The Full Tour

Chapter 57

Agony and I returned to the dungeon's formal entrance. Like an actual mine, the layer was maze-like, with dead ends where the vein ran out and randomly placed side-tunnels. It was complex enough to be difficult to navigate, but not impossibly so even for an average person. I started the tour at a sedate pace, but took a direct route to what would seem like the descent into the dungeon proper to an outsider.

“This is the entrance layer, no traps or hazards to speak of,” I explained as we went.

“I’m not an expert but this does look like an abandoned mine,” Agony said appreciatively. He flitted about when he noticed something interesting, but otherwise stayed on my shoulder. This area wasn’t exactly riveting stuff, especially since he ran the tutorial.

“This is where outsiders will assume the dungeon actually starts,” I added as we came to the descent chamber. A dim shaft of moonlight illuminated the archway leading to the first set of stairs. I’d have been lying if I said I didn’t keep checking and adjusting my pace during the tour for optimal visual effect, but Agony didn’t ask.

The slope of the ceiling did its job, making the transition from tunnel to chamber feel dramatic. Agony let out a low whistle and started exploring. Arrayed in alcoves around the sides of the chamber, I’d placed the safe zone teleport seals. Getting them to glow faintly had been a nuisance but the effect was entirely worth it.

“If the adventurers make it to a safe zone, they’ll find the matching seal and be able to return here,” I explained. Agony nodded, but was eyeing some of the seals curiously. I had to fight down my desire to explain why one of the yellow and all of the red ones were different. He might have already figured it out, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise if he hadn't.

“Next is the blue stack, right?” Agony asked. Feeling that was a not entirely subtle request to continue, I obliged.

“Yeah, it’s mostly aimed at gathering materials,” I explained as we took the stairs.

“I placed some traps, hazards, and a few inconvenient animals to keep things spicy, but nothing serious,” I added. This would be another abbreviated tour since emphasis on relatively natural features meant there wasn’t too much to show off.

“It’s good to set up things like this. Makes it more enticing and gets people talking,” Agony said approvingly. My spine straightened and I stuck my chest out, feeling proud at being complimented.

“I’m planning to mix some gathering in on lower layers as well, but this will be the only dedicated set of layers for it,” I continued.

“Good plan… you really spent a lot of time on your environment. Where’d you get all these odd lights?” Agony asked, laughing as he looked at the dim and flickering magic stones.

“Might have made them myself,” I offered.

“Made?” Agony asked, looking at me pointedly for elaboration.

“Regular ones are cheap, and I was kind of pissed off. Sooo, I spent a couple hours carefully whacking them with a rock to see what would happen,” I admitted sheepishly. It sounded a little crazy when summarized, but such was the artistic process.

“Seriously?” Agony asked, then started laughing.

“Yeah,” I confirmed. I’d have been blushing if I had blood or an equivalent.

“Now I really can’t wait to see what else you’ve been up to,” Agony said, beaming with approval. I nodded, speeding things up and getting us through the descent to the green stacks. This time when we crossed the threshold to the stairs there was a slight tingle in the air. We’d passed through a magic barrier that would prevent backtracking.

“Prudent,” Agony muttered, giving my cheek a little pat.

“Welcome to the green stacks, where the fun begins,” I said dramatically. Unlike the blue stacks I’d mixed fantastic elements into the natural ones. Bits of crystal, the odd not entirely natural but impressive stone feature, and other artful arrangements. It was a subtle escalation from the first stack. Like the environmental design, I’d added monsters in with natural animals rather than simply switching type.

The first mini boss was a six foot long centipede like monster. It was relatively tough but still E grade. So long as adventurers were quick, it wouldn’t be hard to defeat. If they weren’t though, it would periodically summon more of its kind.

Even a half dozen of such monsters wouldn't be enough to prove a deadly threat. Not even to a low-level solo adventurer, at least if they had heroic classes. Someone without friends and npc levels would definitely be better off thinking twice, however.

“Hm?” Agony prompted with a hum. We’d exited the safe area and were at one of the unfinished levels.

“I had a change of heart about how many layers to use the other day. This is a stub I’m using as a placeholder,” I explained. The space was essentially a large hallway with a safe zone and stairs at the end. It’s length matched the completed layer two levels down.

Agony didn’t have much to say as we reached the layer before the hive bats mid boss fight. This was where I’d started working lace like holes into the stone. He eyed the change in terrain suspiciously but still playfully flew in and out of tiny tunnels it created. On the next layer as we approached the bats the echo of their shrieks reached us well before the encounter.

“A design feature, I take it,” Agony said wryly. I nodded happily. The effect would hopefully be intimidating to an adventurer. A few bat drones were already present, flying about and taking shelter in the random nooks and crannies.

“Want to take a short cut?” I asked playfully. Agony looked at me mistrustfully but nodded. I intentionally triggered a trap, the floor giving out under us to reveal a slide. It was a twenty foot greased chute that would dump an adventure into the lower level. I hovered down at a moderate pace and we arrived directly in the final boss encounter for the stack.

“Sink or swim?” Agony asked, giving me a devious grin.

“Can’t let people say I’m nice and ruin my reputation,” I replied cheerfully. Agony nodded, then started exploring. The stone was riddled with holes to the point where it looked like Swiss cheese. The bats hid in some, flew through others, and generally created a disorienting miasma of flying bodies. At the apex of the room the king and queen bats, the only sapient ones, hung and issued screeching commands.

“You don’t skimp on design, even for a fight,” Agony observed. He flicked a small insect that flew nearby, causing it to burst like a piece of popcorn.

“I think it would be boring for everyone if all they could do was stand around and wait for adventurers,” I explained. I’d added moss that leaked a sweet liquid and a couple of innocuous insect hives to the bat encounter as food for them. I hadn’t realized they were drones at the time, but I didn’t regret it. Having them behave somewhat naturally was more interesting for me, even if they didn’t care.

The tour through the final layers of the green stack was uneventful at first. Agony appreciated the work I’d put in as well as the first minor puzzles I’d designed. They would be a more prominent feature starting in the yellow stack. The traps I’d been using were also escalating in lethality, but not creativity.

“So, this will be a patterned boss fight once I-” I stopped. As we arrived at the boss room, I found the moles out and waiting for us. Without prompting, they started drumming their feet on the ground before performing an intricate dance. I watched, dumbfounded as they went through the complex routine.

“Sweet!” Agony shouted, clapping excitedly.

“You really know how to put on a show!” Agony added. When the Moles finished, he flew over to the giant boss mole and offered them a fist bump. After that the moles took a bow and rapidly burrowed into the ground, still in sync.

“I… I had nothing to do with that,” I said, bewildered. At no point had it occurred to me to ask my monsters to dance. This was a hundred percent their own decision. I didn’t want to be given credit I didn’t deserve.

“Apparently your weirdness is contagious then,” Agony said with a grin. I gave him a little poke for that. I was sad when we left the mole encounter, half-wishing they’d put on an encore. It was strange to be caught unaware in my own dungeon, but I found I liked the surprise.

When we made it down into the yellow stack, it was technically a shorter trip. There was more to look at but only three layers and smaller footprints over all. Here there were still fantasy style natural elements but blended in were hints of something old and half forgotten. Not quite a ruin but definitely signs of someone's hand having shaped the place. One with more skill than a human miner.

Half way into the first layer was where the first bits of discernable architectural elements began to appear. Carved arches, broken columns, eroded relief carvings, all faint traces of this place having once looked quite different. Monsters were still present, but the traps and puzzles were growing in importance.

“This looks like a legitimate ruin,” Agony said as he inspected an intricate arch. We were nearing the end of the second layer and I was feeling a surge of anticipation. My little trap wasn’t terribly complex but it was a game changer in a lot of ways. I wanted to know what Agony would think of it, but reined in my impatience.

“The red stack isn’t complete, you’ve already seen what's worth seeing there, but I plan to expand from this into a working version of a fallen civilization. Once I figure out what I’m basing it on or if I’m going freestyle anyway,” I explained. Looking stuff up in my encyclopedia had limits. It was chock full of information but I needed a stronger idea of what I was looking for to constrain the search to a reasonable scope.

“That's a fun idea, definitely send me pics as you go,” Agony said pleasantly.

“I will. I haven’t made up my mind about this stack’s arrangement but it’s likely this set will make up the bottom layers. I’m really fond of the design I came up with,” I said happily. I adored the lava layers where the hounds lived but the Necropolis was a different kind of challenge. It kept growing in new and interesting ways every time I added another skeleton.

As we passed into the second layer's safe zone Agony stiffened. Instead of a magic barrier at the staircase, this one was at the entrance to the safe zone. He immediately hopped off my shoulder to inspect the space, looking for other differences. When he spotted the teleporter symbol he grinned wickedly.

“Sly,” He said approvingly. Unlike the other ones that would send you to its matched pair in the descent chamber, this was the receiving end. You could teleport to this level, but not out of it. The magic barrier also prevented backtracking through the level.

“Thanks,” I said simply, inclining my head to accept the praise. I had mixed feelings about my existence as a dungeon master and related issues. Despite that, I’d committed to living this way. So, I was determined to be good at it.