Tarifax and Earth – World of The Misplaced Dungeon.

{Timeline: November 2019 – MD starts about the time of Ch. 130}

* * * TARIFAX * * *

Rupinius Baltor looked out of the window of his townhouse in Casar Vitara and shivered. The snow was swirling thickly, but at least it looked like the damned evil yellow fog was absent today. Rupinus noted in passing that the flag over the citadel indicated the wind was blowing from the sea.

Not much later Rupinus left his home with his usual two bodyguards. He, well they, were well bundled up to combat the freezing wind. All three carried their breathers in their containers at their waists. They scurried aiming to get to the covered market and out of the cold.

They passed the local Coliseum and found it already busy, people queuing to get in. Rupinius acknowledged the greetings of some acquaintances but didn’t delay. Soon the grimy brick façade of the market came into view. Rupinius noted in passing that several of his tenants were present receiving stock. He grimaced at the sight of the cage wagons, he really wished he could get rid of the slave traders, but the city government wouldn’t let him.

Rupinus headed for the principal entrance ignoring the two minotaur guards with their big halberds. The moment he stepped into his dungeon’s domain the Great Central Market was open. He stopped for a moment to check the spells holding his dungeon core in subjugation. Satisfied he headed for his office making a mental note that he would have to contact the Mage’s Guild soon to upgrade the spell. The problem with dungeon cores was that they tended to grow stronger the longer they existed, even when it came to one as dull and unresponsive as his ANS 83.

He cast his eyes up in exasperation when the heard the sound of a lap harp being played. That meant Cyrdwynne the dungeon’s Púca was in his office. Rupinus wondered what the problem was now. Holding tightly to his patience he stepped into his office and eyed the tall spindly looking being who was seated in one of his chairs, plucking at the strings of his harp.

The light glittered of Cyrdwynne’s silver collar as he grinned showing a fine collection of sharklike teeth. “Master needs to know that Azurea contacted me. She told me that the slavery bonds on her dungeon cores – displease her.”

“So what?” asked Rupinus. “She’s rather unimportant compared to Vortexius Blackbeard, not to mention Holistos the Tinkerer.”

Cyrdwynne giggled. “But Holistos the Tinkerer is jealous of the technology controlled by the goddess that holds the title of Blackbeard’s bane.”

“The affairs of the gods do not concern me, or you. Just keep control of my dungeon,” ordered Rupinus.

“Yes master,” hissed Cyrdwynne.

* * * EARTH * * *

Viv and Clay had made themselves at home. They had become inseparable from Vinny and were often to be found at his parent’s home. They had fun riding on Vinny’s father, he was huge especially when he turned into a grizzly bear.

Only a few days had gone by and they had also met a small pack of werewolves. They had made another friend in Jane. She was a year older than Clay and knew all the hidden places in the locality. And then there was Bertie the bigfoot, he had warned them not to choose to become a bigfoot, like he had, as he now was unable to enter a house or cave.

Then just over a week after he had got back home Oscar knew it was time. He had explained things to Viv and Clay, and he had assured them that the first thing he would do would be to nominate them allies, so that he would still be able to talk to them. Now he led them, the Oxendines and the Campbells into his mine. Once he reached the end he stopped and looked around glumly.

Easton Oxendine found himself ducking his head as he watched his friend look round at the end of rough mine shaft they had come down. He noticed that the boy, Clay was trembling and placed one of his hands on his shoulder in comfort. Brody, the alpha of the wolves, was looking somewhat disappointed at how mundane the mine looked.

Oscar somehow looked defeated. He dropped down into the incongruous office chair he had dragged down at some time. He looked at his friends and grandchildren with a tired smile and then shimmered.

Almost without fuss, Oscar’s body was replaced by a greenish orb.

Oscar had sat in his old comfortable office chair with a certain degree of trepidation. He had researched things on the exchange, but he found it so hard to believe. However the System was not leaving any wriggle room.

So he took a last look round with his eyes and smiled reassuringly at the kids and his friends. Then Oscar accessed his System Menu. He looked at the blinking “yes” at the end of the notice informing him of his inevitable fate. The countdown clock still had a few days, but surprisingly it had been Blackrock that told him of the potential lack of control if he had delayed much further.

Oscar selected the “Yes” and everything shifted. He was now able to observe everything in a three hundred and sixty degree sphere around himself.

The System tinged at him.

« Your current Monster Type is Canids. If you wish to sever your link to yourself you may change this. Otherwise be aware that you will be restricted by this choice until you accumulate sufficient mana and experience to gain further advances. »

« Other self? Where is this other self to be found? And I can work with dogs. »

« Other self in Casar Vitara on Tarifax. »

« I wish to appoint my grandchildren, Viv and Clay Allies. »

« Are you sure. This will give them rights and immunities over your domain and from your dungeon – yes / no »

« Yes. And I wish to appoint Easton Oxendine the Werebear my Voice. »

« Done and done! »

Oscar confirmed that he could communicate with his allies and Voice, then after a short, distinctly awkward time he observed them leave his domain as they made their way to have lunch.

The next thing Oscar did was to almost exhaust his mana stocks by claiming a good third of the mine. He was glad to find that it contained two previously undiscovered veins of gold. He was also surprised to discover that his mine had an inhabitant. He looked like a little man some fifty-six centimetres tall. He had long muscular arms and a big head with a wrinkled face and white whiskers. He was dressed in a mid nineteenth century miner’s getup.

‘Good grief, I’ve got a Tommyknocker in my mine. He’s in my dungeon.’ Thought a startled Oscar to himself.

The Tommyknocker seemed to realize he was being observed, and he came stomping his way towards Oscar. Oscar cursed using almost all his mana in claiming his dungeon. He watched nervously as the Tommynocker got closer.

* * *

Branok Tregeran had been minding his own business when a mana rich aura swept over him and his mine. Then, as if this wasn’t enough, something or someone was observing him. How was he supposed to play tricks on visitors to his mine if he was being observed.

Branok cast around and deduced that this entity was near the end of the mine, so he headed there to give the intruder a piece of his mind.

He found a sphere of green jade sitting on an office chair. It was sparkling and absolutely reeked of magic. It made him cautious.

“What are you? What are you doing in my mine?”

« Mine! »

“It’s mine. I’ve been here for over a century,” objected Branok.

« Mine. » Insisted Oscar as he feverishly tried to gather mana. He was surprised that he was able to make himself understood by the Tommyknocker. Maybe there was a solution he had not expected here.

« Be my companion. I need someone who knows mines and mine safety. »

Branok was staggered. He suddenly realized he was standing in front of a dungeon core, and at the very centre of its power. He doubted he would prevail if it came to a fight. Dungeons were said to collapse when the core was killed. Whichever way he looked at it he could loose his comfortable home. He was too old to go looking for a new home. And then the snow was lying deep outside.

Branok scowled fiercely. “What does ‘companion’ entail?”

« Not sure. Here let me call up the help function. I’ll share it with you. »

Two very different beings went through the information provided by the System and supplemented by the Dungeon Companions League.

After some pondering, and haggling a tentative agreement was reached and put to the System.

ting – « Done »

As the link formed, it revealed the Oscar had with the other version of himself and the still forming partnership found themselves in a tight three way link. The other Oscar was greatly limited, he seemed to be sleeping and dreaming.

The lesser part of the other Oscar, the waking part was sitting above a magical partition and was very – biddable. He seemed to be dominated by his companion.

“Ach! It is a filthy Púca or Pooka. One of the malicious ones. Ye canna trust the misbegotten cur Oscar,” stated Branok in disgust.

« Yeah, I can see that. It seems to have the me that thinks he is ANS 83 completely under its thumb. And we, I, damn it, him running some kind of market. »

“Careful Oscar. We can do something about it, but we’ll haveta be careful. Pookas are tricksy.”

« On the other hand I have been able to gain a lot of templates. For goods and monsters. Those Minotaurs are cool. »

“So what do you want to do next?” asked Branok.

« Figure I’ll get my Voice contact Arena of Blood. See what he advises. I know he’s on Tarifax too. »