by Dean Henegar
System Notice: This dungeon has been blocked off from its energy source. Dungeons survive on the energy of the adventurers entering and facing the challenges within. When deprived of this source of energy, the ability to respawn is eventually removed. The boss of this dungeon was killed while outside the dungeon and can no longer respawn. This dungeon will be removed from the game if no suitable replacement boss creature can be found. Time until deletion 15:00. Your party will automatically be kicked to the respawn point outside once the dungeon is removed from the game.
14:59
14:58
14:57
I wasn’t sure what to do. I knew that a dungeon right next to our town would be a huge windfall for the town, drawing huge numbers of pc’s and npc’s. The parties seeking to conquer a dungeon would help us to generate the funds we needed to grow and thrive. I thought I may have a solution, but I needed some advice to help me decide. I opened my friends list and saw that Jacoby, the first player I had met in game, was online. I sent an urgent chat invite to Jacoby, as well as to the halfling druid Yendys, and Mayor Delling. They all accepted quickly.
“Long time no chat, Raytak! What’s up?” Jacoby said.
“Hey, old soldier man, Raytak! Hi Jacoby, whoever you are,” said Yendys.
“What can I help you with, Raytak. You need to get back here and check out your shiny new garrison,” Delling said, reminding me that he had completed construction of the important structure.
“We went into the portal near where we killed the spider Vhareax to check for any potential threats to the town. It turns out the portal led to a dungeon that had been sealed off for so long that the creatures stopped respawning. We have about 13 minutes to figure out what to do. I was thinking of trying to release the Foul Spore Dryad, who turns out to be named Tessel, into the dungeon as the new boss. I believe I can get her to enter a lifepact with me, preventing her from ever leaving the dungeon. I need your advice before I do this,” I said, watching the timer count down.
“A dungeon would be a huge boon to the town. Players would flock in and provide the funds needed to finish building up our infrastructure. To miss out on this would be a major loss we cannot afford,” Mayor Delling quickly said, already planning how he could help the town grow to accommodate the potential new influx of people.
“I just looked up lifepact while you were talking. It seems pretty serious and the creature would be forced to abide by the rules of the pact. I would say go for it. You just need to make sure you put the caveat in that she cannot leave the dungeon. I’m in the guild now and I can guarantee we would be running a low-level dungeon like crazy. What level would the dungeon be? I was kind of assuming it was low-level because everyone in-game is still low-level so far. I think the highest-level player in-game is only like level 11 last time I checked the boards yesterday,” Jacoby said.
“I REALLY don’t like that dryad thingy! You do remember she killed Quimby, right?” Yendys said, remembering that when the group had faced the Foul Spore Dryad before, her friends, Quimby and Raytak, were both killed. There was a short pause while Yendy’s thought about it and I looked nervously at the timer running down.
9:33…
9:32…
9:31…
“But anyways, as long as me, Quimby, Drake, and Crunchy get dibs on the first dungeon run I agree you should do it,” Yendys said.
“If you need a tank, I would love first crack at the dungeon as well,” Jacoby threw in, excited to try his first dungeon in-game.
“Folks, you can figure out which of you will take the first shot later. I’m going to try and contact the Foul Spore Dryad. I guess I should call her by her real name, Tessel, now,” I said as I pulled the Foul Spore from my inventory. The Foul Spore looked like a large walnut, a walnut made of green, corrupted flesh. As I held it, a familiar tickle was felt at the back of my mind. This time, instead of suppressing the tickle, I opened my thoughts to it, attempting to contact Tessel.
“I sense you are trying to reach me, life-stealer. Do you seek to torment me again?” Tessel said.
“I’m actually going to offer a way to set you free. I’m currently in a dungeon and it needs a boss or it will vanish. Would you still be willing to enter a lifepact with me? I will set you free in here to do what you do best…make creepy plant creatures and kill things. I need your answer right now, we only have a few minutes to do this before we run out of time. This is the only way I can see of ever letting you back into the world,” I quickly told Tessel.
“So, you wish this dungeon to be my new prison. Still, freedom to rule here is better than the nothingness I have been existing in…I agree, Raytak. Name your terms,” Tessel said, and I was surprised that for the first time she used my real name. I gathered my thoughts and made my demands.
“You will be placed here as the boss of this dungeon. You will agree to NOT leave the dungeon without permission, or in any way harm the people of Hayden’s Knoll. You can do whatever you wish to adventurers that enter the dungeon. If you are defeated by the adventurers, you will respawn here and live again. If myself, Mayor Delling, or anyone else I designate, needs to enter the dungeon to meet with you, you agree to not harm us. In fact, you will do whatever you can to keep us safe from the creatures in here that you do not control. I agree to keep the dungeon open and healthy, the mayor and myself trying our best to keep the flow of adventurers coming.” I thought for a second before making one quick addition. “You will also come to the aid of the town, should it ever be needed, and if allowed outside the dungeon, you agree to not spread your corruption, or do anything other than defend the town and its people.” I could think of nothing else and awaited her reply, nervously watching the little time remaining tick slowly away.
“I…agree Raytak. Here is the lifepact contract. Once signed, you need to bathe the Foul Spore in your blood and plant it in the ground,” Tessel said, as a contract outlining everything we just agreed to appeared before me.
You have been offered a lifepact with Tessel the Foul Spore Dryad. Do you agree to the terms? Y/N.
I quickly hit yes and then drew my dagger, slicing a small gash in my forearm and causing blood to trickle out. I coated the Foul Spore in my blood…it seemed to drink it in. The small seed then began pulsing. Using my dagger, I dug a small hole and placed the foul spore inside, covering it in the dark soil of the underground cavern. Soon, stick-like twigs began to sprout, growing quickly to form a small tree slightly taller than myself. The tree smelled of rot and corruption, the bark weeping a gangrenous sap. A face appeared in the tree, the face of Tessel. She somehow walked from the tree and stood in front of us. I remembered that dryads are bound to a tree and this corrupted tree was her horrible home. I held my hand on the hilt of my sword as Tessel turned her gaze toward me. Her head was made of the same corrupted wood as her tree and her eyes were empty hollow spaces in her skull that leaked sap, a faint green glow appearing in the back of the eye sockets. She stared for several uneasy moments before she spoke.
“I am free again. I can feel this place molding itself to fit my will. I will grow here and spread my forest throughout the dungeon,” Tessel said while taking in her new domain.
Systemwide Notice: A new dungeon has been established in the Hayden’s Knoll zone. The Foul Spore Pit is rated for levels 2-5. Face the corrupted dryad, Tessel, and stop the spread of her toxic forest.
“Well, it looks like that worked,” I said as the server-wide announcement was given. Creatures began to appear around us, spawning into existence once more. A pair of corrupted bears appeared next to Tessel, while a dozen corrupted wolves materialized to surround our forces. The beasts began to move threateningly toward us, but then Tessel held up her hand. The beasts stopped, moving away to attack the random uncorrupted forest creatures that had spawned about the area.
“I keep my word, Raytak. See to it that you keep yours. I can sense the pillar behind me will allow you to make it back to the portal outside this…I mean my, dungeon. Now if you�
�ll excuse me, it’s time for you to go and time for me to explore my new realm.” With that, Tessel gestured toward the glowing red pillar. I was more than happy to comply with her wishes…the smell in this place was beginning to get to me, one of the downsides of the ultra-realistic game. I moved toward the pillar when Tessel held out her arm holding me back. Sergeant Ty roared and prepared his axe when Tessel spoke again.
“Hold your blade, soldier. I intend no harm.” Tessel looked to me again. “You have done me a service this day and given me of your own blood that I may be reborn. Take this token from myself as proof of the pact between us. As I grow stronger, so shall you.” With that, Tessel dropped a small bracelet made of woven twigs into my hand. I could feel the magic within the trinket. With our business here done, I touched the portal and began the transition to the outside of the dungeon.
Chapter 4
We reappeared outside the dungeon, startling the pair of soldiers stationed to guard the area.
“Sir, welcome back. Sergeant Brooks left word that you should see him at the new garrison as soon as you had the time,” one of the soldiers said as he saluted.
“Very well soldier, anything interesting happen while I was in there?” I asked, while I gestured toward the dungeon.
“No, sir, just that Mayor Delling has been going all out to get things built in the town. The deal they worked out with the goblin miners is holding. A few of them pop in here every now and then to mine the nodes that spawn in this room, but they’ve been friendly,” the soldier said as we passed through. We made our way out of the mines and back toward the town. The goblins in the mines paid us no heed and simply went about their business, gathering ore and cleaning out the last remnants of the spider invasion that had nearly wiped them out.
You have introduced a new boss into the Foul Spore Pit. This is a unique hidden quest.
Reward: 1500 experience, 1 uncommon item for your class, 1 rare item for your class.
That was a very welcome system prompt, but I really wanted to get out of these mines and back to town before I began updating my character sheet, or looking at loot. Emerging from the mine, we headed toward the town, which was only a quarter mile away. Dawn had broken and the first light of the day revealed a quickly growing town. When I had entered the mines and dungeon, only the town hall had been built and my garrison was only a foundation. I could now see the town hall had a second story and my garrison was complete. The garrison consisted of two long wooden barracks buildings surrounded by a small picket fence. The fence was short and appeared to be only used to map out the area of the garrison, not to provide any sort of defense. The area around the garrison was huge, making me hopeful I could expand and improve it in the future. Scattered about the outskirts of the town were a half dozen simple wooden cottages, the beginnings of housing for the citizens of the town, who were currently housed in my soldiers’ tents.
As I approached the barracks, a familiar trio of halflings came toward us at a run.
“Mr. Old Soldier Man, Raytak! When can we go to the dungeon…we still get first dibs, right! Oh, and check out Crunchy! Doesn’t his new bow look just soooo cute? I wanted to get him a collar, but that merchant guy, Phineas, said it would pinch his neck because of the way it was shaped and found this bow instead. That Jacoby dude you introduced us to should be here soon with one of his guildies so we’ll have a full party to tackle the dungeon with. Quimby here REALLY wants to get a crack at that dryad lady for killing him earlier…” The halfling druid, Yendys, was talking a mile a minute once again. Her friends, the two halfling rangers Drake and Quimby, looked on in embarrassed silence. I had to cut her off before my head exploded.
“Woah! Take a breath, Yendys. Yes, your team will get first crack at the dungeon as promised. Go and see Mayor Delling once you get your whole party together. I’m not sure how the whole dungeon thing works, but I think Mayor Delling will have some control over access to it, since it’s in his town. Sorry to cut you off, but I have to get to the barracks and see what’s been happening while I was gone.” With that, I made my way toward the garrison, passing the dejected halfling and her friends…oh what the heck, no reason not to be nice.
“By the way, Yendys, Crunchy’s bow looks very nice on him,” I said, looking at her animal companion. The “unicorn beetle” seemed to be a bit larger than the last time I saw him. The AI had somehow acquiesced to Yendy’s wishes and reclassified her animal companion (originally a giant rhinoceros beetle) as a unicorn beetle. Crunchy’s hard black carapace now had a ridiculous large blue bow somehow glued to the top of it. Crunchy seemed oblivious to it and was content to just follow the halfling around like a puppy dog.
“See, Crunchy! I told you it looked nice. We’ll have to see about getting some ribbons to go with your bow, or maybe we can have a sweater made for you!” Yendys said as she, thankfully, headed toward the town hall. Sergeant Brooks met me at the entrance to the garrison, directing me to the building where my quarters were located.
“Sir, welcome to our garrison. We’re glad to have you back. The wounded have been cared for and should all be fit for duty by the end of the day. We’ve been receiving replacements regularly since the garrison was complete and are at nearly a full complement of troops. You can check everything out in the war room outside your quarters,” Brooks said as I entered the building. The main room was just a large open barracks area. Bunks that were stacked three high lined the walls. Small, wood-burning stoves were placed about at regular intervals for heating in the winter. Wooden lockers were interspersed between bunks to store the soldiers’ gear and personal effects. At the far end of the wall was a door that led to the war room.
The war room was not very impressive considering its name. The plain room held a large table in the middle with a map of the zone covering it and markers that could be placed to indicate troop locations and possible threats. Around the table were some chairs and a small cabinet holding more markers, as well as space for refreshments.
“Sir, I’ve taken the liberty of assigning the troops to their duties while you were occupied in the mines. Please, take a look and make any adjustments you see fit,” Sergeant Brooks said as he indicated the map table. As I approached the table, a new system interface appeared.
You have activated the war table for the first time. The war table allows you to manage your forces and provide upgrades. As quests are completed and battles fought, you will be provided resources by the Imperium. Resources can be spent to improve the size and scope of your garrison, as well as allowing for the purchase of upgrades to gear and fixed defenses. There may also be a cost in gold, depending on the upgrade requested. *Note, the war table is currently showing more extensive information as this is your first time accessing it. In the future, only relevant data will be shown. More extensive information can always be found in your log/help tab if needed.
Garrison: Level 1 small outpost. Resources 50
Main Menu: Troop strength/deployment, reconnaissance reports, paymaster, upgrade options.
This was interesting. I had played games in the past that had some form of base building/army management and I had always enjoyed them. I figured I had earned a few minutes of time to play around with the settings. Hitting the first option, troop strength/deployment, caused information and markers to appear on the large table map in front of me.
Current/maximum troop levels:
Standard soldiers: 2 Platoons 86/100 soldiers ready for duty.
Advanced soldiers: 1 squad 10/10 soldiers ready for duty.
Elite soldiers: 1 1/1 soldier ready for duty.
Reinforcement levels: Standard soldiers will replenish at the rate of two soldiers per hour until full strength is reached. Advanced soldiers replenish at a rate of one per day. Elite soldiers replenish at a rate of one per week. Upgrade your garrison, or unlock new research options to increase your rate of replenishment.
Current deployment:
When I activated current deployment, the map filled my vision. I coul
d see a flashing indicator showing the town and its immediate surrounds, as well as a separate option to choose the rest of the area we had explored so far. I hit the town icon first.
Main Garrison at Hayden’s Knoll: One platoon of standard soldiers 41/50. One squad of Advanced soldiers 10/10. One elite soldier 1/1. Soldiers can be assigned to various areas within the town limits. Current breakdown is as follows.
1. Main Entrance: The town of Hayden’s Knoll is at the top of a large plateau. The only entrance is the western slope where the main road climbs up to the plateau. Two squads of standard soldiers are assigned here 18/20.
2. Goblin Mines: Adjacent to the town is the mine run by the Bugtug goblin tribe. The relationship with the Bugtug tribe is currently neutral. The mine and the dungeon housed within it are considered a critical resource for the town and must be protected. The goblins have requested the help of our garrison to defend them from potential monster attacks emerging from the dungeon, as well as from creatures spawning naturally in the caverns. The current troop strength assigned is one squad 10/10. The assigned squad patrols the mine and guards checkpoints at the entrances to the mine and the dungeon.
