Aranya, Yvonne, Ragnar, Aelara, and even Teemo are all for luring a scythemaw into Violet (who is also onboard, tentatively), but as they all sit down to plan, they realize something: how will they actually lure the scythe maw in?

“They dinna seem ta be hungry,” points out Ragnar as the group carefully peers out of Violet’s doors. A couple various wild critters scurry by occasionally, and the maws don’t seem to care about chasing them down to eat.

“We could try having the Boss send a spider? They seemed to like to go after those,” suggests Teemo, but Yvonne shakes her head.

“They’re a little too interested in the spiders. If they notice it on the ceiling, we could draw in more than one. And Thedeim seems reluctant to make shortcuts to allow them to get here unseen,” she points out.

“What if we try throwing rocks or something at one?” suggests Aranya, and the others weigh that option, with Aelara voicing her opinion first.

“It’d be risky, but would be easiest to pick exactly which one we want.”

Yvonne nods at that. “If they behave like other territorial nesters I’ve seen, the weaker ones will be more aggressive in guarding their territory than a stronger one, which should make it easier to draw it off. If we bide our time, we can even try to instigate something, too. Wait for a stronger one to eye its territory, draw it towards us, and if the stronger one moves in, the weaker will have little other option than to try to come get us. We even have a clear territory here in Violet that it might want to claim.”

Violet doesn’t seem happy with that, but Teemo does his best to ease her concerns. “We won’t let it actually claim you for its nest, Violet. We’re just planning around how it thinks. All the maw would see is an unclaimed area, and then we spring the trap.”

Are you guys going to be able to handle even a shrimpy scythemaw, though? The one Tiny fought was pretty gnarly, and I’ve spotted a few that look even meaner.

Teemo relays my concerns, and they all nod.

“We’re certainly not strong enough to just go charging out there to fight all comers,” says Aelara, “But that’s what the plan is for. We’ll lure in a smaller, weaker one, and deal with it once the doors are closed. If something goes wrong, we’ll take an emergency shortcut back to Thedeim’s territory. You can do that, right Teemo?”

My Voice reluctantly nods. “It’ll be a drain, but I think so. It’ll be even more of a drain to properly collapse it afterward… but yeah, I think I can.”

“Sounds like we have a plan!” says Ragnar with a wide grin. “We’ll draw the beastie here, I’ll keep its focus, and you lot put it down b’fore it turns me intae dwarf jelly.” They all nod at the simple plan, and Teemo relays it to Violet. She still seems a bit nervous about it, but she gives her permission. She even points out to Teemo a patch of puffballs to try to draw the scythemaw through. She’s not sure if it’ll actually do much, but she’d like to contribute more than just the doors.

The plan set, the group returns to their careful scouting and observing of the scythemaws, looking for a good opportunity to try their plan. I nervously watch for a few minutes, but it’s quickly obvious it’ll take a while. Yvonne’s party is experienced enough to be patient and wait for the proper time, and Aranya is smart enough to follow their lead. I should probably stop worrying about them, but it’s not that simple.

Bah, leave the pros to do their job. Obsessing will just wind you up, so go do something else… like checking in on the Not-So-Terrible Trio in the gauntlet. With the scythemaws in town, a lot of the adventurers are checking out the new show, instead of competing to be the first to beat the hard gauntlet. It also helps that the trio have been significantly ahead in their progress, too.

They’re back to the final room, and they’re very close to victory. They’re also very close to washing out again, though. They’ve traced the pipe they need to connect, and now it’s a matter of putting the handles on the correct valves to send the water where it needs to go.

“Mine should be set!” shouts the halfling, Mlynda, looking nervous and excited at the same time. She looks more in her element than I think I’ve seen her before, too, even without an animal companion.

“Done here!” exclaims Hark, the tanned elf, as he points a finger at his own set of pipes, taking a moment to doublecheck everything is how it should be. “Yeah, looks good! Vnarl?”

The troll leader of the group growls at his challenge. “My pipe goes into a box or something! It’s not the only one, too! I’m not sure which is the right valve to close for it!”

“What’s it look like?” asks the elf, knowing that the solution for one room is often hidden in a different one. I made this gauntlet to make sure people cooperate better, after all.

“We’re low on time!” warns Mlynda, and she’s not wrong. I don’t have an hourglass or anything set up, but after getting washed out so many times, they’re getting a feel for the rhythm of how long they have.

“Grrah, I’ll just have to guess!” grumbles Vnarl to himself, and sets the valves before running over to the main one for his room. “Ready? One!”

“Two!” follows Mlynda, hoping they have it right, and that even this brief delay won’t wash them out. They still have about ten seconds, which isn’t a whole lot, but plenty for this, at least.

“Three!” finishes Hark, and all three open the flow valves. It’s a tense couple seconds as the water rushes through the pipes. They’ve had to endure this wait many times, and only once have they tasted victory after it's over.

Make that twice, now. They flinch as the doors open, before they all laugh and rush through to the reward room. Their old stuff is long gone, but I think they’ll appreciate their first true stash from me. And, atop the coins and stuff, lays a simple wooden board with words carved by my aranea.

First to complete the Challenge Gauntlet

Vnarl grins wide and holds the sign high, and the other two cheer.

“We did it!”

“What rank do you think we’ll be?” asks Hark. Vnarl shrugs while Mlynda considers that, the guys checking through the loot to see if there’s anything of special interest.

“Well, we’re some of the top in the guild as far as raw power goes. That’s probably one of the reasons he recruited us.”

“Yeah, but a lot of the others are gaining fast. Thedeim is a great place to train,” grunts Vnarl, looking forward to turning in this particular quest so the three can get back to some more typical delving. The gauntlet was an interesting challenge and test, but the troll knows where his particular talents lay.

“It really is. Did you know there haven't been any deaths in here yet?” says Hark, and the other two look at him like he’s lost his mind.

“Of course there have been deaths, Hark. You saw what that raven scion did to us!” points out the halfling as she joins the guys in sorting and gathering the loot.

“Yeah, I did. But we also survived, right? I’m telling you, I’ve been checking. There’s been some good scares and some close calls, but nobody has died in here,” he insists. Vnarl still doesn’t look convinced.

“Even if that’s true, which I doubt, it’ll only be a matter of time. Even the most peaceful toyboxes have had people die on accident.”

“What if it’s a death or life affinity dungeon?” insists Hark, and it’s Mlynda’s turn to give him a look.

“What makes you even think that?”

“Well, Yvonne is alive… or not. You know what I mean. He saved her, what if he’s saved others? What if the close calls were closer than people think?”

“I think you’re crazy, Hark. Death and life affinity dungeons are pretty obvious in their affinities. Besides, other people would have that same condition if it was doing the same to them as it did to her. I think it’s earth affinity.”

“Why’s that?” asks Vnarl as he examines a pair of boots.

“It hasn’t been content to just expand into natural caves and tunnels. It manipulates the stone to make what it wants.”

“I think it’s water. The only reason it hasn’t gone to the sea yet is it doesn’t quite know it’s there.” The two look to Hark to see if he’s changed his mind on what aspect I am.

“You’re sure it’s not death?” he asks, and Mlynda nods. “...then I think it’s life. That’s why Yvonne is a weird kind of undead, and why nobody has died in here.”

The other two shrug, and Vnarl speaks up. “Whatever affinity it has, we should finish looting and get back to the guild. We’re still on the bottom rung until we turn this quest back in to him.”