Southwood

Forge Alliance? Y/N?

The Southwood considers the prompt, and as he does so, he finds more and more worth considering about it. While it seemed to appear as all prompts do, something about it speaks of the weight of ages behind it, like an ancient pine. Or perhaps like a cicada with a much longer cycle; something that has not been seen for a long time.

He considered dismissing it and trying to pressure Thedeim to accept him as a vassal, but that would plainly not work. Not only would it be a bit strange to try to force someone to take him as a vassal, the other dungeon clearly doesn’t want another vassal. The look on the rat’s face made that plain enough. But why not?

The other dungeon certainly seems determined to be the symbiont that the Southwood classified him as a while ago, but even herbivores will snack on an unfortunate rodent occasionally. Why does Thedeim refuse?

As a vassal, or even just being subsumed, the other dungeon would reap many rewards. The Southwood is proud of his territory and spawners, and his countless nodes. If Thedeim consumed him, the dungeon hiding in that hole would stand no chance. Proud of his progress as he is, he knows his capacity for self-defense is sorely lacking. If not for the scions of Thedeim, the Southwood would be subsumed already.

If he wanted a steady harvest, vassalizing the Southwood would be a good choice instead. Losing much of his autonomy would grate on his Voice, but even the Stag has come to understand how outmatched his Lord is.

As a vassal, he could tithe mana to Thedeim, and have his own growth guided by a mind more suited to battle. He doesn’t need to be a fighter to recognize one, even if Thedeim prefers not to bear his teeth without cause.

He turns his attention back to the prompt, and has to acknowledge the real reason he hasn’t accepted: fear. He doesn’t fear it’s a trick. If the other dungeon was somehow able to fake prompts like this, why would it bother tricking a dungeon as poor in a fight as he? No his fear is of himself.

He is… unprepared. Whatever this fight will entail, it is not something the Southwood understands how to handle. He would much prefer to just tuck his metaphorical tail and accept the dominance of Thedeim, his guidance and protection, than have to figure it out on his own.

Although… he wouldn’t really be on his own, would he? An ally wouldn’t just leave him to flounder, especially not after having sent all those scions. If those truly are only half of what he has, Thedeim would be a powerful ally indeed. But what could the Southwood provide in exchange?

If this really will be a more formal symbiosis, the Southwood needs to be able to provide something. Even after having had a lot of time to think on it, he couldn’t think of much to offer… though the offer of an alliance perhaps expands what he can offer. Even if he was a vassal, Thedeim would still need to send a scion to work in a room to gain it. The Southwood was willing to make some just for that purpose, if Thedeim expressed any interest, but he hadn’t.

With an alliance, would he be able to offer the rooms more freely? Offer spawners more freely? Thedeim would certainly need to have room to place them, but if he can offer prizes like that, he could actually contribute! He might even be able to offer some of his more unique upgrades, like his weather control. He still remembers when he first got the option, after a particularly-harsh winter.

He wanted to combat the damage to his nodes, the effect on his spawners, the suppression of delvers that the harsh winter bestowed. The upgrade was expensive at the time, but he regards it as one of his better choices. He could potentially make his domain as warm as summer, even in the depth of winter, but the mana cost would be prohibitive. But letting fall extend its stay, and convince spring to get an early start is a much more cost-effective way to keep the cold and snow mostly outside. It’d be nice to keep a corridor open to the orcs, or to the town of Fourdock, but that hasn’t been something available to him.

It probably still won't be, even if he accepts this alliance… but it’s possible. It might not even be necessary, at least in the form the Southwood had been envisioning. Thediem has blazed some kind of trail already. Could he do something similar for the orcs?

Just the possibility is enough to make him want to pounce on the offer like a squirrel on the last nut of the season, but he holds himself back and tries to think this through. What will the consequences be? If he denies the offer… Thedeim will still fight the dungeon of the Harbinger. A dungeon doesn’t commit half their scions if they’re not prepared to finish a fight. The Southwood will still try to contribute, and though it stings his pride a little, he knows he won’t be able to make much of a difference.

While he possibly could be the single snowflake that cracks the branch, he doesn’t think his efforts will be so dramatic. If Thedeim wins, for there’s no point contemplating what will happen should he lose, he will gain even more power, and the Southwood will try to stay in his good graces.

Hmm. Even if he denies the alliance, he will probably be reliant on the other dungeon. If being a vassal is still not an available path, denying the alliance is pointless. He’ll still probably be dealing with the other dungeon in hopefully an amiable way for the foreseeable future. Whatever the alliance does, it can’t hurt the options of working together.

The Southwood accepts the alliance. Immediately, he can feel the change, and feel his options and information expand. New options bloom like flowers in spring, and he's relieved to see he can trade his more precious upgrades and options more freely. He can't give them away, but he can offer a trade. There is also an alliance pool of mana, that any can contribute to, and any can withdraw from. He can feel the Thedeim’s protege, like a curious pup hiding behind her sire’s legs. He can feel Hullbreak in the distance, a wounded predator slowly learning to accept help and recover.

And he can feel Thedeim. He’s hardly more than a pup himself, but there is a cleverness there, far more cleverness than should exist in one so young. Happiness and confidence radiate through the alliance like a warm breeze in fall. Thedeim has no fear of losing this battle, but he’s also not going to just charge blindly in.

There is a ruthless patience to him, a combination the Southwood would have never expected to exist. The closest is how wolves hunt, tracking and harrying their prey until the final blow can be struck. That kind of pursuit is one of hunger and focus, grim determination and desperate hope of securing victory.

The intentions of Thedeim are different. The Southwood can see Thedeim like one of the delvers, a similar shape, but no detail beyond the outline. He’s pursuing a goal. The pursuit is almost casual, expending the minimal effort while still tracking the prey. Opportunities can be taken advantage of, berries picked or smaller prey taken, but each step continues to close the distance. It can be outrun, but it can’t be escaped. Following, always following, always moving at a steady pace. Even the fight with the Harbinger fits into the steady rhythm of Thedeim’s advance. While the enemy dungeon scrambles to prepare, Thedeim continues his inexorable advance.

His new ally’s preparations are simple and deliberate, slowly building momentum towards the goal. A wolf might go out and hope for victory, fight for its life and howl its latest victory against starvation… but Thedeim doesn’t hope for victory. He knows what it will take, and has prepared accordingly. In his pursuit, foes are felled and allies carried until they can walk on their own. When they stumble, he’s there to keep them moving, carrying them again if needed.

The vision fades, and it takes the Southwood a few moments to recognize it was a vision. The feelings through the alliance bond grow slightly concerned, but the Southwood quickly has his Voice reassure Teemo, and so Thedeim, that he’s fine. He had been dimly aware of the dungeon’s fate affinity, but the vision has, perhaps appropriately, brought that knowledge into focus.

The alliance may be fresh and new, but the Southwood can already feel himself recommitting to the idea. Thedeim’s intentions are clear: to nurture and uplift his allies to the point they can stride confidently, and to ensure their foes never enjoy a moment’s rest.