Captain Haz’afsad was working in his office when someone politely cleared his throat, Captain Haz’afsad looked up from his paper covered desk and saw a small humanoid – about forty centimetres tall – standing by the wall looking at him.

“Our God lord Ocidon the Earthshaker asked our leader to share some intelligence with you so Steve sent me to report to you with copies of everything we have. I am to answer any questions you have that we have any information or opinions on.”

Captain Haz’afsad just stared bemused. “If Lord Ocidon asked then it must be important, um, can I get you something and what should I call you?”

“I have selected the name Daniel for myself. I wouldn’t mind some of those grapes,” answered Daniel an he scrambled onto the chair in front of Haz’afsad’s desk. He reached up and tossed a small pendant onto the desk. “The documents are in that holding device, the release word is ‘suppositions’.”

Haz’afsad picked up the pendant and opened it, then he stacked the contents on his desk. “I see that this almost entirely consists of copies and reports.”

“Mary doesn’t require proof of our probity so why alert our targets,” said Daniel whilst snacking on a grape.

The meeting lasted over an hour and left Captain Haz’afsad edgy. He asked for an urgent meeting with his High Priest. Si’Tran the High Priest of the temple of Ocidon in Drakoton wasn’t happy especially after a prayer had left him with the impression that this bombshell was on the level.

“Haz’afsad send a few of your men to pick up our two potential traitors, I think we need a word or two with them in front of a truthsayer. We need to clean house.”

“Yes sir, what about Daniel and that interfering dungeon?” asked Haz’afsad.

“Gift horses Haz’afsad, gift horses. Establish a regular method of contact and I can’t bring myself to object when the dungeon was so obviously right to establish a network of spies in our fair city.”

* * *

Mary was getting frustrated, all this political shenanigans were keeping her from playing in her lagoon and the seas around, visiting with Pete and Shirley, teasing Trish and Alessandrina and more seriously, delaying some far more interesting projects like uplifting and improving those giant squid that had ventured into the depths of her domain.

Anyway she had her badger beastfolk, squat and very strong they would probably be the match of any dwarf. The meerkats she had gone the route of her man-rats and now had – beep she really wasn’t good at naming things, well dual natured meerkats. She dispatched the first batch to Steve.

« Hey Trish, you think I should send a small colony to that Viscount chap in thanks. »

“What! No! don’t you dare Mary.”

« But Trish, you said they were cute and the beep things hate the damp so why not give the Viscount some? »

“Don’t you want to keep them secret?” asked Trisha. “And just what are you plotting now.”

« No point keepin’ ‘em secret now Ocidon asked me to share ‘em with his temple on Drakoton, maybe the Viscount could throw some sand in peoples eyes. I’m workin’ out how to send an – expeditionary force – to take out that fleet in mid ocean if those idiots are bein’ cunnin’ an’ really plannin’ to invade Port Salvage. It’s what I’d do after all. »

“But you have all their plans.”

« Yeah an’ I think they are stupid enough to follow them but I am not plannin’ on believin’ ‘em until it’s all done an’ dusted. »

“So how do you intend to do this, I don’t have to tell you that acting outside your domain is dangerous again do I?” asked an exasperated Trisha.

« Well the flying fish will keep me informed, I figure the big squid are far enough along to act as transport for a fair number of lampreys an’ ‘letric ‘cuda, add in a flight of sea wyverns an’ things should get interestin’. As for danger, yeah I’d rather not have to do this kinda thing yet. »

* * *

Viscount Travanne was absolutly charmed by his guests, he had always had a soft spot for meerkats and now he was playing host to eighteen charming articulate meerkats that could change into elegant little people, a little hairy addmitedly but truly charming.

* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *

Sandrinna had her core moved to the cavern by her mid-cliff escape tunnel.

She then withdrew all the creatures she had on her first level and then reshaped the stairs between the first and second level. She turned them into a low slippery spiralling tube. At the bottom she erected a series of fortifications for her lizardmen and kobolds to use. She consulted with Darkmoon and obtained Guzz’s input through Erekosë. This consultation resulted in several new protected positions for her few archers and slingers.

Next she withdrew any of her creatures incapable of climbing or flying to her third level and replaced the stairs with a pit, she left rope-ladders for her defenders to retreat but trapped the holding points to collapse a set time after being triggered. She recreated the fortifications on the third level.

Finally after night fell a full day after Fallon had left to report to the guild she diverted her water supply to flow down a channel in her new entrance tunnel and flow down to the barren hidden valley.

Halsin was woken at dawn by the sounds of consternation and rage, he pulled on his jacket and leaving his latest conquest behind went to see what all the fuss was about.

He was soon told vociferously and bitterly. The water supply for the settlement had dried up. They had no water. Halsin was enraged, the damn dungeon was plotting against him, thwarting his destiny. Well they had no choice, thanks to the rationing nobody had any spare water, they had to take the dungeon and get it to supply them with water or they might die of thirst.

A band of the more adventurous citizens with one of his bandit friends ventured into the formerly lush first level and returned to report that it was barren and empty and that a treacherous twisty spiralling tunnel had replaced the stairs. They recommended ropes.

Arjavh led his three young spies back from their listening posts under the settlement and flooded though the first level activating and arming the traps as they went after the scouting party had left. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation as they spotted a villager gazing down the access to the second level, a quick rush and they left his body bleeding where he had stood as they withdrew.

Halsin managed to persuade or bully everyone to comply with his plans, they determined to use the three youths deemed too young or weak to fight as runners, leaving one in the settlement to watch out for any adventurers that could be used as reinforcements and took the other two along with the mob of mostly ill armed desperate people.

They poured into the dungeon and only learned caution when two of their number stumbled into the newly activated traps. Result one dead, two healing potions consumed and one unhappy alchemist who was seeing his stock disappear.

The ramp claimed another villager and deposited another handful unceremoniously in front of the new fortifications which resulted in a few more casualties. However magic, potions and a spearhead of adventurers and heavily armed former bandits forced the defences forcing the defenders to withdraw, they lost a couple of kobolds and almost a dozen overeager lizardmen.

Halsin wasn’t particularly worried, none of his fighters had been killed though they had lost another seven villagers. And numerous healing potions, but only their bitter alchemist noted that and realised they would soon run out. Srood handed the bag containing the remaining healing potions to Halsin and telling him he was going back for more grabbed his niece who was acting as a runner, her now bloody dress showing that the task of runner was no sinecure and headed out of the dungeon.

Halsin forged on, the second level was also empty of everything except traps. The sheer sided pit leading to the next level was an unpleasant surprise.

* * * INTERLUDE 2 * * *

As they pulled into the office after another day of chasing down possibly infected citizens agent Tremillo suggested, “Roy why don’t you go to that barbecue party we were invited to, take your girlfriend she likes fish.”

“Might be a good idea but what about you Mandy, you were invited too.”

“I’m a vegan Roy, I somehow don’t think I would enjoy it.”

They filed their reports and while Tremillio headed home Roy stopped by his girlfriend Sandra’s desk and somewhat hesitantly asked her if she’d be interested in accompanying him.

“Why are you so hesitant Roy, what aren’t you telling me?” asked Sandra suspiciously.

“The girl throwing the barbacue is one of our subjects and she is having the blue box halucinations. But invitation was genuine and the fish was caught late yesterday.”

Sandra licked her lips involuntarily, “right then when are we leaving.”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

When they arrived there were several cars parked in the road outside the house and the barbecue was obviously in full swing in the backyard.