I was glad to be in the dungeon master’s quarters. I had changed out some of the plans on my first one and put in a shower. Since then, every time I was in a dungeon big enough to have quarters, I got a shower. If there hadn’t been one, I would have just transported to one of the larger ones.

Once I was clean from all the gunk from the zombie barbeque, I went to the core. I needed to know what was going on with it this new version of a dungeon. I walked back down the stairs from my room into the core room.

Floating wrapped around the tower core was the dungeon core. I bit the tip of my tongue and tsked. I didn’t like the chances that I was going to be able to move this dungeon like I did with the first one. This just seemed too different.

I opened the dungeon interface and received a pop-up.

Eternal Tower

Those who reach the top of the tower are able to ascend.

Those who reach the bottom can transform

Rewards

Half step ascensions floor 75.

False ascension floor 85

Full ascension floor 100

Half step transformation level 100

Pseudo transformation level 150

Full transformation level 200

Adjustments

Dungeon Master privileges adjusted.

Tower Keeper

Keeper is treated like all other challengers by all targets

Unless tower is being attacked or core is endangered.

Keeper may not adjust levels below 50 or floors above 25.

Keeper may not bypass levels or floors unless core is endangered.

Tower can not be seeded

Tower can not be moved

Title Given: Tower Keeper

I rubbed my beard. “Well that changes my plans some. I guess my land’s lost an outpost because I didn’t have an outhouse.”

I smiled and shook my head. There was no way I was sharing that joke with Kasidy. It was bad enough that I was glad Blink hadn’t heard it. Then again, I might tell them the joke since it was bad.

I pulled up my titles to see the new one, Tower Keeper.

Eternal Tower Keeper

Keeper access to the Eternal Tower. Use and adjustment of first 5 floors and levels for personal use. Keeper may not adjust levels below 50 or floors above 25 May adjust floors up to 25 and levels down to 50 Keeper’s command of all targets when tower is under attack. Unaging in Tower Part of Dungeon Transportation network Plus 100 health points when outside Tower Plus 100 Mana points when outside Tower Plus 1 reaction for each floor climbed or level descended.

I smiled the tower just gave me more than I had gotten from anything else. The increase in health and mana alone made it so I could fight better. Of course none of it worked in the tower and the targets would come after me but it was still nice.

I headed back to the safe room through the dungeon master’s quarters. When I got out Kasidy and Renfry were both talking with Dave. I smiled to see that I was growing my group that I could talk with. Though Renfry was a little odd and Kasidy was a lot odd it was nice having people that knew this about me.

I got down to the bar and asked. “What’s for Dinner I think we missed lunch.”

Renfry stood straight up from the bar stool and turned and bowed. “My lord, Dave is able to create anything we might want.”

I waved off Renfry and sat down. “Dave, whatever you have easy will be fine. Now, Renfry any way to get you to stop saying my lord all the time? It’s getting old.”

He shook his head. “I am afraid not my lord. It wouldn’t be proper as I am both in your retinue and oathbound. It wouldn’t look right.”

I sighed as Dave slid me a steak and beer. “I get what you’re saying but I disagree with you on all points.” I waved my fork in the air in a little circle. “You are one of the closest people too me according to all that stuff you just said. So that means you need to be able to talk straight to me.”

Renfry nodded slowly. “I am only a lancer and not much of an adviser.”

I had a bit of steak in my mouth and tried talk around it which failed. “Yu du ah gud job.” I placed my fork down and held up a finger. Then I grabbed my beer which seemed to be yet another type and took a long drink.

Then I turned towards Renfry and Kasidy. “Look Renfry, you have done a great job advising me so far. I am sure there are things that you know that I don’t know.”

I held up my hand to stop him from speaking. “Let me finish. Also I need someone to watch my back. Blink does a great job at that but she can’t always be there. I also need you to be willing to speak up if you see something going on that isn’t going to end well. I have pulled through a lot of dumb stuff that a second fighter would have made easy.”

Renfry nodded and gave a slight bow. “May I?”

I slightly closed my eyes and nodded. Sure I had led people in a call center but that was closer to herding cats than commanding people. Each interaction was a sale to get someone to buy into the vision or plan that I had. No one blindly followed me and if they acted like they did then I needed to keep a better eye on them. Then being differential like this was even less common.

Renfry smiled slightly when I looked at him. “My lord, perhaps in private calling you by your given name is something that I could do. I can advise as best as I can when we are together but I can’t speak out over you as that would cause others to think you weak. I am your champion and unless you move me to another spot in your retinue I will watch your back for you.”

I gave a slight smile and let out my breath. “I see what you are saying about being in public. However, there are some serious draw backs to interactions once non-nobles find out I am one. Add to that the whole of my army or guards is you. Same with the people living in my lands that follow me.”

Kasidy laughed and spun on her stool to look over at me. “Now you are being silly again. It doesn’t matter if they follow you or not. You took up an established claim here. Which means that everything inside the boarders of that claim is yours. Even if the people didn’t want to follow you they are on your land now. They were all notified that they are. Even that caravan was told they had entered into your land.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean the caravan acted surprised that the lair wasn’t here.”

She nodded. “They were as they didn’t know that this was your current seat of power. However, they were all notified same as me. I just didn’t know that it was you.”

“What was your notification?”

Kasidy’s eyes glossed over for a moment. “Here it is, ‘A new ruler has arisen. You are in the Land’s of Westiral an Ancient and Established Claim. All city landholders are to report to the Marquess to reestablish rights.’ Yeah, I didn’t know that it was you claiming the land since it didn’t say.”

I sat stunned not because of what she told me. Nope I didn’t know that there was a way to view past pop-ups. Which meant that I had something that I needed to ask Sam. As it wasn’t dungeon related Dave couldn’t give me direction and the old men of the Sisters wouldn’t know. Well they might since they had racial classes so they had the interface. That said they told me they were there for wisdom and info about the Sisters.

Kasidy smirked. “Nothing to say about this MY LORD.”

I gave Kasidy a side eye. “I guess you calling me my lord is better than hitting me with a frying pan.”

She worked her mouth like a fish and blushed a bit. “I thought you were attacking!”

I smiled. “So if you were willing to do that back then I think it is a little late with the whole my lord bit. Both of you, I am not used to all of this my lord or your lordship junk. Nor all of the things that go with it.”

I pointed at Renfry with my fork. “Now why don’t you seem to be effected by the interaction negatives related to my land and titles but Kasidy was?”

Renfry gave a slight smile. “Two things, I was with your landed titles but it seems you have rolled those into your noble title. I was or am a lancer, we… I am used to being around nobles and hiding my reactions. I guess three things really my lord. The last is that being part of your retinue removes all negatives for your title and halves all that I would get from others.”

I thought for a few moments as I ate. I wished that I had know that others were going to be looking for me when I claimed the land. However, now that I knew I understood why it wasn’t part of the pop-up. Anyone claiming the land should already know. This was just an odd case.

I smirked a little and asked. “Do you think the Boy lich was coming to reestablish his claim to the castle and lands around? Not truly fight and try to take over but just reclaim what he had been using for the past several hundred years?”

Kasidy shook her head. “Not with a force like that. It didn’t look like an honor guard.”

Renfry sighed. “While I hate to say this. I fear that my old liege’s son wasn’t here for peace. One of the problems of most of the undead is their inability to develop past their caster. It keeps lichs from gaining strength and that includes titles. Every thing that they own is kept by force and not truly claimed.”

I nodded a bit and tried to hedge my words. “Renfry, I haven’t had much contact with nobles. Now that I am one there is much that I don’t know. Worse than that, as you will soon find out I can’t read. Which means that many of the books here telling me how to govern are out of my reach. Is there a way to use this claim I have against the lich?”

Renfry thought a bit and then shrugged. “I know some of the things but I was only a guard. I never got much into the power that the nobles had. My brother would have known more since that would have been something that could have been used in war. I just don’t know. I am sorry my lord.”

I tilted my head and frowned. “Arn, not my lord we aren’t in public here.”

Renfry nodded. “My lord I hate to disagree. However, there is someone not in your retinue that is present. I would think this counts as public.”

I leaned forward over the bar and looked at Kasidy. “Kas, want to join this retinue thing?”

Kasidy smirked. “I would my lord, which role would you have me fill?”

Then I got a pop-up

Extend membership in retinue

Role:?

Pledge:?

Wages:?

I held up a finger and focused on Role.

Retinue Role

This is the role which the member will serve in.

Currently filled

Champion (1/1) Replace?

Standard Vacancy

Knight (0/8)

Weapon’s Master (0/1)

Vassal Knight (0/2)

Confidant (0/2)

Priest (0/1)

Tutor (0/1)

Bard (0/1)

House Mage (0/1)

Spy (0/1)

Healer (0/1).

Valet (0/2)

Chancellor (0/1)

Other (0/?)

I selected Bard and smiled. Then I pulled up Pledge:

Pledges

Champion

Knight

Vassal

Loyalty

Secrecy

Brotherhood

Healer

Custom

I viewed first the Knight just to see what it had.

On bended knee, I swear to protect my liege, to serve the good of both, though it may cost me my life. I shall serve faithfully and with honor, for the span of ten years. I give my oath, by this symbol of my standing in the Court of Westiral, to hold this oath, lest death claim me. May my fellows shun me if I prove false.

I shook my head when looking at the oath. It would work for a knight but not for Kasidy. I couldn’t see any myself taking an oath. It was such a foreign thing to me making a pledge like this. I wanted to water it down but this was also a way to more tightly bond Kasidy to me to keep me safe.

I pulled up Secrecy.

Though none around to see my deeds your secrets are my secrets.

None revealed without your desire.

This oath bound with the strength of your god and mine.

I chuckled at the fact that Kasidy had already failed on this one, but it was a good starting place. “Kasidy, to bring you into the retinue, I am going to need an oath. None of the ones that I am seeing seem to fit a bard. Do you have any suggestions?”

Kasidy laughed. “Yes, the Bard’s oath!”

I raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

Kasidy smiled, winked, and said. “It’s the most important oath that you could get out of a bard. It will keep you whole and warm. Most rulers hate bards because we don’t give our oaths very often. For you though, I will, because Bartholomew sent me to you and tasked me to help.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay then I’ll put that down. As your oath. Payment?”

She smiled. “Your story and food. I’ll ask for protection as well as I have a feeling that I will need to follow you to some odd places.”

I nodded and then extended the offer to her. She smiled, laughed, and hopped off the stool. Then she walked in front of me and curtsied deeply.

When she came up from her dip, she said. “I, Kasidy Fairest, Barmaid of Bartholomew, offer you, Arn of Westiral, Chosen of Bartholomew, the Lord of the dungeons, Master of the trees, and friend of the hunted, my oath!”

She spun in a circle and then jumped onto the bar and yelled as she walked down it. “My stories will be bold as you are! My songs will cut as your wit! My lies will be humorous and no truth will be mild. Your foes will shake the world and you will topple gods. I promise that none will be able to tell the secret from the lie when I sing of you. When I write your story it will be as if the gods themselves planned it! When you fail all will laugh and when you win all women swoon. This is the oath of the bard! To write your story and sing your song so that all will tremble when they hear it!”

As she finished, she jumped off the bar, landed, and smiled. Then her eyes went wide as light pulled in from the magical lamps around. The safe room shook, and a pop-up appeared.

Kasidy Fairest’s Oath has been heard!

Eternal Tower bares witness and has informed her god

Binding Oath of the Bard has been freely given to Arn of Westiral, Chosen of Bartholomew, the Lord of the dungeons, Master of the trees, and friend of the hunted.

Kasidy Fairest has entered into his eternal retinue.

* * *