Dungeon of Doors

The eerie quiet of Kagami Sea is unlike any of the prior levels of Aquartis. The uncomfortably abstract nature of the level--two seas, one above and below, with countless massive pillars connecting them--is frankly off putting. While Darkwick is similarly off kilter, it is more obvious about its sinister nature. Here the threatening atmosphere is more ephemeral.

With the adventurers having finished both Rushwater Canyon and Upper Gunkthick Sewer, they will soon approach this level. I'd like for them to never hit a dead end again if I can help it. To accomplish this, I must work.

Kagami Sea lacks any structure at this point. No entrance, nor walkable land exists. The first step in furnishing this level is adding platforms for adventurers.

I fuse my mana into dense rock walkways, similar in design to the floating temple structure in Farumi. Voidium embedded into the stone ensures it won't move for any reason. With this floating construction the atmosphere of silent tension is heightened. The stone walkways here are mostly unadorned. Stone torii gates guide the adventurers further along the path. Eventually their walk through the stone pavilion ends abruptly.

Here there clearly should be a bridge, but the adventurers will find none. At least not without solving a simple puzzle embedded in the pavilion's layout.

An assortment of identical standing stone lanterns serve as decoration for the pavilion. What the adventurers have to discover is that each one isn't a simple empty stone housing, but a piece of the puzzle. The goal is for the adventurers to light every single lantern in the area before the bridge will extend to allow further passage.

Of course it goes without saying that simply swimming across the large swath of water is an option. The risks involved will be great, as I intend for more sea dragons to occupy this level. While discouraged from attacking humans staying on dry walkways they will have no such rules against those who stray into the water.

As for the lanterns themselves, they are a new addition to my repertoire of dungeon elements. Wood that has a dull ashy grey appearance and a crumbly brittle texture occupies each lantern's housing. This wood is special, as once ignited it will never actually burn away, instead consuming surrounding and internal mana to protect itself while still fueling the flames. Dousing it with lack of burnable gasses--such as oxygen--will still work just fine.

The bridge and lanterns both function together with new runes etched into the hidden obelisk of the level, ensuring a seamless and functional puzzle. I'm eager to see how long it takes for someone to solve this first hurdle.

On the other side of the gap is the meat of this level. It takes time to build, my mana shaped into bricks that stack upon each other to form a stone temple that towers high enough to nearly brush against the sea above. Inside the structure rooms are formed not from stone but water immune wood and paper made from the same base material. Sliding wood and paper doors hide a network of rooms.

Each chamber and hall is furnished one by one as I go. Paintings of oceans, rivers, and waterfalls decorate the walls. Vases and statues draw the eye. Thin wooden fibers are woven into mats that rest upon the wooden floors like rugs.

I illuminate the space with ever burning candles. Their wicks are woven fibers of the ever burning wood used in the lanterns outside, and they are positioned not to help illuminate the structure but to make it even more eerie to those who dare enter.

As for the obstacles the adventurers must face in this area, I want to create something akin to Mycelady in Woodrin, but more suited to this aquatic and eerie environment. Fungus isn't the right aesthetic for Aquartis. At least not this level in particular. I've got the perfect replacement in mind--Slime, or an amoeba, to be exact.

To house the new monster I add a chamber beneath the floating temple. Sunken beneath the water, it is fully enclosed and difficult to spot without going for a dangerous swim. Here in this stone chamber I begin sculpting my newest creation. It starts as a tiny membrane. I drip feed it mana and nutrients, letting a mixture of tiny chunks of plant matter and the smallest of bugs I have in my dungeon fuel the new monster's growth.

Over the next hour or so I grow the tiny membrane into a behemoth. Now roughly the size of a small carriage, the gooey being is sitting calmly in its housing. I've based its abilities off Mycelady, so it too can create small faux minions based on tiny membranes I create in specific areas throughout the dungeon.

As for the creature's name? It will be Greo. Simple and fitting for such a slimy creature.

With minions and the interior of the temple prepared I can begin making a real gauntlet. The layout can't be too straightforward, so I modify the floor plan as I go. It starts with a silent foyer, sliding doors leading into a corridor. Along the corridor two doors lead into side rooms. Each room is a study, complete with a desk and chair. Incense burns in a bowl atop the desk. I have Greo create a minion here.

This minion is the first variety Greo will be using: a slervant. The name is rather silly sounding, being a mix of slime and servant. The creature is physically made of the same goo as Greo's main body, but wrapped in a mix of cloth and thread. The clothing is provided by me, not Greo. When fully dressed they resemble a shambling hunched figure until approached. I imagine the first encounter will be rather off putting for adventurers.

In each side room I place hidden lock boxes filled with coins. At the end of the corridor is the next mandatory room, a spacious worship hall. Lanterns burning with unending flames illuminate the spacious vaulted room. Thin wood mats arranged like pews occupy the floor. Slervants act out a mockery of worship here. Some of them sit, as if praying to an unknown deity, while others mill about with trails of slime left in their wake.

At the front of the hall I place a massive imposing gong. The gong is made of saphite, giving it a wet glistening blue look. Within it I carve detailed imagery. Sea dragons, circling in a spiral pattern around a central figure. Not a depiction of me, no, but of Pearl. The mermaid is center stage in the gong's artwork. Fish and wave patterns fill the empty space on the metal disk.

This room is too grand to only house slervants, so I have Greo create a second false minion monster. This one is much more imposing: Tall in stature, with a denser gel body and an almost opaque grey color. Long black robes drape over its body. The fabric drags behind it as it slides silently across the floor, a mask fixed over where its head might be if it had one. The ability to manipulate its body in unexpected ways makes it a threatening monster. Mizuoni, silent deadly guardians of this water bound temple.

Two mizuoni guard the worship hall. With the amount of monsters here it is only fitting to place a full sized treasure chest inside, complete with gold coins and of course items. For this particular chest I choose to provide a dungeon lantern, healing potions, and a spark stone to aid in lighting any ever burning wood or wicks in the level.

The worship chamber is then connected to a stairwell leading higher into the temple. Candlelight illuminates the winding spiral steps, and thin slits in the walls give a view of the exterior.

At the peak of this stairwell the adventurers will emerge atop a high tower. Raised sections of roof provide a false sense of security, while railings keep adventurers from simply slipping off. There is not one single tower, but rather several expanding across the surrounding sea and structure of the temple.

Bridges connect these towers, each one made from the water resistant wood. There are few planks with faulty connections. There is no pattern here, any plank could be unreliable. Adventurers who travel through this maze of towers and bridges may notice one particular tower isn't connected to any bridge. If they were to somehow access it, they'd find a treasure chest waiting for them. I fill it with a mixture of gold coins and gems, sapphire cut into round faceted shapes. While tantalizing these riches aren't enough for braving an unbridgeable gap.

No, what they deserve is something special. To fulfill this role I begin to weave a new piece of enchanted gear. Mana forms needle and thread. With great focus I sew together a mask. It is not quite like the ones worn by the mizuoni, but made from fine silk. To place it on one's face would feel rather comfortable. This is a necessity because of its purpose.

The enchantment is no simple act of mana making the wearer swim a bit better, nor does it create fire or light. This article is one of intricate illusions. When worn, the mask transforms the wearer into a monster of the dungeon most suited to the person. While not entirely visual the mask doesn't actually make them the monster. It condenses mana in both the wearer and the air to create a convincing mockery under full control of the wearer. I'm not sure if I should name it. It might be more enticing to see what the first to discover it names it.

Moving on from that, I build the final element of this level. After reaching the last tower in the maze of bridges and structures the adventurers will descend. Stairs lead down, back into the temple structure. Here I create another spacious room--not as large as the worship hall, but noteworthy and plenty of room to fight in. Incense burns in braziers in the corners of the chamber. Lanterns burn with ever burning wood to illuminate the room with eerie flickering flames. Statues of mizuoni decorate the room for both beauty and practical use. Among those statues are the real thing, waiting to attack those that are fooled by the display.

Sitting at the center of the chamber is a comically large treasure chest. This one is decorated with additional carvings of sea dragons and more saphite than usual. Those who enter the room may fall victim to their own hubris, running to the chest before checking the statues for hidden monsters.

Within the chest is the final piece of loot. Something truly magical, an item I wanted to give the adventurers back in Woodrin. If it weren't for the paladins and their explosives laced with foreign mana the adventurers would have gotten their hands on magic. Not the kind bound to an item worn, but the kind they can really control and feel with their own senses.

Yes, within the chest I place a staff of water magic. Capped with a blue glowing gem and made from the water resistant wood, this staff of water magic will give those who carry it the ability to feel and manipulate mana. While no human who picks it up will be as good as Pearl on their first go they may learn and grow as they use it.

Someday I hope to see humanity finding ways to use mana for themselves. Thus far, I have only seen them bring foreign mana infused into objects. They never touch the mana around or within themselves directly.

This is different. Hopefully the adventurers will not hoard the magical items, and instead spread the knowledge and power throughout the world outside the dungeons.