The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  Abrams and Whedon, the man knew how to deliver a speech! Richter took the chamberlain’s warning to heart. He had been getting excited about the prospect of dungeon diving. Conquering a dungeon had always been his favorite part of playing RPGs. This wasn’t a game though. His friends and his villagers could die in here. Some of them most likely would. It could even mean his own death. His final death.

  Richter hadn’t really spent much time dwelling on it, but the prompts that appeared when he spent Chaos Points made it clear that his rebirth was not a guaranteed thing. There was an invisible but very real countdown to the day that he ran out of “lives.” A fatalistic smile emerged on his face as he couldn’t resist the inevitable thought. Game Over.

  The Spy was looking at Richter in concern, not understanding the grim smile on his liege’s face. To reassure the man, Richter told him, “I understand what you’re saying.” Randolphus held eye contact with him for a moment too long, but seemed satisfied that his liege and new protégé was taking him seriously.

  “Not all Rooms are detrimental to adventurers, my lord,” Randolphus said, continuing his explanation. “I have already told you of the site of my birth. A Shambhala is an example of a Room. A safe space in the midst of the Labyrinth or Dungeon. There are many other examples.”

  “How many types of Rooms are there?”

  “How vast is the Universe?” Randolphus replied shrugging. “The Labyrinth is a reality unique to itself, and no one has seen the breadth of it.”

  Richter rolled his eyes a bit, but then asked, “How can I make more Rooms?”

  “It will simply occur. The Dungeon will, one day, use some of its points to create a Room. The Room created will be consistent with its Motivations, but knowing that is next to useless if you do not know what those Motivations are.”

  “There isn’t any other way?”

  “Not unless you can find a Dungeon Keeper.” Randolphus paused for a moment, then added in an exasperated tone, “There is no need to glare at me, my lord, I was about to explain! A Dungeon Keeper is an individual that bonds to a Dungeon in the same way that you have bonded to your familiar. Perhaps the bond is even deeper. Before you ask however, I do not know how this is done. There has not been a Dungeon Keeper on the River Peninsula for hundreds of years, at least not in the Hall of Elemental Hunters or other Dungeons that I know of. I did hear stories, however, of a Dungeon Keeper born to the royal family about seven hundred years ago. It coincided with a Golden Age for the Kingdom of Yves. Some historians have attributed the kingdom’s prosperity to the amazing yields from the Dungeon at that time.”

  “But what is a Dungeon Keeper?” Richter asked tersely. From the prompts he’d been getting, finding someone that could fill that role would help him grow and control the Dungeon more than anything else.

  “I was getting to that!” Randolphus responded with a bit of heat himself. A second later, he came back to himself and added, “My lord.”

  Richter smiled a bit. He was definitely liking this new Randy better.

  “From what I have read, a Dungeon Keeper can direct a Dungeon to grow certain resources. He could even dictate what Rooms, monsters or loot were produced. I do not know if a Keeper can make a Dungeon go against its own Motivations, but he can mold it and shape it. As with all things in The Land, however, there is danger in having a Dungeon Keeper. While such a Professional could offer pathways to great power, the converse is also true. Remember, a Dungeon is a place of pure creation. The power of that cannot be overstated. A Dungeon Keeper could turn this place into a dangerous paradise… or a horrifying nightmare. The Golden Age of Yves ended when the royal Dungeon Keeper was slain by his own family.”

  “Why?” Richter asked in confusion. “Why would the royal family kill one of their own when he was so useful?”

  “It is said the power of creation drove him mad. While this is never ideal, the madness of a Dungeon Keeper can become real inside of his Dungeon. The perversions that appeared in the Hall of Elemental Hunters were so terrible that they were not documented, only hinted at in the official records. The royal family was forced to lure him from the Dungeon by killing his children one by one. In the end, his bloodline was the only thing he cared for more than the Dungeon. When he finally left the safety of his creation, they slaughtered him.”

  “And his children?”

  Randolphus just gave his liege a look to imply he should already have guessed their fate.

  Richter shook his head. People were cold-blooded no matter what world you were in. “So as always in The Land, awesomeness and death go hand in hand.” Richter concluded.

  “My lord?”

  “Never mind, let’s finish this up.”

  Richter dropped in a few more items. Various bits of jewelry made their way into the Well and were accepted. He even dropped in a weak Ring of Health as a test. It only added +5 health, so Richter wouldn’t really feel the loss if it didn’t work. It occurred to him that even a ring that he thought of as “meager” would cost most people in The Land several months of wages.

  Items Accepted! Dungeon Loot now includes: Copper Ring with Garnet (Well Crafted)

  Enchantment rejected! As the Dungeon lacks the appropriate Room, enchantments cannot be absorbed through the Well of Offering.

  Richter had expected the rejection prompt, but had wanted to know for sure. It would have been cool if the Dungeon had a loophole that let it accept enchanted items even though it had already rejected an enchanted weapon. Enchanted loot was apparently off the menu until more Rooms were built.

  He threw in a few more sundry items from his Bag of Holding. Each was accepted without difficulty, until he offered the vial of Crypt Mistress Ichor.

  Item Accepted! This item can be used as both Loot and Resource: Crypt Mistress Ichor.

  That was fine, but then a sound like the hiss of a massive serpent filled Richter’s ears. One of his short blades was already halfway out of its sheath when a prompt appeared.

  HISSSSS!

  Congratulations, Dungeon Master! You have uncovered a Motivation of your Dungeon: Blood Rite. Bring more blood to unlock additional perks. You have provided a new and powerful type of Blood essence to the Dungeon of Bloody Chaos. Your Dungeon hungers for more. Furthering this Motivation will strengthen the Dungeon; rare blood may add new abilities.

  Dungeon Ability Added! Lust: +10% likelihood for lairs to develop. +10% spawn rate for monsters.

  You have been Offered a Quest: The Power of Blood I

  Blood Magic is imbued in the very stones of your Dungeon. It hungers for this vital substance. Given time, the Dungeon will devour barrels and then oceans of sanguine power. It is not only the amount which drives your Dungeon, however. It hungers for varied blood to drive its own evolution.

  Success Conditions: Bring the blood of mighty creatures to your Dungeon and you will be rewarded! Will you supply the blood of five powerful creatures to your Dungeon to accelerate its evolution? Current Count: 1/5.

  Reward: Unknown.

  Penalty for failure or refusal of Quest: None.

  Do you accept? Yes or No?

  Before Richter could even read all the prompts, his chest began to itch. In a moment, the sensation turned into a horrible burning. “Arrggghh!” Richter cried out as he fell to one knee. The scent of cooking meat filled his nose and more than fifty points fell from his health. The searing agony spread throughout his whole body and he collapsed to hands and knees. Alma cried out in alarm and Randolphus reached a hand under his arm to keep him from falling over. Sion, Terrod and Sapir started to rush over. A golden glow surrounded the dragonling’s body as Richter tried to tear his chestplate away from his body. The pain was so intense it was driving away his ability to think.

  As suddenly as it came however, the agony disappeared. In its place was a cooling sensation, like diving into a refreshing lake on the hottest day of summer. A prompt filled his vision and the sound of the Mark filled his ears.

  THOOMMM!

  You
r Mark of the Adventurer has evolved! For being the first to discover and fulfill the Blood Rite Motivation of the Dungeon of Bloody Chaos you have earned a Boon: Symbiosis. If you continue to help your Dungeon evolve by providing the blood of new and powerful creatures, your own blood will gain new properties as well.

  The Symbiosis Boon of your Mark of the Adventurer may now access the perk gained from the blood of the Crypt Mistress: Deadly Charisma. +2500 Relationship Points with any sentient dead, undead, or living dead. +10% Relationship Points with any sentient dead, undead, or living dead.

  Richter blinked from his position on the ground. Even though the pain was gone, his breathing was still ragged from his body’s memory of it. He could think clearly enough now though to absorb the prompts from his vision and accepted the quest in the process. With no penalty attached he didn’t really see a downside, and apparently feeding blood to the Dungeon would make him stronger as well. He was starting to get what Randy meant by saying the Dungeon was a pathway to power.

  Terrod and Sion helped him up and he wiped away tears that had come unbidden to his eyes. While the chaos seed was explaining what had happened, it became clear that he didn’t understand the significance of what had just occurred. Randolphus did, however, and it was making him reassess his liege yet again. Just who was this man? It had been more than eight decades since the Spy had received his own Mark of the Adventurer. In those eighty-six years, his own tattoo had evolved only twelve times. How did this… child… not only become a Dungeon Master but also gain a Boon before even battling in his Dungeon? Troubled thoughts of loyalty, murder and duty swirled in his mind, hidden behind the perfect mask of a Spy.

  CHAPTER 24 – Day 142 – Kuborn 32, 0 AoC

  “What the fuck was that?” Richter asked once he was back on his feet.

  “You received a Boon and your Mark evolved,” Randolphus replied simply. He was still so distracted by his own musings that he forgot Richter hated incomplete explanations.

  “I know that!” Richter snapped predictably. “I read the damn prompt! I meant, does that shit happen every time? It felt like my whole body was on fire!” Alma’s spell had restored his health and he didn’t have any permanent debuffs. Part of him wanted to look at his chest, but now that he was thinking clearly again, he knew that removing the armor from his torso would be a pain and a half. His attempt to pull it off when the pain began had been panic, pure and simple.

  Randolphus just looked at him in reproach. His tone was instructional when he answered, “There is no power gained without pain, my lord. You would do well to remember this.”

  Richter rolled his eyes and thought, thanks dad. What he verbalized though was a repeat of his previous question, “Is that going to happen every time?”

  “Most likely not. The first evolution is typically the most painful, though depending on what Boon you receive there may be more pain in the future.” His gaze turned speculative, “I did not mention it before because it is not something I expected to occur any time soon. Evolving your Mark is another reason that Adventurers brave Dungeons and the Labyrinth. It is possible to gain Boons that can make you much more powerful and offer unique capabilities.”

  Richter remembered looking at his chamberlain’s Mark and seeing that it had variations that made it different from his own. Something clicked in his mind, “You’ve earned Boons, haven’t you?”

  “I have, my lord.” Randolphus responded. He didn’t give more information though.

  Frowning slightly, but attributing the terse reply to the Spy’s inherently secretive nature, he just accessed Randy’s status page again. Focusing on the Adventurer Mark, this time a subcategory did appear, but it offered no real information.

  Boons: ???

  While Richter checked his new Companion’s status page, Randolphus studied him in turn. It was easy enough to guess what the chaos seed was doing. The Spy’s face didn’t show any negative reaction, but he wasn’t pleased by either his liege’s question or evaluation. One’s Marks, abilities and skills were a private thing. After all, that knowledge could always be used against you. The Mark of the Adventurer in particular, was almost sacred, and wasn’t discussed.

  He had to remind himself that Richter was new to The Land and most likely didn’t know that convention, but it still rankled. The fact that their status pages were now open to one another didn’t soothe the chamberlain either. Even knowing that he had perused his liege’s status page several times since becoming his Companion didn’t make him feel better. All he could do now though was make an appeal.

  “The capabilities of another are a private thing, my lord. If you require it, I will answer any questions you might have, but I ask that we do so in private. Please hold my status sacred, as I will do yours.” Randolphus’ tone was calm, but beseeching.

  Richter looked at Sion and Terrod, who nodded in agreement with the chamberlain’s words. He shrugged and resolved to talk with the chamberlain about it later. Then he plastered a smile on his face, “Let’s go kill some shit!”

  Richter handed out some health and stamina potions to each of them. Everyone except Terrod also received mana potions. Not being a caster, the captain had no need of them. They all got a Potion of Clarity as well, including Alma. He looked at Sapir, unsure for a moment as to how the nine-inch fairy would use a potion meant for someone four to eight feet tall. Sion explained it simply though, when asked.

  “Any creature that is a small, normal or large size requires an entire potion. A tiny being only needs half a potion to receive the effect. Because Sapir is less than a foot in size, he’s diminutive, and actually only needs a fourth of the potion. He should be able to get four uses out of one vial.”

  Richter frowned slightly, thinking of all the times Alma had swallowed an entire potion of the expensive fluid, “What’s the cutoff between small and tiny?”

  “Anything less than two feet long and under eight pounds is tiny,” Randolphus supplied helpfully.

  “Hmmm,” Richter said looking over to where his familiar was perched on the edge of the Well of Offering. Had she been guzzling more potions than needed?

  Having followed the conversation, and now seeing her master studying her, she bared her teeth and hissed. To further clarify her unhappiness, she reared up on her back claws and flapped her wings at him.

  *You look beautiful, my love,* Richter thought to her quickly. He didn’t make a conscious decision to compliment her. It was more like he followed a well-ingrained reflex when confronted with an angry female. Everyone else apparently had the same survival instinct because they had all taken a step back from the irate dragonling. She might be small, but they all knew she was a deadly hunter who could use the Deep Magic, Thought.

  Her response was to hiss even louder, then she started glowing yellow. Richter was fairly certain he was about to be electrocuted, so he went for broke. He reached into his bag and pulled out a blue-white gem. The effect was immediate. She stopped glowing and her neck snapped down to point at the psi crystal like a hound towards a downed duck. Her face started to shift into the draconian version of a smile, but then her eyes narrowed again. She looked back at her master and started baring her teeth anew.

  Richter read the vibe and quickly pulled out a second psi crystal, holding them both towards her. This time he won her over completely. She jumped off the edge of the well and into his arms. He placed both crystals into her eager hands.

  You have brought your Psi Crystal in contact with a Mental creature. Would you like to expend the energy to enhance your soul familiar? Yes or No?

  Richter chose “Yes” and the rotating blue-white light inside of each gem stopped moving. The previously diffuse glow focused into a beam that lasered in on her face. Alma’s jaws opened wide and she inhaled sharply. The light from the crystals moved along the beam in one large pulse. The gems became inert, now lifeless rocks. He held her while she absorbed the psychic energy. Soon she was purring.

  He shook his head and looked at her fondly. T
he plan had been to hold onto the gems in case she needed a sudden boost to her powers, but he had forgotten a core principle that applied in every world and plane of existence. If you referenced a woman’s weight, the options were to give her jewelry or feel the pain!

  He kept the last psi crystal he’d gotten from the dreemar in reserve. Richter had no idea what they were going to encounter in the Dungeon. He did know that few creatures he’d encountered thus far had been able to withstand Alma’s Psi Blast. The fact that the little beast could harness the power of Thought had been a fatal surprise for many enemies.

  Resistances were based on specific schools, like Water or Fire Magic. As psychic creatures were apparently rare in The Land, at least in the River Peninsula, most never developed resistance to Thought attacks. More than a few higher level enemies had fallen to her because of this hole in their defense. Even mages of the Basic Elements were overcome by her psychic powers as their magical defenses failed to account for her use of Deeper Magic.

  As she had just absorbed the mental energy of two creatures, Richter took a moment to address the prompts that had appeared and adjust her stats. Unlike his own points, he only had twenty-four hours to distribute these before they would disappear forever. He examined her status page first to remind himself of how she had progressed:

  Name: Alma

  Level: 38, 12%

  Race: Psi Dragonling

  STATS

  Health: 130

  Mana: 820

  Regen/min: 49.2

  Stamina: 180

  Regen/min: 7.8

  ATTRIBUTES*

  Strength: 5

  Agility: 33

  Dexterity: 34

  Constitution: 13

  Endurance: 18

  Intelligence: 82

  Wisdom: 82

  Charisma: 18

  Luck: 18

  SPELL POWER BONUSES