Ah, those crazy kids. After Freddie found himself with a new ‘animal companion’, there was much consternation. He wanted to release it, of course, but that’s only an option for rangers and tamers, silly boy. He definitely looked like he was considering cross-classing in the near future, though. Rhonda, however, still needed her own familiar, and the two got the bucket back with hopefully enough mice to spare.

They actually tracked down the one that Rhonda had started taming, partially with the help of Freddie’s spider… who I’m going to call Fiona. Fiona seems to take her new position seriously, as she netted the wolfspider as soon as she spotted it, which was significantly earlier than the two kids. I’m pretty sure the taming bar filled slower, what with the wolfspider being restrained like that, but Rhonda got herself a spider familiar.

I let the two kids go on their way peacefully, and got another pile of mana for them finishing a quest as well. I smile to myself as they leave my perception, hoping they’ll come back for some more shenanigans. For now, though, I have an experiment in the lab to check up on.

It’s definitely done something, but I don’t know what. The mush is faintly glowing yellow, which… might be a good sign? It didn’t blow up, or melt through the dirt, so I consider it a win so far. Not knowing what else to do with it, I tell the queen to have a few workers eat some. If they explode or something, they’re just a few little worker ants.

And hey, they didn’t explode. They didn’t die, either, which is even better. I watch the ants and notice a pretty immediate change. They’re quick little buggers now, wow. I tell the queen to keep tabs on them and turn to other things for now. I’ve been sitting on quite a pile of mana for a while now. My core is close to the size of a tennis ball now, so I should do something with it.

Now, my new upgrades for me will let me expand up, out, or down, and they’re all tempting. Up will let me get that little tower thing on my roof, which feels like a great place to put some stronger stuff, maybe something between the strength of the basement and the attic. Out would give me more ground to look at, maybe let me see the fence or wall or whatever. The kids more or less confirmed to me that I’m in some kind of town. It’s not like urchins can just go wander out into the woods and expect to come back safely.

Down is also really tempting, though. There could be caves there, or maybe ores or something. If I’m going to live up to the title of dungeon, I’ll need to head deeper eventually, right? Well, deeper is probably also more dangerous, and I want to be ready for dangerous stuff.

Up it is, then. It feels weird to not have the run of the whole house, when I am the house. Ah, it’s a belfry. Fittingly enough, I have a bat spawner in there, too. I don’t know what my new invader is yet, though. Bats eat bugs or fruit, and I doubt I’m gonna get attacked by killer tomatoes. I feel like I have bugs more or less handled, so what will they throw at me? Feels like something sneaky, whatever it is.

Or maybe it’ll actually be nothing? It wasn’t all that much mana, and didn’t give me that much extra floor space. It more gave delvers roof access and the belfry than it gave me new rooms, so not all that much, really.

I decide to risk expanding out, since I still have a lot of mana to spend. Man am I glad I did. I do, in fact, have a wall and a gate, but I also have a huge expanse of a yard. My new spawner is a personal favorite, too: snakes! Heck yeah I’ma have noodles wandering around. I upgrade my little snek den and the bat belfry until I need to choose a path, and leave it hanging for now. I want to see what happens with the new invaders before I make any choices.

Mana Gained

Wait, what? A new mana thing? Where is… aha! One of my snakes got something! It’s… a mole? Uh-oh. My Sanctum is still Secret, but moles will eventually stumble over it and the core! Ok, I need more sneks, and I think I need them small, so we’re going vipers. I wanted constrictors, but no way is an anaconda going to be able to hunt moles.

Alrighty sneks, go and… my snakes! Seagulls! I hate seagulls! The vipers fight back a bit, but these gulls are bad news, wow. My only real options to fight them in the air are my crows and my bats. I could make them vampire bats, but I don’t think that’ll do too much against seagulls.

I spend most of my mana to upgrade my crow’s nest to a raven’s nest, and the new birbs descend on the gulls like they’re the new taste sensation. A group of crows may be a murder, but these ravens are definitely an unkindness to those stupid seagulls. Aahh… that’s some nice mana income now, though.

Right, surface secured again, need to secure the Sanctum. My rat scion has been working on my walls and various nooks and crannies, making all sorts of secret passages and such around, and I see a great spot for my new sanctum. I’m glad he hasn’t really been getting bigger, unlike Tiny. I thought he would be, especially after the nest spat out a dire rat the other day.

A scout needs to stay lean, I suppose. Anyhow, the location for my new sanctum is going to be in the chimney on the second floor. Well, technically in the attic. There’s never been a fire in there since I got here, and with the spiders and ants to build a little chamber in it, I can move my core!

Of course, I need to be careful about that. First thing: Scion roll call! Tiny! Keep doing your thing, buddy. You hang out in the main room for now. If you keep getting bigger, I’ll need to give you an actual room for your lair, too. You’re about the size of a small dog now. If anything says “Dungeon closed for renovations”, it’s a spider big enough to play fetch.

Scout rat! Congrats, your name’s Teemo now. Get the other rats on high alert, especially along the route to the chimney! You’re going to have to be the one to carry the core, so I’m counting on you!

Queen ant! You’re moving shop! We’ll leave the lab and library for now, but get ready to hitch a ride on Teemo. Get as many majors as you can to eat the rest of the ball of go-juice. Oh, and how are those workers? They’re still speedy? Awesome, we need to get more of that stuff made, but later.

Raven, Poe! You’re my early warning and first line of defense on the surface! I don’t expect the gulls will be able to do much, but keep an eye out. And if any delvers show up, do your best to discourage them. I don’t want anyone inside until my new secret sanctum is secured!

Bat Scion! Uh… sleep tight? Not a whole lot for you to do right now, sorry. I’ll get back to you.

Fluffles, my new snake scion! I see that mp bar, mister. You’re running escort with Teemo. Don’t go burning me down or something. OK, we all know the plan? Then break!

Outside the new dungeon, the quiet port town can feel the shift in the activity of the old abandoned manor. While before, the place had been almost welcoming, today it is not. People can see the ravens staring at them as they walk by, and can hear the occasional squawk of a seagull being intercepted as soon as it enters the grounds of the old estate.

The representative of the Dungeoneers Guild stands at the gate, scribbling furiously as she takes down notes, her pointed ears occasionally twitching as she works. Suddenly, the mood seems to change like someone flipped a switch. The ravens caw and relax, and the electricity seems to just vanish from the air. She notes that, too, for when the inspector next returns. It could be a sign of something having gone wrong.