Dauntless Dungeon

by Devan Johnson

  “Heck yes,” Aurora exclaimed “I would love to see some full fledged Rogues show off their moves, I might get some ideas.”

  Velora shifted uncomfortably, “You guys can go ahead without me, I don’t attend Clash this time of the week, not all their security appreciate the Treaty,” she stated with a saddened tone.

  “Because you’re a Slyrum?” Caprice questioned, quickly turning red, realizing what she’d just asked and meekly adding, “right?”

  Soza coughed awkwardly, “well, I was actually thinking about going to an apothecary shop in town that’s going to be closed tomorrow, do you…maybe want to come with me?”

  “Well, I don’t know…” Velora began uneasily.

  “Oh my gosh we should, I’ll come too,” Kheeta jumped in, wanting to include her new teammate. “Are you going to Merleus’ Apothecary, cause I met him earlier this week and his store looked really amazing. The three of us can go while they watch their fights.” Velora’s expression beamed at the Kitsune, causing her tail to poof slightly. After they all agreed that they would meet back at the Inn when they were done with their various activities, they split into two groups; one off to watch the intense Class Clashes and the other to Merleus’ Apothecary.

  The odd looking trio of girls were making their way down the winding alleyways of Dravenmoore when a familiar trill caught Kheeta’s attention. Stopping she looked to her left and saw Bastion, her Keezor friend. Running over to the small creature she shared some of Merighol’s leftovers and introduced him to her friends. They laughed as the little animal bashed his head against the wall happily until a much louder crash from the left sent a cluster of blue Paloofs into the air.

  “What was that?” Kheeta asked looking in the direction of the sound, her tails swishing anxiously behind her.

  “Help! Stop it!” An older voice pleaded loudly causing the make-shift Party to sprint in its direction.

  “I think it came from back here!” Soza hollered to her friends, pointing down the dark alley, that forked left at the end of their vision.

  As they left Bastion and made their way down they saw who was making the noise. “Oh thank the Gods!“ Merleus exclaimed Please, you have to help me!” Two large Garnorians stood between them and the elder Fungee, and they didn’t look like they were friendly.

  “You little ladies are going to go right back down that alley.” The green Garnorian with broad shoulders snarled.

  “Yeah, and you’re gonna forget we were here… or else.” The second, a blue scrawny one, threatened menacingly.

  “What kind of Questers would we be if we did that?” Velora shot back, raising her arms up into the air as the ground began to tremble lightly. Before either Garnorian could react long vines burst through the cracks in the cobblestone and secured themselves to her target’s neck, arms, and legs. The two men stood there, frozen in place by the restraints until Velora lowered her hands and the vines pulled back into the earth. The rope-like plants didn’t loosen their grip on the Garnorians on the way down however, ensnaring them prone on their back.

  “Why you little no good son of-“ The green Garnorian was cut off as two globs of purple slime connected with each of their mouths, completely encasing them.

  “That’s not a nice thing to call a school child.” Velora taunted before walking past the two enemies, still struggling against their bonds only now their screams of frustration were muffled cries.

  Kheeta looked on in amazement at her Party’s new Cleric. “That was incredible! I didn’t know Clerics could do that!” She exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement.

  “Well I am a Druid Class so I work closely with plant and wild life.” Velora explained as she helped Merleus back up to his feet.

  “Either way, that was some impressive magic,” Soza added glancing down at the two still struggling captives.

  “Indeed it was,” Merleus agreed, dusting off his long and colorful robe. Kheeta was glad that the tall and slender fungus-man seemed to be shaken but relatively unharmed. “How can I repay you?” Merleus continued, addressing the three girls, “who knows what these two would have done with me if you girls hadn’t shown up?”

  “Well my friend here was told that you collect magic items?” Velora bartered, shooting a quick glance back at Soza.

  “Of course, of course,” he nodded “are you searching for anything…in particular?”

  Soza peered around the alley quickly before leaning in towards the tall man, “I was hoping to see some Astral items,” she answered in a hushed tone.

  The Fungee raised his eyebrows in feign shock, “oh-ho-ho and who’s been running around spreading rumors about me,” he inquired a steely glint flashing quickly in his eyes.

  “I have some family members that’ve used you before and said I should check out your shop when I got to town,” she retorted, her voice full of false innocence, playing the potentially dangerous verbal dance of the black market.

  Velora coughed, breaking up the intense stare down between the two, “we also saved you, if you remember,” she reminded him.

  Merleus stared between the three girls before allowing a thin smile to spread across his lips and chuckling, “now, now, no need for a shake down, right this way please.” He walked to the back corner of his shop and slid out a piece of wood near the dirt hiding a lever, pulling it caused several soft clicks as a small section of his cobblestone walkway sunk leading to a dark stairway. Exiting the narrow corridor they entered an expansive room filled with strange relics that lined the dusty shelves. The ceiling was low, Kheeta could stand fine but Merleus had to tilt his head significantly. “If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.” The tall apothecary was sitting behind the counter now, flipping through a purple ledger.

  Kheeta walked around the room ogling the merchandise and wondering what half of it could be for. “What’s this?” Soza asked Merleus as she pointed at a large purple crystal.

  “Oh, that is a seeing crystal… they’re pretty useless for most people.” Merleus explained looking back down to his ledger.

  “What is a seeing crystal for? Can it see the future?” Kheeta asked, joining Velora in admiring a Trepidor skull on the shelf.

  “Well if someone is in the Astral Plane then they can store messages inside of these crystals.” Merleus began to explain, still not looking up from his ledger.

  “That seems pretty useful,” Soza pointed out, confused as to why he would call it useless.

  “It would be, except that the message can only be received by the person it was intended for, so most people have no use for them.” He had placed his quill down and was looking at Soza with a curious expression. “You remind me of another Kelphyte I knew… you said that your family used to come here?”

  “Yes, my mother. She’s been missing for years now, stuck in the Astral Plane.” Soza answered causing Merleus’ eyebrows to try and climb off his face.

  “So that’s how you look familiar… I remember your mother, always studying the Astral if I’m right.” Merleus’ tone turned comforting as he looked at the Kelphyte girl, “if she taught you anything, it should have been that no one can survive for years in the Astral.”

  “Trust me, she’s alive… I can feel it.” Soza’s eyes shone with unfallen tears, “if she’s alive she would have left a message… I have to know.” Soza reached out and grabbed ahold of the crystal and softly muttered “mom” beginning to violently shake.

  “Soza! Are you okay?” Kheeta exclaimed as she rushed to her friend who had begun bleeding from the nose. “Just let go of the crystal Soza!” She grabbed ahold of the gem to try and wrench it away from the Kelphyte but as soon as she touched the rock the shop was gone and she was somewhere else.

  “Soza! Where are we?” Kheeta asked, a bit louder that she would have wanted, but the Mage-girl either ignored her or couldn’t hear. Before them sat a small wooden hut, shabbily constructed, and not at all safe, not that much is in the Astral Plane. In front of the cabin sat a female Kelphyte, s
he had sea foam green skin, long blue hair, and long flowing tentacles. The woman had her face in the palm of a Vormaw and Kheeta had originally feared for her safety, sure she was about to witness something truly horrifying. She was wrong however, as the woman simply spoke into the mouth of the hand. The Vormaw’s other hand was placed upon a crystal of a similar shape and size to the one that they currently held. Kheeta opened her mouth to try and be heard, and once again it was to no avail. Just then, a booming female voice rang out through their heads. “I can feel the balance shifting, the veil is weakening, you must prepare!”

  A blinding flash lit up the sky and Kheeta was thrown backwards. Shaking her head clear she took in her surroundings with more than a little confusion. “What happened?”

  “Well Soza started shaking and you tried to take the crystal only to start seizing also. Then the whole crystal blew up with a light and now it’s cracked.” Velora answered as she helped the Kitsune up, and her eyes grew as large as dinner plates. “Kheeta… not to alarm you but…” She helped Soza to her feet and her mouth fell agape also. “You’ve grown another tail.”

  Kheeta normally would have been panicking over the appearance of yet another tail and what that could mean; but she had already toned out the rest of the room. Her friends were a dull and distant chatter as Soza’s mother’s words kept rolling around in her head, “you must prepare!” Prepare? Prepare for who? For what? Kheeta thought to herself as a familiar pit of anxiety took up residence in her stomach. Whatever it is… I’ll be prepared.

  Glossary

  General Terms

  Quest Master – The individual who is in charge of the entire Quester’s Council and second in power only to the King of Rhespira.

  Quest - A job submitted to the Quester’s Council for approval by anyone in Rhespira. Once approved and a monetary reward decided, it is loaded to local Quester boards for completion.

  Quester – An individual who has graduated from Dauntless Dungeon and received a Quester’s License, allowing them to join a Guild.

  Pro-Quester – A Quester who has won the Pro-Quester Tournament, an annual placement competition for the best of the best.

  Guild – A collaboration of parties that work together under a single name.

  Party – A group of five Questers, generally assembled to take on harder missions.

  Role – Every party consists of five roles, a Mage, a Warrior, a Rogue, a Cleric, and a Bard.

  Class – Every role has a few class options that a Quester can choose from.

  Roles and Classes

  Mage – Magic users that can be Invokers or Witch Doctors.

  Invokers are powerful mages that can cast a variety of elemental or illusion magic.

  Witch Doctors are mages that specialize in Voodoo and summoning, relying on blood magic.

  Warrior – Questers trained in the art of martial weapons and fighting they can be Barbarians, Commanders, or Monks

  Barbarians are warriors that rely on brute strength and savagery.

  Commanders are masters of the sword and shield with a mind for tactics.

  Monks are warriors of both the body and mind, and excel in unarmed combat.

  Rogue – Questers who prefer to stick to the shadows to pick locks, pockets, and disarm traps. They can be Thieves or Assassins.

  Thieves are masters of stealth and pick pocketing, and can best almost any lock

  Assassins are blades for hire, striking from the shadows and masters of traps.

  Cleric – Questers who are chosen by the Gods themselves to be their influence in the world. They can be Druids or Blessed Champions.

  Druids are Clerics that worship nature to the point that they can not only talk to but also control plant and animal life.

  Blessed Champions are Clerics chosen by a God to spread their will, they usually make great healers.

  Bard – These Questers are in it for the money and entertainment, they can be Musicians or Artists.

  Musicians are Bards that master the art of an instrument or their voice to a magical level.

  Artists are Bards that can weave the fabric of magic into their ink, bringing their paintings to life.

  Locations in this book

  Rhespira – The single continental land mass that makes up all of the known world in the Mortal Plane.

  Dauntless Dungeon – The top Quester school in Rhespira, located in Dravenmoore. The structure sits atop three separate floating islands, and its tall clockwork spires are a beacon to those who thirst for adventure.

  Dravenmoore - A bustling steampunk metropolis and crown jewel of Rhespira, this massive city is home to both the royal family and Dauntless Dungeon.

  Tohmar – A small humble farming town outside of Dravenmoore, mostly inhabited by Centaurs and Satyrs. Calisto and his family live here.

  The Den – An enchanted grove deep within Verngoth forest hidden both from sight and memory by powerful magic. Kheeta and her fellow Kitsunes recluse here.

  Verngoth Forest – A large sprawling forest rumored to be haunted and braved by few. Those who do usually return hours later with little memory aside from a feeling of terror.

  Glittermoore Caves – An expansive network of caverns and crawlways. A unique variant of Redcap reside within.

  Astral Plane – One of the planes of existence, the other two being the Ethereal and Mortal, the Astral is where all magic derives. It is possible to travel there physically though the danger and law prohibit most from doing so.

  Gods

  Megoria – A female Goddess with the visage of a Centaur. She is the Goddess of knowledge and magic and is a member of the Good Pantheon.

  Regaris – A male Aven God of power and corruption. He is a member of the Bad Pantheon.

  Fongarah- A male Fungee God of luck and poisons, he is a member of the Good Pantheon.

  Tormentula- A female Arachling who is the Goddess of thieves and shadows. She is a member of the Bad Pantheon.

  Ahquora – A female Meripint who is the Goddess of creativity and coin. She is a member of the Good Pantheon

  Lithera – A female Abysyte who is the Goddess of lust and lies. She is a member of the Bad Pantheon.

  Petorii – A female Florae Goddess of life and love. She’s a member of the Good Pantheon and the first and strongest of the Gods.

  Windiigan – A male zombified Sehrmic, he is the God of death and decay. He leads the Bad Pantheon.

  Craydon – A male Cerulean God of protection and loyalty. He is the defender of the Good Pantheon.

  Gogalog – A male Garnorian God of war and violence, he is a member of the Bad Pantheon.

  Races in the Peace Treaty

  Kitsune – A forgotten but living race of humanoid foxes that reside deep within The Den. Kitsune’s value honor and tradition above all else and never leave their village due to fear of Rhespira’s other races.

  Human – A race that has almost all but faded into memory and history. Most were wiped out when the other races rose up against them.

  Lycarion – This race of wolf-like humanoids have strong bonds to their families, called packs. They are common in Rhespira and are often Questers.

  Berejorn – Often called bear-people, due to them looking like every variation of bear, this race is extremely defensive and often find themselves as guardians of sorts.

  Selchii – Tall, strong, and broad shouldered shark folk, the Selchii are some of Rhespira’s fiercest Warriors, residing near coastlines all over the continent.

  Shelidon – A race that resembles the great turtles of land and sea. They are bipedal and extremely wise, often referred to as the deepest race in Rhespira, they make great Questers.

  Musmeer - A unique race of mouse-folk comparative in size to a human child. Several communities of Musmeer lie within the many hills of Rhespira.

  Arachling – Humanoid from the waist up, with the lower torso and legs of a large spider, other races sometimes find themselves spooked by their appearance though many are still famous Questers.


  Treant – Though they appear to simply be animated trees, the Treant are a race unto themselves. They value knowledge and the preservation of nature above all else.

  Fungee – Similar to their distance cousin the Treants, they resemble animated fungi. Coming in various sizes and colors, they are one of the most unique races in Rhespira.

  Florae – Moving by an intricate system of roots, this all female race resemble the numerous flora that cover Rhespira. They are almost always Clerics of Petorii, their patron Goddess.

  Aven – These flightless bird-folk have long plumage covering their entire body, and come in a multitude of colors. The leading profession of this species is merchant.

  Sehrmic – Snake from the waist down, this matriarchal race, whose current Queen resides over Rhespira with King Draven, make natural Witch Doctors and rule with an iron fist.

  Meripint – This small three foot amphibious sub-race of Hafpints have large tentacles in place of hair that can move independently. Their culture obsesses over the fine arts and as such as these squid folk are the most common Bards.

  Bottonpint – Like other Hafpints, they stand roughly 3 feet tall but this sub-race’s skin seems to be covered in a moss like fur, and their hair made of leaves. They tend to live in the forests and don’t typically leave, opting instead to stay and tend to the flora and fauna.

  Stalagpint – Slightly smaller than the other Hafpints, due to them scurrying on all fours, their skin can resembles a range of gems and they possess multi-faceted eyes. Usually dwelling in subterranean caves, the few who venture out typically become Rogues.

  Geonor – This short, stout sub-race are broad shouldered and barrel chested. Their skin appears to be made of rock and they have long mole-like hands that they use to tunnel under the earth living in subterranean communities.

  Aquanor – These Nors, like all, are short and stout only the Aquanor live in underwater cities instead of underground ones. They are amphibious and their skin appears to be made of coral instead of rock.