrific Vampire Lord, bane to all who live and breathe.
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~ [Outside the Castle] ~
The night air around the castle shivers with an enigmatic excitement, the sky above a deep canvas studded with glinting stars. A new glow emanates from the castle’s heart — the upgraded boilers and the forge's roaring fires casting a warm halo that stretches into the cold darkness from many towers. The cathedral pulses with flashes of light of many colors out into the night all around the landscape around the mountainside.
The light spills forth, radiant and inviting, a beacon that cuts through the chill of the mountain air — it catches the eyes of things in the dark places of the world around them.
Up in the distant crags, odd creatures stir, drawn from the shadows by the irresistible lure of the castle’s newfound brilliance that shines in the night so brightly. Hundreds of eyes widen, starstruck by the vividness of the light.
Bodies move as new monsters approach the castle from afar.
~ [{Rare} Giant Mothgirl] ~
A mothgirl.
Born as a strange insectoid amalgamation of bug and person, mothgirls are considered the less intimidating but more dusty variant of harpies. Yet unlike their terrifying, brutally violent, and cunning feathered cousins, mothgirls are considered to be unfortunately dim and harmless. They mostly keep to themselves but will often leave their reclusive hiding spots if attracted by particularly bright lights. Much like actual moths, they are known to eat through papers, fabrics, and natural fibres as the primary diet.
While incapable of fighting well, given their contact-resistant personalities and extremely fragile frames, they are capable of accessing strange schools of [Dark]-type magic that have been forbidden from use by people by decree of the Holy Church.
Type: Homid {Hybrid} Rank: B- Common Drop: Moth Dust Rare Drop: Hypnotic Secretion