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INTRUSION SCORE:
MORTALS ESCAPED: 1
NEW CONSTRUCT PATTERN QUALITIES ACQUIRED/UPGRADED:
FOOD AND DRINK: C+
SPELL SCROLLS & MAGIC TOMES: D-
PRINTED GOODS: D
FISH: D-
METAL ARMOR: C+
LEATHER ARMOR: C-
STEEL CONSTRUCTS: C-
WOOD CONSTRUCTS: D+
SWORDS: D+
WANDS: D+
METAL ACCESSORIES: D+
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Beatrice stood outside the front entrance of Worthy Dungeon, looking out at the clear morning sky, and somehow felt lighter than she had in years. Despite the several hundred pounds of equipment she'd left behind with Xenia, that had nothing to do with it, considering her Item Boxes conveniently negated weight concerns. It also didn't have much to do with the events of the night before, although her farewell party had been pleasant, and her final night with Sincere had been even more enjoyable. Rather, she'd say it had something to do with the fact that for the first time in a decade she was staring out at a horizon and didn't know exactly what she would find beyond it.
Her mood was easy to notice, as Doorman found himself needing to bring it up after staring at her back for several minutes. "Ready to strike out into the world, Lady Beatrice? Or are you perhaps worried you left something behind while you were packing?"
The warrior chuckles as she looks back at the door. "If I did, I guess it belongs to Xenia now. I just feel...really good, you know? Like I've started a whole new life or something. While I can't say this world was exactly what I was expecting when I came over here, I think it might've been exactly what I needed. Feeling ten years younger already! Granted, that is before I do the whole 'hike down a mountain' thing all over again, heh. That part was maybe getting a little tiring."
"Well, it's good at least to start off your journey on the right foot! And I look forward to seeing your return - perhaps we'll have some new tricks by then? Or maybe I'll even have an upgrade or two to show off myself!"
Beatrice grins. "Looking forward to it. Heh, maybe I'll even pick up a book of riddles for you if I find any. Not that yours aren't already top-notch, of course."
After a final set of farewells the heavily-armored woman begins to make her way down the mountain trail, one that seems to become a little easier to manage every time she takes it even though the Challenger-funded road crews hadn't made it this far yet. If she was expecting a quiet walk to the Challenger camp however, that expectation proves false before she even makes it to the mountain base. Coming up the opposite direction is a party of five, led by an elf whom Beatrice doesn't recognize although she does spot one familiar face in the crowd. Noticing them first, Beatrice waves and shouts out a greeting.
"Hail there, trying out the dungeon this morning? And hey, that'd be Scout Tafyaf there, isn't it? Camp patrol got too boring for you?"
Stopping once they're close enough to not need to shout, the lead elf gives an answer. "We're heading up to the dungeon, yes. I'm Lieutenant Yalonn Willowbranch, leading an expedition on behalf of the local garrison, and this is indeed Alpine Scout Srooll with us. You're acquainted with each other?"
The Scout gives a laugh in response. "A famous sight she is around the camp, yes, yes. The dungeon's girlfriend, they say!"
Beatrice gasps. "What? No! You wretched little gnoll, I know I've set you straight on this once already! It's strictly platonic!"
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"I don't say it, no. But others do, yes!"
Willowbranch steps in before Beatrice can find something to throw at his Scout. "Lady Beatrice, then, is it? I admit to having heard some rumors about you myself, though admittedly most of them don't sound particularly believable. I also have to admit to some curiosity, though. If you're heading down this early in the morning, you must have spent the evening in the dungeon? Just how is it that you're able to spend so long comfortably in such a place? A...platonic friendship, is it?"
"Hrmph. I'm afraid I don't like to discuss the details of my relationship with the Dungeon Master. That said, you're going to have to do without my charming face around the camp, or the dungeon for a while. Gonna check in then I'm probably making my way to Highfalls. Get my official Challenger paperwork and all that taken care of, then perhaps see some more of your fine country."
"I wish you luck on your journey, then. Although..." The elf trails off for a moment, considering the woman in front of him. "Listen, Lady Beatrice, allow me to be frank. We know the Valleylanders are very interested in the secrets of this dungeon, and by extension, we must also be interested in those same secrets. Secrets which so far several men have died trying to uncover. Yet, I cannot help but feel as if you already know at least some of the answers to the questions we're attempting to discover. Or at the very least, you know how to find those answers. I feel loathe to let you pass by without at least attempting to learn something of what you know."
While Beatrice's tone remains friendly, her hand drifts to her sword as she answers. "I assume you're not intending to try and hold me here until I answer your questions, Lieutenant?"
The elf shakes his head. "No, no. Far be it from me to attempt to restrain a noblewoman, especially without any indications of a crime having taken place. That said, surely in the interests of dungeon delver camaraderie you'd be willing to shed at least some light on the goings-on of the place?"
The warrior's gaze, hidden by her helmet, lingers on the elf for a time before she speaks. "Look, Lieutenant. I'll admit, I do feel a little bad about the folks that don't make it out of the dungeon, as far as I can tell they all seem like they're decent sorts, at least so far. But as suspicious as it may make me seem, I do consider myself a friend of the dungeon. So no, I won't be spilling any secrets. If it helps put your mind at ease though, I'll tell you that she has absolutely no ill-will towards the outside world. Anyone stepping inside is taking their lives in their hands, but as long as no one actually tries to destroy her, she'll play fair."
"I'll suppose that I'll have to take your word on that, but it is good to hear nevertheless. Even so, our mission remains, so we'll have to do what we can to pry regardless. Again, I wish you luck on your travels, my lady."
"And I wish you luck in the dungeon, Lieutenant." As the party begins to pass her by, Beatrice can't help forming a grin on her lips. "I will say though, that I won't wish you good luck. Sometimes bad luck can be far more educational."
A look of confusion passes Willowbranch's face, but he keeps his tone polite as he continues on up. "...I'll keep that insight in mind, my lady."
Once the group has passed, and Beatrice has once again begun her own hike down the mountain, she finds herself mumbling as she goes. "...Probably wouldn't hurt to recruit some cuter animal-people to your team though, either..."
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When the party finally arrives at the dungeon door, they find Doorman in a good mood - not that that's particularly unusual. "Good morning, good morning! Hrmm, I see that while two of you have cleared up to Floor Two, the rest of you are Worthy Dungeon newbies, eh? I'm afraid if you want to get inside, you'll have to test your mettle against my wits!"
Near the rear of the group, Goldleaf mutters. "We better not actually fail this one, or we'll never hear the end of it back at the Fort..."
Willowbranch waves a hand to hush her before turning back to the door. "I'm looking forward to the challenge, guardian. What is your riddle?"
The door nods, then speaks. "...Do any of you happen to have, say, some water and a rag? And perhaps a long stick?"
"That's..." Willowbranch's face furrows in confusion, and he looks around at his party. "We certainly have some water supplies with us, and I'm sure we have some spare cloth - Goldleaf, a bandage, perhaps? As for a stick, perhaps one of our weapons would do?" He eyes Choc's decorated staff, who suddenly pulls it closer protectively. "Do we need to use them to solve the riddle, somehow?"
Doorman looks up at his left side. "It'd certainly help. You see, just before you arrived a bird stopped by, which is normally fairly pleasant, except it left a little...present, up on my scalp there. As it doesn't count as damage taken during a dungeon intrusion, it's not exactly self-cleaning, you know? And I'd really rather not wait until the next rainfall. For a country called the Rainlands, this mountain really doesn't get as much of it as you'd expect."
"Ah, no, that's generally more true of the north...but of course, guardian, we'll ah...see what we can do."
Given the door's height it's actually a bit of a challenge, but with Tafyaf's climbing skills combined with Rill's sheathed sword and a wet bandage tied to one end of it, Doorman eventually receives a good scrubbing. Carefully holding the sword away so as to not spread the filth any further, Tafyaf gives Doorman a pat on the head before making his way back down. "Nice and shiny, dungeon guardian, good as new, yes yes!"
Doorman sighs in relief. "Oh, thank the gods you came by. We don't get Challengers every day, you know, I was really rather expecting the worst for a while there."
The elf leader does his best to keep his tone as polite and professional as his military training allows. "We're more than happy to be of service, guardian. Does ah, this mean we've passed the riddle?"
"I'd certainly call that the right answer to my challenge, yes! Enjoy your stay!" With that the door swings open, and after a final check of their gear (and the disposal of one used bandage), the party heads inside.