Deeper (Dungeon Quest)

Skali stands outside, in the light of Nulumi, The Brilliant Sky Pearl.

For Skali, it is as peaceful for her here as it is for all who enter the shrine.

Knowing about deities and their domains is part of being a Prophet, but being called this way is strange. Called to serve here, in this place. Skali has only known what it is to wander, below sky or sea. That they carried her here as she slept, why was that?

No clouds cross the moon this night. As dawn breaks Skali moves, away from the sky, into the cave, past Snippy and his kin, past lobsters large and small, through the bright barrier and up the stalagmite to the bright pearl of Nulumi.

She answers the call by gently touching the pearl.

Skali gains ability "Divine Trust (Nulumi)"

• Divine Trust – you place your faith in a divinity and they in you. By furthering their goals and message, you gain spells unique to the divinity in question (without spending skill points): they are made the same way other spells are but use the name of the divinity as the first word. This skill can be selected more than once (for different Deities - though that can get complicated). (Magical)

[X] Skali learns the "Nulumi's Nexus" spell

• Nulumi's Nexus (Spell, Activated, Passive) - Creates a small orb that takes the form of a pearl or moon that shines brightly with moonlight. This orb may either float adjacent to the caster or one of their allies, or be held in hands or equipment. As an action (which may be part of the initial casting), the caster may crush the orb to dust and throw it (either martially or magically) at the eye(s) of a close (within reach 2 of the ally adjacent to the orb) creature (or several creatures adjacent to each other of weight class 2 or less) Blinding them on a hit (does not use hit location dice) (Magical)

[X] Skali learns the "Nulumi's Net" spell

• Nulumi's Net (Spell, Activated) Summons a luminous weighted net which you or an ally can throw either martially or magically. This net can bind a target of any weight class for a number of turns up to your magical modifier (does not use hit location dice). This net, empowered with the moon's gravity, cannot be thrown off (as the weight is the moon) but can be cut through. (Magical)

[X] Skali learns the "Nulumi's Negation" Spell

• Nulumi's Negation (Spell, Activated) You may draw on Nulumi's strength to counter a spell or break an enchantment; roll against the caster/enchanter. If you win their spell fizzle or their enchantment breaks. Passive spells and other non-dispellable magical effects can be disrupted this way for a number of turns up to your magical modifier. (Magical)

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"This is the place, huh?" Cleocaldra pauses, eyeing the… door? "The door's new, right?"

"Yeah! But it makes total sense when you've seen the inside!" Gea sing-songs.

A few crabs carrying driftwood skitter in and out of the gaps at the bottom.

"...Interesting." Cleocaldra's smooth tone deliberately carries none of her incredulity.

"Yeah, the crabs here are really unusual. There's a couple of them that seem to be really smart, too." Lucas jumps over a rock, and continues, "you wanna look for the big one with the white cone, that one's easiest to find."

Walking up to the doors, Cleocaldra knocks firmly but gently. "May I enter?"

Snip Snip

A small crab taps her boot. Snippy would like to know your business here.

"Ah, I am Cleocaldra!" This crab's Plasegean is somewhat rustic. "I am a Warden from the Delver's Guild; I'm here to classify the Dungeon."


Snippy stares for a moment. The largest one is here for a strange, large-one-reason. The doors behind Snippy slowly swing open. Snippy will take you to Skali.

"Much appreciated, Snippy," Cleocaldra lilts, opening the door. "Perhaps you could tell me something about this place on the way?"

Daylight, and the light of Gea's pearlescent orb illuminate the chamber.

Snippy will certainly talk about the Eminent Sleeping Shelterer, and at great length! Snippy has defended the Magnificent Sleeping Shelterer for many passings of The Brilliant Sky Pearl now, and they have aided Snippy in turn. Oh, Snippy can see Skali!

"You must be Skali!" Cleocaldra pauses, allowing the words to ring through the cave.


"Oh, Sni-" Skali pauses, taking in the full presence of the newcomer. By the Sky Pearl, she's massive… where did they find enough metal to make her steel-clad?! Skali looks at Snippy; he seems pleased a Delver is using his name, but otherwise relatively unbothered. Right, he's too small to grasp just how big she is.

"You," Skali begins slowly, "are correct, I am indeed Skali. How do you do?"

"I am well." Exchanging pleasantries with a crab was not necessarily how she envisaged this mission when she took it, but here she was. "I was hoping to see around The Magnificent Sleeping Shelterer; I am stationed here by the guild as the Warden of this area."

Skali looks to Snippy, who seems excited that someone else shares his wonderment of the Grand Sleeping Shelterer. "I have no objections, and Snippy seems to have none either. That, and the doors opened for you."

"Excellent! I don't want to inconvenience you, if you're busy with something, but would you like to come with us?"

"I'm not otherwise occupied, no."

Snippy would like to show them the new room! It is new and exciting!

"Oh, is that one of the dead-ends we found last time we were here?" Lucas sounds excited.

Snippy understands! Snippy would like to know when you learned to speak properly?

Lucas laughs. "I've been able to speak properly all my life!"

Snippy disagrees, you were incomprehensible last time.

Skali sighs. "Snippy, he was speaking Diokynian mostly last time, we went over this!"

Snippy is not convinced, but is happy you are speaking properly now!

The little crab sets off down the corridor, and Cleocaldra and the children follow, listening to Snippy's excited chattering.

"Hold on!" Gea flicks her bright light orb onto Snippy. "That'll make it easier to follow you."

Snippy snips approvingly.

With Snippy ahead, the underwater light creates a rippling effect on Cleocaldra as she steps up to the water's edge and takes a Deep Breath, sliding into the water after her spear

As they enter the underwater room, they are greeted by black-blue and dappled black-orange lobsters.

"Oh, these orange ones are new!" Lucas motions to the clawless lobsters. "Also huge!"

One of the orange ones the size of a dog waves its sprouts at them, and Lucas and Gea both wave back. The blue-black lobsters fire a greeting salute of explosive snips, but remain at a distance.

They follow Snippy up the tunnel and corridor into the new room. Snippy excitedly points them toward the new feature: a small hole in the wall, surrounded by barnacles.

"Huh." Gea looks down the hole, her light now hovering by the entrance. "There's a clam with a pearl down the whole."

Snippy taps Gea's leg.

"What's up little guy?"

"He wants to see too." Lucas translates the excited snipping into Diokynian.

"Right! Up you go little crab!" Snippy skitters onto her outstretched palm, and is elevated to be eye-level with the borehole. "See, clam and pearl! A really big one too!"

"Would you mind if we took the pearl?"

Snippy looks at Skali, who throws an uncomprehending look back.

"...no? It should be fine, the Sleeping Shelterer doesn't seem to mind."

"Oh, alright, I'll just go ahead and grab it then!"


Before anyone can react, Gea sticks her hand down the borehole and fishes the pearl out.

"I got it!"

"It's huge!" Lucas looks wide-eyed at the pearl. "Have you seen a pearl this big?"

"Yeah, a few times, but it is pretty big. I've seen ones this size go for a koku or even more before!"

Gea reaches over towards Cleocaldra, pearl in hand.

"I think you've earned that one. The guild will manage, even a pearl short." She winks, and holds a finger up to her lips. "Don't go bragging about it though."

The children look at the pearl, as if it had grown legs. "Pocket money!" Gea whispers, breaking the spell. Lucas is visibly flabbergasted and Gea fist-pumps and does a little celebratory dance.

As the children celebrate, Cleocaldra turns to Snippy and Skali. "Where to next, my splendid guides?"

"Well," Skali says, "I think the only other place you haven't seen is the shrine. Follow me."

Skali and Snippy make their way down the tunnel; the Delvers follow, and they cross the underwater room with a little booming-claw fanfare.

"This is a beautiful shrine to Nulumi; I had expected less imbuement, given our previous reports. It was as it is now when you first found the cave, right?"

"Yeah! And it's where we met Skali and Snippy the first time!" Gea is once again sing-songing. "Lucas had a great time trying to make himself understood."

Lucas throws his hands up with an exasperated eye-roll.

"Actually, how long has this been here?"

Snippy isn't sure exactly, but Snippy was here first, and Skali was here after. This was where Snippy met Skali!

"Right."

They spend some time just taking in the shrine.

"Well kids, as fun as this has been, I did promise to send you home to your parents before sunset."

The kids groan, but allow her to usher them out of the cave.

Sitting in the sunlight outside, Cleocaldra shakes the water from her fingers, pulling off her lamellar-backed gloves, and opens up an oilskin pouch. Taking out a journal, she begins to write:

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We have 62 Depth: (at the end of each Delve, for each uncleared feature, score 1 Depth per Delver level for each Delver)

Recycle
[X] 10 Depth
[X] Strange Wood
[X] Black Sand

[X] Expand sideways (1 Depth per tile) X tiles (write-in)
Clarification: you can make rooms with irregular shapes, and expand existing rooms

[X] Relocation move existing creature feature(s) around (Write in)

Crab Construction
[X] Coral Castle? That's definitely a tiny fort… Isn't it? (Does nothing this turn. Please wait warmly while the coral stays still enough for crab masonry to be perfected)
[X] Feathered Cap? Wait, no, that's a lot of feathers? Hmm… (Does nothing this turn. Please wait warmly while crab clothiering is perfected)

Features (Pick up to 1):
[X] Small Mound (3 Depth): A small hill to fight from. Maybe it could also be used as a stage? Gain 1 vantage on defensive rolls against walking creatures of weight class 2 or lower
[X] Treacherous Tim's Tiny Tin Tin (5 Depth) - A small metal box, stuck firmly in the floor or wall, with contents unknown. Decorated with a silver monogram of two Ts, and some skulls. Increases your attractiveness to Delvers.
[X] Blue Algae (7 Depth): Can grow on cave walls. Increases attractiveness to Delvers.


Upgrades (Pick up to 1):
[X] Colossal Crustaceans I (8 Depth): Whenever you Expand a Crustacean tile (of any kind), you may choose to apply the Monstrous Mettle I trait to either the new OR old feature paying extra Depth equal to their new weight class. If they have no free ability slots, you may replace another ability they didn't start with (can be used the turn it's purchased).

• Monstrous Mettle I – Increase weight class by 1 and remove weight class restrictions from other abilities. additionally, for every 6 points of weight class, gain 1 natural armour (max 2) if the creature also has Fae Form, it may shift between all available weight classes..

[X] Spiny Soirée (6 Depth): Spiny Lobsters in a horde or formation may use the intimidate action as if they were twice their weight class
[X] Mineral Infusion (5 Depth): Creatures with an exoskeleton that live in this room take half damage from Critical Hits. Increases attractiveness to Delvers.

Crab-e Diem (Pick up to 1):
[X] Expand Cordite Lobsters (8 Depth)
[X] Expand Spiny Lobsters (6 Depth)

Note: learning an ability does affect the modifiers of non-named characters
Note: increasing weight class increases tile requirements (see table)

Glossary:
Koku: A unit of measurement equivalent to 180 litres or 6100 fl. oz.

Trivia: this update has been brought to you by challenging discord to a trial by combat, and percussive router maintenance.

Vote by Plan! Or Snippy WILL snip you!
Also please show your work when planning Depth costs to help us spot errors and enact plans (Welcome back to school kids, we open at 8)