A/N: I got sufficiently inspired (particularly Titan of Steel), and decided to write a dungeon...
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Part I: Awakening
MangoFlan
Cold... I feel cold...
A/N: I got sufficiently inspired (particularly Titan of Steel), and decided to write a dungeon of my own.
Bleugh. Blech.
I awaken, sputtering on the stone floor in some cave out there. Its walls are round and smooth, made of dark banded stone. Towards the east, I could see an opening hidden by the great glare of the descending sun.
I examine myself. I appear to be a small reptilian creature clad in dark stone scales. My claws appear to be made of some dark metal, and I seem to be drenched in a sticky pinkish fluid.
I also could feel something inside, something constantly radiating refined energy. It feels more like "me" than my body. I have an urge to protect it from harm at all costs.
Looking around, I find an eggshell and a puddle of viscous fluid. I think... I remember somewhere that hatchlings eat their eggshells to gain the nutrients that was used in making the shell.
I eat the shell. Crunch.
Now, to deal with the puddle on the floor. I could leave it here, but that would be wasteful and it would spoil and smell. Hmm. I suppose I could lick it clean. Yeah.
Lick. Lick.
Now that puddle of dubious composition is gone, I suppose gathering a bearing of my surroundings would be the next item on my list of priorities.
I set out for the bright blinding portal that was the exit. As I moved closer, I begin to smell salty sea air wafting into the cave.
I squint at the vista as I wait for my eyes to adjust to the glaring light. When my eyes has adjusted to the brightness, my eyes are met by a split vista of pale upper blue and deep lower blue. I look down, and, to my horror, saw a vertical cliff face dropping for a couple hundred meters to the sea. The boulders that await me on the bottom of the cliff would bash in my skull if I ever would fall. Looking up, I find another hundred meters of vertical rock.
...
How in the world will I get out?
I try to take some deep breaths. Emphasis on try since I just found out that I have very small and stiff lungs.
Turning my awareness to the cave, I decide that it needs some renovation.
Since I'm actually a dungeon core, and dungeons have rooms, I should work on making some rooms. This spot here could do some reworking.
I begin eating the wall, shaping it to dimensions of my liking.
Ah. This room is more like it. A small rough unfurnished room, brimming with possibility. The claw and bite marks left on the stone needs smoothing though.
Now I just need some decorations.
Ugh. To alleviate my distaste, I buy a small room directly to the north of my first room. The rocks shake a bit until giving way to a two-meter high hole to a hollow chamber.
I also notice that despite the fact that the room is dark, I seem to have no problems seeing in it. Thank you, [Darkvision].
Now, I would need some props and perhaps a bed in here if I'll be staying for a while.
I open up the template designer, and begin designing. I have to say, this template designer is like having a 3d modelling program in your head.
I try to design a bed, but a stone slab or a copper bedframe are not appealing me. I suppose I could just sleep on the floor; it's comfortable enough, and would probably a spacesaver. I wish I have other materials. I could do some decorations though.
I could not really do anything with the organic steel. Those stuff are currently very mana expensive. I turn to quartz, which is actually a very useful material. Refined quartz is apparently good at soaking up ambient mana. I could use it as mana batteries. I could take a thin piece of quartz, get a switch that controls flow of mana into the crystal, and voila! I have a light source I could turn on or off at will. They can come in different colors too! I go with a milky white for now.
I first try to make a mana battery. Since I use mana to build more structures, I might as well begin with that. I try to fashion the quartz into an octahedral shape, after the pylons in some place with lots of gold I don't remember seeing. I couldn't figure out how to make them float without them becoming mana hogs, siphoning up mana from my store more than they can soak, so I go with a simpler form. I shape them into rough spires. It complements the natural cave theme of my current floor, so I'm quite pleased.
Expanding my awareness, I seek the source. Huh. It appears to be literally coming from the core of the planet. I could also see some sources of refined mana well beyond my range, and definitely above or in the crust. Fellow dungeons perhaps?
Since I'm out of mana, and I have nothing to interact with in this cave, I wait. I stare at the white crystal, giddily encouraging it to suck up as much mana as I would need.
Bleugh. Blech.
I awaken, sputtering on the stone floor in some cave out there. Its walls are round and smooth, made of dark banded stone. Towards the east, I could see an opening hidden by the great glare of the descending sun.
I examine myself. I appear to be a small reptilian creature clad in dark stone scales. My claws appear to be made of some dark metal, and I seem to be drenched in a sticky pinkish fluid.
I also could feel something inside, something constantly radiating refined energy. It feels more like "me" than my body. I have an urge to protect it from harm at all costs.
Looking around, I find an eggshell and a puddle of viscous fluid. I think... I remember somewhere that hatchlings eat their eggshells to gain the nutrients that was used in making the shell.
I eat the shell. Crunch.
Oh. That's neat. This stuff is pretty nice. It's a thing that's strong as steel, and could easily produced by living beings. I think my bones and claws are made of the stuff.
Now, to deal with the puddle on the floor. I could leave it here, but that would be wasteful and it would spoil and smell. Hmm. I suppose I could lick it clean. Yeah.
Lick. Lick.
Minions? That's a surprise. I suppose its a good thing I could summon guards now.
Huh. So I'm a dungeon core. Never thought of that. I thought dungeon cores were crystalline orbs or cubes or some other platonic solid at the bottommost hearts of dungeons, but then again, I'm literally a newborn; I could be wrong.Information said:
Now that puddle of dubious composition is gone, I suppose gathering a bearing of my surroundings would be the next item on my list of priorities.
I set out for the bright blinding portal that was the exit. As I moved closer, I begin to smell salty sea air wafting into the cave.
I squint at the vista as I wait for my eyes to adjust to the glaring light. When my eyes has adjusted to the brightness, my eyes are met by a split vista of pale upper blue and deep lower blue. I look down, and, to my horror, saw a vertical cliff face dropping for a couple hundred meters to the sea. The boulders that await me on the bottom of the cliff would bash in my skull if I ever would fall. Looking up, I find another hundred meters of vertical rock.
...
How in the world will I get out?
Well, I'll be stuck here for a while.Note said:
As soon as I said yes to the prompt, my awareness is suddenly stretched. My essence flowed through the stone walls and permeated through the cave air. Instead becoming thin as you would expect something when stretched, my awareness seem to become thick and rich, as if it has assimilated the essence of my environment.Note said:
I try to take some deep breaths. Emphasis on try since I just found out that I have very small and stiff lungs.
Turning my awareness to the cave, I decide that it needs some renovation.
Since I'm actually a dungeon core, and dungeons have rooms, I should work on making some rooms. This spot here could do some reworking.
I begin eating the wall, shaping it to dimensions of my liking.
Pfeh. Eating stone is like eating cardboard. They're utterly bland! The pockets of flavorful minerals I found are definitely saving graces. I even got new materials from them.
Ah. This room is more like it. A small rough unfurnished room, brimming with possibility. The claw and bite marks left on the stone needs smoothing though.
Now I just need some decorations.
What the?
No! You mean I could just have summoned a room instead of carving by hand (or in my case, teeth).
Ugh. To alleviate my distaste, I buy a small room directly to the north of my first room. The rocks shake a bit until giving way to a two-meter high hole to a hollow chamber.
The chamber is rectangular room made of rough natural stone. Small stalactites and stalagmites of the same banded stone hang near the walls. It seems to conform to the current theme of the dungeon floor.
I also notice that despite the fact that the room is dark, I seem to have no problems seeing in it. Thank you, [Darkvision].
Now, I would need some props and perhaps a bed in here if I'll be staying for a while.
What? Oh my god. Where would I get those?
Oh. Neat.Note said:
I open up the template designer, and begin designing. I have to say, this template designer is like having a 3d modelling program in your head.
I try to design a bed, but a stone slab or a copper bedframe are not appealing me. I suppose I could just sleep on the floor; it's comfortable enough, and would probably a spacesaver. I wish I have other materials. I could do some decorations though.
I could not really do anything with the organic steel. Those stuff are currently very mana expensive. I turn to quartz, which is actually a very useful material. Refined quartz is apparently good at soaking up ambient mana. I could use it as mana batteries. I could take a thin piece of quartz, get a switch that controls flow of mana into the crystal, and voila! I have a light source I could turn on or off at will. They can come in different colors too! I go with a milky white for now.
I first try to make a mana battery. Since I use mana to build more structures, I might as well begin with that. I try to fashion the quartz into an octahedral shape, after the pylons in some place with lots of gold I don't remember seeing. I couldn't figure out how to make them float without them becoming mana hogs, siphoning up mana from my store more than they can soak, so I go with a simpler form. I shape them into rough spires. It complements the natural cave theme of my current floor, so I'm quite pleased.
Nice. I plop some down.
The crystals are pretty. The way they light up the chamber is pretty. I could feel them soaking up ambient mana. Where are they getting this mana?
Expanding my awareness, I seek the source. Huh. It appears to be literally coming from the core of the planet. I could also see some sources of refined mana well beyond my range, and definitely above or in the crust. Fellow dungeons perhaps?
Since I'm out of mana, and I have nothing to interact with in this cave, I wait. I stare at the white crystal, giddily encouraging it to suck up as much mana as I would need.
Part II: Gathering Bearings
MangoFlan
Cold... I feel cold...
Ugh. This mana collection method is way too slow. I eventually got bored staring at that stupid crystal that I decided to get out to get some fresh air. Maybe I should have gotten a corridor to the top first.
The stars look beautiful tonight. Like glowing crystal shards in far in the sky, forming unfamiliar constellations. There was no light pollution to outshine their light. There was no cloud to blot out their shine. It makes me want to sing, to make up a itty bitty song.
The stars above us glitter and shine
Like gleaming crystal shards
Pieces hanging on the cosmic spine
Like bells on a wind chime
The stars above us glitter and twinkle
Like ancient spirit eyes
As if a firework had blown and sparkled
And seeded the sky with light
The skies tonight are bright with stars
Heavenly spheres of burning might
Spears of light in the dark wars of night
Made living by wishes granted with flight
~***~
This could have gone better. Ugh. I wonder how my braying sounded. I spent almost all night fixing to those awful gurgling and wheezing. This body is definitely not made for vocalization.
It's already sunrise, if the pinkish glow and faded stars in the sky is evidence enough. Although the cave is facing west, I could tell that the sun's has probably peeked above the horizon by now.
The mana batteries are definitely too slow for my tastes. It was running overnight, and it's still only gathered a grand total of 4 MP.
Hey, mindbox. How do I get mana?
I draw up my temp--
There's somebody here.
A trio of entities enter my awareness. I try to extend my awareness to analyze them, but they were painfully just out of reach. Interestingly, they're pretty much walking mana refineries. The concentrated mana in their bodies were constantly diffusing into the relatively mana poor environment.
And they were right above me, right above the cave entrance.
I turn my eyes up, and I see three heads looking down at me. I recognize the organisms those heads belong to. Humans are what they're called, I think.
"Shoot. It's looking at us."
The trio then retreats. I suppose I'll have some visitors in the future. Now back to the matter at hand.
I draw up the template designer in mind, and begin designing some sort of solar panel. I begin by making the quartz flat. I adjust the crystalline structure to be as absorbent of radiant energy as possible, making it of a darker color, that of smoky quartz. I begin designing some microstructures for converting the radiant energy into mana. I put these microstructres throughout the crystal.
I call it, the mana leaf. I add some copper braces so they don't simply fall off the cliff face since they're so brittle. I'm pretty pleased with it. It even blends well with the dark stone cliff if they're not paying attention to the copper that's nailing it to the wall.
I plop couple onto the cliff face. They should produce 3 MP per hour of daylight. There's around 12 hours of daylight per day, so I could get 36 MP per leaf per day. That's a faster production rate than the mana spires that I could turn those to dedicated mana batteries.
I remove the mana-soaking structures in the mana spires, and replace them with mana-storing structures. This turns the crystals into more opaque columns.
I plop a couple more into my the crystal room. While I'm waiting for my batteries to amass some mana, I decide to work on a pathway to the top of the cliff.
Hmm. How should it go? Should it be a stone stairway jutting off the face of the cliff, or a stairway carved into the stone? Choices, choices.
I decide to go with the latter. With my mysterious dungeon powers, a stone ramp carves itself out. Its slope is smooth as if carved by water. Stone columns drip from the ceiling and held the weight of everything above it. On the walls are occasional claw marks, most probably modelled after mine. Best of all, it has one side open to the sea, letting the salty sea breeze sweep its length.
It costed significantly more than a regular corridor, but that's probably because of it extending a hundred meters vertically and horizontally.
But it's so worth it.
So, so worth it.
I am so going to ex--
Off I go!
The stars look beautiful tonight. Like glowing crystal shards in far in the sky, forming unfamiliar constellations. There was no light pollution to outshine their light. There was no cloud to blot out their shine. It makes me want to sing, to make up a itty bitty song.
The stars above us glitter and shine
Like gleaming crystal shards
Pieces hanging on the cosmic spine
Like bells on a wind chime
The stars above us glitter and twinkle
Like ancient spirit eyes
As if a firework had blown and sparkled
And seeded the sky with light
The skies tonight are bright with stars
Heavenly spheres of burning might
Spears of light in the dark wars of night
Made living by wishes granted with flight
~***~
This could have gone better. Ugh. I wonder how my braying sounded. I spent almost all night fixing to those awful gurgling and wheezing. This body is definitely not made for vocalization.
It's already sunrise, if the pinkish glow and faded stars in the sky is evidence enough. Although the cave is facing west, I could tell that the sun's has probably peeked above the horizon by now.
The mana batteries are definitely too slow for my tastes. It was running overnight, and it's still only gathered a grand total of 4 MP.
Hey, mindbox. How do I get mana?
Hmm. I'm not keen on dropping down to the bottom or digging to mantle right now, so I guess I'll try to harness solar power for now.Information said:
I draw up my temp--
There's somebody here.
A trio of entities enter my awareness. I try to extend my awareness to analyze them, but they were painfully just out of reach. Interestingly, they're pretty much walking mana refineries. The concentrated mana in their bodies were constantly diffusing into the relatively mana poor environment.
And they were right above me, right above the cave entrance.
I turn my eyes up, and I see three heads looking down at me. I recognize the organisms those heads belong to. Humans are what they're called, I think.
"Shoot. It's looking at us."
The trio then retreats. I suppose I'll have some visitors in the future. Now back to the matter at hand.
I draw up the template designer in mind, and begin designing some sort of solar panel. I begin by making the quartz flat. I adjust the crystalline structure to be as absorbent of radiant energy as possible, making it of a darker color, that of smoky quartz. I begin designing some microstructures for converting the radiant energy into mana. I put these microstructres throughout the crystal.
I call it, the mana leaf. I add some copper braces so they don't simply fall off the cliff face since they're so brittle. I'm pretty pleased with it. It even blends well with the dark stone cliff if they're not paying attention to the copper that's nailing it to the wall.
I plop couple onto the cliff face. They should produce 3 MP per hour of daylight. There's around 12 hours of daylight per day, so I could get 36 MP per leaf per day. That's a faster production rate than the mana spires that I could turn those to dedicated mana batteries.
I remove the mana-soaking structures in the mana spires, and replace them with mana-storing structures. This turns the crystals into more opaque columns.
I plop a couple more into my the crystal room. While I'm waiting for my batteries to amass some mana, I decide to work on a pathway to the top of the cliff.
Hmm. How should it go? Should it be a stone stairway jutting off the face of the cliff, or a stairway carved into the stone? Choices, choices.
I decide to go with the latter. With my mysterious dungeon powers, a stone ramp carves itself out. Its slope is smooth as if carved by water. Stone columns drip from the ceiling and held the weight of everything above it. On the walls are occasional claw marks, most probably modelled after mine. Best of all, it has one side open to the sea, letting the salty sea breeze sweep its length.
It costed significantly more than a regular corridor, but that's probably because of it extending a hundred meters vertically and horizontally.
But it's so worth it.
So, so worth it.
Ha ha ha. Who thought rolling on the grass could be so much fun, but that could be just my body reacting to multiple pleasant stimuli.
I am so going to ex--
Bwuh? Do I have core dependent mechanisms in place?Note said:
Drat. That's going to need some work if I'll go on scavenging trips in the future, but I really want (and need) materials right now. Considering the rate of mana production, I should have maybe a few hours or so until mana saturation would reach critical levels.Note said:
Off I go!
Part III: Attention
MangoFlan
Cold... I feel cold...
Pon was a disgruntled man. His beauty sleep had been disturbed by the calls of his supervisor. Apparently, a mana signature had been detected nearby that is definitely a dungeon.
And that was why he was marching along with two other men to scout this particular dungeon. The island may be mana poor compared to mainland, the dungeon could easily change that and turn it mana paradise. Dungeons are entities that bring fertility and fortune to the lands it graces, but also bring danger, curses, and disease.
Dungeons don't often form offshore of the mainland. That's why most island communities stay underdeveloped compared to the mainland, and unfortunately, that's also a leading cause of those communities from breaking apart. When dungeons are found, the DDCC or the Dungeon Development Control Company are often immediately told, but offshore dungeon discoveries often get lower priorities.
"What do you think this 'baby' dungeon will be, Bern?" Henri asked.
"I did my dungeonology homework last night, and based on mana signature, I think this is gonna be an earth-based dungeon?" Bern answered.
"Earth? Do you think it's a nature dungeon? Nature dungeons are bad news."
"No. Likely not."
They continued on until they reached the northwestern cliffs of the island. They were standing at the fringes of the dungeon's fog of mana.
They stopped at their feet when they heard an awful braying. The sound they heard was akin to screeching sheet metal and a sick chicken. They covered their ears as their eardrums hurt. They dropped to the ground and crawled to the edge of the cliff to spy upon the source of the awful noise.
Their eyes gazed upon a black creature clad in slate scales. Its teeth and claws black as ebony, and amber eyes that shimmered with sinister light. Its sharp voice singing a discordant song to the barely risen sun; frustration evident in its behavior and tone.
The creature soon stopped its song, recognizing the futility of stopping the sun from its rising. It contemplated, before suddenly turning its eyes up, looking at them with baleful curiosity.
"Shoot. It's looking at us." Henri unhelpfully stated.
They retreated and returned to their village. Hoping they hadn't disturbed and angered the creature of the dungeon. They were scouts, not well-equipped adventurers.
~***~
"So, you confirmed that there is indeed a dungeon on the island, is that correct?" Guildmaster Jeppol stated.
"Yes." Pon, Henri, and Bern chorused.
Bern picked up the report that he had written up that morning.
"A dungeon has been scouted on the northeastern cliffs on the summer of year of 368. Presumably earth-themed based on mana signature. It's entrance is situated in the middle of the cliff, about a hundred meters from the top, without any discernable proper way to reach it. This feature is assumed to change in the future as most dungeons prefer to have their entrances in an easily accessible spot."
~***~
Denjo mulled over his life at the guild hall. He had dreamt of having grand adventures down dungeons and emerge ten times richer, but alas for him, he lived in a rural island in the middle of nowhere. He had joined the local adventurers' guild in hopes of going off to such adventures, but so far, he'd only been off to fetch quests.
Such a curse, he thought. He wished he had been born in the mainland rather than the offshore territories of the kingdom. Where monsters of all shapes and sizes roamed, and adventurers delved down the dank depths of numerous dungeons that dotted land. Thrill, danger, and treasure; all which were unfortunately absent on the island. The fee to be ferried across the sea was also unfortunately too expensive for his wallet.
He cast his gaze to the side where it met Pon, scribbling a message onto the piece of paper laid before him. Pon was a adventurer from off the island, evident by the uncommon tunic made of monster hide he wore to work. He apparently transferred to the island to have a safer and more peaceful line of work. Denjo was jealous to Pon for being born on the mainland, and thought of him as a fool for leaving the lucrative adventuring ways of the mainland.
Denjo peeked upon the work Pon was working on. Reading and writing was an uncommon skill, often only borne by merchants. Denjo bothered little on learning to read; he was an adventurer who will be spending much of his days in dungeons. What will reading and writing help him in navigating their depths?
"Whatcha writing there, Pon?" He asked. Pon glared at him. Pon must have his sleep disturbed to be disgruntled. He sometimes though Pon was dumb, and he had rarely heard him speak.
"The monthly narrative report? Ain't that written at the end of the month?"
Pon lightly shook his head.
"Hey. Make it quicker, Pon. The ship will be leaving soon. We're gonna be waiting for the next ship to come if you're gonna be delaying on that report," Bern announced. He was one of the older members of the island's guild. Denjo was yet to understand his reasons for not considering leaving the island despite having the coin.
Pon quickened in describing the situation. Once finished the writing, the paper was then folded in sealed in an envelope. Bern happily received the message and began to walk away.
"'Ey, Bern? What was he writing? It seemed urgent?" Denjo asked.
"You're correct in it being urgent, kid," Bern replied. "It's a dungeon sighting report. It's going to the main branch of kingdom's adventurers' guild. We're going to ask to have it contained before it goes bad."
Denjo's heart skipped a beat. A dungeon. Here in their bland vanilla island? It was a dream come true. A smile crept onto his face.
"Hey, kid, Denjo. Word of advice, adventuring is not what its cracked out to be. Diving down wells of lucre and monsters is not exactly a safe and stable occupation."
"Also, it won't help in getting you any girlfriends."
A/N: Updates will be fairly sporadic. The next update may be posted very late.
And that was why he was marching along with two other men to scout this particular dungeon. The island may be mana poor compared to mainland, the dungeon could easily change that and turn it mana paradise. Dungeons are entities that bring fertility and fortune to the lands it graces, but also bring danger, curses, and disease.
Dungeons don't often form offshore of the mainland. That's why most island communities stay underdeveloped compared to the mainland, and unfortunately, that's also a leading cause of those communities from breaking apart. When dungeons are found, the DDCC or the Dungeon Development Control Company are often immediately told, but offshore dungeon discoveries often get lower priorities.
"What do you think this 'baby' dungeon will be, Bern?" Henri asked.
"I did my dungeonology homework last night, and based on mana signature, I think this is gonna be an earth-based dungeon?" Bern answered.
"Earth? Do you think it's a nature dungeon? Nature dungeons are bad news."
"No. Likely not."
They continued on until they reached the northwestern cliffs of the island. They were standing at the fringes of the dungeon's fog of mana.
They stopped at their feet when they heard an awful braying. The sound they heard was akin to screeching sheet metal and a sick chicken. They covered their ears as their eardrums hurt. They dropped to the ground and crawled to the edge of the cliff to spy upon the source of the awful noise.
Their eyes gazed upon a black creature clad in slate scales. Its teeth and claws black as ebony, and amber eyes that shimmered with sinister light. Its sharp voice singing a discordant song to the barely risen sun; frustration evident in its behavior and tone.
The creature soon stopped its song, recognizing the futility of stopping the sun from its rising. It contemplated, before suddenly turning its eyes up, looking at them with baleful curiosity.
"Shoot. It's looking at us." Henri unhelpfully stated.
They retreated and returned to their village. Hoping they hadn't disturbed and angered the creature of the dungeon. They were scouts, not well-equipped adventurers.
~***~
"So, you confirmed that there is indeed a dungeon on the island, is that correct?" Guildmaster Jeppol stated.
"Yes." Pon, Henri, and Bern chorused.
Bern picked up the report that he had written up that morning.
"A dungeon has been scouted on the northeastern cliffs on the summer of year of 368. Presumably earth-themed based on mana signature. It's entrance is situated in the middle of the cliff, about a hundred meters from the top, without any discernable proper way to reach it. This feature is assumed to change in the future as most dungeons prefer to have their entrances in an easily accessible spot."
~***~
Denjo mulled over his life at the guild hall. He had dreamt of having grand adventures down dungeons and emerge ten times richer, but alas for him, he lived in a rural island in the middle of nowhere. He had joined the local adventurers' guild in hopes of going off to such adventures, but so far, he'd only been off to fetch quests.
Such a curse, he thought. He wished he had been born in the mainland rather than the offshore territories of the kingdom. Where monsters of all shapes and sizes roamed, and adventurers delved down the dank depths of numerous dungeons that dotted land. Thrill, danger, and treasure; all which were unfortunately absent on the island. The fee to be ferried across the sea was also unfortunately too expensive for his wallet.
He cast his gaze to the side where it met Pon, scribbling a message onto the piece of paper laid before him. Pon was a adventurer from off the island, evident by the uncommon tunic made of monster hide he wore to work. He apparently transferred to the island to have a safer and more peaceful line of work. Denjo was jealous to Pon for being born on the mainland, and thought of him as a fool for leaving the lucrative adventuring ways of the mainland.
Denjo peeked upon the work Pon was working on. Reading and writing was an uncommon skill, often only borne by merchants. Denjo bothered little on learning to read; he was an adventurer who will be spending much of his days in dungeons. What will reading and writing help him in navigating their depths?
"Whatcha writing there, Pon?" He asked. Pon glared at him. Pon must have his sleep disturbed to be disgruntled. He sometimes though Pon was dumb, and he had rarely heard him speak.
"The monthly narrative report? Ain't that written at the end of the month?"
Pon lightly shook his head.
"Hey. Make it quicker, Pon. The ship will be leaving soon. We're gonna be waiting for the next ship to come if you're gonna be delaying on that report," Bern announced. He was one of the older members of the island's guild. Denjo was yet to understand his reasons for not considering leaving the island despite having the coin.
Pon quickened in describing the situation. Once finished the writing, the paper was then folded in sealed in an envelope. Bern happily received the message and began to walk away.
"'Ey, Bern? What was he writing? It seemed urgent?" Denjo asked.
"You're correct in it being urgent, kid," Bern replied. "It's a dungeon sighting report. It's going to the main branch of kingdom's adventurers' guild. We're going to ask to have it contained before it goes bad."
Denjo's heart skipped a beat. A dungeon. Here in their bland vanilla island? It was a dream come true. A smile crept onto his face.
"Hey, kid, Denjo. Word of advice, adventuring is not what its cracked out to be. Diving down wells of lucre and monsters is not exactly a safe and stable occupation."
"Also, it won't help in getting you any girlfriends."
A/N: Updates will be fairly sporadic. The next update may be posted very late.
Part IV: Development
MangoFlan
Cold... I feel cold...
Ah. It certainly feels great to be free, but what doesn't feel great? The utterly uncomfortable and anti-instinctual exposure! It's not like the weakest creatures of the woods could shatter my heart; I'm an armed armored beast for goodness sake!
I found good stuff around the woods. Saplings, lizards, ants, mushrooms, weeds, flowers. I even stumbled upon a steel trap, and it was a great steal. I now have lots of stuff now to decorate my home. I am definitely in a good mood.
I step back into the boundaries of my dungeon. The afternoon sun is starting descend. The manage that has been accumulating in the mana leaves surges through my connection to the area. The mana that flows through my heart leaves a pleasant warmth in my chest.
I disregard the mana leaf that shattered from overcharging. I plop a few more mana leaves to replace it. I add some more mana spires to store the extra inflow of mana.
Now, I begin to contenplate for my future. I definitely want to go out and scavenge for some stuff every now and then, but I can't always leave my dungeon. The mana leaves would damaged from mana saturation and mana-powered mechanisms from mana outages.
Solution 1: Create a tether that relays mana from mana leaves to batteries.
Pros: Cheap, simple, and durable.
Cons: Mana lost in the form of heat from matter-mana saturation interactions. Inefficient material and method. Estimated 35% mana loss. Look into wireless relays with lower mana loss through dissipation?
Solution 2: Create specialized minions to go out and gather samples.
Pros: Dungeon core can stay at dungeon to keep dungeon mechanisms in operating condition.
Cons: Possibly really expensive? May incite conflict with locals.
Hmm. I'm sold. I'm gonna make some minions. I open up the template designer.
What kind of scavenger-type minion do I want? Definitely not slime. Avian? Reptile? I don't have mammal samples; they're a bit too skittish for me. I'll go with insect.
They'll be big green grasshopper-like things. They will have six limbs, with the upper arms will sport dextrous hands good for grabbing things while the middle arms have special wrists so that they could be used for ambling when needed. Compound eyes, antennae for airborne chemical communication and analysis, and green carapace are standard for the insect build. Perhaps a better respiratory and digestive system may be warranted for the size.
And template done. I think I'm going to call them Collectors. Now for field testing.
Collector 01, come with me. We're going outside to gather materials.
Collector 01? You're a bit still.
Hello? Geez, those eyes of yours are a bit dead.
Hmm. Let's see. Acquisition of needs is the foremost needed instincts: when thirsty, seek water, when hungry, seek food (food set as [grass]), sleep when tired or at a specific time period, have air, et cetera. Steer clear of creatures at least 30% larger than oneself, and be wary of creatures with implements of a predatory lifestyle such as sharp teeth and claws. When bumping into creatures recognizable as the same species as oneself, share information such as geography, recognized possibly predatory species, dangers, and resource sources.
Now those are the basic behaviors. Onto the more specialized behaviors.
One everyday should pick up an item and bring it to lair (the dungeon by default). If item in question cannot be carried, or exceeds weight capacity of muscles, then leave item. If item causes significant detectable harm to any part of the body, have known scents typically associated with toxic substances, or sports designs associated with predatory lifestyle, then be wary of item, and ultimately leave it alone. Prioritize items with greater assigned value over items with lower assigned value (metal>corpses>rock>plant matter>other).
That should be it. It's configured to be a learning algorithm so it improves on itself.
Now, let's see how this goes. I call you forth, Collectors Mk.2.
And there's now three Collectors standing before me, as well as a huge hole in my mana reserves. They're fairly expensive; 15 MP! I'm going to try to ignore that part for the moment, and the fact that I'm not going to gain any more MP until the next day.
Now looking at the new collectors, they're definitely an improvement from the brain dead previous. They're looking around curiously. I let them familiarize themselves with the dungeon.
Wait! Don't panic. Like, I'm your dungeon core! Uh... Eh... They're backing away.
Okay, what went wrong? I'm obviously the dungeon core, and I can see my minions a bit conflicted on that. Are they not loyal to me as the creature but as the dungeon core? I put my claw on-- oh.
I have claws, and obviously sharp teeth, and possibly a little too large to their comfort. Things they're instinctually programmed to be wary of so that's why they're a bit fearful of me. That conflicts a bit with their "loyal to me" subroutine, I think. That's probably why they haven't scrambled away from me.
Hmm. I can tweak their instincts right now to make them acknowledge me as the creature as the same species as them, but that could rise to some interesting future problems. I couldn't simply make them trust my species; that could raise some problems in which they are lured by my likeness. I think making them trust my likeness IF it has my specific mana signature. Looks like it should work.
Apply changes.
Looks like they're more relaxed around me. Yep, definitely more relaxed. One comes up to me. I hug it. Does it feel god, son? You're still relaxed, so I suppose that's good. The other collectors are now moving in.
Group hug!
I think I'll postpone field testing for now. I think it's better that they first operate in daylight rather than night.
Heh.
There I was once in a cave by the sea
Up in the air, and in a hole in a cliff
Huddling together with my minions of three
As I drift to sleep, the ocean air I could whiff
~***~
*Yawn.* Yes. I'm pretending to be waking up and refreshed. It appears that I am incapable of true sleep. My body goes inactive, but I continue to be aware. It seems that my consciousness is being hosted in the core rather than my actual brain. I could the sparks jumping between my nerves slow down while I'm still wide awake.
I also found out that my minions do produce mana, though the net gain is negligible. They only produce as much mana as required upkeep for their bodies to continue operating without water or food. I suspect that it will become a net loss when they become sick or injured.
I've been bored during the night. Awfully. I've spent hours thinking (and hopefully not make my core overheat). With the tiny amount of mana I have left, I bored a room to the south of the lobby room (where me and my minions slept). It's going to be my garrison. I also designed some slime guards.
They're simple green acidic blobs with stone plates armoring them. I made their aesthetic similar to mine so I can pretend they're my beefy bodyguards. I even gave them a false draconic head. Unfortunately, they're quite stupid, and would need constant supervision to be effective. Thankfully, Exper-chan is always there to guide them.
The sun's rising up, so hopefully I'll have some mana to expend on my projects. Oho-ho-ho.
Oh. Good morning to you too, Collector 02. There there. Have a head pat. You too, 01 and 03.
Now, why don't we go out and test out your abilities. I expect you to come back by noon.
I found good stuff around the woods. Saplings, lizards, ants, mushrooms, weeds, flowers. I even stumbled upon a steel trap, and it was a great steal. I now have lots of stuff now to decorate my home. I am definitely in a good mood.
I step back into the boundaries of my dungeon. The afternoon sun is starting descend. The manage that has been accumulating in the mana leaves surges through my connection to the area. The mana that flows through my heart leaves a pleasant warmth in my chest.
I disregard the mana leaf that shattered from overcharging. I plop a few more mana leaves to replace it. I add some more mana spires to store the extra inflow of mana.
Now, I begin to contenplate for my future. I definitely want to go out and scavenge for some stuff every now and then, but I can't always leave my dungeon. The mana leaves would damaged from mana saturation and mana-powered mechanisms from mana outages.
Solution 1: Create a tether that relays mana from mana leaves to batteries.
Pros: Cheap, simple, and durable.
Cons: Mana lost in the form of heat from matter-mana saturation interactions. Inefficient material and method. Estimated 35% mana loss. Look into wireless relays with lower mana loss through dissipation?
Solution 2: Create specialized minions to go out and gather samples.
Pros: Dungeon core can stay at dungeon to keep dungeon mechanisms in operating condition.
Cons: Possibly really expensive? May incite conflict with locals.
Hmm. I'm sold. I'm gonna make some minions. I open up the template designer.
What kind of scavenger-type minion do I want? Definitely not slime. Avian? Reptile? I don't have mammal samples; they're a bit too skittish for me. I'll go with insect.
They'll be big green grasshopper-like things. They will have six limbs, with the upper arms will sport dextrous hands good for grabbing things while the middle arms have special wrists so that they could be used for ambling when needed. Compound eyes, antennae for airborne chemical communication and analysis, and green carapace are standard for the insect build. Perhaps a better respiratory and digestive system may be warranted for the size.
And template done. I think I'm going to call them Collectors. Now for field testing.
Collector 01, come with me. We're going outside to gather materials.
Collector 01? You're a bit still.
Hello? Geez, those eyes of yours are a bit dead.
Well, that explains a lot. No wonder Collector 01 wasn't reacting to me. He/She's essentially lobotomised. He/She'll probably stay standing there even if he/she's dying of thirst and starvation. Collector 01, I'm afraid you have to be dismissed.Note said:
Hmm. Let's see. Acquisition of needs is the foremost needed instincts: when thirsty, seek water, when hungry, seek food (food set as [grass]), sleep when tired or at a specific time period, have air, et cetera. Steer clear of creatures at least 30% larger than oneself, and be wary of creatures with implements of a predatory lifestyle such as sharp teeth and claws. When bumping into creatures recognizable as the same species as oneself, share information such as geography, recognized possibly predatory species, dangers, and resource sources.
Now those are the basic behaviors. Onto the more specialized behaviors.
One everyday should pick up an item and bring it to lair (the dungeon by default). If item in question cannot be carried, or exceeds weight capacity of muscles, then leave item. If item causes significant detectable harm to any part of the body, have known scents typically associated with toxic substances, or sports designs associated with predatory lifestyle, then be wary of item, and ultimately leave it alone. Prioritize items with greater assigned value over items with lower assigned value (metal>corpses>rock>plant matter>other).
That should be it. It's configured to be a learning algorithm so it improves on itself.
Now, let's see how this goes. I call you forth, Collectors Mk.2.
And there's now three Collectors standing before me, as well as a huge hole in my mana reserves. They're fairly expensive; 15 MP! I'm going to try to ignore that part for the moment, and the fact that I'm not going to gain any more MP until the next day.
Now looking at the new collectors, they're definitely an improvement from the brain dead previous. They're looking around curiously. I let them familiarize themselves with the dungeon.
Wait! Don't panic. Like, I'm your dungeon core! Uh... Eh... They're backing away.
Okay, what went wrong? I'm obviously the dungeon core, and I can see my minions a bit conflicted on that. Are they not loyal to me as the creature but as the dungeon core? I put my claw on-- oh.
I have claws, and obviously sharp teeth, and possibly a little too large to their comfort. Things they're instinctually programmed to be wary of so that's why they're a bit fearful of me. That conflicts a bit with their "loyal to me" subroutine, I think. That's probably why they haven't scrambled away from me.
Hmm. I can tweak their instincts right now to make them acknowledge me as the creature as the same species as them, but that could rise to some interesting future problems. I couldn't simply make them trust my species; that could raise some problems in which they are lured by my likeness. I think making them trust my likeness IF it has my specific mana signature. Looks like it should work.
Apply changes.
Looks like they're more relaxed around me. Yep, definitely more relaxed. One comes up to me. I hug it. Does it feel god, son? You're still relaxed, so I suppose that's good. The other collectors are now moving in.
Group hug!
I think I'll postpone field testing for now. I think it's better that they first operate in daylight rather than night.
Heh.
There I was once in a cave by the sea
Up in the air, and in a hole in a cliff
Huddling together with my minions of three
As I drift to sleep, the ocean air I could whiff
~***~
*Yawn.* Yes. I'm pretending to be waking up and refreshed. It appears that I am incapable of true sleep. My body goes inactive, but I continue to be aware. It seems that my consciousness is being hosted in the core rather than my actual brain. I could the sparks jumping between my nerves slow down while I'm still wide awake.
I also found out that my minions do produce mana, though the net gain is negligible. They only produce as much mana as required upkeep for their bodies to continue operating without water or food. I suspect that it will become a net loss when they become sick or injured.
I've been bored during the night. Awfully. I've spent hours thinking (and hopefully not make my core overheat). With the tiny amount of mana I have left, I bored a room to the south of the lobby room (where me and my minions slept). It's going to be my garrison. I also designed some slime guards.
They're simple green acidic blobs with stone plates armoring them. I made their aesthetic similar to mine so I can pretend they're my beefy bodyguards. I even gave them a false draconic head. Unfortunately, they're quite stupid, and would need constant supervision to be effective. Thankfully, Exper-chan is always there to guide them.
The sun's rising up, so hopefully I'll have some mana to expend on my projects. Oho-ho-ho.
Oh. Good morning to you too, Collector 02. There there. Have a head pat. You too, 01 and 03.
Now, why don't we go out and test out your abilities. I expect you to come back by noon.
Part V: Progression
MangoFlan
Cold... I feel cold...
A/N: Guess what happens right now? That's right. An update!
[Unit 01] is exploring. This [Class:Collector] unit is currently tasked in acquisition of materials for [lair:dungeon]
[Unit 01] meets [Unit 03]. That unit reports resource source of [resource:stone] due south. That unit is returning to lair with a load of [resource:stone].
[Unit 01] queries [Unit 03] for whereabouts of [Unit 02]. That unit responds [Unit 02] was last known to be moving away from lair due southeast.
[Unit 01] splits from [Unit 03], and goes east. Object identified as [tree] noted with interest. This unit explores area with interesting geographical features. This unit acquires [item:tree_seedpod]
~***~
[Unit 02] feeds in a clearing. He is ~1.1 kilometers southeast of lair. He has gathered some interesting items along the way, though has abstained from picking them up, noting them as low priority items.
[Unit 2] detects motion. Motion ascribed to a creature. This unit moves to cover in order. This unit is confident that this unit is sufficiently removed from unidentified creatures' sight. Creatures move out of cover. Four individuals identified. Creatures do not bear preconceived identifiers of predatory. They possess items noted with predatory design. Noted items bear resemblance to preconceptions of [material:metal].
Abscond?
Observe.
~***~
Denjo was positively glowing today. He finally got into an adventuring party. He had to pester the guild into letting him (and his friends) to delve into the dungeon until the cave into his request. They granted them his request, reasoning that since the dungeon was very young, it was likely to be quite safe. Henri had to come with them as a supervising adult or experienced adventurer of the group though.
He was walking through the Central Woods, basically vibrating on the inside. He prepared for this very day (not on the island, but nonetheless). on his side was sheathed his trusty shortsword. A sackcloth bag hang from his belt, containing: a few talismans, a few lockpicks, and a few coins.
His friends, Vincent and Gini, was walking alongside him, clearly just as excited as he was. They spent some minutes along the way just talking about the upcoming adventure. Henri, unlike his serious co-workers, was joining with the conversation, heartily laughing with them, much to Denjo's surprise.
Vincent brought along his trusty spear. His grandmother gave it to him for his birthday some years ago. It's actually a fishing spear so that he may assist in his father's fishing. He thought it was cool, and treated it like an artifact. It was the first "weapon" he've ever held minus kitchen knives. He had practiced imaginary combat situations with the spear in his hand for the time when they'll go on a real adventure.
Gini brought along with them a quarterstaff. She wanted to be a wizard of some sort. She wore a loose robe that drape down to halfway her shins. She hadn't learned any magic, but she hoped that being exposed to adventure, she may unlock her magical potential. Regardless, she had practiced combat with her long stick, and those mana crystals of hers could be used as flash bombs in a pinch.
Henri was a pretty chill guy, but he's tough. He's got some serious chest hair. He treats the matter way less seriously than his coworkers. It's quite an experience having a guild member that does not complain about the new dungeon. He's joking and talking along with us. He wielded his trusty mace with confidence.
The woods parted as they came to a clearing. Grass and wildflowers carpeted the ground. The place was warmed by the midmorning. Seeing it as nice place to stop, they laid down and had little rest in the middle of their trek.
Suddenly, Henri's was glued to the bushes at the treeline. Something was there. The leaves shuffled a bit, clearly announcing the leave of a creature.
"What do you reckon that was?" Vincent asked.
Henri shrugged. "Probably just some wild animal. Maybe an ambush hunter."
~***~
Possibly predatory creature has detected this unit. Abscond?
Abscond.
[Unit 2] slowly sneaks about the creatures. Failure. Environmental elements made detectable sound and/or motion. Group has possibly detected this unit. Points of failure noted.
[Unit 2] is interested in group. Creatures are physiologically different from previously noted creatures. Group carries materials of higher priority than previously observed items. Observe?
Decline. Abscond. This unit goes due southeast.
~***~
Well... I have little to do this morning. While my Collectors are out getting materials and (what they're probably really doing right now) exploring, I do some renovations to the dungeon.
My mana has been growing steadily, and I have plopped some more mana batteries. My battery room looks like a crystal cave now. Just so much glowing crystals protruding from the walls. Honestly, it looks magical, and it is since its thrumming with mana, the fuel of magic.
Now that I have some mana to expend, onto more pressing issues: the dungeon feels too exposed. I should put traps in the corridor. Pitfalls? Nah. Spike traps? Pressure plates don't work well on sloped floors. Aha! Tripwires, or perhaps Razor Wires.
I begin plopping down my traps in the entrance corridor. Wire here, wire there. Not only are they sharp, but they're made of steel. They're not that sharp per se; I don't want to clean up diced adventurers. Hopefully, when they trip, they will roll or slide downhill and reach the bottom full of cuts and lacerations.
Now to my minions... I may have not thought this through, but that can be modified later. My ingoing and outgoing minions will have to go around the wires.
Oh hey, Slimehard. I'm doing fine.
Who's a good slime? You are. You are.
Oh don't be glum, Vanz. You too. You're a good slime too.
I enlarge the southern room. I've said that it will be my garrison, but I think it may be better that I turn it into a recovery room...
[Unit 01] is exploring. This [Class:Collector] unit is currently tasked in acquisition of materials for [lair:dungeon]
[Unit 01] meets [Unit 03]. That unit reports resource source of [resource:stone] due south. That unit is returning to lair with a load of [resource:stone].
[Unit 01] queries [Unit 03] for whereabouts of [Unit 02]. That unit responds [Unit 02] was last known to be moving away from lair due southeast.
[Unit 01] splits from [Unit 03], and goes east. Object identified as [tree] noted with interest. This unit explores area with interesting geographical features. This unit acquires [item:tree_seedpod]
~***~
[Unit 02] feeds in a clearing. He is ~1.1 kilometers southeast of lair. He has gathered some interesting items along the way, though has abstained from picking them up, noting them as low priority items.
[Unit 2] detects motion. Motion ascribed to a creature. This unit moves to cover in order. This unit is confident that this unit is sufficiently removed from unidentified creatures' sight. Creatures move out of cover. Four individuals identified. Creatures do not bear preconceived identifiers of predatory. They possess items noted with predatory design. Noted items bear resemblance to preconceptions of [material:metal].
Abscond?
Observe.
~***~
Denjo was positively glowing today. He finally got into an adventuring party. He had to pester the guild into letting him (and his friends) to delve into the dungeon until the cave into his request. They granted them his request, reasoning that since the dungeon was very young, it was likely to be quite safe. Henri had to come with them as a supervising adult or experienced adventurer of the group though.
He was walking through the Central Woods, basically vibrating on the inside. He prepared for this very day (not on the island, but nonetheless). on his side was sheathed his trusty shortsword. A sackcloth bag hang from his belt, containing: a few talismans, a few lockpicks, and a few coins.
His friends, Vincent and Gini, was walking alongside him, clearly just as excited as he was. They spent some minutes along the way just talking about the upcoming adventure. Henri, unlike his serious co-workers, was joining with the conversation, heartily laughing with them, much to Denjo's surprise.
Vincent brought along his trusty spear. His grandmother gave it to him for his birthday some years ago. It's actually a fishing spear so that he may assist in his father's fishing. He thought it was cool, and treated it like an artifact. It was the first "weapon" he've ever held minus kitchen knives. He had practiced imaginary combat situations with the spear in his hand for the time when they'll go on a real adventure.
Gini brought along with them a quarterstaff. She wanted to be a wizard of some sort. She wore a loose robe that drape down to halfway her shins. She hadn't learned any magic, but she hoped that being exposed to adventure, she may unlock her magical potential. Regardless, she had practiced combat with her long stick, and those mana crystals of hers could be used as flash bombs in a pinch.
Henri was a pretty chill guy, but he's tough. He's got some serious chest hair. He treats the matter way less seriously than his coworkers. It's quite an experience having a guild member that does not complain about the new dungeon. He's joking and talking along with us. He wielded his trusty mace with confidence.
The woods parted as they came to a clearing. Grass and wildflowers carpeted the ground. The place was warmed by the midmorning. Seeing it as nice place to stop, they laid down and had little rest in the middle of their trek.
Suddenly, Henri's was glued to the bushes at the treeline. Something was there. The leaves shuffled a bit, clearly announcing the leave of a creature.
"What do you reckon that was?" Vincent asked.
Henri shrugged. "Probably just some wild animal. Maybe an ambush hunter."
~***~
Possibly predatory creature has detected this unit. Abscond?
Abscond.
[Unit 2] slowly sneaks about the creatures. Failure. Environmental elements made detectable sound and/or motion. Group has possibly detected this unit. Points of failure noted.
[Unit 2] is interested in group. Creatures are physiologically different from previously noted creatures. Group carries materials of higher priority than previously observed items. Observe?
Decline. Abscond. This unit goes due southeast.
~***~
Well... I have little to do this morning. While my Collectors are out getting materials and (what they're probably really doing right now) exploring, I do some renovations to the dungeon.
My mana has been growing steadily, and I have plopped some more mana batteries. My battery room looks like a crystal cave now. Just so much glowing crystals protruding from the walls. Honestly, it looks magical, and it is since its thrumming with mana, the fuel of magic.
The wall around the entrance to my cave now looks like a scaly wall. So many mana leaves! I'll be swimming in mana for days.
Made templates of them, and they're damn expensive, but it hasten up my expansion.
Now that I have some mana to expend, onto more pressing issues: the dungeon feels too exposed. I should put traps in the corridor. Pitfalls? Nah. Spike traps? Pressure plates don't work well on sloped floors. Aha! Tripwires, or perhaps Razor Wires.
I begin plopping down my traps in the entrance corridor. Wire here, wire there. Not only are they sharp, but they're made of steel. They're not that sharp per se; I don't want to clean up diced adventurers. Hopefully, when they trip, they will roll or slide downhill and reach the bottom full of cuts and lacerations.
Now to my minions... I may have not thought this through, but that can be modified later. My ingoing and outgoing minions will have to go around the wires.
Oh hey, Slimehard. I'm doing fine.
Who's a good slime? You are. You are.
Oh don't be glum, Vanz. You too. You're a good slime too.
I enlarge the southern room. I've said that it will be my garrison, but I think it may be better that I turn it into a recovery room...