Worthy Core

DAY 798

It's three more days before the next Domain expedition makes its way up the mountainside. The plans for a bit of trail sabotage had been shelved until they could be implemented at a more critical moment, leaving things quite quiet for the duration, which of course is only a temporary state. Although some of those making the hike are veterans of the last failed assault, their commander this time is no draconic. At their lead marches Cerise Darktouched, the Enigmatic Emissary, while beside her follows her primary assistant-slash-bodyguard. Frowning, the fury demon turns towards her employer with an observation.

"Something about the dungeon's changed."

Cerise furrows her brow. "I'm sure it has, in a great many ways. But I know you can't see through solid stone, Lyota, so what exactly is it that you think is different?"

Lyota Silverstar shakes her head in frustration. "It's weaker here, beyond the dungeon bounds. But after I got my first taste of it I was able to sense the dungeon's sins just by being in the area. Now...it's barely there at all. If I wasn't looking for it, I wouldn't sense anything. I'm half-convinced I'm just imagining what I can detect."

Although Cerise is careful to ensure that her confusion isn't obvious to the soldiers following behind her, she still feels the need to ask a clarifying question. "Forgive me, I may not be fully familiar with the dietary senses of my fury kin, but just what is it that could have caused a...lessening of sins? Being punished by another fury demon, yes?"

The Soul Lasher snorts at the thought. "For a normal mortal, yes, but I don't believe a fury demon would really be capable of punishing a dungeon core, to be honest, save by destroying it. No, for Worthy to have been absolved of some of the responsibility for her crimes a higher authority would have to be involved. Like a government, or her collective victims, or something of the sort."

"...Interesting to note, but a puzzle for another time, perhaps. Either way, her moral cleanliness has little impact on our task today."

"I suppose so." Lyota glances back at those behind them. "Do you really think we'll have any better luck today? I'm not...thrilled at the idea of sending soldiers to their deaths just to make a bare amount of progress."

"We won't be conquering the dungeon, certainly. We'll need the power of those stronger than you or I to manage that. But if we can at least establish a foothold, and draw some blood - in particular, I wish to let the mortals seeking shelter within the dungeon know that they are not safe. Not if they choose to fight against us, at least. That, I think we can do." She chuckles bitterly. "If not, then more than our positions may be at stake."

Her guard has no response to that, and so the two demons continue their climb in silence. Eventually the expedition reaches the flattened-out walkway leading up to Doorman, and as the soldiers begin to spread out, Cerise steps forward to make introductions.

"Oh guardian of Worthy Dungeon. Doorman. It is a pleasure to see you again." Cerise gives the wooden face her best smile, but the expression she gets in return is far less pleasant.

"Seems like the honeyed words ought to come before the battering ram, not that anyone asks me such things. But - I do know you. Emissary Darktouched. I believe this is the third time you've braved our challenges? I regret to inform you that shortcut portals have been temporarily discontinued, so you won't be able to skip ahead."

"Haha, well, I'm afraid I'm not here to visit Xenia personally on this occasion. I'm a diplomat, not a warrior, and I'm not foolish enough to think you'd let me wander in for a chat. Although that said, I do wish to apologize for the...rough treatment you received at the hands of my colleague the other day. It's standard military tactics when dealing with a hostile dungeon, but I would like to establish a little more respect than that between our two parties."

Doorman narrows his eyes at the demon. "So...you're saying that you'll be more polite while you try to kill all of us, is that it?"

Cerise shakes her head. "If this could all be done without bloodshed, I'd happily choose that path. However, given our current situation it does seem we'll be choosing another path today. While I don't need a private audience, can I assume that Xenia is currently listening in on us?"

"...That would be a fair assumption, probably."

"Then I would like to make a statement." Cerise steadies herself before focusing her attention on a blank part of Doorman's surface, doing her best to imagine that Xenia's avatar is standing there. "Xenia Worthy, Master of Worthy Dungeon. I would not assume that our prior meetings have made us friends, but I would like to think that we have had at least an...amicable relationship." She pauses, smirking slightly as she gives Xenia a moment to recall their first meeting in particular. "I hope that we can have more such encounters in the future, and that someday soon all this unpleasantness will be behind us, a minor slip in our good relations. That said, I remain an emissary of my lord, and I am here today to see their bidding be done."

She steps to the side, along with Lyota, and motions for one squad of soldiers to come forward. Their gear is non-standard, clearly produced rather recently and without the embellishments or wear of normal well-crafted armor. There are enough runes visible however to make it clear that the equipment is heavily enchanted, not that Doorman has the slightest idea what it's enchanted for. "We have prepared our soldiers in, if you'll forgive the pun, Worthy armor. This has been enchanted with magic specifically to aid them against your strongest defenses, and the work was inspected by Lady Highbranch herself, given her expertise in runes and enchanting."

Doorman does his best to act unimpressed. "What is this - a sales pitch? Also, I happen to know Lady Gilda Highbranch. I doubt she'd be helping you bring us down!"

"Having her craft the armor herself would have certainly been too much, but we can be very...persuasive, at least as far as easier forms of support go. But I am telling you this to let you know that this is not a bluff. We will be claiming your dungeon, floor by floor if need be, and the more of a struggle you make it the more lives will be lost unnecessarily. Are you willing to discuss surrender? We're still willing to be quite generous with our terms."

There's hardly a beat before Doorman responds. "Let them come at us - we'll test for ourselves how worthy that fancy gear of yours is."

Cerise sighs, disappointed but not surprised. "Very well. Shall we have your riddle, then? I know you are obligated to offer us one."

"One for every party, you're not all getting in that easily! But very well. Your first riddle." Doorman clears his throat. "What would it take for you to join us, Emissary Darktouched?"

The question is so unexpected that Cerise almost stumbles despite standing still, and quite a few of the nearby soldiers send her doubtful glances. "What sort of question is that? It is most certainly not a riddle. You don't even know what an honest answer would be! Besides, if Xenia wished for me to join the dungeon, she could have simply allowed me to die the last time I was present. I hope she's not feeling regrets over that."

"Allow me to clarify, then. I don't necessarily mean join the dungeon, permanently, but to join the fight against tyranny. My mistress does still hold some respect for you, so she thought she'd at least make the offer. And while I may not be a magic truth-teller, I do consider myself a good judge of character. If I feel your answer is honest, I'll let the first party inside."

The succubus blinks, a little frustrated at the question. Even if she was feeling inclined to help the dungeon, asking her in front of dozens of loyal soldiers - what sort of answer can they be expecting!? And what even is the answer to the question? It's not something she'd ever considered before...which means that, if she's being honest, that must be her answer.

"I won't claim to be some zealot, utterly incapable of changing my views. But I have spent my entire life in service to the Domain and my sovereign. If there is something that could cause me to betray them...I cannot imagine what it might be, and I doubt that it would be something you could offer me."

Doorman eyes her for a moment, before eventually nodding. "Very well. I accept your answer! Although perhaps your troops might have a longer life-expectancy if you fail the riddles going forward..." The door swings open, and with deep breaths the first squad makes their way inside.

---

Although the first room is still the same, it's obvious that the dungeon beyond that point has already had some modifications. Perhaps expecting the intruders to open up with wall-destroying magics, there were no hidden passageways full of mortals in the first hallway this time. There were, however, hidden explosive traps below the first layer of stone. Unfortunately, the squad's mages still set them off at a rather safe distance, and while the traps kicked up a lot of smoke and debris for a bit they didn't score any casualties.

Upon reaching the second chamber the floor was once again shattered into pieces by heavy stone traps - predictable perhaps, but it had simply been too effective the first time to write it off that easily. Of course, it was expected that the Domain soldiers would be prepared for it in some way, but the actual implementation of their preparations turns out to be quite unexpected. Those soldiers who experience the ground suddenly falling out from beneath them they find themselves saved by their armor, in a rather unusual way. Runes traced along their legs and waists light up, and the soldiers simply...do not fall into the void below.

Watching on from a hidden ambush point behind the far wall, the Challenger Renter Forst curses. "What the fuckin' hells? They've got flying armor? A whole squad of flyin' fuckin' armor? I ain't ever heard of shit like that!"

One of the more observant archers under his command, an elvish man, shakes his head. "They're not flying. They're just...not falling. Some sort of...position-stabilizing effect? I don't think I've seen something like that, but normally it'd be far too specialized to put on your gear, I suppose."

"A position what? Well, whatever - if that means they ain't moving, then that means they ain't dodgin', neither! Open fire!"

As the exposed soldiers grab on to ropes tossed by their luckier colleagues, Renter's squad opens up their murder holes and begins firing arrows at the slow-moving targets. Some of those arrows have enchantments of their own, blazing with fire, or sparking with electricity. Yet every single shot in the first volley, mundane or expensive...misses their targets. Again, Renter curses, although he's varied enough to come up with some new ones this time.

"What in an incubus's warty ballsack was that? That couldn't have been more than a thirty-foot shot - again!" The second time, with the archers taking more effort to pinpoint their fire, a few shots do manage to land on their targets. But only to extremely minor effects, with the arrowheads catching on the thickest parts of the enchanted armor and simply bouncing off, falling into the abyss below. By this point the enemy mages are already beginning to open their own counterfire on the ambushers' hidden position, and Renter knows when to cut and run.

"Fuck it! Through the portal! We'll make sure the next squad preps something heavier for em!"

As the Domain squad's lead earth mage begins to build a bridge across the newly-made chasm, a runner heads back to the door to report their initial progress. Hearing how things went, Cerise smiles. "Seems the armor was worth the expense - at least so far."

Beside her, Lyota shakes her head in disbelief. "To think we'd expend so much effort to cover our own soldiers with cursed gear..."