Iwata: Wow, I never knew sewer tunnels were so wide and spacious.

Watanabe: But what's strange is how nice it smells down here.

—Excel Saga

==Zidaun==

We followed Gurek down the stairs into the sewer. The symbol on the doorway, an arch with a wavy line near the bottom, had become an unfortunately representation of a sewer.

I could have saved the mystery of the symbol for another time… or never.

Unfortunately, the smell was as bad as I remembered.

The beauty of the sewers was an odd contrast with the smell.

The wall of the stairway was made of red brick, several layers deep, before the bricks gave way to solid stone. Old faded bricks, many of them cracked or heavily eroded were side-by-side deep red bricks surrounded by new mortar. Deep green moss clung in large patches to the walls and ceiling. It glistened with water droplets captured from the moist air.

Insects of all kinds walked along the walls, floor, and ceiling equally. Many were simple shades of grey, brown, or black. Others gleamed with glossy iridescence, their carapaces glimmering with a rainbow sheen as they moved through the well lit tunnel. A number of insects were translucent instead, their bodies barely visible as they burrowed through the moss or out of cracks, their antennae sensing the air for danger. And other insects had adapted to their sewer home, their bodies the red of brick or the viridescent green of the moss.

I recognized tiny versions of the moss groomer mini-boss glimmering green as they snipped away dead sections of moss. Their tiny raptorial legs held the dead moss as they ate it in tiny bites.

And all of this was just the stairs leading down into the sewers.

The sewers themselves opened up before us as we emerged from the long staircase. And absurdly large room, for a sewer, met us at the bottom.

The room formed a t-intersection, fifteen feet wide on a side. The sewers curved away right and left, obviously following the curvature of the wall and road above us. Perpendicular to them another long tunnel stretched gently uphill into the distance. All the tunnels, barrel vaulted ceiling and all, were made of the same red brick as the stairway. Except for the lights, which were chunks of crystal and steel embedded into the brick at the apex of the ceiling every ten feet or so.

The tunnels were fifteen feet wide as well. A five foot walkway was attached to each side of the tunnel, while a five foot wide channel in the middle was full of murky water. I couldn’t see much in the water, but my aura sight showed the bright blurry mana of living things.

The same moss grew here in even greater profusion, and it was joined by other plants as well. Short vines hung down from sections of the ceiling, their tips dripping occasional drops of condensation. Small white flowers bloomed on sections of the vines, though whatever smell they possessed was lost to the larger stench of the waters. Reeds poked up through the small sections of the water, forming green clumps, while the water swirled in eddies around the minor obstacle.

A sturdy, though rusty, steel grate covered the entirety of the sewer channel in the t-intersection, and five feet beyond. The grate was divided into sections, hinged so they could be lifted and the water underneath accessed. No doubt this design would have allowed the defunct town to easily perform maintenance in the intersection.

“We don’t have a specific goal yet,” I said. “Anyone see anything or have any ideas? We can go upstream, or follow either direction downstream. Any preferences?”

‘I don’t want to go upstream and get closer to the source of this… filth,” Inda said. “However, that is where the keep was. We might have missed something by not going through the rest of the doors.”

I nodded, that was decent logic.

Okay, sounds good. Gurek, straight ahead.

Gurek went to the left side of the tunnel automatically allowing maximum clearance to use our right hands. Only Firi was left handed, but it didn’t usually matter with him because he was casting spells. We had only gone about a dozen feet when I sensed the presence of something larger in the water.

“Possible monster in the water, about a dozen feet out.”

Gurek adjusted his guard position slightly, his blades angled more perpendicular to the water. We walked forward slowly until we were seven feet away.

“Incoming!” I said.

A large fish jumped out of the water, its jaws extended and filled with large teeth. Its five foot long body was narrow and sleek. Its top was the same brownish green as the water, though its belly was silver with scales and slime. A reflexive use of identify told me what we were dealing with.

Silver-Bellied Clamp Jaw

Level 4

A swift motion with Gurek’s right hand moved his short sword and bisected the monster fish, its remains dissolved before the two parts hit the ground. A small necklace materialized out of the air even as a small tendril of brick emerged from the wall to catch it.

The necklace was made of the now familiar crystal that the dungeon seemed to favor.

I identified it.

Loot Tracker

Dungeon Bound

Keeps track of loot earned by the party automatically. A chest will be summoned to dispense loot when the individual enters a safe zone.

Certain loot may be exempt from this effect.

“Convenient,” I said.

I told the others what the item said.

Before we touched it Firi cast some diagnostic spells. We didn’t find anything, so I picked it up. The usual routine followed.

“You usually pick up the loot since you are the bulwark, Gurek. You want to wear the necklace, too?” I said.

“Nah, if it has any cursed effects, they are least likely to work on you. Plus, I can pick up the loot from the chest.” The last part said with a smirk.

“Fair enough.” I said.

We continued along the tunnel, and new ambushes occurred occasionally from both the water and from cracks in the walls. It was surprising how small plate-rodents could make their bodies. I could hardly believe that they could fit through the tiny cracks, even after having seen it.

Periodically we passed side tunnels and crossed over steel grates to get to the next section of walkway.

The floors grew more treacherous with slick moss and pools of water, even as the other vegetation grew denser as well. The vines no longer just hung from the ceiling, but also extended along the walls like green veins. Faint hints of sweet perfume from the profusion of white flowers had started to mix with the other smells of the sewer.

When a section of vines wrapped around Gurek it caught us all by surprise.

Still, each of us reacted swiftly, years of honed instincts responding to crisis.

Stone dragged the vine into the wall while simultaneously squeezing it with punishing force.

Inda sent a knife that blurred past faster than I could see, her usual throw maximized with massive amounts of energy.

A golden wave emerged from Firi, striking each of us in turn.

And Gurek was responding, his blades moving in swirling patterns at his sides, slicing a hairsbreadth from his own skin. Energy curled in shining trails from the edges of the two blades.

Simultaneously: the vine erupted in green sap where it protruded from the wall, crushed by the power of stone. Inda’s knife chopped through the main stem of the vine, burying itself past the hilt into the brick, mortar and brick powder exploded into the air. The vine that had wrapped around Gurek parted into multiple sections, the edges glowing with energy. A golden glow surrounded each of us, making us each stronger and more resistant to damage.

Before I even had a chance to identify it, the vine had faded away from existence, leaving identical looking vines along the walls.

“I think we killed it,” Inda said.

“Ha,” barked Gurek, “you think?”

“Might have been a bit overkill,” I said with a smile, “but that was the proper reaction. Good job.”

“Don’t think it survived long enough for my blessing to even do anything,” Firi said.

“It died before I could even identify it,” I said, my tone dry.

I pulled the knife out of the wall and handed it off to Inda, who put it away and retrieved another from her pack.

“I’m going to need to resharpen that one,” she said.

I looked at and identified all the vines around us. They were still the same as I had identified earlier when I entered.

Dangling Sweet Blossom

“All the vines around us identify the same as the first one I saw when we entered. I did not sense anything different about the vine that attacked you.”

“It wasn’t much of a threat,” Gurek said, “other than its impressive camouflage. I didn’t see any thorns or anything.”

“Did anyone see anything other than the usual vines and flowers?” I said.

A negative reply from everyone.

“Okay, it may not have an attack, other than to hold someone in place. Then the danger would be dealing with other monsters at the same time. If it has an attack it would likely be constriction based. Any other thoughts?”

“I have seen some plant monsters with acid or poison attacks as well,” Inda said. “Its sap could be either. It just didn’t survive long enough for any of it to get on us.”

“So no telling either way,” Firi murmured.”

“Okay, something for us to test then,” I said.

Lets try to kill the next one a little more slowly.

We proceeded a little more slowly after that, as I took the time to identify each vine that we got near. At the same time we dealt with more fish and insects.

Soon enough we found a vine, that wasn’t just a vine.

Vein Vine Mimic

Level 3

“There,” I pointed, “level three, a ‘Vein Vine Mimic.’”

It was almost but not quite identical to the surrounding vines. It had subtle veins protruding from vines. They were the same color as the rest of the vine, so it was difficult to see. The blossoms looked faintly glossier, less like flowers and more like shiny carapace or hair.

To my own aura senses, the differences were even finer. Maybe just a hint more mana, but nothing that was certain enough to use to mark it out as different. Especially since the density of mana was high with all the living things.

“Only level three,” Gurek laughed, “yeah, some definite overkill.”

“Let’s try to get a sample of this one before we just kill it off. See if it is any actual danger. So, let it wrap around you Gurek.

“Oh joy,” Gurek said, “I just knew I wanted to let a plant fondle me today...”

I ignored him and continued.

“Since this is our second time running into one, assume there might be something else joining the ambush. My reach sucks with most things close to the ground. Inda, switch with me and use your sabre.”

She nodded and we switched, carefully moving around each other.

Then we proceeded.

Soon enough Gurek was in reach and vine wrapped around him, pulling him toward the wall.

At the same time a fish leapt from the water and a plate-mouse squeezed out of a hole in the wall a scant dozen feet ahead of Gurek.

Gurek’s sword was still free, so he handled the mouse while Inda skewered the silver-bellied fish as it jumped for Gurek. She whipped her sabre to the side a moment later, the thin blade easily parting the flesh until it began to dissolve into the air.

Soon enough only the vine remained, wrapped around Gurek like an over affectionate lover.

“Having fun?” Inda said.

“So much,” Gurek drawled. “I think it wants to find a dark corner and get even more intimate.”

Inda sniffed, her eyes twinkling, “Sounds like the tawdry kind that you prefer.”

“Struggle a little, if you would, Gurek,” I cut in over their banter.

“Oh no, I am a virgin, please don’t.” Gurek fluttered his eyelashes as he thrashed exaggeratedly in the vine’s grip.”

“Ugh…” I said, “I totally walked into that one.”

Inda and Gurek laughed while Firi blushed.

Nothing about how the vine held him changed, other than attempting to hold him more firmly. So, no choking attack.

“Inda, cut off a section of vine will you?” I said.

Her sabre whipped by Gurek’s face, the tip of the vine separating from the rest. Clear green sap splashed out, less viscous than I would have expected.

“Anything Gurek?” I said.

“Nope,” he said, “not getting any sense of damage at all.”

Stone moved at my command, squishing the vine for several feet.

Gurek spluttered at the wave of liquid that emerged from the cut vine and splashed all over his face.

“Oops,” I said, my voice the soul of innocence.

The vine and the associated goop dissolved a moment later, leaving Gurek clean again.

“Oh don’t worry Zidaun,” he said sweetly. “I am sure I know much you like long… vines… spewed their goop all over men.”

I raised my hand to my forehead. Yep, I walked right into that one too.

“What did I ever do to deserve dealing with you,” I muttered.

Laughter and Firi’s blushing face was my only answer.