“I’ve got a question.” Chess shuffled her feet as she waited for the Skunk-kin woman to get her gear settled. “Well, actually a few things have been niggling at me.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair before replacing her helm on her head.
Lynn raised her brow and shrugged while continuing to tighten the straps on her gear and shifting things about. Freya’s bountiful bouncing breasts, why am I so nervous about asking questions? Chess thought.
She let out the breath she’d been holding with a woosh. “Okay, first: what are the normal looting rules? You mentioned them before but didn’t explain. Is it just an equal split amongst the whole party? Or are you going to lump me and Ashley together because I adopted her?”
“An equal split between all active freemen combatants and healers is common for new and smaller groups that don’t have a history of delving together.” Lynn nodded.
“Porters and other such support people generally get a lesser share if they aren’t slaves. Usually, anything that the group finds that can help with the delve in any way is used. The splitting only happens when the team returns to the guild and their appraisers and loot-sharing experts,” Lynn said, giving Chess a small guilty look.
So, she wasn’t being entirely honest when she got the concession from me to allow her first dibs on any cores, Chess thought. Granted, we’ll want to keep the amulet's existence away from such 'appraisers'.
“More established delving houses and larger teams use complicated point and bidding systems. Once someone does this for a living for a few years, it becomes less about the money for them. If they die or disappear, the guilds or their Houses take care of their families. Head taxes can add up to quite the nest egg for them. Moreso if they forgo retrieving the remaining Pyths from their loved one after taking their inheritance,” Lynn explained.
“Okay, I can live with that. So head taxes are why we are collecting their heads and not looting them?” Chess clarified.
“Yes, the bounties are usually more than the Pyths are worth. And, if not, the families have to pay the difference or they get returned to us,” Lynn clarified. “I will add that all this only applies to loot. Anything made by a member for or during a delve belongs to the creator until they are compensated for the work and materials,” Lynn added, running her hand over the breastplate she wore.
“So you’re gonna pay me for your ironwood items?” Chess smirked at the kin.
Lynn nodded and shrugged. “If you insist.” She turned to Chess before nodding at the block wall.
Chess sighed and flexed her magic to loosen one of the upper blocks before summoning her vault and shoving it in a corner with the new ones. Almost a minute to store each block made storing the growing stack quite time-consuming. So, she asked another question while the wall still blocked the entrance.
“Oh, the delvers,” Chess snapped her fingers, making Mikel turn to look at her. She waved off the quiet musky before turning back to Lynn. “How did all these delver chains survive so long and stay with the bodies when it seems so much else has disappeared?”
“They are magically bound to the bone of a Delver’s skull and made of moon steel which doesn’t rust. It’s not a perfect solution, but it is usually effective for centuries. The enchantment was designed by elves,” Lynn said, taking up a more watchful stance once Chess got the top row removed.
“Ok, different tangent. Do you get less experience the more you do something?" Chess asked. "I swear I got less experience playing music this time than last."
“Yes, some common tasks give less experience the more experienced you become at them as you have less to learn. More complicated things never change, though they are often split amongst a group,” Lynn explained.
"But music is difficult to play and get right." Chess's brows drew up.
"That's likely not what you were getting experience for then. Something like 'for the enjoyment of others'?" Lynn asked and Chess nodded. "Then it's getting easier for you to play music people enjoy."
“Okay,” Chess sighed. Getting frustrated with her task, she tried making it go quicker by keeping four skull blocks locked together in a stack. With a grunt of effort, she fit the stack through the aperture of her vault with only a hairbreadth of free space. Should’ve done that from the beginning.
Lynn gave her an inquisitive look at the show of strength.
“What exactly does Totem Pyth do? And do you know what its governing stat is?" Chess asked after hefting another set using her legs this time. "What Ashley said has me thinking about my class and abilities. Making a totem should be easy for me with wood manipulation.”
“It’s more involved than that. Just wood won’t be enough. You will need bodies, herbs, and Pyth powders at the least,” Lynn cautioned. “Infuse Totem’s ability can vary depending on the user's class. I’ve heard it can let you make small charms or totems that allow you to use your skills in a small area around them. Or you can add Pyths to charms, boosting your abilities for a short time at the cost of the charm. Or create weak enchantments similar to the passive of your Pyths and cores that you can give to your companions. The real benefit of it and other enchantment-type Pyths are in the class abilities they can produce if you get the right combination,” Lynn explained.
“Okay,” Chess said. I’ll hold off on that for now. “Speaking of Pyth, what would happen if you found a core and already had one of the lesser Pyth’s used to rank it up slotted?” Chess asked.
“You will get a prompt asking if you would like to combine them and how many ranks. Any abilities that synergize with the Pyth will then depend on that core and most likely improve once you combine them all,” Lynn said with a smile, warming to answering the questions as she waited.
“What happens if I take a Pyth if my slots are all full and I’m guessing on what increases my amber core and I’m wrong?”
“If you don’t do a bunch at once? Nothing. But if you overdo it, it can lead to a bad case of over-mana or sometimes death. Keep it to one a day and you’ll be fine.”
“Okay, final question. Why aren’t you asking me why I don’t know this apparently basic stuff?” Chess asked, feeling a little thrill at the brazen inquiry.
“Because I figured it out." She shrugged. "You were raised in one of those noble houses that think you get better class and ability selections if you aren’t given any foreknowledge of the possibilities and spend all your time learning a select few skills. Your masteries only proved it. Though, why they chose carpentry and music, I can only guess.” She shrugged again. “I think they took it too far, but I can hardly blame you—idiots,” Lynn said, spitting to the side.
“Thanks, and thanks for putting up with my weakness and ignorance,” Chess said with a wry smile.
“You’re not weak, you need to learn how to use what you have properly. You completely disabled that cat skeleton in seconds once you got yourself back in the fight. With some good martial training, you will be as terrifying as any other manipulator,” Lynn shook her head and kicked the last two blocks.
“Thanks,” Chess said lamely as she stored the last.
“Ready?” Lynn nudged the hitherto quiet Ashley. The girl was staring vacantly off into space her head canted to the side.
Ashley choked and looked up before a gleeful smile spread across her face.
"I...I got four... Four! Four skill points!" she crowed.
"Two per level is good, most only get one," Lynn congratulated Ashley. "I wouldn't expect less with a Goddess-given class."
"No, no. No. I got four per level! And I’m already level four!" Ashley corrected, waving her hands and jumping up before dancing back and forth.
Mikel stood, looking from the jumping and dancing Ashley to the other two, Chess met his eyes, and he shrugged sitting back against the wall with his hands up before him.
"What!" Lynn spluttered but quickly sobered. "Don't spend any.”
“But-"
“No. It's a huge boon, but that doesn’t mean you get to waste them needlessly, regardless of where we are. If you think it will make a difference between life and death then, by all means, spend them, otherwise it will be better if you save them. Did you choose a Passive?” Lynn asked, meeting the girl’s eyes with her steely gaze.
I’ll just stay quiet about getting five per level, Chess thought.
Ashley shook her head.
“Well?” Lynn asked with an inquiring look.
Ashley sighed and plopped herself back down against the wall before listing them aloud while flicking the window to Chess.
Choose A Passive Ability
Toughness (Strengthen Bone)
Strong-Grip (Binding)
Firm Stance (Sure step, Strengthen Bone)
Harvest Undead (Harvest, Rot)
Reinforced Tail (Shield, Strengthen Bone, Sure Step)
Amber Bones (Shield, Strengthen Bone, Amber)
Dwarven Vitality (Rot, Amber, Strengthen Bone, Binding, Shield)
Skuld’s Skildi (Shield, Strengthen Bone, Amber, Sure Step)
“I’m loath to say it, but Harvest undead can be very profitable. Both those Pyths would be easy to raise, and it doesn’t take long to get upwards of half again as much Pyth and bone from the undead with it. The church would pay well if you attended the annual ass clearings,” Lynn said swishing her tail back and forth in short spurts. She shifted the pickaxe placing the head on the ground so she could lean on it.
“What about the rest?” Ashley asked.
“Well don't take an ability if you think you'll get rid of the synergistic Pyth eventually. I suggest you choose one to be fluid, once you're full up, in case you get another core or something good in the future. So if you're unsure of any you have I’d first eliminate any that need it,” Lynn tempered.
“Okay... Taking Harvest Undead just for money doesn’t feel right. I need something that helps now. Besides, the rest of these sound great, and I like the Pyths I have. They fit what I’m trying to be,” Ashley said. Chess could hear the surety growing in Ashley’s voice.
“You have to take Skuld’s Skildi. It’s clearly the best option, it's in the bottom slot and only uses four synergies. Dwarven Vitality takes five,” Chess reasoned.
Lynn gave her a scathing look. “Do you have any idea what a Skuld’s Skildi is? I don't. That doesn’t even sound like a language I've heard of.”
“Nope,” Chess admitted and crossed her arms with a smile. “But it sounds Norse, so it’s something Freya-related,” she reasoned.
“Dwarven Vitality and Amber Bones sound…” Lynn stopped, closing her mouth with a click of her teeth. Her ears perked up and she held a hand out, giving the sign for quiet before shifting fluidly to face the tunnel entrance and raising the pickaxe from the floor.
The silence dragged out for long moments before Chess, straining her ears, caught the soft plinking of something small and light hitting the water below. She looked to Ashley who confirmed she’d heard it too with a half nod. They both readied their weapons and watched as Lynn eased herself forward. Raising the shield over her head before she stuck her head out into the chute for a bare moment to look down.
Chess noted Mikel taking a step back and plastering his back to the wall.
Nothing happened, and Lynn backed up to look at the others. She pointed up with one finger and shrugged, then down and shook her head.
Chess shrugged and mouthed 'wait.'
Lynn nodded and eased back until she was in line with Ashley who'd taken a position with her shield and spear.
They sat there for a long minute before Chess got antsy, and it was everything she could do not to pace. She spared a glance for Mikel but the muskrat hadn't moved. He crouched with his weight on the balls of his wide feet. The heavy weight of the sticks poked out over the top of his head.
This is stupid, Chess decided.
Stolen story; please report.
"Well if there is something there, it knows we're here. The question is does it know we know? I think so. Our silence and you sticking your head out made it obvious," Chess said in a conversational tone. "Also, I don't think anything down here speaks Brastian." She glanced at Mikel for significance.
Lynn's wide tail stiffened before she turned to look at Chess. "Okay," she said with a sigh. "How do we get them to come down or take a look safely?" she asked.
Fuck it, Chess thought taking a few steps forward. She willed snow to form and spread, filling the rocky chute and cavern below with large carousing snowflakes, condensing it as much as possible, and holding the spell for the full duration.
After the ten minutes had elapsed a small 2-inch skiff of snow had piled up on the edge of the tunnel’s entrance.
"Well shit," Chess said when nothing appeared.
"It wasn't a bad idea, maybe it was nothing. Something passing above," Lynn allowed.
The earlier sounds didn't repeat themselves after another long pause so Lynn took a tentative lookout, then up the chute keeping her head near the floor this time.
"I don't see anything, but Ashley's light doesn't go more than half a dozen feet and it's dark above," Lynn said.
The group returned to talking about the potential of each of Ashley's available options while keeping a firm hand on their weapons and a steady eye for danger and their new companion.
"Vitality passives usually give boosts to constitution and charisma, with a minor boost to strength or will. Bone-strengthening passives are a big boon for fighters and you have two offered. Though strengthen-tail only applies to it and likely gives a large boost to balance. The rest are largely what they claim to be. I think taking an unknown is mighty risky especially when we don't know what else we'll encounter down here," Lynn said.
"Lady Freya has only given good choices so far," Ashley reasoned.
"Do not rely on the benevolence of the gods," Lynn cautioned. "They play by their own rules."
"Says the Sister of Luminous," Chess sighed. She moved to the front, to take a glance of her own, procuring Lynn's Lightstone first. Keeping herself low to the ground in a different spot from the one Lynn used she looked up first then down.
"I don't see anything, only my snow clinging to everything," Chess said, turning back to the others with a shrug.
Lynn waved Mikel forward indicating he should lower himself over to the wall below first. She kept a wary eye on him as he disappeared over the edge; the pick resting on her shoulder.
"Aren't you worried he'll run?" Chess asked.
"No, for the same reason, I haven't left. Despite your ineptitude."
Chess kept her thoughts to herself.
"Take time to think it out. It's best to never rush an ability choice. Now, let's go. This diversion has already taken far too long," Lynn said to Ashley before slinging her shield and following the Muskrat-Kin over the edge.
"I think it may've been worth it, at least for Ashley, but it sure sucked," Chess muttered with a shudder as she followed her daughter over the edge. She first hung then dropped the last foot to the wall passing her weapons down to Ashley beforehand.
Lynn and Mikel were both already in the water when she landed. The muskrat looked at home there gently bobbing with minimal effort. His tail lazily flowed back and forth below him, doing all the work of keeping his head out of the pool despite the load he carried.
"Here," Lynn said, passing Chess her shield and the pickaxe.
With a deep breath, the kin woman disappeared into the murky depths with her Lightstone leading.
The party waited a long minute and more before the kin woman returned.
"It's deep. I don't think I can reach the bottom in a single breath," she said with a head shake.
Chess opened her mouth, but Lynn shook her head again and disappeared again, only to return empty-handed again after a similar period.
"Yeah, I'm not a deep diver. They are lost," Lynn said between gasps. "The water is also warmer the deeper I go, which is worrying."
"Underwater heat source? But what? Lava or something else?" Chess wondered.
"Depends on the plane or world this dungeon inhabits," Lynn said.
"The depths being that warm is strange without a source," Chess said.
Mikel swam closer to Lynn and tilted his head. With his whiskers twitching he looked between them.
Chess gave Lynn a look. “Worth a try?”
Lynn nodded.
Chess held up her spear and shield and shook them, indicated Lynn, then the pool, and shrugged; hoping Mikel got the idea. He looked like a strong swimmer so maybe he would be more successful. Though telling him about the weapon made her a little nervous. She hoped Lynn was right about him sticking with them, at least for now, because of the common danger.
Mikel nodded firmly untying the bundles from his back. Letting them float against the wall, he placed his friends' heads on the wall, then with a quick somersault he disappeared below with smooth strokes of all five of his limbs.
The wait dragged out for long minutes before the trio traded looks.
"Uh, you don't suppose he took off?" Chess asked after it seemed he wasn't returning.
Lynn sighed from where she clung with her arms crossed on the wall. "I know clammers that can stay under longer with the right abilities, but no more than a handful," she reported.
"He wouldn't leave his friend's heads," Ashley reasoned.
Lynn let out a long breath.
A few seconds later the form of the muskrat emerged from the depths lazily ascending with small strokes of his tail and feet. His hands were full of other things.
He seemed quite pleased with himself as he placed Lynn's spear along with a wicked-looking glaive's head on the wall before adding Lynn's shield which he removed from his back and a scabbarded short sword which he'd tied to a belt.
"Is there more?" Ashley asked the muskrat, looking at the pool, as she bent to pick up the sword. Drawing the blade out a hand breath she smiled into the gleaming moon steel.
He tilted his head again and squinted his eyes. Then he covered his eyes and shrugged.
Lynn smiled and passed him her glowstone.
He smiled and nodded before taking a handful of breaths and disappearing below.
"You know he could turn out being quite lucrative," Chess mused with a small chuckle as she brought up the window for the Glaive.
Enchanted moon steel glaive head.
"It says enchanted. No details," Chess said.
"It needs to be completed before you can see its entire window," Lynn said.
"But when I fixed your spear it said keen," Chess said.
"That's because you knew that already."
"So what's the sword?" Chess asked her daughter. Ashley handed it over.
Sharp Moonsteel Gladius
Type: Short-sword
Uncommon
Properties: An old moon steel short-sword that’s seen many a battle but still retains its luster. Its grip has disintegrated with time
Durability: 134/250
Enchantment:
Sharp: Increased cutting power by 25%
Curiously the scabbard had its own window.
Worn Weathertight Polishing Scabbard
Type: Scabbard
Uncommon
Properties: An old well-worn black-drake leather, moonsteel, and teak scabbard that’s spent centuries underwater. It’s developed a worn patina that will discourage more than a casual glance.
Durability: 129/200
Enchantment:
Polishing: Any blade placed inside will be polished to a mirror finish over the course of each day.
Cleaning: Any blade placed inside will be cleaned of any accumulated filth over the course of each day.
Weathertight: Increased resistance to environmental damage by 90%
Development:
Patina: This item is easily dismissed, hiding its enchantments from a casual glance.
“This scabbard is way better than the sword,” Chess said.
Lynn took the sword when Chess offered and nodded. “It explains why it's still intact, unlike the glaive. Weathertight is an expensive enchantment. Especially on an open item like this. Its patina is even more valuable.”
“Open?” Ashley asked.
“It doesn’t have requirements,” Lynn clarified passing the sword back to Chess. “Store it for now. Swords are dangerous to inexperienced users, besides our short spears are lighter.”
Chess drew the blade and looked at the wood inside. The teak interior had the look of hundred-year-old lawn furniture that hadn’t been refinished. Though the teak was not quite the right color it had a green tinge with the deep brown of standard teak. I should be able to do something for it if I can find some of the same wood. It must be translating the closest analog.
"That didn't take nearly as long," Chess said when Mikel appeared again, his hands empty.
He dug into a pouch before offering a small bracelet to Ashley and shrugged.
Bracelet of the monkey
Type: Bracelet
Rare
Properties: A thin rose-gold bracelet with tarnished silver inlaid flowers.
Durability: 234/250
Minimum requirement for Enchantment activation:
At least 25% Human or Monkey-Kin blood
Natural agility of 15
Natural dexterity of 15
Natural mind of 15
Enchantment:
Tumbling skill Increased by 10
Climbing skill Increased by 5
“Oh! Something I can use,” Chess smiled as Ashley handed the item over. “Eventually,” she added when she realized how much information that would give Lynn about her stats. Even still, the Kin-woman gave her a curious look.
Chess moved to slip it on in front of her right bracer but Lynn coughed. "Items that increase a skill over 5 points tend to knock the person equipping them out for a few hours. As they insert the knowledge and capability into the wearer," she cautioned.
Lynn smirked when Chess instead stored the bracelet in her vault.
“This place is turning out to be quite rich,” Lynn said. “Second delve rights will be worth a fortune along with the information about avoiding the helium tunnel. Once we know the way out we should consider returning to refill the basin pool if we can do it safely.”
Chess turned to look at Lynn half-shocked at the devious and malicious idea. Got to remember I’m not in Canada anymore. She opened her mouth to ask about the delvers that were likely even now on their way but remembered they were being sent to hunt them down. She took a slow breath and half-nodded instead.
"Should we be searching him?" Chess wondered.
"No. We need to move," Lynn said giving the muskrat-kin a look over while climbing onto the wall before slinging her shield onto her back.
She passed the pickaxe to Chess who stored it, along with the glaive head and the sword before she lowered herself off the wall and the tepid water embraced her. The wooden armor buoyed her as she pushed back from the wall with her feet.
The others joined her and Lynn indicated for Mikel to go before them. He looked back at her from the wall. His nose twitched and he looked both ways across the water’s top then up at the chute before lowering himself to the water. Laying back to float on the surface for a minute before he straightened and nodded firmly to himself. Gesturing that the others should follow him as he headed further into the unexplored part of the cavern.
They swam for a long while not encountering anything but more rough stone walls and water. There were a few spots where they had to submerge for a bit but they never took more than a minute to traverse. And others where they had to climb over an obstacle or a short section of dry tunnel where they’d take breaks. Mikel stopped every time they came to an intersection and floated for a time with his ears and nose twitching before continuing.
“I hope you’re keeping track of all the turns. I think I’m completely lost,” Chess told Lynn after they’d made it a good distance and taken over a dozen intersections.
They were resting for a moment on a dry section. The tunnel seemed to get colder the further they went and Chess now looked forward to lowering herself into the warmth of the water.
“I just hope he knows where he’s going,” Ashley added.
“That’s what has me worried, we have no idea how large his village or tribe may be,” Lynn said with a frown. “I’ve been keeping track of where we are.”
“It’s strange that we’ve not encountered anything, I’m almost hoping we run into a skeleton. It seems unnatural for this place, and it’s setting my nerves on edge,” Chess said.
Both Ashley and Lynn nodded their agreement with a look around each.
"Skeletons can't swim," Ashley reasoned.
"Point," Chess said. "But I haven't felt any of their auras."
"The pools are deep," Lynn added.
"Okay, but it's still eerie," Chess said with a whoosh of breath. The trio fell silent and busied themselves eating berries.
----------------------------------------
They continued despite their growing unease with Mikel leading them with increasing confidence.
An interminable time later the muskrat-kin slowed to a stop before yet another split in the tunnel. He looked back and forth shaking his head at each. He looked uncertain for the first time since they started. Then with a flick of his whiskers, he took the left tunnel with his easy strokes.
Chess's arms ached from the steady pace and she contemplated suggesting they take a longer break at the next stretch of land. Chess busied herself with studying the cave they swam through to distract herself. Most of the stone was a consistent golden grey in the light given off by Ashley. But here and there seams of other rocks cut across in reds, whites, and every conceivable shade of grey.
It was because of this casual study that she first noticed the lazy threads of white silk fluttering from the roof above.
“How big do spiders get?" Chess asked, staring at the ever-increasing number of thick hanging strands. The lack of actual webs made her a little easier about the possibilities.
"Spiders?" Lynn asked, turning her head to look back at Chess before she followed her gaze up. "Oh," she said before quickening her stroke to catch Mikel.
Chess looked to Ashley, who'd turned when Lynn did, and quirked a brow.
"The biggest I've heard of are wolf spiders which get as big as a large dog," she said with a visible shiver. "But they fear water," she added while staring at the hanging strands.
When Lynn pointed out the strands to Mikel he seemed excited by the discovery and instead of slowing he sped forward disappearing around a nearby turn.
"Not what I expected," Lynn explained as they all picked up the pace to catch their new companion.
They came around the corner to discover the Muskrat-Kin had a strand of wide gossamer silk in his teeth and was swimming quickly back toward the trio of women.
"What the shit is he doing!" Chess said as she reversed direction. Her breaststroke turned into a backstroke.
A dozen strides behind him a writhing mass of limbs and hand-sized bodies breached the surface.
Ashley screamed and turned to swim away with flailing arms and legs.
"Wait," Lynn yelled after Chess's fleeing daughter, but Ashley found a rhythm and sped up. Lynn gave up and raised her spear from the water to hang overhead.
Chess stayed, rooted in fascinated horror as the spiders disentangled themselves and spread out. Their forms skittering atop the surface of the water leaving only small ripples where their limbs impacted or diving to use the silk line to propel themselves towards the intruders.
The light failed as Ashley made her escape back the way they'd come and Chess looked about straining her eyes to keep all the arachnids in sight until Ashley disappeared around a corner, dropping them into complete darkness. Even Chess's improved vision failed.
Gritting her teeth Chess copied Lynn, raising her spear above her head, her ears fighting with her heartbeat to hear any sign of the spiders nearing.