The Guild Core: The Complete Saga Boxset: A LitRPG Dungeon Adventure

by TJ Reynolds

  Then the scouts he’d sent ahead, under Sergeant Pines, never showed up. Follow-up troops were sent a day later and though the remnants of a camp were found, all the men and women who’d gone on the mission were missing.

  It was proof enough that indeed an active dungeon thrived near Mindonne.

  The audacity of such a creature existing outside of the crown’s influence demanded immediate action. They’d doubled their pace and set up a temporary encampment surrounding the suspected dungeon.

  Hastings was a young man, only thirty, which to some meant he was no more than a pup. But he’d ascended to Crimson at twelve, Amber at seventeen, and Gold at twenty-four. Currently, he was an Emerald 1 warrior with prospects of becoming a general someday.

  Many scoffed at his youth, and his beardless face didn’t help. That was due to scant traces of Hintari blood in his family line. This only provided more scandal, but as the bloodlines of all three kingdoms were thoroughly mixed, it was little more than a point of gossip.

  The wind tugged at his cloak as his charger circled the apex of the hill. Grass bowed before them both, the wind lamenting and fitful.

  What god is complaining now? Briga’s tears haven’t fallen yet today. If only the wind is displeased, then perhaps fickle Shu is offended. Only a Hintari goddess would bemoan such a day.

  Yugos, Hastings knew well enough, was far from upset at the prospect of encroaching war.

  Two horses were approaching from the south. At first, the colonel thought them locals. Often times common folk rode out to meet them, eager to see if trade was likely. Hastings would only send them away. Their stocks were solid for another month on horseback and anything else could be taken as needed.

  But then he spied the flash of red at their backs.

  “Hail. What news of the dungeon?”

  One of the riders, a gaunt-faced man of thirty odd years, spoke first. “Of course, sir. Something most unlikely. We searched its depths and found evidence that it had begun to entrench itself within the mountain with traps and clever designs. But, sir. The Earth Core is gone! We looked down every passage and found nothing.”

  Hastings cut him off. “The rumors of an active Earth Core were lies then. Have you collected its shivvered remains?”

  “That’s the thing, sir. We found nothing, not even a shard was left! Some poor lad from 2nd platoon went and broke his ankle in an old trap, but that was the extent of our adventures in there. Not even a single minion challenged us.”

  Doubt warred with interest. Could it be possible? Somehow the Earth Core must have left. And none but a dragon… He shook his head. Flights of speculation could be humored soon enough. “And the squadron sent here to secure the entrance? Any sign of Pines and his men?”

  The second scout spoke up this time, eyes flashing with excitement. “Sergeant Pines, and every one of those under his command are gone, sir! Not even a scrap of equipment was found other than their abandoned tents and sleep rolls. We did manage to collect their horses though.”

  “As I thought. The fool tried to win the dungeon himself.” Hastings growled, shaking his head at the impatience of his men.

  “We thought so too, sir.” The man’s face warred with the impertinence of his next words, but he bit his lip and pressed on. “We did find tracks leading into the swamp, sir. A horse for sure, but also a massive beast with feet much like a… well, a lizard, sir. Shall we prepare to pursue?”

  “I haven’t decided, and you won’t spread any unfounded rumors, understood? Go and rouse Captain Hammel. I need to speak with him at once.”

  The scouts trotted away, repressed excitement written plainly on their faces. It wasn’t Hastings’ job to make promises. No, his was only to serve king and country, as any other officer in the army. They were to harry the border until news came that gave them permission to plunge into the depths of the country.

  Yet, he could understand the eagerness to press onward. He wouldn’t be truly satisfied until his blade had cut down a dozen dark-skinned Hintari.

  But before they did so, Hastings would find this Earth Core himself.

  Any dungeon that happened to wake, restored and sentient, would either bend its will to the king, giving over all of its ether and gold to Brintosh, or its potent store of Progression would be used for another purpose altogether.

  Hastings flexed his right hand, a surge of power leaping up into his shoulder and chest through the interconnected armor. His gauntlet was unique, the first of its kind. Made from dungeon-forged alloy, a fabricated core glowing in its palm, he had the power to reverse what the dragons had made.

  Power ran up his vambrace to the attached pauldron, and a chilled stream of ether coursed into his own core within. He’d only had the occasion to use the weapon’s full potential once, and he’d ascended from Gold 2 to Emerald 1 in a single moment.

  And that was but a young Earth Core. Imagine what might happen if I should happen upon an elder core, one exponentially more powerful. I’ll become a god soon, if only the fates allow me. Perhaps another Yugos. If I kill enough Hintari, surely the war god won’t mind.

  He kicked his horse’s flank and set off down the hill like a sea storm. If his command was still worth a chipped copper, the Vermillion Guard would march this very hour.

  Royar

  Royar Twinbow leaned against the cool bark of a black pine, watching over the pass. Mist clung to the edges of everything, and a few brave birds broke the sacred silence of the night before.

  He used his pocketknife to cut a strip of kana fruit away, the pithy food tasting something like an apple but softer and holding a bitterness that only a lemon could improve. Lemons, yes, lemons would be nice. Rimfield lemons are fine. Sour enough to blind a man should they get but a drop in their eyes. But who wants to go to Brintosh?

  A crimson jay winged before him, landing in the bough of a dogwood. Royar gave the bird a wink, pursed his lips, and squeaked out his best imitation of the jay’s mating call. Sure enough, the bird fluttered in place, confused, and began calling out in response. Royar continued the game until the jay came close enough to discover his falsehood. Then it burst away in a streak of red, no doubt resentful to have had his hopes so ill provoked.

  The verdan lemon is a real treasure. Brighter than a tiger’s eye in the sun, thin-skinned, easy to peel. And so filled with juice you can go without water if you have enough of them. But still, not the best.

  Tela called to him, using the borrowed voice of a fitz starling. Three bright notes that cut the air, so startling and true that only one of Royar’s fellow rangers could note the counterfeit. She was as tall and lovely as any Hintari princess, but she could split a quail’s top feather from a hundred strides, and she could do so half drunk.

  Forming his hands into a shell, he returned the call, three notes, each not more than a second apart. The pass was theirs now, and though she was two hundred feet away squatting in the arms of a scrub oak - she still complained about her tree’s lack of sophistication - it felt to Royar an intimacy.

  Each shift was six hours, and as always, he shared his with her.

  And though he knew himself to be a soft-eared fool, he couldn’t help but attribute every mote of sunlight, every gleaming flower, and every note of birdsong to her.

  It had been too long since their last festival and too long sitting here in wait. Royar missed the mead and hours spent feasting with those he loved. Afterward, Tela would find some way of ambushing him.

  She was most clever when she needed him and spared no expense. Once, she even stole a man’s horse, a luxury neither of them could afford, and caught him on the edge of the field pissing. She waited till he’d finished, like the lady she was, then galloped by, reaching down her arm, eyes flashing.

  He leapt up behind her and they rode for an hour until the fields were burning with sunset. And they made love until every fire had been extinguished. Those are festival days.

  But we’re stuck here, and Brintosh to blame. What’s changed?


  He finished his fruit and tucked the rind between two branches. The jays would finish the rest and leave less evidence than he. No, the finest lemon in this land is the Sheltin Lemon, smaller than the rest, with skin so tough and thick you thought it would never be worth the trouble. Like Tela. If you’re lucky enough, or as patient as I was, Royar mused, the Sheltin is so potent and flavorful it can brighten any dish by itself. Like a pool of sunshine condensed into a single jewel.

  Royar chided himself. He always got chatty in the mornings, and with only himself to listen to it, his thoughts were often enough to embarrass him. It’s good none can hear me then.

  A branch snapped below, perhaps three hundred strides. It came from Brintosh. Guarding the border was an endless and boring task, yet the fear and tension were always there, under the surface of things.

  His body tensed and he grabbed his bow. A fine thing of slatted antler and misty yew, his bow only had a single string. After some discovered his namesake, they would ask, disappointment in their voices, But I thought you were Royar Twinbow. Where’s your second bow? If they had the stones to ask him, he’d just answer with a wink, but occasionally someone would explain it for them.

  Royar was not a braggart, but he knew his capabilities better than any man. He could fire two arrows for every one another man could. He was young when he learned his talent, and his first mentor had dubbed him Twinbow ever since. But at this height and distance, a bit more aim was necessary. And he drew an arrow back, waiting patiently, as silent as death itself.

  Below, another crunch of a leaf being disturbed resounded, and this time, a few feet closer. Something was indeed approaching. Royar held his bow in position, the fifty feet of exposed pass clear below him. A few strands of mist wove through the gap, but they did little to obscure his view.

  Only two months past, they were told to increase vigilance. Normally, the rangers patrolled the borderlands in bands of six. Their rotations were frequent, and half their time spent on merriment and training. Word came back from Brintosh though. One of their spies had overhead talk of the Tiger and the Phoenix marching on Hintar again.

  No surprise there.

  The greed of the Northern and Western kingdoms was as renowned as their ability to field armies. Hintar would not be caught napping again though.

  So Royar stared down intently, his mind imagining the glinting steel of a helm or the crunch of booted feet. Instead, the pink snout of a fern swine came into view. It dipped its head and nuzzled into the soft soil for grubs or a choice bit of fungus.

  Royar wanted to laugh and thought also how nice it would be to loose his arrow, slide down his tree, and roast the little beastie that night. They could have a little feast and Tela might teach him a few more lessons in love.

  But no, Royar bemoaned, for now we will be vigilant. I can abide my lust and wait. No gift finer than Tela’s love. And no gift worthier of protection.

  The ranger sat in his perch, the day coursing around him like a golden river, his lover just two hundred feet away. They held hands in their minds and waited, for a storm was coming from Brintosh and they would be the first to know when it arrived.

  THE END

  For a skosh more entertainment and plenty of useless trivia, read on to Anecdotes and Archival Particulars…

  Appendix: Anecdotes and Archival Particulars

  Note on Appendices: I have included the appendix in all three books. Each Appendix is updated as the story evolves. Spoiler alert… do not reference Appendix for books 2 or 3 until you have read to that point in the story.

  Enjoy!

  Appendix: Anecdotes and Archival Particulars from the Dungeon Wars Period

  -As Curated by Arch Maester Reihnhold III

  Relevant Historical Figures:

  Kaius Unterinan (Kai)

  A man-dragon halfling who walked the liminal spaces between worlds. Son of Triel Unterinan and Athol Bremenburr. Brought up by an aunt and uncle who resented the fertile womb of his mother, Kai was nurtured by his caretakers yet was never truly accepted. Before he took up the glaive and imbued his core with Spell Scales, Kai knew more about how to fight aphids than men or monsters.

  The boy grew up with modest Intelligence, but had the rare benefit of an informal education. He and his uncle read dozens of books on various topics, some dramas written in courtly fashion, others on the variegated manifestations of fungus in the Pinua Forest. Nothing he read prepared him for the adventure he found after meeting Bancroft.

  Rhona Bloodspar

  The woman, the myth, the lion-hearted warrior who upset so many expectations by refusing her father’s legacy. Though lacking her progenitor’s stature, she excelled at the primal art of killing. Once, when faced by a challenge from a rival, she accepted with a single condition: the man had to choose two others to stand at his side. In a two-minute bout, she thrashed her challenges, and afterwards, made friends of each.

  Though the adventurer grew to become much more than a simple soldier, and served the most elusive of the gods directly, she remained humble in many aspects. One such aspect of her personality that most historians neglect to highlight was her simple and profound love of canning.

  Bancroft Dungeon (Ban)

  A stuffy and cordial Earth Core whose mannerisms and unwavering social etiquette were forged by his couth dragon. Though Ban learned to enjoy the thrill and glory of battle, he much preferred a lengthy conversation with an enlightened peer. Crafting too, of course, sustained the dungeon’s soul like almost nothing else.

  Yorick Shreefire

  The dragon companion of Bancroft Dungeon before and during The War of Dragons.

  Imogen Dungeon

  Earth Core companion of the dragon Inal, Imogen was the second dungeon healed by the Core Mender and hero Kaius Unterinan.

  Colonel Hastings

  Born into an old and prominent military family, the officer served as head of The Vermillion Guard for two years before the Dungeon Wars began. Though some refuse to acknowledge the technology, other scholars claim this man gained much of his power by absorbing Earth Cores through a device crafted by a dungeon enslaved by the king of Brintosh.

  Vital Terminology:

  AE: Available Ether, a term used to describe the pool of ether that humans, dragons, and dungeons rely on to utilize skills, spells, and create/craft, respectively.

  Progression: The units of ether accumulated through combat that allow all creatures of Anvar to gain levels and ascend.

  Etheric Interface: The visual system that allows creatures to observe their progress, allocate Attribute Points, and otherwise access their core.

  Ascension: Unlike leveling, ascension requires a transformation of a creature’s core, creating a more dense and powerful core signature. It is both time-consuming, dangerous, and painful.

  BM: Basic Material, the most common material type available to dungeons that form the basis of their many creations.

  IM: Intermediate Material, a more dense and diverse material type available to dungeons.

  AM: Advanced Material, the most advanced material type dungeons use to form their many creations.

  Cren: A slang word with many uses that refers to excrement.

  Shivving: A vile slang word used by thugs and uncultured youths to describe the act of copulation. Also used to describe breaking, killing, and destroying in any fashion as well as a general curse.

  Shivvered: Refers to the manner in which Earth Cores are most commonly destroyed. A shivvered dungeon is not dead, but broken, like a man who’s lost his mind yet manages to draw breath.

  Spell Scales: Spell-infused scales shed by a dragon for the purpose of passing on knowledge and power to offspring or allies. They are a sacred form of inheritance that dragons value above gold or even gemstones.

  Dungeon Core Rules and Procedural Restrictions:

  1- An Earth Core is forbidden to manipulate or modify their dungeon while a being other than a minion or their dragon is present.

  2- An Earth Core cannot
seal off its dungeon from the outside world unless their dragon is present within.

  3- Once an Earth Core’s Champion is defeated, it must wait 12 hours before summoning a replacement.

  4- All loot produced by an Earth Core’s minions is randomly assigned.

  5- An Earth Core may be moved from its dungeon and relocate to form a new dungeon. However, it may only retain its current ascension. All levels gained above ascension rank as well as acquired ether and resources, shall be lost upon departure.

  The Nine Gods and Their Relevant Elements:

  1st - Andag: Once a favored god of Brintosh. The father, the caretaker, the god of the hearth, of mead, and fertility. Those who serve Andag receive the blessing of the Earth Element.

  2nd - Briga: Once a favored god of Brintosh. The mother, the sage, the god of wisdom, healing, and regrowth. Those who serve Briga receive the blessing of the Water Element.

  3rd - Yugos: The favored god of Brintosh. The warrior, the face of death, the god of war, courage, and destruction. Those who serve Yugos receive the blessing of the Fire Element.

  4th - Shu: A god favored by the Rangers of Hintar. The seasons, the storm, the unbridled gale herself. Those who serve Shu receive the blessing of the Air Element.

  5th - Anlil: The god worshipped by Hintari royalty. The sun, the stars, the purifying flame of holy light. Those who serve Anlil receive the blessing of the Holy Element.

  6th - Angut: The god worshipped by the kingdom of Kaltan. The moon, the night, the bottomless black of death itself. Those who serve Angut receive the blessing of the Abyss Element.