Dungeon of Doors

~ Vivian, Woodrin ~

Stepping through the temporary portal into Darkwick feels like leaving a mall only to discover the sun has set whilst inside. The moon overhead illuminates the stone henge. Long shadows obscure the narrow stairs set into the earth. Moonlight glints softly off the emertal bindings of the treasure chest at the henge's center.

I shiver at the eerie atmosphere of the shadowed forest. Best hurry, as while I am protected by my amulet's shielding I would rather not garner the attention of the wendigir.

Descending the dusty narrow stairs down into the earth fills me with a growing sense of anticipation. The arid ashy air of Darkwick fades away as a woody scent full of life replaces it. The steps go from stone and soil to a firm natural looking wood. The soft glow of the glourds lights my way. I step into Woodrin's core chamber.

The humidity is at a pleasant level here thanks to the infinitely flowing streams of water embedded in the wooden walls. Moss provides much needed splotches of green across the brown structure of the chamber. I spot the core—a matte green spherical gemstone, held aloft by a wooden pedestal. I approach it before taking a deep breath.

I carefully reach up and grip my amulet. With the intent to make myself vulnerable, I disable the enchantment that protects me from harm.

The effect is immediate. While this was a pretty room moments ago, now it is downright enthralling. My eyes swiftly lock onto Woodrin's dungeon core with an unnerving ferocity. Greed and desire threaten to overwhelm my higher reasoning as I stare at the round gemstone. Wild ideas of what I could do with the dungeon core if I took it fill my head, and it is only the fact I created the thing that I know these thoughts aren't my own.

My legs bring me closer without my intending to. I stare at the gem with a twitching smile, reaching out to place my hand upon its smooth round surface. Tingling pulses of energy make my hand tingle as I caress it. My other hand joins the first, and I start to lift the treasure from its cradle-

No! Damn it, I'm not falling for my own trap!

I rip my hands away with an audible cry of despair tearing itself from my throat. I reach a shaking hand up and grip my amulet. With my urgent desire to be protected reaching the enchantment I feel an invisible wall rise to aid my mind.

The core is working as intended. It is an incredibly potent bait, and with any luck the desire to covet it for mysterious and otherworldly power should overwhelm any desire to destroy it. Now them simply taking the core instead of breaking it wouldn't be much of a win on its own—that's why I've embedded several functions within the core.

First and foremost is that it functions as a mana battery. It will suck in as much mana as it possibly can fit during its stay in Woodrin—which could be as long as no one reaches the core—and once it is taken, that mana will not leak out nor increase for the sake of secrecy. I don't know what kind of being or thing has given the church foreign mana infused objects, so it can't hurt to be too careful.

Secondly, the core is a ticking time bomb.

While nothing will happen if I do not intervene, I can simply channel a thought into a miniature recreation of Woodrin's core kept in my true core chamber to activate its hidden function remotely. Of course I am not one hundred percent sure it will work. I've never made anything like this before.

If it does work like I intend, then as soon as activated the core will use its mana to assimilate the terrain around it rapidly. Shaping wood, moss, vines, and other materials matching what can be found in a forest will engulf whatever natural or artificial environment the core is being kept in.

The second step of the process is rudimentary combat power. With the proper environment already made the core will create monsters fit for the shape of the terrain around it. Great hawks for a high or vertically challenging space, swarmers for more enclosed spaces, and finally a wendigir in the case of significant hostile presence.

With terrain sculpted and monsters attacking those in the core's newly modified domain, there is one final step: Portal creation. The last of the mana in the core will be used to tie space at the core to the miniature replica core I will use to trigger the process.

While this is mostly just theoretical—I've not been able to test this due to mana costs—The core and its replica should simultaneously be shattered and transformed into linked portals, allowing me and my forces to move to wherever the core was being held.

This whole plan has a few pitfalls, unfortunately.

What happens if the core is kept in a small sealed container too tough to break out? How do I know the church will be taking the core? Couldn't whoever gets to the core simply destroy it instead of taking it? All of the possibilities throw a wrench in my plans.

Ultimately even if the core doesn't get to be used as a tool of warfare, it will make those who delved the dungeon believe they've destroyed it for good. That is worth the possible sacrifice of the mana, I'd say.

My thoughts cease their wandering as I find myself staring longingly at Woodrin's core. I shake my head, turning and walking back up the steps. It is time to create Aquartis' core. I step through the temporary portal linked to my core chamber and quietly sneak into my true core chamber.

Once inside I touch my core, leaving my body.

The first thing I do is turn the temporary portal back into mana. Next, it is time to finish what I started in Aquartis—the fifth level. I move to the unnamed swamp with the intent to add structure to the level. Unlike Darkwick this level will only be possible if you slay the monster.

At the center of the swamp I create a stone structure rising from the silt in the shape of a square pyramid. The top of the structure sits just beneath the water level, meaning one will have to get their feet wet to stand upon its flat surface.

I carefully etch depictions of waves and reptilian beasts into the surface of the pyramid. It is unlikely anyone will take the time to appreciate it, but it feels necessary to me. At the center of the pyramid's sunken peak there is a diamond shaped hollow in the stone.

Before I can forget I create the faceted gem mean to serve as the key to this pyramid. It's a turquoise gem in the shape of a diamond, with runes etched into its faces. My mana courses through the thing and soon enough its finished. I turn my attention to the reptilian monster sunbathing in the swamp.

Sorry about this, but I need you to take care of this key, big guy.

My mana twists space and the enchanted gem slips cleanly into the giant reptiles stomach, cradled there by the beast's body and organs. The runes inscribed on the gem will keep it from harming the alligator and prevent the alligator from passing the gem along with its waste.

The beast doesn't seem to notice the intrusion, as it continues resting in the sunlight. I turn away from the alligator and back to the swamp as a whole. No structures except for the sunken pyramid occupy the swamp. I'll change that before I make the core room beneath the swamp.

First, I add a few destroyed boats to the ruins. Small fishing boats that have been torn apart as if the alligator has attacked them. Some of them are sunken beneath the water, while others are lodged into the muddy soil of the dry portions of land.

An occasional lockbox full of copper coins occupies the largest boats—the fishing boats, not the little rowboats or dingies. I go so far as to add a few human and tengku skeletons in the silty muck around the boats as a grim reminder of how dangerous this swamp is.

Second, several dilapidated wooden shacks are added to the swamp. All but three of these little wooden structures are unrecognizable messes of wooden debris and twisted posts. As for those three somewhat intact hovels? They're each in their own section of the swamp.

The first of the shacks is supported by wetroot trees growing close to one another. It sits atop them as a tree house with a very unreliable rope ladder dangling from its door. Inside the remnants of wooden furniture sag with rot and decay. A single treasure chest filled with silver coins and a dungeon lantern serves as a reward for locating this tree house shack.

The second of the shacks is a small structure sunken partially into the murky greenish brown water. The top half of the building peeks out from the water whilst the lower half is buried partly in mud. Pieces of discarded furniture float in the water whilst bones rest at the bottom partially obscured by the silty soil which has overtaken the floor of the shack. In the water a single chest rests, completely waterlogged, with a haul of silver and a water breathing potion inside.

The third abandoned shack is the most intact. It sits on a section of dry land, with its structure only sagging slightly from rot in the wetroot wood its made of. Inside the single room home one can find furniture arranged as if the house was in use only a day prior, with the exception of a chair toppled over in the center of the room. Beside the chair is a skeleton with an old noose coiled atop it. The beam above the frightful sight has long since snapped from rot.

The decoration and points of interest for this level are complete. It is time to carve out Aquartis' core chamber, and place its core inside.

I use Woodrin's core chamber as a template. Small and cylindrical in shape, the chamber is hollowed out a fair distance beneath the unnamed swamp level. The walls are coated in stone matching the cut of the stone pyramid at the center of the swamp. Carved depictions of the monsters in Aquartis cover the walls alongside swirling wave-like patterns. Grates in the floor and ceiling ensure water is constantly flowing through the room—clear water, unlike that of the swamp above. Water stone and sponge stone ensure the cycle is endless. I light the room with modified lantern stone, the same kind used in Aquartis' antechamber, bathing the core chamber in blue refracted light.

Stairs carved into the wall spiral up to meet concealed stairs hidden in the stone of the pyramid far above. The two staircases aren't physically connected, but with some spatial stitching it appears that way. At the center of the chamber is a pedestal comprised of saphite and stone, glistening with moisture.

I gather the last of my mana in each of my nonexistent hands. Visualizing holding the stuff helps me push it together, and I watch as my mana twists into swirling waves before me. I slowly press the two vortexes together to form the core. My concentration wavers as I use nearly all of the mana in my core to form the blue glowing gem core.

The very same functions in different flavors fill the core. My vision wavers slightly as the finished brilliant blue gem rests upon the pedestal.

If this core were to be activated it would spread water, silt, wetroot, and stone to alter the environment to suit the monsters of Aquartis. Glugmaws, drakeflies, and nautilurks will spawn to defend the core. Lastly, the same portal function as Woodrin's core will activate to give me and my forces a path to wherever the core was being held at the time of activation.

I've run out of mana again, but both my insurance policies have been completed. If the church takes the bait and tries to steal these cores—it will be their downfall.