Dungeon of Doors

~ Mother, Wildwood ~

Green Valley's renovations are complete, but I'm not satisfied with just that. Wildwood is meant to be fairly open and without a linear path, however, it could use an end goal. I've left a particular level of my dungeon aside for far too long. It would make a fairly good third level of Woodrin, so I'll link it up now.

First, the preparations in Wildwood. I start by adding more flagstone paths. They're not perfectly intact. Sections of the path are covered in roots or dirt to the point of being completely hidden. The path branches as well, leading to the various small ruins around Wildwood and the forest temple. The final destination isn't the temple, though. Rather it is time to add a new area.

Towering over Wildwood is a massive stone pillar, a plateau of bizarre proportions that stretches high into the sky like a tower. While the peak of the plateau is an illusion in Wildwood, it is a place. Flathoof Haven. I've left the flathoof herds there all this time. It has gone unused. While I never gave it more than the necessities for flathoof life, I did link it so that its illusory sky reflects the Wildwood far below.

With a twist of mana, and a rather delicate linking of space, I connect the two spaces. The effect isn't perfect. Instead of a portal it's more of an illusion that engulfs those who pass through it. If someone were to fall from the edge of Flathoof Haven they would fall into the illusion, seeing thick clouds and hearing wind in their ears. After a believable amount of time they would emerge from the sky in Wildwood.

Now, whether or not they survive the fall is irrelevant. Someone might just survive. Others may perish on impact, only to be discovered by confused adventurers. Either way this serves as a connection between levels that helps flesh out Woodrin as a whole rather than several separate places.

Anyway, with that installed I move back to the base of the false plateau in Wildwood. At its base, facing the center of the Wildwood, I carve a door. Stone frame and bricks make it clear it is an artificial structure built into the natural formation. Lantern stones illuminate the corridor. The hallway eventually opens up into a towering vertical shaft.

This space isn't part of the Wildwood, nor Flathoof Haven. It is an intermediary zone which connects the two. It gives the illusion of the inside of the plateau having a massive space in its center. I carve stairs into the walls, ledges and walkways winding up the breathtaking height of the chamber. Lantern stones provide some light in this area, but the main light source is a false sun. At the peak of the chamber I add a massive metal grate meant to let sunlight shine in.

The very same metal grate and stone structure is visible in Flathoof Haven, but there isn't a direct path between them. Instead I've set up the illusion so a somewhat inaccurate reflection of whatever is on the grate is visible from below, alongside some especially stark sunlight. The illusion in Flathoof Haven--looking down through the grate--is fully accurate. This means anyone below will be nearly blinded by the light looking up, yet someone above will experience a normal amount of sunlight and can see beneath.

Connecting the two separate areas is another normal looking passage. This one has stairs leading up onto Flathoof Haven, no sign of the warping of space visible. The same kind of portal attaches Wildwood and the intermediary zone at the bottom.

Finally, I need to ensure this whole setup works with my doors. I don't want to fall back into placing multiple doors leading to the same area--risk of weird accidents--so there will only be a single door in the intermediary area. I place it at the top, a very short walk away from the exit to Flathoof Haven. This door will serve as Flathoof Haven's entrance.

One issue that I hadn't thought of until just now was capacity! I can't keep track of people moving in and out of Flathoof Haven if I leave things as they are. Instead of changing my design, I erode it. The stairs leading up need to have enough breaks to be nearly impassible. I won't mind if a few especially well geared or monstrous individuals climb up and exceed the capacity limit, but the majority need to abide the rules.

I force mana into the stone and twist. Cracks form, spreading across the stonework rapidly. Chunks of stone explode outward in a rain of debris. I repeat this until the zone is pockmarked with explosions. Some final adjustments to make it look like somewhat natural erosion, and it is complete.

As for the name of this zone? I suppose I'll just refer to it as Haven's Stairwell. I doubt any adventurers will ever learn the name of such a place, since they'll only be here at the end of Wildwood and at the start of Flathoof Haven. Even so, naming it means I can talk about it with ease to my custodians.

Thoughts of my custodians, more specifically, Silva, bring my attention to the lumbering creatures atop Flathoof Haven. They've grown in population since I first created them. Hundreds of the beasts roam, and honestly it is a bit crowded. I should have been more careful when creating monsters with no predators or real threats.

What they need is something big enough to eat them.

Also, I just want an excuse to make some more gigantic monsters, it is too fun!

My mana starts to swirl in my core as I prepare an image in my mind. Yes, what we need is something fitting for this windy plateau, yet different from the flathooves. I've already dabbled in dragons recently. Why not go for a different beast? A bird, perhaps?

I whip a thick blade of mana out into the air above Flathoof Haven. The grass sways as wind starts to buffet the area. Flathooves let out confused grunts as I begin my work. Mana slices a shape in the air. I use a piece of my mana to cut apart the rest of it, working like a surgeon with a scalpel. Hollow bones are the first thing to manifest. The shape is that of a bird, yet gigantic. The problem of it being too heavy to live is remedied not by a simple mana infusion, but the addition of a new material. This calls for a new metal.

Shiny glittering white blends into the off white bones as they hover in the grasp of my mana. The bones take on a pearly sheen as they grow lighter by second. Summoning an ingot of the metal in mid air, I twist it around to admire its shine. Aerine, weightless metal. It should serve any flying monster well if infused into the body.

Next, the flesh. Red meat and pink organs slot into place between and around the giant bird skeleton. Nerves, veins, and all manner of internal workings twist throughout the beast's body. Skin wraps the whole beast neatly. Feathers sprout like grass growing from soil, covering the bare flesh until no bare skin is visible.

My mana strikes out like lightning. The massive bird lets out a shrieking roar, its charcoal colored beak shimmering in the sunlight as it flaps its wings on instinct. The thing floats like a butterfly despite its size. The wingspan is comparable to three of Daywark's smallest shacks sat side by side. Its talons are big enough to impale a person with one claw. Its yellow irises reflect deeper intelligence than one might expect from a bird.

With a final cry toward the heavens, it begins to wheel about. It glides on the wind like a kite. The flathooves below bray and grunt in confusion. The poor beasts know something is wrong. They can't do anything about it, though, and soon enough the flying monstrosity swoops down and plucks one from the ground. This inevitably starts a stampede--sending the flathooves rampaging toward the edge of the plateau.

If I don't get busy fast, I'll have an ecological disaster on my hands!

I start by pushing my mana into the shape of a four sided rectangular obelisk, the pointed tip reaching for the sky. Destroyed remains of a stone structure come next, surrounding the obelisk to ensure flathooves don't accidentally tamper with it. Finally, I etch the runes. Deep gouges in the deep black stone reflect my intentions.

The flathooves stampede toward the edge of the plateau with a frenzied panic. Upon nearing the edge, they turn. Their chaotic fear driven movements are adjusted as if by an unseen wrangler. Never will a flathoof charge willingly toward the edge of the plateau. They won't notice it happening, but they'd sooner die than move too close to the brink.

As for the other runes? Well, our flying friend needs some rules to keep it in check. There will be no risk of the bird eating too many flathooves. It will also keep to a set of specific rules for hunting adventurers. No adventurer hiding beneath a structure is to be hunted. It is also not permitted to hover above structures adventurers are hiding inside, as that would be unfair to them and their chances of survival. This monster is more of an environmental pressure than an actual adversary.

I should really give it a name, instead of calling it bird monster.

When I thought of making this creature I had one name in mind, taken from mythology.

This is a rok, great bird of the skies and storms.

The rok is enjoying itself. Digging into a flathoof in a relatively secluded section of the plateau. I've realized a problem with the level as it is. There are no structure, nor any elevation changes. It's just a few dips in the land for water to collect into ponds and a bunch of empty fields.

While this was perfect for flathooves, it is bad dungeon design.

I start fixing the issue by erecting several small scale ruins. They're akin to the structures in Wildwood, with the same architectural style and basic traps sprinkled throughout. Treasure chests littered with copper coins and a few healing potions serve as the loot.

For the main objective of the floor, I need a nest for my rok. This time I create a fairly tall ruined tower. It's wide enough to be quite sturdy. The interior is mostly empty space, save for stairs that wind up the interior walls toward the top. At the top there's a wide stone floor meant for the rok to create a nest in. Crumbling sections of wall provide partial cover so it can have some shelter while still being able to take off with ease.

Some artificial erosion makes it hard to climb the stairs, discouraging adventurers from exploring the nest if they're unprepared to face the rok itself. I doubt anyone will visit the nest for a long time, but it doesn't hurt to prepare things.

Speaking of the nest itself--it doesn't yet exist! There are no trees nor plant materials suitable for nest building here. There are a few ways the rok could get the material. Either I add some trees here, build it a nest myself, or let it fly down through the illusory space around Flathoof Haven and take material from Wildwood.

Honestly, the last idea sounds most interesting. Some tweaking is in order, though, as the obelisks will need to be adjusted with new runes to govern its travel. The Flathoof Haven obelisk gets a few new etchings charged with the intent to give the rok the idea to move down when it requires something it cannot find here. Down in Wildwood, I carve into its obelisk with a new rule for the rok specifically. When the rok is down in this forest it is forbidden from attacking adventurers. It may not approach nor engage with an adventurer unless it truly believes it will die if it doesn't attack them. This should prevent any encounters turning ugly in the forest. The rok is only supposed to gather nest materials from Wildwood, after all.

Moving on, it is time to place the true treasure of Flathoof Haven. Within the tower the rok is meant to call home I create a treasure chest. This one is bound with emertal, and inside I create a horde of silver coins. Lodged in the pile of coins is a special item.

This one is quite potent, another magical item akin to the belt of swimming. Two matching boots fashioned from the body of a rok. Obviously the rok parts were never on a living rok, but even so they are the real thing. Rok feathers decorate the boots in white and grey while the leather makes for a soft and light base material. The magic? Speed, or an overall increase to the movement of the person's legs. When worn it should amplify the ability to run, jump, or kick. The intended use being to move quickly on foot.

With the haste boots I'd say I'm fairly rewarding the first adventurer to reach this place.

Now, it is about time I open up Woodrin to those eagerly waiting adventurers!