* * * PARTHIA – MARY * * *

Mary found it impossible to resist the kids, especially the ones who assured her that they were not demanding. They were only asking.

So she set to and created another level of the buried palace dungeon, more rooms, all of them submerged and dimly illuminated via her trick with mirrors and glass columns. She felt that two tales were necessary to do justice to this floor, so Cinderella – but with fur slippers – and Sleeping Beauty.

As for treasures, well she hid a few rings of water breathing in several locations.

And much joy ensued amongst the kids, and to a lesser extent to their tutor, at their increased desire to learn to read, and how to cast and use spells for breathing and moving underwater. Mary found herself talking rather more than she really wanted. Trisha seemed undecided between consternation at the state of her grand plan, and amusement at how children could harry a dungeon.

* * * PARTHIA – ALTOR SEASWEPT * * *

The mereman Altor Seaswept, looked at his good friend Lacenia the wild rover. He had caught her at her customary games. He had distracted her and enabled the poor bewildered sailors in the big scow of a merchantman to escape her attentions and continue on their way.

“Ah Poo! Altor why did you stop me? Now they are headed towards the murderous scum that sail out of Port Salvage.”

Altor froze for an instant in distress; he gazed in the direction of the merchantman. “Why didn’t you just warn them Lacenia?”

“What fun would that be Altor? And anyway, they almost certainly wouldn’t believe me,” pointed out Lacenia.

“I’d best go warn them. They’ll believe me. Where are the pirates?”

Some time later, warning delivered, the two friends settled down in a comfortable cave and shared a snack consisting of some oysters.

“So Altor, have you seen your god’s latest temple?”

Altor raised one eyebrow in dubious enquiry. “What new temple?”

“The one built by the new dungeon, and consecrated by the god himself,” Lacenia offered. “It is really quite pretty, it sits in the middle of the lagoon.”

Altor settled back against the wall of the cave and studied his friend. “You make it sound interesting, but what about the dungeon? That sounds rather dangerous.”

“Mary, that is, Blue Lagoon is strange. As a priest or worshiper you’d be safe. And anyway your friend Blacksand is living there.”

* * *

Altor Seaswept, who was also an itinerant priest of Ocidon finally succumbed to his curiosity regarding the dungeon built temple. He collected some gifts that he believed would interest a sea dungeon, and headed off to see this marvel.

He found the seas close to the dungeon to be home to a great number of those new flying fish. When he reached the edge of the dungeon’s domain, he found himself still well out to sea. He cautiously circled the circular domain and was impressed and intimidated by the area it covered. He concluded that this dungeon was clearly arrogant, and very sure of itself. It certainly wasn’t hiding it’s might.

When he returned to his starting point, he found Blacksand the voyager awaiting him. He felt a chill run down his back, this dungeon clearly had ways of keeping watch outside its domain.

“Be welcome to the Blue Lagoon Dungeon, home of the temple of Ocidon on Sea. Hey Altor nice to see you again,” Blacksand said with a grin.

“Is there is truly a temple here Blackie? This isn’t another joke you sprites are trying to pull?”

Blacksand attempted to look hurt, “When have I ever lied to you?” he asked, then seeing the look in Altor’s eye, hurriedly added, “never mind, sorry, but this is real. The high priest is Danilus Oakborn.”

“So have you ceased your wandering ways and taken up dungeon sitting Blackie?” asked Altor with a grin.

“No I haven’t. Trisha has that thankless task. Mary Silvestre is a very eccentric and annoying dungeon,” stated Blacksand with conviction. “Anyway come along and meet Trisha, Mary and Danilus and his people.”

“Is Mary dangerous?”

Blacksand interrupted, “Depends, very if she doesn’t like you. However if you are here as a priest or a friend, then you will probably be ignored, and will only be in danger if you do something stupid like kicking one of her rays. She has a tendency to lose herself in her interest of the moment and ignore everyone and everything.”

Blacksand chortled, “Trish managed to get her to agree to make a regular dungeon, and now every kid on the islands is poking around it. Because of all the tall tales she’s drawn on the walls. It is completely useless as a dungeon.”

“Why doesn’t she just chase the kids away? She is a dungeon after all, isn’t she?” enquired Altor.

Blacksand snorted. “Mary has a soft spot for kids. But don’t let that fool you. She is a dungeon and ruthless with those she dislikes.”

When they finally arrived at the island, Altor noted that it was guarded by an impressive little fortress. He also observed several people engaged in refloating a small brig.

“What happened here?” he asked of Blacksand.

“Pirates thought they had easy pickings. The garrison killed a couple while Mary sank their ship and killed the rest. She let Trisha know there were two prisoners on board and left it up to us – and yes it is pretty isn’t it?” Blacksand concluded when he saw his friend gaze upon the temple in the lagoon.

* * * PARTHIA - BLUE LAGOON * * *

Danilus Oakborn welcomed Altor Seaswept with open arms. A truly aquatic priest meant that he had a good chance of expanding the temple underwater, and making it into one of the very few temples capable of serving both congregations, the land based and the water based.

Trisha and Blacksand were both surprised at how eager Mary was to assume her avatar and meet the new arrival. They hadn’t realized that she had been seeking an excuse to get away from the children, and allowed her to put off her promise to tell them stories.

Altor Seaswept was surprised by the dungeon’s avatar. He had not expected a dolphin. He felt the need to plan his revenge on Danilus and Blacksand, he could see by the look they shared that they had intended to surprise him. At least it had been a nice surprise. A dolphin he could understand.

Danilus grinned expansively, “With Altor Seaswept we will have a priest who specializes in Ocidon’s underseas folk. Do you think you could expand our temple so that they will have somewhere appropriate to worship?”

Mary thought for a moment, it seemed to her that it would be more interesting than adding yet another floor to her fairy tale dungeon.

« Maybe – I’ll think ’bout it. I have some ideas. »

“You could use the area under the temple. It is half built already after all,” suggested Danilus.

« Nope. Not hidin’ his temple. I’ll think ’bout it and consult with you before I build it. »

Both Altor and Danilus had to agree with this point once Mary stated it. The temple should be visible. Trisha sighed as she saw Mary disappearing again into one of her creative trances. Blacksand chuckled at his friend’s sigh, earning himself a glare from Trisha.

Altor quite unintentionally saved his friend from an irate Trisha. He produced his gift and offered it to Mary.

“I have a gift for you Mary.” He offered a largish open weave basket. “Here is a Barracuda I found. I hope you can make use of it.”

Mary examined the big toothy fish with interest.

« Thank you. I’ll find her a home, somewhere where her eggs will be welcome. I’ll soon have lots of barracuda, I’m sure I can make use of them. »

Altor watched as the cage opened itself and the barracuda was whisked away, towards one of the barrier reefs.

« Hey, Blackie. Can you take your friend to those two caves with the fake core? Settle him in there. Tell me what he needs to be comfortable until we can get him somewhere better. »

* * *

Three weeks later the second temple ship to visit Blue Lagoon made port. It fetched several more guards and a few craftsmen. Also present was the builder Danilus had requested.

It left on schedule, with a few more pearls, and it left a fascinated builder, who was determined to go over everything Mary had created, with especial emphasis on features such as running water.

The sea temple had been completed, Mary had created a large open circle of slender fluted columns rising from a sand swept marble base, carrying an elaborately decorated frieze surrounding a statue of Ocidon raised on a short glass column, seemingly hovering over his altar.

To Trisha amused exasperation, Mary had been hit by inspiration and just created the new temple. It was located at the point that the stairs leading to the temple would have reached the sea floor, had they reached that far.

Altor and Danilus were handed a fait accompli, but Mary did ask if they wanted any changes.

* * * PARTHIA – HELL’S MOUTH * * *

The soul gem was ready, Hell’s Mouth had located a nice sized brown tourmaline and enchanted it utilising a few fragments of his previous gem. Scraps that had been left over after Arbogar had managed to resurrect him. He had needed to use a miniscule ammount of his diminishing stock of Azurea’s mana – he had begrudged that, due to its extreme usefulness – but it was done now. The fragments would imbue the gem with a dungeon’s instincts.

They had inscribed the summoning circle. Then they had both, both separately and together, inspected it almost microscopically. Hell’s Mouth was painfully aware that despite having a big advantage when it came to demon summoning, the ritual he was attempting was technically beyond his current abilities. It was only due to his prior experience and the help offered by Arbogar that he was willing to risk this, that and the fact that an incubus was not that powerful as demons go. And anyway, they really had very little choice if they were to survive.

At the conclusion of the ritual Zarnjdfjgmn appeared in the summoning circle, in a cloud of foul smelling sulphurous smoke, and immediately struck an alluring pose. As soon as he spotted his summoners he dropped the pose and tested the circle without much hope.

« I have a proposal for you Zarnjdfjgmn, I need a soul of a young woman totally devoid of dark or light affinity. She has to have some water and earth affinity. I propose letting you go hunt for a week, then you will return here with that specific soul, and turn it over to me, at the appropriate point in a ritual you will participate in. As a reward you may keep any other souls you cull. »

“And if I don’t agree...” hissed Zarnjdfjgmn theatrically.

« Then I will compel you and allow you no reward. »

“Very well, I agree.”

« Zarnjdfjgmn you will return here with my soul seven days from now, at this hour. Now Go! »

The Incubus left in another cloud of smoke. Hell’s Mouth once again scrutinised the summoning circle, they would need it for the banishing ritual.

Once again Arbogar carried Hell’s Mouth surrounded by their guardians. They traversed the long corridor until they arrived in the end room of the – still – second level of his dungeon. There they spent a meticulous two days setting up the – modified – dungeon creation necromantic ritual. Once satisfied they left a strong guard force, and Hell’s Mouth and Arbogar withdrew once more to the comfort of their depths.