* * * PARTHIA – BLUE LAGOON * * *

Trisha was getting increasingly worried. Mary still hadn’t created a safe location for her dungeon core. She had, after some nagging created a mid-sized sandy-floored underwater cavern near one of the uninhabited islands. And it had a second smaller cavern leading off from it. However she point blank refused to move her core there, where it could be guarded. Now she’d set a diamond in the far wall of that second cave, and she’d run one of her strange glass tubes behind it to make it glow, and she had added an enchantment to the end of the tube. It made a fair imitation of a core, but it didn’t solve the problem that her core was still just sitting half-hidden by the sand of the floor of the lagoon.

Trisha then decided to see if Purple Murex and Blacksand could help her. She showed them the undersea caves and explained her problem.

“It might not be ideal Trisha, but your typical adventurers are more likely to find this decoy, than the core itself,” explained Purple Murex.

“Yes, but they’ll never believe a dungeon capable of creating that temple would only have two barely defended caves as her dungeon,” objected Blacksand. “You’ll have to persuade her to create some kind of a standard dungeon, preferably of at least three levels preferably four.”

“But it’s taken all my time to get her to make this!” Trisha almost wailed.

“There are a couple of spells and tricks we could use to improve that decoy,” mused Purple Murex. “I think you’re going about persuading Mary wrongly. You need to present it as a challenge, to make something beautiful and impressive. I don’t know how you’d go about getting her to defend the place though.”

Trisha blinked, deep in thought, “maybe, some monsters that fit in with the decorations, to keep out the unappreciative ... mmm ... might work. I’ll try it when she’s finished with that house or whatever it is that she’s making.”

“A castle, that’s what it is,” stated Blacksand.

* * *

The Star of Ocidon meandered peacefully on its way. There had been one minor incident, but the pirates had veered off when they spotted four clerics, one in the robes of a high priest. The modified trade route they were creating was proving profitable. The sailors had grown fond of Faaron, and more than one dockside tavern got redecorated in the process.

Finally almost two months after they started their journey their destination hove into view over the horizon. The atoll didn’t look very promising; as they approached the atoll, they were hailed by a black haired sea sprite, who asked the captain if he was fetching the priests for the new temple. On being reassured they spotted a second sprite race off back to the island whilst the first asked if he could come aboard.

Blacksand was soon advising the captain that he should approach around the southern end of the Mangrove Island where a suitable dock was located.

* * *

An excited Trisha, raced to tell Mary. When she reached her dungeon’s core she found Mary in a world of her own. “Not again! Mary, MARY! Pay attention, the fish can wait. Come on snap out of it! The priests are here! Mary, c’mon it’s time to show off your new building.”

« Wha... Oh hi Trish, wassup? »

“Come on Mary, priests, fortress, dock!” interjected an exasperated Trisha.

Mary inspected her domain and noted the approaching ship. She started modifying things using the mana she had set aside for the purpose. First she opened the sea channel through the reef, or rather finished opening the channel, then she raised the dock and pier in the shelter of the island. Finally she carefully built up the land under what she fondly considered a fortified manor house, and what everyone else who saw it, considered a small but formidable castle.

As she examined her work she thought, ‘Huh, why not, can use the mana to make a bridge rather than fill in the island up to the house, yeah, I’ll do that, mustn’t forget to waterproof mind.’

Having changed her plans slightly, Mary didn’t fill in the gaps between the mansion and Mangrove Island. Instead she smoothed the slopes and turned the gap into a moat. Finally she added an airy looking stone bridge to connect the front – and only – gate to the island.

* * *

On the Star of Ocidon, the captain was feeling somewhat dubious. Sea sprites didn’t have the best of reputations. They were well known as tricksters, even if not usually truly malicious ones. So after consulting with Danilus Oakborn he decided to follow the sprite’s directions, although he did significantly shorten sail. As they approached the gap between islands, there did indeed appear to be a channel. The new temple came into sight, it seemed to be floating in the middle of the lagoon.

Danilus had eyes for little else, his temple seemed to be elegant and simple, and it shone whitely in the bright afternoon sun. He couldn’t wait to visit it. He almost didn’t see the small castle rising from the waves.

“What’s happening, how is that castle...” exclaimed the Captain.

“That’s your new home,” explained Blacksand. “Mary made it, and she has been keeping it hidden to avoid problems with the locals.”

On hearing this the guards looked on approvingly, a fair sized castle with five meter tall crenulated walls, surrounded by a nice little moat, not to mention the eight meter tall tower sticking out of the seaward corner, positioned so as to allow the defenders to sweep the seaward walls with missile fire.

The children for their part found the flying fish fascinating and badgered their parents and teacher with questions they were unable to answer.

The tiny port was well laid out and would be able to accommodate three ships easily, far more room than was needed, the captain eyed the line of reefs enclosing it preventing ships from entering the lagoon itself with regret. His crew eyed the location with disfavour, no bars or taverns, no entertainment. Feelings shared to some extent by the new residents.

The guards on the other hand were impressed, the only way to approach the castle was an open bridge, the gate was one solid piece of wood enchanted to resist fire, it led to a short tunnel with a ceiling liberally equipped with murder holes, and that could be closed at the other end by a similar door. And the ballista on the tower was a treat. They tried the giant crossbow and were impressed by its range, penetration and accuracy.

The servants were also pleasantly surprised, running water, privies that emptied themselves at the touch of a lever, large comfortable rooms. Now all they needed was somewhere to go for entertainment.

Danilus and his acolytes placed their things in their rooms, then accompanied by two of the older children, dove into the lagoon and swam out to the temple. They climbed the partially submerged stairway at the front and entered their new temple. The decorations incited admiration and the statues representing Ocidon were admired, all present remembering the recent visitation.

Danilus held a service to his limited congregation of acolytes, two young teenagers, three sprites and a Dolphin that looked on with interest while resting on the majestic stairway leading to the platform.

* * *

That evening in the castle Danilus Oakborn introduced his people to Trisha, explaining the unusual circumstances surrounding their new home and temple. “A few of you have met Mary Silvestre today, she uses an avatar in the form of a Dolphin.”

After some discussion, everyone seemed satisfied: the only thing most of those present agreed would be needed, was a smithy of some sort. Trisha interrupted at this point and promised to ask Mary to create one after consulting with their smith.

Some of the locals had come round earlier and the only person who had been able to speak their language was one of the sailors. The captain of the Star of Ocidon had been willing to cede his crewman’s services far more readily than the man in question had been willing to offer them. Finally they had agreed that he would be allowed to leave on the next ship to call, and would receive a bonus for staying and teaching the language.

* * *

Next day Trisha tackled Mary, she agreed to add a smithy, as she really didn’t want a bunch of humans altering her project almost as soon as it had been delivered. Then came the dungeon project. How no one would believe that two primitive caves was all such an architecturally gifted dungeon would be capable off. How she would be able to use it to showcase her art, and design guardians to match.

« ’K I’m being snowed here. But I can see you kinda have a beep point here. I’ll think on it – after I fix those beep Mk.2s. »

Trish very wisely decided to leave it at that.

So Mary with Trisha and the blacksmith’s help included a small smithy in her fortified mansion. She obtained room by enlarging the whole thing slightly. Once everyone was happy with the addition Mary disappeared to play with her fish.

The Mk.3s lost their offensive capability, grew slightly larger and became faster. and capable of flying higher and further. Satisfied with their performance she went on to develop her Mk.4s.

She became so engrossed in her project that she didn’t notice Ocidon collecting her completed Mk.3s for distribution in his warmer oceans and seas, where they could thrive, after he stripped them of their dungeon taint.

The Mk.4s were differentiated by sex, the females were basically standard Mk.3s, the males regained the Mk.2s discardable venom filled syringe on their noses, and their eyes were repositioned to allow better forward vision. She then re-spawned her three schools of flying fish. This time with a ratio of one to four males to females.

Only then, after a couple of weeks of enjoyable tinkering, and learning all about DNA, and how to manipulate it, did she – reluctantly – return her attention to the decoy dungeon.

She was very happy to be interrupted at this point by Trisha, who wanted her to assume her dolphin avatar to meet Danilus Oakborn. Happy to forget about the boring caves, and curiosity about the new inhabitants of her domain got the best of her, so she agreed.

The meeting ended up by including most of the people present on the archipelago. Trish persuaded her to forgive the harpoon guy. The locals, it seemed, were mostly moving to Mangrove Island, where their new market for fish and agricultural produce was located. Mary took the opportunity to suggested they try her new breadfruit trees, and to let her know what they thought of them.

Then she left rather abruptly as was her custom, to contemplate her new project. She did make a note to absorb the local’s island into her domain once that became possible.

* * * PARTHIA – HELL’S MOUTH DUNGEON * * *

Hell’s Mouth and Arbogar considered their situation. What they had just learned was worrying, so they checked their memories, and decided on a plan to hopefully mitigate or delay Azurea’s intervention.

Hell’s Mouth made use of some of the divine mana that Azurea had carelessly infused him with. He formed a small part of his domain into a long thin corridor. Then Arbogar, escorted by most of their guardians, used it to carry his partner's core to the first level of his old dungeon.

Once there Hell’s Mouth spent a few weeks claiming and repairing the whole thing whilst Arborgar went hunting with the aid an undead knight and his two sprites. The knight was provided with both a monster core and a name.

He modified the entrance to resemble a large, mostly open cavern containing a deep pool of clear water, and it was covered in lush cave grass. Luckily the underground spring they remembered from centuries past was still present, and Hell’s Mouth was able to divert it to fill the pool instead of wasting itself on the underground stream that soon petered out deep under the desert.

Hell’s Mouth then filled the remaining six caves of his old and rather simple first level with the fruits of the hunt. Snakes, scorpions, centipedes and jackals.

Hell’s Mouth found them all rather insipid, but they hoped it would keep, how had Hel-Arlizzy put it, oh yes that blue haired cow off their backs for a while.

Hell’s Mouth and Arbogar decided that whilst the new first level was settling in nicely, it needed something more. So, somewhat reluctantly they refurbished their old second level and continued the theme. They were happy to incorporate the bonus conferred on them by the arrival of some bats. Hell’s Mouth discovered to his surprise that he had a soft spot for the nocturnal insectivores.

Once satisfied with their labours, Hell’s Mouth and Arbogar had no idea as to what to do next. They had absolutely no desire to sit in these two initial levels of their dungeon. They were well aware that as with all new dungeons, its defences were grossly inadequate, and that their survival would depend on the good will of any adventurers. And neither Hell’s Mouth nor Arbogar had any faith in the good will of adventurers. Of their cupidity and greed yes, their good will, no.

They wracked their brains for a solution. Hell’s Mouth finally agreed to go along with Arbogar’s suggestion of using a forbidden necromantic ritual to create a subordinate dungeon core. They would sacrifice a suitable sapient being, gifting it with the first three levels of the old dungeon and sealing the link between the third and fourth level. They could then open a new unobtrusive entrance for Hell’s Mouth at some distance from the current flamboyant entrance.

Hell’s Mouth didn’t really like the idea, but it did allow him to retreat to his well guarded depths. A quick divination to Hel-Arlizzy generated a tentative acceptance, provided the victim agreed to the deal.

This wasn’t promising, neither Hell’s Mouth nor Arbogar were the sort that inspired trust and warm feelings.

« What if I summon an Incubus, will a soul he collects be suitable? It should prefer being a dungeon than ending up in hell. That should count as voluntary shouldn’t it? » asked Hell’s Mouth of Arbogar.

« ... Yes that should work. We must tell him to get us the soul of someone without either light or darkness affinities. Earth and water would be ideal, as that seems to be what Azurea was seeking. » offered Arbogar.